Almond Chocolate cake

For the Cake:

4 ounces chocolate melted with 2 Tb coffee
1/4 lb. or 1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
2/3 cup almonds
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour turned into a sifter

For the Icing:

2 ounces  semisweet baking chocolate
2 Tb coffee
5 to 6 Tb unsalted butter


Instructions:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Butter and flour the cake pan. Set the chocolate and coffee in a small pan, cover, and place in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture.

3. Beat in the egg yolks until they are well blended.

4. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat for 15 mins.

5. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in chopped almonds, and almond extract. Immediately mix one fourth of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding untill all the eggwhites are added.

6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle chopped almonds on top of the batter when its almost half done. Cake is done when it has puffed, and when a needle is plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and serve.


Yield: For an 8-inch cake serving 6 to 8 people

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Double Chocolate cake

Ingredients:

 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
 1 1/2 cups white sugar
 2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
 2 eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup milk
 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
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Method:

1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt together into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter or margarine, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Beat for 300 strokes, or for approximately 2 minutes at low speed with an electric mixer or with hands upto 15 mins.
3. Add the eggs, melted chocolate, and red food coloring to the batter. Beat an additional 300 strokes or 2 minutes at low speed or with hands 15 mins.
4. Pour into two greased and floured 8 inch layer pans. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done.

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Black Forest Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Toppings:

1 lb fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries (I used a jar)
1/2 cup kirsch
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
chilled chocolate curls

1. Refrigerate cherries and kirsch ahead of time. Refrigerate for several hours or up to several days. Before use, drain the cherries well.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of  9-inch round/square cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.

5. In a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the cream until it mounds lightly. Add 1/4 cup sugar and the vanilla and whip until the cream forms peaks.

6. To assemble the cake, place cake on a cake stand or serving plate and sprinkle 2 to 3 teaspoons of the reserved cherry brandy evenly over the top to moisten. Cover the cake with 2/3 cup of the whipped cream, spreading it all the way to the edge. Arrange half of the cherries on top of the cream. Cover the cherries with another 2/3 cup whipped cream.

7. To decorate, gently scoop up the chilled chocolate curls with your hands and press them into the sides of the cake, covering them completely with curls. Decorate the top, if desired, with rosettes of whipped cream and some extra cherries.
8. Refrigerate the cake for few hours before serving.

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Ice cream Sundae

Summers are not easy without Ice creams and Sundaes, especially in Texas :).  I usually make this real simple dessert to sooth the sweet tooth after dinner.  This is the right season to share it with you :)

Ingredients: 

1 cup fruits like cherries, grapes, berries. Some more for garnishing.

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

4 scoops nonfat vanilla Ice cream (you can use yogurt as healthy option)

strawberry syrup or chocolate syrup

Method:

Puree fruits with sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Serve over frozen Ice cream and top with fruits and syrup of your choice. Well I was serious when I said that its easy!!!!

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Donuts The All time family favorite recipe

The extra shiny donuts are always exciting and enticing.Donut or doughnut  is a type of fried dough confectionery or dessert food. Here is a simple Donuts Recipe to make at home :

Ingredients:

2 tbsp dry yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter or any shortening
2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
6 cups flour

Method:

1. Dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup luke-warm water. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 cups milk in microwave for 2-3 minutes.

While milk is heating add shortening to a large bowl. Pour hot milk over it and whisk until mixed. Add salt, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add 4 eggs and mix well.

3. Add yeast mixture to batter and mix. Add 2 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix well. Add 2 more cups and mix. Add 2 more cups and mix. At this point, the batter should not be runny. Add 1 more cup of flour, give or take 1/2 cup.  Mix until your dough is smooth.

4. Sprinkle flour onto a clean surface and pour batter onto it. Gently knead dough batter until the surface is not sticky to the touch. NOTE: The dough should be very soft but not sticky that you can't handle it fairly easily. Place the soft dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Dough should be almost double in size when done.

