Caramel Sauce Recipe - With Variations

Caramel is the backbone of caramel sauce, but it’s also ideal for coating nuts, fresh fruit, or the bottom of ramekins for Crème Caramel(pictured above) and other caramel-topped desserts. And it can add a touch of sweet and gooey to anything from cakes and tarts to brownies and ice creams. Contrary to what one might think, making Caramel Sauce at home is not too hard. It just needs some patience, and you need to stand hovering above the stove as sugar can go from Caramel to burnt in no time! I fell in love with the Caramel Apples over at Simply Recipes, so I thought I'd give the Basic Caramel Sauce a try. If you are someone who shares the fear of making Caramel at home, I hope this post helps you to don your apron and start cooking. its caramel time! [Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons]

I looked around at a few other Caramel recipes, and the one that worked was a combination from Ina Garten's recipe and the one at Epicurious. I'm also suggesting some delicious variations at the end, because everyone likes some change, and I am sure you will love these variations!

Ingredients
Yields 1 3/4 cup Sauce

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla extract

Method
Fill a cup measure halfway with water and put a pastry brush in it; this will be used for washing down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization.

Mix the water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Note: Watch it carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt caramel very quickly. Stand back to avoid splattering, and gradually add the cream and the vanilla extract. Simmer until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.

Serve warm, or add another 1/4 cup of heavy cream and serve at room temperature.

Your basic Caramel Sauce is ready. You can pour it over your choice of dessert and enjoy!

Variations
Cinnamon Caramel Sauce: Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the basic recipe above. This makes for a very flavorful sauce.

Coffee Caramel Sauce: Add 1 Tablespoon of freshly brewed coffee to the basic recipe above and cook as directed. Works great with ice creams and puddings.

Brandy or Bourbon Caramel Sauce: Add 1 Tablespoon brandy or bourbon to the basic recipe above and cook as directed. Perfect for Thanksgiving celebrations!

Orange-Cardamom Caramel Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1-1/2 cups fresh orange juice with 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Pour through a fine sieve, pressing against the zest to release all the liquid. Stir the strained, reduced orange juice and 4 tsp. ground cardamom into the cooled caramel sauce. A beautiful topping for Coffee Cakes and fruity desserts.

Hope you liked this Caramel Sauce recipe, and the suggested variations. Now go and get your Caramel Apples ready for Halloween this weekend!

For more Holiday inspiration, check out this article on Ideas & Themes for Halloween, and also a list of Easy Halloween Party Recipes

Baked Strawberry Dessert Pudding

Strawberry Pudding has been a favorite since ages and eons, and as these berries are easily available almost all year round, there's no restraint on indulging in a sweet dessert pudding whenever you fancy to have one! Puddings can be of various types, creamy, gooey, gelatinous or cake-like, and as the last one is one of my favorites, I chose a baked pudding that's softer than a cake, yet light in texture. The inspiration came from a craving for a traditional Strawberry Shortcake, but I didn't have the ingredients nor the patience to make one. So, the easiest way to create a satisfying substitute was to use the same flavors, and bake a pudding! With strawberry puree, fresh sliced strawberries a hint of lemon and brown sugar, and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, this Baked Strawberry Pudding is a perfect dessert for those sudden sweet-tooth cravings.

Ingredients
8-20 large fresh strawberries
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg - separated
**add one more egg for a souffle-like pudding

For Garnish
more strawberry slices
sprig of mint
whipped cream
chocolate sauce

Method
Take the strawberries, leaving 2 aside, chop them and make a strawberry puree by slowly heating them with the cane sugar and lemon juice, until they are soft, and almost macerated(pulp). Strain the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and excess pulp; then keep aside.

Slice the remaining 2 berries into thin slices, 4 slices per berry.

Butter 4 small ramekins and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Sift in the flour. Stir in the milk, egg yolk and 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree till combined.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in gently into the batter.

Place the 4 strawberry slices on the sides of the buttered ramekins. Then pour the batter, filling them upto 2/3 height, leaving some room to allow the pudding to expand. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is light golden brown, and the pudding separates from the sides.

Allow the ramekins to cool down. Gently invert each ramekin over a dessert plate. Top with some whipped cream and strawberry slices. Drizzle with the remaining strawberry syrup and chocolate sauce. Its like a strawberry shortcake in itself!

