Gourmet Christmas Macaroons

Just Chocolate


Christmas would be incomplete in our household without macaroons, so decided to make chocolate ones this Christmas. According to Ranita they are very addictive and I agree. She spent the afternoon eating all the dark, gooey, nutty chocolate macaroons and before she realised it finished one whole container. Try them and see for yourself. Become a gourmet!

The Recipe

500 gms sugar, 150 gms cashew kernels or bits, 18 cardamoms (seeds only), two large egg whites; a pinch of salt; 3 tbsp cocoa powder.
Blend sugar, salt, cocoa and cardamom in blender. Place in mixing bowl. Add cashew kernels and mix with spatula. Add egg white a little at the time until the mixture becomes a dough like consistency. Discard unused egg white. If too sticky add more sugar. Break off pieces and place on baking tray 2 inches apart(see photo) Preheat oven to 350 F or 200 C. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until done. Remove and cool. Serve as a dessert after dinner or transfer to airtight container. Subsequent batches take less time, so watch macaroons carefully. Guaranteed favourite for any special occasion.

Christmas Goodies

The Week Before Christmas


The week before Christmas is a time of cleaning and cooking and baking. Everyone comes up with their favourite recipe and we join together to make the Christmas eats. I am a traditionalist at heart and have been making the same items every Christmas, come what may with a few new ones thrown in each year.

This year the Christmas Goodies include the following:

Brandied Fruit Cake (for Ranita)
Macaroons (for Serita)
Kalkals (for Ranita)
Sooji Ladoos (for me)
Beaten Rice Mixture (for all of us)
Masala Cashewnuts (for Nehru)
Masala Groundnuts (for Nehru)
Christmas Brownies (for friends)
Plain Fruit Cake (to give away)

My fruits for the cake are soaked well in advance and the cake made in late November. Visit my blog http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2009/12/that-special-time-of-year.html for the recipe. This year I made my fruit cake in the shape of bells using a tray bought by Ranita.

Cashew macaroons have been a hot favourite with us ever since I got the recipe two decades ago and this year I decided to make a different kind of macaroon as well called Siennese Macaroons.
For Cashew Macaroons view my earlier entry

http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-tyme.html

The recipe for Masala Cashewnuts/Groundnuts is on my blog

http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2009/12/nutty-about-nuts.html

Will put up the recipe for kalkals later and for plain fruit cake follow the same recipe as Brandied Fruit Cake omitting the alcohol.

The recipe for mixture can be viewed at http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2009/12/quick-mix.html

This year I made Siennese Macaroons too. They are tiny delicious morsels of baked marzipan and absolutely irresistible. I found the recipe years ago while browsing through a book at Bristish Council and scribbled it on a scrap of paper.

The Recipe
(Make the day before you want to eat them because you need to dry them out before baking).

1 large egg white; pinch salt; 225 gms. powdered sugar; grated rind of 1 lemon/lime; 1 tsp. almond essence; 250 gms almond meal; 250 gms almond bits;; icing sugar for dusting.

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Add egg, little by little until like dough. Roll out on board dusted with icing sugar to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out desired shapes using icing sugar over your hands if too sticky. Use up all the dough and place on lined tray. Dry overnight or for 8 hours hours. Preheat oven to 140C and bake 20 minutes or till done. This can take more or less time depending on your oven. The macaroons should be pale and slightly cracked. Cool. Dust with icing sugar and hide away because once tasted, will be finished in one sitting.

Mummy's Sooji Ladoos

Another melt in the mouth recipe is the Sooji Ladoos my Mum used to make every Christmas. Loaded with calories and too scrumptious to be passed over, it is one treat we indulge in every year. This is the time to eat, drink, be merry and maintain your weight effectively.

250 gms fine sooji; 250 gms wheat flour; 1/2 cup ghee; 250 gms caster sugar; 5 cardamoms, powdered; 2 tbsp almonds or cashew bits; 2 tbsp black raisins.

Roast sooji & wheat seperately in a non stick pan using 1 tsp ghee for each until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to bpwl. Mix the ghee and sugar and add to the sooji-wheat mixture. Add the cardamon powder and mix well with a wooden spatula. Throw in the raisins and nuts. Mix thoroughly again. If too dry add more ghee. Form into ladoos and store in air tight container. Serve on Christmas Day and expect your guests to ask for another.

May the Spirit of Christmas abide with you throughout the coming year and may you be blessed with health, wealth and happiness.

