Garlic Sauce

Mediterranean marvels...

If you have stayed in the gulf, or even visited any of the gulf countries, most probably you have tasted this wonderful condiment cum dipping sauce that is often served with most Arabic, or Lebanese dishes.

Its somewhat akin to a garlic mayonnaise, but it uses only egg whites and not whole eggs. (also for some reason i have mastered this recipe but have failed, each time i have tried making mayonnaise).

I found this recipe, with video on dedemed (the video is really important, coz i have found that even one ingredient put in the wrong order can spoil this recipe)

Ingredients:

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 or 2 cold egg whites

Method:

In a food processor add minced garlic, begin processor and slowly add oil and lemon juice alternating them. after it turns whitish add one to two cold egg whites while the processor is blending until you reach mayonnaise consistency. Add the rest of the oil and lemon juice until gone, scrape down sides intermittently. add the salt and give it a few pulses in the end.
Serve with chicken or meat and cover and refrigerate remainder. Refrigerate for up to 1 week in closed container.

To be enjoyed with various fried or grilled meats, fries or even carrot sticks...why not.

Orange wafer cookies

Sweet Nostalgia.....

Most of my baking experiments are trials to recreate stuff that was once readily available to me in Abu Dhabi, and now in Mumbai I simply crave for them sometime...

One of these aforementioned cravings is for these orange wafer cookies..i don't remember the brand name, or even what they were called, i only remember picking up the orange box of tiny cookies, every time we were in the biscuit section of any supermarket.

so naturally when i was deprived of the yummy snack in Mumbai, i went in search for a recipe that would recreate them, and luckily found the perfect one, on my first try (what were the chances of that, without even a name of the cookie).

I really didn't have to change anything in the recipe....like i sadi, the recipe perfectly recreates my favorite orange cookie, 

BEWARE !! You can't just have one..

Ingredients:
½ Cup Butter Softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract or 2 tbsp orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Thin orange or lemon peel strips, optional

Method:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, orange peel, lemon peel and extracts. In another bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inche. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. If desired, top with orange peel strips.

Bake at 180°C for 6-8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 
Yield: about 4 dozen.

Little rounds of perfection ...

Gulab Jamuns

Going Traditional....

I have to confess...I like traditional sweets, But I am Very picky about where I have a particular Indian sweet from , My Kaju Katli Has to be from MM mithaiwala, my rossogulla has to be fresh and spongy, my carrot halwa has to be mom made and so on and on it goes...(people think i'm impossible, but thats just how i am).
When it comes to gulab jamuns, the traditional way of making gulab jamuns is by addind a little khoya or mawa to the dough, plus some people even add rose water to the syrup. but i don't like them if either of these ingredients are added, and i prefer the modern recipe for this traditional sweet , that is, making the dough with milk powder. 

Ingredients:

8 tbsp milk powder

3 tbsp maida

1 tsp ghee

1/4 tsp soda bicarbonate

milk - as per consistency

for syrup -

2 cups sugar

4 cups water 

Method:

mix milk powder, maida,ghee, and soda bicarbonate, add milk to make shaping consistency. make balls, make sure that the surface of the balls is smooth. fry the balls in ghee.

make sugar syrup, and add balls in warm syrup, cover and keep till the balls are softened.

Golden balls of perfection !!!

chips

Healthy Munchin...

This is not much of a recipe, more of an Idea, but a really good one. you can make baked chips with whatever you want, you can make your classic all time favorite potato chips, the indian favorite banana chips, or healthier versions like sweet potato or tapioca chips.
believe me, your kids will love you, and you will be the cool mom, who makes them Chips...

The recipe that i initially found was for sweet potato chips, and believe me i found them better than potato chips, especially for kids, they are richer in vitamins than the regular potato and because of the slightly sweet taste in them, you actually require no salt or seasoning...(not joking)

Sweet potato crisps

Ingredients:
2 Sweet potatoes,Scrubbed and sliced into small strips with a potato peeler.
Few sprays of olive oil

Method:
Turn the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with foil.
Pat the sweet potato slices dry with some kitchen paper and arrange on the tray.
Spray with the spray oil and lightly stir to coat all sides.
Spread them out again so they are mainly in contact with the foil.
Bake for 8 - 10  minutes until golden brown, turning once half way through. Keep an eye on them towards the end as they can quickly turn from done to burnt.

You might have to experiment with the temperatures and timings depending on you oven and the type of hips you are making, but once you have perfected that, there is not much effort required for making these

Baked banana chips

Gummy Candy

Who Doesn't love it....

In my world .....everyone loves this, some might act as if they are too old for it, but then quietly sneak a piece when no ones looking, where as others like me are not ashamed of their childish choices when it comes to candy....

