Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes with Cookies and Cream Frosting for Back to School

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It is that time of the year when kids go back to school in US. It is that time of the year you realize your kid is getting older, taking another milestone in their life. It is that time of the year when we know summer is almost over and Fall is upon us. It is that time of the year when my lil monkey goes to kindergarten. It is that time of the year when every Mother whose kids start school wonders - Where did all those five years go ?

Chocolate Overdose Cake and 3rd Anniversary !

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Collaborative Curry turns 3 this month ! I can't believe it ! I am so grateful to you all, for being with me in this wonderful journey. Things were a little different when we started this blog. The cofounder, Sunitha doesn't blog here any more.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake With Pecan Streusel Topping

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Hello everyone ! Hope you all, the wonderful moms and moms-to-be out there had a terrific mother's day . I was supposed to post this before Sunday and wish you all a happy mother's day, but it just got late. I am not going to tell you all the silly reasons,why I couldn't do it on time. Here I am,with a great coffee cake recipe to wish all the moms, a wonderful journey throughout your motherhood !

I would love to share with you,two posts about Mother's day, that really touched my heart ! Most of you might have seen them both already. I am not going to tell anything about these posts, because you must read them yourselves if you haven't done so.'What I really want for mother's day' is a very beautiful post written by lovely Monica Bhide and this link will take you there. And the second one is from The little Red House.

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Butter-cream Frosting

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This is exactly what I would make if I want to please each and every palate in my small family. TH likes the coffee in this whereas kiddos love the chocolate flavor in this, and I love this classic combination of chocolate and coffee,so definitely a keeper recipe for me.

Katharine Hepburn's Brownies

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This is such a popular version of brownies, I don't need to tell you much about it ! The legendary actress, Katharine Hepburn shared her family's signature brownies recipe during an interview with a magazine and ever since they published it in 1975, so many, including Saveur magazine and n number of blogs reprinted it. Here is my version slightly adapted from Epicurious.

Everyday Chocolate Cake

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One fine Wednesday, I suddenly started craving for a chocolate cake.Without thinking much, I googled for "simple loaf chocolate cake" and yes,I was exactly looking for a not-so-calorie-rich, simple as in "one bowl", chocolate cake that I can whip up in a jiffy.I was so happy to have found this recipe ! Now I wonder why didn't I ever search for such a thing before ! If I knew, I would have made this a thousand times, well almost,by now. If you are looking for a cake that you can have without much guilt and without much fuss,this is the cake for you !

I didn't have much time left before I took my son for his swimming class that day,and I had to hurry up with the pictures. With my lil buddy around,taking pictures is exactly like, or shall I say worse than,someone pointing a loaded gun at your back and you are asked to do something within matter of seconds.When he was smaller,he used to grab everything and sometimes eat the food ,his mom,a desperate blogger,rather than a desperate housewife,would have neatly kept,ready for the camera.

Red Velvet Cake Pops

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Happy Valentine's day everyone ! Hope you are having a beautiful day, with your loved ones,whether you celebrate this day or not. As I have told you before, this day is like any other day for me and my DH, everyday being Valentine's day. Ok, I agree that we have our not-so-good days, just like any other sane couple in the world,but there is always love,no matter what kind of day it is.Said that, I'm going to paint this space pink today,for you all !

We celebrate this day for the kids.They love all the goodies I make,and home-made valentines they get to share with their friends.For lil imp,this is the first Valentine's day celebration with his friends at preschool. Every year I think, I get the ready made valentines and cards for the kids to share with their friends. But, the fun of making them at home, with kids, is priceless ! So,as always,we as a team, made valentines for 5th graders and preschoolers, at home this time as well.This time we made some lovely bookmarks, with Tattoos for the boy and with chocolates for the girl,for sharing with their pals.

Apple Tea Cake With Lemon Glaze

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The weather is getting warmer in Colorado, well, most of the days. As I type this, I see snow flakes falling on trees,like floating feathers. But still, it is unusually warm for a January in this ski country. As I have told you before, winter is my favorite excuse to bake something nice. This tea cake is no exception !

Mocha Cake With Mocha Buttercream Frosting

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Happy New Year, beloved readers ! Hope you all had a wonderful New Year week end. We had a fun time with some great friends and lots of good food. The weather here is unusually hot for January in Colorado.Though I am relieved that I don't have to drive on icy roads, I'm a bit concerned about this weird weather change.

