Double decker choco vanilla horlicks burfi

Today when I was checking my pantry I saw one pack of womens horlicks that I had bought a few months back but couldn't consume as I didnt like its vanilla flavour.  I thought for a moment and decided to make some sweet dish with it.  I often make milk powder burfi and horlicks is more or less same as it contains a big amount of milk solids.  So I ended up on making horlicks burfi but was not at all sure about how the vanilla flavour would come out in a  burfi.  An idea clicked to make double decker burfi, half vanilla and half choco because if vanilla flavour would go wrong choco flavour surely lift it up and nothing would go off the track ;D hence this double decker choco vanilla horlicks burfi.  To my surprise both the flavours complimented each other very nicely and came out well.  Me n hubby liked this cute looking burfi.  I topped the burfi with sprinkles but you can use any dry fruits or nuts or have it as it is.  Hope you will also like it.  So here is the recipe for you to try.  Happy Cooking :)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour	½ cup
Horlicks  (Vanilla flavour)	½ cup
Ghee / clarified butter	1 & ½ tbsp
Sugar	1 cup
Coco powder	2 tbsp

Method:

• Sieve all purpose flour and keep aside.
• Grease a plate with ghee and keep aside.
• In a non stick pan, add ghee and let it melt.  Add all purpose flour in ghee and fry it well till raw smell goes.  Keep aside.
• In a heavy bottom non stick pan, take sugar and 1/2 cup water.  Let it boil till one string consistency.
• Add in the sugar syrup, fried all purpose flour, horlicks and coco powder.  Stir continuously.  At one stage, the mixture will start thickening.  Keep stirring.
• When the mixture start leaving the sides of the pan, remove it from the stove and immediately pour the mixture to the greased plate.  Press the top and make it even with a silicon cake spatula or aluminium foil.  Let it warm and put it in the fridge for 2 hours.
• Cut it into pieces and enjoy.

Note:

1. Do not keep the burfi outside for a long time as it will tend to become soft.  Keep it in the fridge and take out only when you want to have it.
2. You can use any flavour of horlicks for this burfi.
3. You can also take assorted nuts to add in the burfi.  It will give a nice crunch.

Coconut Kheer

Hi friends. Kheer is a very famous dessert in indian cuisine.  Almost everyone like it including me :) I like rice kheer but my inclination is a little bit more towards the coconut kheer.  Its really delicious and melt in mouth.  The texture of coconut kheer is a little different from that of rice kheer.  The little little bits of fresh coconut covered in creamy rice and milk mixture is simply awesome. Usually jaggery is used to make this kheer sweet but I didnt like the taste of jaggery in this so I substituted it with sugar. So today I am sharing with you this recipe of Coconut kheer.  I am sure you will also like it.  Do try and enjoy.  Happy cooking :)

 Ingredients:

Grated fresh coconut	1 cup
Basmati rice	2 tbsp (soaked in water for atleast 1 hour)
Sugar	20 tsp
Full cream milk	750 ml
Cardamom (powdered)	3
Chironji / Charoli	1 tbsp
Cashews	7-8 (chopped)
Pistachios	1 tsp (chopped)

Method:

• Take the milk in heavy bottom pan and boil it.  Once boiled, remove from the stove and take half cup of milk from it to add in while blending coconut and rice.
• In a jar, put together coconut, rice and half cup milk and blend it with a hand blender till smooth.
• Put the milk again on the stove and add in coconut rice paste. Mix well. Let it cook on medium flame till the milk reduces and becomes thick.  It will take approx 15 minutes.
• Add in cardamom powder, chopped cashews and charoli.  Mix well.  Cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the stove and add in sugar.  Mix well.
• Put the pan again on the medium flame and cook for another 5 minutes. 
• Remove from the flame and let it cool down.  Shift it to a serving dish and garnish with chopped pistachios.  
• Keep it in the fridge for atleast 1 hour before serving.
• Serve chilled.

Notes:

1. If you do not have time to soak the rice, you can put them in hot water for 10 minutes and then use.
2. You can use jaggery instead of sugar.
3. Any other dried fruits or nuts can be used.

