My traditional plum cake

Hi friends, 

I am back after a long stay away from my favourite hobby...cooking,baking, creating and trying out my variations of different recipes.

With Christmas just a week from now, I have donned my apron .... I still haven't bought a new one... actually to tell you the truth, I love the old faded one...it's been my soul companion through so many recipes ,some an instant hit , while others miserable blunders.

Well I have been wanting to share my grandmom's traditional plum cake recipe. She put her whole heart and soul into it. As a kid I remember her collecting orange peels and transforming them into candied orange preserve, while they were soaking in a big jar with a good measure of rum...cross my heart...it would be a whole bottle,  our mouths would be watering to try out some sweet flavoured rum.The ginger too was candied in August/ September

It would smell heavenly as you walked past those jars look down mockingly at you, as if telling you " keep your hands off"

November we saw her chopping and dicing minced meat (preserved fruit)and walnuts and almonds.

As December slowly crept in, it was time to bake.

Now baking in the early 60's wasn't as easy as now ...just plug in the oven ,set the temperature,  set the alarm put in your batter and then wait for the alarm to buzz.

No ,no , it was done on a bukhari...we were in Kashmir those days. The coal had to be removed till we got a moderate temperature.

Creaming the batter was another interesting story. We kids were allowed to crack an egg if we were good and at our best behaviour.

At last the cakes were spooned into moulds and covered with a lid and put to bake for 2 to 3 hours. 

It was such an agony waiting for a bite. You think we got a bite...not yet... they had to be cooled down  on wire racks , when  we were tucked in bed. The cakes were sliced and were put on our breakfast plates, the next morning 23rd Dec, it was as always.

What beautiful memories of yesteryears.

Sharing my grandmom's recipe of plum cake.

What you need:

•   2 cups plain cake flour
•   3 large eggs
•   200 gms of white butter/ or 

        refined cooking oil  

•     1  cup of sugar             home   made preserve   has sugar.         
•         You can add sugar as per your taste.
• 1 tsp cake spice           (nutmeg,mace,cinnamon, cardamom powder)

•  1/2 cup home made caramel/ you can use store bought too.

• 2 cups of preserved minced meat ..those are preserved fruits.
• 3/4 cup dry fruits and nuts.
• Hot milk as desired if the batter is very thick.
• A pinch of salt
• 2 level tsp baking powder.

How to make it:

• In a large dish cream in butter sugar and eggs till fluffy .

• Fold in the flour through a sift which is mixed with a pinch of salt and baking powder, and cake spice.

• Add caramel till you get the desired colour

• Add minced meat  (preserved fruit)

• Add  nuts

• Spoon the batter in the moulds .tap on the counter to let out air bubbles.

• Put in a preheated oven and bake on 180°C or till done.

Refer to my teatime snacks for recipes of orange peel and ginger preserve.

Potato croquettes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Frying time :5-10 minutes

Baking time :30 minutes

Level :easy

Clearing up the refrigerator is not a task I look forward to, but it has to be done over the weekend. I enjoy organising my stack of containers with portions of chicken, fish, vegetables neatly cut and diced, right down to making my own ginger garlic green chilly paste. 

There is always boiled potatoes, I must confess that I love keeping peeled, mashed potatoes, they are so handy and can be cooked in a jiffy.

Chicken is a must-have in the fridge and a few eggs, carrots, capsicum, milk. 

This weekend I have mashed potatoes so am making potato croquettes, grandkids demand.

It's an easy, fuss-free recipe, the kids enjoy shaping them. You can fry them or bake them for 30;40 minutes. (Depending on the temperature in your oven)

Ingredients:

•  1 bowl Mashed potato (approx 4-5  potatoes )
• 4 slices of bread (I have used sides of a loaf)
• 1 capsicum diced into small pieces
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• Ginger and green chilly paste
• Green garlic( optional) enhances the flavour
• Salt to taste
• Grated cheese

• Mixed herbs 
• Corn flour
• Oil for frying 

Method :

• In a large bowl add the mashed potatoes
• To this add fresh bread crumbs
• Add cornflour, salt and pepper
• Chilli and ginger paste
• Add mixed herbs

• Add onion and diced capsicum and grated cheese
• Add two tsp of refined oil
• Apply some oil to your hands and shape them into small cylinders
• Freeze for 20 minutes

• In  a plate take cornflakes, crush it
• coat each croquette with cornflakes
• and fry till golden and crisp.

Note:

     You can bake at 180 degrees  in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Give it a milk wash for a lovely golden colour.

Savoury veggie muffins

• 

Preparation time:10 minutes

Baking time:20 minutes

Serves 3

I remember as a kid my grandmother would always have some tea -time yummy bites. She would painstakingly bake in a big old pan over a charcoal fire. I still remember that delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen to our garden.

She had the knack of turning a flour mixture into cakes, pastries, cookies, muffins and whatnot.

 

This one is super easy, and you don't have to buy any special ingredients. you will have everything.

