Strawberry Trifle

My God, its been over a month since I posted anything.  I did'nt realise how time has flown.  With Diwali, then a short trip to the hills - long overdue holiday, Wedding in the family and then of course work I just have not had time to write.  

My life is finally showing some semblance of settling down into a normal routine so here goes.

Strawberries are finally here so here is my Strawberry Trifle. How I love Trifles with all its layers and vibrant colours and textures.  The English Dictionary defines "Trifle" as something of little value but you cannot call this dessert Insignificant.  Not with so many processes and steps.

Traditionally the dish used for making a trifle is a clear glass, straight side dish but mine is really big so I used a regular bowl

A trifle traditionally has a layer of jam roll, topped with custard, jelly, fruit and cream.

I used a sponge cake, strawberry compote, custard, jelly, strawberries and cream.

Cut and Macerate strawberries with some sugar and keep aside for some time

Make a simple strawberry compote but cooking 2 boxes of strawberries with some sugar and water, till the berries are soft and mushy and the sugar dissolves.  Cool and puree same. I like the seeds so I leave it as it but in case you want you could pass it through a sieve.

Make a custard - you could do this from scratch with eggs and milk but I used the regular Custard Powder and made a slightly thick custard with this.  Don't use a flavoured one please.  Vanilla tastes best.

Make a packet of strawberry jelly and keep to semi set.

Whip the cream and keep aside.

Then comes the assembling.

Start with layering a bowl with cake.  I had some strawberry sponge cake so I cut it up in with star shaped cookie cutters and lined the base of my bowl.

Sprinkle a small amount of the compote on it to wet the cake.

Cover with the custard and some of the cut strawberries and then top with a layer of the compote.

Then comes the layer of the semi set jelly

And finally top with cream and more strawberries

Let this sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours for the flavours to meld together and then enjoy.

Baked Eggs and Toast

Its November and the weather has turned.  Its nice and chilly early morning but the afternoons are still warm.  Living on the 9th floor we have turned off the fans and are enjoying the fresh chilled early morning air.  My windows are open through the day and night.

The outcome of all this left me with a miserable cold and cough.  A week of not being able to taste anything I eat :( and this morning I had this craving for egss and toast.  Normally my breakfast is just a fruit smoothie so this was a nice change.

Take 2 slices of bread.  Butter one slice on one side only.  

Place if butter side down on your grill rack.

Using a cookie cutter, cut a round in the other bread piece.

Butter one side and place it over the first slice, butter side up

Break an egg in the center of the bread filling the hole

Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Sprinkle with chives and chilli flakes.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 10 mins till white set and yolk still soft.

I used the cutout round and topped it off with some cheese.

Enjoy.

French Macaroons

My first attempt at making macroons ..... can't say it looks good ..... but it tasted really nice.  I have to make these again to ensure the look is beautiful.

Pssst - don't mind the pictures - I am not the best person with decorations or neatness.

The filling was a strawberry buttercream, but you can use lemon curd, chocolate ganache or any flavour of your choice.

50 grms ground blanched almonds 

90 grms icing sugar

50 grms egg whites, at room temperature

20 grams castor sugar

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. Dont over process else you will get almond butter
• Beat the egg whites until foamy. 
• Gradually add the sugar, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue just holds stiff peaks
• Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 1 cm tip, and pipe about rounds onto the parchment paper.
• Let the Macarons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat your oven to 160 C

• Bake the cookies for 14 -16 minutes
• Remove from oven and let the Macarons cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
• To assemble the Macarons, take two cookies and sandwich them together with your filling

Marmalade Orange Chiffon Cake

The flavour of Oranges with the lightness of air - made with oil which keeps cake soft even when in the refrigerator

3 eggs 

115 gms flour

125 gms castor sugar  + 25 gms castor sugar

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

60 ml sunflower oil

60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp grated orange rind 

Separate egg yolks and white.  Do this with cold eggs and leave to come to room temp.

Beat egg whites till soft peaks.  Slowly add in, a tablespoon at a time, of the 25 gms sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add in the egg yolks, oil, orange juice and rind.

