Chocolate coffee fruit n nut cake

Step 1: The soaking

250gms dried fruits (I used dates, figs, raisins and sultanas)
2 cups brandy (in portions)
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

Method:
Mix above ingredients together (using 1/2 cup of brandy at a time). Let is soak for 24hrs/till fruits have soaked up all the liquid. Stir daily to check. Top up with more brandy when fully soaked up.
(I soaked for 3 weeks prior to making the cake. Should be soaked for atleast 24hours using 1/2 cup brandy)

The cake

Preheat over to 160 degree Celcius (fan assisted)
Line a cake loaf tin with baking paper

Start with the cake
Step 2:
1 cup strong instant coffee
1 tsp baking soda
50 gms dark chocolate (roughly chopped)
Soaked fruits (from Step 1)

Method:
Soak the above ingredients together while you make the rest of the cake batter. The chocolate should melt in the hot coffee. Stir occasionally

Step 3:
200 gms plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg powder

75gms butter (room temperature)
75 gms sugar
125 gms dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

100 gms mixed nuts- lightly toasted and cooled (I used whole and flaked almonds and walnuts)

Method:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Keep aside.
2. Beat the egg whites till they form soft peaks. Keep aside.
3. Cream the butter, sugar and egg yolks till well mixed. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.

4. To the butter and sugar mixture, alternatively fold in in parts the flour, soaked fruit coffee mixture (step 2) and beaten egg whites. Repeat till all the ingredients are well mixed. 

5. Finally add the toasted nuts. Mix well. 

6. Pour batter into prepared cake tin and bake on middle/lower shelf for around 50-60 mins or until skewer inserted in cake comes out clean. 

7. Leave to cool for 10-15 mins and remove from cake tin. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

  

Enjoy!

Dosa (Indian pancake)

Dosa- the traditional Indian pancake which I grew to love.
Living in a cold(ish) country, I thought it was impossible to make dosa at home as the batter needs some heat to ferment. With no suitable warm space near radiators/in the "hot room" (boiler room), I had resigned to just the occasional indulgence when we go out to South Indian restaurants. But with some ingenious thinking (not by yours truly- thanks but I really cant remember whose idea this was), we overcame that obstacle. Oven pre-heated to low temp...now why didn't I think of that??

The below makes a lot of dosas (2 of us eat at least 4 meals with this quantity). The batter keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. When you go through the trouble of it, why not make it for a few days eh?

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup glutinous rice (you get to buy Idly rice in Indian stores. But am sure it'll work with risotto rice as well though not tried it)
1 cup urad dal (a type of lentil- also available in Indian stores. Doesn't matter if whole or split)

Method:
1. Soak the ingredients in cold water for at least 4 hours
2. Wash it well to remove all the soaked water.
3. Grind in a mixer with just enough water to make a smooth paste (I use a blender and fill water to the same level as the rice-dal mix. Works well)
4. Transfer batter to a large(ish) bowl (remember the batter rises- so ensure you don't fill to the brim).
5. Keep in a warm place for 8-10 hours to ferment and rise. (8 hours for warmer places)
If, like me, you live in a not so warm country, pre-heat oven to 50 degrees (not too hot or you'll end up cooking it). Switch off oven and place the batter in the oven.
6. After around 8 hours, the batter would have risen. Add salt to taste. If the batter is too thick, add a little water. Ideally you want consistency like runny custard)

To actually make the dosa-
1. Heat a frying pan (preferably non-stick) on a high flame
2. Splash little cold water on the pan to reduce the heat just long enough for you to pour a ladle of batter and spread it thinly in circular motions (like a crepe)
3. Dot butter mixed with some vegetable oil around the dosa and on it so that part becomes nice and crispy. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) for this.
4. Cook over high flame. Once the dosa starts to brown and rise away from the pan around the edges, turn it over and cook for another 30 secs or so (when cooked, the dosa easily comes off the pan)
5. Transfer on to a plate.

Dosa is best eaten hot as it can get chewy or rubbery when cold. Enjoy with sambar or chutney or potato curry or chicken curry or anything you fancy. Also tastes good with honey.

Yumm yumm. 

Panna Cotta

I love Panna cotta. Never realised it was so simple to make.

Ingredients:
250ml double cream
50ml milk
50gms sugar
1 tbsp rum (optional)
2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
1/2 vanilla pod- just the seeds (optional)
2 sheets gelatine- soaked in cold water and squeezed dry

Method:
1. In a pan, add all ingredients (except gelatine sheets), stir well and bring it up to a boil
2. Remove from heat and add gelatine soaked sheets and whisk in well (should dissolve easily)
3. Pour in mould (or cups/glasses/anything you can easily turn it out from) and set in fridge for at least 4 hours
4. Once set, partially immerse in warm water/rub the mould between your hands to loosen the panna cotta from the sides of the mould. Turn it on to a plate.

Enjoy with your feet up :) 

Lemon Cheesecake - No Bake

For those times when you are in desperate need of an easy-to-make dessert. It takes around 25mins to make and then a few hours to set- simples :) No pic this time round unfortunately.

Ingredients:
Base:
250 gms biscuits (I used 75% shortbread biscuit and 25% oat biscuits- only because I had some at home)
50 gms melted butter (since the shortbread is already rich in butter, you get away with using lesser. Otherwise the ratio of biscuit to butter is 2:1)

Topping:
200 gms cream cheese (I used plain Philadelphia)- should be at room temperature
4 Tbsp sugar
200 gms Lemon curd (yeah - I cheated and used the store bought one)
200ml double cream

Method:
1. Crush the biscuits to an almost fine powder (easiest in a food processor. Or can be done by placinf biscuits in a bag and then using a rolling pin)
2. Add the melted butter to the biscuit powder and mix well.
3. Layer this on to the base of a well buttered springform cake tin. Press down with a spoon or your fingers to even it out and to compress it.
4. Put it under the grill (or bake) for 5mins (just to let it set a little). Remove from oven and let it cool.
5. Add sugar, cream cheese and lemon curd and mix well.
6. Add half the cream and mix well. Check if more sugar/ lemon curd is required (per your taste).
7. Add the remaining cream and mix well. Check if the consistency is thick (like whipped cream). If not, use a balloon whisk to make it thick. I used really thick double cream and didn't need to use the whisk at all.
8. Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base. Even it out and swirl the top to create a pretty pattern (looks nice)
9. Set in the fridge for couple of hours. I put it overnight (around 7 hours)

Enjoy the cheesecake with a nice cuppa.