Chocolate Marble Cake

Chocolate Marble Cake

Welcome back my friends, after a long gap. I am now in the middle of something.  So my blogging time has very much come down. Many of my dishes' picture sit idle in my camera. I don't know when they will see some light.  I had a couple of request from my  Facebook friends for the birthday cake's recipe which I posted on FB. This cake I made for my eldest son's 5th  Birthday. This time I was double-minded about baking a cake. Because his Birthday was on a weekday and I had to drop and pick him and my husband at school & office and besides he wanted his favorite "Pineapple Payasam" and as I told you before, I am in the middle of something. So my mind was like " To bake or not to bake". 

Many of my friends and family asked me which cake am I going to bake this time. And my neighbor was telling me that her kids started discussing the theme of this years Birthday cake that I am going to bake for the Bday party. And I told her this time it is  Baskin Robins Spiderman Ice cream cake and no baking on my part. But, On the Birthday morning he woke up, he sat on the bed and started recalling his last year's  Thomas Train birthday cake I made for him. My heart began to feel guilty. 

And I ended up baking this cake. This is an easy cake and I didn't spend time for frosting it, though I made a chocolate spread to pour over top of the cake. I began to scratch my brains for an easy theme that  I can make it last minute. Then I saw his ball lying down. " Eureka !!!". Coincidentally this year his school bag and his pajama day's pajama also was of this same theme. I made the birthday banner, Soccer ball and American football with fondant Icing and my son wanted to try his hands also in decoration. He made the 2 red balls and white ball with Fondant Icing.

Prep: 20 min
Baking time: 40-45 min

Ingredients:
1) All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 3/4 cups
2) Baking powder - 2 Tsp
3) Salt - 1/4 Tsp
4) Whole Milk Yogurt  - 2/3 cup
5) Whole Milk - 2 Tbsp
6) Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
7) Unsalted Butter ( At room temp) - 1 stick (8 tbsp)
8) Sugar - 3/4 cup
9) Eggs - 3 large ( At room temp)
10)Hershey's cocoa powder (or any  Unsweetened cocoa powder) - 1/4 cup
11) Instant coffee powder - 1 Tsp
12) Boiling water - 1/4 cup



Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Butter a 9" cake pan. 
• In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In another bowl whisk yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition and scrape the sides. Reduce the speed to low. Add half of the flour mixture and then yogurt mixture, then remaining flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Remove about 1 cup of batter ( 1/3 of batter) to a bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup boiling water into a small bowl. Mix Cocoa and coffee powder until smooth. Cool it slightly. Stir it to the 'one cup' batter set aside.
• Alternate spoonful of vanilla and chocolate batters in the cake pan. Draw a knife through batters for the marbled effect. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40-45 min. Cool on wire rack.

For Chocolate Spread:
   1) Semi-sweet chocolate chips- 1/2 cup
   2)  Heavy Cream -1/4 cup

• Place Heavy cream in a microwavable bowl. Microwave until hot, about 20-25 sec. Melt chocolate chips either in a microwave or by double boiling. Add it to heavy cream and stir until smooth. Let it cool to warm room temp. (Icing should still be pourable. ) You can drizzle this over the cake if you desire and add some sprinkles. Let the cake stand until icing has set.

Source: All You Magazine

Almond Milk Pudding - Easy & Yummy !

When I made this pudding for the first time, it was hard as a rock. I was at my husband's place and we were having some guest. Any way the other two dishes that I made that day (Duck roast, Pressure cooked sardine) came out well. So the embarrassment caused by this pudding was somewhat balanced.  I got this recipe from a magazine. In that magazine they were asking to add 100 gm of china grass. I thought it was too much and added 20 gm. Even 20 gm was too much. So this time I made with approximately  5gm- 10gm (see the 2nd pic). I just took little bit 'china grass' in my hand and soaked it in water. The Almond Milk pudding came out perfectly well this time. I made it for my son's play-date. His friends' mothers as well as my kids loved it.So here goes a super easy pudding recipe. And it is Yummy, Yummy, Yummy ! Excellent blend of richness of condensed milk and almonds... 

