Dark Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts

Much awaited and much requested recipe by my friends here in Austin after they got a taste of it over Halloween. Now the secret will be out because it is so easy to make. A neighborhood friend had made some for me years ago and she was kind enough to share the recipe. I have somewhat adjusted it to my taste over the years. 

RECIPE: Dark chocolate Fudge with Walnuts

Ingredients

16-18oz Semi sweet chocolate chips
2oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8th tsp salt
1 can (14oz) Sweetened condensed milk
1 TBSP Vanilla extract
1 Cup Walnuts, coarsely crushed 

Method

1. Line an 8"x 8" square pan with parchment paper. Fold if you need to, it will be easier to pull the fudge out of the pan once set. it will easily peel off before cutting into squares.
2. Make a double boiler with a pan on water and fit a bowl over it. Make sure the top bowl does not touch the water.
3. Toss the chocolates, baking soda, salt, condensed milk and vanilla.
4. Stir until its melted and remove from heat. Mix to make sure its not lumpy and has a smooth texture.
5. Stir in walnuts. 
6. Pour into prepared pan and even the top with spatula. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until set. When ready to use, pull it out, peel off the parchment paper  and cut into 1" squares.

Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to leave a comment.

Thanks.

Brazilian Orange Flan

This recipe is by Maria-Brazil and I have been making it for years with some minor alterations. It is a perfect consistency and isn't too sweet and as I love anything that has oranges in it, this was absolute perfection.

Brazilian Orange Flan

RECIPE: Brazilian Orange Flan

Ingredients

1 (14 fluid ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

14 fluid ounces freshly squeezed orange juice, I like fresh tangerines juice for its intense flavor

4 eggs

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup sugar ( for the caramel)

8-9" Round Cake Pan for baking

Method

1. Place the sugar in an 8-9 inch round cake pan.Place the mold directly over medium heat. Keep turning the mold until the sugar melts into a golden brown caramel and spoon it up the sides of the mold.
2. Combine the condensed milk,orange juice,orange zest, and eggs in a blender. Whip until smooth.
3. Pour this mixture into the cake pan and place it in the center of the roasting pan with water. Bake it for about one hour (it will depend on your oven). It will turn golden brown on top and start separating from the sides of the mold. Let it cool to room temperature and place in refrigerator, preferably overnight (at least 6 hours).
4. Just before serving, run the tip of a knife around the inside of the mold. place a deep platter over the mold and invert (the flan should slide out easily).If not, give the mold a firm but careful shake. Spoon the caramel sauce on top and serve.

Place the sugar in an 8-9 inch round cake pan.Place the mold directly over medium heat. Keep turning the mold until the sugar melts into a golden brown caramel and spoon it up the sides of the mold.

Combine the condensed milk,orange juice,orange zest, and eggs in a blender. Whip until smooth.

Pour this mixture into the cake pan and place it in the center of the roasting pan with water. Bake it for about one hour (it will depend on your oven). It will turn golden brown on top and start separating from the sides of the mold.

Set it in the water bath and bake for about an hour

Baked and out of the oven

Let it cool down to room temperature and then chill for 4-6 hours

Hope you enjoy this with your family and friends. Don't forget to add yourself to the email list so you can receive all the posts via email.

Caramelized Upside-Down Banana Cake

What do I do with over ripe Bananas? I am sure there is about a million things you can do with them. First and most common use of ripe Bananas is in Traditional Banana Bread and even though I love it, it sounds boring today. I am in the mood for something new, more exciting, adventurous, creative. Something I have not tried before. You get my drift...

I have made the authentic Upside-Down Pineapple Cake several times and another huge favorite is the Pear Upside-Down Gingerbread. Fear not, its Fall so I am sure I will be making it this season. So I am trying this Banana Upside-Down Cake inspired by yet another favorite of mine, "Banana Foster". Bananas go extremely well in baking, caramelizing with brown sugar and Flambeing so this should work well. This recipe is an adaptation from Avery Cooks.

Caramelized Upside-Down Banana Cake

RECIPE: Caramelized Upside-Down Banana Cake

Ingredients
1 stick Butter, unsalted
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3-4 Bananas, sliced in half horizontally, then slice each half vertically into 3-4 pieces
1 TBSP Rum, optional
Dry Ingredients:
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Buttermilk (you can substitute it with half cup milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar mixed in)
1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Have a 9" Springform pan ready. A regular 9" cake pan will be too shallow. You can also use a flat bottom glass bowl if you have it.
2. Melt the butter and pour into the cake pan. Swirl it around to cover all the nooks and crannies.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter and fan the banana slices over it like a wheel and place them close together. Fill in all the gaps with smaller pieces. You can also put some slices around the circumference of the pan. If using the rum pour it over the banana slices.
4. Whisk together the dry ingredients 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
5. In another bowl whisk the wet ingredients. 1 large Egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup greek yogurt, 3 tbsp canola oil and 2 tsp Vanilla.
6. Fold in the wet ingredients with the dry using a spatula. It will be lumpy so do not over mix, just enough to mix it in.
7. Carefully pour the batter into the pan so as not to move the banana slices.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until it is set. insert the toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
9. Make sure you allow the cake to cool before you invert, slice and serve. You can serve it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or some vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients you will need

Sliced Bananas

Melted butter in the springform pan

Layer the brown sugar evenly on top of the butter

Fan the banana slices over it like a wheel and place them close together. Fill in all the gaps with smaller pieces. You can also put some slices around the circumference of the pan. You can pour a TBSP of Rum if you want at this point.

Whisk together the dry ingredients 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

In another bowl whisk the wet ingredients. 1 large Egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup greek yogurt, 3 tbsp canola oil and 2 tsp Vanilla.

