Eggless White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients :

White Chocolate (chopped): ½ cup

Whipped Cream : ½ cup + ⅟ ₃ cup

Heat ⅟ ₃ cup cream and chocolate together in a pan, over low heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Keep it aside and allow it to cool completely.

Whip the ½ cup of cream until it attains stiff peak consistency. Then, fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture. The mixture should be completely smooth and creamy. Transfer it into a bowl or small serving glasses. Cover and chill it for 2 hours.

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Mango Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

For the genoise:

• Clarified butter : 3 Tbsp
• All purpose flour : ⅔ cup + 2 Tbsp
• Eggs : 4
• Sugar : ⅔ cup

Soaking syrup :

• Sugar : 1 Tbsp
• Water : 1 Tbsp
• Kahlua : 1 Tbsp

For the mango mousse :

• Mango puree : 250 gm
• Whipped cream : 250 gm
• Sugar : 4 Tbsp
• Gelatin : 2.5 Tsp
• Water : 4 Tbsp

For the mango glaze :

• Mango puree : 250 gm
• Sugar : 2 Tbsp
• Gelatin : 1 Tbsp
• Water : 3 Tbsp

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl, then keep it over the pan of simmering water and whisk it continuously till it becomes warm. Then remove it from fire and beat it well till it doubles in volume. Fold the ⅓rd of the flour into the egg mixture. Slowly combine it and fold in the rest of the flour. Add the butter into it and slowly mix it. Then pour it into the cake tin and bake it for 20 mins. 

To prepare the soaking syrup, mix all the 3 ingredients well and keep it aside.

For the mango mousse, soak gelatin in water and keep it aside. Lightly heat  the mango puree and sugar. Double boil the gelatin and pour it into the mango puree. Keep it aside. Then whip the cream till you can make soft peaks from the cream. Slowly fold in the mango puree into the whipped cream.

For the mango glaze, soak the gelatin in water for a few minutes and double boil it. Heat mango puree and sugar till it becomes warm and pour the gelatin into it and mix well. Allow it to cool.

Arrange the genoise on the base of the spring form pan. Then sprinkle the soaking syrup over it. Then pour the prepared mango mousse over it. Evenly spread it with a spoon and refrigerate it well. Once it is set, pour the mango glaze over it and again refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hrs. Then remove it from the spring form pan and serve it.

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Kerala Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
For soaking:

• Mixed fruits : 3 cups
• Rum : 1½ cups

For Caramel :

• Sugar : ½ cup
• Water : 1 Tbsp
• Warm water : ¼ cup

For spice powder :

• Cloves : 2
• Cardamom : 2
• Cinnamon : small piece
• Nutmeg : small piece

For Cake :

• Flour : 2 cup
• Baking powder : 1¼ Tsp
• Baking soda : ½ Tsp
• Sugar : 1 cup + 2 Tbsp
• Butter : 250 g
• Egg : 4
• Vanilla : 2 Tsp
• Jam : 1 Tbsp

I used a mix of raisins, sultanas, dates, cashews, walnuts, almonds and candied orange peel for soaking. Roughly chop the dry fruits and dates. Then soak it in rum and keep it in an airtight container. I soaked it for 1 month. The longer you soak, the better. For the caramel syrup, heat the sugar and 1 tbsp of water in a pan. When it melts and turns to dark brown colour, remove it from fire and pour ¼ cup of warm water into this. Again, boil it for a few minutes. Then remove it from fire and cool it completely. For the spice powder, add all the ingredients into a grinder along with little sugar and powder it well. Keep it aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease the cake pan and keep it aside. Drain away the liquid from the soaked dry fruits. Take 4 tbsp of drained liquor and keep it aside. Toss the drained fruit in 3 tsp of flour. Sieve the flour with baking powder and baking soda twice. Then powder the sugar and keep it aside.

Next, separate the eggs and beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Then beat the egg yolks with softened butter till smooth and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar into this and beat well. Then pour vanilla essence and cooled caramel syrup followed by spice powder. Again beat it and  add the flour in two batches and mix well. Add jam and combine all the ingredients well. Fold in the egg whites in two batches and slowly mix it with the flour till no streaks are visible. Finally, fold in the soaked fruits and 4 tbsp of liquor. Transfer the batter into cake tin and bake it for 40 to 45 mins.

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• Flour : 2 Cup
• Grated carrot : 3 cup
• Sugar : 2 cup
• Egg : 4
• Oil : 1 cup
• Baking pdr : 2 Tsp
• Cinnamon pdr : 1.5 Tsp
• Nutmeg pdr : 1.5 Tsp
• Raisins : ¼ cup
• Walut : ½ cup
• Salt : 1 Tsp

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Sieve together flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt. Keep it aside. Beat the eggs and add sugar into it. Continue beating and add oil and grated carrot into it and mix it with the egg. Put the sieved ingredients into the wet mixture and combine well. Finally, add the raisins into it and mix. Pour it into the greased pan and bake it for 40 mins.