Total Time Taken- 30 min + Chilling Time

Serve - 16 squares

Ingredients:
1)Grind Almond - 1/4-1/2 Cup
2) China grass / Agar Agar - Approx 5-10 gm
3) Milk - 1 litre
4) Condensed Milk (Milkmaid) - 1 tin (14 0z)
4) Sugar - 5 tbsp
5) Saffron- 1 pinch

Method:

• Soak china grass in water for 10 min.
• Meanwhile boil the milk. When the milk comes to boil, add the drained china grass. Stir it occasionally. When the china grass melts completely add milkmaid, almond and sugar. Stir it occasionally until it is thick.
• Add saffron at the end. Stir for 1 minute and switch off the flame.
• Pour it into a glass dish and when it cools down, refrigerate.
• When it is set, decorate with almonds. Cut it into squares and serve.

Adapted from a recipe published in Vanitha Magazine.

Brownie (My sister's own recipe)

This recipe and picture was sent to me by my youngest sister, Maria. She makes cakes, desserts, pizza,  puddings, pasta, wafers, Nan.....etc. I always tell her to start a blog. But she don't want to do it. But she is a active critic and support of my blogs. She had send me recipes of her and was telling me that it is perfectly o.k with her if I used it as mine and take the credit. Well, even it is my sister's I don't want to take undeserved credits. Here goes one of her recipes, that is perfectly her own recipe.

Ingredients:

    1)    Butter- ½  cup

    2)   Cocoa powder - 10-12 Tbsp

    3)    Powdered sugar- 2 cup

    4)     Flour - 2/3 cup

    5)     Salt- ½ Tsp

    6)      Eggs – 2

    7)    Vanilla extract - 1 Tsp

    8)     Milk – ¼ cup

    9)    Chopped cashewnuts/ walnuts or pecans – 2 cups

Method:

·         Preheat the oven at 320F (160°C).

·         Melt the butter and add cocoa powder. Mix well.

·         Add sugar, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla extract and milk to the above mixture and mix well.

·         Add  cashew nuts, walnuts or pecans pieces. ( She used cashew nuts since other nuts were not easily available in kerala.)

·         Bake for 35-40 minute until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

·        Cut into squares and serve.

Source of Recipe & Picture: Maria (My sister)

APPLE GHEE CAKE

This is the first cake I tried in my life. It was during the first X'mas season after my wedding. I remember that I didn't have a beater at that time. So I made the cake batter using my mixie and it got overloaded and it stopped working. I had to reset it again. I didn't have a baking dish so I baked it on a Pyrex glass dish.Anyway cake came out well.And I baked 4-5 cakes and gave it to my family members, friends and neighbors. One day I had a craving for that cake again and that night I made it again using a beater and baked it on a regular baking dish . Here goes the picture of that. It is really a yummy soft cake. I got lot of compliments for this cake from my friends and neighbors. Many were asking for the recipe. Some of them have tried this recipe and told me that it came out pretty well.

Ingredients:
Sugar - 1-11/4 cup
Apple chopped with its skin - 3 cup
All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cup
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Egg - 3
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Chopped cashew nut - 1 cup

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
• Grease a 9" baking pan.
• In a saucepan, take half cup of sugar. Stir continuously. Add apple when the sugar become golden in color. Stir continuously in low flame till the sugar melts. Remove from flame and let it cool.
• Sieve Maida, Baking Soda and Cinnamon powder.
• Mix the remaining sugar, vegetable oil and ghee. Beat well. Add egg one by one, beating after each egg. Add vanilla essence. Beating in between, add the dry ingredients slowly. Stir in apple and cashew nuts.
• Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 40 min.

Topping:

Caramelized syrup - 2 tbsp

Butter- 75 gm

Condensed Milk- 1/2 tin

Mix all these ingredients and heat it on low flame until it thickness. Pour it over the cake when the cake cools.

Note:

I made the topping syrup only the first time I baked. After that I made plain cake. Because most of people seems to prefer plain cakes.

