Pan Ice cream

This Ice cream is inspired by the pan kulfi at BBQ nation. Kids love sweet pan flavor. So, I went ahead and tried it in a Ice cream. Both the kids and hubby loved it.

It’s easy to make ice cream using Vanilla ice cream as the base.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Chilling time : 8 hours

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

Plain Vanilla Ice cream : 750 grams 

Beetle/Pan leaves: 8 chopped

Gulkand : 4 tablespoons 

Dates : 3 seeded and chopped 

Candied cherries : 10 chopped 

Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon 

Sugar candy : 1 tablespoon

Green food color: 2 drops (optional)

Method:

Let the ice cream become a little soft.

Add all the ingredients to the ice cream and mix well using a spatula.

Pour the ice cream in a container and freeze 8 hours or overnight.

Enjoy this refreshing ice cream once it’s chilled.

Kulcha made on tawa (Plain and stuffed)

Kulcha is similar to the naan from Punjabi Cuisine. This kulcha can be made plain and served with curry or it can be made stuffed with aloo, gobi, paneer etc.
Kulcha tastes better when eaten hot of the tawa. Since we use all purpose flour, it gets rubbery once it gets cold.

Preparation Time: 2 hours
Cook Time : 5 minutes per kulcha
Serves : 8

Ingredients:
All purpose flour: 2 cups
Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/4 teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar : 1 teaspoon
Yogurt/curd : 1/4 cup
Water : 3/4 cup
Oil : 2 teaspoon
Kalongi seeds : 4 teaspoon ( for plain kulcha as topping)
Cilantro/coriander leaves : 4 teaspoons
Veg or paneer filling : 2 cups ( if making stuffed kulchas)
Butter : to brush

Method:
In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, curd and mix well.
Add water and knead the dough. Add oil and knead to smooth and soft dough.
Cover and rest for 2 hours.
Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls.

If making plain kulcha: 
Take a ball, using some all purpose flour, gently roll into oval shape using a rolling pin. Add Kalonji seeds and cilantro leaves and turn back and sprinkle water on the kulcha.
Place the watered side on the hot tawa and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Show the heat by inverting the tawa and cook for 30 seconds.
Take it out, smear butter and serve hot with desired curry.

If making a stuffed kulcha:
Take a ball, using some all purpose flour, gently roll into a round shape using a rolling pin. Add the stuffing, close it as shown in the pics and gently roll until the kulcha is spread out along with the curry.
Put it on a hot tawa and cook for 1 1/2 minutes each side. Take it out and smear butter.
Serve hot as is or with pickle and raita.

Butterless Coconut cookies

I was invited to my daughters school for a guest lecture so I wanted to take some goodies for the kids. Made few batches of double chocolate cookies and wanted to make plain cookies for kids who might not like chocolate. That’s when I realized I ran out of butter. Didn’t have time to go for shopping so, modified the recipe and made these Butterless Cookies adding cold pressed coconut oil to get some flavor.
These cookies became such a huge hit not just with the kids but also my friends. So, here is the recipe:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time : 13-15 minutes per batch
Makes : 34 cookies

Ingredients:
 Vegetable oil : 1/2 cup
Coconut oil: 1/2 cup (I used cold pressed)
Brown sugar: 1 cup
Sugar : 1 cup
Eggs : 2
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
All purpose flour: 2 1/2 cups
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Baking soda : 1/2 teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Method :
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a mixing bowl, cream together oil and both sugars. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla and mix well.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
Scoop in a golf ball size dough on to a greased cookie tray and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let them cool before moving them to a wire rack.