Christmas Is Coming

Easy Brownies


Christmas is Coming and wherever I go I see signs of the hustle and bustle of Christmas- decorations, Christmas trees, people shopping, excitement - and it is time to make my Christmas list and to plan how many cakes to make. I usually get my ingredients from the cake speciality shops well in advance so that I can start my Christmas baking on time. Brownies are one of the easiest and most appreciated Christmas gifts and so I plan to make a lot. Of course a large number will be reserved for the girls and the latest addition to our family, Tigger the beloved and well spoilt tabby cat. So people, put on your aprons and start baking.

The Recipe
100 gms flour; ½ tsp. baking powder; 30 gms cocoa powder; 112.5 gms. margarine or butter; 140 gms. powdered sugar;2 large eggs; 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence; 37.5 gms. chopped nuts(either walnut, cashew, almond or groundnut).

For the Icing: 110 gms. icing sugar,sifted;, 30 gms. soft butter; milk to mix; vanilla or peppermint essence.

Topping: 60 gms cooking or milk chocolate(either white or brown or a combination of both). Marzipan Holly Leaves and Berries for decoration.

Grease and line the base of a 20 cm / 8 inch pan with baking paper, so that the paper extends over two sides.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa onto a baking sheet. Set aside. Cream sugar and margarine till light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla essence. If the mixture starts to curdle, stir in a little of the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining flour and the nuts. Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 175C for about 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool. Make the icing by combining all the ingredients to a spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cake. When set, melt the chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water. Drizzle over icing. (If using white and brown chocolate, melt the white first and pour over cake at random. Follow with brown. Take a toothpick and gently run through both colours to create a marbled effect). Place the marzipan leaves and holly berries on top. Insert greeting card. Place in cake box and gift it to a friend.

NB: For Marzipan Recipe see my earlier entry in April 2010 Easter Treat
http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-treat.html

Salad Days

Ranita's Masterpiece


It is very easy to get children interested in cooking and the best way to start is with simple salads. When Serita participated in various culinary competitions, Ranita was also eager to try her hand. The Women's Fellowship of my Mum's church provided the opportunity and the sisters decided to make a tried and tested recipe - Russian Salad. Many combinations and versions were experimented with before the final outcome. And of course the entry won the prize.

The Recipe

1 beautiful salad plate

1 bunch lettuce, washed and wiped; 1 carrot grated; ½ pomegranate; ¼ cup peas, boiled; 1 small yellow zucchini, diced; ½ apple, diced; ½ orange, peeled; 2 cucumber slices (ends); 2 tomato slices (ends); 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled; 5 tbsp. mayonnaise for dressing; 6 peppercorns and 4 cloves; salt to taste.
NB: Can also add 2 tbsp each of cream and yoghurt to dressing.

To make mushrooms: Slice off top and bottom of boiled eggs to enable egg to stand. This will be the stalk. Place tomato slice on top of egg for cap. Top with cucumber end. Make 2 mushrooms. Reserve top and bottom of eggs to make the mice tails.

To make Mice: Cut eggs in half. Place pepper corns for eyes at narrow end. Push 2 cloves in for ears. Cut tails from sliced ends of eggs. Make 3. Keep aside.

Shred lettuce very fine. Place on salad plate. Mix carrot, peas, apple, pomegranate seeds, zucchini; sweetlime and salt with 4 tbsp mayonnaise, reserving 1 tbsp. for later use. Arrange lettuce leaves to one side. Place mice in foreground on lettuce and tails behind them. Arrange the mushrooms on either side. Mix the 1 tbsp. mayonnaise with 2 tbsp. water and drizzle over lettuce. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

Festival of Lights

Deepavali Cakes



Deepavali has always been a time of fellowship and fun. Growing up in Bangalore, we were blessed with lovely neighbours- Nalini & Anu Prabhakar, Kala Gopal, Usha, Soghra and her sisters and so many other friends. Festivals and birthdays were always a time of bonhomie and good cheer and an exchange of cuisines, appreciated by everyone, especially us children. Deepavalli was no exception and we loved visiting each other and bursting crackers. Deepavalli in Kuala Lumpur is no different. We actually burst crackers this season and baked many cakes to give away to our friends who were kind enough to invite us into their homes. May the Festival of Lights bring joy and prosperity to everyone.

