Badam Pista Ice-cream with Gulab Jamun

This is a simple dessert with homemade ice-cream and store bought Gulab Jamun mix.

Ingredients

1 pkt Gulab Jamun mix (I used MTR)

For the ice-cream

2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream

1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on taste)

3-4 tbsp roasted crushed badam pista mix ( I had this previously prepared and stored in an airtight container)

1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch

2-3 tbsp milk powder

2-3 strands of saffron

Method

Mix together milk, milk powder, cornflour and sugar together in a thick bottomed vessel. Use a whisk to mix well to make sure that there are no lumps.

Place this on the stove on low heat stirring constantly. Add the crushed nuts and saffron. Cook on low heat stirring continuously until the mixture has thickened to form a custard.

Cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled down completely, add the cream and blend well in a blender until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pour this into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

Prepare Gulab Jamuns as per instructions on the package and soak in sugar syrup.

To serve:

Add 2 scoops of ice-cream to a serving bowl and top it with hot Gulab Jamun.

Serve immediately.

Stained Glass Cookies

Beautiful & delicious cookies for Christmas....

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 cup sugar + extra for rolling
1 large egg
1 (14oz can) condensed milk
1 cup butter (softened)
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

a handful of colorful fruit flavored hard candies (crushed)

Method

Beat together softened butter & condensed milk in a bowl. Add the egg, sugar & vanilla extract & beat again till frothy.

Sieve together flour, salt & baking powder. Gradually add to the wet mixture beating on slow speed.

Divide the dough into four parts & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hrs.

Roll out the refrigerated dough to 1/8 inch thickness & cut out using cookie cutters.

Cut out holes to create the stained glass effect. Place them on a greased baking sheet.

Sprinkle the crushed candies in the holes cut out in the cookies.

Bake in 350F preheated oven for 6-8 mins till the sides are light brown or till the candies are melted.

Remove from the oven & cool for 10 mins.

Carefully remove the cookies from the baking sheet.

Enjoy!!!

Potato Gratin

This is Giada's Potato Gratin customized by me...a great recipe for ThanksGiving....

I know its past ThanksGiving & Christmas is almost here. This is one of the dishes I prepared at home for ThanksGiving but didnt get a chance to post it till now.

Ingredients

4-5 Yukon gold potatoes (You may use any variety of potato you like)

1 large onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (dried herbs)
1 cube Knorr Boullion seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

1 cup 3 cheese blend - Asiago, Cheddar & Romano

Method

Slice the potatoes into thin rounds & keep covered with a moist towel.

Meanwhile heat oil in a pan & add minced garlic & chopped onions. Saute till they are translucent. Add the heavy cream & dried herbs. Crush the cubed seasoning in the palm of your hand & add to the cream. Mix well adding salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

In a buttered baking dish, arrange 1/3 of the sliced potatoes topping with 1/3 of the cheese blend. Repeat the next 2 layers & pour the prepared cream mixture onto the layers. Sprinkle extra cheese on top. Cover with aluminium foil.

Bake this in a 400F preheated oven for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the foil & bake for another 15-20 mins till it is golden brown.

Remove from the oven & serve hot.

Kit Kat Cookie Bars

Today is the day after Halloween. Halloween is a holiday that kids really look forward to - when they get to dress up as their favorite story book or movie characters. The girls usually love to dress up as princesses or fairies & boys as their favorite super heroes. The best part of it all is the trick or treating & all the variety of candy that fills their bags or baskets.
We had a lot of fun last nite when we gave away a lot to candy to the kids who came trick or treating. The best part for my kids - in fact for all the kids when they see their bags fill up with candy!!! We had two bags of candy when we were finished with our trick or treat. I thought it might be nice to make something with the candy. I used some Kit Kat candy bars in this recipe. You can use your favorite candy bar - Twix (one other fav of mine), Reeses, M&M's, Snickers, Hershey regular bar or any other kind. I think I'll use a mixed variety in my next batch of cookie bars.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Kit Kat candy bars chopped into pieces

Method

In a bowl, beat together butter & sugar till frothy. Add the egg & vanilla. Beat well till blended.

Fold in the flour,baking powder & salt. Stir in  the chopped candy bars.

Empty the dough into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Spread the dough to the sides of the baking dish.

Bake in a 375F pre-heated oven for 20-25 mins.

Then, remove from the oven & set aside to cool. Cut into cookie bars.

Here's the extra candy with which I made a second batch.

Enjoy!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2012!! Chocolate Chip Pudding Cake

This is a quick recipe using cake mix & instant pudding mix....Yummy pudding cake to celebrate the start of a New Year ...

Ingredients

1/2 pk French Vanilla cake mix
1 small pk French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips ( you can use regular chocolate chips, but I like the mini chips)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
4 tbsp butter

For the chocolate glaze

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter

Method

Beat together eggs, milk & melted butter. Add the cake mix & pudding mix. Beat well.
Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a cake pan (preferably bundt pan) & bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for 45 mins to 1 hr.

Chocolate Glaze


Cocoa powder  &  Confectioners Sugar


Mix together all the ingredients for the glaze. Cook on medium heat till the glaze is shiny.

