Sweet and Sour Potatoes with Mango

One of the most interesting and challenging part of cooking is experimenting with flavors and spices, just like the blend of flavors in this Vietnamese-style recipe for Sweet and Sour Potatoes with Mangoes! It was an effort to replicate what we enjoyed at our local Tofu House restaurant. The blend of spices with soy sauce, thai chillies, red pepper, semi-ripe mango and rice vinegar resulted into a winning sauce base for the baby potatoes to be simmered in. The addition of Mango in a curry isn't an idea many would relate to, but try this, and I promise you will love it!

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar (you can add more if you like the taste)
1/4 cup tomato puree
1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water (more to make the gravy)
1 tspn garlic powder
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (the red one)
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

The ingredients above yield about 2 cups of thick sweet and sour sauce

7-8 baby potatoes
1 small medium-rip mango(more green than yellow)
chopped scallions - for garnish

Method

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Mix all ingredients for the sauce (except cornstarch and water) together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken. You can add more vinegar or water till you achieve your desired consistency.

Boil the baby potatoes and dice them into 2 (or you can leave them whole). Prick them with a toothpick so they can be better flavored with the sauce. Chop the mangoes into thin slices and keep aside.

Now take a pan, add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, then saute the potatoes in it for some time. Then add the sweet and sour sauce, half of the mangoes and grated ginger, then cover with a lid and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Once cooked, check for flavor and consistency of the sauce; add water or seasonings if required. Chop some scallions for garnish.

Serve the Baby Potatoes cooked in Sweet and Sour Sauce with Steamed rice. Garnish with remaining chopped mangoes and green onions.

Paneer & Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins

Savory Muffins have a fan-following of their own, and even me, who is an ardent dessert-lover, could not say no to a bit of these delicious muffins made with paneer and sun-dried tomatoes! A recipe that combines classic ingredients in a contemporary style, this is one fusion experiment I love. With Paneer as the star ingredient, I threw in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spring onions, herbs and some more italian cheese. If that does not get you out of bed, what will!? Perfect for your mornings, or as appetizers or mid-day snacks, these savoury paneer muffins are sure to leave a mark of their own!

Ingredients
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4th cup whole milk
1 cup cottage cheese - crumbled or shredded
1/2 cup mozarella and parmesan - shredded (optional)
1 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oiled ones, finely chopped)
1/2 cup spring onions - chopped (white and greens separate)
8-10 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs - beaten
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
salt and black pepper - to taste
4 tbsp basil flakes (adjust amount to suit your taste)
2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Method
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda through a sieve. Add the salt, black pepper, herbs, and red pepper flakes. In a pan, add the olive oil, then saute the white prt of the onions and garlic till it starts giving out an aroma. Allow to cool a bit.

In another bowl, beat the eggs to make them fluffy, then add to the sauteed onions/garlic mixture. Combine this with the flour mixture. Slowly add the cottage cheese, mozarella and parmesan, then keep mixing/folding gently as you add milk little by little. Do not overbeat, just mix to combine the ingredients.

Grease 12-muffin pans with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 deg F, then fill the mixture in the muffin pans upto the brim. Bake for 20-25 mins, and not more. Insert a tooth-pick in the center to make sure they are cooked. If the muffin tops look white, tun to broil setting and bake for 15 seconds, not more, or the muffins will get browned (the mistake I did!!)

Once done, allow them to cool on the wire rack. Gently remove from the pan and serve immediately with ketchup or a dipping sauce. Just add a dollop of fresh butter and you can enjoy these cute savoury sun-dried tomato and paneer muffins with your coffee or tea too!!

Related Recipes:
Spinach and Cheese Souffle
Rava Dhokla
Paneer Cutlets

Green Coconut Pandan Cakes - Asian Delight

Pandan Cake is a light, fluffy cake of Malay origins (Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines) flavored with the juice of Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) leaves. I've always been fascinated by their beauty! These cakes are light green in color due to the chlorophyll present in the leaf juice. But most of the times, additional green food coloring is used to further enhance its colour. Right from the time I tasted one at an Asian Cafe, I've been wanting to try these at home. Luckily, I found some Pandan Extract in my grocery store and I could finally make this chiffon cake, where I paired Coconut with Pandan! This may not be the best flavor for cakes in the world, but these Coconut Pandan Cake slices are definitely unique, looks pretty, and is should be tried at least once!