The Recipe

This recipe was given to my mother many, many years ago in Mangalore by a friend of hers named Mrs. Koshy. I use it as my basic recipe and change it to suit my requirements. Mrs. Koshy called it 1,2,3,4 Cake and I have changed it to the above.

1 cup salted butter (250 gms); 2 cups caster sugar (500 gms); 3 cups flour (750 gms); 4 large eggs; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 1/2 cup tuitti fruity.

Sieve the flour and baking powder three times. Mix the tuiti fruiti with the flour and keep aside. This will ensure the fruit does not sink to the bottom of the cake. Cream butter and sugar together with electric beater till pale and fluffy. Add eggs one by one. Stir in the vanilla essence. Gently fold in the flour with a wooden spoon a little by little until all the flour is used up. Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Line with baking paper. Divide mixture into two and pour into prepared cake pans. Gently tap cake pans to even surface. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C and bake 40 minutes or until skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Cool overnight. Next day ice the cakes.

Icing: 250 gms butter; 1 kg icing sugar sieved. Desired food colouring. I used yellow, orange and brown; 2 sheets of rice paper available at cake specialist shops; silver balls.

Beat the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer adding the sugar a little by little until of spreadable consistency. Spread some of the icing on both cakes, top and sides. Keep the remaining icing aside.

Cut out two rice paper cirlcles of 9 inches diameter each. Trace the diyas on the rice paper with edible food pens. Position on cake. Divide the remaining icing into three portions. Add yellow food colouring to one, orange to the other and brown to the third. Using an icing gun pipe the different colours onto the cake follwing the tracing. Decorate with silver balls. Attach greeting card and give it to friends who invite you to celebrate with them. Cheers!

The Mountain of Adventure

Jughead Jones Sandwich


A few years ago my mum's church organised a salad and sandwich competition for kids and she was very keen for her grandchildren to participate. Out came the books and the fond aunts scoured the internet for recipes and pictures. All of us poured over the various options and finally decided on "The Recipe." The next few days were spent scouting for the choicest ingredients and we even tried it out at home to see how it would taste. Finally on the day, the masterpiece was assembled and I need not say more. The picture speaks for itself.
The Recipe

1 large round loaf of brown bread; 250 gms Amul Butter;3 boiled eggs mashed with salt and pepper to taste; 12 slices salami;6 slices cheese; 3 large tomatoes sliced thin; 1 large bunch of mixed lettuce washed and wiped dry; mayonnaise and thousand island dressing; 1 tomato rose for garnish; cucumber slices, cherries(pitted) and olives for decoration.

Slice the loaf evenly into four horizontally. Spread with butter. Place some of the lettuce leaves and spread mashed boiled eggs on the bottom layer. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of mayonnaise. Arrange some lettuce, the cheese and tomatoes on the second layer and drizzle with 2 tbsp of thousand island dressing. Arrange lettuce and salami on third layer and drizzle with 2 tbsp mayonnaise. Stack layers together. Place sandwich on pretty plate. Shred remaining lettuce and arrange on plate around the loaf. Surround the sandwich with cucumber slices. Spread 1 tbsp thousand island dressing on top of the sandwich. Decorate with remaining salami cones, olives, cherries and salad leaves. Cut into wedges and serve.

Sheer Decadence

Chicken Rendang


Rendang is a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia and is now a popular Malaysian dish, served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions.

There are many variations and each recipe is as good as any other. What I like best about this delicious dish is that enticing aroma that wafts out of the kitchen, fills the entire house, luring one and all. The aftermath is a fragrance that lingers for days evoking satisfaction and bliss.

The Recipe

11/2 kg chicken, washed, and cut into medium pieces; 4 onions, sliced fine; ½ bulb garlic; 1inch piece ginger; 1 tsp chilli powder, food colouring; 100 gms coconut powder mix with 3 cups warm water and keep aside or milk from two coconuts; 1 inch piece galangal (aromatic ginger); 4 screw pine leaves(pandanus); 4 kaffir lime leaves; 4 turmeric leaves, 3 stalks lemon grass (use the white part only); Salt to taste; orange food colouring.
Grind onions, garlic, both the gingers and the chilli powder till fine. Add to pan with the rest of the ingredients and bring to a low boil. Add chicken, lower heat and simmer until the gravy is dry and chicken is tender. Keep stirring to prevent sticking. Remove leaves before serving hot with rice.
NB: This dish does not need any oil. We like our rendang with gravy, so I simmer till half the gravy evaporates. Absolutely delicious.