Caramel Pudding / Flan

Ingredients
Milk - 2 cup
Eggs - 3
Sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup + 4 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Water - 1/8 cup

Directions
1. Add 1/8 cup water and 4 tbsp sugar to a thick bottomed vessel.Heat this pan and allow the sugar to melt and caramelize.Do not stir,only shake/swirl the vessel.After 8-10 minutes the liquid starts bubbling and turns brown color.
2. When it turns golden brown in color,remove from heat and pour it into the ramekin(or any oven safe /heat withstanding small bowl)
Swirl it to spread the caramel syrup evenly on the bottom of the bowls/ramekins
3. Whisk together egg and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla essence and milk. Beat and mix well.Pour this over the caramel syrup in ramekin/bowls.It will harden in seconds
4. Cover it with foil paper -optional
5. Boil water in a wide and deep vessel and keep the ramekins/bowls in it(fill the water upto 1/2+ level of ramekin-do not allow boiling water to seep into the bowl) .Cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes.Take out.
OR 
Place the ramekins in an oven safe pan ,partially filled with water.Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 F until the center is firm but wobbly
6. Keep it in refrigerator for 2 hrs or until the time of serving.
7. To take it out from the ramekin,run a knife along the sides of the ramekin,and place a dessert plate upside down over the ramekin. Now holding tightly,invert the ramekin and plate together.Lift the ramekin slowly,slightly shaking to loosen the pudding. Caramel syrup will run down the sides.

Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

All Purpose flour- 1 1/2 cup

Granulated Sugar- 1 cup

Cocoa powder- 1/4 cup unsweetened,sifted -not dutch processed

Baking powder- 1 tsp

Baking soda- 3/4 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Unsweetened Butter- 1/3 cup,melted

Warm water- 1cup

Lemon juice - 1tbsp

Vanilla extract- 1 tsp

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F(177 C) and place the rack in the center of oven.

2. In a greased 8 inch square pan/9 inch round pan mix the flour,sugar, cocoa powder,baking powder,baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, warm water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

4. Add this to the flour and mix all the ingredients well without any lumps 

5. Bake it in preheated oven for 30 minutes,or when a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.Remove from oven and cool it on a wire rack.

Recipe Courtesy : Joy of Baking

Melting Moments Cookies - 50th Post !!!

Ingredients 
All Purpose Flour- 3/4 cup
Corn flour/corn starch -1/2 cup
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Confectioners sugar /Powdered sugar- 1/4 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup at room temperature
Vanilla Extract- 1/2 tsp
Confectioners sugar /Powdered sugar -1/4 cup for topping
Method
1. Whisk together all purpose flour, corn starch and salt
2. Beat the butter and sugar well using a hand mixer until its creamy and smooth for about 2 minutes.Beat in vanilla extract.
3. Add the flour mixture and incorporate well.
4. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 or 2 hrs until its firm.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F/177 degrees C. Place rack in the center of oven .Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. After 1-2 hrs, make balls of 1 inch size using hands ,and place them on baking sheets.Space the balls 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 10- 14 minutes .Remove from oven and place the sheets on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes.
8. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack,placed over a sheet of parchment paper or butter paper.Take confectioners sugar in a fine strainer and sieve it over the cookies.Or sprinkle it on top of the cookies.
9. When it is cooled,store it in airtight container with wax paper in between.
It makes about 18-20 cookies.!!!
Recipe courtesy : Joy of Baking

Snow White Cake with Whipped cream frosting

Ingredients

All Purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup

Baking powder- 2tsp

Powdered sugar /Confectioner's sugar - 1 cup

Butter - 1/4 cup melted ,or at room temperature

Vanilla essence - 2tsp

Egg white - 3 at room temperature

Milk - 1/2 cup

For Icing/ Frosting

Heavy whipping cream - 100 ml

Powdered sugar - 3-4 tsp

Cherries/Strawberries/grapes /any fruits 8-10 numbers

Method

1. Mix the flour and baking powder together,and sieve it twice.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together by adding sugar gradually until its creamy.

3. Add egg white into this and beat well.Add vanilla essence and mix well.

4. Add flour and milk to this alternately , beginning and ending with flour.Mix well with a spoon

5. Preheat oven to 350 F/160 C.

6. Grease a 9" pan with butter or oil. Pour batter into this and bake for 35-40 minutes/ When the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. When the cake is done,cool it on a wire rack. When cake is almost cooled, You can start making whipped cream

8.Beat the heavy whipping cream, using a hand mixer by gradually adding sugar .Beat until it forms a firm peak.Watch some YouTube videos to see exactly when to stop beating.

