.....From My Palate

Desserts

Key Lime Tiramisu Cake

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the mothers out there. Sorry for the delayed wishes…but better late than never.  I planned to make this cake on mother’s day for myself to celebrate motherhood. But due to the other commitments, I didn’t get the chance to make it on that day. Looking everyday at the Mascarpone cheese that was sitting anxiously in my refrigerator and waiting for its turn, made me feel guilty.  Usually, a cake is served on the special occasions of our lives.  But, didn’t want to  wait for a special reason to make this cake,  so baked this today to feel special…

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Let me put the disclaimer first.  I am not a professional baker. Baking is my hobby and I am still on my learning curve. I take every cake as a challenge and I feel good when appreciated. Tiramisu is a light and creamy dessert with a hint of coffee and vanilla that tastes divine to the palate. I was eying its cake version in the blogosphere for a long time.

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Key Lime Tiramisu Cake
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • Key Lime Cake
  • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup. Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tbsp. Key Lime Zest, grated
  • 1/4 cup Key Lime Juice
  • 3 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • Few drops of Green Food Color (optional)
  • Filling and frosting
  • 2 cups cold Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
  • Cocoa powder, for dusting
  • 20-30 ladyfingers, for garnish
  • Espresso extract
  • 2 tbsp. Instant Espresso Powder
  • 2 tbsp. Hot Water
  • In a small bowl, whisk together espresso powder and hot water. Set aside.
  • Espresso syrup
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Kahlua (optional)
  • In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in kahlua and 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract. Set aside.
Instructions
For Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Line the bottom of your cake pans with wax paper, and grease the sides.
  3. In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Mixing at low speed, add the eggs one at a time.
  5. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and zest and mix well.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  7. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter.
  8. Mix until well combined. Add food coloring and mix it well.
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
  10. Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  11. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For Filling and Frosting
  1. In a bowl, whip heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla extract.
  3. Whisk in the 1 tablespoon espresso extract.
  4. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
Assembling the cake
  1. Cut the cake into two with the serrated knife.
  2. Place one half of the cake on a cake plate and soak it with the espresso syrup with the pastry brush.
  3. Spread the mascarpone filling on top and layer it with another half.
  4. Repeat the process with every layer and finish it with top layer of the cake.
  5. Soak the top layer with the remaining espresso syrup.
  6. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
  7. Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.
  8. Press ladyfingers onto the mascarpone frosting on the sides of the cake.
  9. Decorate the cake according to your liking.
  10. Tie ribbon neatly around the cake for the finished look.
  11. Enjoy and celebrate your day.

Makhane Ki Kheer – Navratri Special

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Happy Ramnavmi to my friends, family and fellow bloggers!

Nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navaratris. The first three days of Navratri are devoted to worship of Durga, the Goddess of power. We worship her in the appearence of Durga Kumari, Ma Parvati And Ma Kali. Fourth, fifth, and sixth days are dedicated to Ma Laxmi, the Goddess of prosperity and peace. Seventh and eighth days are dedicated to Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

Give your body and mind a chance to
break out of a pattern and give it a new direction.
Fasting – a gift to an over-burdened
body and an over-indulged mind. – Art of living

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Today’s recipe Makhane ki Kheer is synonym to navratri in my family. Makhane ki kheer is served as dessert everyday for nine days. Makhane/lotus seeds/fox nut are highly beneficial in terms of nutritional value. These seeds are low in saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol and are good source of protein, calcium, magnesium potassium and phosphorus.

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Makhane Ki Kheer – Navratri Special
Author: Bhawana
Ingredients
  • 4 cups Milk
  • 1 1/2 cups Makhane (Lotus Seeds)
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • Pinch of Jaiphal Powder (Nutmeg Powder)
  • 2 tbsp. Kishmish (Raisins)
  • 2 tbsp. Almonds, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. Dried Coconut, grated
  • 1/4 tsp. Elaichi Powder (Cardamom Powder)
  • Few strands Kesar (saffron)
  • 1 tsp. ghee
  • Sliced Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Heat the ghee in a pan.
  2. Add makhanas and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till they are crisp and slightly golden.
  3. Remove from the flame and crush them slightly.
  4. Heat the milk in a non-stick pan and when it comes to a boil, add the crushed makhanas.
  5. Simmer till makhanas become soft.
  6. Add sugar, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, raisins, and half amount of almond and coconut.
  7. Add saffron and cook it till it become thick in consistency.
  8. Serve chilled garnished with pistachios and rest of the almond and coconut.

