Toblerone & Almond Brownie

My love affair with brownies is no secret anymore. Here I'm introducing the latest one, that even my husband loves ;)

Moist, chewy, & so delicious! These will be favourite of anyone who loves Toblerone & nuts & will be gone before you know it !!

Ingredients 

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

1/2 + 1/4 cup chopped Toblerone

1 tsp coffee powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp curds (dahi)

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

6 tbsp milk

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, Coffee, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate + 1/2 cup Toblerone & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & mix well. Add curds & vanilla & mix really well.

Mix almonds with flour so they wont settle down after baking.

Fold flour & milk alternately, making sure to end with flour.

There should be no lumps.

Pour the brownie batter into a greased and dusted baking pan.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped Toblerone.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Tips

* You can omit coffee if you want.

* I used Toblerone minis here. You can use whatever flavour of Toblerone you want but dark will taste best. (I ate up all dark ones & was left with milk & white so had to used them only).

* As usual don't beat the batter, just fold it.

Fruit Tart

A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. Modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard. Jam Tarts can be made by filling mini tarts with different flavour of jams.

Ingredients

Pastry 

2 cups maida

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Filling

1/2 cup fresh cottage cheese (Without whey)

2 tbsp fresh cream

1/4 cup castor sugar (according to taste)

1/4 cup mango pieces

Topping

Cut fruits of your choice (kiwis, peaches, grapes, strawberries etc)

Method

Pastry

Whisk maida, baking powder & salt in a medium bowl.

Puree cottage cheese in a food processor. 

Add sugar, milk, oil & vanilla. Process until smooth. 

Add flour mixture & pulse 4 or 5 times, just until the dough clumps together. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface & gently knead several times; do not overwork. 

Take small portion & roll out, it should not be too thin.

Place in greased tart moulds or a pie dish & press lightly.

Prick with a fork.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes or until the tarts are golden in colour.

Remove, unmould and cool.

Cream Filling

Put the cottage cheese, cream, sugar & mango in a mixer & churn till everything is mixed. Keep refrigerated till needed.

How to Assemble 

Take the cool pastry & fill it with cream filling.

Arrange fruits of your choice over the filling.

You can again decorate it with cream filing or leave it just like that.

Refrigerate for 30 mins.

Serve cold.

Tips

* You can use sweetened whipped cream instead of cream filling.

* You can make any flavour of cream filling.

* When topping the fruits, always choose fruits that don't turn black after cutting or the tart won't look good.

* The recipe here is for sweet tarts & these should be filled with sweet fillings only. Use your imagination to fill these tarts.

* For making tarts in a different way, you can also refer to my earlier recipe of Fruit Custard Tarts.

Khatti Meethi Kairi

This is a very tangy & yummy recipe by my mom. When she came to visit us in June, she brought with her some raw mangoes from our only mango tree. I asked her to teach me how to make this yummy dish. So here it is :)

Ingredients 

4 raw mangoes chopped (abt 2 cups)

3/4 cup Jaggary 

1/2 tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp kalonji

1 tsp salt (to taste)

2 red chilies dry

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (to taste)

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add methi seeds, kalonji & red chillies.

As they crackle, add other ingredients along with water. 

Close pressure cooker & put the heat off after one whistle.

Release pressure as we don't want it all mashed, some pieces of mangoes in it will taste good

Now cook again on slow heat to dry it up little.

Taste and adjust salt & jaggary. 

Serve with hot parathas, poories or mathries.

Tips

* Don't mash it as the pieces tastes good in it.

* You can use sugar in place of jaggary.

* This can be made in a wok too but increase water by 2 tbsp in that case.

* Freeze this if you want to store it for longer period.