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

Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee Cake - From the Archives

Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee Cake is my all-time favorite, and I never fail to order one whenever I stop at a Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee. I just love the flavor and the taste that blends so well with my mocha. So when I found this Mocha-Banana bread recipe at Amy's blog, I couldn't resist to try out a variation myself. I skipped the bananas, and instead added hazelnut, coffee and nuts. I also changed the sugar and butter contents to make my bread a little more cake-like, just the way I like it! This is kind-of a mix between a coffee cake and a bread, yet it is not as sweet as a cake, so pairs well with your morning breakfast. And with chocolate flvor to bring it all together, there's no resisting a piece of this delicious Chocolate-hazelnut Coffee cake!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter-softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp instant hazelnut coffee powder
1/2 cup walnuts and pecans - chopped
Cooking spray

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.

Use a sieve and pass the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder through this and combine all 3 in a medium bowl. Add salt, and break any lumps with your fingers.

In another bowl combine the sugar and butter, beating with a mixer or a wooden spatula until well creamed (about 2-3 mins). Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla and the hazelnut flavored coffee and beat again. finally add the flour mixture, stir in the chopped walnuts and pecans and combine and beat until you can see stiff peaks. Do not add milk or water. Spoon the batter into a small greased loaf pan (preferably square or rectangular so it's easy to slice the bread later).

Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely after done. Do not try to slice while hot otherwise the bread will crumble and you won't get clean slices.

Cut into thin cake-like slices and enjoy with a sizzling hot cup of coffee or tea!! This Hazelnut Coffee Cake is a perfect recipe to entertain with at cocktail parties!

Related Recipes:
Espresso Kahlua Brownies
Chocolate-Banana Bread
Persimmon & Chocolate Spice Cake

Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe - Revisited

After my recent post about egg substitutes, I tried using them to revisit my old eggless chocolate cake recipe! Eating a cake is sinful for some, but not with this recipe that uses whole wheat, no eggs, minimal butter and all the goodness of chocolate! Cakes and desserts don't necessarily have to be elaborate and high in calories - this simple, healthy and wholesome cake is a classic example of how you can indulge without being overly guilty! The ghiradelli chocolate that I used gives it a rich texture, and the applesauce and sour cream make it soft and smooth without using eggs! perfect for a weeknight dessert, this eggless chocolate cake recipe is for keeps!

Ingredients
1 cup wheat flour (or whole-grain pastry flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 mashed banana
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter - at room temp
1 tsp vanilla essence

Note: you can skip the butter altogether if you use AP flour; but with wheat, you do need the butter to make the cake soft.

Method
Take a bowl and mix the sour cream, butter, applesauce (or mashed banana) and essence properly.

Seive the wheat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Now add this to the sour cream mixture and beat properly in one direction. Whisk continuously for 5-7 mins till the mixture starts to fold and form peaks.

Melt half of the chocolate chips in the microwave, then add this to the cake mixture. Add the remaining chocolate-chips and blend in to just fold everything together.

Preheat oven at 350 deg F.Grease a 9 inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Pour the mixture into it. Bake for about 20-25 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Microwave Method
You can also pour the cake mixture into small ramekins or microwave-safe bowls, then bake on high for 8 mins. Repeat this for another 8-10 mins, until the cake is done.

Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Then slice into wedges, dust with some powdered sugar, and top with a few berries. Serve this delicious Eggless Chocolate Cake to your guests, or indulge in a guilt-free dessert yourself!

Related Recipes:
Nankhatai - Eggless Almond Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate Banana Bread or Cake

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Chocolate Ganache is widely used in desserts, and is perhaps one of the best ways to enjoy the real taste of dark, luscious chocolate! Ganache is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Some say it originated in Switzerland, while some believe it was invented in Paris. To make ganache, hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and the mixture is stirred until velvety smooth. The proportions of chocolate to cream can vary depending on its use, and you can use dark, milk, or white chocolate and add different flavorings such as liqueurs and extracts to make Ganache variations. Discussed below, is the basic Ganache recipe, its techniques, and different uses and variations for you to experiment with!

A legend proposes that "Ganache" was the outcome of a culinary accident, whereby a chocolatier's apprentice spilled cream in the chocolate he was melting. The chef called the apprentice 'Ganache', a word meaning, figuratively, 'fool'. Masterpieces are created by accidents, and may Lord bless that "ignorant fool" for giving us the legacy of Ganache!

The taste and quality of the Ganache is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with. A chocolate with a higher cocoa butter content will produce a ganache that is firmer than one made with a chocolate that has a low cocoa butter content. A chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will produce a ganache that is velvety smooth. The most important point to consider when choosing a chocolate for making ganache is whether you like the chocolate when eaten out of hand.

There are 2 ways to make Ganache:

1. The chocolate is melted, cooled to room temperature and the cream is beaten into it
2. The cream is brought to a boil, removed from the heat and the chocolate is beaten into it.

The second method is generally recommended, as there is less chance of burning the chocolate this way. But you are free to try both and choose the one that works out best for you. The proportion of chocolate to cream is critical, as this determines the stiffness of the resulting Ganache. Add more cream and you will get a softer product, add more chocolate and you'll get a stiffer mixture.


Ingredients
Makes about 1 and 1/2 cup of ganache

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate - chopped into pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp liqueur (optional, like cognac, grand marnier, kahlua, etc)

Method
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just barely to a boil; do not over-heat, else the cream will get scorched and burnt.

Now place a damp towel on your counter, place the pan of hot cream on the towel, and then add the chopped chocolate to the cream. Let it stand for 5 mins, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the liqueur to flavor the ganache.

Tips & Tricks:
To make a smoother ganache, set the pan in a larger pan of hot water and stir until it is soft enough to spread like a sauce.

In order to make a stiff ganache, place the pan in a larger pan of ice water to cool the mixture just until it comes to spreading consistency. Remove from the ice bath at this point to make sure it doesn't harden too much. Use this mixture as a filling between cake or cookies.