Merry X'mas and a note on Kerala Fruit cake

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Wishing you the joy of family, the happiness of friends, and the love of Christmas!




I get a lot of doubts and questions about the Kerala Fruit/Plum cake every year and I thought I should note them down here for any future reference.

Christmas Fruit Cake/Kerala Spiced Plum Cake & Wish you all a very Merry Christmas !

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  It’s Christmas and we wish you a very merry one.  Finally, I am done with the marathon cookie baking and packing it off to friends.  Now, it’s my time to just sit looking at all the festive decoration inside and outside the house.  Well, I can't sit around too long because there are a lot of visits to be made to celebrate with friends. 

  Being from Kottayam, Kerala, it was difficult even while I was growing up to ignore Christmas.  Even though I am not of the Christian faith celebrations for Christmas was carried out at my house to match any of my Christian neighbors.  I grew up hanging colorful paper-stars in front of the house on the 1^st of December an age old tradition.  Schools had "best Crib Contests," and I would positively participate.  On the 24^th evening we blasted those crackers louder than any of our neighbors or so I would like to believe.  It was just a lot of fun and I love this festival for everything it stands for.
 


  I know from my nieces and nephews from Kerala they still continue to make Christmas crib.  The last time I called them, they were all excited about the thought of making it.
 
My parent’s house is on a high range and during this time of the year, the mornings are misty.  If you wake up early you can see the clouds touching the earth.  In my mind it symbolizes blessings from heaven.  And here in the U.S. snow flakes take over doing its slow swaying dance to the ground.  Oh! I could just go on about how everything touches me so deeply getting me excited about celebrating.  It’s a perfect time to holiday and I am having fun.  I hope wherever you are you having a good time as well. 



  Even today I continue the tradition of celebrating Christmas with light decorations in the house and bake all kinds of goodies.  Therefore, we have another fruit cake recipe for you.  You can find another on this site here.   Today the recipe I am sharing is a spiced version.  The basic procedures are the same except for the addition of spices. However, that changes everything giving a whole new twist to the cake.  This one is delicious too!

Again, wish you all a very Merry Christmas !!



Ingredients:

Flour- 1 cup
Butter- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick)
Dried Fruits and nuts soaked in Rum/Brandy for several months or several days or several hours - 1 1/2 cup
Rum or Brandy from the marination/fresh- 2 Tbsp
Baking Powder- 3/4 tsp
Eggs- 3 large, separated
Granulated Sugar- Scant 1 cup
Candied Orange peel- 2-3 Tbsp
Powdered Nutmeg- 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon- 1/2 tsp
Powdered Cloves- 1/8 tsp
Powdered Cardamom- 1/8 tsp
Caramel Syrup at room temperature- ~1/3 cup (use 1/2 cup sugar to caramelize and finally add 1/4 cup hot water and mix. See here)
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp

Method:

Making Candied Orange peel:

1.Dry the orange peel by either letting them sit on your counter top for a few days or near the fireplace/warm oven.Chop them into small pieces.
2.Take sugar in the ratio 1:1 with the orange peel and add a couple of spoons of water and make a syrup by boiling, till it reaches one string consistency.
3.Throw in the dried orange peel into this and mix well to coat the syrup evenly on the pieces.
4.Let it dry completely.

Making Caramel Syrup

Sunitha has explained it well in this post.Take enough care while doing this.And let it cool completely before you add into the cake mixture.

Making the Cake:(Copied as such form our earlier post!)

Beating Egg White:
1. It may be a good practice to beat the egg white stiff before you start on the main cake batter. Please make sure you use a dry bowl and a dry blade when you beat the egg white. Any trace of water, grease or egg yolk in the white will not give the desired fluffy frothy egg white. Beating the egg white stiff is very important to give a light and fluffy texture to the cake. Make sure all the egg white has been beaten stiff before you clean the blade and wipe it dry before you start mixing the batter.