I used a recipe given by Anna, my colleague's wife, and I did trouble her a lot with phone calls as I was really apprehensive about how these would turn out! She was pretty patient with me, and I'd like to thank her for all her help and tips! I did end up adding a teeny-bit more green food color, hence the darker shade. Also, maybe the Pandan extract is not as good as the Pandan juice, hence I got a little "stretchy" texture in the bottom part of my cake. But otherwise, this was a successful experiment, which tasted great!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup water
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Pandan extract
1/2 tsp green color
1 egg
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 tbsp coconut cream

Method
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a bread-baking tray, or a cake pan with a wax paper and set aside.

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add water, coconut cream, oil, pandan extract, salt, sugar, baking powder & baking soda and mix well.

Sieve the flour, and slowly pour into the mixture, mix well, and set aside.

Pour the mixture into the prepared bread or cake tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a light brown crust appears on the top, and the tooth-pick test is satisfied.

I particularly loved the flavor of coconut with pandan; by itself, it may not have been as tasty, but the coconut cream made this a winning recipe! After a lot of hype and hooplah, I was happy at how this cake turned out.

Thanks Anna, for a beautiful Coconut Pandan Cake recipe!

Mixed Berry Pavlova Dessert- Meringue Cake

"Pavlova", a famous Australian dessert, is basically a meringue cake with a light, delicate, crisp crust and a soft & sweet marshmallow center that is produced by folding a little vinegar and cornstarch into stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. This dessert is then served with whipped cream and some fresh fruits. Named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, this dessert is as beautiful as the ballerina herself. Light and airy, this Meringue Cake is a wonderful way to make use of seasonal or frozen fruits and a bundle of eggs that no baking recipe will be able to utilize! Inspired by a recipe I had seen some time back, and determined to master the meringue-making process, I set forth last weekend to bake this beautiful Mixed Berry Pavlova. It wasn't all child's play, but at the end, I knew I had baked something I could be proud of!

Pavlova is a meringue, and it is important when making any meringue that the egg whites reach maximum volume, so make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are clean and free of grease. Since we need just the whites of the eggs, the eggs will need to be separated. It is easier to do this while the eggs are still cold; I generally use the EggCracker for this and it works pretty well. Once separated, cover the egg whites and let them come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

I have to say that Deb's first-hand instructions about baking the meringue helped me overcome my initial disaster; also, it is definitely advisable to follow the temperature and size suggestions in the recipe, as baking times would vary quite a bit depending on the size of the cakes, making it hard to get the "perfect" texture, which essentially means firm and light on the outside, soft and marshmallowy on the inside!

Ingredients
Adapted from Joy of Baking's Pavlova recipe

Meringue Cake
4 large egg whites
1/2 tspn salt
1 cup superfine castor sugar
1 tspn white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp cornstarch (or cornflour, or arrowroot powder)

Berries and Whip Cream Topping
1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry sauce
1 cup frozen mixed berries (thawed)
1/4 cup regular Whip Cream

Method
Preheat oven to 250�F (130�C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper. (I ust used an icecream bowl to mark the rounds)

Pour the vanilla and vinegar into a small cup. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.

In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. A few minutes after these dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar. Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.

Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn pan around. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)

Assembling the Pavlova
Just before serving, gently place the meringue-cakes onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the thawed mixed berries on the top, then drizzle some raspberry sauce over it. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

This Mixed Berry Pavlova is a delicious yet light dessert to cater to your sweet tooth. Try with other fruit toppings, or even nuts, but this traditional version definitely works the best! This was a learning experience for me indeed, and if you are a first-timer too, try my Meringue Recipe Tips to make this a bit easier for you!

