Suprise Heart Cake For Valentine

Wish you all a very Happy Valentine Day!!! 

These are Simple vanilla cupcakes have heart in it. When your loved one will take a bite of it.....He or she will find a heart in it. Very easy to make but very innovative.  So give a pleasant surprise to your Sweetheart.

Ingredients
Butter (softened) - 120 Grams.
caster Sugar - 3/4 Cup

Eggs - 2

All Purpose flour - 1 cup

Baking Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Vanilla Essence - 1 teaspoon

Milk - 5 Tablespoons
Red food colour - as per require

Procedure

First of all Preheat oven at 180 degree centigrade.

Now take a Big Bowl and Beat butter and sugar till it gets fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat it. It should become very fluffy. You can use hand mixer or a blender for this.  Now at another side mix vanilla and milk. Sift APF and Baking Powder. Add vanilla and milk and beat it for a minute.  Now add flour and mix it properly. No lumps should form. Your batter is ready now.

For the heart shape, pour approximately 1½ cups of the batter into a smaller bowl. Keep remaining batter in airtight container. Now add 3-4 drops of red colour and mix it. Repeat this till you get the perfect colour of heart. Make sure it is slightly darker because after baking the colour get reduced. Now pour it in greased baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. Check if the cake is done with knife edge. Allow the cake to cool completely. Place the cake on one tray. And make little heart shape with small heart-shaped cookie cutter. You can draw and cut with knife too.

Now arrange paper cups in a tray. Mark with some pen on each paper cup so that after baking we will remember the correct heart position. Pour 2 tablespoon of remaining  batter in each cup. (approx. 12 cupcakes you will get from this measure.) Place heart in it according to the mark on paper cup. (front of the heart facing the mark on the paper cup ). Now cover it with a teaspoon of batter. Do it very gently. Bake it in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool for 10 mins.

I didn't get time to decorate it. But please decorate it nicely.  And While serving let your sweetheart know from which portion he has to take a bite of cake. So that you can open your heart in front of him.

This post goes to Spotlight: Valentine's Treat Of RECIPE JUNCTION.

And Lets cook sweet treats for Valentine By Nayana

Eggless orange-Carrot Cake

My first ever eggless cake. I had bookmarked this recipe since long but got Christmas 'Muhurat' to make this. It turned out very nice and spongy. My brother Sameer liked it. I was very much happy to listen his compliment. Special thanks to Rak's Kitchen, from her blog I had tried this cake. Only change or addition is I have added carrot to cake to enhance it's taste.

Ingredients

All purpose flour (APF) - 1 & 1/4 cup

Condensed Milk - 1 cup

Orange juice - 1/2 cup

Grated carrot - 1/4 cup

Sunflower Oil - 1/2 cup

Powdered sugar - 3 tablespoons

Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon

Orange Zest - 1/2 teaspoon

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Orange essence - 1 teaspoon



Procedure

Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Sieve dry items, that is APF, Baking powder, Baking soda. Now in a deep bowl pour oil, orange juice, lime juice, essence, condense milk. Add powder sugar then whisk it nicely. It should be fluffy mixture. Now add grated carrot and orange zest and mix wel. Then add dry ingredient little by little and mix well. Take care that no lumps should form while mixing. Grease the baking pan with butter and dust it with APF. Now pour the batter in pan neatly. Bake it for 30 minutes. Let it cool down on wire rack. Lovely orange flavored spongy eggless cake is ready to serve. So now pure vegetarian people also can enjoy their Christmas with this cake:-)

Banana Cake

As winter & Christmas days are coming closer….my kitchen again started smelling cakes :-).  Just for a change instead of  chocolate or pineapple,  I made Banana cake. Oh! wow, it tastes so very nice. We just loved it. This recipe is adapted from one very old Marathi recipe book 'RUCHIRA' by Kamalabai Ogale.

 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour -  2 cups
Eggs  - 2

Sugar - 1 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt - 1/4th teaspoon

Over ripped banana - 3

Limejuice - 1/4 teaspoon

Milk - as required

Procedure

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease square pan  with butter and dust with flour. Keep it aside.  Sift all dry items that is flour, Baking powder and baking soda. Cream butter, sugar and salt.  Now add eggs and beat it nicely. Then add mashed bananas and lime juice. Mix it well. Now add the sifted flour mixture to this beaten mixture little by little and beat well till blended smoothly. You can add milk if required for the dropping consistency.  Pour this batter in greased pan. Bake it at 180 degrees C for 20-25 minutes.  Cool in the pan for few minutes. Turn out on the wire rack for cooling. Can be served warm for a breakfast.

Merry Christmas with Plum Cake

Wish u all A Merry Christmas!!!

From Last year I was planning to make Plum cake for Christmas, but some how I missed it. But this year I prepared it wel in advanced. Soaked the nuts in Rum 5 days back. And yes My plum cake turned out very nice.



Ingredients


Chopped dry fruits - 1 cup (dates, black raisins, walnuts, dry cherries, cashews, almond, Tuty fruity)

Rum - 1/2 cup

Orange peel - 1 teaspoon

Maida - 1 cup

Powdered sugar - 1, 1/4 cup

Baking Powder - 1 Teaspoon

Nutmeg powder - 1/8 teaspoon

Dry ginger Powder - 1/8 teaspoon

Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Butter - 100 gms.

Eggs - 3

Orange juice - 1 tablespoon Vanilla essence - 1 teaspoon

Sugar - 1/2 cup for caramel



Procedure

Soak all chopped nuts and orange peel in a Rum for 4-5 days. You can store it in a fridge for a longer.

For Caramel
In a nonstick pan heat 1/2 cup of sugar on low flame. Continuously stir till it melts fully and caramalised. Now add 1/4 th cup of water and stir it immediately. Boil it for another 1 minute and let it cool it for some time.