Mixing the Batter:
1. Sift the flour,spices and baking powder twice and keep aside (sifting allows the baking powder to be mixed well with the flour)
2. Beat the butter well first before adding the sugar. Gradually add the sugar beating well after each addition. Remember also to gradually increase the speed of your blender from low to medium after all the sugar has been blended in. Taking time and beating the butter and sugar goes a long way to aerate the butter and to give a moist, fluffy texture to your cake
3. Add in the egg yolk and beat well
4. Add the vanilla essence beat well
5. Follow up with cool caramelized sugar
6. Spoon in the flour a little at a time and fold in to mix.
7.Toss the fruit and nut mixture with a tablespoon of flour and fold in the 3/4 of this and the candied orange peel alternating with the flour.
8.Now gently fold in the egg whites until not even a single white streak is left.
9. If you find watery egg white which did not froth do not use it or only use after beating it fluffy
10. Pour the batter in a 9 inch pan and add the remaining fruit and nut mixture left.Even out the surface with a spatula and bake in a preheated oven at 350 D F for 40-45 minutes
11. When a toothpick pricked comes out clear the cake is done.
12.Cool it on a wire rack.Brush with some rum/brandy and keep it covered well with a parchment paper, at least for a couple of days before you cut and serve them.

Notes:

1.Use the butter and eggs which are kept long enough outside the refrigerator and have reached room temperature.
2.Beating egg whites separately makes a huge difference in this cake.
3.Adding some fruit and nut mixture at the end on the top ensures that there is some mixture on the top too.

We wish you all a Great Holiday Season !!!



Last but not the least we have a good news to share with you all. Our Boondi Ladoo recipe has been selected as one of the 30 Best Recipes of 2010 ,a wonderful event hosted by Chacko's kitchen. Congratulations to all other winners and we are so glad that we made it to the top 30 :-)

Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Adapted From: Sunu and Sunitha, my dear friends :-)

Whipped Cream Cake

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Hope those in US had a great long weekend.We had a warm week end and all the snow got melted away.So glad that we are getting some warm days before the freezing winter.

Pineapple Crunch Cake With Lemon Glaze

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Hope everything is going great with you. Summer is really a busy time for all of us, isn’t it? It surely is for me! I was super busy juggling too many things, and decided to forget about blogging for a few days.

While I was away from blogging and talking to you guys a few good things happened on the personal side. I finally got hold of some long due documents including my driver's license, and did our first camping of the season. Some of you might already know that I also won the giveaway Vijitha was hosting. Beginning last Sunday, I have been on a roll with only great things happening to me, and the upbeat mood continues.

Meanwhile lil M turned 3, but that doesn't stop him from being more naughty and silly. During a play his sister poked into his eyes accidentally, and he exclaimed rubbing his eyes "Oh, I got to buy some new eyes !" I wish things were as simple as he thinks :-)

Coming to the topic of the day, the Pineapple crunch cake, the story goes like this: During our last trip to the local grocery store, we tasted a Pineapple crunch cake and we loved it! You will know if you are a blogger that once we taste something interesting we feel this urge to replicate it in our own kitchen. I am no different! I decided that I should make this myself, and started searching for recipes. I could't find anything that satisfied me, so I ended up twisting a recipe to add more flavor. Result : A better tasting cake with less sugar than we tasted from the shop. This is a huge hit with my folks, and we will be making it again soon!

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 2 cups
Baking Soda- 2 tsp
Chopped Walnuts(Optional)- 1 cup
Eggs- 2 large
Granulated Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
Light Brown Sugar- 1/4 cup, packed
Pure Vanilla Extract- 2 tsp
Lemon Juice- 1 Tbsp
Lemon Zest- a pinch/more
Pineapple Crushed with juice- 1 big can(20oz)

For the Lemon Glaze:

Confectioner's sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice- 2 Tbsp/ little more


Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F.Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan.
2.Whisk together the flour, baking soda and nuts.
3.In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs and sugars.
4.Add the vanilla and lemon juice and zest. Mix well.
5.Open the crushed pineapple can and pour in everything including the juice and mix again.
6.Mix in the flour mixture until everything is mixed.
7.Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35- 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.(It took me 37 minutes)
8.Cool on a wire rack.
9.Prepare the glaze by mixing everything together and pour over the cool cake.
10.Let the glaze set. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes:

1. You don't have to make the glaze if you want the cake to be less sweet.
2.You could also dust the cake with some powdered sugar if you are not making a glaze.
3.This is just perfectly sweet for us.If you want your cake to be really sweet, use more sugar.
4.As you can see from the ingredient list, this is a butter-less cake. But it is not dry, though a little dense


Recipe Adapted from : here

Forelle Pear Cake

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How is your Summer coming along? What are your plans for the long week end and July 4th ? July is a special month for my family too. The youngest one the family is born in this month. I can't believe that he is going to be 3 in a few days ! Time sure flies. We already miss his early years ! He sure is a handful ,but sometimes I wish I could freeze the time ,just to enjoy all his cuteness forever.