Choco Pineapple Marble Cake

Hi friends.  These days I am in festive mood as christmas is around the corner.  From my childhood, Christmas has always given me that festive feel after Diwali.  This time I have decorated the Christmas tree two weeks back :D  I also love the combination of winters and christmas.  It gives me festive delight.  However, it wont be winter season here in zambia on christmas but Christmas Tree, Cakes, Cookies, Chocolates, holidays and above all my loved ones will make it perfect for me.  I am thinking to make something new daily to add in festivity in my routine life.  So starting with this yummy cake that is the result of my one more experiment thats again came out yum.  Unlike my other bakes, this one is with egg.  I dont like the smell of eggs in baked goods so I try to avoid adding eggs but if I do I strictly try to put not more than one egg and to suppress its smell I add many other flavours to the recipe.  Here also I did the same thing. This is a choco pineapple marble cake, a deliccious treat for everyone.  I love marble cakes and more than its taste I love its appearance.. swirly wowww beautiful.   After baking this cake when I tasted it first I felt the sugar level is less than what I had wanted but after cooling down it was perfect.  Still if you find it less sugary you are free to increase the sugar level or you can top it with some chocolate sauce.  You will find it yummy in any way.  So here is the recipe of a perfect tea cake for parties or just for that evening cuppa tea with family.  Try out.  Happy Cooking :)

love the beautiful swirls 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour	1 cup + 1 tsp for dusting
Powdered sugar	½ cup
Oil	¼ cup
Egg	1
Baking powder	½ tsp
Baking soda	¼ tsp
Mixed fruit jam	1 tsp
Pineapple essence	1 tsp
Coco powder	2 tbsp
Milk	1/8 cup
Coffee powder	¼ tsp mixed with 1 tbsp milk

Method:

• Grease a baking tin with oil and dust with flour.  Keep aside.
• Preheat the oven at 180 degree.
• In a mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Keep aside.
• In another bowl, beat egg and powdered sugar till fluffy.  Add oil and beat again.  Add pineapple essence and jam.  Slowly add half of the flour mix and half milk.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour mix and milk, if needed.  Mix again.
• Shift half of the batter in another mixing bowl and in the remaining half batter add coco powder and coffee mix.  Mix well.
• You will be having two cake batters.  Take the baking tin, pour a layer of some choco batter then pour another layer of white batter over it.  Repeat the process till both the batter finish.  You will see the beautiful swirls on the top.

Ready to go in the oven

• Bake it for about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let it cool down.

Just out from the oven 

• Enjoy with a cuppa tea or chocolate sauce.

Note:

1. If you want the cake to be on the more sweeter side increase the sugar quantity or have the cake with chocolate sauce or vanilla icecream.
2. If you do not have pineapple essence you can add any flavour of your choice.
3. If you want to make it eggless, add half a tin of condensed milk and decrease the sugar quantity from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup.
4. After 35 minutes check the cake once if it is done.   If not bake for another 5 minutes.
5. I have made this cake in bread tin you can make it in any kind of baking pan.

EGGLESS WHOLE WHEAT, OATS AND RAGI COOKIES

Hi friends, yesterday I had told you about my latest experiment and promised to share it with you today so here I am with delicious wholewheat, oats and ragi cookies.  As it was purely an experimental dish, at first I was not at all sure about how it would come out but the end result was sooooo good.  I loved the softness and flavour of these cookies.  Everything was just perfect.  These melt in the mouth cookies are surely gonna be loved by you too,  I made these especially for my LO so added healthy flours and the combination was superb.  Almost all the cookies got finished up same day (not by my LO but me n V :D)  I strongly recommend to try these cookies as they are very easy to make and taste great. Good option for that anytime hunger pangs :P  Perfect for kids school tiffin too.

Try out and enjoy.  Happy Cooking :)

Ingredients:

Oats flour	¼ cup
Whole wheat flour	¼ cup
Ragi/Nachni/Finger millet flour	2 tbsp
Unsalted butter	¼ cup
Powdered sugar	¼ cup
Baking soda	2 pinch
Cardamom	2 (powdered)

Method:

• In a mixing bowl, take oats flour, wheat flour, ragi flour and baking soda. Mix well.  Keep aside.
• In another bowl, take butter and sugar (Butter should be at room temperature).  Mix well with the help of a spoon till it gets fluffy.  Add cardamom powder.  Mix again.
• In this butter mixture, add flour mix and knead well.
• Preheat the oven at 180 degree and grease a baking tray.
• Now divide the dough into small balls and flatten them with your hands.
• Arrange the cookies in the greased baking tray and with the help of a fork, make impression on them. (Shown in the pic).  

Ready to go in the oven

• Put the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tray itself.

