Christmas Fruit Cake covered in royal icing (Old fashioned Kerala Bakery Style)

Ingredients (Makes 2 - 9inch cakes):

Cake:

        

All purpose flour -- 3 cups (1 lb)

  Butter  -- 1 lb, room temperature

Sugar -- 2 cups (1 lb)

                Eggs -- 10

  Baking powder -- 1½ tsp

Cinnamon Powder -- ½ tsp

Clove Powder -- ½ tsp

Nutmeg Powder -- ½ tsp

                Vanilla Essence  --   ½ tbsp 

Honey -- 2 tsp

Glycerin -- 1 tsp (optional)

Caramelized sugar -- 1 cup sugar caramelized with ½ cup water

Mixed fruits (Tutti fruity, ginger snaps, citrus peels) -- 2½ cup - soaked in rum for atleast couple of months

Dry fruits (Chopped cashews, walnuts) -- 1 cup

Icing:

                Egg whites -- From 2 large eggs

                Confectioners Sugar -- 3 - 4 cups

                Lemon juice -- 1 tsp

Preparation:

Soak the fruits in rum for atleast 2 months or up to a year. I have also used the store bought candied fruits without soaking in rum. It enhances the flavor if soaked in rum.

Caramel:

Start with the caramel, add the sugar with water in a sauce pan and heat on medium flame. Let it boil. Once it starts to bubble, reduce the flame to medium low. It takes 15-20 minutes to get a dark brown colour. Take care not to burn the caramel. The caramel once cool should have the consistency of honey.

If it gets too hard, add more water and heat it up until it melts. If it is too thin, heat it for a little bit more time.  Keep an eye on it to make sure not to burn the caramel. I like to have it in a dark brown colour, but not burned.

While hot, it will have a free flowing consistency and thickens as it cools. Handle with utmost care. Never ever try to touch or lick the caramel at any stage before it is completely cool.

I usually prepare the caramel atleast a day before to have it cool while adding to the cake. At times I make for 2-3 batches together and save it in a mason jar.

Cake:

Prepare two 9 inch cake tins and keep aside.  At times I use small rectangular pans and this yields about 9-10 small cakes based on the size of the pans.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

Separate the egg yolk and whites. Add the egg whites into a clean bowl. Keep it aside.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and the spice powders. Keep it aside.

Add sugar to the egg yolks and beat well. Add the butter and continue to beat until it is light and fluffy. 

Add vanilla essence, honey and glycerin. Beat well. 

Add the flour mix and mix on medium speed. Add the caramelized sugar syrup and beat again.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until still peaks. If you do not have multiple mixer bowls, prepare the egg whites first and then start with the yolks. Make sure you prep all other items so that it doesn't have to sit so for long. I use my stand mixer for the batter and hand blender for the egg whites.

Add the fruits and nuts to the batter. Mix on medium speed.

Add the stiff egg whites and fold in into the batter. Do not over mix as that would deflate the batter. 

Spoon the batter in to the prepared pans and bake for 45minutes - 1 hour. This varies based on the size of the pans used. Keep an eye on the cakes after 45 minutes. Bake until the tooth pick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the cake.

Let it cool completely on the cooling rack. Cover the cake in a foil wrap tightly and keep it in a dark place for 2-3 days. This allows the flavors to blend well with the cake.

Slice and enjoy at this stage or you can also add more sweetness to beautify it with the icing.

Icing:

Add the egg whites to a clean bowl. Make sure the bowl and the beater is clean and free of any oil content. Beat until they form stiff peaks.

Add the confectioners sugar 2 tbsp at a time and let it mix well. Finally add the lemon juice and beat well. This should give a smooth and shiny mixture. 

While adding the sugar check for the consistency and make sure it is not too thick or not too thin. It should be a spreadable consistency. 

Working with Royal icing needs more practice and you can see that on my cake walls :) . I somehow managed to get a good swirl on the top.

Decorate it on the cake as desired. I gave an old fashioned - Kerala bakery style look adding couple of fondant flowers as well.

Recipe Courtesy: A bunch of good friends in Jacksonville and for the icing, I do not remember the site - I just searched on internet and found one

Pappadam

Ingredients (Yields 20 - 25 based on size):

       Urad Dal whole        -  1 cup
       Baking soda             -  ½ tsp
       Salt                           -  1½ - 2 tsp    
       Oil                            -   2 - 3 tsp
       Water                        -  ½ cup

       All purpose flour      -  as required, while rolling

Preparation:

       Grind the urad dal into a fine powder. Sieve it using a strainer/sieve with small holes.

       Add the baking soda and salt to the urad flour. Give a quick mix. Add oil and start mixing to just incorporate the oil into the flour.

       Add water and mix well to form a thick rough dough. At this stage add more oil if needed, not more than a teaspoon.

       Transfer the dough onto a clean chopping board / counter top / any clean hard surface. Use a pestle to pound the dough. I actually started with the base of the mortar first and as the dough became softer, used the pestle to pound it better. This step takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes of continuous pounding.(Yes thats a good workout for your arms.) The dough would be now soft to handle.