The other day he was doing something really naughty and his father raised his voice to let him know how mad is he. He turned around and told his father "Acha,turn down the volume". We always ask him to turn down the volume of the TV ,which he never watches, but always keeps switched on for his favorite cartoon as a back ground !

Stories apart, coming to today's recipe.You will agree with me on the fact that these Forelle Pears are an absolute beauty to look at.Also they are very sweet.These are best served as it is, since they are too good as they are. But I had some really ripe Forelle Pears with me and we couldn't finish all of it. So I searched the net for recipes that uses this kind of pears and came across this buttery cake recipe. I went through the reviews and everyone seems to agree on the taste. I tried it and am happy that I did.

The lemon zest and my favorite spice cardamom gives a great flavor to this cake.I loved it when I had a warm slice and the cake was best on the same day I baked.

Ingredients:

Forelle pears/Any small size pears- 5
Orange Juice- 1 Tbsp
Lemon juice- 1 tsp
Granulated Sugar- 2 Tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1/2 tsp

All Purpose Flour- 1 1/4 Cup
Baking Powder- 1 tsp
Cardamom- 1/2 tsp
Salt- a pinch
Unsalted Butter- 6 Tbsp
Sugar- Little less than 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Zest of 2 lemons
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp

Method:

1.Slice the pears lengthwise into thin pieces.This is optional. You could core and slice lengthwise too.
2.Toss these slices with the juices,sugar and vanilla extract.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F and line a 9 inch Spring foam pan with parchment paper.
3.Whisk together the flour,baking powder,salt and cardamom powder.
4.In a mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar until it is creamy.
5.Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
6.Add the zest and vanilla extract and mix again.
7.Add the dry mixture into the wet one in 2 additions, mixing each time to combine everything. Do not over mix.
8.Spread about half the batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
9.Spread the 3/4th of the pear slices on top.
10.Spread the remaining batter on top. It might not be enough to cover completely, but once the cake starts baking up, it spreads out well.
11.Place the remaining slices on the top in a layer.You could arrange it in a pattern, which I didn't,but it looks ok :-)
12.Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until the top starts to brown and the skewer inserted comes out clean.
13.Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
14.Serve warm or cold.

Notes:

1.The original recipe uses cognac instead of orange juice for tossing the pears. I didn't do it since I have kids at home.
2. Also the recipe calls for Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top. This will give a nice caramelization. Unfortunately I didn't have any at home so I did not use any.
3.The cake is best on the same day. Keep any leftovers in the fridge.
4.You could serve this with some Vanilla ice cream.
5.You could use Apples or Peaches instead of Pears in this recipe.

Recipe Adapted from :Here

Funfetti Cupcakes

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Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's day. I had a terrific one, thanks to my family. They are the best!  They brought me breakfast in bed, took me out hiking, barbecued and made daiquiri in my honor.  Hm…may every day be Mother’s day!  

 

 The weather was extremely good for a hike, and there was no way we could pass it up.  It has been a custom of 4 years for us to get out and hike as soon as the temperature rises.  And we are lucky to be living in the right place to make it possible, the foothills of Rocky Mountains.  We love exploring the mountains, both by driving and hiking. To my husband and my great excitement our kids share the same passion.  They both walk/hike without complaining and my 2 ½ year old son did us proud by doing ¾ th of a mile without complaining.  Precious!  Now we are itching to do mountain exploring with him.  Kids really have fun on these trips. What with elks, moose, snakes and birds to spot and keep an eye out for.  Fantastic!

