We Indians know it by Caramel Custard. I like custard, especially the one with lots of fruits in it, though I'm not a fan of the eggy custard. Ok, let's face it, if we go to any restaurant in India, this dessert is seen ordered left and right. Though I myself have ordered it only a handful of times, I wasn't really motivated to try making it, until now...
Another thing... Caramel... Not a very simple thing. I mean, its simple but the process...You have to be very careful that you dont end up with really bitter and burnt sugar instead of caramel!!
Ingredients:
250gm sugar
50ml water
3 egg yolks
3 eggs
120gm sugar
2tsp vanilla
380ml milk
380ml half and half (or cream & milk mixed)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
- In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar, then swirl the pan until sugar is dissolved. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until thick and large bubbles form. Then uncover the pan and continue to cook until it becomes a rich brown colour.
- Pour into the bottom of the mould. Rotate to cover the bottom of the pan and up the sides a little.
- Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar until well blended. Heat vanilla, milk and half and half until hot to touch. Do not boil. Slowly add to the egg mixture.
- Pour the custard into the prepared mould. Place mould in a baking pan. Boil water and pour in the pan so its halfway up the sides of the mold.
Bake for 20-30 mins. Insert a kinfe and if it comes out clean its done.- Cool completely, then chill in a refrigerator.
- Invert over a platter with sides to catch the caramel sauce.
Enjoy!!
I wasn't sure whether this cake would be tasty enough, because of the cream cheese used. But it turns out quite good. Heavy but good... Can't have more than one slice though. :)
Ingredients:
1 8oz pack (228gms) cream cheese
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 tbsp butter milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
confectioner's sugar for dusting
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf tin.
- Beat chesse, butter and sugar until smooth.
- Beat in eggs, buttermilk & vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder and fold in along with chocolate chips.
- Spoon into pan and bake for 1 hr.
- Serve dusted with confec. sugar.
I have always wanted to know what gingerbread tastes like,I wasnt in the mood to make cookies, and I found this great recipe for gingerbread CUPCAKES. You can have it with or without the frosting. Tastes great either way.
Ingredients:
225 gm golden brown sugar
3 eggs, room temp.
225 gm flour
1 1/2 tbsp bak.powd.
2 1/2 tsp grated cinnamon or ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup cream/milk
Optional: 1/4 cup brandy, whisky or rum.
Frosting:
12 oz(340gm) cream cheese Room temp
6 tsp unsaled butter, R.T
2/3 cup maple syrup/golden syrup
1 1/4 cup icicng sugar
Sprinkle od ground cinnamon
Method:
- Line muffin tins. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C.
- Whip sugar and eggs until foamy. Add the dry ingredients and gently sir.
- Comine butter and cream and add slowly to the batter.
- Bake for 20 -25 mins. Cool.
- Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the syrup and powdered sugar and mix.
- Frost the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Have a merry Xmas!!
I have already put up the recipe for Devil's food cake. Its the same recipe, I have only changed the frosting. This cake is THE most decadent of all. I had some leftover Swiss Chocolate with Hazelnuts in the fridge and I thought of using it instead of dark chocolate to make the frosting for this cake. I must say, this frosting can be extremely tempting and you may not be able to hold off to frost the cake with it.
You see those yellow bud- like things?? They are Hazelnuts in the chocolate.
This was just YUMMM....
I dont know how many of you know about Nigella Lawson. I got this recipie from her site. Its a simple enough recipe and very tasty. You just need a few ramekins. I used metallic jelly moulds and a few glass bowls.
Ingredients:
100 gm dark chocolate
100 gm soft butter
200 gm sugar
4 eggs
50 gm flour
1/4 tsp bak.powd
salt
Glaze:
150 gm dark chocolate
45 gm butter
2x40 gm Crunchie Bars, broken into shards
Method:
- Break up the chocolate and melt it with butter over a double boiler. Cool.
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick, and pale and moussy, then gently fold in the flour, bak.powd and salt.
- Fold in the cooled chocolate moxture and then pour into 8 ramekins and bake for 25 mins at 180 degree C.
- For the glaze: Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler then whisk to form a smooth glossy mixture and spoon onto the cooked puddings.
- Decorate with crunchie rubble.
Can also decorate with pistachios or any other chocolate bar.
Enjoy!!
Chiffon cakes, I have heard are qiute tricky to make. They have a tendency to fall flat if the egg whites are not beaten and incorporated properly. So far I have made them thrice and haven't faced that problem. Not boasting here... just an observation. :)
Anyway's I am not fond of lemons in my cakes but I must say this is a fantastic cake!! And the glaze... is to die for!! So soft and light... Just melts in my mouth.
I know that chiffon cakes are asked to be made in tube pans, but i hate the removal of the cake from these pans. So I have just gone ahead and used a square baking tin. A round tin also can be used.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated lemon peel
7 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar/ 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 160 degree C.
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat in cold water, oil, vanilla, lemon peel and 7 egg yolks until smooth.
- Beat egg whites and lemon juice till stiff peaks form. Gradually pour the batter over beaten egg whites folding with rubber spatula until just blended.
- Pour in to ungreases pan. Bake about 1 hour, or until the top springsback when touched lightly.
- If using a tube pan, turn it upside down on heat proof bottle. Cool.
- Spread creamy lemon glaze over the top of cake allowing some to drizzle down the sides.
Creamy Lemon Glaze
1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tsp lemon juice
Melt butter over low heat, add the lemon peel and podered sugar. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice 1 tbsp at a time until smooth and consistency of thick syrup.
Enjoy!!
Lemon Meringue Pie has always been a very traditional pie served in American households, and it has been especially popular with African-American home baker's.
I had the idea of making it from the TV show Desperate Housewives. There is an episode in which all the women absolutely drool over the Lemon meringue Pie that Bree makes and it turns out that its not hers!!! So I wanted to find out if it really is delicious, and voila!! It turned out good. But lemon curd is not my favourite.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick/3 oz/84 gm) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup shortening
2 to 3 tbsp. ice water, or as needed
For the Lemon Curd:
3 eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 tbsp. (1 stick/4 oz/113 gm) softened unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
To Make the Pastry:
In the bowl of food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar and pulse once to mix. Add the butter and shortening and process short pulses to form pea-size crumbs, 20 to 25 seconds. While pulsing, gradually add the ice water to form larger, moist crumbs, 10 seconds more. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, shape the mixture into a flat disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
To Make the Lemon Curd:
In the top pan of a double boiler or in a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, milk and salt until blended. Then whisk in the lemon juice. Set the top pan over the bottom pan of simmering water but not touching the water, or set the saucepan ove medium-low heat. (If using a saucepan, take care not to heat the mixture too quickly.) Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the mixture is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Begin adding the butter a little at a time, stirring each addition until blended before adding more. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until a finger drawn across the back of the spatula leaves a path, 8 to 10 minutes more. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Pass the curd through a chinois set over a nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature.
Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish, fit the dough into the dish and trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold under the excess dough and, using your thumb, decoratively flute the edges.
To Make the Meringue:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time, beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes more.
Spread the meringue over the hot pie filling to the edges of the pastry to seal and prevent shrinkage. Bake until the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Dip a knife in warm water to cut slices.