You can store the ganache for three days at room temperature, or up to one week in the refrigerator. You can even freeze it for up to three months. Just soften or melt it before using.

Recipes with Ganache
There are several ways you can use Ganache in your dessert recipes. It can be used in filled chocolates, in frosting cakes, making truffles, as topping on pies & ice-creams, as a glaze on cakes, donuts or muffins, or simply to add a smooth choclatey flavor to lattes, drinks or any other deserts. Depending on how you want to use it, here are a few recipe variations that could come in handy.

Chocolate Glaze or Sauce - use 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate. Pour immediately over cake or ice-creams or desserts, when its barely warm and still liquid.

Chocolate Truffles - use 1 part cream to 2 parts chocolate. Allow the ganache to cool completely, then refrigerate it for 15-20 mins. Then scoop some mixture and shape into truffles, and set again to refrigerate till ready to serve. Coat with cocoa powder, powdered sugar or chopped nuts to form various kinds of truffles.

Chocolate Frosting - use 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, or even a bit chilled so it becomes spreadable, then use it to frost a cake. Pour the ganache in the center of the cake, then quickly spread with a spatula over the sides, using big strokes to create an even coating of frosting.

Gooey Chocolate Filling - use 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate. Use immediately in cakes or molten muffins and pastries, while still in melted form. It can also be refrigerated and stored, then used as a filling later after warming it a little.

These are more than enough ways to start enjoying the rich chocolate flavor. Be it cakes, truffles, tarts, ice cream, molten muffins or something as simple as chocolate-covered strawberries, Ganache can make it look beautiful and taste divine! So experiment with melted chocolate, and get the most out of a simple Ganache Recipe!

Related Recipes:
Moist Espresso Kahlua Brownies
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
Mini Chocolate-Strawberry Heart Cakes

Related Tags
chocolate, desserts, fruits, basics, entertaining

Moist Espresso Kahlua Brownies

One of my favorite chocolate indulgences comes in the form of these heavenly Espresso Kahlua Brownies; with chocolate, coffee and a hint of Kahlua liquer, there's hardly anyone who could resist these moist brownies! They are soft, cake-like, yet chewy at the same time, just how I like them! Its really easy to make these brownies, and you can experiment with several flavored coffee powders to make a version that works best for you. Though these are a perfect treat any time of the day, the espresso and chocolate make it an ideal choice for breakfast! A piece or two of these ultra-moist and delicious Espresso Brownies will be enough to get you up and running in the morning!

Ingredients
Makes 8-10 brownies - adapted from Epicurious' Kahlua Brownies

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup bittersweet dark chocolate - chopped
1/2 cup butter (1-stick)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp kahlua liqueur (optional)
1-1/4 cup sugar (or adjust to your taste)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar(optional)- for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 11 x 7-inch (or 10" square) non-stick baking pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolates and butter over a double boiler & stir until smooth to make a ganache. Then remove from heat and keep aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso. In another mixing bowl, beat sugar, egg and vanilla on medium high until light colored, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the chocolate until well combined. Add the flour mixture slowly into the egg mixture until well blended. Finally stir in the Kahlua liqueur. If you like your brownies a bit fudgy, leave it like this; but if you need a more cake-like texture, beat the mixture for another 1 min, to aerate it even further.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inched from the side comes out clean.

Cool completely, then cut into 8-10 rectangles. Dust them with a sprinkling of powdered (confectioner's) sugar if you like!

Tip: To make clean cuts of the brownie, allow it to cool entirely (about 45-60 mins) once out of the oven. Then use a plastic knife to cut into even slices.

Variations: You can use amaretto instead of kahlua, and use other flavored coffee instead of plain espresso.

Serve these classic Espresso Kahlua Brownies with a hot cup of cappuccino or top them with some whipped cream for a party dessert! Off these go to Dhangitt who's collecting Party Dishes for her daughter's b'day!

Related Recipes:
Sour Cream Raspberry Brownies
Layered Kahlua CheeseCake
Marbled Cream Cheese Brownies

Related Tags
chocolate, desserts, brownies, cookies

Peach Melba & Vanilla-Cardamom Ice Cream

Just give me a cup of soothing vanilla ice cream topped with fresh fruits and raspberry sauce once a day in summer and I promise to become your slave for the season! Or perhaps you'd like to share some of my delicious Peach Melba, a classic summer dessert that's easy to assemble and worthy to be served at a royal wedding. I have always been a fan of ice creams, and though I love tropical flavors more, there's a charm about vanilla ice cream that is hard to replicate, especially if you decide to serve it with some fruits or toppings. Peach Melba is one such brilliant French dessert that combines 2 best fruits of the summer season, peaches and raspberries, alongwith my vanilla cardamom ice-cream; it looks beautiful, tastes fantastic, and will totally earn you brownie-points at a summer party! Luscious, decadent, yet healthy, easy and flavorful at the same time, you can't ever refuse this classic summer dessert!

Though summer is dominated by berries, peaches and plums come pretty close at the second spot! Luckily for me, I love them both, so when my cousin gave me a batch of peaches and plums, picked fresh from her garden, I was thrilled, as it meant more desserts and tasty treats. I prefer nectarines for their juicy texture, but peaches work great when they are poached or grilled. So while I still have a few saved up for our 4th July bbq event, using them to make this Peach Melba was indeed a wonderful decision! Off this goes to Mike who's collecting Frozen Treats! And it also goes to Andrea's Grow your Own event, to celebrate the home-grown peaches!

Ingredients

Cardamom Ice Cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 cups cool-whip (or heavy whipping cream)
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cardamom powder

For the Peaches
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 peaches
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Raspberry Sauce
2 cups raspberries
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 rbsp lemon juice
toasted almonds or fresh raspberries - for garnish

Method

Vanilla-Cardamom Ice Cream
Combine all the ingredients and stir briskly for about two minutes until sugar is dissolved. Then pour into a 1-gallon ice cream freezer can and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. If you don't have an ice-cream-maker, cover the mixture and freeze it for 4 hours; then remove and churn again on "whip" setting in a blender to make it smooth and creamy. Again freeze it for 4 more hours, then repeat the churning process. Finally, set it in the freezer for 8-10 hours till it is entirely set and frozen. This is a time-consuming procedure, but works well to get the machine-like smooth & creamy texture!

