Pineapple Crumble

Ingredients:

1. Plain Flour - 2 cups

2. Egg - 1

3. Butter - 3/4 cup

4. Sugar - 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp.

5. Pineapple

Method:

1. Pressure cook the pineapples for 2 whistles.

2. Melt 3 tbsp. sugar and then add the pineapple pieces to this and heat for around 15 minutes.

3. Beat the butter and sugar together.

4. Add an egg to this, mix well.

5. Add the plain flour to this and make a soft dough.

6. Divide the dough into two parts and roll them out.

7. Spread one part of the dough on a greased baking tray, spread the caramelized pineapples on top of it and cover with the other part of the dough.

8. Bake at 140 degree Celcius for 25 minutes.(The temperature and time may vary depending on your oven). The texture of the dough after baking should be slightly crisp, slightly soft.

Easy Creme Brulee

Ingredients :

1. Thickened cream - 200 ml

2. vanilla essence - 3/4 tsp.

3. Egg Yolks - 2

4. Caster Sugar - a little less than 1/4 cup + 6 tsp.

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.

2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, add vanilla essence and bring to boiling point, then remove from heat.

3. Whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl for 2-3 minutes or until pale.

4. Pour hot cream over egg yolk mixture, continuing to whisk until well combined. Strain mixture into a jug, evenly divide between ramekins(I used cupcake molds).

5. Carefully place ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded tea towel. Pour boiling water into pan to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil.

6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard has just set. Remove ramekins from the water bath, and set aside to cool.

7. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the surface of the baked custards. Run a kitchen blowtorch over the custards, or place under a preheated grill until the sugar bubbles and caramelises. Serve.

Cashew Delight

Ingredients :

1. Cashew nuts - 100g

2. Sugar - 1/2 cup

3. Water - to blanch + 1/2 cup

4. Milk - 2 tbsp.

5. Ghee(Clarified Butter) - 2 tsp.

6. Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp.

7. Grated Pistachios - a few to garnish

Method :

1. Blanch the cashew nuts. Boil them for a few minutes, then heat on medium flame till they turn soft. Takes around 10-15 minutes.

2. Drain the water and grind the cashewnuts.

3. Fry the ground paste in ghee.

4. Make sugar syrup with sugar, cardamom powder and 1/4 cup water, boil for a few minutes, then heat on low flame till the mixture turns sticky and achieves a thread consistency, that is, when you pour the mixture from a spoon, a thread should be formed from the spoon to the vessel.

5. Add the cashew paste and milk, and cook until the mixture turns light brown.

6. Quickly transfer the mixture to a bowl, garnish with grated pistachios and serve :)

Triple Decker New Year Cake

Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 3 cups

2. Butter - 1 & a 1/2 cup

3. Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

4. Eggs - 3

5. Orange juice - 3 tbsp.

6. Orange Food Colour - a pinch

7. Cocoa Powder - 1 tbsp.

8. Baking Powder - 1 & a 1/2 tsp.

9. Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp.

For the Frosting :

1. Icing Sugar - 1 cup

2. Chocolate - I used a small packet of Kit Kat

3. Cocoa Powder - 1 & a 1/2 tsp.

4. Horlicks Nutribar

Method :

1. Mix the butter and sugar together. Keep stirring till you get a creamy mixture.

2. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks, and whisk the egg whites for a few minutes.

3. Add the egg yolks and the egg whites to the butter mixture and stir properly.

4. Now divide this mixture into three parts.

5. Separately, add baking powder to flour and mix properly.

6.

For the Cocoa Layer : Add cocoa powder

For the Vanilla Layer : Add vanilla essence

For the Orange Layer : Add orange juice and food colour

7. Stir well, add milk and/or water to this and continue stirring till you get a semi solid mixture.

8. Now I coudn't fit in all the three layers in my baking tin, so i first baked two layers, and then the third, and then placed the third on top of the other cake.

You can bake all the three layers together. Pour them separately to the baking tin.

9. I baked in my OTG at 140 degree celcius for 30 minutes. the temperature and time may vary according to your oven.

10.After it's done(toothpick test - it should come out clean), let it stay in the oven for 5 minutes.

11.Let it cool.

