Strawberry Cheese Cake

There are only 2 seasonal fruits I eagerly await! One is my most favourite Mango!! Alphonso particularly! And the other being Pretty Pink Strawberries! And this pretty pink fruit comes twice a year here,winters and spring summers!
Just bought a box full of Pink beauties home, and I knew just what I need to make off them!
Fortunately, I managed to fetch a box of Phily Cream Cheese too!
My job half done, with all the perfect ingredients , I made this quick fix dessert , so yummy, that my kiddo learnt to say "Strawberry" ..baubbling it as "Swabeee"!!

Ingredients:

10 -15 Fresh Strawberries
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream( I used professional whipping cream that doubles in volume, but if you are using a regular dairy cream or Amul Fresh cream , use the complete 200 ml pack)
2-3 tbsp Cream Cheese
3 tbsp Castor Sugar
1 tsp Gelatine, dissolved in water and set aside for 10 mins

For the crust:

8-10 Marie Biscuits or any Digestive  Biscuits, crushed.
2 tsp Melted butter


Method:

Mix together the crushed biscuits with butter and press them in a loose bottom tin or springform tin.
Incase you sont have either,you can line the base of a flat plate with a foil and then proceed as mentioned above.
Freeze the tin ,after pressing the mixture firmly into it for 10 mins.

Preheat oven at 180 deg C for 5-7 mins and bake the crust from the fridge , for about 10 mins.
This step is optional , but if done , will give a perfect base.

Pour the whipping cream and sugar in a bowl and whip using sn electric beater till it forms stiff peaks.
Reserve 3-5 strawberies for garnish and lightly crush the remaining to a pulp.
Add this to the whipped cream along with cream cheese and beat again till incorporated.
Now , add the gelatine mixture and beat again for 2 mins.
Pour this mixture over the cooled baked crust, and refrigerate the cheese cake for atleast 1 hour, to set.

Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve.

Vanilla Souffle with Strawberry Coulis

I had a huge carton of juicy, luscious strawberries at home which refused to empty!!!

I made milk shakes, strawberry with cream and even an cake but....nope they refused to exhaust themselves.... And since they have a very limited shelf life I had to do something, I hate to waste them.

My kiddo was fed up just watching those strawberries so I decided to pair them up with something he just couldnt resist.....Nothing like a Vanilla Souffle to pep up my kiddo!!!

And since vanilla is so versatile it goes with a lot of other flavors. Here instead of making just one king sized portion I made small individual cups so that they could be topped with a variety of toppings. I also pairs it with chocolate and it tastes just wonderful. 

So with this versatile souffle you can just let go and experiment!!!


Ingredients:

2 cups          Milk
3                  Eggs
1 tsp            Vanilla Essence
1 tsp            Gelatine
1/2 cup         Cream
1 cup            Sugar

For the coulis

1/2 cup        Strawberry Crush
5 / 6            Fresh Strawberries

Method:

Separate the egg whites and the egg yolks. Add the gelatine to a little warm water and keep aside to bloom.

Heat the milk in a saucepan, when warm add the sugar and the egg yolks and whisk till the egg yolks are mixed fully and the custard starts to thicken. Turn off the flame when about to boil. Remove and keep aside. Add the vanilla essence and the gelatine and let it cool.

Beat the egg whites till stiff.

Whip the cream.

When the custard is totally cool, add the cream and mix. Next add the egg whites and fold gently.

Here You can either set the souffle in one big jelly mold or pour it in small individual plastic cups as I did. 

For the strawberry coulis, chop the strawberry finely. Mix the pieces with the strawberry crush.

For serving, Demold the souffle and pour the coulis around it. Garnish with fresh strawberry.

Since Vanilla goes well with a variety of flavors you can experiment with different topping. I drizzled some chocolate sauce on the souffle and garnished it with chocolate vermicelli.

Orange Syrup Cake

Another advantage of following international Masterchef shows is , you get to know and learn about entirely different food cultures. And it really inspires to whip up something innovative in your kitchen... I had been following Masterchef Australia ever since the second season....And I just loved what they did with cakes and desserts! What I particularly loved is the use of varierty of fruits in cakes and desserts!
With the mercury dipping day by day , wanted to try a new hot dessert post dinner, and was indeed bored serving the usual brownie or molten cakes....
Thats when I decided to incorporate fruits to whip up a nice hot dessert for those cold after dinner evenings!
So a Tangy Orange Syrup Cake was just what I needed! And it indeed turned out nice and moist with the syrup and delicious to be enjoyed hot!
Unfortunately,I couldnt click step by step pictures,since the cake itself was made in a haste....But considering how yummy it was, I m sure I ll be making it again...so watch this space for more!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
1 Cup Maida or flour
3/4 Cup Castor Sugar
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Soda Bi carb
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Orange
2-4 Drops of Orange Food Colour (Optional)