Poaching the Peaches
Cut the peaches into 4 quarters per peach. Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla essence into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.

Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending till they become soft, but not mushy. They should still hold their shape and weight. Remove them and keep for later. When sufficiently cool, peel off the skin.

Raspberry Sauce/Coulis
To make the raspberry sauce, blend the raspberries, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor to form a smooth thick sauce. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug. If you use frozen berries, make sure you thaw them well, then soak them in water for 10-15 mins before making the puree.

Assembling the Peach Melba
To assemble the dessert, take a wide dessert bowl or a glass. Place 2 peach slices on one side, and add 1-2 scoops of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each. You can garnish with some toasted almonds or a sprig of mint if you like. I used some more fresh raspberries just to make it more colorful!

Enjoy your delicious Peach Melba with Vanilla-Cardomom Ice Cream and you'll be able to beat the summer heat!!

Related Recipes:
Panna-Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries
Mango-Mascarpone Mousse(Mango Kulfi)
Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake
Mixed-Berry & White Chocolate Pudding

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberries is a refreshingly light yet extremely popular Italian dessert. Literally translated as "cooked cream", this is a rich and creamy custard, topped with berries, caramel or chocolate sauce. When I heard about it for the first time, I was skeptical; pepper and vinegar in a dessert?! doesn't sound very inviting. But I courageously tasted it at a cafe once, and I have to tell you that I was impressed! The sweet and creamy pudding was rich and delicious, and the balsamic strawberry dressing indeed added an element of spice; with just a tiny hint of black pepper, it beautifully compliments the sweetness of the custard. Playing around with flavors, I tweaked the classic traditional recipe with some interesting additions to give you my version of the divine dessert - Panna Cotta with Strawberry Coulis!

I took inspiration from Chef Mario Batali's Panna Cotta with Strawberries recipe, but modified the strawberry sauce considerably by adding orange zest and mint, and reducing the amount of black pepper and balsamic vinegar. I also added some cardamom powder to my Panna Cotta, and used greek-style yogurt instead of plain whole-milk. Overall, this recipe is a sure-shot winner, and definitely makes for a sophisticated yet easy dessert for dinner parties! And it looks extremely pretty too! This strawberry dessert is on its way to Cooksister's WTSIM-Berries event! check out some cool recipe variations at the end of this post!

Ingredients

Panna Cotta
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/4 cup greek style yogurt (or whole-milk)
1 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 tspn cardamom powder
1/2 cup sugar

Strawberry Sauce
10-12 medium strawberries - hulled & sliced
2 tbsp sugar
3-4 mint leaves
1/4 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
1/4 tspn finely ground black pepper (optional)

Method

Vanilla Panna Cotta
Pour 2 tbsp warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let it stand until softened, about 15 minutes.

Whisk 1 cup cream, yogurt/milk, and vanilla and cardamom in large bowl to blend.

Heat the remaining 1 cup cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and cream comes to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the gelatin mixture to the cream, stirring continuously to dissolve the gelatin.

Now mix the hot cream & gelatin mixture into the yogurt mixture in bowl. Divide the mixture among six ramekins or moulds, using about 1/2 cup for each. Refrigerate desserts uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Dressing the Strawberries
Toss the strawberries, vinegar, sugar, orange zest, mint leaves and pepper in large bowl to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, to allow the fruit to macerate and soak the flavors. Adjust sugar according to your taste if needed, then cover it with cling wrap and keep it refrigerated until serving time.

When ready to serve, unmould the panna-cotta by inverting on a dessert plate. Remove the mint leaves from the strawberry sauce. Gently layer the custard with the sauce and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint if needed.

Variations: You can also puree the strawberries and add it to the panna cotta mixture to make Strawberry Panna Cotta. Add a hint of orange zest to the cream mixture instead of cardamom. Or use some other essence like almond or saffron. Feel free to experiment with your choice of flavors or fruits for the topping.

Panna Cotta & Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar is a popular dessert at many restaurants. It serves to be a light yet elegant and easy dessert at several occasions. The dressing in the strawberries compliments the sweetness of the pudding, at the same time giving it a unique sweet and spicy taste that lingers long after you have finished your dessert!

Related Recipes:
Low-Fat Strawberry-Vanilla Cake
Mixed-Berry & White CHocolate Bread Pudding
Traditional Vanilla Pound Cake

Cherry & Almond Sour Cream Scones

Cherries, the small and sweet dark red fruits that are full of flavor and fiber are found in plenty in summer. I paired my fresh Cherries with the ever classic Almonds and sour cream to bake these delicious Cherry-Almond Scones. Packed with anti-oxidants and beta-carotene, Cherries are aptly called the "latest super-fruits"! These breakfast scones taste heavenly right out of the oven, and serve to be a perfect weekend brunch with hot tea! Combined with whole-grain flour, sour cream and a pinch of nutmeg, my Cherry Almond Scones were the best way to enjoy the fresh fruits; however, you could easily make these with dried cherries as well. If you enjoy cherries, its hard to resist these scones!

Ingredients
3/4 cup fresh or dried sweet cherries - pitted and chopped
** If you use dried cherries, soak them in warm water for an hour to plump them up
2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cold butter - cut into chunks
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
a pinch of nutmeg (optional, for aroma)
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

With a pastry knife, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is granular in appearance, like sand, just more grainier.

Mix the sour cream, egg, nutmeg and almond extract together in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture.

Fold in the slivered almonds and cherries, leaving a few for garnish. Stir with a spatula just until moistened. (Note: DO not mix a lot else the cherries will leave out juice and color the entire dough)

Dust the countertop with all-purpose flour and turn the dough out. Pat the dough into a disk about 12 inches in diameter. Cut the disk into small discs or wedges, whatever shape you like.