5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about a 1 inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts out as closely as possible. You can save the middles for doughnut holes. Move donuts and holes to a clean surface. Cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

6. Once the donuts and holes are done rising, fry them in a large frying pan with vegetable oil until golden brown.

7. While donuts are frying make your Glaze. To make glaze mix 7 cups powdered sugar with 2/3 cup water and 2 tsp. vanilla. Add donuts to glaze as soon as they are done frying and make sure both sides are covered.

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Saffron Rice Dessert.

This is very flavorful and simple rice preparation !


Ingredients:

1 cup rice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 t spoon saffron, raisins 50 g, 50 g cashew nuts, 1/2 cup melted butter, cardamom 5.

Serves: 4

Method:

1. Thoroughly wash the rice, add 4 cups water and cook. In a pan let sugar and butter melt, add the rice, stir constantly and cook on low flame.

2. Put in cardamom powder. Cook until saffron rice mix begins leaving the surface of the rice pot . Now add the chopped dried nuts and raisins serve.

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Besan Laddoo

BESAN LADOO

Diwali Special !!!!


Ingredient:

Almond powder – tsp – 1
Cardamom powder – tsp – 1
Flour (besan) – grams – 250
Ghee – grams – 100
Sugar (grinded) – grams – 250

Method:
1. In a kadhai add ghee melt then reduce the flame and add besan mix well till changes to dark colour.

2. Once the besan is done then add sugar mix well, cardomam powder mix well immdly switch of the flame and let it cool down then make into small ladoos.

3. Let it cool down and serve.

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Chocolate cake with sauce

Ingredients:
For sauce:
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup baking chocolate
For cake:
9 eggs 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 cup dark chocolate for baking 1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, Cooking spray, for the molds.

Method:
For the sauce:
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and dissolve. Bring to a boil and cook to the caramel stage. Remove from the heat and add the cream and stir until combined. Then, add the chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate has melted.

For the cake:
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until light. Set up a double-boiler by bringing a pot of water to a simmer and placing a bowl slowly over the top, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Add the chocolate and butter and melt. Fold the butter-chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Sift the flour and fold. Grease molds with butter and line with sugar, or line with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Fill halfway with batter. Microwave on high for 1 minute, 20 seconds.

Place on a platedrizzle the sauce on top.

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Monster's head Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O any Flavor Instant Pudding
1 pkg. (8 oz.)  Cream Cheese, softened
4 cup butter, softened tsp.
vanilla few drops
green food coloring
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted (4 to 4-1/2 cups)
1 tube (0.75 oz.) black decorating OREO Cookies,
finely crushed Miniature Marshmallows, cut in half Black decorating gel

Method:
1. Cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending dry pudding mix into batter before spooning into paper-lined cups.
2. Cool completely. Mix and beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and food coloring in medium bowl with mixer until well blended.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Arrange cupcakes on platter or tray  to resemble a monster's head; spread with frosting.
4.  Use decorating gel to outline the eyes, mouth, scars and hairline on cupcakes. Fill in hair with cookie crumbs.
5. Place 1 marshmallow half in center of each eye; place remaining marshmallow halves in mouth for teeth. Keep refrigerated.

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Gajar ( carrot ) Halwa !!!!!

                                                               

Gajar Ka Halwa

It is the greatest Indian dessert ever!!!!!!

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrot

4 cups of milk (2 cups of milk if mawa is to be added)

1 cup mawa (optional)

2 tablespoon Desi Ghee or Unsalted Butter

1  tablespoon cut almonds

1  tablespoon cut cashew nuts

1  tablespoon cut raisins

1 teaspoon elaichi powder (cardamon ) (if available else use ginger juice to give some peps)

1 cup Sugar 

Dry fruits for garnishing


Method:

1. Heat oil in frying pan and add cut dry fruits to it.

2. Let them fry slightly then add all carrots to it.

3. Fry carrots a little bit then add milk and cardamon to it.

4. Let carrots cook fully in milk then add sugar to it .

5. Fry until the ghee or oil separates out from halwa .

6. Garnish it with mawa and dryfruits upon cooling a bit.

7. Add ginger juice in the end if cardamon is not there.

8. Serve hot or cold, either ways its gonna be delicious !!!!!

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