Garnish with a sprig of mint, and serve your delicious Baked Strawberry Pudding for a light and airy yet comforting dessert!

Related Recipes:
Mixed Berry & White Chocolate Pudding
Low-Fat Strawberry Vanilla Cake
Peach Melba with Vanilla-Cardamom Ice Cream
Vanilla Panna-Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

Related Tags
strawberries, desserts, cakes, pudding

Rava Besan Laddus

I meant to post this for Diwali, but these days, time flies even before I can think of catching it! This was our first Diwali with our dearest daughter "Ritika", so obviously, it was extra-special. Juggling between getting back to work, looking after Ritu, and managing other routine chores, we could find some time to make a few Diwali delicacies, thanks to my Mom, which otherwise would have been impossible for me to do - yes, taking care of a 3-month old is NOT an easy job!! One of the easiest Indian sweet is indeed Rava-Besan Laddus, and I particularly like the fact that they can be preserved at room temperature for about a week, and even longer if refrigerated. They require minimal preparation, taste great, and look great when decked one on top of the other and served to friends and family as you celebrate the festival together!

Ingredients
Makes about 25 medium-sized Laddus

3 cups Rava (Semolina)
1.5 cup Besan (Gram Flour)
1 + 1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1 cup Sugar (use more if you prefer sweeter)
2 cups Water
Sliced Almonds and cashews to garnish (optional)

Method
Take 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan. Once the ghee is melted add rava to it and half roast it till it becomes faint light pinkish and starts giving out roasted smell. Don't overcook it. remove and keep aside.

Then take the remaining ghee in the same pan and add the besan to it and roast again for about 8-10 mins till the mixture becomes golden brown in color and starts giving out a faint smell.

Along with this, keep another pan to make the sugar syrup with all the sugar and water. Keep stirring the sugar syrup and check the consistency till it comes to single-wired texture (take a little sugar syrup between your fingers and check to see that the syrup forms a single strand as you pull your fingers apart).

Take the rava-besan mixture in a plate and allow it to cool. Once the sugar syrup is done, don't let it cool much, and add it to the rava mixture till it becomes like a thick paste. Cover and set aside (about 2 hours) to let the mixture harden a little as the flours soak in the sugar syrup.

You can see that the mixture when cooled enough, it becomes a bit thicker than before; Make laddus out of it and garnish them with sliced almonds and cashews if you like. We like our plain:)

These can be stored in an air-tight container for about 10-12 days at room temperature, and more if refrigerated.

How to Host a Stylish Wine Party

I love entertaining at home, especially as it gives me an opportunity to flaunt my new dinnerware sets! But in light of the recession many people are forgoing conventional dinner parties and instead opting for a rich but simplified menu. Having come to be known as chic "Wine Parties", guests usually delight in being able to have a more casual get together that isn’t meal-oriented. These new types of parties are not only friendly on the wallet, but are also far more time/cost efficient – requiring less preparation and clean up, they can be thrown at the last minute while still being a hit with your guests. Guests also enjoy the opportunity to sample new types of wines in a relaxed and friendly circle. Hosting a Cocktail party for a stylish and sophisticated evening can be fun and easy, with just a little bit of planning. here are some tips and ideas to help you do the same!

When hosting your own bash, the center of any lively conversation should be several bottles of wine alongside casual but well-thought out platters or dinnerware. Conventionally, platters were limited to cheese, but excellent hosts know that mixing it up with breads, chocolates, and some delectable deserts works equally as well. With such a colorful sensation for the palate and the array of pairings to choose from, you and your guests will be marveled by how easy it can be to have a great time with such minimal effort.

Going Beyond Just Red and White Wines
There’s a lot more to the aged drink of perfection than just red, white, and rose. With the rise in environmental awareness, there’s now a mushrooming rise of eco-friendly wine and wineries. There are three categories of eco-friendly wines: sustainable, organic, and bio-dynamic.

"Sustainable" means that grapes were grown with few to no chemical, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This method nurtures the soil naturally, whereas “organic” wines are grown in organically certified vineyards and are made without added sulfites. On the other hand, “biodynamic” winemaking goes way beyond organics by viewing the farm is viewed as a living system.