Place them on an ungreased baking sheet with room around them to expand. (Note: Do not use grease as that can turn your scones more brown in color!) You can use a parchment paper if you want.

Top each scone with split cherries and pinch them slightly in the dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack till they cool down.

Variations: Try these with golden raisins or dried currants, and use shredded coconut instead of almonds.

These scones taste wonderful straight out of the oven; the tartness of cherries is wonderfully paired with alomnds, and sour cream imparts a smooth rich texture. Top them with some butter or jam, kids would love a topping of whipped cream too! I simply enjoyed my Cherry-Almond Scones with a cup of hot tea for my breakfast!

Related Recipes:
Cranberry-Walnut Scones (Eggless)
Mango Streusel Breakfast Cake
Wholegrain Blueberry Pancakes

Mango Mascarpone Mousse (Mango Kulfi)

Whenever you are in need for a quick dessert, a little cream, some fruits and a blender is good enough to satisfy your cravings and whip up a luscious dessert. And could you think of any better flavors than Mango and Mascarpone for a Mousse (except chocolate, perhaps!) I bet not, especially if you've ever enjoyed a Mango Kulfi, which is an indian version of mousse, except without eggs. Mousse is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, without compromising on the taste and indulgence factor. Mascarpone, the smooth creamy italian cheese, that's a little on the sweeter side, lends a richness to the mousse, while Mango, saffron and cardamom lend it flavor similar to a Kulfi, so you get the best of both the worlds! Try this Mango Mascarpone Mousse; its heavenly, and I'm sure you are going to get hooked to the taste.

Ingredients
1 egg - separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup mango puree
4-5 strands of saffron
1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
1/4 cup mascarpone - at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream

To make Mango Kulfi instead, replace the egg with 1/4 cup condensed milk, and mix it with the mango puree and mascarpone cheese in Step 2 shown below.

Method
In an electric mixer bowl, whisk the egg yolk and half of the sugar until pale and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, stir the mango puree, cardamom powder and mascarpone until smooth. Fold the yolk mixture into the mango mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Add the remaining sugar, a little at a time and continue to whip until glossy. Fold the whites into the mango mixture.

Whip the cream to form soft peaks and add to the mango mixture. Or mix together in a blender on Whip setting till everything is smooth.

Now spoon it into individual moulds of your choice and freeze them overnight.

Cut into slices if you like, or just invert the mousse onto dessert plates. Garnish with some chopped pistachios and saffron strands, and serve immediately (if you wait to take photos, it'll start melting!!:)) I'm sending this over to Mike who's collecting Frozen Treats this summer, and also to Nikki for her Ice-Cream collection!

Tip: You can add the saffron strands and some chopped pistachios in the batter itself, leaving a few for garnish. This gives it a better flavor, color and aroma!

Call it a Mango Mascarpone Mousse or a Mango Kulfi; any way you make it, this is one easy and delicious treat, perfect for summer evenings or a weeknight dessert cravings!

Related Recipes:
Mango Streusel Cake
Mango & Raspberry Thickshake
Mango & Mascarpone Cheese Tart

No-Bake Mini CheeseCake - Orange & Pistachio

These "semi-homemade" No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes are a perfect recipe for an extremely simple and fuss-free dessert! They are so cute and adorable, and can serve to be perfect individual desserts for dinners or cocktail parties. The best part about cheesecakes is their versatility; blend some chocolate & liquer with cream cheese for an "adult dessert", or combine fresh seasonal fruits and berries for an all-time favorite recipe. As we move to warmer weather forecasts, I decicded to try a citrus flavor for my easy instant cheesecake. Oranges and Pistachios dominate this delicious sweet treat, coming beautifully together for a smooth creamy center with an invigorating burst of orange flavor!

It so happens that Helen selected a Citrus theme for this month's SHF#43, and I had these lovely tangerines waiting to be juiced and put to good use! Plus, it's my birthday this weekend, the stunning summer dress that was gifted to me by a special someone fits me perfectly, and so I'm all excited and in a mood to indulge!! And when I get excited, I need to eat something sweet (yeah, people have their addictions!:)) I had some ready-made mini tart-shells and a packet of cream cheese in the fridge, which sparkled the idea for these glorious cheesecakes. They are simple to make and wonderful to eat. Let your imagination run wild and experiment with whatever flavor you like. For now, here's the refreshing Orange & Pistachio Mini CheeseCake, to soothe your sweet-tooth cravings!

Ingredients
Makes 4 to 6 mini cheesecakes, depending on size

4-6 ready-made graham-cracker pie shells
1 packet(4 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese
4 tbsp cool whip (or use heavy cream, whipped a lot)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp gelatin
4 tbsp water
6 tbsp orange juice (adjust according to taste)
1 tsp grated orange zest
chopped unsalted pistachios - for garnish

Method
Warm the 4 tbsp water till its almost boiling, then sprinkle the gelating and stir well. Set it aside and allow to bloom for 3-4 mins.

Meanwhile, whip the cream cheese, cool whip, orange juice and sugar in the blender. Whip it all together to form a smooth topping, or whip with a hand-mixer till smooth and creamy. Check for taste; adjust orange flavor and sugar to suit your taste.

Now add the bloomed gelatin to the cream mixture and again mix everything together.

Fill the pie-shells with the cream-cheese mixture and gently tap around to spread evenly.

Allow to refrigerate and chill for at least 1 hour so the gelatin sets the mixture. Insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean, else leave in the refrigerator for some more time. I'd generally recommend at least 2-3 hours before serving.

When its time to serve, Garnish with some freshly-grated orange zest and finely chopped green unsalted pistachios.

We loved these fresh and flavorful mini-cheesecakes! It's such a simple and easy alternative to the traditional recipe, perfect for entertaining guests or whipping up a dessert on very short notice!