Now the main part. Beat butter and sugar till becomes fluffy. Now add eggs one by one and beat it for 3-4 minutes. Mean while sift Maida and Baking Powder. Now add sifted maida and Baking powder in the beaten batter Then add all spice powders, then caramel syrup. Mix it properly with cut fold. Now add Soaked dry frits, orange juice and vanilla essence. Mix it with moving spatula in one direction. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease the Square baking tray or place a grease proof paper or Butter paper. Pour the batter in the tray. Bake the mixture for about 25 - 30 Minutes or when you pierce the tip of the knife and it comes out clean. Cool it on a rack . For authentic taste sprinkle some rum on the cake and then serve it.

Baked Mushrooms...oops Potatoes

Wow!!!!!!!!! Today I am very happy:) One month back, I saw one video on internet. And I started imagining one recipe. Today I got the chance to try out this……….. Now I will Break the suspense and tell U the story. I was searching for some baked mushroom recipe for my friend. I saw one video on YouTube, 'How to make mushroom shaped potatoes'. I tried it and after adding my ideas, I made this baked Indian version of this recipe. Luckily I have that apple Corer at home. When I gave thisdish to my neighbour to try, she immediately replied , "Are aaj maine bhi mushroom banaye hain". I was overjoyed… my mission is successful.That is when I opened my secret & told her it is potato. It contains very very less oil so its healthy too.

Ingredient

Small Potato - 6

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Garam Masala - 1/4 teaspoon

Chat Masala - 1/4 teaspoon

Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/2 teaspoon

Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Chopped coriander - 2 teaspoon

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Salt as per taste


Apple Corer to give the desire shape.

Procedure

Boil potatoes in salted water. Potatoes should get 3/4 cooked. So that we can shape it properly. Cool it and remove the skin very carefully. Outer part of potatoes should remain smooth after removing the skin.

Now take one potato and put the Apple Corer from one end of the potato. Push till the middle portion of potato. Now cut the lower outer part of potato. Gently pull the corer outside and you will get the lovely mushroom shaped Potato. Repeat same procedure for remaining potatoes. [For video please visit this you Tube link : 'How to make mushroom shaped potatoes' ]
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Now mix remaining ingredients and marinate mushroom shaped potatoes in it for 15-20 minutes. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking tray and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp (It took me 20 minutes.).

Sprinkle some chat masala on it and serve hot with Pudina Chutney.

My successful attempt goes to my dearest friend Pari's event, 'Only Kid's Delight'

And Sara's Monthly Mingle - Party Treats Event. initiated by Meeta

Nankatai

Nan Katai…. wow it's my favorite cookie. I used to make this from my college days. That time we had that small round electric oven. I used to make some cakes, khari, puffs and nankatai which my Kaku taught me after my 12th exam. Gone those days….. I thought to make this lovely cookies once again and started to find out my first recipe notebook. I finally got the recipe and here it is for you all…..

Ingredients

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cups

Ghee - 5-6 tablespoon (Earlier kaku was used to make it with dalda-Vanaspati ghee)

Powder sugar - half cup

Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon

Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon.

a pinch of salt (Optional)

Procedure

Sift all the powders together. Now by adding little ghee at a time knead a soft dough. Don't use water for this. You can increase the quantity of ghee if required. Cover it and keep aside for an hour or so. Now grease a tray. Preheat oven on 180 °C. Make small equal balls of dough and press them with your palm. If you like put some pistachio slice on it. Arrange these ball on tray. Keep some distance because the size get bigger after baking. Bake for 20 minutes. Store it in a airtight container after it gets cool. Tastes good with tea:)

This goes to Sara's Cakes n Cookies Event.

And to Susan's Eat Christmas Cookies season 3

Baked Nipattu

Nipattu is a very popular South Indian snacks. When we shifted to Bangalore, I came to know about this crispy snack. It tastes very nice. Specially good with evening tea. Last month when I was going through my fellow blogger's recipes, I got baked Nipattu's recipe in Sumathi's blog. Last two months I didn't get time but last Friday I tried this and it turned out very nice. Crispy and tasty non fried snack.





















Ingredients
Maida (all purpose flour) - 2 cups
Barik Rawa (Fine semolina) - 2 tablespoon
Butter - 4 tablespoon
Chopped green chilies - 2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Asafetida - 1/2 teaspoon
Onion - 2 medium finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 4 tablespoon finely chopped
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste.

Procedure
Make a soft dough of all the ingredients. Cover it and keep aside for half an hour. Grease the baking tray with oil. Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Make small balls of the dough. Flatten each ball in between palms to get Puri shape. Arrange it on baking tray. Bake it for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy Nipattu with green chutney or with tea.

This recipe goes to Aparna's "High Tea Treats brainchild of Meeta's Monthly Mingle.

Aata Cookies

On Tea time every one needs some different varieties of snacks to eat. It can be chivda or any farsan or may be some cookies. From many days I was in search of recipe of cookie using wheat flour and I found it in Divyascookbook. I made it immediately. It's very nice, tasty & healthy.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour(Atta) – 1 ¼ cup
Semolina (Rava) – ½ cup
Ghee – 1/4 cup
Powdered sugar – ½ cup
Crushed cardamom seeds – 1/4 tea spoon
Baking soda – a pinch

Procedure

Preheat oven to 150*C. Sift together atta,rava,cardamom seeds and baking soda. Cream ghee and powdered sugar with a spoon. Add the sifted ingredients little by little to make a dough. Make small balls of the dough and flatten a little. Arrange on a greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or till the cookies turns golden in colour. Have it with a cup of Coffee like me yummmmmm. Thanks a lot Divya :)

My contribution for EFM Theme - Cookie Series