 

And for us parents children never fail to add to the entertainment.  I had packed snacks for us all and my little boy claimed the goldfish crackers.  A whole packet!  Of course, his sister wanted some.  But he was not giving any.  I know for sure because he made it clear through his expression, speech and manner.  Now, I love both kids equally and decided my precious daughter deserved some goldfish crackers too.  He had a tight grip on that packet except when he gave it to me in exchange for his water bottle.  On one occasion, when I knew he was not looking.  I can vouch for this anywhere - he was not looking!  I snatched a handful and passed it on to his sister.  I returned him the packet and was about to walk on when I heard the lil imp say - "Mamma robbed me." Some one tell me, how do we keep a straight face?  He looked at his father and said again -"My crackers are missing and Mamma did it" I was going crackers by then!  

Such is life! And in the mean time, I had promised my little one that I will make him cupcakes during Easter.  He had spotted the Sprinkle cupcakes.  I finally made good of that promise and here is the recipe for you too.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup
Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Sugar- 3/4 cup
Butter,at room temp- 6 Tbsp
Egg- 1 large and 1 egg white
Pure vanilla extract- 1 1/2 tsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Rainbow Sprinkles- 2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Preheat oven at 350 degree F. Grease or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2.Sift together the flour,salt and baking powder.
3.Beat the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
4.Add the egg and egg white one after the other and mix until everything is combined.
5.Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
6.Mix in the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with milk, staring andhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif ending with flour mixture.
7.Fold in the sprinkles and spoon out into the prepared pan.
8.Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9.Cool on a wire rack and do the frosting of your preferred choice.

Notes:

1.You could use any white cake/vanilla cake recipe for making this.
2.I used whipped cream frosting. You can find the recipe here.
3.This makes 12 cupcakes.



Recipe adapted from: Here
Contributor: Namitha

Chocolate Vanilla Marble cake

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Cakes are cosmopolitan. Some of the earliest references of cakes are found in ancient Roman history, making it obvious that cakes have been around for a long while. Therefore, it should not have surprised me when I saw marble cake, a regular feature from Kerala bakeries, doing the rounds in blogosphere. Where this cake originated is probably like the age old dispute of ‘What came first, the egg or the chick.’ If Someone asked where did marble cake originate, we will all probably have a different answer. But if one of you have a genuine answer I will be interested to hear from you.

The universality of cakes, and how far and wide it has reached, continues to fascinate me. I mean, I can’t get over that I grew up seeing marble cakes in bakeries in Kottayam, Kerala? In fact, this fancy looking cake is the most commonly available one in bakeries back home. I remember how the marble pattern caught my attention first, and it continues to get my heart go skippy. Actually, the cakes from the bakeries are overly sweet and over-powered with vanilla flavor,but the pattern was eye-catching and I still remember them because of it. I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally be able to bake a perfect marble cake which tastes as good as it looks. Below you will find the recipe to make this cake with a blend of sugar and vanilla which is proportionate to keeping your tongue swirling around more than what your body needs.

I tried different recipes from the internet before reaching the recipe I like most. One of the greatest inspirations and the best recipe I found was from Archana's blog

A little, but significant something else that I have to say about marble cake is it is quite fancy even without frosting. This is especially a blessing for a busy mom like me. For example, if I want to bake a cake for a special occasion birthday, anniversary or festival and have not enough time, I can whip up a marble cake which will hold its own to any decorated fancy- pansy cake.

With Easter around the corner, you will agree it’s most appropriate to share something special with you! Have it with tea or as a dessert, but remember to say ‘gosh this pattern is so pretty!’ Well, at least for my sake.

Ingredients:

Butter- 1/2 cup(110-115grams )

Cake flour(not self rising)- 1 3/4 cup

Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Sugar- 1 cup

Eggs- 3

Pure vanilla extract- 2 tsp

Buttermilk/Milk- 3/4 cup

Boiling water- 4 Tbsp

Dark (dutch processed) cocoa powder-1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven t0 350 degree F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Beat butter and sugar well, until it turns light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Add vanilla extract and mix again. Scrape down the sides as needed.

6. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour, and mix well after each addition.

7. Mix boiling water and cocoa powder to blend without lumps.

8. Take out 1/4 th of the batter mixture into another bowl. Mix cocoa into it.

9. Spoon both the batters alternatively making a checkerboard. Pour them in 2 layers. (Just like Archana suggested use a big spoon for the white batter and small spoon for the chocolate batter)

10. When you are done tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to get rid of the air bubbles trapped inside and to remove the space between the batters.