 

What you need :

• 2 cups of refined /oats/wheat flour
• Finely chopped vegetables(carrots, capsicum, zucchini,
•  Cabbage, onions, corn)
• Cheese processed/cottage cheese for those on a diet
• Salt to taste
• Pepper
• Chilli powder
• Mixed herbs
• Cooking oil/butter few spoonfuls
• Milk a few spoonfuls 
• Baking powder

.how it's done :

• In a large bowl add flour and baking powder 
• Now add all the finely chopped veggies
• Add salt and pepper and chilli /herbs
• Now put some milk, grated cheese
• Add a lightly beaten egg
• 2 tsp of cooking oil.
• Some milk
• Make a batter and pour it into a muffin mould
• Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees, or till done.
• Cool and serve

Note

Feel free to add vegetables of your choice

You can replace refined flour with quinoa, 

Carrot cake

  Soft, low-calorie cake, with the goodness of fresh garden picked carrots. Make very good tea-time delicious and healthy bakery delights.

This winter I baked carrot cake  several times,each time I tried it with a different ingredient. I even tried baking it on a gas stove and also steaming it in a large pan half filled with boiling water. It was a very moist cake to be eaten as a dessert.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups finely grated carrots
• 2 cups refined flour
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cooking oil
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 
• 1 cup finely chopped dates(natural sweetner)
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon (powdered)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• In a mixing bowl add flour
•  add the baking powder,salt, baking soda and cinnamon Powder
• Slowly fold in , pouring the oil to form a batter,  and simultaneously slowly adding grated carrots.
• Now add the sugar,dates and half of the walnuts 
• pour into a greased mould and bake in a preheated oven at 180degrees for 40 minutes or till an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

To Steam.

Pour the batter into a greased mould and place it in a steamer , let it steam for two hours of till done.

For the  cream cheese frosting::

1 cup cream cheese

2-3 tsp powder sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tsp  butter

Mix every thing in a bowl,lightly whipping it till it forms peaks. Spread evenly with a spatula and sprinkle walnuts.

Decorate it with sprigs from your garden.

Cheesy Crispies

Lockdown 2020 found men and women in their homes, kids away from school and the work from home culture found its way in.

Stay at home meant indulging in comfort foods. 

Now with near normalcy restored we oldies are finding time to visit neighbours and friends for a quick cup of tea. Not easy sipping tea by donning the mask on.

I was recently invited for house warming tea by my new neighbours. The efficent young lady laid out some tea snacks prepared by her. We were a very countable number of guests.

I particularly liked one snack...I will call it crispies.

I finally got down to making my own version and so I christened it..

Cheesy Crispies:

Here's how it goes:

What you'll need:

Refined flour : 1 cup

Whole wheat flour: 1 cup

Butter/ cooking oil/ Ghee 3/4 cup

Curry leaves) /mixed herbs/ oregano/ dried Fenugreek etc

Salt to taste

Chilly flakes

Baking powder 1 level tsp

Roasted cumin if you feel like it.

Grated cheese

How it's done:

• Rub butter/ oil into the flour till it holds shape.
• Add salt, chilly flakes, herbs , whatever you like.
• With some warm water knead into a soft pliable dough.
• Roll out ,not to thin

Cut shapes round ,diamond, strips.

Let your imagination take over,

Now you could shallow fry ,air fry or bake by preheating your oven to 180deg

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Cool and bottle.

These are little temptations I often indulge in.

Candied orange 🍊 peels

 Candied orange 🍊 peels

Oranges are winter delights for us here in North India. Crazy as it may sound, but my preparation for Christmas 🎄☃️ 🍰 cake begins in February. I make my own orange peels and ginger candy preserve,and then I soak it in Rum and forget about it till December.

It sits on the kitchen shelf and every one passes by swear that it looks very tempting, in fact I do worry about two legged predators who may want to sample some of the orange 🍊 and ginger flavoured Rum.

Here I am sharing how to cook peels and bottle it.

You will need :

• Orange 🍊 peels,scrape the white in the inside  and cut into strips.
• For every one cup peels, I use3/4 sugar

Method :

• Heat a clean dry pan and cook orange strips in water, when half cooked, reduce the water to a few spoonfuls, add 3/4 cup sugar per one cup orange 🍊 strips.

• The sugar will melt ,
• Cook over moderate flame, stirring occasionally 
• remove before sugar crystalizes. Cool and bottle. Add Rum and cork it and forget about it till December.

You can use it after  one month of soaking it gives a very nice flavour to cakes, desserts and cookies.

Sharing a recipe of orange cake with peels and caramel. 

• 

Ingredients :

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 200gms butter/cooking oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 cups finely chopped peels with rum
• 1tsp zest of lemon / orange peel 
• 1 cup orange juice 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Sugar for a light caramel 
• 1tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 

Method :

• Cream butter and sugar 
• Slowly add eggs
• In a sieve Take all the dry ingredients 
• Sift into butter egg mixture using cut and fold method. 
• Now add finely cut peels with the rum. 
• In a pan caramel some sugar cool and mix
• Now pour into greased container and bake at 180degrees in a preheated oven for 30minutes or until done. 
• Cool and de-mould.