Mini French Loaf for A Special Couple

I was driving like a mad woman, hoping and praying she wouldn't have left the office, I knew she was working half day, I called up Criss to confirm the timing, and criss said, "Ally go now before..12pm the gurl is working only half day"....note the time was already 11am. It's Saritha's and Aboo's first wedding anniversary on 29th, and they are off to Kerala, so I decided to make a  surprise appearance at Sari's office with a baby loaf, just enough for the two of them to savour. It's the least I could do for the lovely two..

Ingredients
Caster Sugar - 55gms
Self Rising Flour - 55gms sifted

Small pinch of salt
Eggs - 2 small
Butter - 55gms
Finely ground almonds - 25gms
Vanilla pod split - 1/2
Apricot jam to glaze - 2tbs
Icing sugar to dust

Mix the sugar, sifted flour and salt together in a bowl. Melt butter, but not do not brown and set aside to cool. Lightly beat the eggs and mix them into the sugar and flour mixture and gradually add the cooled butter, ground  almonds and the vanilla pod seeds (reserving the empty pod).Mix well but not too vigorously. Cover and refrigerate for 30minutes to 1hour..Preheat the oven to 160C. Spoon the mixture into a lightly buttered and greased 3/4pt loaf tin and level the batter with the back of a spoon. Lay the reserved vanilla pod on top of the mixture and bake for 25minutes until golden brown. To glaze the cake, lightly warm the apricot jam and brush it over the warm cake and leave to set. Then before serving dust with icing sugar and arrange into slices onto a serving plate

Coconut Crisps

It's one of those days when you want to bake, yet bake without a hassle, not to much to do...kind of like a lazy bake mood....and this biscuit recipe is bang on....

Ingredients:
Egg white - 1
Castor Sugar - 50gms
Desiccated coconut - 100gms
Few Glaced cherries, sliced

Whisk the egg white until stiff, gradually whisk in the sugar until all is mixed and the mixture is thick and glossy. Stir in the coconut to give it a stiff mixture. Using wet hands shape into 12 balls about the size of walnuts and place onto greased baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven of 160C for 15-20minutes until golden colour and firm to touch. Remove and cool on a wire try, decorate with a slice of glace cherry.

Marbled Chocolate and Vanilla Ring

Elijah kept screaming cake, and for his want, made this brilliantly soft cake. And by evening except for two pieces to satisfy my son's needs, took the whole thing over on our visit to a dear family friend and their two daughters....nothing like sharing something with people you love..especially when you bake with love.

Ingredients:
Plain flour - 175gms
Butter - 175gms
Castor Sugar - 175gms
Eggs - 3
Baking Powder - 1tbs
Vanilla Essence - 1tsp
Cocoa powder - 2tbs
Milk - 2tbs

Sieve the flour and baking powder and keep aside. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy and add in the eggs one by one and beat well. Add in the sifted flour little by little and continue to beat well. Transfer half the mixture into a separate bowl. Mix the cocoa powder and milk into one bowl mixture. Add vanilla to the other bowl mixture and mix evenly. Alternate tablespoonfuls into the the prepared, greased ring tin/ bundt tin. Lightly swirl with palette-knife to give a marbled effect. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50minutes at 160C. Leave to cool in the tin for 10minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish off cooling. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Carrot & Pumpkin Curry

When the meats out and the veggies in....is when I get the grumpy looks from people at home. But sometimes you really can't help it, it's a forced effort....my son happily eats his veggies, while the rest of the household eats grumpily...this is an easy recipe I fished out from the book "Essential Thai - everday dishes for you to enjoy". Easy to cook up, with familiar flavors and worth the effort....

Ingredients:
Galangal - 1 inch sliced
Garlic cloves - 2 chopped
Vegetable Stock cube - 1
Carrots- 4 peeled and cut into cubes
Pumpkin - 220gms peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes
Thai Yellow paste - 3tbs
Shallots - 5 chopped finely
Coconut milk - 400ml
Fresh/ dried basil

Into a pan, pour about 150ml water and put in the stock cube and bring to a gentle boil. Add the galangal, half the garlic and simmer for 3minutes. Add the carrots and pumpkin and simmer till tender. Meanwhile heat oil into a pan, sauté shallots and remaining garlic for 2-3minutes. Add the Thai paste and continue to stir fry.for 1-2minutes. Stir the shallot mixture into the pan and add the coconut milk and basil. Simmer for another 3minutes, serve hot sprinkle some tasted pumpkin seeds.

Moonlit Mutton ~ Chicken Teriyaki ~ Barbecue Style

When the family and friends get over....its more than just fun...its cacophony??a bunch of hooligans?? We are a gang of absolutely crazy people...is what our neighbours would have most definitely thought. It was a Friday night and we thought we'd get together and do a barbecue. Chintu and Binoy, I say without you guys it wouldn't have been possible. Ratish, your the man for having brought the actual kit all the way from home (from my inlaws place)...Meera gurl my lil sis I must say thanks for being a help throughout and of course all the rest for having come and made the rest of the evening a definite blast!!

Moonlit Mutton

Ingredients:
Boneless Mutton - 1kg cut into small pieces to skewer
Worcestershire Sauce  - 1/3cup
Brown sugar - 1/3cup
All spice powder - 1tsp
Lemon Juice - 2tbs
Green Capsicum - 2 diced

Onion -2 diced

Tomatoes - 3-4diced
Pepper and salt to taste

Marinate the mutton with the above ingredients and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Then skewer 3 pieces of mutton alternating with the onion, tomato and capsicum. Fry them lightly over a pan for about 3minutes on each side and then grill over the coal till meat is tender.

Chicken Teriyaki


Ingredients:
Chicken Drumsticks - 2kg
Teriyaki Sauce - 2/3cup
Soya Sauce - 1/3cup
Garlic - 6-7pods grated
Honey - 3tbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. Make slits across the drumsticks pat dry, and marinate the chicken, cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. Grill over hot coal, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.

Chocolate Cheesecake Gateau for the Loved Ones!

Criss just said, "come over have dinner and your staying...and you have no choice but to say yes"....I immediately got on to the phone to get the husband to agree with the plan, while Criss got Yogi bear and boo boo bear (our other two friends) to stay too...the plan was set....the dinner was beef biriyani, chicken cutlet, raita and pappad. While the food was being coordinated we got our dearest friend Lesa, PC and lil Mia to skype in from S'pore to add to the evening entertainment. I thought a meal is not complete without the dessert, and I pitched in, and got to make a cheesecake and toffee apple upside down cake with some cream. All in all the weekend was absolutely fantastic with Maash and his brilliant idea of watching the movie Inception, and then part our ways. A weekend that was truly worthwhile....it was time spent with people you love being with

Ingredients:
Base
Digestive biscuits - 100gms
Butter - 50gms melted

Filling
Cream Cheese - 225gms
Castor Sugar - 100gms
Eggs - 2 separated
Gelatine - 2tsps
Plain bitter chocolate/ chips - 100gms melted
Whipping cream - 125ml

Decoration
Whipping cream - 150ml
Chocolate curls/ sprinkles

Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs and stir in the melted butter. Press onto the base of a 7inch spring form tin and chill. For the filling, beat the cream cheese until smooth and add the sugar, egg yolks and melted chocolate. Dissolve the gelatin in 2tablespoons of hot water and add to the cream cheese mixture. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Then lastly fold in whipped cream. Pour into the tin and chill until set. To decorate the gateau, pipe a border around with the whipped cream and decorate with curls or sprinkles.