11. For making the marbling effect make a couple of swirls from the top of the pan to the other end.

12. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.

13. Take out the cake and cool it while still in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to cool on a wire rack.

14. This cake can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Contributor: Namitha

Recipe adapted from : Archana's blog and here

Chocolate Cake in a Mug- Ready in a Minute

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You must be familiar with ‘chocolate-cake-in-a-mug’ having already been featured in umpteen blogs and sites. It is delicious and comes together quickly which is great!. After having baked brownies over the weekend I didn’t need any more cakes, but then India won the Cricket World Cup. It’s not everyday that this happens and you will agree that calls for celebration, right? If you have been following this blog or know me personally, you also know I am an ardent fan of cricket. I have been on cloud nine ever since Saturday when India won the World Cup after a long gap of 28 years. I don't even remember the 1983 world cup, when we last won the cup. It was considered a miracle of sorts at that time, and people even today fondly remember and narrate how Kapil Dev (then captain of the Indian team) and his army brought home the cup. Surely I need to celebrate this win.

The match played on Saturday was tough. The Sri Lankan team has seasoned players and is great on the field. The Indian cricket captain, Dhoni, and his team fought hard to win this game. And the victory was sweet.
We needed this break.

In India, cricket is more famous today than even our national game of hockey. Cricket players like Sachin are sometimes referred by people and papers as gods, even if exaggerated it shows how much the game and players are revered. An article in New York Times says cricket in India has the same effect like monsoon rains permeating into the soil. Therefore, it is no secret nor surprise that all Indians wherever they are, celebrated India's win, and I'm no exception. I had every reason to celebrate and having some more brownies left over a small, but deliciously sweet reason to celebrate this victory.

So here is chocolate goodness for TEAM INDIA ! Oh! How my heart swells with pride :)

A special thanks to all my friends on Facebook. I want to especially share this virtual treat with you for watching the match and sharing the emotions via FB.

Happy Ugadi!

Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 5 Tbsp
Granulated sugar- 5 Tbsp
Cocoa- 2 Tbsp
Salt- a pinch
Baking powder- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Egg- 1 large
Milk- 4 Tbsp
Vegetable oil- 4 Tbsp
Pure vanilla extract- a dash
2 microwave-safe coffee mugs

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug to make the cake.
2. Beat the eggs slightly in a small mixing bowl and add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well with a fork.
3. Add in the dry mixture and mix well.
4. Pour out half of the batter into each coffee mug.
5. Microwave the coffee mugs,one at a time, half- filled with the batter, on high, for a minute. If it does not get done in a minute, keep for another 20-30 seconds. Do not overcook, you might end up with a dry cake. (I kept it for 1 minute and 20seconds)
6. Let it cool and dig in.
7. It will be wonderful if you can top with vanilla ice cream

Notes:

1.The baking powder makes it less dense and more soft when compared to the original recipe.(thanks for the idea "not quite Nigellla" !)
2.The top of the cake looks a bit gooey when you take it out from the microwave after a minute. But it will be done already and do not over cook.
3.If you living in a place which is at sea level you could add a little more baking powder.
4.The cake rises up while cooking, but when you take it out it comes down. So a tall mug/microwave safe utensil is recommended.
5.The original recipe calls for 4 Tbsp each of flour and sugar and 3 Tbsp each of oil and milk. When I made it I added the above amount by mistake and it turned out to be better than the original .(later I tried once with the original measurements too !)

Recipe adapted from here (mostly) and here
Contributor: Namitha

Rocky Road Brownies

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Today is another big day for Indian Cricket. India is playing the World cup finals for the third time in history and I wish our team all the luck. Hopefully they will bring the home the cup and if they do that will be one which we are getting after a long 28 year gap. Fingers crossed.