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Ethappazham Payasam

Ingredients:

•  Banana : 5
• Jaggery : 175 g
• Water : 1.5 ltr
• Grated coconut of 2.5 coconut
• Cardamom pdr : 15 g
• Coconut flakes : 1 Tbsp
• Cashews : 2 Tbsp
• Ghee : 3 Tbsp

Peel off the skin and remove the black middle portion from the ripe banana. Cook it with required amount of water. When it is fully cooked and it's colour turns to dark yellow, remove it from fire. Allow it to cool and grind the cooked bananas along with the water into a fine paste. Melt jaggery in 1.5 litre of water and boil it well. Then make it into half quantity and sieve it. Pour the grounded banana into the jaggery and saute it well. When it becomes thick, add 2 tbsp of ghee and combine well. Switch of the flame and keep aside.

Add ¼ ltr water into the grated coconut, grind it and make the thick coconut milk. Then, grind the coconut with 1.5 ltr water and make the semi thick coconut milk. Then, grind the coconut with 2 ltr water and sieve it to make the thin coconut milk. Pour the thin coconut milk into the above sauted banana jaggery mix and boil it well. When it becomes thick, pour the semi thick coconut milk and heat it well. Remove it from fire. Fry coconut flakes and cashews in little ghee and add it into the payasam. Finally, add the thick coconut milk and cardamom pdr into the payasam and mix well.

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

For the top:

• Pineapple slices (canned) : 5 to 8
• Cherry : 10
• Sugar : 5 Tbsp

For the Cake :

• All purpose flour : 220 gm
• Baking powder : ½ Tsp
• Butter : 125 gm
• Powdered sugar : 220 gm
• Egg : 4
• Pineapple essence : ½ Tsp

Heat the sugar in a pan till it turns brown and melt it completely. Then, pour the caramelised sugar into the cake pan and arrange the pineapple slices and cherries on top of it. Keep it aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C.  Sieve together flour and baking powder. Beat the butter and powered sugar until it turns creamy and smooth. Add eggs one by one into it and beat well after each addition. Pour essence and slowly fold the flour into it. Then, pour it over the pineapple layer and bake it for 50 to 60 mins. Remove it from the oven and empty the pan by inverting it and then placing the cake onto a serving plate.

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Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Chocolate Cake

Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Chocolate Cake with eggless White Chocolate Mousse filling and blanketed with Milk Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 1¾ cups
• Cocoa pdr ¾ cup
• Baking pdr 1½ Tsp
• Baking soda 1½ Tsp
• Sugar 2 cups
• Vegetable oil ½ cup
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Boiling water 1 cup
• Milk 1 cup
• Salt 1 Tsp
• Egg 2

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C or 350° F. Grease two 9 inch pans and keep it aside. Combine the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Then, add the wet ingredients into it, except the boiling water, and beat for 2 mins in medium speed. Stir in boiling water and combine well. Pour it into the greased pan and bake it for 30 to 35 mins. Transfer it onto a wire rack and cool it. 

For Eggless White Chocolate Mousse:

• White Chocolate 170 gm
• Whip cream 1½ cup

Microwave the chopped white chocolate and ¼ cup of cream in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 2 mins (it took 1½ mins for me). Stir after 1 min and keep stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. Cool it to room temperature.

Beat the rest of the cream until soft peaks form (do not over beat it). Then, add the half portion of the whipped cream into the cooled melted chocolate and stir with whisk until it has blend well. Add the remaining whipped cream and mix it. Chill it. 

For Chocolate Ganache:

• Milk chocolate (at room temp) 300 gm
• Fresh cream 200 gm

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Heat the fresh cream until it starts to boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Mix it well until it melts completely. Cool it to room temperature and refrigerate it for 10 mins.

For assembling the cake:

Cut the cooled cake into layers. (Here, I halved the recipe and baked the cake in two 6 inch spring form pans.) Arrange the first layer of the cooled cake in the pan and spread the white chocolate mousse evenly on top of it. Then, put the second layer of cake followed by mousse (keep aside a little of the mousse for decoration). Then, put the final layer of cake and refrigerate it for 1 hr. Then, take out the cake from the pan and decorate it with the cooled milk chocolate ganache. Do the rest of the icing with ganache and chocolate mousse. Cool it. 

