Tooty fruity cake

INGREDIENTS

1. Sifted all purpose flour     3 cups
2. Baking powder                1 tablespoon
3. Salt                         1/2 teaspoon
4. unsalted butter at room temperature  1 cup
5. granulated white sugar       1 3/4 cups
6. Eggs, at room temperature    4 large
7. Pure vanilla extract         2 teaspoon
8. Room temperature milk        1 cup
9. Tooty-fruity 1 cup

STEPS

Preheat-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). 
2. Butter or spray a cake pan with a non-stick vegetable spray. 
3. Then line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper, then spray the paper.

Cake batter-

1. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients, i.e., flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Now beat the butter until soft using a hand or electric mixer. Then slowly add sugar and beat the mixture until it's light and fluffy.
3. Now add the eggs and beat the mixture. 
4. Add vanilla extract and milk. Mix well.
5. Add sifted flour mixture prepared earlier while the mixer is on slow speed.
6. Take tooty fruity and mix a little dry flour in it. Mix this tooty-fruity to the cake batter.

Baking-

1. Transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake for 40-45 mins. 
2. Then remove and insert a tooth pick at the center. It should come out clean, otherwise bake for 5-10 mins more.
3. Place the cake on wire rack to cool and remove from pan.

Enjoy with evening tea.
Cool cake completely if you are going to do icing over it. 

Coconut macaroons

Delicious macaroons with simplest ingredients.  Perfect stuff to nibble in weekend night.

Yield     2 dozen
Total Time   40 mins

INGREDIENTS

• Egg whites at room temperature    4 large
• Granulated white sugar    200 gms (1 cup)
• Pure vanilla extract    1 teaspoon
• Sifted plain flour(maida)   65 gms (1/2 cup)
• Dried sweetened coconut, shredded or flaked    300 gms 3 cups

STEPS

• Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. In the bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
• When this mixture is warm to touch, it should be nice and creamy. 
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, flour, and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place small mounds of the batter on the baking sheet, spacing few inches apart. 
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool further.

Notes-
Chocolate chips can also be added to the batter.

Banana Chocolate chip pancakes

A perfect breakfast choice for weekends. Delicious pancakes with the goodness of bananas.

Course                      Breakfast
Difficulty                     Easy
Cooking Time          30 minutes
Preparation Time     05 minutes
Total Time               35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs    1
• Milk    1 cup
• Vanilla Essence  1/2 teaspoon
• All purpose flour  1 1/2 cups
• baking powder    1 tablespoon
• Brown Sugar   2 tablespoons
• Cinnamon   1/2 teaspoon
• Salt   1/2 teaspoon
• Butter for frying and serving
• mini chocolate chips   1/4-1/2 cup
• Bananas, mashed   2(about 1 cup)

STEPS

• Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry, add bananas, and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. ( Add less than 1/2 cup if you want less chocolaty).
• Spray pan or griddle with cooking spray. Drop desired amount of pancake batter onto preheated griddle or pan. Cook until small bubbles form then flip until the bottom is a light golden brown.
• Serve plain or with maple syrup.

Pancake

A perfect breakfst choice for weekends.

Course                     Breakfast
Difficulty                 Easy
Yield                        16 numbers
Cooking Time          30 minutes
Preparation Time     05 minutes
Total Time               35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1. Eggs                      2
2. Milk                      1 3/4 cup
3. Vanilla Essence     1 teaspoon
4. Self raising flour   2 cups
5. Caster Sugar         1/3 cup
6. Butter for frying and serving
7. Maple Syrup to serve

STEPS

1. Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla together in a jug. 
2. Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add milk mixture. Whisk until just combined.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Grease pan with butter or spray with cooking oil. 
4. Using 1/4 cup mixture per pancake, cook 2 pancakes for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. 
5. Turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. 
6. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mixture, greasing pan with butter or cooking oil between batches.
7. Serve with maple syrup and extra butter.

Notes-

1. Instead of self-raising flour, you can use 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder.

Sooji Halwa

Course                      Dessert
Cuisine                     Indian
Cooking Time          20 minutes


INGREDIENTS

1. Sooji (Semolina)       1 cup 
2. Sugar                         3/4th cups
3. Water                         3 cups
4. Ghee                          1/2 cup
5. Assorted nuts             1/2 cup
6. Cardamom powder    1/2 tsp
7. Few strands of saffron

 STEPS

1. Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan or karahi. 
2. Add sooji to it and fry it until it starts changing color. 
3. When sooji has turned light golden brown in color, its time to add water. 
4. Add water slowly and keep stirring the sooji thoroughly so that it doesn’t form any lumps.
5. Now add sugar and cardamom powder and blend it all together and stir until the water is fully absorbed.
6. Garnish with the chopped nuts and saffron. Serve hot.

Besan halwa

Course                      Dessert
Cuisine                     Indian
Cooking Time          20 minutes


INGREDIENTS

1. Besan                         1 cup 
2. Sugar                         3/4th cups
3. Water                         2 cups
4. Ghee                          1/2 cup
5. Assorted nuts             1/2 cup
6. Cardamom powder    1/2 tsp
7. Few strands of saffron

 STEPS

1. Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan or karahi. 
2. Add besan to it and fry it until it starts changing color. 
3. When besan has turned light golden brown in color, its time to add water. 
4. Add water slowly and keep stirring the besan thoroughly so that it doesn’t form any lumps.
5.  Now add sugar and cardamom powder and blend it all together and stir until the water is fully absorbed.
6. Garnish with the chopped nuts and saffron. Serve hot.

Sweet Seviyaan

A sweet delicacy made from vermicelli. No festival is complete without a touch of sweets and the celebration gets better if it's made by mom.

Course        Dessert
Cuisine       Indian
Yield         8 servings
Cooking Time  20 minutes
Total Time    20 minutes

INGREDIENTS-

Vermicelli 1 cup

Sugar 3/4th cup

Milk 2cups

Ghee 3 tbsp

Cashewnut 8-10 (sliced)

Raisin 10-12

Almonds 6-8

Pistachio 4 (break in half)

STEPS

• Take a flat pan and add 1/2 tbsp ghee. Roast the cashew nuts, raisins and almond.
• Remove and keep aside. In same pan, add the rest of the ghee and vermicelli.
• Roast the vermicelli till golden brown.
• Add the milk and bring to a boil.
• Let it simmer till the milk thickens.
• Add sugar and stir. Keep for 5 mins or till the required thickness is achieved.
• Take off the flame and transfer to a bowl. Top it with the dry fruit roasted earlier. Place 2 pistachio halves on top.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes-

1. Can Add condensed milk after as a topping. OR may as well add while preparing. But make sure to reduce the amount of sugar if you do so.
2. Can cover the pan after adding milk. Will help cooking faster.