I still remember the first time I learned the game. I was in primary school and this was the time before TV and Cable. My father ,uncle and grandfather all ardent fans would be listening to the commentaries on radio. It was fascinating, and I wondered why otherwise sober people would scream and make funny noises of exhilaration or disappointment. It was enough to pique my interest. Now my noise was in the mix asking them what is going on. They tactically explained only the major details like wicket and runs. It was enough for me then, I suppose. But after a year or so while I was visiting my cousins over summer vacation I got more information. One of my elder cousins was totally into the game and therefore everyone else in the family. Once when the game was going on my cousin needed company to go the neighbors, since only they had TV at that time. I was an easy sport at that time and accompanied her. That's when the rules of the game was cleared and my enthusiasm was fueled by my dear cousin. I had arrived in the cricket scene so to speak. What about you? I would love to hear your story of how you got into watching cricket matches.

When you have a game to watch it's always nice to have snacks and goodies handy. Though I still have some aval pori/ Beaten rice snack, I decided to make some brownies as well. Also, I wanted to join Ria and the rest of the blogging world, who is participating, in an event where everyone is making finger-foods especially for cricket time. So here is a recipe for a beautiful Rocky Road Brownie. Best part is you can enjoy these even when there is not game going on.

Oh, I have to tell you this, the selection of a blue background was completely by chance. Now I realized that we all bleed blue today :-)

Ingredients:

Butter- 3/4 cup
Granulated sugar- 1 cup
Light brown sugar- 1 cup
Cocoa powder- 3/4 cup
Hot water- 3 Tbsp
Eggs- 2
Pure Vanilla extract- 2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
All purpose flour- 1 1/3 cup
Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
Chopped walnuts- 2 cups
Miniature marshmallows-2 cups
Semisweet/Bittersweet Chocolate chips- 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Method:

1.Preheat oven at 350 degree F. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan.
2.In a heat proof bowl combine the cocoa powder and butter.keep it in a boiling water-bath and mix well.Or mix them and keep in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl and keep on high for half a minute to one minute or until everything is combined together.Take out in between and whisk together.
3.Add the hot water into this and mix well.
4.Mix the sugars and salt with egg in another bowl.Add vanilla extract and mix again.
5.When the cocoa mixture is cool enough add it into the sugar mixture and mix well.
6.Stir in the flour and baking powder.
7.Fold in half the nuts.
8.Pour into the prepared pan and bake until done, for about 25 minutes.
9.Take out from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and the marshmallows.
10.Meanwhile keep your oven on broil option.Keep the pan back into the oven and keep it for half a minute or until the marshmallows have puffed up and slightly browned.
11.Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes:

Adapted from Here and Here
Contributor: Namitha

Rainbow Cupcakes for St.Patrick's Day

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St Patrick’s Day is new to even my Christian friends from India. Then again, I have not checked with any Catholic friends of mine to see if they celebrated it while growing up. Sunitha says - she had no clue until she landed in the U.S.

When you have children, everything colorful and vibrant catches your eyes. It could be the grocery store, department store, out in nature, everywhere. And if you have young ones going to school, they will definitely regale about every colorful experience they have in school! Well, at least until they are teenagers, I hope. Therefore, it must have either been the bakery which first made me curious about the colorful cupcakes, or my daughter’s animated description of some fantastic cupcake her friend shared with her. Whichever way, my interest was piqued and I participated in St Patrick ’s Day in my own way.

Historically, this is a festival in honor of the patron Saint of Ireland and celebrated on March 17th. The festivities started with the Catholics in Ireland, but have now taken a secular swing, spreading far and wide. I can confirm this is secular and gone beyond the boundaries of Ireland because even a mother from a small town in Kerala now fully participates by baking rainbow cupcakes on this special day.

For some people, St Patrick’s day is about coloring lakes green, wearing green attires or getting pinched for not wearing green, drinking a lot of green drinks, and even spotting funky hats. Others may call this an eyesore and decide not to participate. But as for me, it is another reason to celebrate in the middle of March! The beautiful color green signifies the arrival of spring. You know I will take spring for anything. In short, ‘have a great time’ is written all over this festival and I have decided not to shy away.

Baking fancy cupcakes is one of the ways I celebrate. For this one, the process was painstaking, with half a tablespoon different color batter being poured alternatively into each cupcake mold. But when baked, and my little boy exclaimed ‘rainbow’ with his hands clutching his wide-open-mouth it was priceless. Color your day green!

I have to tell you this - the first time I got excited about rainbow cupcakes is when Sangeetha shared it on her blog Kothiyavunu. Thank you Sangee for inspiring.