For the Syrup:
2 Cups Orange Juice
2-4 Tbsp Sugar ( more needed if Orange Juice is sour)
2-4 drops Lemon Juice
4-8 Orange sections


Heat the Orange juice in a saucepan and add sugar and lime juice to it. Let it boil on a low flame,stirring occassionally.
Once the mixture comes to a boil , add the orange section and let the mixture simmer for 2-5 mins till the mixture is slightly thick and syrupy.

Sieve the flour with baking powder and soda bicarb and keep aside.
Beat the eggs in a bowl using an electric beater,till fluffy. Add sugar,ornage zest and oil and beat for 1 min.
Add the flour and fold.
Add the orange juice and food colour and beat the mixture till homogenous.

Grease a baking tin with oil and dust it with flour.
Pour the batter in the baking tin and bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20 to 30 mins , till the center when touched springs back.

Cool the cake and demould it.

Pour hot syrup over the cake and decorate with the orange sections.
Set aside for a few minutes to enable the cake soak the syrup.
Cut it into pieces and serve warm.

 

This is our entry for Bake Fest no 13 hosted at
http://cooksjoy.com/blog/bake-fest-hosting-schedule
http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.in/2012/10/bake-fest-13-guest-host-event-nov-1st.html


 

Jangri, Urad dal Jalebi

Its Diwali time and I am in the midst of dusting and cleaning and of course making Namkeens and Mithais....My home is a flurry of activity but I am totally loving it. Infact I just wait the whole year for this festive. Dunno know where I get this much energy but this time of the year I am into a maniac mode!!!! 

You can call Jangri a South Indian cousin of North Indian Jalebi or Imarti!!!!!!

Basically they look similar but their texture and flavours are totally different....Jalebi is made with Maida and Jangri with Urad dal. This again is a very simple recipe as all the ingredients required for this recipe are readily available at home. 


Ingredients:

1 cup             Urad dal
1 1/2 cup       Sugar
Ghee/Oil        For frying
1 tsp              Elaichi powder
a pinch          Kesari colour


Method:

Soak Urad dal in water for atleast 2 hrs. Wash and drain the water and grind in a mixie using very little water. The batter should be like the wada batter. 

Prepare the sugar syrup by boiling the sugar with just enough water to cover the sugar. The sugar syrup should be of one string consistency that is a drop of syrup should leave one string between your thumb and finger. Add a few drops of lemon to the syrup to prevent the syrup from crystallising. Add the kesari colour and the elaichi powder and mix.

Heat Ghee in a flat bottomed pan. 

Take a zip lock bag and fill it with the batter. Make a small hole in it.

Now squeeze the bag and make the jangris in the ghee. You can shape them like jalebis or be a little more creative and make a imarti like pattern. Cook on low flame till crisp. 

Now dunk the hot jangris in warm sugar syrup for 10 mins. Remove on a plate and serve.

Coffee and Chocolate gateau

 

I have always loved the black forest cake. Infact I love all the fresh cream cakes!!!!

When I visit the cake shop they often have cakes with fancy names. I have always wondered what exactly is the difference between these cakes. Ok to a lay man like me " a cake by any name is a cake".

How is Gateau different from cake? Bet that your first thought....

Gateau is the French word for cake.
Many gateau cakes are iced cakes and may contain layers, frosting and filling.

It can be light or rich, rectangular or round, and often has fresh decoration such as fruit or whipped cream that makes it perishable.

Torte is the German word for the humble cake and is similar to the gateau.

So now that its all sorted I feel better. For me the taste is all that matters.

Inspite of its fancy name this is the most delicate yet surprisingly easy cake to make.

Ingredients:

4               Eggs

1 cup        Maida

3 tsp         Cornflour

1 cup        Oil

1 cup        Sugar

3 tsp         Cocoa Powder

2 tsp         Drinking Chocolate

1 tsp         Instant Coffee

1 tsp         Baking Powder

1/4 cup     Brandy

1/4 cup     Coffee Liquor or  Espresso Coffee

1/2 tsp      Vanilla Essence

3 cups      Whipped Cream

a few        Glazed  Cherries

1 cup        Chocolate Shavings

Method:

Separate the egg white and the egg yolk.

Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form.

Mix the cocoa powder, drinking chocolate and the coffee powder with a little water.