Source: Vanitha

Shahi Tukre

This dessert is something I have made 5-6 times. It really melts in our mouth. I have tasted "baked" version of "Shahi Tukre" in some restaurants. That doesn't come near the taste of ghee fired bread dipped in sugar syrup and topped with milkmaid and nuts. Try out this recipe and you will understand what I meant. Weight watchers better watch out. This contains lots of calories.

Preparation time:10 min   Cooking Time: 15 min         To serve: 10-12

Ingredients:
Milkmaid ( Condensed Milk) - 1/2 tin
Bread - 8 slices
Milk - 1 cup
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Almonds and Pistachios (chopped) - 1 tbsp
Ghee to fry
Syrup:
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

Method:

• Make a paste of cornflour with some milk. Mix rest of the milk with milkmaid and bring it to boil. Add cornflour paste. Stir continuously until it is thick. Add cardamom powder.Keep it aside.
• Prepare syrup by boiling water and sugar together.
• Cut bread slices into 2 and deep fry it in ghee till golden brown.
• Immediately dip it in sugar syrup. Dip for one minute and arrange it on a serving dish
• Top each piece with 1 tbsp mixture of milkmaid and nuts. Chill and serve.

Source: Taste the wonders of milkmaid
Note: Condensed Milk and evaporated Milk are different

Double Almond Cookies

This recipe I found on the back of my Almond extract.  Since this recipe seemed to be very easy I decided to give it a try.

Prep Time: 15 min    
Cook Time:12 min

Ingredients:
All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups
Finely chopped almonds - 1/2 cup ( I chopped in a chopper)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Softened butter- 1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Egg- 1
Pure almond extract- 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oven to 350 F. 
• Mix flour, almonds and salt.
• In a large bowl,beat butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in egg and extract. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon or small ice-cream scoop onto cookie sheet. 
• Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown

Makes 3 dozen

Source: McCormick Pure Almond Extract

Apple Harvest Cake and Apple Harvest Muffins

Apple Harvest Cake  
or
Apple Harvest Muffins


This recipe is actually a bread recipe. Original recipe asks to bake in 3 small loaf pans. I once made this dish and gave it to my sister in law. Whenever I make something special, I usually give it to my neighbors and my sister in law who lives close by.(They also do the same. So I always get to taste variety of dishes) She loved it and kept on telling me how soft it was. So for her birthday I thought I will make a cake out of that recipe. I decorated it with flowers made out of fondant icing. Well, I haven't attended any classes on icing or I don't have any flower cutters (now) so please excuse the imperfections of the flowers.
This recipe can be used to make either cake or  muffin, you just have to change the baking time.

Ingredients:


1) Flour - 2 cups
2) Packed light brown sugar -1/2 cup
3) Salt - 1/2 tsp
4) Baking soda - 1 tsp
5) Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
6) Ground Nutmeg - 1 tsp
7) Ground Cinnamon- 1 tsp
8) Ground Cloves - 1/2 tsp
9) Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
10) Butter (Softened) - 3/4 cup
11) Eggs- 2
12) Pumpkin (Cooked& mashed) - 1 lb or (Pumpkin 150z can)
13) Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
14) Apples (Peeled and diced or shredded) - 4
15) Raisins- 1/2  cup
16) Walnut - 1/2 cup (optional)


Method:

•  Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 " cake pan or muffin pan.
• In a small bowl, Mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and brown sugar.
• In another bowl, cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one by one.Add  pumpkin and vanilla. Beat again. Add the flour mixture slowly stirring until it is moistened. Stir in apples, raisins and walnuts. Pour the batter into prepared pans.
• Bake the cake for 45-50 min or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• For Muffins, Bake for 20-25 min
• Cool it for 10 min and remove it from pan and place it on wire rack for cooling.

