Showing posts with label Christmas special. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas special. Show all posts

1 Jan 2017

EGGLESS CHRISTMAS CAKE LOADED WITH LOTS OF DRYFRUITS AND NUTS ( ALCOHOL FREE)

Hello everyone

This post was supposed to be posted on Christmas Eve but due to lack of time, i couldn't make it. But i think late is better than never, so posting it now on New Year. Cakes are alltime  favorite for all occasions. I went  through lots and lots of  recipes then came up with mine this recipe. It is so moist and nice juicy flavoured nutty cake that no one can say no to it. Best part of it is that it's eggless and alcohol free too, so anyone can enjoy it without any tension. Hint of orange and tangyness of cranberries and plum made it much more appealing to your taste buds. Try this once and i bet you will become fan of its flavours for lifelong.
stepwise recipe is given below. do try and share your experience with me.

EGGLESS CHRISTMAS CAKE LOADED WITH LOTS OF DRYFRUITS AND NUTS




Time: 1:30 hrs
Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

For soaking

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup black raisins
3/4 cup chopped nuts ( almonds, cashew, walnuts etc)
1/4 cup tutti fruity
1/4 cup prunes, chopped
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1 cup fresh plums, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
300 ml orange juice

For cake

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour / chapatti flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp all spice powder ( or 1 tsp cinnamon powder+1/4 tsp nutmeg powder+ 1/4 tsp clove powder+1/2 tsp green cardamom powder)
1/2 cup milk ( as per need)
1/2 cup tightly packed grated jagery / brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup oil
1/2 cup thick yougurt, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
Zest of two oranges
1 tsp vanilla essence



Method:

First of all soak all ingredients given under soaking section , for 20-24 hrs in refrigerator.
Mix in between to ensure all dryfruits get evenly soaked.




* Keep it out 2-3 hrs before baking, to make it to room temp.

Take a 9 or 10 inch pan or two 8 inch pans and grease it properly followed by dusting with flour.
Preheat your oven at 180°C. ( I made two 8 inch cakes, which took exactly 45 mins to bake )

Shift flour, baking powder, salt and all spice powder 2-3 times to mix all well.




Add baking soda in beaten yougurt and give a quick stir. Keep it for 5-7 mins, till it become nice frothy.




Take jaggery/brown sugar, sugar and half the
milk in big bowl and mix till sugar dissolve.



Now add vanilla essence and oil to it and mix well.



Add orange zest and soaked dryfruits in flour mixture and mix well.




Now pour milk mixture in flour and fold .


Finally add frothy yougurt and again fold. Add remaining milk, as per need ( if batter is too thick), to get slightly thick batter than regular cake batters.




Immediately pour the batter in prepared cake pan and bake at 180°C for 1 - 1;30 hr or untill skewer inserted in it comes out clean.


If the cake gets brown soon then cover it with aluminum foil and bake till done.




* Baking time may vary oven to oven, so keep an eye on your cake after 45 mins. Bigger cake will definitely take more time to bake.

* You can use any dryfruits or nuts of your choice and availability.

Now let it rest in baking pan for 10 mins then invert on a wire rack to cool down completly before slicing.



You can enjoy it as it is or pour some ganache to enhance its beauty. I used orange chocolate ganache and topped it with ganache dipped strawberries. Use your imagination and decorate your yummy beauty.




* Instead of jaggery you can use brown sugar.



You can store this cake at room temperature for 2-3 days and in refrigerator for 7-10 days. It's best for kids tiffin, get together, picnic or celebration too.



So bake this super yum rich cake and don't forget to share your experience with me.
Your valuable comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

29 Dec 2015

EGGLESS GINGER BREAD MEN COOKIES

Hello everyone

I know , I am a bit late for this post but no worries new year is coming so why not give it a try to cherish our new year celebrations. Anyhow there is no particular time to gobble up your favorite cookies , isn't it☺️. I tried this recipe using my mix and match of ingredients and it turned out definitely superb. This is so easy to prepare and have tendency to fascinate not only kids but elders too. I was always thinking to try this atleast once but after tasting it in a mall at Christmas celebration , I started craving for it. And finally tried and succeeded to , not exactly replicate, but near to the original one. Step wise recipe is given below, hope you will try it and let me know , how it turned out for you😊.
Recipe inspiration: spiceupthecurry 

EGGLESS GINGER BREAD MEN COOKIES



Yield: 18-20 cookies
Time: 30 mins ( leaving chilling time)

Ingredients 

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter/ margarine ,at room temp.
2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup brown sugar or jaggery
1/4 cup molasses or honey or maple syrup or dates syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 pinches baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg powder
1/8 tsp clove powder

For icing:

1 tbsp hot milk
1 tsp sugar 
3-4 tbsp milk powder
1/4 tsp molten butter/ghee
2-3 drop vanilla essence
Edible colors ( optional)


Method:

First of all take butter/ margarine, oil and brown sugar/ jaggery in a deep bowl and beat till nice fluffy. 


Now add molasses/ substitutes and again beat to incorporate all well. 


Now in a separate bowl add all dry ingredients together and mix well or sieve together.


 Now add flour mix to butter mix in batches and keep mixing. When all flour is mixed , it will look like bread crumbs. 


Now using your finger make dough without applying much pressure. Now roll the dough in 1/2 cm thick chapatti. 


Cut cookies using cookie cutter. If you find your dough delicate to handle then let it chill for 30 -60 mins in fridge then roll and cut. In this way cut all the cookies by repeatedly rolling , cutting and collecting scraps. 


Now place cookies in a baking tray lined with butter paper. Keep all cookies at some distance as they expand a little while baking. Now cover it with cling wrap or plastic sheet to avoid drying, and keep it in fridge for 2-3 hrs or in freezer for 30-40 mins before baking. Now bake it in preheated oven at 180degree C for 8-12 mins. Keep an eye on it after 8 mins , as soon as its edges start to change color,keep it out and cool on a wire rack . 


If you like more crunchy cookies then let it bake for little longer as mine are little soft yet crumbly, the perfect texture for ginger bread men cookies. Let it cool completely before icing. 

For icing : 

Mix sugar in milk and stir till dissolve. Now add essence,butter/ ghee and stir. Now add milk powder little by little and stir to mix properly and without lumps. Use as much milk powder as needed to form a smooth batter that can be piped easily, neither too runny nor too thick . 


Add desired color and mix well ( I skipped). Now fill the icing in icing bag and with thinner nozzle make designs of your choice.



 Let it dry for atleast 1/2 - 1 hr, then store in an airtight container.



Your yummy kids friendly cute ginger bread men cookies are ready to serve.
You can use any substitute mentioned in recipe but then it may make a difference in taste, but be sure in every way it will taste great. I used jaggery and dates syrup in my recipe. 
If you don't like spices , then substitute it by cocoa powder to get chocolate flavored ginger bread men cookies. As small kids generally don't like spicy flavours in their cakes and cookies, like my younger one😐.


Though these cookies are Christmas special delicacy but you can make and enjoy these any time and at any occasion specially at kids birthday party, as kids love to relish on these beauties any time.
Hope you all will give it a try and definitely love it. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....