Out from the oven.. 
excuse my small pan as I had no idea the cookies would expand so much..

• When cooled, cookies would turn a bit firm and ready to eat.  
• Enjoy with a cup of tea or as it is. (Store in an airtight jar)

EGGLESS NUTS CAKE

Hi friends, I am back with a new and delicious recipe.. but I must confess that it was purely an experiment :) Yesterday, in the evening, I suddenly got a strong craving for a cake.  I had nothing in mind for any specific cake or flavour.. I just wanted to have a cake :D So I just entered the kitchen and started mixing up the things.. whatever came to my mind I just added and put it inside the oven.  But the end result was simply amezing.  A moist, soft and guilt-free cake to relish.  It was very hard to wait but somehow I managed to take some hurried clicks.  As soon as I finished the clicks, I dig in and it was heaven.  A super yum cake that too out of an experiment.  heheheh.

Its an eggless cake with lots of cashews, raisins and fruit peels and not to forget I have also added whole wheat flour and oil.

Usually I dont like to put the icing on the cakes but I spread some chocolate sauce over this cake and it became more yum.  If you wish, you can serve this cake with some vanilla icecream over it.

This successful experiment encouraged me to do some more experiments so today again I have done some experiment and surprisingly, it also has come out very well. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

For today, I am leaving you with this eggless nuts cake.  Do try and enjoy.  Happy Cooking :)

 

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour	¼ cup
All purpose flour	¼ cup + 1 tbsp for coating the nuts
Condensed milk	½ tin
Baking soda	1/8  tsp
Baking soda	¼ tsp
Ginger powder	1 pinch
Cinnamon powder	1 pinch
Nutmeg powder	1 pinch
Sugar	2 ½ tbsp
oil	1/8 cup + 1 tbsp
Soda water	1/8 cup
Orange essence	1/4 tsp
Mixed fruit jam	1 tsp
Cashews	¼ cup chopped
Mixed raisins and fruit peels	¼ cup

Method:

• Take a bowl and sieve together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, ginger powder and mix well.  Keep aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix all the dried fruits and add one tbsp all purpose flour and mix well. Keep it aside too.
• Set the oven for preheating at 180 degree.
• In another bowl, take condensed milk and sugar, and mix them well.  Add oil and mix well again.  Add mixed fruit jam and vanilla essence and mix again.
• In condensed milk mixture, add half of the flour mix and half soda water. Mix very well and do not let the lumps form.  Add remaining flour and soda water and again mix well.
• Fold in the dried fruits mix in the batter.
• Shift the batter to a greased cake pan and put inside the oven.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, check the cake and if you find that the top is getting burnt, cover the pan with an aluminium foil.
• After 50 minutes, check the cake by inserting a knife into it.  If the knife comes out clean, cake is baked, if not, bake for another 10 minutes.
• When its baked, remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan itself.
• After 10 minutes, shift it to plate and enjoy warm.

Enjoy with chocolate sauce.. yummm

Note:

1. I used mixed fruit jam, but you can use any jam of your choice.
2. You can add any dried fruits of your choice and increase or decrease the quantity also.
3. My cake took exact 62 minutes to bake. You keep watch after 50 minutes.

UNNIAPPAM

I had come to know about Paniyaram Pan only a few months back and got so excited to know that it cooks with (almost) no oil.  How cool is that :D  So when my in laws came to visit us they brought one Paniyaram Pan for me :) 

I was so eager to make something in it and the first thing that I made was Unniappam.  The reason was so obvious that I wanted to make something that 'my little bunch of joy' can also have with us. So this dish fit the bill.  Its so soft n fluffy that you would love to have it at any time of the day.  The cherry on the cake is that it does'nt have all purpose flour aka maida, and sugar is substituted with jaggery that gives a nice flavour.  It also has banana that contributes to the softness and flavour.  All in all, a goodness packed snack that kids are surely gonna love.

My LO loved it to the core as its so soft that she could take the bites with her tiny teeth (as she has got only three front ones hehehe).

Me and V also love these Unniappams and have it as evening snacks with tea.  All thanks to Paniyaram Pan. 

With this magic pan I had also made spinach koftas with just one spoon of oil... isnt it great? :)  No compromise in taste.  I will post that recipe soon.

Now coming back to the recipe.. Following is the detailed recipe of these super yummy Unniappams. Do try and enjoy. Happy Cooking :)