Chocolate Walnut & Cranberry Cake With Apple Roses

                              

Chocolate Walnut & Cranberry Cake With Apple Roses

This is the cake I baked for my Dad, who was visiting us for his 68th b'day, which was on 3rd dec '14. Cake is "Chocolate Walnut & Cranberry Cake", recipe of which is already given. Here I'm giving the simple recipe of apple roses to decorate the cake.

For Apple Roses

Ingredients

2 apples

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

For Apple Roses

In a bowl mix granulated sugar & ground cinnamon.

Finely slice unpeeled apples.

In a large non-stick frying pan, spread sugar-cinnamon mixture. 

When the sugar starts to melt, arrange apple slices, cover & cook over medium heat for 1 minute without flipping.

When the apple slices are wilted down, transfer them into a large plate. The caramelised side should face upwards, otherwise the slice might stick to the plate. Keep aside to completely cool. 

Repeat with the remaining apple slices. 

For apple roses, start with a small slice. Roll the slices until the rose reach the size you want & secure with one or two cloves.

Then arrange in a greased cup cake mould & bake at 180ºC for 5 minutes.

Roses with little clove aroma are ready.

To Arrange On Cake

Sprinkle cooled cake with powdered sugar + cinnamon.

Arrange apple roses & serve.

Tips

* Handle slices of apple with care after caramelisation as they become very delicate.

* Colour of roses depends on colour of it's peel.

Christmas Fruit Cake

     

Traditional Christmas cakes have rum or brandy but I can't use them so used orange juice instead. This cake has spice powder too which gives nice aroma. Original recipe, from premascook.com, has little more sugar but I used less as we like it that way (you can reduce without thinking much as dates, prunes etc make up for sweetness).

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted Butter 

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Plain Flour 

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1 tbsp Vinegar

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp spice powder (1 clove , 1 small piece cinnamon & a small piece of nutmeg)

1/3 cup Fruit Juice ( I used fresh orange juice)

3/4 cup Mixed Nuts (cashew nuts,almonds, walnuts) 

3/4 cup dried Fruits (sultanas, raisins, cherries, prunes, dates, mixed peels), roughly chopped.

Method

Put the mixed fruits (not nuts) in a bowl & add the fruit juice, mix well. Leave soaked overnight in refrigerator.

Pre heat the oven. 

In a small bowl,mix baking soda & vinegar. Keep aside.

In  a mixing bowl, beat butter & sugar till it becomes light & fluffy.

Shift the baking powder, salt & plain flour.

Add nuts to flour to coat them so they don't sink while baking.

Add flour to butter & fold well.

Add the soaked fruits along with the juice, baking soda+ vinegar mix & spice powder. Fold well.

Pour the batter in baking pan & decorate with glazed cherries or nuts, whatever you prefer & bake for 35-40 minutes, at 180 degree Celsius .

When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven & leave to cool.

Tips

* If using salted butter, then avoid using salt.

* You can use any other juice instead of orange, I like orange flavour more so used it.

* Refrigerate soaked dried fruits or they will get spoiled.

* If batter looks dry then you can use a tablespoon of milk.

Chocolate Kalakand

                                              

We ate loads of sweets in festive season, but that doesn't mean I can't make & eat more after Diwali !! And everyone in my family knows that when it comes to sweet I just can't stop myself. So here it is, Kalakand in chocolate flavour. Just few ingredients & a yummy, super easy & very popular sweet is ready.

Ingredients (makes 12 to 15 pieces)

4 + 4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp elaichi powder

1/2 cup curds (for making paneer)

1 tbsp sliced almonds or pistachio for garnishing

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

For Paneer

Boil the 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the curds gradually and stir the milk gently. 

The curd will start separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer line with muslin cloth.

Wrap the curds in a muslin cloth and squeeze well. 

To take out the excess water, squeeze the wrapped paneer. Do not knead the paneer.

For Kalakand

Boil remaining 4 cup of the milk in a heavy bottom frying pan on medium high heat until the milk reduces to about two cups.

Make sure to frequently stir the milk as the milk burns easily in bottom of the pan.

Add the paneer in the milk and keep stirring till the mixture thickness and form a soft dough consistency.

Add the sugar & take out half of this mixture in a bowl & keep aside.

In the remaining mixture add ealichi powder & continue to cook and stirring until the mixture become soft lump and start leaving the pan from sides.

Pour it over greased plate keeping about half inch thick.

Now take the remaining mixture in same pan & add cocoa powder.

Continue to cook and stirring until the mixture become soft lump and start leaving the pan from sides.

Pour it over the first mixture & level it.

Sprinkle cut almonds or pistachio

Let it cool for about one hour & refrigerate it.

Cut the kalakand in squares.

Tips

*Putting few spoons of water in pot before putting milk reduces burning the milk at the bottom of the pan.

*You can make paneer with lemon juice or citric acid instead of curds, but then you have to wash the paneer in running water to remove the sourness. Personally I would suggest curds only as it makes soft paneer always.

*Make sure kalakand don’t become too dry.

Imarti

                                              

Imarti or Amriti or Emarti or Omriti also known as Jaangiri or Jhangri in south India, is a dessert invented in Mughal kitchen & is now popular across the Indian Subcontinent including Rajasthan, West Bengal & South India.
In North India it is often consumed with rabri (condensed milk). In South India, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals.
So what are you waiting for? Make this for Bhaidooj & enjoy it with your brother 

Ingredients
For Batter
1 cup Split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal)
2 tbsp Rice flour or 1/4 cup Rice
6 to 8 drops Edible orange colour
Oil to deep fry

Sugar Syrup
5 cups Sugar
2 1/2 cups water
6 drops Rose essence
1 tsp Green cardamom powder
2 tbsp milk

Method
For Batter
Soak overnight dal & rice together.
Drain & grind in morning with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture.
If using rice powder then add it to dal mixture & mix well.
You would need water to grind but make sure to add little by little as the batter should not become too thin.

For Sugar Syrup
Boil sugar with water till a syrup of single-thread consistency is reached. Add milk & remove scum to make a clear sugar syrup. Remove from heat & strain the syrup.
Add rose essence & green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.

How to Proceed
Heat sufficient oil in a shallow flat kadai.
Beat the batter till it's light & fluffy. Now check it by dropping a drop in a bowl of water, if it floats then batter is ready otherwise you have to beat it more.
Take one ladle full of batter in the imarti cloth or zip lock bag (refer Tips), hold tightly & press the batter through the hole into the hot oil.
For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle & over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.
Make small batches & deep fry on both the sides till crisp & light golden brown. Drain the hot imarti & dip into the sugar syrup.
Let them remain immersed just for 2 minutes & drain them. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up. Serve hot.

Tips
* Imarti is best made immediately after grinding but you can always grind & refrigerate it. Just make sure to beat it well before using.
* Imarti cloth as suggested in this recipe is a special thick canvas cloth with a round buttonhole in the center.
* For Zip Lock Bag-
Take a zip lock bag & a nail. Heat nail & insert hot nail lightly in the centre of zip lock bag. You will get a hole that would be sealed on sides & when you make imartis, it will not tear.
* Do not over soak imartis in sugar syrup or they will not remain crisp & will become soggy.