Similar Recipes:
Kahlua Cofee Cheesecake
Low-Fat Strawberry-Vanilla Cake
Marbled Cream-Cheese Brownies

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

Baking cookies is the best way to placate yourself and your kids, and for me, its also a favorite passtime! What I love about cookies is that they can be simple and festive at the same time. I had my eyes on Cenk's thumbprint cookies since a long time. The mere sight of these colorful cookies was enough to motivate me to make my own eggless Jam Thumbprint Cookies. The name 'thumbprint' comes from the fact that you use your "thumb" to make an indentation into each ball of dough which is then filled with some jam. The best part is that these tiny delights are very easy to make and extremely versatile. Just follow the basic recipe and use your choice of fruit flavors or even chocolate as a filling. No matter what's the occasion, they are sure to be a hit!

Ingredients
Makes about 18-20 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
4 oz butter - at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup mixed-fruit jam (or any other of your choice)

Method
Preheat your oven to 350 deg F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 7-8 mins.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and ground walnuts and add to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until well combined to form a soft dough. Do not knead a lot as this can get pretty sticky. Use some all-purpose flour for dusting.

Now refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This makes is easier to shape the cookies.

Take a teaspoonful of dough in your hand, form a small ball, and press lightly in the center with your finger to make a shallow hole (use light pressure with your thum or index finger)

Arrange the cookies on the baking trays, 2 inches apart. Leave enough space as they will spread a bit as they bake. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly colored and the cookies look firm.

Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then fill the holes with your favorite jam.

These Thumbprint Jam Cookies are pretty to look at, easy to make and delicious to eat, and eggless too! The semi-hard texture with nuts is nicely balanced with the smooth sweetness of the jam, making this recipe to be a sure-shot winner. I'm so glad I tried them and will definitely be baking more of these!

Similar Recipes:
Eggless Almond Cookies (Nankhatai)
Peppermint-Vanilla Butter Cookies
Chewy Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Raspberry Coulis(Sauce) with Creme - Layered Dessert

When you think about making desserts, fruits are one of the main ingredients most of the times. One of the easiest and most satisfying way of eating seasonal fruits is by making coulis, compote or preserves out of them, without giving up their nutritional value. Raspberry Coulis is one of the preferred toppings for many desserts. Coulis, traditionally a french recipe, is a form of thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits, and used as a base for other sauces or as toppings for other dishes. I have used it as a primary ingredient in my recipe for an easy Layered Dessert with Raspberry Coulis and Creme Fraiche; I also used some crushed orange biscuits to give it that cheesecake-like appeal.

The recipe below can be easily modified to suit availability of seasonal fruits like strawberries, pears, apricot or apple. The fruit coulis can also be made ahead and preserved in a jar in the refrigerator and used as topping for other cakes, ice creams and desserts.

Ingredients
3 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries (or strawberries)
1 cup sugar(or more if needed sweet)
1/2 cup water
8 orange-flavored biscuits(cookies)
1 cup ready-whip (cool whip)

Method

Raspberry Coulis (Sauce)
Take the fresh raspberries, deseed them and add to a blender. If using frozen ones, thaw then first then blend. Add the sugar and blend to form a smooth puree. Strain the puree theough a colander or sieve mesh to remove seeds and keep aside.

Now heat a pot on medium flame, add the raspberry puree to it and 1/4th cup water. Stir to mix and thicken the syrup. Add a little more water if required, but not too much. Cook the puree to form a thick jam-like fruit preserve, more like a compote recipe. When the water has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough, remove from flame and allow to cool.

Take the cool whip (add sugar if its not sweetened) and blend in a mixer on the "whip" setting for 3 short pulses. Add the orange zest and pulse again, then set in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Take the orange biscuits and grind them in the blender to form a smooth-to-coarse powder.

To assemble the dessert, take a tall clear serving glass. Start with a layer of ground biscuits, then add the warm raspberry coulis, then layer with the creme fraiche. Repeat the process with all 3 layers again. Top with a sprinkling of fresh orange zest, or use the ground powder and mint leaves for garnish. This delicious dessert is on its way to Susan who's hosting this week's edition of WHB started by Kalyn's Kitchen!

This layered dessert tastes best with warm fruit topping and cool creme fraiche; the temperature difference nicely balances the taste. This is a great and simple recipe for a quick dessert when you are entertaining! Plus the basic Raspberry Sauce can be used as a topping for any other desserts.

Similar Recipes:
Plum Compote with Cardamom
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Pear and Almond Yogurt Cake (Low-Fat Snack Cake)

How does a low-fat pear & yogurt cake sound for today? As we herald spring in California, seasonal fruits and vegetables can be seen in all their glory, and a trip to the farmer's market can turn out to be a visually delectable experience! This weekend I decided to bake a delicious and Healthy Pear Cake. Belonging to the apple family, pears are packed with a lot of health benefits. It has antioxidants that protects our body from free radicals, promote cardiovascular health, and are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, copper, and vitamin K. And best of all, these fibrous fruits are a great way to naturally sweeten your cakes and muffins as well as provide them with shape and texture. I combined my pears with almonds and whole-wheat flour to make an almost fat-free and healthy yogurt cake/muffin that can be used as a snack any time of the day!

I did not use any butter in this recipe. The all-purpose flour was substituted by the whole-grain one; the recipe uses only 1 egg and some oil; the yogurt provides texture to the cake, but as there is no butter, this cake will not be as soft and moist as the others. If you are not looking for a healthy version, feel free to modify the ingredients to use 3/4 cup butter instead of yogurt and add 2 eggs instead of one with all-purpose flour.

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1-1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
3/4 tspn ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tspn salt
1 large egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tspn vanilla extract
2 ripe medium pears -peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
2-3 tbsp slivered almonds

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray. Instead, you can also use individual ramekins like I did.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, egg, and oil until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt and the vanilla essence. Finally, stir in the cubed pears.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until blended. Scrape into the prepared pan or the ramekins. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (about 25 mins if you are using the ramekins), until the cake is springy to the touch, shrinks from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This cake will not be too dark on the top, so if you like the color, change oven setiting to BROIL and bake for another 40 seconds, not more. Let cool for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack, then slice and serve!