Sieve the Maida and cornflour with the baking powder. In a bowl beat the egg yolks. Add the powdered sugar and whisk. Now gradually add the oil and keep beating. Add the cocoa coffee syrup and beat a little. Now add maida, little at a time and mix well but don't beat. Add the vanilla essence. If the batter becomes thick just add a little milk. Fold the beaten egg whites very slowly. 

Bake at 180 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool the cake. 

When cool, cut the cake horizontally in two parts.  

Mix the brandy, coffee liquor or Espresso shot (add a tsp of sugar if you like a little more sweetness)

Soak both the parts of the cake generously with the brandy coffee mix.

Now take the base part of the cake and spread a layer of whipped cream. Put the top part back on.(You can ice the top part also with a layer of whipped cream).

Fill a piping bag with the remaining whipped cream and pipe out rosettes on the entire cake. Make sure the entire cake is covered. Just lightly ice the sides of the cake with cream and stick the chocolate shavings on it.

Decorate the cake with glazed cherries.

You can alternatively ice the entire cake with whipped cream and decorate it with shredded chocolate.

   
This our entry for Bakefest#12 contest hosted at
http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2012/10/blog-event-bake-fest-12.html
http://cooksjoy.com/blog/bake-fest-hosting-schedule#!prettyPhoto

Sevaiyan and Paneer Burfi

Just a few days post the Ashadhi Ekadashi , and the air is already filling with the holy festivities! Thats the best thing of being an India , in India! We always have something to celebrate all year round! And celebration means meeting up with relatives , friends and of course Sweets and Mithais!

And with the holy month of Shrawaan just a fortnight away , everyone is gearing up for the season of feasting and fasting , especially in Maharashtra!
So this year , especially for the festivities , we have decided to make and share some new innovative mithais , apart from the traditional ones made , just for the occassion.

This Paneer and Vermicelli Burfi is one such innovation. Quick and easy to make and ofcourse Delicious!

Ingredients:

For the seviyan layer:
Ghee                             2 tsp 

Seviyan                        1 cup 

Sugar                           1/2 cup 

Milk powder                 1/2 cup 

Milk                               1 cup

For the paneer layer: 

Paneer                         1 cup

Milk powder                 3 tsp 

Powdered sugar         4 tsp

1/2 tsp Elaichi  powder

Blanched Almond sliver and Kesar for garnish

Method:

In a microwave oven proof bowl heat the ghee and roast the seviyan on microwave high for 1 min. Remove and add the milk powder, sugar and milk and stir. Now microwave on high for 5 mins or till the milk evaporates but the mixture remains moist. Remove, add a little elaichi powder and cool a little.

In a bowl mix the grated paneer, milk powder, sugar and elaichi powder.

Grease microwave proof dish with little ghee. Put in the seviyan and spread them evenly. Add the paneer and layer it evenly on top.

Bake at 180 degrees for 10 mins. on low rack.

Cool and cut into desired shape and garnish with kesar and slivered almonds.

Winner of




hosted by

Ez Cookbook and My Cook book

Eggless Caramel Custard

After having the divine experience of  a blissfull caramel custard in a pure veg.reataurant, (which was quiet surprising) , I was determined , to make an equally delicious , firm and creamy custard at home ,and yes without eggs...
Somehow, I cannot come to accept eggs in my custard or icecreams....
So decided to give it a shot.
The recipe needed agar agar....which I didnt have at home..You see I just decide to make desserts in an instinct ...so have to make it with whatever I have.
So a gelatine  was the other option , and decided to try it.
Results ....amazing , firm Caramel Custard ,that you can cut through with your spoon!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Milk
1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Custard Powder
4 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tbsp Gelatine , dissolved in 1/4 cup water and left for 1/2 hour
2-4 tsp Sugar
Water as required.

Mix the custard powder with milk ,along with sugar and place it on gas stove ,on low flame ,stirring occassionally.
Let the custard boil , then cook on low flame for 1 min.

Now add the gelatine mixture and cook for 3-4 mins , stirring continuously.

Cool a bit and add vanilla exttract.

Mix 4 tsp sugar in 2 tsp water and let it caramelise on low flame ,in a pan.

 

Once the sugar turns caramel ,pour it in 4 moulds and spread them across the moulds.

 

Pour the hot custard mixture in each mould and cool for atleast 2-3 hours.

To unmould, loosen the edges using a knife and invert over serving plate.

Indulge!