Related Recipes:
Mango Cake with Streusel Topping
Mixed Berry & White Chocolate Pudding
Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

Related Tags
fruits, desserts, cake-recipes, berries

Nutella Crepes with Peaches & Raspberry Sauce

I've always preferred crepes over omelettes, especially for breakfasts, but after watching Alton Brown's Good Eats episode featuring Crepes, I have to say I've become a fan! These Nutella Crepes are particularly special as they have hazelnut-flavored Nutella, one of my favorite indulgences! Seriously, there's no way someone could refuse a helping of Nutella; creamy, chocalatey, nutty, gooey, velvety, sweet & tasty, I could go on describing this spread, and Crepes are a wonderful way to enjoy the goodness of this special blend. This is my second heist with crepes, the first one not being good enough to post:). But I think I've mastered it now, thanks to Alton's tips and a tried-and-tested recipe. These beautiful crepes filled with Nutella, then topped with raspberry sauce, and served with some fresh seasonal fruits on the side, are perfect to enjoy as breakfast or brunch, or even as an easy dessert!

I always used to think that Crepes are very difficult to make, and its easier to stick with pancakes. but after seeing Mike's Mango Nutella Crepes, and reading his excellent tips, I was inspired to try these myself. A colleague at work had shared her mom's perfect crepe recipe with me, so I was all geared up to give crepe-making a shot! Unfortunately, my first experience was not so exciting! But, Alton Brown's expert advice once again got me going. I changed Mike's recipe just a little to use some water in place of milk. I served my crepes with some fresh peaches and raspberry sauce, and now I have to say I'm no longer afraid of making Crepes! Thanks Mike, and thanks Mr.Brown, wherever you are!

Ingredients
Makes about 6-8 crepes

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tbsp melted butter
butter - for coating the pan

Filling & Garnish
Nutella - for filling
Raspberry sauce - to drizzle on the top
Seasonal Fruits - sliced (I used Peaches)
Powdered sugar - for dusting

Method
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking.
Note: The batter can be kept for up to 48 hours.

Now warm up your pan (a 7 or 8 inch skillet works the best) to about medium-high heat, giving it a few minutes to ensure it reaches a steady temperature. Melt down a knob of butter and swirl it around to coat the surface of the pan.

Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board(or any flat surface), and allow to cool slightly.

Continue until all the crepes are done. Wipe the inside of your pan clean with a paper towel after each crepe, and butter the pan for the next one.

Assembling the Crepes
Spread a generous layer of Nutella on each crepe. You can even add some chopped fruits inside the crepe. Then fold it once in half, then again in half to form a triangle.

Transfer your crepe to a serving plate. Drizzle with some raspberry sauce, and serve with some sliced fruit like Mangoes, Peaches or Strawberries.

These Nutella Crepes are perfectly delicious with coffee for breakfast. To serve these as desserts, top with some ice-cream of whipped cream!

Related Recipes:
Wholegrain Blueberry Pancakes
Mango Streusel Cake
Cranberry Orange & Pecan Bread

Related Tags
fruits, desserts, breakfast-recipes, nuts

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

Mango Cake with Streusel Topping

One of the best ways to flavor cakes is by using seasonal fruits, and when you are thinking about fruits and cakes in this warm summer, you cannot dare to ignore a delicious Mango Cake! They are not called the king of fruits for no reason; with a lovely shape and smell, a juicy and fibrous interior, mangoes lend a wonderful texture, sweetness and softness to cakes. So intending to use my indian mangoes, I had been planning to bake a Mango Streusel Cake for quite some time now. Trying to choose healthier options, I opted for a crumb streusel topping for my cake rather than the regular frosting. Plus, a streusel cake can be really versatile; serve it with coffee for a filling breakfast, or top it with whipped cream or ice cream for a luscious dessert. The nuts in the streusel topping give it a nice crunchy layer, making it a great recipe for Mango coffee cake; but you can opt to replace it with any other icing or frosting of your choice to suit your taste and occasion. But no matter how you choose to relish it, this Mango Cake is sure to leave an impression!

The term "Streusel" is a German word meaning "something scattered or sprinkled"; in terms of cooking and baking, it refers to a crumb topping of butter, flour, and sugar (traditionally German) that is baked on top of muffins, breads, and cakes. Slowly over time, this German recipe evolved with addition of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom and finely-ground nuts. I've always enjoyed coffee cakes with streusel topping, and have been wanting to bake one at home. Finally I got to bake this Mango Cake with Streusel Topping and it was wonderful. Off it goes to Arundhati's Mango Madness for this week's edition of Nandita's WBB event!