        Roll the dough into a log, approximately half inch diameter. I divided the dough into two before I rolled. Using a knife cut the log into approximately an inch pieces.

        Roll each portion into small rounds, dusting with all purpose flour. Using a cookie cutter, or any round lid, cut the rolled ones into perfect rounds. I used a small lid and hence my pappadoms were a bit smaller than the regular size ones. However, size doesnt matter.

         Spread the pappadoms on a clean cookie sheet and let it dry under sun for 10 - 15 minutes. Flip them in 10 minutes to have it completely dry. Do not dry it too much as it might get stiff. It should still be pliable.

         Fry the pappadoms in hot oil. We fried all of it right then and hence not sure about the shelf life.

Recipe Courtesy: Ria's Collection / Story telling camera

Turkish Tres Leches Cake

 

Ingredients (Serves 20 - 25):

     Cake: 

All purpose flour   --   2 cup 
Baking powder      --   2 tsp 
Salt                        --   ½ tsp  
Eggs                      --   6 
Sugar                     --   1½ cup 
Vanilla extract       --   1½ tsp  
Milk                       --   ½ cup 
Cardamom powdered --  1 tsp

     Milks: 

Evaporated Milk   --   12 oz can 
Condensed Milk   --   14 oz can 
Heavy Cream        --   3 cups 
Rooh afza              --   ½ cup (if you need a pink colour, this can be replaced with 2 tsp of rose essence, if you just need the flavor and not the colour.)

     Ashta - Final topping: 

Whole Milk          --   1½ cup 
Heavy Cream       --   1½ cup  
Corn Starch          --   6 tbsp 
Granulated Sugar --   ½ cup 

 

Preparation:

    Cake: 

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Prepare a 9x13 pan with atleast 2 inches depth. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt 2 - 3 times. Keep aside.  

Separate the egg yolks and the whites. 

Beat the egg white at a high speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, few tbsp at a time. Continue to beat until the egg whites form a peak stage. Add the yolks, one at a time and beat until the mixture falls like a ribbon. 

Add the vanilla and mix well. 

Divide the flour mixture into 3 and add a portion at a time into the egg mixture using minimum speed or you can also fold using your spatula. Alternate with milk. Mix until just combined.  

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top springs back when touched.

Let it cool completely. 

Once cooled, poke the cake with a fork or knife throughout. 

Whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed milk and the heavy cream until combined. Add the rooh afza or the rose essence. Do a quick taste test and add sugar, if you need it sweet. I usually dont, but it is based on how sweet you want the cake to be. 

Carefully pour half of the mixture on the cake. Make sure to give a full coverage, especially on the edges. Let it soak completely. Once done, pour the remaining mixture on the cake. 

Let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours. 

 

Topping: 

Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan. Whisk until well combined and no lumps. 

 Let it boil on a medium flame, the mixture will start to thicken. Let it thicken to a pudding consistency. 

Switch off the flame and let it cool for just 2 minutes (not any more as it will get set soon). 

Pour the mixture over the cooled cake and spread evenly.  Let it cool completely and leave the cake back in the refrigerator. It takes minimum of another 3-4 hours to have this set completely.

Garnish with pistachios and roses or any other condiments as desired. I just picked few dries roses from my garden.

You can have the toppings added on the same day or a day later, based on when you would like to serve the cake. 

This is how I prefer - 

Day 1 - Soak the cake and refrigerate

            Day 2 - Prepare the topping, spread on the cake and let it sit back in the refrigerator for another day

            Day 3 - Serve the cake 

Recipe Courtesy: amwhatieat

Caramel Custard - Instant pot Version

Ingredients (Serves  8 – 10):
         Milk                            --   2 cups 
         Eggs                            --   3
         Sugar                           --   ½ - ¾ cup (As to taste) 
         Sugar to Caramelize    --   1½ tbsp 
         Vanilla Essence            --   ½ tsp 

Preparation of caramel custard pudding:

Prepare a 6 inch cake tin and keep aside. 

You can also use multiple ramekins and stack them in the instant pot. I have tried stacking 2 6 inch cake tins in the instant pot and it worked perfect.
 
For the caramel, add the sugar with 2 tbsp water in a small sauce pan and heat on medium flame. Let it boil. Once it starts to bubble, reduce the flame to medium low. This need a little patience. Stir continuously to have an even colour. Let it caramelize. Once it turns brown, look for the colour you are looking for and switch off the flame as soon as it is achieved. It just needs seconds to burn the caramel.

Quickly and carefully pour the caramel into the pan and swirl it to make sure you have an even coating on the bottom. Let it cool.

Never ever try to touch or lick the caramel at any stage before it is completely cool.

Beat the eggs well until it is smooth. Add the milk, sugar and vanilla essence. I use either a hand mixer or just blend all together in a blender until well combined.  

Pour the mixture onto the cooled caramel. Cover if with a foil to avoid any moisture getting into the custard.