For the frosting :

1. Heat the chocolate, icing sugar and cocoa powder.

2. Spread this mixture on the cake and top with nutribar pieces.

Happy New Year :-)

Dry Fruits Cake

Ingredients :

1. Cashewnuts - 10

2. Badam - 5

3. Pistachios - 10

4. Apricots - 5

5. Butter - 1/2 cup

6. Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp.

7. Water

8. Egg - 1

9. Plain Flour - 1 & a 1/4 cup

10.Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup

11.Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp.

12.Buttermilk - 1/4 cup

13.Cashewnuts and Raisins - a few

Method :

1. Blanch the cashewnuts, badam, pistachios and apricots in water.Add vanilla essence. First let it come to a boil, then heat on medium flame for 10 minutes.

2. Let it cool.Grind the dryfruits. Then add water to it to make it exactly 1/2 cup. If there's extra, drain it.

3. Mix the butter and powdered sugar until you get a creamy mixture.

4. Mix flour and baking powder. Add the butter mixture and the dry fruit mixture to this.

5. Add egg and butermilk to the mixture and stir for a while until you get a semi-solid batter.

6. Chop the cashewnuts and raisins into half and add to the batter.

7. Trnsfer to the baking try and add a few more half cut cashewnuts on the top.

8. Bake at 180 degree celcius for 15 minutes.

I love the rich fragrance that comes when it gets baked :) Let me know how it turns out :)

Shrewsbury Biscuit

Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 1.5 cups

2. Egg Yolk - 1

3. Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup

4. Butter - 1/2 cup

5. Lemon Rind - of 1 lemon

Method :

1. Cream the butter and together.

2. Beat the egg yolk and add it to the mixture.

3. Add powdered sugar.

4. Mix together the lemond rinds and flour, add the mixture and make a soft dough.

5. Make small balls out of the dough and flatten them slightly.

6. Bake at 120 degree celcius for 20 minutes.

You can coat these with chocolate and enjoy :-)

Rocky Soufflé

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU :-)

Ingredients :

1. Eggs - 3

2. Sugar - 130 grams

3. Plain Flour - 45 grams

4. Milk - 200 ml

5. Cocoa Powder - 15 grams

6. Cashewnuts(chopped) - a few

Method :

1. Separate the egg whites and yolks.

2. Beat two yolks with half the sugar till a creamy consistency is reached.

3. Blend in the flour and milk mixed with the cocoa powder.

4. Beat the egg whites of three eggs and make a stiff mixture.

5. Carefully, fold the egg white mixture into the cocoa batter, add the nuts, pour into moulds and bake in an oven at 175 degrees Celsius for 8 - 10 minutes.

6. Serve with cream :-)

I didn't have soufflé moulds, so i baked it in a normal cake tin and then cut pieces and put them in a bowl and mixed the pieces together.

Easy Cupcakes

Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 1 & 1/4 cup

2. Wheat/Aata - 3/4 cup

3. Oil - 2 tbsp.

4. Citric Acid(solid) - 1/2 tsp.

5. Water - 1 cup

6. Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

7. Baking Powder - 1 tsp.

8. Salt - a pinch

Frosting :

1. Cocoa Powder - 1 tsp.

2. Icing Sugar - 2 tbsp.

3. Milk - 2 tsp.

Method :

1. Mix plain flour, wheat and salt together. Add baking powder to it.

2. Separately, add citric acid in water and mix well.

3. Add this mixture to the flour mixture.

4. Add oil and sugar to this. Mix all the ingredients well until the shown consistency is obtained.

5. Pour this into greased cupcake molds and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. The time may vary according to your oven, but it should pass the toothpick test(insert a toothpick and it should come out clean). If it doesn't, keep it for some more time. Once done, let it stay in the heat for 5 minutes.

Frosting :

1. Heat the cocoa powder for a few seconds and add to it, icing sugar and milk.

2. Stir for a few minutes in the heat, till a creamy consistency is obtained.

Now apply this frosting on the cupcakes and enjoy :-)

You can use vinegar instead of citric acid, But you'll have to add the 1 cup water mentioned in the recipe.

