Let's cook. And eat.

Had been wanting to try this one for a long long time. Finally came together for Xmas. Sticky toffee pudding is a traditional English dessert - a steamed date cake.  Mr. S did all the chopping of dates. Which really was the hardest part. Other than that, these are super easy to make.  Followed this particular recipe.  https://homemadeandyummy.com/sticky-toffee-pudding-pressure-cooker/ Added some cinnamon and clove powders to add some warm flavors.  Can also be steamed in Instant Pot on Steam setting for 20 minutes. 

So hot today it was ridiculous. I was reminded of how my mom used to give us Roohafza with milk on such days.  Made this rose flavored Israeli dessert - it was refreshing and just what we needed. Used rice flour to make it and added cardamom for some extra flavor. Replaced the vanilla essence with rose essence and used rose syrup to top it.  https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/israeli-kitchen/recipes/how-make-malabi-milk-pudding

A friend’s son requested a chocolate dessert for his birthday gift. So made these quintessential baked desserts (but without the baking) because it does not get more chocolatey than a Pot de creme.  https://thecafesucrefarine.com/blender-chocolate-pots-de-creme/ Substituted half and half for the cream in the dessert and it worked wonderfully. Next morning the chocolate dessert was all set. For the whipped topping added some vanilla essence to the cream for flavor. 

The idea came from Reena Di. She suggested making halwa with quinoa. I was intrigued to no end so decided to make it. After all it was Ganesha’s birthday and he loves sweets.  Start off with dry grinding 1 cup of quinoa. Roast it in 4-5 tbsp of ghee. Meanwhile boil 1 cup of water or milk with 1 cup of sugar. Go less on the sugar if you like it less sweet. Add a tsp of cardamom powder and some saffron threads. I actually ended up using coconut sugar. Once the quinoa is roasted add the boiling liquid into the pan and stir quickly. Roast/stir for a couple of more minutes. Add some slivered almonds. Done. 

The inspiration and recipe came from a friend in the neighborhood who made these on Mother’s Day and promptly left a sample for each of us.  https://www.cookwithkushi.com/nankhatai/ And the effort came from Master S, who has been being really handy in the kitchen these days. I just had to babysit these when they were in the oven.  Delish! 

This just went into the oven.  https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-zucchini-bread/ Did not have applesauce on hand so used puréed peaches instead.  The best part about this recipe was that there was really no heavy lifting- just throw the ingredients together and you are good to go.  I did have to bake longer than 50 minutes. I think I almost went to 65-70 minutes. Wondering if my oven heats up to the right temperature... 

I once made it for a wedding party of 100 guests and it came together in less than 30 minutes start to finish. Super easy and ridiculously yummy.  https://www.food.com/recipe/nutella-mousse-63150 I like this recipe, instant coffee is skippable but it adds a nice flavor.  Top with fresh berries or pecans or macarons. 

This one is a guest post - an exquisite black forest cake. It is curated, because my dear friend shared a generous piece of this cake with us (yes, I am blessed to be surrounded by some very caring and generous friends). I have to say - this is quite possibly one of the best black forest cakes I have had. And believe me I have had my fair share over the years. Here is her recipe as she wrote it down for me:  Ingredients:  2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 6 eggs (separate the yolks and egg whites) 1/2 cup melted butter 3/4 cup water 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder 2 cups whipping cream 1/4 cup powdered sugar 2 cans Dark sweet Cherries (Oregon brand) Good chocolate (used the Guittards semi sweet) Chocolate chips For the cake - - Take the separated egg yolks and beat with a hand mixer - Add the water, melted butter and vanilla - Add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating - Thereafter add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder - This will form...

There were some leftover egg yolks from another recipe I had made and some leftover cream. So creme brûlée is what came to mind.  The recipe is simple - Preheat the oven to 325 F. Put water to boil in a pot for a water bath for the ramekins. You whisk 4 egg yolks vigorously with 3 tbsp sugar till it’s a pale yellow. Heat up 2 cups of cream (or half and half) till it begins to steam and there are bubbles of the edge - just warm, not hot. Switch off the heat and stir in 1.5 tsp of vanilla essence. Slowly add 1/2 cup of cream to the yolks while mixing continuously. This tempers the yolks and they do not scramble. Add the remaining cream and keep mixing. Sieve the mixture and pour into ramekins.  Put it into a hot water bath (ramekins should be half submerged in water) and move to the oven at 325 F for 40-50 minutes. Take them out when the edges are firm but the center a little jiggly.  Cool the ramekins on a wire rack and then cover and move to the refrigerator for at least ...

A gracious neighbor shared some home grown plums, so I went looking for a  plum torte recipe and found this.  Followed it to the tee -  https://www.teeniecakes.com/rustic-italian-plum-almond-cake-torta-di-prugne-e-mandorle/ Somehow my plums sank to the bottom during the bake - after I had poured the batter in, I realized that I had put the spring form of my pan top side down. Ah well. It did taste wonderful though.