And as easy as it would be to pull out a bottle of red from under the kitchen sink, fact is anyone that does anything well does with style – besides, if you’re dusting off wine it should be because its aged with precision rather than because it’s simply forgotten about it. There are three basic types of wine cooler storage devices: bottle coolers, wine coolers, and cellars. Depending on your need, either one of these adds a level of sophistication to your party.

Creating a Warm and Welcoming Environment
When it comes to entertaining, some of the greatest ancient civilizations were perfecting the art far before our own. A clean and crisp environment, carefully laid out dinnerware set and wine goblets, soft lighting and some light music will quickly warm up the room as well as your guests! If you are hosting a party in winter, make sure your space creates the ideal ambiance for a memorable evening. While you may choose to use a heater, it’s much more practical and both cost and energy efficient to use a single portable space heater. An electric space heater is far more eco-friendly to use than a central heating unit.

Your guests will likely be in one, maybe two rooms – so why waste energy and money heating the whole house when a space heater can do the job at a fraction of the cost. However, if you prefer an outdoor venue, you can achieve that too through using a couple of portable patio heaters.

A warm heated room serves as an escape from the cold – pair it with some soft background music and plenty of seating and you’ve got a can’t fail recipe. After process of sorting through wine, pairings, and creating the perfect warm welcoming environment, you’re well on your way to a creating wonderful holiday memories without the usual hassle normally associated with holiday living.

This article How to Host a Stylish Wine Party is brought to you by Shireen Qudosi, who is a lifestyle writer with http://www.heater-home.com.Image Credit: Julie's Kitchen, Christmas Magazine

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Happy Diwali !!

Here's wishing all my readers and friends a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali! May this festival of lights fill your world with the light of happiness, health and wisdom. We wish you and your families tonnes of happiness and best wishes that all your dreams may come true!

For those who do not know, I have been on a blogging break for some time as we have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and I've been busy taking care of my darling. hence I haven't been able to visit other blogs, but now that I'm back in the virtual world, I'll try to bloghop more often. Meanwhile, thanks for being there for me and for supporting Fun and Food the way you always have!

Once again, Happy Diwali, and Happy New Year to all Indians around the world!

Announcing A Sweet Celebration - Recipe Contest

This is indeed a festival season, as Indians worldwide prepare to celebrate Diwali, one of the biggest Indian festivals, while the hooplah for Halloween has begun in the US. So we decided to organize an event that focuses on Sweets & Desserts! Everyone around the world is invited to participate, but wait, this time we have some Cash Prizes to felicitate the winners! One of our sponsors, Awesome Cuisine, has been kind enough to give away cash prizes for the top 2 interesting and mouth-watering recipes. SO what are you waiting for? Its time for A Sweet Celebration!!

This event is being held on our main site Fun and Food Cafe. Please follow the link below to get full details about the contest, and start sending in your sweet entries! 2 Winners will be chosen, one each in the Indian and Non-Indian Dessert recipe category, and each will be awarded a cash prize of $25. So hurry, check the details over at:

A Sweet Celebration - Recipe Contest, Rules & Criteria

The countdown begins, and we are waiting for your entries!!

Mushroom Matar Masala

Mushrooms are one of the less-favored ingredients used in Indian cooking, but there's one recipe that almost every one enjoys, and that is the Mushroom Matar Masala. Fresh mushrooms cleaned and chopped, then paired with fresh green peas make for a lovely curry that goes well with any Indian bread or rice dish. It is also very easy to make, so its an ideal preparation for week-nights when you have less time on hand but need to enjoy a fulfilling meal. Taking it one step further, we add some cream to the curry, thus transforming it into a rich concoction, perfectly healthy yet delicious to savor with nice and warm Naan bread!

Ingredients
15-20 Button Mushrooms, cleaned, pat dried and quartered
3/4 cup fresh/frozen Green Peas
2-3 tbsp fresh Cream
3 large Tomatoes, pureed
3-4 Garlic Flakes, thinly sliced
1 inch Ginger, finely chopped
3-5 Dry Red Chillies, halved
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
1/4 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder (or lemon juice - to taste)
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 + 1/2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method
Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add a tsp of cumin seeds to it. When cumin starts to sizzle add finely chopped garlic and ginger to it. Sauté on medium flame till the garlic turns light golden on the edges.

