2 cups frozen mangoes
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably whole milk yogurt)
1/4 cup milk or more as needed
2 tbsp sweetener
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Blend everything together, serve immediately
2 servings
Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
-1 cup salted butter, 2 sticks
-1 and 1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
-2 large eggs
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
-1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
For rolling
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1 and 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a few baking sheets with parchment paper, or line with a silicone mat.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter for a couple minutes until smooth
3. Add the sugars. Beat for 2 minutes until fluffy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well until smooth
5. Add the bakins soda, salt and cream of tartar to the flour, gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Do not overdo it. Over mixing dough = tough cookies.
6. Scoop and roll the cookies into similar sized balls, about 1-1.5 inches across
9. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon. Stir together. Roll the shaped cookies in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. (Reserve the remaining cinnamon-sugar!)
10. Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with about 2 inches in between them
11. Bake the cookies at 350 for about 9-11 minutes, until the edges are barely set. It’s ok if the centers of the cookies (about the size of a quarter) are still shiny. The rest of the cookie should be matte. It’s VERY important to not over bake snickerdoodles; underbaking slightly is what helps give them that soft and chewy texture. (Dry Snickerdoodles taste like chalk. Don’t be like that.)
12. Shape the cookies. Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies toward their centers. This makes the cookies round in shape and makes the center thicker and more chewy. You have to do this within 30-60 seconds of taking them out of the oven, before the edges harden.
13. Let the cookies set up on the pan for at least 3-5 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes.
14. While the cookies are still warm, but cool enough to handle (and not falling apart), place each cookie back into the bowl of cinnamon sugar*. Coat one side of the cookie, then flip it over and coat the other side.
Palappam
Ingredients
2 cups soaked-dried-grated rice flour or prepared mix
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 – 2 cups water as required
Can substitute coconut water for regular water
Christmas Caramels
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup golden corn syrup
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
A cup of cold butter (NOT margarine it HAS to be real butter) Put on low heat until ingredients are incorporated
Then turn up the heat slightly and constantly stir for about 30 mins until candy is darker in color and consistently bubbling. Test small strands in cold water until you get it to a soft ball stage of the candy.
Pour into a 9×11 inch pan and let cool overnight at room temp or in the fridge it doesn’t really matter. Then cut them with a sharp knife and wrap in wax paper 🙂
Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa
1/2 gallon milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can condensed milk
Slow cook for 2 hours, stir and serve
Dry Sourdough Starter
Dry Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
Water
Flour
Instructions
Day 1
Mix 60g flour and 45g water.
Pick up in hands, work for 30 seconds. Place back in bowl, cover with plasic wrap. Keep at room temperature for 48 hours.
Day 3
Add 30g of water and 60g of flour. Mix.
Cover for 24 hours.
Day 4
Add 30g of water and 60g of flour. Mix.
Cover for 24 hours.
Day 5 – Refresh Starter.
Take out 10g.
Add 30g water and 60g flour.
Mix and put in tuperwear or glass mason jar with lid.
Wait 6-10 hours at room temperature until dough bubbles.
If you don’t see any bubbles, refresh on Day 6 and repeat if necessary Leave starter in fridge after it bubbles, starter is ready to use
Keep at least 10 gm of starter in the fridge to refresh and use
matzo ball soup
Broth—
Roast veggies for 1 1/2 to 2hrs at 375 degrees until very soft and edges of everything are toasty golden brown:
4-6 carrots
4-6 onions
4-6 stalks celery
10-12 mushrooms
2 heads garlic
2 tomatoes
1 inch ginger
Once done roasting, transfer the veggies to a stock pot and cover with filtered water. Use some water to melt any browned bits off the roasting pan and add that into the pot too. I also add a piece of kombu, 10 black peppercorns, a sprig of dill and a sprig of rosemary and salt to taste. Bring up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Hold it at a simmer for at least an hour. Strain off the vegetable bits and save the broth. Add the broth back to the pot if you’re ready to make the soup or store in the fridge up to 5 days. (Freeze for up to 6 months)
Matzo Balls—
1c Matzo meal — the Manischewitz one i get at Kroger only has wheat flour and water. I think any plain, oil free, flour based cracker would work if you can’t find a matzo specific product
1/3 c chickpea flour
1 TB flax meal + 3 TB warm water
1/4 c tahini
2tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt (only add if your matzo meal/crackers are unsalted)
3-6 TB aquafaba as needed
Combine the flax meal and water and let it set into a gel, about 5 min. Then combine the gel with all the other ingredients, starting with only 3TB of aquafaba. You want a thick yet sticky dough texture, so only add more aquafaba as needed. I usually use about 4TB. It must be thick and sticky or the balls will fall apart when cooked — too dry won’t work or too wet. Refrigerate the dough for 20 min.
With 5 min to go for the dough, bring the broth up to a boil. When the dough has chilled for the full 20 minutes, pull it out and form the dough into 1 inch balls. I wet my hands as needed to prevent too much sticking while forming them. Drop in the matzo balls into the broth and cook them gently for 20 minutes. Reduce the temp a bit if needed if they boil over.
Serve hot, top with a pinch of dill and a swirl of lemon juice if you like. If you have left overs, store the broth and matzo balls separately in the fridge up to 3 days.