Ingredients

Mango Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
** I used 1 cup wheat and 1 cup AP flour for a healthier option
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fresh mango puree (thick puree, no water added)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup chopped mango or 8-10 slices
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup walnuts- finely ground
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg or cardamom (optional)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Method

To make the Streusel Topping, combine all the ingredients listed above with hand until it forms a crumbly mixture. Make sure you rub the butter evenly into the mixture for even texture.

Heat the oven to 350� F. Lightly coat a 9" x 9" cake pan with butter and dust with all-purpose flour, or use non-stick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in a separate bowl until light and fluffy. Now beat in the eggs, one at a time, whipping a lot after each addition. Mix till soft peaks form.

Now slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating continuously as you combine the two. If you are using a large spoon or hand beater, make sure you are always stirring in the SAME direction (clockwise or anticlockwise).

Finally add in the vanilla essence and mango puree and blend everything together.

You can choose to add the chopped mangoes in the batter or use them as a top layer, as I did. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; top with the mango slices and then cover completely with the streusel mixture.

Now bake for 35-40 mins at 350 degrees, or until the edges have separated from the sides of the mould and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool on the wire rack fr at least 15-20 mins.

For a breakfast option, slice your Mango Cake and serve with tea or coffee. To enjoy as a dessert, cut into wedges, top with vanilla ice cream, and garnish with more mango slices!

I served this Mango Streusel Cake to friends last weekend and it was a great treat indeed!

Tip: Just like any other fruit-based cakes, this Mango Cake tastes better after 12-24 hours as the flavor of mango seeps in. So try baking it ahead to save time and get more flavor!

Vegetarian Mexican Salad

Mexican food is synonymous with spicy, hot and piquant! From authentic mexican salsa to crispy tacos or big, fat burritos, mexican food is often quick to make, and even quicker to eat! Mexican salad, as un-interesting as it may sound, is an enriching meal by itslef. Just as colorful as the mexican culture, this salad has several layers to it. Healthy, nutritive, tasty and filling at the same time, the vegetarian mexican salad is often served in a large cripsy tortilla shell called "Tostada". Layered with beans, vegetables, salsa and cheddar cheese, everything about this salad from its appearance to taste is irrestible! If you've enjoyed eating a "Burrito Bowl" at Chipotle, there's no way you can turn away from this recipe!

Ingredients
2 cups lettuce - shredded
1 cup refried beans
1/2 cup black beans - boiled
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1 cup cooked rice
1 small bell-pepper - finely choped
1 large semi-ripe tomato - chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
3 tbsp gaucamole
3 tbsp sour cream
3/4 cup spicy mexican salsa
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper - to taste

Method
Take a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add the chopped bell-peppers to it. Saue them lightly till they become a little tender.

Mix the shredded lettuce, beans, cooked rice and chopped tomatoes all together and allow to sit for some time. Then add the sauteed bell-peppers and spicy salsa to it. Add salt and pepper according to taste.

Add the sour cream and gaucamole on the top, and cover with a generous helping of cheddar cheese.

Top with some corn tortilla chips and serve! Indulge in the flavors of Mexico as you enjoy this vegetarian mexican salad. This goes to DK's Culinary event that celebrates Mexican Food this month.

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 pur�ed 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
Carmelized Almonds with Strawberries and Cream

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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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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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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Veg Pizza on a Pita with Cilantro Hummus - A Quick-Fix Meal

It's been raining heavily in California since 2 weeks now, and people are already praying that it stops over the weekend. But frankly, though I detest driving to work in this rain and not having a chance to go out during weekend because it is pouring out there, it is good that we received all this rain because it was badly needed! Now you know what rain does to your tastebuds, right? You are suddenly attacked by a bout of those "Give me something hot and tasty now" food cravings, and that is precisely what we felt 2 days ago. But it was late when we got home from work, and though I wanted something tasty, I was in no mood for an elaborate meal. I saw a packet of pita bread and some hummus in my fridge. So did I make pita?? Nope, I decided to go for the Pizza version of the Pita. I had some Pizza Sauce on hand, and I modified the hummus by adding some cilantro and green chillies to add some kick, then we layered the vegggies, sauce, hummus and cheese on the pita breads and tossed them into the oven for a luscious quick-fix meal! Believe me Pizza on a Pita is surely a healthy yet tasty alternative to a pizza craving!