Add 1 cup water into the instant pot. Keep the filled cake tin on the steaming rack and carefully keep this in the pot.

Close the lid and with the venting knob on sealing position, pressure cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, approximately another 10-15 minutes. 

Once done remove the foil cover and gently dab any moisture on the custard with a kitchen towel.  At this stage the center might look a little wiggly, but it will set well as it cools.
 
Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate until they are chill. 

Use a butter knife or back of the spoon to separate the custard from the sides of the pan and turn it upside down onto your serving dish. Slice and enjoy !!!

Mango Cheese Cake - Instant Pot version

Ingredients:

Crust:  

     Graham cracker/Vanilla biscuits       --   9-10 rectangle sheet / 15 vanilla biscuits
     Dark brown sugar                                --   1 tbsp
     Unsalted butter                                     --   2½ tbsp

Cheesecake filling: 
     Cream cheese softened                       --   1 lb; 2 bars of Philadelphia cream cheese
     White sugar                                           --   ½ cup
     Mango pulp                                            --   ½ cup
     All purpose flour                                  --   2 tsp
     Eggs                                                        --   2 large whole and 1 large yolk

Preparation of the cheese cake:

Grind the crackers/vanilla biscuits into a fine powder. Add the brown sugar. Add the melted(and cooled) butter to the same and mix it well with the hand. Mixing the butter in the blender doesn't work for me as it gets stuck. But you can give a try.

           

Prepare a 7 inch springform pan. Slightly butter the bottom and the edges, evenly. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper. 

Spread the mixture on the bottom of the pan evenly and press down hard, using the back of the spoon. Freeze for 20 - 25 minutes.      

Prepare the instant pot and the cheese cake filling while the base freezes.  

Add the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour and mango pulp to the mixer. I used a stand mixer. Mix until the ingredients are just combined well, approximately less than a minute on medium speed. Make sure not to over mix. 

Add the eggs one at a time and mix for 10-15 seconds, before adding the next one. Again make sure not to over mix. 

It should be a thick flowing consistency and all ingredients well combined with no lumps. 

Pour this to the prepared pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to burst any air bubbles.

            Add few drops of mango pulp on the top and gently poke it to decorate - purely optional.

Cover the pan with a paper towel and then use a foil on top of the paper towel and crimp the sides of the foil onto the pan. This helps to make sure that the paper towel is held in place. The paper towel helps to absorb any moisture while the cake is being cooked. - My paper towel slightly got drooped down and you can see the imprint on the cake.

To prepare the instant pot - Add one cup water to the instant pot and insert the steamer into it.   

Carefully place the covered pan on the steamer. Close the pot with the lid and set the pressure release to sealing. Select the pressure cook option and cook for 37 minutes on high pressure.  

Let the pressure release naturally. Once done, open the lid, carefully pull out the pan and remove the paper towel / foil cover. Carefully use another paper towel to dab any excess moisture. Let it cool on the counter for another 1 hour. The center might look a bit wiggly and thats perfectly alright. It gets set as the cake cools. 

To remove the cake from the pan, use a butter knife or a cake spatula to run through the edges of the cake. Carefully remove the lock and lift it off. 

Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. It is easy to remove the bottom, once it is cooled. Slide a cake knife carefully under the parchment paper and slide it onto a cake pan. 

          Slice and Enjoy !!!

  

Recipe Courtesy: Ministry of Curry

Vattayappam

Ingredients( 8 inch round):

           Rice Flour - 1 cup
           Yeast         - 3/4 tsp
           Luke warm water - 1/4 cup
           Sugar        -  1 tsp + 1/2 cup
           Grated coconut - 1 cup
           Egg Whites - 1 large
           Ghee - 1 tsp
            Salt - as required

Preparation: 

Add the yeast and 1 tsp sugar to luke warm water and set aside to bloom. Meanwhile, grind the coconut with little water to a smooth paste. Mix this with the rice flour and sugar.

Once the yeast is ready, add that as well to the mixture and set it aside for 3-4 hours. Add more water if needed. The batter consistency should be similar to dosa batter.

Beat the egg whites stiff and fold them into the batter. Add salt.

Grease the pan with ghee and add the batter to it. Steam cook for 25 minutes on medium flame.

Recipe Courtesy: Ria

Idly Bajji

Ingredients:

Idly                                          --    8 - 10 

Besan flour                             --   1 cup

Rice Flour                               --   ½ cup

Red chilly powder                 --   1 ½ tsp

Black Pepper Powder           --   ½ tsp

Asafoetida                              --   ¼ tsp

Oil                                           --    to deep fry

Salt                                          --    to taste

Water                                      --    as required

Preparation of the Bajji:

Mix the besan, rice flour, pepper, chilli powder, baking soda and salt. Add water little by little to form a batter similar to the dosa batter consistency.

Slice the idly into four.

Heat oil in a pan for frying. Dip the idly pieces in the batter; let the pieces be well coated with the batter and deep fry until they turn brown and crispy.

Serve hot with ketchup or any chutney.