My Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Baking Temperature: 180 degree C
Baking Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes


RECIPE FOR THE PIE CRUST:


FLOUR 500 gms
CAKE MARGARINE = 250 gms
ICING SUGAR 250 gms
EGGS 1 NOS.
BAKING PD. ½ TS.SP.

1. Sieve the baking powder with the flour.
2. Rub the margarine or butter into the flour, slowly add the icing sugar
3. add the egg for binding it into a dough
4. wrap it in a cling wrap and rest it for 1/2 an hour
5. Take 3/4 of the pie dough and line the pie dish with 2 mm thick pie crust; roll it and line the pie dish
6. keep the remaining 1/4 portion; to cover the top of the pie after filling it with the apple filling
 
For the filling in the pie:
 
BREAD CRUMBS or cake sponge = 200 gms
APPLES 1  kgs (Peeled & cored)
GRAIN SUGAR 100 gms (To sprinkle)
CINNAMON PD. 20 gms
RAISINS 100 gms
1. Toss all the above ingredients and place in the prepared/ lined pie dish
2. Cover the filled pie with the pie dough, in a lettice (as in pic)
3. Brush with milk or egg sprinkle some grain sugar and bake it until golden on top and done
 

Enjoy your hot Apple pie for this X'mas...
 

Baked Peppers with Cheese Topping

This Recipe Serves: 4 protions

Set the Oven temp: 180 degree C
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Colourful Bell Peppers: 8 nos -
Filling:
Baby Corn: 200 gms
Gherkins: 50 gms
Italian Seasoning: 25 gms
Salt: to taste
Black Pepper powder: 5 gms
Red Chillie Flakes (Optional): 2 gms
Topping:
Mozzarella Cheese: 250 gms (Also called Pizza Cheese)
Processed Cheese: 100 gms (Amul, Brittania Indian Brands)

Method: 
1. Choose bell pepper of the same size. Cut into halfs and de-seed them
2. Brush them lightly with cooking oil of your preference and arrange them on a Baking tray
3. In a bowl, take all the filling ingredients and mix them together and fill them in equal parts in the bell peppers.
4. Shred the Cheese, and cover the filling of the bell pepper completely.
5. Arrange them neatly on the baking tray, and bake in the pre-heated oven just for 10 minutes; if the bell peppers are larger, then continue baking for another 5 minutes.
6. Serve them hot, as a good healthy snack with garlic toast any time

Serval Options: You can add your own fillings, in place of the sweet corn and gherkins top up with Cheese and enjoy...

Hung Yogurt Mousse

Hung Yogurt Mousse with a dash of Lime

Weekends are great fun, everyone looks forward to a great weekend and with that comes a list of ‘things to do’ and no list is complete without some special food stuff to eat. So for your weekend fun here is a nice delicious ‘Hung Yogurt Mousse’

Preparation Time: 20 Min
Setting time: 1 hr
Serves: 6 portions

Tools required: Muslin cloth, tying string, Mixing Bowls, electric or hand whisk, scoop, weighing pan, dessert bowls – individual portion or 1 big bowl

How to make your own Hung Yogurt:
Thick Yogurt: 300 ml Put the yogurt in a muslin cloth tie it with a string and hang it for 3 to 4 hrs until all the whey is drained out to derive ‘Hung yogurt’

Collect the following Ingredients from your Kitchen:
Hung Yogurt: 150 gms Put it in a mixing bowl and whisk it very lightly until smooth
Breakfast Sugar: 60 gms Divide into three parts, and keep aside
Milk: 100 ml Warm the milk, add melted gelatine to the milk and stir well, cool on bed of ice
Gelatine: 10 gms Melt the gelatine, on a water bath and mix it in warm milk
Eggs: 3 nos Whites to be separated from yolks
Fresh Cream: 100 ml whip it into soft peak
Fresh lime rind: ½ Ts. Sp
Fresh lime juice: ½ Ts. Sp
Ice bath:
Ice cubes: 10 to 12 no. for cooling the mixtures; placed in a flat tray

Preparation Steps: Just in 5 steps

1. Take the hung yogurt in a mixing bowl, and whisk it lightly, add 1/3rd of the sugar to the hung yogurt continue to whisk for a while and place it on a bed of ice bath
2. In the second bowl, take the warm milk and blend the melted gelatine; egg yolks and rest 2/3 sugar until it turns to a smooth custard, cool it slightly on the bed of ice.