Eggless Mawa Cake – II
INGREDIENTS:
All Purpose Flour (Maida)-1 cup (120 grams)
Grated Mawa (unsweetened)-1/2 cup (60 grams)
Condensed Milk (sweetened)-200 grams
Unsalted Butter-1/4 cup (60 grams)
Castor Sugar-3 tbsp (33 grams)
Cardamom Powder-1/2 tsp
Baking Powder-1 tsp
Baking Soda-1/2 tsp
Milk-1/3 cup+3 tsp (add as required)
Salt-A pinch
Chopped Nuts – 1/3 cup
NOTES:
Butter & milk should be at room temperature.
If you are using store bought or frozen khoya, make sure to bring it at room temperature before adding in the batter.
Measuring Cup Used: 1 cup = 250ml, 1/2 cup=120 ml, 1/3 cup=80 ml, 1/4 cup= 60 ml
I have used 7″inches round aluminium cake tin for making this mawa cake.
(Substitutions & other details are explained mentioned in the post above).
DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1:
Sieve together all the dry ingredients-flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Keep these aside.
Sieving dry ingredients.
STEP 2:
Prepare the cake tin by brushing oil on it. Line with parchment paper and then again brush oil on it. Keep this lined tin aside.
Lining cake tin.
STEP 3:
In a mixing bowl, add butter & castor sugar. Whisk together till the mixture become fluffy & light in colour.
Whisking butter & sugar together.
STEP 4:
Add condensed milk, cardamom powder to it and whisk once again. The mixture should become light in texture.
Mixing condensed milk & cardamom.
STEP 5:
Add grated mawa and just mix enough with a spatula so that all ingredients are mixed evenly. Don’t whisk too much.
Adding grated mawa to wet ingredients.
STEP 6:
Set the oven for preheating at 170ºC. While the oven is preheating, prepare the batter.
STEP 7:
Add dry ingredients in 2-3 parts while gradually adding milk. Fold the batter gently. The quantity of milk can vary slightly depending on the quality of flour. (Refer to the video)
Preparing mawa cake batter.
Transfer this batter in a lined cake tin. Top up with lots of chopped nuts.
Mawa cake ready to bake.
STEP 8:
Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 30-35 minutes. Check the centre of cake with a skewer. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready else bake for 2-3 minutes more.
Let the cake cool down in tin for 5-7 minutes. Then invert it over a wire rack and let it cool down completely.
Slice and enjoy this yummy eggless mawa cake.
Rich buttery mawa cake slice (no eggs used).
HOW TO STORE MAWA CAKE?
Always store it in an airtight container in fridge to prevent from drying. This way it can be stored easily for 3-4 days. I have even tried freezing it for a month and it stayed just fine. Cut them into slices and wrap them with a cling film before freezing. Thaw them on kitchen counter or microwave before serving.
TIPS:
1. As this mawa cake is made with butter, on storing in fridge the cake may harden a little (as butter solidifies). Microwave it for 30-50 seconds before serving to soften it up.
2. Lining the cake tin with a parchment paper helps in easy de-moulding of cake.
3. If your mawa cake has started to become brown from the top, cover it with aluminium foil in last 10 minutes.
4. You can also bake mawa cupcakes with this recipe by baking at 170°C for 15-17 minutes.
Eggless Mawa Cake
Ingredients (1 cup = 255 ML)
For mawa / khoya (100 gram):
1 tsp butter
¼ cup milk
½ cup milk powder
For cake batter:
½ cup (120 gm) butter
1 cup (150 gm) powdered sugar
1½ cup (240 gm) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ cup (60 ml) curd / yogurt fresh
¾ cup (190 ml) milk
¼ tsp cardamom powder
3 tbsp cashew & almonds chopped
Instructions
Take ½ cup (120 gm) butter and 1 cup (150 gm) powdered sugar, beat until smooth and fluffy.
Sieve 1½ cup (240 gm) all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp baking soda, mix well using cut and fold method.
Add ¼ cup (60 ml) curd and ¾ cup (190 ml) milk, mix well using cut and fold method.
Crumble the prepared mawa and add to cake batter.
Bake the cake at 180 degree celsius or 365 degrees fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
Soaking Fruits For Christmas Cake
Ingredients
100 grams black raisins, 2/3 cup
100 grams raisins 2/3 cup
50 grams dried black currants, 1/3 cup
50 grams unsweetened dried cranberries, 1/3 cup
50 grams dried apricots, 1/3 cup
50 grams prunes, deseeded, 1/3 cup
50 grams tutti-frutti, 1/3 cup
25 grams candied orange peel, heaping 1/8 cup
25 grams candied ginger, 1/8 cup
2 cups dark rum, or as needed (you may use your favorite liquor)
Instructions
Chop up the dry fruits like prunes, apricots, candied ginger, and candied orange peel. Remove the stems, if any of the raisins, and chop them in half if they are big.
Add the chopped dry fruits to a bowl and mix well. If you want to add some orange marmalade, you can do so at this point and mix it well. About a 1/4 cup of marmalade is good.
Transfer the fruit mixture into an airtight glass jar.
Pour rum over the fruits, just enough to immerse them completely
Store at room temperature until further use. Give the jar a shake every 2-3 days to ensure that the fruits are evenly soaked.
Check the jar in a few days, if most of the alcohol is soaked up, then add some more.
A Spice in Time 