Ingredients
3 Pita Breads
3 tbsp Pizza Sauce (any brand is fine)
3 tbsp regular plain Hummus
1/4th cup fresh cilantro
4-5 green chillies or jalapeno
veggies of your choice (I used onion, capsicum, olives and jalapeno)
some corn for topping
shredded mozarella cheese
ground black pepper

Method
Take the hummus, cilantro and jalapenos and blend them in a mixer to make a smooth paste. That's how you make your Cilantro-Hummus spread .

Now mix the cilantro hummus and pizza sauce and layer it evenly on the pita bread. Top it with all vegetables of your choice like onions, capsicum, mushrooms, olives, more jalapenos, tomatoes, and some corn kernels. Finally spread the shressed cheese onto it and bake it in the oven for 15 mins, or until the veggies are cooked and cheese has melted.

Enjoy while it's hot! This is a great easy-to-make meal, and also good use for some leftover pita bread!

Chocolate-Dipped Orange Madeleines (French Cake-like Cookies)

"Madeleines" are a famous bunch of french cookies, that have spread their magic around the world. The French are known for their love of food, exquisite desserts, their romanticism, and their perfumes. They tend to be exotic in whatever they do, and so there's no doubt you'll see a similar touch in their cuisine too!! "Madeleine" is a french name for Magdalen (Mary Magdalen - The Holy Grail from the Da Vinci Code, ring any bells??) There are several legends attached to these delicious cookies with a unique shape and taste, one of them being that Madeleines come from the little French town of Commercy, whose bakers were said to have once, long ago (18th century), paid a "very large sum" for the recipe of these little cakes which became a specialty in the area. Commercy once had a convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdelen, and the nuns there supported themselves and their schools by making and selling cake-like cookies, and historians believe that when all the convents and monasteries of France were abolished during the French Revolution, they were forced to sell their recipe to the bakers. There have been several other stories, but whatever may the truth be, aren't we all glad to have been blessed with these delicious beauties that add so much sweetness to our lives?? So here's to the famous French Madeleine Cookies, and my recipe only make them better by adding a touch of orange flavor and chocolate!!

Ingredients
Makes 24 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
A pinch of salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange zest
2 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate - coarsely chopped
Madeleine Pans (you can buy one online here)

Method
Heat butter in small heavy saucepan over medium heat just until very light golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a hand blender until tripled in volume. Lower speed to medium and beat in the vanilla, orange juice and orange zest. Fold in flour mixture a little (1/3rd) at a time. Finally fold in the cooled butter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until slightly firm.

Preheat oven to 375�F. Apply butter or non-stick cooking spray to two 12-mold madeleine pans and dust them with flour. Drop a generous spoonful or two of batter into center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and centers spring back when lightly touched.

Remove the pans from oven and tap them sharply against a countertop to release the madeleines, then leave them to cool on wire racks.

Place chocolate in small microwave-safe cup. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute or a little more, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate has almost melted. Whisk a little to make it smooth. Do NOT overheat.

Dip each madeleine into melted chocolate, coating bottom third part of the cookie. Shake off excess chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat for all the cookies and leave at room temperature for 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

This is the perfect recipe for Chocolate-covered Madeleines, and beleive me, they are so great you are sure to get addicted to them. Enjoy these as simple desserts, but they are great with tea or coffee too.

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Related Tags
chocolate, desserts, brownies, cookies

Basbousa - Semolina (Sooji) Cake with Rose Syrup

I have made cakes with all-purpose flour all the time, so this time I decided to try something new. While looking for ethnic cake recipes, I came across this one called "Basbousa", which is a typical middle-eastern dessert (mainly Egyptian) with Semolina as a main ingredient. Also, unlike the traditional way of making cakes, this is unique as it uses a sugar syrup topping for a plain cake, which in fact induces the softness, flavor and sweetness to the cake. Also, almonds and lemon juice are an important part of the traditional recipe. I was excited with the idea of making a cake with semolina, or sooji as it is known in India, as it sounded healthy and different. I have to say this was one of my favorite and satisfying baking escapades!