Now add finely chopped onions and halved red chillies and sauté till onion turns light golden, about 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Once the onion mixture has cooled a bit, grind it to a smooth paste without adding any water to it.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add a tsp cumin seeds to it. Again when cumin starts to sizzle, add ground onion paste to it and fry till the whole mixture becomes dry, about 4-5 minutes, on medium flame. Make sure that the ground onion mixture turns little brown in color.

To this, add garam masala and kitchen king masala and fry for half a minute. Mix in quartered mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato puree, green peas, cream, dry mango powder and salt to taste and mix well. Add about 1/2 cup of water to make a smooth gravy.

Simmer the flame and let it cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring in between. Add little more water or milk if needed to get the required consistency of gravy and adjust the seasonings. Then remove the lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes for all the flavors to blend well.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander, and Serve your Mushroom Matar Masala with any Indian flat breads or Rice and enjoy.

Related Recipes
Spicy Kadai Paneer
Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan
Dudhi/Lauki Koftas

Post-Partum Weight Loss Tips - Part 2

In the last article about how to lose weight after pregnancy, we discussed general things like diet, pre-pregnancy weight gain, breastfeeding and basic exercises at home. In continuation with the idea, here are some more tips that focus on cardio and Strength training, yoga, home workouts, ab exercises, and healthy snacking options to speed up your post-partum recovery and get back in shape. Read on, and you'll be on your way to looking great and feeling good, even with a baby in your arms![Image credit: Babyzone]

Get Your Cardio Workout Right at Home
You don't need to hit the gym to get your Cardio done; climbing the stairs at home, using the steps as a stepper workout, skipping, running in place are all simple workouts that you can substitute to burn calories and get a healthy cardio routine accomplished right at home. You can even jog in place and slowly increase your pace with each passing day. After 6-8 weeks of delivery, once you feel healthy enough, carry your baby and go up-and-down the steps for 3-4 times, repeating this for 3 times a day at regular intervals. This is an excellent way to increase heart-rate, all the while cuddling with your baby!

Exercise your Abs as often as you can
New moms are afraid that they would not be able to lose their belly fat after pregnancy. Though it seems tough, and will surely take some serious effort, be patient, and you will definitely be able to lose most of your belly fat. The most important aspect is to do core training and concentrate on your abs. Try to do at least 3 sets of crunches or ab-situps, making at least 20 in each set. Some basic yoga exercises that exercise your core are also beneficial, and will help get your tummy back into shape.

Don't forget the Strength Training
Lifting Weights is as important as any Cardio exercise, and effective strength-training is the key to lose fat and build muscle. If your workout only includes cardio and no weights, you will end up with a low figure on the weighing scale, but it would be muscle loss instead of fat loss. So try to lift 3-5 pound dumb-bells and do some basic exercises for biceps, triceps, thighs and quadriceps. While you are recovering, DO NOT lift anything heavier than your baby; start with low weights till you get back to normal health, then you can slowly increase the weights, duration, and repetitions of your sessions. For details about what exercises to choose, please refer to my article about strength training for weight-loss

Choose Healthy Snacks for Munch-time
Its important to get proper nutrition and eat sufficient calories while you are recovering postpartum, especially if you are breastfeeding. So when you feel the urge to snack or munch on something, choose healthy alternatives like nuts, cheese cubes, broccoli, carrot sticks, boiled eggs, turkey slices, soup servings, iron-fortified cereals and fresh fruits like bananas or blueberries.

Try Swimming for a Full-Body Workout
Just as Swimming was good for you while you were pregnant, it continues to be the best non-stress exercise for a complete body workout even after giving birth. If you can find some time to leave your baby with someone else, opt for at least 30 minutes of swimming 3-4 times a week. This will not only help increase your metabolism, it provides a relaxing way to work on your abs, arms, legs and toning your overall body, all in one go.

Yoga Can Work Wonders Too
Everyone these days knows about the benefits of yoga, and there would be no second thoughts about how it can help you get back into shape post-partum, just by focusing your energy on toning your entire body and mind. it is easy, can be done right at home, and will not only help you lose fat, but can relive stress too. You can find some great Yoga poses for postpartum weight-loss at Babyzone; if you can afford to join a yoga class at gym, that would be great too as having company is much more motivating than doing it alone.