Tip: Roasting the almonds a little can add more flavor to the cake. If your pears are not too sweet, increase the sugar in the recipe as this recipe tends to be a little less sweet compared to others.

This light and low-fat pear and almond cake can be relished for breakfast or snack any other time of the day without feeling guilty. The pears make it soft while the almonds add a crunch to each bite.

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Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins
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Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Sauce (For St.Patrick's Day)

St.Patricks's Day is around the corner, and most of the lucky ones are going to enjoy a 3-day weekend in the US! St.Paddy, as he's lovingly called, is supposed to have been responsible for a lot of miracles, and of course, spreading of Christianity in Ireland (though he was born in Britain). March 17th is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and non-Irish too (mainly in Australia, North America, and Ireland) as an annual Feast Day to celebrate the essence of the bishop St. Patrick. Celebrations, including food, are themed around all things Irish, which means anything that is green or orange, and contains a lot of booze!! Curious if you are on how alcohol came to be so much a part of this day's celebrations, here's an ancient legend to read. Chocolate always tops my list of dessert ideas, but as I was trying to make this an irish dessert, and I didn't have anything green, I chose to go with orange:) Trust me, this is no ordinary Chocolate Cupcake as the list of ingredients will show you; but the icing on the cake definitely has to be the fragrant, citrusy-sweet and rich Orange Cream Sauce, which I think has been one of the best sauces I've ever concocted on my own in my kitchen!

We don't celebrate this festival, per se, but we have a neighbor who is highly enthusiastic about holidays and decorations, and you'll always find her house and yard decorated with seasonal themes that kind of infect you with the spirit!(in a nice way, of course:)) She has this huge hand-crafted Shamrock (the symbolic 3-leaf clover) and famous Irish hat hanging in her front yard, and when Emiline from Sugar Plum called out to us to join her St.Paddy's day Pub Crawl event(read booze here:)), and Cookthink asked for a recipe using Maple, I was tempted to join in the celebrations. So without further ado, I present to you, my spectacular Chocolate Cupcakes topped with Orange and Maple Cream Sauce!!

Ingredients
Makes about 12 small cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4-1 cup hot water
1 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream liquer (optional)
1 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange liquer)(optional)

Orange and Maple Cream Sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (you can use light too)
2 tbsp cream cheese - softened
2 tbsp orange zest (for sauce and final garnish)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar (or a little less, adjust to your taste)
2 tbsp milk (only if needed)

Method
For the chocolate cupcakes, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the flour and hot water alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing well every time. Blend until well-combined. Finally, add in the irish cream liquer and the grand marnier and give a final swish with your hand.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degress F for 20 to 25min, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For making the Orange Cream Sauce, take the cream cheese and beat well, or blend in a mixer. Slowly add the whipping cream, maple syrup and blend again. Now scrape the sides, and keep adding the sugar a little at a time and continue to blend until you achieve a thick and creamy consistency. You can add some milk only if needed; Remove in a bowl, add 1 tbsp orange zest and mix barely to fold in. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve. The maple syrup really adds a nice flavor to the sauce, and this would actually be a great topping for pancakes too!

By this time, your kitchen must be bursting with the citrusy fragrance of orange combined with the aroma of baking a chocolate cake! So you are already feeling high, and to this, add the effect of the irish cream and grand marnier and you will feel like you are floating in heaven! Take the cupcake, warm it just a little in the microwave (say 15 seconds), then place it on a serving dish. Drizzle with a generous helping of the orange cream sauce, then garnish with some more fresh orange zest, and get ready to enjoy your dessert, totally the Irish way!!

Traditionally, cupcakes need to be frosted, but that's just way too much cream for me and kind of overpowers the flavor of the cake. So, defying tradition, I opted to top my cupcakes with this cream sauce that adds the correct amount of creamy texture without killing the actual taste of the chocolate cake. But if you are the frosting-kind of a person, feel free to ice your cakes with orange frosting!:)

Happy St.Patrick's Day to one and all!!

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Banana-Walnut Fluffy Yellow Cake

More than 80% of the people love bananas, and I guess 90% would go nuts over the deadly combination of Bananas and Walnuts, whether it's in a muffin, a pancake, sweet bread or cakes! I strongly believe that some pairs are made in heaven, and these two entirely fit the bill!:) Plus, they both have nutritious value, fiber and flavor; the crunchy nuts with their oil content nicely balance the sweet and mushy texture of the bananas, resulting into a perfect marriage of foods! Ok, enough of love and heavenly pairs, let's get back to food! Unlike traditional white cakes, a yellow cake contains just the egg yolks, while the former contains whole eggs; a lot of people like the way the yellow cake rises and is fluffy to the touch, but the inherent "egginess" might be a no-no for a few of us! This is especially true while using ready-made yellow-cake mixes, so I've included a recipe for making your own cake-mix at home! The Banana-Walnut combination also helps balance out the egginess in yellow cake, and works well to create a delicate and spongy dessert cake.

I've used Betty Crocker's yellow-cake mix before, and it was actually pretty good! But this time, just to control the egginess, I tried Shuna Lydon's recipe for homemade yellow cake. The key in making your own though is to separate egg yolks from egg-whites so that not a speck of white goes into the batter (try using an egg-cracker). Shuna has really explained it well on her post. As for the cake, you can use Pecans or other nuts with Bananas, but experience tells me that Walnuts taste the best!

Ingredients

Homemade Yellow-Cake Mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter - softened
1 cup sugar

Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt. Process until blended. Cut the butter into large chunks and add to the flour mixture. Pulse and process until the butter is completely incorporated. You can even combine butter in the flour mixture with your hands till it forms grain-like crumbly mixture. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This can be stored for about one month.