Crunchy Delights

Ingredients :

For the crust :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 1 cup

2. Vegetable Oil - 3.5 tbsp. + 1 tsp.

3. Cold Water - 2 tbsp.

4. Sugar - 3 tsp.

For the filling :

1. Cocoa powder - 3 tsp.

2. Milk - 1/4 cup + 1 cup

3. Sugar - 5 tbsp.

4. Biscuits(I used Krack-Jack) - 1 packet(medium sized)

5. Plain Flour - 1/4 cup

6. Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup

Method :

For the crust :

1. Mix the flour,sugar and salt and then add oil, 1 tbsp. at a time.

2. Then add the water and form a dough using the remaining oil.

3. Keep it in the freezer for 40-45 minutes.

4. Then take it out, and form thin shapes out of it.

5. Bake them for 10 minutes at 200 degree celcius(Greasing is not required as they come off easily). The temperature and time may vary depending on the oven.

6. The crusts should not be too hard. They'll become crispy after some time.

For the filling :

1. Powder the biscuits with your hand. A fine powder is not required.

2. Mix the cocoa powder and sugar in 1/4 cup milk. Keep aside.

3. Roast the flours together in a pan till the rawness of the wheat goes and the mixture turns light brown. Add the biscuit powder to this.

4. Then in a separate pan, heat the cocoa mixture and let it come to a boil. Boil it for a 10-20 seconds, keep stirring. Reduce the flame.

5. Add the flour mixture and 1 cup milk to the cocoa mixture.

5. Cook the mixture for around 5-8 minutes, till it becomes slightly hard and leaves the sides of the pan.

6. Then make shapes out of the mixture and roll them first in the sugar and then in the biscuit powder.

Take one crust and put the mixture on it and cover it with another crust. You can roll the mixture in sugar(granulated) and then keep it on the crust.

Enjoy your Crunchy Delight and do let me know how it turns out :-)

Now when I thought of the recipe, I had planned to make something hard out of the cocoa mixture but since it came out soft, I thought of making something like cream biscuits. If you know how to make a hard mixture using the same ingredients, please let me know :-)

Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients :

1. Whole Wheat Flour – ¾ cup

2. Corn flour/Maida (plain flour) – ½ cup

3. Sugar – ½ cup

4. Milk – to knead

5. Cinnamon – 2 one inch pieces

6. Butter – 1 and a half to 2 tablespoon

7. Cocoa Powder – ½ teaspoon

Method:

1. Powder the sugar and mix it well with the butter with a spoon.

2. Powder the cinnamon pieces.

3. Mix whole wheat flour, corn flour/plain flour, cocoa powder and the powdered cinnamon.

4. Roast this mixture for a while, around 5 minutes. Make sure that it does not burn.

5. Turn off the stove and add the sugar-butter mixture to the flour mixture.

6. Knead the mixture into a smooth soft dough, using milk if needed.

7. Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius for 3 minutes.

8. Line the baking tray with parchment paper, or just grease it with butter.

9. Make slightly flat balls out of the dough, and place them on the tray.

10.Bake the cookies at 180 degree Celsius for 8 minutes.

11.Let the cookies stay in the oven for a few minutes, say 5 minutes.

12.Take them out. They’ll be very soft, so let them cool down.

Once they cool down, they’re ready to be eaten.

Enjoy and do let me know how they come out J

Banana Cake

Ingredients :

1. Plain Flour/Maida - 2 cups

2. Pureed Bananas(small) - 1 and a half

3. Butter - 1 cup

4. Egg - 1

5. Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup

6. Nutmeg Powder - a pinch

7. Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp.

Method :

1. Stir the butter till it becomes creamy.
2. Add sugar to it and mix well.

3. To this, add the pureed bananas and the egg..
4. Separately, sieve maida and add baking powder to it.
5. Add this to the butter mixture, part by part, not all at once.
6. Mix well. You'll have to mix for a long time, as the batter should be of a ribbon consistency, i.e., when you hold the spoon in a slanting position, the batter should fall down like a ribbon.
9. You may add milk to achieve this semi-solid consistency.
10. Grease the cake pan with butter, pour the batter into it and bake for 10 mins. at 180 degree Celcius.
11. Do not take it out immediately. Take it out after 5 mins.
12. Insert a tooth pick into it, it should come out clean.

Semolina Cornflour Sweet Bread

Ingredients :

1. Semolina/Rava - 2 cups

2. Cornflour - 1 cup
3. Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
4. Yeast - 1 tbsp.
5. Water - 1/4 cup
6. Oil - 1/4 cup
7. Salt - 1 tsp.