Sizzling Brownie with Chocolate Fudge

After a scrumptious dinner, I still returned ,dissatisfied and grumpy back home....reason ,my dessert...!
Whenever I eat out, I keep some space for dessert in my already full tummy. And although the dinner was delicious , I just didnt enjoy the sizzling brownie!! Firstly,it wasnt a brownie, but a normal chocolate cake and the chocolate sauce runny and looked like made with some kind of a chocolate drink powder!!! Wonder how a top notch restaurant  can afford goofups like this!!

So the very next day , I got equipped with loads of chocolate, to make my version of a very rich chocolate brownie and a quick chocolate fudge to sizzle on top!! And its eggless,100% Veg.!!
Wish I could sample these along with the recipe to that restaurant , just to tell them ,how it should be!!!


Hot chocolate fudge on cold vanilla ice cream over a bed of choco brownie....pure indulgence!!

Ingredients:

For the Eggless Chocolate Brownie:

1 1/2 Cup Maida
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Soda Bicarb
3/4 Cup Dark Cooking Chocolate,Melted using a double boiler.
1 1/2 tbsp Condensed Milk (sweetened)
1/2 Cup Oil

For the Chocolate Fudge:
1 Cup Melted Chocolate ( I used milk chocolate,but dark chocolate is ok too)
1/2 Cup Condensed Milk (Sweetened)
2 tbsp Butter

To serve:
A scoop of Vanilla Ice cream


Preheat oven to 180 deg.C.
Grease the baking tin using some oil and dust it with some maida.

Sieve maida with baking powder and soda bicarb and sugar.

Mix the melted chocolate with oil.

In a bowl add the melted chocolate and oil mixture and add condensed milk to it.
Start adding the maida and sugar mixture and mix till a smooth batter is formed. Adjust the consistency by adding some milk if batter is too thick.

Pour the batter in the greased baking tin and bake for 15 -20 mins , till the brownie leaves the sides and a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.


For the fudge, add butter to the melted chocolate and place the mixture in a saucepan.
Once butter melts , add the condensed milk and wisk till a smooth fudge is formed.
Put off the flame and transfer in a ceramic pot.
This mixture may thicken on cooling and become semi solid when refiegerated,however, once reheated , preferrably in a microwave, it shall retain its consistency.

Over a piece of brownie(heated in microwave,just before serving)place a scoop of vanilla ice cream and pour ,hot chocolate fudge over it.
Garnish wih chopped almonds is needed.
Serve immediately.

This is our entry for the "Kids Delight-Chocolate" contest hosted  by Vaishali Sabani of Ribbons to Pastas
http://ribbonstopastas.blogspot.in/2012/08/kids-delight-chocolate-event_16.html

by Srivalli's Spicing your blog

http://spicingyourlife.blogspot.in/2010/01/announcing-kids-delight-wholesome.html

Pineapple Kesari Bath/Pineapple Sheera

Namaskara..Hegiddiya??...Another state in lovely South India..Karnataka,that gave us Udipi Cuisine....What would we be without the nice garma garam Nashta from our humble Udipi Restaurants?
A very simple , yet delectable recipe ,eaten as breakfast or as a sweet after meal dessert..whichever way you like it! A Pineapple Kesari Bath ..similar to the suji ka halwa or Sheera..but with a touch of saffron ,and styled with pineapple!

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Rawa/sooji (barik rawa..fine variety)
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Canned Chopped Pineapple ( In case fresh pineapples , boil them in sugar water for 5 mins and use)
1 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 Cup Warm Water
2-5 Strands of Saffron

Mix milk and saffron with water and soak it for 5 mins.

Heat ghee in a pan , and roast the rawa on a low flame , it it turns just light brown.

Add the saffron milk and keep stirring till it runs dry.

Now add the sugar and pineapple and mix well.

Keep stirring in between to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
Serve hot.

Butterscotch and Rasgulla Surprise

  

Its festive time and I usually go into the Mithai mode. Well...my brain equates festival to mithai!!!

This one is after dinner affair when you are too tired. You can make it earlier in the day and freeze it or you can make these in individual bowls then and there. Its a quick fix dessert.

Ingredients:

8 to 10                Rasgullas

Family pack         Butterscotch icecream

Butter scotch topping

a few cherries 

Method:

Squeeze the rasgullas and break them into pieces. Deseed the cherries.

In a spring form tin, put a layer of butter scotch icecream. Add the rasgulla pieces and the cherries. Now squeeze the butterscotch topping on it. Arrange the second layer of ice cream. Cover and freeze in the freeze for 2 to 3 hrs.

To serve just squeeze the butter scotch topping on the top.

This dessert can be served in individual bowls also.

You can substitute butter scotch icecream with vanilla icecream or the cherries with choco chips.