Mix well till incorporated.  I use a hand mixer for this.

Slowly fold in the egg whites, using a whisk, ensuring you don't overbeat and deflate them.

Pour into a lined 12 cm tin and bake at 170 C for 55 mins

Leave to cool in pan for 5 mins then upturn and cook on a wire tray.

Glaze the top with melted marmalade.

Garlic Naans

This was a great recipe for homemade naans.  Honestly you will not order them from outside once you try this out.  The best thing about them is NO YEAST and they can be made on the stove top.  You don't need a tandoor or oven for these.

The Final result was a soft delicious naan.

Ingredients & Method 

04 pcs Fresh Bread 

1 cup Fresh Yogurt

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

kalonji, dhania leaves 

2 tbsp butter + 1 clove crushed garlic

Roughly break the bread into chunks and process in a mixer to get crumbs

Into the crumbs add the sugar, baking soda and curd, mixing well and keep aside for half an hour

After half an hour add in approx 2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt and bring everything together.

Knead into a smooth dough and keep in an oiled bowl, covered to prevent a skin forming, for at least 2 hours.

Roll out the dough using minimal flour.  Press down some Kalonji or chopped garlic onto one side.

Heat a tawa, sprinkle it with water and put the naan on the water.  Cover with a lid to keep steam in.  Ensure flame is high.

When the naan lifts of the tawa easily cook on an open flame using a steel mesh - this can be done direct on the flame also - with the uncooked side facing the flame.

Once done brush with garlic butter and serve hot.

Cream Horms

During my airline days, there used to be a small bakery on Janpath, I think it was called Annapoorna, where I spent a lot of time eating these.  Browsing through my notes, i found a recipe and here is my attempt at recreating them

Cream Horn Molds required for the recipe but since i did'nt have any I used my Kulfi moulds. 

1 sheets Puff Pastry, thawed

Sugar crystals

1 bowl of whipped cream [I used Rich's]

100 gms cream cheese, softened at room temperature

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the Oven to 200 C

Using pizza cutter, slice the sheet into even strips.

Very lightly grease the mould and then wrap the dough around it, pushing the dough down to seal it as you go.

Brush the dough with a little milk and roll in a plate of sugar.

Place the rolled mold on a baking sheet, with the end side down & bake 12 min until golden brown. 

In case it is not done, lower temp to 180 C and bake another 5 mins.

Cool completely then pipe in the cream.

For the cream, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and mix until blended.

Fold in whipped cream until smooth and fluffy.

Pipe it in to each cream horn to the top.

Bharwaan Tangri Kabab

Stuffed chicken legs.  Always a hit at any party

Ingredients

8 Chicken Drumsticks

Wash and pat dry.  Marinate with red chilly powder, salt and lemon juice.  Keep aside for half an hour

Filling
Chicken Mince - approx 100 gms 
1 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 chopped green chilly
1 tbsp chopped raisins
salt, chilly powder
2 tbsp grated cheese
oil

Heat Oil, saute onions till golden brown.  Add the ginger garlic paste, chillies and seasoning and mix well.  Add the chicken mince and cook till done.  Once done mix in the raisins.  Remove from heat and add in the grated cheese to bind everything together.

Second Marinade

1 cup curd hung to remove the water

1/4 cup thick cream

2 tbsp grated cheese

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp shah zeera

1 tbsp cornflour

salt, chilly powder, garam masala

corriander leaves chopped

Mix all above.

To make

Remove the tangri from the 1st marinade and make a cut in the thickest part of the leg.

Using your finger make space in the cut.

Take some of the stuffing and put into the leg, filling as much as possible.

Cover the leg with the curd marinade, coating well

Keep this aside to marinate for an hour minimum before grilling

If you don't have a grill this can be made in a convection oven.

Preheat oven to 180 C and bake chicken legs on a well greased oven tray for 20 mins.  Keep a plate below tray to catch drippings.

After 20 mins, baste the legs with a little oil and grill for a further 15 mins.

I made the corn and mushrooms with the same marinade.

Red Curry

A spicy fragrant curry - gets its name from the fiery red chillies used in it.  Make it with your favourite vegetables or seafood.