The concept of using sugar syrup was fascinating, as I've made a Tres Leches Cake before which uses milk syrup in the same way. As I'm not too huge a fan of lemon flavor in my cakes, I cut down on the lemon juice a little and added Rose essence instead as I thought it would give a nice aroma and a mildly sweet taste that would accentuate the recipe. The result, a perfectly moist and healthy cake with a distinct taste, flavor and texture, thanks to the semolina, almonds and rose essence.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter - unsalted
3/4 cup sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups fine semolina (sooji)
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn soda-bicarbonate
3/4 cup plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt
12-15 almonds - blanched and split

For the Syrup Topping
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp rose essence
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method
Take a bowl and mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Sift the semolina, baking powder and soda in another bowl. Add this slowly into the butter mixture alternately with yogurt. Beat well so you can allow semolina to expand once it gets into the oven.

Now grease a cake pan and spread batter into it. Pinch in the almonds on top of the cake at equal distances so that when you cut into pieces later, each piece has an almond topping in the center.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is cooked.

Making the Syrup
To prepare the syrup topping, dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add the lemon juice and the rose essence and bring to a boil.

Let it boil for 5-7 mins, then allow to cool by placing the container in another larger bowl filled with cold water (indirect cooling).

Assemble the Cake
When the cake is done, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Let the cake soak the syrup and set it aside for 15 mins or so. Once it is completely cooled, cut into diamond or square shapes. Serve each piece topped with whipped cream or desired fruit topping!

Basbousa, or Semolina Cake as I'd call it, is a perfect traditional dessert and we really enjoyed its light and spongy texture. I'll surely be making this again, perhaps with shredded coconut next time!

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Apple and Pecan Cobbler

My favourite memory associated with apples is about my mom making fresh apple jam at home, and I'd be sitting on the kitchen top, watching her make that wonderful jam that would hardly suffice for 4-5 days before she'd have to make another batch! (of course, my brother consumed as much as I did!!) But in recent years, I've never really cooked anything out of apples. So as I scoured the web to find something that interests me, I found this simple apple cobbler recipe, and as I hadn't tried making a cobbler either, I knew I had found something to keep me busy this weekend. Here's my Apple and Pecan Cobbler recipe with a touch of Lavender and Nutmeg. I was skeptical about lavender at first, as cinnamon is a more widely paired spice with apples, but I tried it because my mind loved the flavor combo! The result, a delicate flavored cobbler which turned into an amazing dessert paired with vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients

Filling
1/4 cup sugar ( use 1/2 cup if the apples are not too sweet)
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lavender extract (or essence; you can even use fresh lavendar flowers)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4-5 tart apples (such as granny smith)- peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup pecans - chopped
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp nutmeg powder (jaayfal)

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter - chilled and cut into cubes
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
1 cup heavy cream (or you can use 1/2 cup milk too)

Method
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the apple slices, pecans, lemon juice, nutmeg, sugar and finally the flour. Cover partially and cook until the apples are soft and tender (about 10 mins). Stir in the vanilla and lavender essence. Remove from heat and transfer to greased pie dish.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt for the crust. Cut in butter and mix with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir orange zest into cream and then use a fork to stir this mixture into the flour until the dough just holds together. Youu do not have to blend anything, so this should be fairly simple. Just mix everything with your fingers so everything is evenly coated and greased, and form a crumbled dough similar to small peas. Now roll into a long loaf the size of your baking dish with your hand or a rolling pin. Layer this over the apple mixture to cover it evenly. Grease with the remaining cream. Poke the dough in palces so that steam can escape.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake the dish for 10 mins. You can use less temperature setting if you've already almost-cooked the apples. Then reduce the heat to 350 deg and bake for another 15-20 mins.

Once done, remove and allow the Apple Cobbler to cool a little. Then slice it into small rectangles for individual servings. Layer a piece on a plate, top it with vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce and serve immediately!!

Tip: If you are unsure about the lavender in the recipe, try a small amount on a first try. I was hesitant too, but the combination really works. And paired with nutmeg and orange zest in the crust, the lavender is not too pronounced, yet gives a delicate flavor and a beautiful aroma to the cobbler. I'd suggest you surely give this a try!!