[Recipe courtesy for chocolate mousse: CraftRecipes.com]

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Caramel Pudding 2

Ingredients:

• Milk : 1 ltr
• Egg : 6
• Condensed milk : 1 tin
• Sugar : 2 + 4 Tbsp
• Vanilla essence : 2 to 3 Tbsp

Mix the milk and condensed milk together and boil it till boiling point. Cool it to room temperature. Heat 2 tbsp of sugar in a pan in low flame. When it melts completely and turns into golden brown colour, remove it from fire and pour it into the pudding dish and spread it by tilting the dish. Then add the eggs, vanilla essence and rest of the sugar into the milk mixture and beat it well. Slowly pour it over the caramel. Cover it with an aluminium foil and steam it well in low flame. You can check if the pudding is properly cooked by poking it with a knife. When it comes out clean, switch off the flame and cool it well. Refrigerate it and cut it into desired shape.

[Recipe Courtesy: Elizabeth Jacob]

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Watermelon Ice

Ingredients:

• Watermelon : ½ kg
• Condensed milk : ½ tin

Blend together watermelon pieces and condensed milk. Then transfer it into the ice tray and freeze it. Take it out and serve before melting it.

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Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcake

Ingredients:

• Butter : 1 cup
• Sugar : 2 cup
• Egg : 4 large
• Self rising flour : 1½ cup
• All purpose flour : 1¼ cup
• Vanilla essence : 1 Tsp
• Milk : 1 cup

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Arrange the cupcake liners and keep aside. Cream the butter and sugar well. Add egg one by one into it and combine. Mix the self rising flour and all purpose flour. Slowly add it into the egg mixture, alternating with milk in four batches. Pour the vanilla essence. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners and bake it for 20 to 22 minutes.

Butter cream Frosting :

• Butter : 1 cup
• Milk : ½ cup
• Powdered sugar : 6 to 8 cup
• Vanilla essence : 2 Tsp
• Pink food colour : few drops

Add ½ of the powdered sugar into the butter and beat it on medium speed for couple of minutes. Slowly add milk and rest of the sugar and beat it for 2 to 5 mins. Mix vanilla essence and combine well. 

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Fresh Cream Pudding

Ingredients:

• Fresh cream : 2 cup
• Condensed milk : ½ tin (200 gm)
• Milk : 3 cup
• Gelatin : 3 Tbsp
• Sugar : ½ cup
• Vanilla essence : 2 Tbsp

Heat the milk with condensed milk and sugar. Remove it from fire and cool it. Then melt the gelatin using double boiling method and pour it into the warm milk mixture. Combine well. Add vanilla and fresh cream into it and  stir. Pour it into a bowl or to a pudding dish. Freeze it for one hour and then transfer it to the lower rack.

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Ultra Easy Chocolate Bread Pudding

Wishing you all a wonderful and prosperous New Year....!!

Ingredients:

• Brown bread : 3 slices
• Walnuts for garnishing
• Milk Chocolate bar for garnishing
• Chocolate : 200 gms
• Milk  : 200 ml
• Butter : 2 Tbsp

For preparing the chocolate syrup, put the chopped chocolate, milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl and cook it in high power for a minute or till the chocolate melts.

For pudding, cut the bread pieces into triangles or square pieces and place it on serving plate. Then pour the chocolate syrup over the bread pieces. Cover and chill it for 1 to 2 hrs. Garnish it with chopped nuts and chocolates syrup.

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Mango Mousse

Ingredients:

• Mango 2 (400 g)
• Gelatin 1 Tbsp
• Powdered sugar 1 cup
• Egg whites of 2 eggs
• Whipping cream 150 ml

Melt the gelatin using double boil method and keep it aside. Puree the chopped ripe mangoes and powdered sugar. Pour the melted gelatin and combine well. Refrigerate it. When it's half set, whip the cream well and mix it with the mango. Beat the egg whites and slowly add it into the mango. Cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it again.

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Homemade Custard For Fruit Salad

For Custard:

• Egg 3
• Milk 1 ltr
• Sugar ½ cup
• Cornflour 1 Tbsp
• Vanilla Essence 2 Tsp

Dissolve cornflour in a little milk and keep it aside. Beat the eggs, sugar and milk. Boil it using double boiling method. Stir it continuously. When it boils well, reduce the heat and pour the cornflour into this and combine well. Again stir it, till it reaches a thick consistency. Remove it from heat and cool it. Add vanilla essence into the cold custard and mix well.

• Pineapple 1 small
• Mango 1 small
• Apple 2 
• Banana 4
• Dates 5
• Sugar 1 Tbsp

Chop the pineapple and cook it with sugar till it becomes soft. Allow it to cool. This is to prevent the pineapple from giving a bitter taste. Chop the rest of the ingredients and mix it with the cold pineapple. Mix together the custard and fruits. Serve it cold.