Cake - 12 serving

Muffins- 24

Recipe adapted from Home cooking the Costco way

Home-made Lemonade Syrup

Home-made Lemonade Syrup

In my family, we all are more fond of juice than tea or coffee. Juice, we prefer homemade or fresh juices. So my Mom always make syrup and keep it in fridge. She makes syrup using home- grown lemon, lovelolika (something like cranberry) , passion fruit etc... when they are in plenty.  While I am at home in India, I loved to make lemonade Syrup. There is some beauty reason behind it. After taking juice from 10-20 lemons my hands becomes soft. Health wise , it is all natural with no preservatives. After the initial work, it is all easy. We just have to add water or soda to the syrup.  Here goes the recipe....

Ingredients: 

Lime or Lemon juice - 1 cup
Ginger (Crushed) - 150 gm
Sugar - 1 1/2 kg
Water - 3 cup

Method:

In a sauce pan, add water, crushed ginger, sugar. Keep it on low-medium heat, till the sugar melts. Cool and strain. Add the lime juice. Refrigerate.

Source: My mother
Picture Courtesy : My Sister (While going through my blog she found that  this recipe lack a picture so she took a picture of my mother's lemonade syrup and send it to me. Good work, sis! )

Pineapple Payasam

Pineapple Payasam

serve- 5-10 persons

This dessert is something I made more than a dozen times and still makes because my son loves it. He calls it "Ammaamma's Ball Payasam ". My mother used to make it for him while he was in India. It was during my college days I first tried this recipe. I am a big fan of "Milkmaid". Milkmaid Recipe Book was the first recipe book I owned. Milkmaid recipes are something and might be the only one recipes I used to try during my school vacations.  Because I get to lick the Milkmaid tin after that.Once "Milkmaid" conducted a "Cooking Contest" in our college and they promised prizes for all participants. "Prize for all participants" that was something that drew my interest to the contest and second reason was that I could bunk my 2 hour class. I came home and was discussing with my mom about the recipes and my aunt suggested this recipe to me. When she reached her home she was kind enough to call and explain the recipe. I reached the college with my dish and found out that I am the only Pre-degree student and rest all were seniors that too Degree Homescience Students.   I was cursing the moment that I decided to join this competition. Well, in Malayalam (my mother tongue) there is a saying , "one mistake any policeman can make". This is what I usually say after I jump into some trouble."Anyone can have one mistake, right? " Then my family & friends tells me sarcastically ,"Yes, yes ...one mistake". 


Finally Judges arrived. And they started announcing the prizes. First they announced consolation prizes . I waited and waited for my name. What happened? They missed my name? Then came 3rd prize. Not my name. Oh! God, What is happening?   2nd prize. Not my name.... My heart started to beat. 1st prize.....Rosy Thomas. "Oh! My God, Is it a dream."


So, friends this is a recipe worth trying. Even a person like me who used to enter kitchen very rarely (Before Marriage) won the prize. Here goes, the recipe:


Ingredients:
Milkmaid (Condensed Milk) - 1 tin
Milk - 1 litre
Sago (sabuthana) -200 gm
Sugar - 5 tbsp
Chopped Pineapple - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - to taste


Method:

• Heat the sago in a pan. When it is warm, add it to boiling water. Cook it till it is transparent. Drain the water and  pour cool water so that balls wont stick together. Drain it.
• Cook the pineapple with half the sugar and cool well at room temp.
• Boil the milk. Add Milkmaid to it. Stir for 2-3 min. Add cooked sago and remaining sugar to it.Stir it until it reaches desired consistency. Cool well at room temp.
• When it is cooled, mix the pineapple to it. Add vanilla essence. 
• Chill it.

Note: Condensed Milk and evaporated milk are not the same thing. They are different.

Serve- 5-10 persons
Source: Premyaunty

Neapolitan Cheesecake

Neapolitan Cheesecake


This is the first cheesecake I made. This cake has 3 layers- Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla. 