Method:
1. Add the yeast and sugar to warm water and let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. Make a soft smooth dough using semolina, cornflour, sugar, oil, salt and the above mixture.
3. Apply little oil on the dough and let it rest for around 2 hrs so that it doubles in size.
4. Now shape it in the form of a bread or place it in a loaf pan if u have one, otherwise place it in a baking tray like I did.
5. Since the temperature and duration entirely depend on the oven, I would say, bake at 180 degree celcius until the bread turns golden brown.
6. Perform the toothpick test - Insert a toothpick, it must come out clean.

7. Dust the bread with powdered sugar.

Fruit Squares

Ingredients:

1. Plain Flour(Maida) - 1 cup

2. Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp.

3. Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp.

4. Sugar - 3/4 cup

5. Water - lesser than 1/2 cup

6. Pureed cheeku(suppota) - 3

7. Butter - slightly lesser than 1/2 cup

8. Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup

9. Egg - 1

Method:

1. Mix thoroughly the butter and brown sugar.

2. Make sugar syrup by boiling the sugar and water and once it starts getting thick, reduce the heat and continue stirring till you get a thick sugar syrup.

3. Mix the flour and baking powder.

4. In a pan/vessel, add the butter mixture and the sugar syrup. Slowly add flour to it and heat this mixture for a few minutes.

5. Turn off the gas. In a separate vessel, add the egg and beat it properly.

6. Add this to the mixture and stir well.No need to heat it.

7. Pre-heat the oven for 3-5 minutes. Pour the mixture to a greased baking container.

8. Bake the mixture at 180 degree celcius for 15 minutes.

9. Once done, let it remain in the oven for a few minutes. Then take it out and insert a tooth pick. It should come out clean. Otherwise, bake it for a few more minutes on a lower temperature.

10.Cut it into squares and serve hot.

Kids will love it :)

Variation : You can replace suppota with pureed mango or pureed banana.

You can combine whipped cream and icing sugar, or heat butter, icing sugar and flour, to prepare the frosting and spread evenly on the squares.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

(Photo courtesy - my friend - Amby, who made this soft delicious cake)

My mom's recipe

Ingredients:

1. Maida/Flour - 2 cups
2. Powdered Sugar - 1 & a 1/2 cup or 1 & 3/4 cups
3. Unsalted Butter - 1 cup
4. Vanilla Essence - 1/4 tsp.
5. Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp.
6. Eggs - 2
7. Milk - as per requirement

Method :

1. Stir the butter till it becomes creamy.
2. Add sugar to it and mix well.
3. Separately, sieve maida and add baking powder to it.
4. Add this to the butter mixture, part by part, not all at once.
5. Separate the egg whites from the eggs and beat them till they increase in volume.
6. Add the egg yolks to the mixture.
7. Then add the egg whites and vanilla essence.
8. Mix well. You'll have to mix for a long time, as the batter should be of a ribbon consistency, i.e., when you hold the spoon in a slanting position, the batter should fall down like a ribbon.
9. You may add milk to achieve this semi-solid consistency.
10. Grease the cake pan with butter, pour the batter into it and bake in microwave for 5-6 mins. at 650 degree Celcius.
11. Do not take it out immediately. Take it out after 5 mins.
12. Insert a tooth pick into it, it should come out clean.

Variation:
For making chocolate cake, just mix 3 tbsp. of cocoa powder with maida.
You may add tooty fruity or dry fruits while mixing maida with baking powder.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1. Wheat/Atta - 2 cups
2. Grated carrots - 2
3. Cinnamon powder/Dalchini - 1 tsp.
3. Nutmeg powder/Jaiphal - 1/2 tsp.
4. Baking powder - 1/2 tsp.
5. Butter - 1/2 cup
6. Grated jaggery/Gur - 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Melt the butter and jaggery over a low flame. Keep aside.
2. Sift the flour with the cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and baking powder.
3. Combine the butter mixture, flour mixture and grated carrots and pour into a greased baking pan.
4.Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 1 hour. Cool and cut.

This cake is not only different in taste from other cakes, but also is healthy as it contains jaggery, a rich source of iron and carrots, which contain Vitamin A.

Variation : You can add honey to increase the sweetness. Njooooy :-)

Daliya Halva

Ingredients:

1.Broken Wheat/Daliya - 1 cup

2.Milk - 1 cup

3.Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup

4.Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp.