Fold in the wet ingredients with the dry using a spatula. It will be lumpy so do not over mix, just enough to mix it in. Pour it over the bananas and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven

Hope you enjoy this special treat with your friends and family. Please tag me on facebook and Instagram or send me pictures of things you try and don't forget to recommend this site to your friends.

What is a Ladoo?

So many of you might not know what a Ladoo is. It is an Indian confection typically made from flour, sugar and ghee (clarified butter) that is shaped into a ball. 

A dear friend of mine Muskaan got me hooked onto a delicious Date, Nut and Seed Roll as it might be popularly known in the western world. To me, it reminded me of home and Ladoos. 

It is one of the easiest and wholesome snacks that you can whip up in a few minutes. It has become a staple tea-time snack (for me coffee time, I don't drink tea unless it is Green Tea). Yes, yes I am from North India and I don't drink tea. This is a whole new discussion and needs its own air time :) So back to the exquisite ladoo. The wholesome ingredients in it provide such a richness and satisfying quality to it that makes for a perfect snack when you crave sweets. Who knows the 4:00pm sugar craving snack-time I am talking about? I know its not just me.

Date Nut and Seed Rolls

RECIPE: Date, Nut and Seed Roll
Ingredients
20-25 Dates
2 tsp milled Flaxseed
2 tsp Chia seeds
2 tsp Hemp seeds
1 cup shredded coconut, plus 3 Tbsp for garnish
1 1/2 cup Cashews, unsalted
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom powder

Method

1. Using a food processor, blend it all together and shape them into balls. Roll each of them into the saved coconut powder and keep them in an airtight container.

I store them at room temperature and they get consumed really fast. I make them once a week at least. And here you have a healthy, delicious, all natural snack in under 30 minutes, as simple as that. This has eliminated the use of Granola bars in our house. No matter how healthy they may sound they still have fillers and preservatives that I want to eliminate as much as possible. I had most of the ingredients when I first heard about it and made them soon after. Hope you buy the ingredients on your next grocery trip, if you don't have them handy. Let me know how they turn out for you.

Flourless Mandarin Cake and Mascarpone

Tis the season for Oranges...

I got such rave reviews with the last orange cake so I am making this new invention with Mandarins this time. Again you can use any oranges that you have available. I just like to experiment with new flavors.

If you have been following my blog you already know about my inspiration to cook comes from my exceptional mom and her love for food. This is my way to carry on her legacy with my writing and recipes.

This cake reminds me of the winter days when we used to sit out in the sun as a family and enjoy the ripe juicy and oranges, brings back so many precious family moments. During the winter months, Oranges were abundant and my mom insisted on making some home-made marmalade which I never cared for at the time. It was too pungent and strong for me but now I miss having my mom live close by and make it for me. Anyhow, this is my way to recreate some of those amazing aromas wafting from her kitchen and I am using the same technique that she used to cook the oranges for the marmalade.

To macerate, means to soak and soften in liquid and in this recipe we are cooking whole mandarins in simmering water to soften and plump them to later add to the cake batter. This eliminates some of the bitterness from the orange peels but they still have that bitterness from the oil i the peels. This is definitely an adult tasting dessert and very marmalady (that's not even a word)

The velvety richness from the almond paste and the intensity from the Mandarins makes it incredibly delicious.

RECIPE: Flourless Mandarin Cake and Mascarpone

Ingredients

For Mandarins:
4-5  Mandarins
1-2 Sticks Cinnamon

For Almond Paste:
2 Cups Almonds, blanched
2 Cups Confectioners Sugar
2 Egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Cream or milk

For Cake:
6 Eggs
2 1/3 Cup Almond Paste
1 tsp Baking powder

For Garnish:
Mascarpone
Cointreau or orange liqueur (optional)
Orange, peeled and cut into thin circular slices.

Method:

1. For Mandarins: Put mandarins in a pot of cold water with the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 hours and let cool. Drain water and cut mandarins into fine dice with pith and peel and all :)
2. For Almond Paste: Put 2 Cups blanched almonds in a food processor and process until smooth. Add 2 Cups confectioners sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 egg whites and 2 Tbsp cream or milk and process it into a very smooth paste.
3. For Cake: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease any medium size pan or bowl that is deeper than a cake pan. You can use a bundt pan too. In a bowl beat all 6 eggs. Add almond paste, 1 tsp baking powder and the chopped mandarins. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour till the skewer test is clean. Cover cake at the 45 minute mark to prevent browning the top.
4. For Garnish: Garnish the cake with finely sliced mandarin rounds and a drizzle of Cointreau on top. Slice it and serve on to plates with a dollop of Mascarpone.

Step-by-step process,

For Mandarins: Put mandarins in a pot of cold water with the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2 hours and let cool. Drain water and cut mandarins into fine dice with pith and peel and all :)

For Almond Paste: Put 2 Cups blanched almonds in a food processor and process until smooth. Add 2 Cups confectioners sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 egg whites and 2 Tbsp cream or milk and process it into a very smooth paste.

For Cake: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease any medium size pan or bowl that is deeper than a cake pan. You can use a bundt pan too. In a bowl beat all 6 eggs. Add almond paste, 1 tsp baking powder and the chopped mandarins. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour till the skewer test is clean. Cover cake at the 45 minute mark to prevent browning the top.

For Garnish: Garnish the cake with finely sliced mandarin rounds and a drizzle of Cointreau on top. Slice it and serve on to plates with a dollop of Mascarpone.

This turned out AMAZING!! Enjoy making it and don't forget to leave some feedback. Thanks.