Prep. 45min. Bake: 65 min + chilling
Serves- 12


Ingredients:
Oreo cookie  crumbs (or any cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie) - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 5 Tbsp
Melted Butter -  5 Tbsp

  Filling:

 1) Softened Cream cheese - 32 oz

 2) Sugar - 1 1/3 cups

 3) All purpose Flour - 2 tbsp

 4) Heavy whipping cream - 2 tbsp

 5) Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

 6) Almond extract - 1/2 tsp

 7) Eggs (lightly beaten) -4

 8) Semisweet chocolate chips - 3/4 cup

 9) Strawberry - 1 cup

 8) Red food Coloring (optional) - 2 drops (I didn't add)

 9) Seedless strawberry jam (Warmed) - 1/4 cup

Method:

• Place a buttered 9" springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18in.square). Securely wrap foil around the pan.
• Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press onto the bottom of springform pan. Set aside. This is the crust.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour,  heavy whipping cream and both extracts. Add Eggs. Beat on low speed until just combined. Divide  batter into 3 parts.
• Melt the chocolate chips by double boiling. You can also melt it in a microwave. Cool to room temp. Stir melted chocolate to one portion of batter and pour it over the crust.
• In a mixie or food processor, puree strawberries. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring to the second portion. Gently spread over chocolate layer. 
• Place springform pan in a large baking pan and add one inch of hot water to the larger pan.
• Bake at 325 0 for 40 min or until center is just set and top appears dull.
• Gently spread remaining batter over the top. Bake for 25-30 min or until top appears dull.
• Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 min. Carefully run a knife over edges to loosen. Cool 1 hr longer and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove sides of pan and drizzle with strawberry jam.
• Decorate with strawberry .

Source: Taste of home contest winners

  

Oatmeal Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Oatmeal Applesauce Cake With Creamcheese Frosting 

This month is a month of birthdays for me. I have many relatives celebrating birthdays on this month.Especially my grandmother who turned 90.Happy Birthday to all. This cake I specially made for my husband on his birthday. Panda I made with fondant Icing and birthday message was written using edible ink.

Ingredients:

Cake:
All purpose flour (Maida) - 1and half cup
Uncooked Oatmeal  - 1 and half cup
Salt - half tsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1 and half tsp
Ground Cloves - 3/4 tsp
Baking Powder- 1 tsp
Butter (Kept at room temp) -3/4 cup
Sugar- 1 and half cup
Eggs-4
Applesauce - 1 cup
Milk -3/4 cup
Raisins- 1 and half cup

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
•  Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Keep it aside.
• Mix all the dry ingredients - flour, oatmeal, salt, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder.
• In a large bowl, Beat butter with sugar. Add eggs, applesauce and milk. Beat again until it is well blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in raisins.
• Bake in the prepared pans for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let sit for 5 min, then remove from the pan and cool it well on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Butter softened- 1/2 cup
Cream Cheese- 8 ozs
Confectioners' Sugar- 2 Lb
Clear vanilla or almond extract - 1 tsp

• Beat butter and cream cheese until its smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla or almond extract and blend well.

Frost the cake when it is completely cool.You can add little water if the frosting is thick. 

Store it in a refrigerator.

Tips:

In cake recipes it is always advised to keep the butter and eggs at room temp.When I have to make a cake fast what I always do is that I put the butter in microwave 5 sec on each side or until it is softened. Eggs, I put it in warm water. 

Recipe Adapted from Home cooking the Costco way

Serves: 8-10

Strawberry Pudding

Strawberry Pudding

Starting a blog was something in my mind for years and I even started one 4 years back and deleted it since I didnt get time to post recipes with my new born baby. I hope this blog wont end like that.  This dish is something I made long back  and took the picture with a hope that one day I will start a  blog and post it. So the day has come. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 Litre
Milkmaid (Condensed Milk) - 1and half tin
Strawberry Crush - 1 tin of milkmaid tin
Strawberry Custurd Powder- 4 tbsp

Method:

• Add Custurd Powder to half  cup milk. Mix well without any lumps.
• Boil rest of the milk and add milkmaid to it.
• Add the custurd powder mix to the boiling milk. Stir continuously.
• When it starts to thicken, remove it from fire and cool it.
• Add strawberry crush and pour it into a bowl and set it.
• Decorate with Strawberry and serve.

N.B. : I used fresh strawberries and chopped in a chopper.

Source: Vanitha Magazine