Be Patient
This is perhaps the most important advice for all new moms. It took nine months to accumulate all that weight, and I'm sure everyone gives in to indulgences while pregnant, resulting into more fat deposits than you'd have imagined. So be patient, be committed, and give yourself and your body some time to recover and then at least a year to get back to your original shape. You will lose almost 10 pounds within the first couple weeks of delivery, and a few more as you spend sleepless nights taking care of your newborn. but it is usually the last 5-10 pounds which need dedication to fitness. believe in yourself, follow the tips discussed here, and you'll be a fit-and-fine mommy in no time!

So, to all new mommies out there, hang in there, enjoy your precious moments with your baby, dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to any form of exercise, and you'll be surprised how much easier and fun it can be to be a parent with a healthy mind and a healthy body!

If you've missed part 1 on this series, follow the link for tips on how to lose weight after pregnancy.

How to lose Weight After Pregnancy - Part 1

As a new mom myself, I know that one of the biggest concerns of women after pregnancy is How To Lose all that excessive weight gained during those nine months! f course, taking care of your newborn still takes a priority, but its always a good idea to realize that the earlier you start exercising and being conscious about staying fit, the better it would be for your post-partum recovery and attaining your pre-pregnancy weight. For some people, it might not be that important to look slim and sexy after being a mom, but nevertheless, it is always in everyone's best interests to maintain a healthy and fit body, so that you can enjoy motherhood even more, and stand up to its numerous challenges. I am not an expert, yet I am already well below my pre-pregnancy weight, and so when some other women asked me how I achieved this weight loss so fast, I thought I'd share some of my workout secrets with you, so you can lose weight and stay fit too, whether pegnant or not!

Keep a Weight Check even while Pregnant
Though being pregnant is one of the most lovely times in a woman's life, and one should indulge in as much of luxury as possible, its a good idea to stay healthy and keep a tab on your weight gain, especially during the first trimester. Women tend to think that pregnancy gives them as eat-all-you-want license, which mostly tends to accumulate a few extra pounds right at the beginning, and these are hard to melt away after you have your baby. So while I recommend indulging in an icecream or a delicious dessert once a week, don't make it a habit during those nine months. Remember, you only need 300 more calories per day while you are pregnant, so get those calories from healthy food options like whole grains, fiber, proteins and cereals.

Try to Breastfeed if Possible
Though choosing to breastfeed is a matter of personal choice, we all know the benefits of this act. Besides providing the best nutrition for your baby, it also burns about 300 or more calories per day, and maintains a healthy metabolism. Besides this, it provides excellent way to bond with your baby, and it also gives you some time to stretch your legs, feed your baby and play with her all at the same time!

Get more Dairy in your Diet
Recent studies have shown that calcium-rich dairy products rev up the body's fat-burning ability and increase metabolism, while maintaining your lean muscle mass. Michael B. Zemel, PhD, a professor at the University of Tennessee, director of its Nutrition Institute, and author of The Calcium Key (John Wiley & Sons), has discovered that calcium-rich diets, when combined with some form of calorie-restriction and exercise, can actually accelerate weight loss. In one of Zemel's studies, low-fat yogurt eaters tripled fat loss in the stomach area -- the body part new moms are desperate to reclaim [source].

Interact with Your Kids and other New Moms
The fist advice doctors give new moms is to take their newborns out for long walks in their strollers! And yes, as good as it is for the tinytots, it is the beginning of a healthy exercise routine for the moms while they take time to recover from their delivery. It can get tiresome to tend to your child the whole time, especially in the first few weeks, and everyone can do with some time off. but if you do not have helpers or family, just try meeting some other new moms, arrange play-dates, and start going out to parks or walks with your newly found friends, kick-starting your fitness and weight-loss regimen.

Space Out your Meals & Drink Lots of Water
You do need to eat healthy and filling meals for healthy recovery. However, try to cut your portions into 6 meals a day, and never ever skip your breakfast. Keep whole grains, vegetables, fruits, wheat, low-carb foods and fluids as a major part of your diet. For fluids, nothing comes close to water; drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and stay away from Sodas, caffiene and sugar-laden fruit juices. If you consume more than 700 calories at one meal, you can get gassy, and it can actually slow your metabolism too.

To continue this article, follow this link for post-partum weight loss tips.