Am giving the recipe from scratch though if you are short on time feel free to use the ready available red curry paste. 

Be warned nothing tastes better than freshly made curries

Ingredients 

For the Red Curry Paste

3-4 Red chillies dry - Kashmiri - soaked in warm water for 15 mins

1/2 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 onion chopped

8-10 garlic flakes

1/2 inch ginger

lemon grass - 1 stalk

1 1/2 tsp roasted corriander seeds

1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed

4 peppercorns

salt to taste approx 1 tsp

Juice of one lemon

Grind all above ingredents to make a fine paste.  If required use the water the chillies were soaked in.  This can be kept refrigerated for a month or so.

Ingredients To make curry

1 pack mushrooms, halved

400 gms pumpkin, cubed

10 pcs snowpeas, cut diagnolly

400 ml coconut milk

1 tsp light soya sauce

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp palm sugar 

kaffir lime leaves

lemon grass

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the red curry paste and saute for a couple of mins.  
2. Add a couple of tbsp of the coconut milk to ensure it does'nt burn.
3. Mix in the vegetables well to coat with the spice mix.
4. Add in the balance coconut milk alongwith soya sauce, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.
5. Simmer till vegetables are done.
6. Check seasoning if required
7. Add basil leaves and boil for a couple of minutes more.
8. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a cup

Single serving wonders - fun to make as its quick.  

This one for my daughter - who now has to make it for me. She has made the Chocolate Cake in a cup with a lot of success.

Ingredients

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

30 gms flour

handful of chocolate chips 

1. Melt the butter and mix with sugars, vanilla, and egg yolk. 
2. Add in the flour and salt and mix till combined. 
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Put the dough into a small microwaveable bowl, ramekin, or coffee cup.
5. Microwave for 60 seconds or until the cookie looks done. 

Remember 

• microwaved cakes n cookies are best eaten fresh.  If kept they will harden.
• you will not get the beautiful golden brown colour of the cookie made in an oven.

Fudge cake

My favourite and tried tested Fudge cake also called Devils food cake or mud cake.   You cannot go wrong on this one, even if you have never baked before.

To prepare mould take 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp cocoa powder and make a paste of it.  Brush the mould with this and your cake will not stick

1.5 cups flour

1.5 cups castor sugar

1.5 tsp baking soda

0.5 cup cocoa powder

Mix all and keep aside

1 cup milk

2 tbsp malt vinegar

Mix in a glass bowl and leave to thicken

Add

2 eggs  + 1 cup oil +thickened milk

To the dry ingredients and mix till moistened, with a spoon

Beat with an egg beater for 2 minutes.

Pour into a prepared tin and bake at 180C

for 35 minutes.

Mix will be more liquid than normal cakes but that is correct so don't worry.

Drizzle with chocolate ganache

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients

115 gms butter, softened at room temperature
75 gms castor sugar 
80 gms light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

150 gms flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

a couple of handful of  chocolate chips

Pecans [optional]

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a hand mixer beat the butter until smooth and fluffy.

Add the sugars and continue beating until fluffy and light in colour - approx 2 minutes. 

Beat in egg & vanilla extract mixing well.

Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. 

Mix in the chocolate chips with the flour mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated

Using a small ice cream scoop drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. 

Bake about 10 - 12 minutes

Cool completely before attempting to move else they will crumble in your hand

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Warning: Absolutely delicious and a hazard to your health.  Avoid the tempation to eat straight of the oven else you will burn your hand and mouth.  You don't want to know how I know :)

Caprese Lasagne Roll Ups

Italian comfort food at its best

A different take on presentation of Lasagne. There are endless possibilities for variation on fillings - this is just one of them. 

Can't say this will be a quick preparation as Lasagne has multiple steps to the final product but the assembly is quick. Everything, including the boiling of the pasta, can be done well in advance.