9. Spread this whipped cream on the cooled cake .Decorate with cherries and chocolate shavings.Enjoy !!!

Note : I turned my cake upside down before frosting to get a flat surface for frosting.So I used a parchment paper/non stick liner in my baking pan before pouring the batter and buttered it 

Recipe from Kaipunyam and Adukkalavisesham. I did some modifications to the original recipe according to my taste 

Bread Butterscotch Pudding

Ingredients

Bread - 10 slices, cubed , (removing side skin is optional)

Egg-3 at Room Temperature

Sugar- 3/4 Cup (1/2 + 1/4 cup)

Milk- 3 Cup

Butter - 50 gm

Method

1. Separate the white and yellow of the eggs into two different vessels.

2. Beat the yellow with a spoon and add the milk into it.Mix well and keep aside.

3. Caramelise  half cup sugar in a thick bottomed vessel.When the sugar starts melting ,give occasional stirring. 

4.When the sugar is completely caramelised ,it turns golden brown color.Turn off the stove and  add butter to it. It melts ,mix it well with the caramelised sugar.Allow it to cool by removing from the stove and keeping aside .

5.When it is cooled , add the milk- egg yellow mix to the caramel syrup and mix well. If the caramel syrup becomes hard, you can heat it with 1/4 cup water and make it into fluid state . Take care not to add very hot caramel syrup to the egg-milk mix, because the egg will get cooked.

6. Arrange the bread pieces in a buttered baking pan.Pour the caramel syrup- milk mix to it and allow bread pieces to soak in it 

5. Meanwhile beat the egg white,adding 1/4 cup sugar occasionally.Beat it well to a thick meringue stage/stiff peak .

6. Spread the meringue above the soaked bread pieces and mix lightly with it using a fork .Allow it to seep into the bread-caramel syrup mix.

7.Preheat oven to 375 F /180 C and bake for 35-45 minutes .or until the top develops a golden brown color crust. 

8. Cool and keep it in refrigerator.

# Pudding in the picture looks thin because my baking dish was over sized for the quantity of ingredients

Recipe courtesy : Lakshmi Nair - Magic Oven

Vegetable Puffs and Chicken Puffs

Ingredients for Chicken Puffs
Chicken - 200 gm or 1/2 lb ,cleaned and cut into small pieces 
Onion - 1 medium sliced
Ginger - chopped 1 tsp
Garlic - 1tsp chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1.5 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 
Salt
Oil
Egg -1


Method 
1.Cook chicken separately with salt,chilli, and turmeric pepper powders and when chicken is done, mince it with fork & knife or hand into very tiny pieces.Keep aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger ,garlic, onion .Saute them until soft and light brown
3. Reduce heat and add all powders ,fennel and roast it and mix well with onion .Adjust the salt .
4. Add the chicken pieces and mix well with the above masala, remove from heat and keep aside
5. Thaw the puff pastry sheets to room temperature .Cut the sheets into desired shape. Pepperidge farm pastry sheets has 2 sheets in each pack .6 puffs can be made from each sheet if you cut the sheet in rectangular
6. Put the chicken filling to individual sheets. Seal the edges using a few drops of water and pressing with a fork/hand
7. Preheat oven to 400 F .Arrange the puffs on greased aluminium foil in a baking dish 
8. Brush the top of unbaked puffs with egg wash ( 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water ).It will give golden brown color to the puff
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or the puffs turn golden color on top and look crispy


Note : You can use leftover chicken also, to make the chicken filling ,Make sure  chicken curry/fry/roast is dry,by sauteing.Remove the bones .Mince like above and use as filling .


For Vegetable puffs 
Potato-  1 Peeled and cut into small pieces 
Carrot - 1/4th of one carrot -peeled and cut into small pieces
Green beans - 3-4 chopped
Onion -1 sliced
Frozen Peas- 1/4 cup.thawed
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp
Oil
Curry leaves 

Method
1. Cook the vegetables with enough water.
2. Heat  oil in a pan and saute the onion until light brown
3. Add the powders and roast well and mix . 
4. Now add the cooked vegetables and adjust salt ,mix well .Vegetable filling is ready 
5. Thaw the puff pastry sheets to room temperature .Cut the sheets into desired shape. Pepperidge farm pastry sheets has 2 sheets in each pack .6 puffs can be made from each sheet if you cut the sheet in rectangular shape like I did.
6. Put the vegetable filling to individual sheets. Seal the edges using a few drops of water and pressing with a fork/hand
7. Preheat oven to 400 F .Arrange the puffs on greased aluminium foil in a baking dish 
8. Brush the top of unbaked puffs with egg wash ( 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water ).It will give golden brown color to the puff.Avoid if you want pure veg puffs .
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or the puffs turn golden color on top and puffs look crispy

Marble Cake

Ingredients
All purpose flour- 1 .1/4 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1/3 cup
Sugar- 1cup
Egg -2 
Vanilla essence -2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder- -2 Tbsp
 Method
1. Sieve together the flour, salt and baking powder and keep aside
2. Beat sugar and butter till its creamy 
3. Add egg one by one and beat well
4. Add vanilla essence and mix well
5. Add the flour slowly and milk alternately.Mix well
6.Take another bowl ,and pour 2-3 tbsp of the batter to it .Mix the cocoa powder with it very well 
7. Pre heat the oven to 350 degree F.
8. Grease a 9 inch pan with butter or oil . Pour white batter to this and and the  2-3 tsp of chocolate mix over it . Continue this alternatively.
9. Swirl using a knife/fork (optional)
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes or the cake turns golden on top or when the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Recipe courtesy: Kaipunyam