Banana-Walnut Cake
2 cups yellow-cake mix (specified above)
2-3 large eggs (egg yolks only)(use less if you don't like it too eggy)
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 banana - mashed (leave a few round slices for garnish)
1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

Method
Making a good yellow-cake uses a Dry-Wet-Dry-Wet method. You DO NOT dump all ingredients in together!

Take half of the yellow-cake mix, then half of the milk and the vanilla. Mix well to incorporate everything. Add the egg yolks, beating well after each addition.

Add the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the milk, and mix thoroughly until smooth. You can even use a food-processor for this. Keep scraping the sides as you blend or beat the mixture. This is one cake recipe in which the more you beat, the fluffier it gets and more it rises!

Next add the mashed banana and the chopped walnuts, folding in just to mix it well.

Grease a cake-baking pan, or use muffin molds for individual cakes. I used a 12-muffin pan. Fill them only 2/3rd full as this needs more room to rise. Even if you use a cake pan, do not fill more than half of it.

Preheat oven at 375 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (muffin size) until cake springs back when lightly touched near center, and the sides pull away from the pan. If you are using a cake pan, it may take a little longer, but keep checking if its done after 20 mins.

Allow the cakes to cool a little on the wire rack. I pinched in a slice of banana on each cupcake and drizzled just a teeny little bit of chocolate syrup on the top for added glamour, as I send them to Zorra who's celebrating International Women's Day with Yellow Foods!

The texture of these cakes is just amazing, and they turned out much better than I had expected! The individual cakes also work great while entertaining, especially topped with some vanilla ice cream!:)

Low-Fat Cranberry-Walnut Scones (Healthy Breakfast)

It's always great to have a "sweet start" to a day, and as breakfast is the first important meal of the day, having something sweet in the morning balances your caffeine, but it's an added bonus if its a healthy breakfast, like these wonderful Eggless Cranberry-Walnut Breakfast Scones. Low in fat, these semi-sweet scones are packed with the goodness of cranberries and walnuts that make this a healthy sweet treat any time of the day!

This recipe is heavily adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's cookbook Vegetarian Classics. She has a Black-currant Buttermilk Scones recipe which I modified to make these cranberry and walnut scones; I essentially chose to make mine eggless, replaced part of the buttermilk with plain milk and halved the butter content to make these healthy scones. These scones have become a regular breakfast delight in our house because my husband loves the cruncy-chewy and not-so-sweet flavor, at the same time, I can be sure that I am feeding him something healthy and nutritious!

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (or more if you like them sweeter)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts - chopped
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2-3/4th cup milk

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can even do this with your fingertips. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts, then slowly add the milk, just until the dough is moistened. Make a tough dough like cookies.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently, 5 to 10 times. Pat into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 8-12 wedges with a buttered knife; place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle some more brown sugar if desired. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before trying to remove them.

Serve these healthy low-fat cranberry scones with your morning tea or coffee, or with a dollop of jam any time of the day!

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Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins
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Cardamom-Flavored Plum Compote (With Walnuts and Raisins)

Seasonal Fruits and vegetables are a cook's best friends, as you can be sure they are not artificially grown or flavored and also because they bring a lot of variety to the table every changing season! We all know how important it is to include fruits in our diet, and the markets in California are flooded with dark and juicy Plums. They have been one of my preferred fruits right from childhood, and I love their juicy fibrous texture and their sweet and tart flavor. There are so many things you can do with plums, but jams, jellies and preserves are the best way to capture their essence so you can enjoy them even after the seaosn is gone! I decided to go for the Plum Compote, which is similar to a jelly, just with a few chunks rather than a puree.



A fruit compote is traditionally made of whole or pieces of fruit simmered in a sugar syrup, simmered over gentle heat. To add flavor, it can be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. I chose to add some Cardamom, because I thought it would blend well with the flavors and also infuse a nice lasting aroma! Just looking at the dark red color was a treat to the eyes!



Ingredients

5 large Fresh plums - deseeded and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 orange rinds

1 cup brown sugar (adjust according to taste and tartness of plums)

1/4th-1/2 cup water

4 tsp cardamom powder

pinch of cinnamon powder

raisins and walnuts - optional for garnish



Method

Take a thick-bottom pan and add the chopped plums, orange rinds, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon powder and half of the cardamom powder. Let this stand for at least 45-60 mins, stirring and coating once in a while.



Now place the pan on the stove, add about 1/4th cup of water and let it simmer, partially covered, for 3-40 minutes. Keep stirring often so the fruit doesn't stick at the bottom of the pan. Do not overcook else you would break the fruit. Remove ffrom stove once its cooked and before its done upto the point that the fruit breaks down and becomes mushy.



Your Plum Compote (Preserve) is now ready! You can put this in steamed and dried (air-tight)jars to preserve the jam. Vacuum seal the jars and store in a cool, dry place. You could even serve the warm compote topped with golden raisins and walnuts, and a little whipped cream or ice cream for a wonderful light dessert!

Liquer Infused Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake

Love is in the air, and it's time to woo your loved ones with sweet delicacies, chocolate taking the center stage. Its traditional to present a heart to your valentine on v-day, and though until now I'd prefer that to be store-bought, now that I've proved myself to be a cook, I know my hubby would not accept anything but a home-made one! It also gives me a chance to practise my hand at a little culinary art, so I decided I'll make an edible heart this time. So this year, my romantic mantra is this: "Every Kiss begins with Cake", and I am counting on my dearest hubby taking a trip to Jared (yeah, I'm getting influenced by all those "He went to Jared" ads:)!) after tasting this delicious heart-shaped chocolate cake, infused with bourbon liquer and layered with dark chocolate sauce and some fresh strawberry sauce! You could even garnish these with some ice cream or whipped cream. These individual dessert cakes are perfect for a romantic evening, anniversary, engagement celebrations or simply to celebrate a bond of love!

The recipe below makes 5-6 mini cakes. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cakes.

