Thursday, September 22, 2011
Rasmalai and 2 years of blogging
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Pineapple Crunch Cake With Lemon Glaze
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
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
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Berrybarb Jam/Preserve- With Blueberries, Strawberries and Rhubarb
This summer has been beastly hot! But it hasn't stopped us from having some outdoor fun. Only problem is you get dead tired by the end of the day and that does not apply to the kids! Even after a full day of activities they don't go to bed even at 9.30. It's always a wonder, how much energy they have!
I had mentioned earlier that one of my summer activities will be to make jams. After tasting a Blueberry-Rhubarb jam at the farmers maket I was hooked. I knew I will have to incorporate rhubard when I made jam at home. And for the recipe today, I have a combination of blueberries and strawberries with rhubarb and it turned out so well that I need to make it again soon.
Now if you don't believe me ask Sunitha, she tasted this when she visited us.
This jam has my favorite berries and Rhubarb gives it a nice and tangy twist.
Ingredients:
Blueberries- 1 cup
Strawberries,hulled- 2 cup
Rhubarb-1 inch pieces- 1 cup
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Lemon zest- a pinch
Water/Apple juice- 1/3 cup
Sugar- 1 1/4 cup
Method:
1.In a large thick bottom pot, mix the berries, rhubarb and apple juice/water.
2.Cook covered on medium heat until the everything is cooked and rhubarb becomes soft and tender. Stir frequently.This takes about 12-15 minutes.
3.Add the sugar and lemon juice.Mix everything and continue cooking uncovered, stirring continuously. Skim off and discard any foam that comes on the top.
4.Continue this until the jam thickens and passes the freezer test(see notes) or when it starts to run together when you pour it with a spoon.
5.Turn off the heat and transfer into a clean jar.
6.Cool completely in the refrigerator.This keeps well for 3-4 weeks in a refrigerator.
Notes:
1.Freezer test : keep a small plate in the freezer when you start making the jam. Place a drop of the jam when you think that it done. Put back in the freezer for 30 seconds. If the jam is set well it is done.If you think it is still liquidy , continue cooking for another 5 minutes and repeat the test.
2. The amount of sugar can be changed according to your liking.
3.If you want to preserve this for longer time, use a canning method.
4.As you have already noticed, this doesn't have any added pectin. The apple juice and Strawberries have lots of natural pectin in them.
5. If you are making jam for the first time,be careful.Use a big pot and a long spoon for stirring. It splutters a lot, don't get any burns.
Recipe adapted from : Here
I had mentioned earlier that one of my summer activities will be to make jams. After tasting a Blueberry-Rhubarb jam at the farmers maket I was hooked. I knew I will have to incorporate rhubard when I made jam at home. And for the recipe today, I have a combination of blueberries and strawberries with rhubarb and it turned out so well that I need to make it again soon.
Now if you don't believe me ask Sunitha, she tasted this when she visited us.
This jam has my favorite berries and Rhubarb gives it a nice and tangy twist.
Ingredients:
Blueberries- 1 cup
Strawberries,hulled- 2 cup
Rhubarb-1 inch pieces- 1 cup
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Lemon zest- a pinch
Water/Apple juice- 1/3 cup
Sugar- 1 1/4 cup
Method:
1.In a large thick bottom pot, mix the berries, rhubarb and apple juice/water.
2.Cook covered on medium heat until the everything is cooked and rhubarb becomes soft and tender. Stir frequently.This takes about 12-15 minutes.
3.Add the sugar and lemon juice.Mix everything and continue cooking uncovered, stirring continuously. Skim off and discard any foam that comes on the top.
4.Continue this until the jam thickens and passes the freezer test(see notes) or when it starts to run together when you pour it with a spoon.
5.Turn off the heat and transfer into a clean jar.
6.Cool completely in the refrigerator.This keeps well for 3-4 weeks in a refrigerator.
Notes:
1.Freezer test : keep a small plate in the freezer when you start making the jam. Place a drop of the jam when you think that it done. Put back in the freezer for 30 seconds. If the jam is set well it is done.If you think it is still liquidy , continue cooking for another 5 minutes and repeat the test.
2. The amount of sugar can be changed according to your liking.
3.If you want to preserve this for longer time, use a canning method.
4.As you have already noticed, this doesn't have any added pectin. The apple juice and Strawberries have lots of natural pectin in them.
5. If you are making jam for the first time,be careful.Use a big pot and a long spoon for stirring. It splutters a lot, don't get any burns.
Recipe adapted from : Here
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