Ingredients:

Flour: 1 cup
Baking powder- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup (plus 2 Tbsp if you are not using a frosting)
Eggs- 2
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 1/2 tsp
Milk/Buttermilk- 1/2 cup
Food colors-Yellow,Red,Blue,Green

To Make more Colors:

Violet - 9 red + 6 blue drops
Orange - 12 yellow + 4 red drops.


Method:

1.Line a muffin pan to make 10 cupcakes. Beat together sugar and oil, follow up by add eggs one at a time.
2.Now mix in the vanilla extract.
3.Whisk together flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.
4.Gradually add flour into the wet mixture alternating with milk or buttermilk to make the batter.
5. Take 6 bowls and pour equal quantity of the batter into each of them. (It will be about 1/3 cup in each bowl) Preheat oven at 350 degree F.
6. Color the batter in each bowl with the food colors mentioned above. Stir well without any streaks making a uniform color. It will take about 10-12 drops of color. I know it's a lot of color but you will need to make vibrant cupcakes.
7. Now is the time consuming part. Carefully pour about 1/2 Tbsp of each color into all the prepared cups.(Be accurate, if you add more than 1/2 Tbsp, you will run out of batter !)
11.Starting with either blue or red finish all the rainbow colors. Each time make sure that you cover the bottom layer color with the one you are pouring on top. Do not spread the batter. Keep pouring each spoon of batter in the center every time and batter will spread itself.
12.Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
16.Cool on a wire rack and then the cakes are ready for frosting.

Notes:

1.This recipe yields the most moist and delicious Vanilla cupcakes I've ever tasted!
2.Using the same recipe you may choose to use just 4 or 5 colors. This will make each colored portion broader.
3.You don't have to worry about taking time to pour in each color, the cupcakes will come out perfect.
4.If you add only 1/2 cup sugar, the cake is not too sweet. This will give you enough incentive to frost without feeling guilty. I used whipped cream to frost some of the cup cakes.

Adapted from: Baking bites and Kothiyavunu

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

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Spring is around the corner, its official! Though Coloradans expect a few more snow showers, it's almost pleasant in some parts of the country.  The winter was quite dry this year in Colorado, which is unusual.    The wiles of nature seem to have confused the plants and trees so much, that some of them flowered before time!  You can see proof of these strange happenings in the exhibit below-of the yellow darlings.  These beauties were in my back yard looking perky and pretty until a little busy body in my family decided to change things around a wee bit.

As soon as I spotted these flowers, it reminded me how the weather is unpredictable, and it may start snowing the next day.  Which meant the doom of these flowers was pretty close!  I didn’t know how soon.  Before I could engage in such thoughts of the future of these flower, my lil imp had decided their fate.  He had followed me while I photographed them, and when I finished taking the picture, plucked them, and gave it to me.   What a sweet thing to do right? I know! It is one of those moments when you are not sure if your child should be punished or appreciated.  Anyways, I decided to make the most of the situation.  I took pictures of this wonderful pound cake and made the hand-picked flowers a prop.  That is the story of the cruel end of the flowers.  As for the lemon pound cake, their fate ended inside four big tummies. 

I loved the texture and mild lemon flavor in this cake

Ingredients:

For a 9 by 5 inch loaf:

All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cup
Baking soda- 1/4 tsp
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Butter- 1/2 cup
Vegetable Shortening- 1/4 cup
Granulated white sugar- 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Buttermilk- 1/2 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Zest and juice from one Lemon

For Glaze:

Confectioner's sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice

Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
2.Cream the butter and shortening together.
3.Add sugar,a little at a time and beat well till its creamy.
4.Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
5.Now add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well.
6.Whisk together the dry ingredients in another bowl.
7.Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Starting and ending with the flour and mixing everything well.
8.Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
9.Cool on wire rack.
10. Make the glazing by mixing together the lemon juice into the sugar, until you get the required consistency.
11.Pour over the cooled cake and wait for some time till it sets.

Sending this and Almond cookies to Vaishali's event Spring


Notes:

1.You could make a bundt cake if you double the recipe.
2.If you cut down the butter or shortening your cake will be dry.
3.Deeba has made her cake in a 8 inch round pan, so could you if you want a round cake. :-)

Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Adapted from : Deebas blog ,Food network and All recipes