3. Now quickly add whipped cream and hung yogurt mixture to the above cream mixture and leave it on the bed of ice, you will see it is almost settings

4. In the third bowl whip the egg whites to a soft peak, add the last portion of the sugar and fold it into the above mixture, add the fresh lime juice and the rind to enhance the flavors of the mousse

5. Scoop the mousse into the bowls and set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Sweet Notes: Serve it cold, with any fruit topping like blue berry / strawberry etc

Happy Weekending...

Simple Banana Loaf: A great Teatime accompaniment


It’s a Sunday and I still see 3 bananas lying in my fruit basket, slightly over-ripe no one seem to be interested to finish them, banana is the best source of Potassium, Vit B6, Vit C and Dietary Fibre. Potassium; an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

Also: Bananas have long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. In addition, bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation.


So let us not waste the leftover bananas, instead bake a nutritious Banana Loaf. My recipe is the most simple and easy to make for everyone.

Baking time: 25 to 30 mins

Baking/Oven Temp: 180 degrees Celsius

Baking Tools: Mixing Bowls, Clean duster, measuring pan, liquid measure, sieve, scraper, electric egg whisk or a hand whisk, a baking Loaf pan, scoop and cooling rack or tray.

Note: Line the baking pan with a grease proof parchment paper; preset the oven for 180 degree Celsius and 30 minutes baking time.

To start with:

Collect the following Ingredients from your Kitchen:

Bananas: 150 gms. 3 no. medium size; peel them and weigh the mass
Refined Flour: 150 gms Shift the flour with baking soda and keep aside
Baking Soda: a Pinch
Breakfast Sugar: 120 gms Mix the sugar and banana pulp and blend it well
Eggs: 3 large; break them into a bowl, do not separate the yolks – whip lightly
Vanilla essence: a drop or two, just add it to the eggs while whipping them
Raisin: 30 gms Add it in the end
Refined Flour: 30 ml.

Method of Preparation:

1. Take the Banana mass/puree into a bowl, add the breakfast sugar and whip it lightly with a hand whisk, keep aside

2. In an other bowl, take the eggs, add the vanilla essence and whip it until smooth and fluffy, now add this to the above banana mixture a little at a time. Continue to whip until the entire egg mixture is added.

3. Fold in the flour, slowly by sprinkling over the egg and banana mixture and fold in lightly until all the flour is added

4. Now, you see a nice creamy mixture, fold in the raisins and the refined oil into the creamy mixture.

5. The loaf mixture is ready, scoop it carefully into the baking pan which is well lined with a grease proof paper.

6. Do not cover the baking dish, put it in the oven and bake it until done.

7. Once it is fully baked, Cool it on the cooling rack. Slice and serve

A Banana loaf can stay for 5 to 6 days, do not refrigerate the loaf instead keep it wrapped in a butter paper or with a cling film in a cool place. The best place is your Coffee table and watch it finish…

Chocolate Praline cones & Chocolate Strawberry cups

SEE RECIPE:

2. PRALINE CONES AND STRAWBERRY CUPS

Serves: 6


Ingredients Quantity Getting started
Dark chocolate* 250 gms. Used for the edible outer shell of cones and cups
Transfer sheets / OHP sheets 2 to 3 nos Used for molding the chocolate cones and cups
Fillings: 30 ml. In every shell
Egg whites 3 nos. Separate carefully and leave it in the fridge.
Egg Yolks 3 nos. From the above eggs
Milk 150 ml. Use a heavy bottom pan.
Gelatine 10 gms. Soak gelatine in 2 ts.sp. Cold water. And melt on a hot water bath.
Breakfast Sugar 30 gm Add 50% to the milk-yolk mixture to make a good custard & 50% to the whipped up whites to make a smooth meringue
Double cream 150 ml. Semi-whip the cream.
Strawberry Crush / puree 20 ml Blend with 50% creamTopping: 2 gms On every filling; pipe or sprinkle the topping
Nougat/ praline for cones 60 gms Take 50 gms of nuts almond or cashew and caramelize with sugar and crush to make nougat or praline sprinkles Strawberry cream for cups 100 ml For garnish. Whip to piping consistency and add a dash of strawberry color to give it the spl. look
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
How to make the Chocolate cones and cups1. The dark, plain bakers chocolate available in blocks is best for molding chocolate.
2. Break the chocolate slab into small bits, and melt it on a water-bath / double boil pan. As it melts completely, remove from the pan.
3.Pour the molten chocolate, on the marble surface and temper the chocolate with a palette knife until smooth and shiny. Now transfer the tempered chocolate quickly back into the sauce pan, its ready to use, for any molding work.
4. Now, take the Transfer sheets / OHP sheets and make a few cones and cylinders, and pin it up with an adhesive-tape from the outside.
5. Take the tempered chocolate and pour it into these shells generously, twist it around so that it spreads to all corners evenly or you can use a painting brush to spread it more gently.
6. Gently turn the shells up-side-down to make a hollow inside and set it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, you will see that the shell inside has hardened and the shell has left the sheet, looks more shady, now its ready.
8. Gently peel off the adhesive-tape from the outside, and also the transfer sheet.
9. Your chocolate shells are ready for filling, the cones are perfect and the cylinders need a square cut-out chocolate base to seal the bottom.
10. To make the square chocolate cut-outs just take the same tempered chocolate and spread it evenly on the transfer sheet and set it in the freezer just for 2 minutes as it is half set, with a sharp knife make the square markings and re-set it for another 5 minutes. The cut-outs are ready. Peel them out and place them on a plate to assemble the cylinders, on to the squares with help of molten chocolate to stick them together.
11. Both your chocolate cones and cups are ready for various fillings and toppings to be served.
12. Transfer the fillings into two piping bags, and pipe the vanilla filling into the cones and the strawberry filling into the cups. Set it for 5 minutes in the refrigerator.
13. Now, bring them on a platter and garnish the cones with the sprinkles of praline / nougat and the strawberry cups with a strawberry cream rosette.
Make the Fillings1. Take milk in a heavy bottom pan, mix egg yolks and 50% sugar to make a smooth custard and combine the melted gelatine, cool the mixture on ice and divide the mixture into two parts
2. Take the double cream and divide it into two equal parts, add vanilla essence in one and strawberry crush or puree in the second.
3. Combine one part of custard mixture with vanilla double cream and similarly other part of custard mixture with strawberry double cream
4. Place both the mixtures on a bed of ice.
5. Prepare the meringue by whipping egg whites to soft peak and gradually add the rest 50% of breakfast sugar.
6. When it is almost set, take it out from the bed of ice, and fold in the meringue mixture.
Fill the strawberry misture in the chocolate cups and the vanilla misture into the chocolate cones
Set it in the fridge for two to three hours.

GARNISH: Garnish the strawberry cups with rosette of strawberry cream and the praline cones with praline/nougat sprinkles.
Foot notes:
• These make great finger desserts, and you can be creative with fill ice-creams, or fruits or just simple marsh-mellows add plenty of variations

Dessert Time

Every time I invited friends and relatives home for get-togethers, all I would think is to serve them, would be the most exotic and finely decorated desserts after a meal for which I would plan a few days in advance. Desserts have been so special they give a meal a finale. I recall my guests often commenting on saving their appetite specially for my desserts.

BLUE BERRY FLUFF

Serves:
Fluffs are one of the lightest semi-frozen desserts where double quantity of egg white is used, which lends the dessert a large volume and makes it light by weight.

Ingredients Quantity Getting started
Blueberry puree* 120ml. Adds flavour, colour, taste and sweetness.
Honey 50 ml. Used as a sweetener.
Egg whites 4 nos. Separate carefully and leave it in the fridge.
Lemon rind/juice ¼ ts.sp. Wash & wipe, grate the rind & extract the juice.
Cinnamon powder ¼ ts.sp. Use freshly ground.
Milk 50 ml. Use a heavy bottom pan.
Gelatine 10 gms. Soak gelatine in 2 ts.sp. Cold water. And melt on a hot water bath.
Double cream 50 ml. Semi-whip the cream.
Double cream 100 ml. For garnish. Whip to piping consistency.
Mint leaves A bunch Wash, pat it dry, and use just the tender tips.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:
Take milk in a heavy bottom pan, mix honey in it and warm it and combine the melted gelatine.
In a separate bowl take the double cream and mix with blueberry puree, lemon rind and juice with cinnamon powder.
Place the milk mixture on a bed of ice.
When it is almost set, add the cream mixture and mix it lightly.
Take it out from the bed of ice, whip the egg whites to soft peak and fold in the mixture.
Fill the fluff mixture in the bowl or in individual glasses.
Set it in the fridge for two to three hours.

GARNISH: Garnish it with rosette of cream and mint leaves and a lemon twist.
Foot notes :
• Blueberry crush can be used in place of puree.