Ingredients
1 cup Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix
1/2 tspn baking soda
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp Bourbon Liquer (or any other flavored liquer)
1 cup brown sugar
1 extra-large egg
1 tspn orange zest (optional for flavor)
Hershey's Chocolate Sauce - for garnish
Strawberry Sauce - for garnish
Fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Spray a 9"x9" baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Sift the cake mix, baking powder and baking soda together into a bowl. Stir in the oil, milk and pure vanilla extract.

Combine the sugar and egg in a medium bowl and whisk together by hand. Slowly whisk into the flour mixture. Fold in the orange zest and the Bourbon Liquer and beat everything together to form a smooth cake batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 mins, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Lightly grease a heart-shaped cookie cutter and use to cut the cake into individual servings. With a toothpick, gently outline a smaller heart-shape in the center of each cake and fill it with strawberry sauce. Drizzle Hershey's chocolate syrup on the cake's outline and serve by itself, or with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

I am hoping this heart-shaped cake can bring me the diamond ring!:) fingers-crossed!! Wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!

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Molten Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling - Preparing for Valentine's Day

The second month of this New Year has kicked in, and we all know that February is the month to celebrate love, as people all around the world have begun to plan for the Valentine's Day. Love and chocolate go hand in hand, so its natural that I decided to practise my hand at some chocolate art to prepare for my valentine. I always wanted to make Molten Cupcakes, those sweet delights with a gooey chocalatey center that melts in your mouth! But as I was ready to go all out, I went for combining some raspberry sauce alongwith the chocolate sauce, and also try a hand at making some patterns with white chocolate. The result was this decadent dessert where the sweet chocolate was balanced perfectly by the tartness of the raspberries, giving a spoonful of heaven in every bite!

Ingredients
3/4 cup semisweet dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate cake or brownie mix
8-10 tbsp raspberry sauce

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 nonstick muffin cups and set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and half of the butter. Microwave on high power for 45 to 60 seconds, stirring twice during cooking, or until chocolate and butter are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes. Repeat the same with the white chocolate chips to melt it.

In a large bowl, combine eggs and beat with a mixer at high speed for 4 to 6 minutes until foamy and doubled in size. Gradually add cake mix to the beaten egg mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in melted dark chocolate sauce. Carefully pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them upto half level in each cup. Then add 1 tbsp of raspberry sauce in each cup, and layer it with molten white chocolate. I used a cone made of plastic bag to form star-shaped designs with my white chocolate, as you can see in the picture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or just until edges are set. The centers of the little cakes will still be soft. Cool on wire rack for 2 minutes. The design on the top didn't turn out as pretty as I had imagined, but I'm happy that it did create a contrasting pattern of white on brown background!

Serve these delicious molten chocolate and raspberry cupcakes while they are still warm. You can drizzle with more chocolate syrup, or top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream! Keep coming back for more valentine day recipes!!

Raspberry Jelly (Swiss) Roll Cake

I have had a fascination for anything sweet, and especially cakes right from when I was a kid! And I had this extra-special affection for swiss rolls, those colorful, spiral cakes that tasted like heaven, and even with the minimal frosting and decoration, they always attracted the attention of dessert-lovers, including me!! I harbor this fascination even today, and the first thing I notice in a pastry shop has to be a swiss roll cake (my hubby can vouch for it:)) Swiss roll is a type of sponge cake baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, and then filled, rolled up, and served in circular slices. So did these beauties originate from Swiss?? Not really; although the origins of this cake are unclear, wikipedia says that these are certainly not widely eaten in Switzerland, where they are known as "Biscuitrolle" or "Roulade" . Every country has it's own version, and it is popular in US as the Jelly Roll. It finds a place at many christmas dinner tables shaped like a Yule Log, but for me, it will always be my favorite kind of cake. Here's a simple Raspberry Swiss Roll recipe, but you can use a lot of variations for the filling.

This cake is not too much about the recipe as it is about the technique. Some people think it is really hard to make, but on the contrary, I'd like to say that though it looks tough, and does need a little more work than just popping your cake into the oven, it's simpler and more fun, especially as you can allow your kids to do the filling; and as it's almost always covered with frosting or sugar dusting, the flaws are easy to hide:) If you are still nervous, these two videos at Epicurious and About could prove helpful. I followed the recipe and technique on About, as it was more simple, and easier to roll out too. The only change I did was that I refrigerated the rolled cake (before the filling) for an hour. This gave it a firmer texture so it was easier to spread the filling and cut into pieces while serving.

Recipe Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tspn vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
Powdered Confectioner's sugar - for dusting
2/3 cup spreadable raspberry jelly/jam (or any other filling of your choice)

Method
Heat oven to 375 deg F. Line a baking pan, preferably (15 × 10 × 1) inches, with cooking parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat eggs in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Finally add the flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading out well to form a thin even layer.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (NOT MORE) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Spread a clean kitchen towel on the platform and sprinkle some powdered sugar on it. Now loosen the edges of the cake, then turn the whole pan upside down upon the towel. Carefully remove the paper from the top. Trim off the hard edges of the cake, and while its hot, carefully roll cake lengthwise from one end to the other. Keep the roll as tight as possible, but apply very little pressure so as not to crack the cake a lot. A few cracks are normal, so don't worry. it is going to be covered with frosting later! Now refrigerate the rolled cake for 40 mins to an hour. (This was the only change I made from the About recipe video)

Remove the cake from fridge and unroll it gently and remove the towel. Beat the raspberry jelly/jam slightly to soften; it's better to use a spreadable jelly. Now spread it evenly over the cake. Do NOT use a lot of jelly as it would ooze out of the cake once you finish rolling it up again.

Now again roll up the cake, which should be fairly easier this time. If you are not ready to serve, place it in the fridge again, so it becomes a bit harder and easier to slice. When ready to serve, place it on a serving dish, with the seams facing down. Sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar, making sure you cover all the flaked ends or cracks and edges that you incurred while rolling it up. You can even cover the whole cake with chocolate icing or any other frosting. Gently slice at a 30deg angle to form beautiful raspberry swiss rolls.

These are my favorites, and I hope you enjoy these delicious dessert cakes too!

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