I do like gummy candy, but i would never have actually tried it if it wasn't for a packet of lime jelly lying in my kitchen. Someone had given it to me, and lime is not a favored flavor in my house, so i didn't know what to do with the packet or how to use it up.

that was when i came across this recipe, and loved the simplicity of it, i also liked the idea of using fresh fruits n juices (for kids, that's really great)

So this was how i ended up using my packet of lime flavored Jello. And all the kids loved it (I'm like their favorite aunt now)

I don't know where i picked up this recipe, but it was basically the same everywhere, so it really doesn't matter...enjoy !!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cold water or any fruit juice

1 packet jello (optional)

1 tbsp gelatin (2 tbsp if using juice)

Method:

Put water in a sauce pan, sprinkle the gelatin and jello over it and let it sit for 5 -10 minutes. Simmer over low heat, just until all the ingredients are completely dissolved. Pour into molds and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes to set. Use un greased molds.

 You can coat the individuals candies with citric acid or granulated sugar.

If using fruit juice, sprinkle 2 tbsp of gelatin over 3 tbsp of water let it sit for 5 -10 minutes, then heat in a microwave for 30 – 45 seconds or until dissolved( can also dissolve over a double boiler). Add the gelatin to the juice, mix well and pour in molds.

Un-mold and Enjoy!!

Millionare's Shortbread Bars

Sweet Somethings.......

I always love gifting home made treats to people. Especially for my little nieces and nephews. but the problem with making such edible gifts is that they have to be durable, especially if they have to travel in the Mumbai heat in an auto rickshaw (all types of whipped cream and butter cream turn into liquid by the time you reach your destination).
So i usually prefer making cookies or bars to carry for my nieces or nephews, or to send to any other special friends and family.
So when I wanted to send something special for my sister in law (who is like the biggest fan of my baking), I remembered this recipe that i had checked out a couple of times of joy of baking.
Although it looks a bit tedious, I assure you that the end result is so absolutely delicious, you will be making this recipe again and again and again......
the first time i tried the recipe, the only change i made was to make the caramel by using brown sugar, butter and milk, instead of using condensed milk, as the recipe says, because the end result is the same (and I didn't have enough condensed milk at hand).
The next time i made it i used an oatmeal crust instead of shortbread, and it tasted even better, I guess the oats added a  nice mealy and nutty flavor that complimented the caramel and the chocolate very well.

Ingredients

SHORTBREAD:

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Or 

You can use the oatmeal crust recipe from my Date Squares 

CARAMEL FILLING:

1 - 14 ounce (396 grams) can Dulce de Leche or sweetened condensed milk

or

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

3 - 4 tbsp  Milk

CHOCOLATE TOPPING:

6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Ingredients:

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C and place rack in center of oven.  Grease with butter a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan.

FOR SHORTBREAD: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together.  Press onto the bottom of your greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until pale golden in color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

FOR CARAMEL FILLING: If using Dulce de Leche then simply warm the caramel in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using sweetened condensed milk, pour the milk into a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cover and cook, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 60 to90 minutes or until the milk has thickened and has turned a caramel color. Remove from heat and beat until smooth.  Pour the caramel over the baked sh+bread and leave to set.

Note: You can also do this step in a microwave oven. Place the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwaveable bowl and cook on medium power for about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time. Reduce the powder to medium-low and continue to cook for another 8 to 12 minutes, or until the milk has thicken and has turned a light caramel color. Remove from microwave and beat until smooth.

Or

Caramelize brown sugar and butter and add milk and cook till thick and sticky.

FOR TOPPING: Melt the chocolate and butter either in the microwave oven or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Pour the melted chocolate evenly over the caramel and leave to set. Cut the shortbread into pieces using a sharp knife. 

Store the shortbread in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate nice and firm. 

Yield: 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) squares

Praline Oatmeal cookies

Leftovers are not a bad thing...

Provided you know how to present them, you see the minute you tell people that you have used "left over "something in a recipe, or that you made this so and so treat to finish up something "leftover" from a previous recipe, they become apprehensive about tasting it.

But if you are clever enough to use up your leftovers and not mentioning that tiny detail to your family and friends you become a master chef in their eyes.(and no one is none the wiser).

I pride myself in using leftover ingredients that i had prepared for a certain recipe for some other recipe in innovative ways(hope i don't sound like i'm boasting).

I mean the ideas are endless once you put your head to it.
I can list a number of recipes i just made to finish off leftover somethings...

leftover egg yolks - creme caramel

leftover caramel - millionare's shortbread bars
mint truffles gone to soft - chocolate mint brownies
stale cake - trifle
and so on and on the list goes.
So when i had left over almond pralines after my almond pralines and custard cake, I thought why not put them in some cookies. and whats healthier than some oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup oats

1/2 - 3/4th cup chopped almond praline

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade . Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside, beat the butter and sugars, with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy; add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed; stir in the oats and the chopped pralines.

drop rounded tablespoons on a greased baking tray, or parchment paper.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

I covered some of the cookies with some melted chocolate, but that's your choice; they taste great just as it is too..