5.Ghee - 1 tbsp.

Method:

1. Fry the daliya in ghee.

2. Add the jaggery, then add milk and cardamom powder.

3. Cook till the mixure leaves the sides of the vessel.

4. You can garnish with dryfruits.

Tofu Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1. Maida - 1 & a 1/2 cup Butter - 1/2 cup
2. Sugar(powdered) - 1/2 cup
3. Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp.
4.Milk - as reqs. to make a batter
5. Pureed Tofu - 3/4 cup
6. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.

Method:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 2. Combine the butter and sugar till it becomes creamy.
3. Add vanilla essence and stir well.
4. Add the tofu (slowly,not all at once) and mix well. spoon.
5. Slowly add the flour micture. Add sufficient milk to achieve a semi solid batter(ribbon consistency).
6. Pour the batter in the cupcake tray.
7. The temperature and time varies from oven to oven, I baked mine in an OTG for 10 mins @ 180 degree celcius, but this may not work for all types of ovens.

Enjoy :-) and don't forget to leave in ur comments...

Besan Laddoo

Besan Laddoo

Ingredients:

1. Bengal Gram Flour/Besan - 1 cup
2. Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Ghee/Clarified Butter - 3-4 tbsp.
4. Cardomom Powder - 1/4 tsp.
5. Milk - to bind the laddoos
6. Cashewnuts - 8 to 10

Method:

1. In a pan, add the ghee.
2. Then add the gramflour and mix well.
3. Now add the sugar, cardamom powder, cashewnuts and keep on stirring till the mixture becomes golden in colour.
4. Mix well and form into laddoos while it is still warm. You may use milk to make the laddoos.
5. To harden, keep them in fridge for some time

Variation:You may add khoya and other dry-fruits like raisins,badam etc. Made on all almost occassions, besan laddoo is one of the most popular sweets in India. Do try it n leave in ur comments :-)

Vanilla Biscuits

Vanilla biscuits

My Mom's recipe

Ingredients:

1.Plain Flour/Maida - 1&1/2 cup

2.Butter - 1/2cup

3.Sugar(powdered) - 1/2 cup

4.Baking Powder - a pinch

6.Vanilla Essence - 1/4 tsp.

Method :
1.Beat the butter and mix with powdered sugar till creamy. Add vanilla essence to it.

2.Separately, sieve the flour and add baking powder to it.

4.Combine both the mixtures and make a soft dough.

6.Make small (not completely flat) balls of the dough.

7.Place in a greased tray or in a tray covered with butter paper.

8.I bake them in an OTG for 10-15 minutes at 130 degree Celcius. The temperature and time may vaary according to the oven.

9.Enjoy the yummy crunchy soft biscuits. If you don't like the biscuits to be soft, keep them in fridge for 4 -5 hours.

Modak

Modak

Ingredients:

1.Rice flour - 1 cup

2.Water - less than 1 cup(around 3/4 cup)

3.Oil for greasing

4.Salt - a pinch

5.Grated Jaggery/Gur - 1 cup

6.Grated Coconut - 1 cup

7.Cardamom (elaichi) powder - 1/2 tsp.

8.Ghee - 1 tbsp.

Method :
1.For the filling, add grated coconut and jaggery in a pan and cook over a slow flame till the jaggery melts.

2.Add the cardamom powder and mix well.

3.Boil the water separately. Reduce the flame, add the rice flour while stirring continuously.

4.Whisk well so that no lumps remain. Cover with a lid and keep aside for about 5 minutes. 5.Then knead the dough while it is warm.

6.Make small balls of the dough. Then roll each of them into a round shape, around 3½" in diameter. You may use rice flour to roll the balls.

7.Add little filling in te dough.

8.Bring all the ends together and press to seal. Make long depressions on the side of the dough to make it look like a closed cloth basket!!!(Ok, I'm not very good at this, but hope you get the point:-) )

9.Prepare a steamer by adding water, and heat it till it comes to a boil. While the water is simmering, place the modaks on a greased steamer plate and steam for 10 minutes.10. Once the modaks are cooked they will turn translucent.

Serve hot drizzled with pure ghee.

This sweet becomes so popular during the Ganesh Chaturthi season that pethas are made in the shape of modaks and sold in sweet shops.