Moong Dal Halwa

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If you think of a winter wedding, moong dal halwa is a must item in a menu. I still remember big, wide iron skillet with ghee laden moong dal halwa garnished with nuts in all winter weddings in India. Its already spring in US but the winter is still staying strong with its chillness and wind. I take this as a opportunity to make this sweet winter dish Moong Dal Halwa before saying adieu to winter with a promise to meet again.

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Moong dal halwa is a lentil based sweet cooked with generous amount of ghee. it is believed that the halwa keeps the body warm and protects it from the harshness of winter. This is a claasic rajasthani dish which demands lots of patience and strength to sauté the dal on medium low flame stirring continuously whole time.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups Moong Daal (split yellow lentils)
  • 1 cup Ghee (if u want to make it more rich use 2 cups of Ghee)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
  • 1/2 cup Khoya
  • 1 cup finely chopped mixed nuts of your choice
  • (I used Almond, Pistachios and Cashew nut)

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Method

  • Wash moong dal thoroughly and soak it in water, overnight.
  •  Grind it to a smooth paste in a food processor.
  •  Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan on a medium flame.
  •  Add the moong daal paste to the ghee and mix it well.
  • Cook the moong daal, stirring frequently till it begins to turn golden and release its aroma.(for me it takes almost an hour)
  • In the mean time prepare simple sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water.
  •  Add the khoya and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  •  Now add sugar syrup and cardamom powder. Mix it well.
  •  Cook on a medium flame for another 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously till you can see ghee on the sides of the pan.
  • Add the mixed nut and taste for the sweetness. (Add more sugar and cook for another 5 mins if needed)
  • Garnish with chopped nuts and serve warm.

 

Rambling of thoughts with Chocolate Eclairs

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My thoughts have no boundaries. Call me dreamy, crazy, thoughtful, contemplative even broody or stupid anything….my brain works overtime… anytime. While sleeping its more fun, my dreams are all about whats in my mind. I can see my thoughts playing real roles in life and that to in colors. Sometimes thoughts brings back all beautiful moments from the past or even makes present colorful and bright thinking about future.
One day while thinking, God knows what.. all I want to eat was Chocolate Eclairs. I remembered how mommy surprised me one evening with my favourite Chocolate Eclairs from my favourite bakery. M was not there and no bakery in the perimeters of my home. The desire was so strong, I googled and Bon Appétit.
First I was really scared with all those fancy names but truth is, if u have a knack for cooking slowly things become easy for u.
I tried and result was very satisfying for me.

CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS
(Courtesy Videojug– Thank u very much)
for the choux pastry
6 ¾ fl oz water
4 1⁄3 oz butter
1 cups (½ pint) flour
5 eggs
a pinch of salt

for the pastry cream
17 fl oz cream
8 ¾ oz sugar

for chocolate topping
5 1⁄3 oz cooking chocolate
2 1⁄8 oz butter

 

Boil the water and butter
Place the small pan on a medium heat. Add the water, spoon in the butter, add the salt and bring to the boil.
Preheat oven Set the oven to 375ºF.
Make choux dough
Once boiling, add the flour to the pan of water and stir well with your wooden spoon until it forms a smooth dough. Then set aside to cool.
Make the pastry cream
Begin by adding the cream and sugar into the large bowl. Whisk it continuously until the cream starts to form stiff peaks. Cover the bowl with cling film and place into the fridge until you need to use it.
When the pastry has cooled down add in one egg and thoroughly combine using your wooden spoon, then continue to add all the eggs one by one until the dough has formed a smooth, elastic appearance.
Transfer dough into piping bag. Cover the baking tray with a piece of greaseproof paper and pipe the pastry dough into roughly 3cm wide and 15cm long, log shaped cylinders. (I made smaller) They are now ready to bake.
Place the baking tray into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Make the chocolate sauce
Whilst the pastry is cooking we can melt the chocolate, so place a pan on a low heat and cover with the bowl of chocolate and butter. Allow to melt slowly.
When cooked remove the cooked eclairs from the oven and allow to cool.
When cooled, slice the length of each of the eclairs with a sharp knife and make a slight opening. Then with a spoon fill all the eclairs with the cream.
With a spoon, dribble the melted chocolate length ways over each eclair and leave them to cool. You could even pop them in the fridge.
Serve these mouth-watering eclairs for dessert or as a special treat

Celebrating my triumph on Diwali.