Let it cool down.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

Cut into slices & serve.

Traditional Kerala Christmas Cake

This cake is found in most bakeries across Kerala during the Christmas Season....loaded with dry fruits & nuts. Christmas is not complete without these yummy cakes known as "Plum Cake". Plum cakes are baked in many homes during this season & shared with friends & family.

A few important things to remember while baking this cake..

*  The color & taste of the caramel decides the taste of the cake
*  Soak the dry fruits in juice or rum for atleast a week. I soaked 1 cup of dry fruits ( red & green cherries, candied orange & lemon peel, chopped apricots, plums & raisins)
* Before adding the dry fruits & nuts to the cake batter, drain the juice (save it for later) & coat with flour. This prevents the dry fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar + 1 cup sugar to caramelize
1/2 cup butter (softened)
4 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp powdered cloves
1/2 tsp powdered cinnammon
1 cup dry fruits (soaked in orange juice with rum extract for atleast a week)
1 cup chopped nuts

Method

Soak the dry fruits in the orange juice-rum combo & leave it for atleast a week.

Prepare the caramel by cooking some sugar in a pan on medium heat. DO NOT STIR. When the sugar melts & turns brown, add some warm water,(1/4 cup of water) 1 tsp at a time. Stir till the sugar dissolves well & turn off the heat. Let this cool while you prepare the batter.

Beat together 1 cup sugar with butter till its frothy. Add the eggs & beat well. Pour in the caramel & 1/2 of the drained juice-rum combo.

Sift together flour, baking powder & spices.

Drain the dry fruits (save the juice for later) & add them along with the nuts to the dry mixture.

Fold in the dry mixture to the rest of the batter.

Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for approx 30 mins.

After removing the cake from the oven, make small slits on the top of the cake & pour the rest of the juice-rum combo onto the cake. Cover & let it sit for a day or two. This will enhance the taste of the cake.

Christmas Snacks - Achappam & Kuzhalappam

There are some special snacks that are prepared in Kerala during the Christmas season. Achappam & Kuzhalappam are some of the special snacks made during that time. These are some of my favorites and I decided to try making them this Christmas.

ACHAPPAM

Ingredients

2 cups  rice  flour
1 cup coconut milk
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp black  sesame seeds

Method

Mix together all the ingredients to form a batter.  The batter should be a little thinner than dosa batter.

Heat oil in a pan. Heat the achappam mould in the hot oil.

When the oil & the mould are hot, dip the hot mould into the batter. Dip it back quickly into the hot oil.

Shake the mould slightly to loosen the achappam from the mould. Fry till golden brown on both sides.

Remove from hot oil & drain on a paper towel.

Once the achappam has cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight container.

KUZHALAPPAM

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour
1 cup coconut milk
a handful of pearl onions (finely chopped)
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp black sesame seeds
salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan.

Knead together all the ingredients into a firm dough.

Divide into small balls & roll out into a circle.

Wrap the dough circle around your finger or a metal tube. Carefully drop into hot oil & deep fry till it is crisp & golden brown.

Remove & drain excess oil on a paper towel.

Store extras in an airtight container.

Mini Eggless Quiche

Ingredients

For the crust/shell

2 cups shredded potatoes
2 tbsp butter
salt & pepper to taste

For the filling

3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
1 cup cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp flour
1 cup each of chopped brocolli & mushrooms

Method

Grease a muffin pan. Drain the shredded potatoes on a paper towel. Toss them in melted butter, salt & pepper. Press this to form the crust of the quiche into the cups of the muffin pan.

Bake this in a 450F pre-heated oven for 20-25 mins till the crust is golden brown.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.

Add 1 tsp of flour to the cream. Stir in the shredded cheese & set aside.

Heat a tsp oil in a pan. Saute the garlic & onions till they are light golden. Add the chopped brocolli & mushrooms. Cook them till they are tender.

Turn off the heat & when it cools down to room temperature, add the cream & the cheese mixture.

Scoop the mixture into the baked crust.

Bring down the temperature of the oven too 350F.

Bake the crust with the filling in a 350F pre-heated oven for 20-25 mins till the top is a light golden.

Serve warm.

Apple Tart

Inspired by Ina Garten's recipe

Ingredients

1 puff pastry sheet

3 apples (peeled & cored)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp cinammon powder

For the glaze

1/2 cup Apricot preserves
2 tbsp water

Method

Slice the peeled & cored apple into thin slices.

Spread a puff pastry sheet ( I used a store bought pastry sheet) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Arrange the apple slices straight across the pastry sheet overlapping till the whole pastry is covered with the apple slices.
Mix together sugar & ground cinnamon. Sprinkle on the sliced apple layer over the pastry & drizzle with some butter.

Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven till the sides of the pastry are golden brown approx 45mins.

While the tart is baking, prepare the glaze.
In a  pan, cook together apricot preserves & 2 tbsp water till its bubbly. Sieve to get a thick clear glaze.

When the tart is done, remove from the oven & brush it with the glaze.

Let it cool down & cut into pieces & serve.