Daily Archives: July 11, 2016

Vanilla cup cakes with strawberry flavored frosting

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Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 18 minutes
Serves : 8 members

Description

My neighbor gayathri’s kid keeps me entertained with all his laughs, cries and naughty playfulness. I get to hear him do all this from home. It’s always a joy when he is next doors. The silent home of mine feels so festive with his sound heard here. I was so happy to hear her mom sing a song to her grand son. With sheer joy and delight, I messaged Gayathri about this. She did give a call and we had a small chat catching up on the current happenings. She told me she will be visiting her mom the following weekend and asked me to send over cup cakes. Now baking cup cakes is a easy thing for me but the frosting part is one task I was nervous about. I took the life out of my girl Anisha who is a pro in cup – cakes. Some how made them, packed and sent it over. I waited for the verdict but didn’t get any. So I messaged Gayathri. She was like, aunty the cup cakes are coming by flight today to chennai. My cup cakes flying .. I laughed my guts out. Yet to get the verdict over the flight travelled cup cakes though..

Ingredients
Quantity
Flour / maida1 1/2 cups
Salt1/4 teaspoon
Baking powder1 1/2 teaspoon
Eggs2 large at room temperature
Sugar2/3 cup
Milk1/2 cup
Melted Butter3/4 cup
Vanilla essence2 teaspoons

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line a muffin tray with paper cup cake liners.
  • Mix flour, salt and baking powder together.
  • Beat eggs and sugar to light and foamy with an electric egg beater for two minutes.
  • Add melted butter little at a time and mix well. Then add vanilla essence and mix further.
  • Add half of the flour mix, then add the milk and mix well.
  • Top with remaining flour mix gently. Make sure not to over mix the batter.
  • Pour the batter equally into the lined paper cup cake moulds.
  • Bake for 15 -18 minutes or until a tooth prick inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove and cool completely. Decorate and serve.

Frosting ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Whipped cream5 cups
Powdered sugar1/4 cup
Strawberry essence2 drops
Pink food colourfew drops

Method

  • Mix all the frosting ingredients together.
  • Fill into piping bags and decorate as desired.

Notes

  • If using mini cup cake moulds, bake them for 10 -12 minutes.

Savoury filled potato – rice crisps

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Preparation time : 25 minutes
Cooking time      : 20 minutes
Serves                : 10 members

Description

My new love for Arabic food is driving me crazy. I am so into knowing what it’s all about. I came across a recipe that really excited me. As always it’s a filled snack that’s deep fried apt for the on – going fasting. I did change the recipe to my convenience and went ahead. I was not sure about the rice – potato covering and kept debating with my cook about this. We both were waiting for the final result on its taste, texture and out come of the snack. I wanted to roll these into balls but wanting a change in shape, I just sharpened the edges and it looked new and inviting. Deep fried the first batch and they were out to taste. The deep fried snack was taking so long to cool down, I started to loose patience. Finally took a bite. The crust was crispy with a second layer of moist mushy rice and potato, then the third layer of spicy filling. Altogether it was a mouth full of riot in flavors. In the ifthar table . My boy who was on his two weeks holidays liked the not so regular snack very much. my mission accomplished as the career of motherhood and home making is beyond value and needs no justification, it’s importance is in – calculated.

Ingredients for the cover

Ingredients
Quantity
Basmati rice2 Cups
Water3 cups
Stock cube2
Potato2 big boiled and peeled

Method for the cover

  • Pressure cook rice, stock cube and water together for 3 whistles and cool completely.
  • Mash the boiled potatoes. Add it to the cooked rice and knead well together.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep aside covered with a wet cloth.

Ingredients for the filling

Ingredients
Quantity
Chicken or meat minceboiled 1/4 kg
Ginger garlic paste1/8 teaspoon each
Saltto taste
Turmeric powder1/4 teaspoon
Onions5 big chopped
Green chillies4 chopped
Mixed vegetablescarrots , beans , cabbage , green peas chopped and boiled in water with salt
Mint leavesfew
Coriander leavesone hand chopped
Pepper powderto taste
Red chilli flakesto taste
Oil2 tablespoons
Lime juice1/4 teaspoon juice

Method for  filling

  • Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add onions and fry to translucent.
  • Add green chilies, boiled chicken or minced meat, boiled chopped mixed vegetables, mint leaves, coriander leaves, salt, chilli flakes and pepper to taste.
  • Mix well and lower the flame and keep stirring for 3 minutes letting all the flavours infuse together.
  • Remove from heat, squeeze lime. Mix well, cool and set aside.

Other ingredient

Ingredients
Quantity
Oilto deep fry

How to proceed

  • With wet hands, take a medium size ball of rice – potato dough mixture.
  • Flatten in you palms. Place one tablespoon of filling in the centre .
  • Bring the edges of the rice – potato mix towards the centre making sure the filling is covered all over.
  • Roll into a ball. Then sharpen the opposite edges of the ball to get a dew drop shape.
  • Wet your hands occasionally if the rice – potato mix starts to stick.
  • Do the same to all the rice – potato mix and filling.
  • Heat oil to deep fry. Drop the rice – potato dew drops in batches of three at a time.
  • Deep fry in medium hot oil until crisp and golden in colour for five minutes.
  • Drain and serve hot with ketchup. ( we had it as it is with no dip )