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Diwali, festival of light, signifies the triumphs of good over evil, light over darkness, triumph of love, sacrifice and faith.
Diwali 2009 marks my triumph over fear of making Gulab Jamun. Archana this post is dedicated to you as you motivated me that day to make GJ. You know the whole story, how I started, how many I spoiled, how many times I disappointed.
For my friends, the story behind this is – I used to make GJ in India with fresh Khoya and all required help from my mother. Gits and MTR are very popular here(US) for making GJ. They give quick tasty results. So, many times I tried these brands but the end results were always pimply, ugly, amorphous “Thing” which tastes like GJ if you eat them with eyes closed. I used to envy those good looking pictures of GJ posed by my friends and wondered how they manage to get this even nice shape and texture.
My son loves GJ or “Jamoon” as he lovingly asks me every time to eat. Keeping his demands in my mind I tried and really really glad with the results.
I used Gits but also added 1/2 cup of fresh khoya and 1 tsp of maida in it. (just to increase the Quantity).
Although Diwali 2009 is over but the festive fun and food still lingers in our mind and refrigirator.
Hope You had a wonderful Diwali.

Celebrating Second Anniversary With Gulkand Kulfi

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Hi Friends,
Today is the second anniversary of my blog. It has been a slow(still waiting for my 100th post) but steady journey. I like to thank this blogging world and all my blogger friends for giving us so many options and making our everyday food different and special.
In these two years I learnt a lot, tried lot many recipes and amazed my husband many times with some instant treats.
So today I want to share this quick no-work wonder recipe, that always gets WOW and 100% will impress your guests.
It works for me so hope will work for you too.

gulkand kulfi

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Whipped Heavy Cream
  • 1 can Condensed Milk
  • 1 can Evaporated Milk
  • 3 Tbsp Gulkand
  • Few drops Rose Essence
  • Saffron, crushed
  • Pistachios, crushed

Method

  • Mix gulkand in evaporated milk. Mix well cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
  • Add essence and pistachios.
  • Pour it in to a setting dish.
  • Garnish with saffron and put it in to a freezer for overnight.
  • Serve next day and be ready to share the recipe.

Tip

  • You can also add scoops to the cold milk, blend and quench the thirst with gulkand shake.
  • Add Mango Puree in place of gulkand for Mango Kulfi.

I will like to send this recipe for the Event:Festive Food~Raksha Bandhan hosted by Priti- Indian Khana and Purva-Purva’s Daawat.

Thank u very much for celebrating this bond of scared thread.

Instant Treat For Kids

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Instant Fruit Pudding

There are times when you want to instantly reward your children with some colorful tasty treat, that your kiddos really deserve. Kids wants something sweet, colorful, and whipped cream..yeah !! This is what I gave to my kiddo when he ate green beans in his lunch without any fuss. Bravo…he earns it.
This colorful bowl requires sesonal fruits or any fruits you have and whipped cream (can use that are available in cans or whipped at home)
Fruits I used were– Mango (cubed), Banana (sliced), Strawberry (sliced) and raspberries.
Really simple, Place first layer of fruit in a bowl (in my case I used Mango) then thin layer of cream, second layer of fruit (IMC-Banana) again thin layer of cream, Third Layer of Fruit (IMC – Strawberry) swirls of w-cream and last fruit I used Raspberries.
Instant Fruit Pudding ready to eat.I really want to mention the help I get from my son by giving me the fruit bowls, repeating fruits name after me and lastly sharing it with our neighbour’s daughter.
Just for u Shonna… Anyday Anytime Anything.

Chocolate Cake For Chocolate Lovers

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Chocolate Cake

If you are looking for a good recipe for a chocolate cake, take my words This is the one.
The cake was real moist, dark and delicious. The only variation I did was 1 cup of sugar instead of 2. And I tried chocolate cherry icing for it.
I cut it in halves and filled one layer with whipped cream with chocolate syrup and sugar. Sprinkle chopped cherries over it, and cover it with the top layer of the cake.
I didn’t use much of cream on the top. I want to save the rich, moist, dark chocolaty taste.
Serve immediately else there are chances you get a empty platter later on……