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Mango Ice Cream - 2

Ingredients

• Chopped fresh mango (Alphonso)  2 cup 
• Condensed milk 1 tin 
• Fresh cream 1 cup
• Sugar ¼ cup

Combine chopped mangoes and sugar well. Freeze it for 12 hrs. Remove it from freezer and puree it. Beat  the condensed milk well and add fresh cream, which was refrigerated for at least an hour, into it and beat it again till it turns creamy and soft. Slowly add the pureed mango into this mixture and combine. Transfer it into a pyrex dish or any other bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap. Again freeze it for 12 hrs.

[Recipe Courtesy: Vanitha Pachakam]

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Mango Ice Cream - 1

Ingredients:

• Mango Pulp  1 cup
• Powdered sugar  1/2 cup
• Lime juice  2 Tsp
• Cream (I used Amul fresh cream.) 1 cup

Blend all the ingredients except cream, whip it, sieve it and keep it in the freezer. When it is half set, whip it again. Whip the cream separately and fold it into the mango mixture. Keep it again in the freezer for some time and whip it well. Repeat this process two to three times in a period of 2 hrs. Transfer it into an airtight container and freeze it overnight.

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Caramel Pudding

Ingredients:

• Milk 500 ml + 1/4 cup cold milk
• Sugar 1/2 to 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp 
• Custard pdr 1 Tbsp
• Water 2 Tsp
• Egg 3

Boil the milk and cool it. Caramelise the sugar and pour it into the pudding dish/tray and keep it aside. Then beat the egg and sugar till it turns fluffy and add the milk and vanilla essence. Beat and transfer to a bowl. Combine cornflour and cold milk. Mix it with the above prepared mixture and pour it over the caramelised sugar. Cover it with an aluminium foil and steam it in low flame. Remove it from fire and cool it. Then refrigerate it.

[Recipe Courtesy: My Mom]

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Pineapple Pudding.... Our 3rd Blog Anniversary...!!!

I would like to let you know that today is our blog's 3rd BIRTHDAY.....!!! Thanks to all who supported us throughout. We are happy that we have an additional member in the family to celebrate this occasion....



Ingredients:

• Pineapple 1 big
• Whipped cream 1 pkt
• Milkmaid 3/4 to 1 tin
• Pineapple jelly 2 pkt
• Cold water 2 cup
• Hot water 2 cup
• Sugar 1 Tbsp

Chop pineapple well and cook it with sugar. Allow it to cool. Prepare jelly by following the instructions on the packet. (I prepared it by pouring 2 cups of hot water into the jelly mix, dissolving it well, then pouring cold water and cooling it). Add milkmaid into the prepared jelly mix and combine well. Put cooked pineapple into this and mix well. Transfer it into a tray and refrigerate it. Set it well and spread the whipped cream over it.

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Fruit Salad - Wishing you all a Wonderful New Year..!!

Ingredients:

• Mango (ripe)1 cup
  
• Pineapple 2 cup
  
• Grapes 1 cup
  
• Orange 1 cup
  
• Banana 1 cup
  
• Apple 1 cup
  
• Sugar 2 Tbsp

For the custard:

• Milk 2 1/2 cup
  
• Custard pdr 2 Tbsp
  
• Corn flour 1/2 Tbsp
  
• Sugar 1/4 to 1/2 cup
  
• Vanilla essence 1/2 Tsp
  
• Condensed milk (optional) 1/4 cup

Add the corn flour and custard powder to 1/4 cup milk and make it into a paste and keep it aside. Boil milk and sugar. When it stars boiling, add the above prepared paste into this and stir it continuously in low flame until it thickens. Cool it and add the vanilla essence and condensed milk (optional). Mix well and keep it refrigerated. 

Combine together chopped pineapple and sugar in a pan and saute it (do not overcook it). This is to prevent the pineapple from giving a bitter taste when put directly in the custard. After this, cool it and add the  rest of the fruits, except apple, into the pineapple mixture. Add the apple pieces only when you are ready to serve. Alternately, you can put the apple pieces in a small sugar syrup until it is ready to be served which prevents it from turning brown. Keep it refrigerated. 

While serving, put the fruits in a bowl followed by the custard. Serve it cold. 

The snap from this post is one of my final entry to the Magnificent Click Contest 2009.

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Bride's Pudding

Ingredients:

• Condensed Milk 1 tin
• Vanilla essence 1 tsp
• Gelatin 1 tbsp
• Milk 2 cup
• Water 2 tbsp

Mix together milk and condensed milk. Stir it continuously till it turns thick. Remove from heat and keep it aside. Soften gelatin in 2 tbsp cold water and double boil it. Add gelatin and vanilla essence into the milk and mix well. After cooling down, keep it refrigerated for 2 to 4 hrs until completely set.

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