Papaya juice

It’s so hot here even in October and Papaya is in season. So, made some refreshing Papaya juice. Kids and hubby liked this simple juice.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes 
Makes : 4 glasses

Ingredients:
Papaya pieces : 2 cups
Sugar : 1/4 cup
Chilled water: 1 1/2 cups
Ice cubes : 1/2 cup

Method:
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes or well blend.
Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Donut holes without yeast

Kids are home for Autumn break so, I’ve been making simple and quick snacks for them to munch on. Normally donut holes are made with yeast where these are made without yeast and it’s instant.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 
Cooking Time: 10 minutes 
Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:
All purpose flour: 1 1/2 cups
Sugar : 1/3 cup
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon
Baking Powder: 2 teaspoons
Ground nutmeg: 1/2 teaspoon
Egg : 1
Milk : 1/2 cup
Unsalted butter: 2 tablespoons
Oil : for deep frying
Powdered Sugar : 1/2 cup

Method:
Take a bowl and add all purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and nutmeg and mix well.
Add in Egg, milk and butter to the dry ingredients and beat well to mix for 3 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. Take a small ice cream scoop and scoop dough into the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until the donuts are golden brown.
Take them out and place on a paper towel. Immediately take the donut holes on a plate and dust the powdered sugar and serve hot.
You can add melted chocolate or sugar syrup instead of powdered sugar.

Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake

I love marble cakes as they satisfy the taste buds of many. I wanted to bake a cake for my dear friend for her birthday. She loved my marble cake before but she likes red velvet. So, I thought of mixing her interests and bake a red velvet marble bundt cake.
She was very happy with both the look of it and the taste, and all the kids loved it. My daughter wants me to bake this cake again for her birthday.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time : 1 hour
Makes : 1 - 9" bundt cake.

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter : 1 1/2 cups at room temperature
Sugar : 2 1/2 cups
Eggs : 6 large
All purpose flour: 3 cups
Milk : 3/4 cup
Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon
Red food coloring (powder/liquid) : 1 tablespoon

Method:

Take a large bowl and beat butter until creamy.
Add sugar and beat till the mixture is fluffy.
Add 1 egg at a time and beat until mixed well.
Add all purpose flour and baking powder slowly and beat till the mixture is blended.
Add milk, vanilla extract and beat until the batter is blended.
Take 2 cups of batter into a small bowl, add cocoa powder and food coloring.
Stir with a spatula to mix well.
Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a bundt pan, add a layer of plain batter and top it with a thin layer of red batter. Repeat the process by layering until the batter is finished.
Bake the cake for 1 hour. Let it cool before turning it on to a plate.
Cut into pieces and serve.

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh hot Cinnamon rolls are just to die for. Kids and I loved the Cinnabon When we lived in US but once we moved to India, couldn’t find anything close to that taste nor texture. So, I decided to do my research and use the recipes to create my own version of Cinnamon rolls which became an instant hit. So, here is the recipe....
Preparation Time: 20 minutes 
Proofing Time : 1+1 hours
Baking Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:
For Cinnamon Roll Dough:
Active Dry Yeast : 1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons
Warm milk : 1 cup
Sugar : 1/2 cup
Melted butter : 1/3 cup
Salt : 1 teaspoon
Eggs : 2 large
All purpose flour: 4 cups
Cinnamon filling :
Brown Sugar : 3/4 cup
Ground Cinnamon : 2 tablespoons
Melted butter: 1/4 cup

Method:
Take 1/2 cup warm milk, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in a bowl mix well, cover it and let it proof for 7-10 minutes or until it’s nice and foamy.
Take a large bowl and add sugar, butter, eggs, salt, proofed yeast, 2 cups of flour and beat on 3 speed until a smooth mixture is formed. Add the remaining flour, and form a soft dough. (The dough will be sticky)
Add some flour on your work surface and place the dough on it. Knead until smooth and elastic for about 6-8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap.
Keep it in a warm place and let it rise to double its size. This should take approximately an hour.
Punch down the down, divide in half. Flour the surface and roll one portion into a 11x8 in. Rectangle. Brush with half of the butter and sprinkle with half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture leaving a small edge.
Roll up as shown in the pictures, pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Place them in a greased 13x9 inch cake pan, cover with a wet cloth and let it rise for 1 hour.
Repeat the same process with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20-25minutes or golden brown and cool on wire racks before serving for 5 minutes.
You can use sugar and milk mixture to ice them or cream cheese and sugar powder. Enjoy the hot cinnamon rolls.