Ingredients
4 Lasagne Sheets
100 gms shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided into 2 lots
100 gms Ricotta cheese
100 gms feta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced 
Fresh basil chopped 
1 cup Freshly made Marinara Sauce [Recipe Given below]

To boil lasagne sheets

• Boil 6 cups of water with 2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp oil. Add 4 sheets at a time to the boiling water
• Brush the lasagne on both sides with olive oil before putting in water else it will stick even in the water 
• Once boiled and drained then place on a tray to store till ready. 
• Grease bottom of the tray, place the lasagne in single sheet – no overlapping.
• Then cover with a sheet of foil greased on both sides.
• You can add more pasta on top. Basically the sheets must be kept between greased layers to keep moist.
• This can then be kept in the fridge for a couple of days in advance

For the filling,

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, 1/2 mozarella and feta until well blended. 
• Season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).

Assembly

1. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. 
2. Place 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. 
3. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. 
4. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. 
5. Place lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. 
6. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). 
7. Sprinkle top with remaining Mozzarella. 
8. Cover dish with foil
9. Bake in preheated oven 180C oven for 20 minutes and then remove foil and grill for 5 mins.
10. Serve warm.

Marinara Sauce

• 2 Tbsp olive or sunflower cooking oil
• ½ onion finely chopped
• ½ cup carrot grated
• 1 Tbsp Celery or Garlic chopped fine
• 500 Gms Tomatoes – blanched, peeled – ½ deeseed and chopped and balance pureed
• ½ cup tomoto puree 
• ¾ Tsp dried oregano 
• ½ Tsp freshly ground pepper 
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tsp sugar 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil over moderate heat
2. Add onions, carrots and celery. 
3. Add blanched tomatoes, pureed tomatoes and tomato puree, oregano, salt, pepper & sugar. 
4. Mix well and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered, stirring often till thickens slightly. 

Mini Desserts

There was a request from a friend n client for different dessert in small portions.  This was the outcome

Recipes here

1. Banoffee in a martini glass
2. Chocolate Caramel Mousse
3. Strawberry Jelly Souffle
4. Lemon cake with Lemon Curd
5. Tiramisu in a cup

Pina Colada Cheesecake

Weekends are funnily busier than weekdays, but I still managed to sneak in some cooking.

I have been wanting to try out a boozy cheesecake - after going through my recipes I narrowed down to a Margherita Cheesecake.  Very happily I go to the bar and yikes.....where is the tequila ?  All I see in an empty bottle :(

Since I was determined to make something I quickly switched to my second option, a Pina Colada Cheesecake.

I love coconut and pineapple so it was not really a bad second choice.  Honestly it should have been my first.

I used the digestive biscuits to make the base [no coconut macaroons in the house] and added in some coconut instead.  For the filling I made the cheesecake using coconut cream, rum, regular whipping cream, pineapple juice and pineapple chunks.  And the topping was pineapple.  The since I felt it looked very plain I caramalised the pineapple and topped it with the same.

All in all it was a good dessert, a true representation of the drink without going overboard on the alcohol.  And yes it can be made minus the alcohol also.

Recipe

Crust:
1 1/2 cup digestive biscuits
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine ingredients. Press mixture evenly over bottom and up sides of 8 or 9-inch springform pan.  Put in the refrigerator to chill.

Filling:

200 gms cream cheese

300 gms cream

200 ml coconut milk

2 tbsp rum [optional]

1/2 cup sugar, powdered

1 tin pineapple slices

5 tsp gelatin

From the pineapple tin, use the juice, adding water if required to make it one cup

Sprinkle gelatin over the pineapple juice and set aside to bloom for at least 15 min.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar.  

Mix in the coconut milk and rum to blend well

Place the gelatin pineapple mix over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. 

Gradually beat hot gelatin mixture into cheese mix

In medium bowl, beat cream until fluffy. 

Fold into cheese mixture, until well blended. 

Cut up 2 slices of pineapple into small bits, and fold into the mix.

Pour over the crust and Refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Pour on the pineapple toffee topping and serve.

Topping

1 can pineapple slices

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp water

1 tbsp butter

Heat the sugar and water on low till sugar melts

Stir in the butter and let it boil to a good caramel colour

Add the pineapple slices to coat well