Desserts

Candied fruits cookies

| Rekha Vengalil
Candied fruits are so Christmassy. I had plans to make them at home but laziness took over and ended up with store-brought. But if you want to make them yourself, check out the recipe here.
 
These cookies are crunchy on the outside, Soft and chewy on the inside. Double up the recipe if you want to make big batch as they disappear really fast. Perfect for Christmas gifts too. 

You need –

  • Unsalted butter – 75 grams, softened
  • Light brown muscovado sugar – 40 grams
  • Caster sugar – 40 grams
  • Vanilla extract – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Egg – 1.5 tablespoon of 1 beaten egg
  • Plain flour – 110 grams 
  • Baking  soda – 1/4 teaspoon
  • salt – 1/4 pinch
  • Mixed candied fruits – 100 grams
 How to –
Preheat the oven to 170 C. Line the baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Set aside.
In the mixing bowl, beat  the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat lite and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg. Add the sifted flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix well. Add the candied fruits and mix till everything is well combined. 
 
Drop 1 tablespoon of the dough into the prepared baking tray. Slightly press with the back of the spoon  and spacing at least  2 inches  between each cookie.
 
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until light brown on the edges and still slightly soft in the center. 
Allow the cookies to firm up on the tray for about 10 minutes and  then transfer to a cooling rack.
 
 
 
 

Strawberry marshmallow mousse

| Rekha Vengalil
 
These delicious do-ahead dessert is so easy and don’t take long to make up.  The recipe is from BBC food. I have not made any change but added a few mint leaves that gave way to a nice flavor.
 

How to –

  • Fresh strawberries– 250 grams, halved (Set aside 2-3 berried if you want to garnish)
  • Caster sugar – 25 grams
  • Mini marshmallows – 140 grams
  • Mint leave – 4
  • Double cream – 200 ml
  • Water – 100 ml
 

You need –

In a sauce pan put strawberries, mint leave, water and sugar. Cook over a medium heat until soft enough to mash.
 
Turn off the heat and mash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy. Add the marshmallows into the hot strawberries and stir continuously until the mallows have completely dissolved. Leave to cool.
 
In a clean and dry bowl, whip the cream until it holds its shape. Gently fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix.
 

Spoon into the serving bowls and chill for about 2 hours or till set. 

You can garnish with the reserved strawberries and serve..



 

Apple slices with crispy and crumble topping

| Rekha Vengalil
A recipe from the cook book “cakes and desserts”. With baked apples and a crispy topping; is absolutely delicious. Team it up with a scoop of ice-cream too.
 

You need –

  • Sharp red apples – 4
  • Butter – 60 grams, cold and cut into cubes
  • Caster sugar – 3 tablespoons
  • Lemon juice – 2 teaspoons
  • All purpose flour – 1/2 cup
  • Brown sugar – 1/3 grams
  • Porridge oats  – 3 tablespoons
  • Ground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt – a pinch

How to –

Butter a 8 inch spring form cake pan.Set aside. Pre-heat the over to 180 C.
 
Peel and core the apples and cut into slices. In bowl combine the apples, lemon juice and sugar. Toss well and spread them over the cake pans.
In food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, salt and pulse. Add the butter cubes and pulse again till everything starts to form lumps.
 
Spread the crumble over the apples and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before slicing and serving.
 
 

Semiya Payasam / vermicelli kheer

| Rekha Vengalil
Wishing all  Malayalis a very happy Onam! And for those who are new to this term, here is something to read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam 
 
And this Onam it’s semiya payasam for us. An all time favorite of mine; though hubby and daughter is more for parippu payasam. The recipe I share  is with Condensed milk, that’s made the payasam so creamy and rich and so fitting for the celebration. Please adjust the sugar to suit your taste.  I have used store brought roasted cashews for garnishing instead of fried cashew. You may opt for this or do the traditional way of frying the cashews and raisins in the ghee as mentioned in the recipe below.


You need –

  • Vermicelli/semiya – 1 cup
  • Milk – 1 litre
  • Condensed milk – 1 tin
  • Sugar – 2 tablespoon or as per taste
  • Cashew nuts & raisins – 1/4 cup each
  • Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Ghee/clarified butter – 1 tablespoon + extra for frying cashews and raisins

 

 
How to –
 
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy bottom pan and roast the semiya till golden brown.
 
Add milk and cook over low flame till semiya is cooked through and milk has reduced and bit thick. Stirring frequently. Add condensed milk and sugar. Mix till well combined.  
 
Add cardamom powder and turn off the heat.
 
In a pan, heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts till golden brown. Add the raisins and fry till they puff up.  Add this to the payasam and serve hot or chilled.
 

Sending this recipe to the event – ” Favorite Food Event – Payasams/ Kheers” hosted by The Big Sweet Tooth

Kadala parippu pradhaman / Chana dal Kheer

| Rekha Vengalil


Onam is here again! and I have planned to post onam sadya recipes this week. Unsure if I will be able to do all of it by 16th; yet promise to fit in as much as possible. I already have a few that you might want to check out

And today I have this delicious payasam/pradhaman made of coconut milk and chana dhal. Traditionally fried coconut pieces are also added in but I forgot to buy them and realised only when I started making the payasam. 


You need –

  • Chana dal – 250 grams, cleaned & washed
  • Palm sugar/ Jaggery – 400 grams, grated
  • Coconut milk
    • Think Coconut milk – 3/4 cup
    • Medium thick coconut milk – 1.5 cups
    • Thin coconut milk – 3 cups
  • Ghee – 2 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon of frying cashewnuts
  • Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Cashewnut and coconut pieces – 40 grams each

How to –

In pressure cooker, cook the dal with enough water (around 3 cups). Once done mash roughly and set aside.


In pan melt the palm sugar/jaggery with 1/4 tablespoon water and aside. Now heat a heavy bottom pan and add 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the cooked dal and melted jaggery and mix well. Be careful as the ghee will start to splatter so take care.

Stir till everything is well combined. Now add the thin coconut milk and bring to a rolling boil. Add the medium thick coconut milk and cook till the payasam thickens and reduces to half. Stir frequently. Add the Thick coconut milk and bring to a gently simmer.
Turn off the heat add the cardamom powder and mix well.


In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the cashew and coconut pieces (if using) till golden brown. Add this to the payasam and mix well. Serve hot.