Plum Cake: Christmas Special ( Rum Essence Only)

It’s time to sing a song together, it’s time to dance in a tune, it’s time to see snowflakes falling from the sky because it’s Christmas. Once in every year all over the world people celebrate this special occasion with friends and family.  I think Christmas has its own essence, the decoration all over the street, Shops, Houses, Malls make you feel that it’s Christmas.

This is also one of the best times to purchase gifts for your near and dear ones. I think when it comes to gifts we all want to be kid again so that we can ask whatever we want from Santa. The price of the gift or the size of the gift actually does not matter, what matters is the feelings of love. From last few months my husband asked me what I want in coming Christmas which actually gives me an immense pleasure. But he only decided to buy a DSLR camera for me which can help me to take some nice Photos for my blog. And can help me to become a little better in food photography. Which I loved was his thinking about my passion of photos. 

So my Santa is going to bring a big smile on my face this year, hope each and every people of the world get his or her smile from Santa clause. Christmas cannot be completed with a perfect cake and this is the best time to bake an authentic PLUM CAKE. My husband, daughter, friends everybody liked it very much and that's why I am really satisfied after everybody's reaction. This authentic Plum cake used to make with RUM but my daughter is going to have it so I just added Rum essence, but if you don’t have any issue then you can use any normal RUM or Spiced RUM which is available in any big super market. 

Ingredients:
For Soaking dry fruits
1.Dry fruits: raisins, currents, cherries, orange peels, apricot, prunes, cranberries, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios. (1 cup chopped)
2.Two table spoon powdered sugar.
3.One tea spoon water,
4.One tea spoon lemon juice.
5. Rum or Rum essence one cup.

At least 7 days before baking the cake, you have to soak the dry fruits for that you have to prepare caramel sauce.

First  in a heavy bottomed vessel add two table spoon of sugar then slowly add the water and lemon juice in medium heat and slowly your sugar will become dark brown in color, don’t use any spoon just shake the vessel . And don’t allow it to burn also so stand in front of the stove still it become dark and thick like sauce. Then add 2 table spoon water.

Now in an air tight container add all chopped dry fruits then add the caramel sauce then add the Rum essence or normal Rum and keep it aside for at least 7 days.

Caramel Syrup for cake:
Sugar : 1 cup.
Water: one cup and Two table spoon
Lemon juice: 1 tea spoon.

First  in a heavy bottomed vessel add one cup of sugar then slowly add the water and lemon juice in medium heat and slowly your sugar will become dark brown in color, don’t use any spoon just shake the vessel . And don’t allow it to burn also so stand in front of the stove still it become dark completely.

Then allow it to cool a bit then add the one cup warm water and your caramel syrup is done.

Ingredients for cake.
1.All-purpose flour: 2 cup.
2.Sugar: 2 cup. And One tea spoon
3.Egg: 4 (separate the egg yolks and egg white).
4.Spices powder: Nutmeg powder, Cinnamon powder, Clove powder (1/2 tea spoon of each item).
5.Few almonds and few walnut : just make dry powder with the nuts.
6.Butter: 1 cup.
7.Vanila essence: one table spoon.
8.Baking powder: one table spoon.
9.One tea spoon orange zest.
10.Pinch of salt.

Process:

Pre heat the oven in 350D F. And grease one round loaf pan with butter and flour.

First in  a bowl mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder, spices powder, dry nuts powder) and keep it aside.

Now in a bowl mix the butter and sugar till it become smooth, then slowly add the egg yolks one at a time and mix it nicely till it become smooth and creamy.

Then add the butter sugar mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and combine together, now slowly add the caramel syrup, orange zest, vanilla essence and mix together.

Now drain the rum from the soaked dry fruits save the rum. Then add some flour on to the dry fruits and slowly add them in to the mixture and with wooden spoon just folds the dry fruits in to the mixture.

Now in a separate bowl mix the egg whites with one spoon of sugar and whisked them till it become smooth.

Now add the egg white mixture into the cake batter and fold it carefully with the wooden spoon.

Now pour the cake batter into the greased pan and bake it for 55 mints to 1 hr or till it done, to checking insert a toothpick inside the cake if its come smoothly then your cake is done.

Now take the cake out from the oven and slowly take out from the pan, now allow it to cool. Now brush the saved rum on top of the cake for at least one day. 

Your authentic super yummy PLUM CAKE is ready enjoy your CHRISTMAS with your family and friends.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

“Santa clause is coming to town” I think like me all of you are waiting for Christmas. Ready to enjoy the season with family and friends, from shopping to cleaning - we want everything to be perfect during Christmas. And this is the perfect month for baking, most of the people bake their best batch of cookies, cakes and breads during Christmas for friends and family. From yesterday I was think to prepare something because the smell of baking makes me mad every time and the smell only makes you feel that Christmas is coming. 

It was so cold from last 2 days because of 30 hours of continuous snow fall, so if you keep your oven busy that will make your home little warm also. From long time I planned to make some bread but any how didn't make. So I thought this is the best time to make some bread. And I prepared some easy CINNAMON RAISIN SWIRL BREAD. It’s really soft moist and perfect as breakfast bread. Really felt satisfied after a perfect bread baking.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: 1 ½ cup, and little more for kneading.
2.Milk Powder: 2 table spoon.
3.Salt : ½ tea spoon.
4.Sugar: 2 table spoon.
5.One egg.
6.Butter (soften) : 2 table spoon.
7.Granulated sugar: 2 table spoon.
8.Cinnamon powder: one table spoon.
9.Dry yeast: 1 table spoon.
10.Raisin: 1 cup.
11.Warm water: ¾ cup.
12.Baking Powder: ½ tea spoon.
13.Vegetable oil: 1 tea spoon.

Process:

In a bowl add the warm water little sugar and add the dry yeast and keep it aside till the yeast rise.
Now in a bowl mix the flour, milk powder, salt and sugar, baking powder and mix well.

Now mix the egg and butter well, now add this into the yeast and water bowl and mix well.

Now make a hole in middle of the flour mixture and add the egg butter and yeast mixture, and mix them together and make soft dough, kneed it till it become soft and smooth.

Now rub some vegetable oil in a bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place for 40 to 45 mints. After 45 mints your dough will become double in size.

Now sprinkle some flour in a plain surface, kneed our dough for some time. Now roll it like a big square roti.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon powder together, Now rub some butter on top of the dough sheet, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon power mixture on top of that.

Now sprinkle the raisin’s on top of that, now start rolling it from one corner to another like my photo an fold the edges also.

Now rub some vegetable oil or butter into a loaf pan, and sprinkle some flour also.

Now place the bread roll inside the loaf pan and cover it with an aluminum foil and keep this in a warm place for 20 mints. After 20 mints it became double in size. Now brush some beaten  egg on top of the bread.

Now pre heat your oven in 350 degree F, and place the loaf pan in middle rack and bake it for 35 to 40 mints. Now take out the bread from the oven and place it in a cool rack and slowly cut them into slices.

Your easy CINNAMON RAISIN SWIRL BREAD is ready serve with a cup of hot coffee.

Chicken Reshmi Kabab

In this cold winter we love to celebrate our weekends with some hot and spicy snacks. Most of the weekends we have gatherings sometime in my place sometime in friends' place. Last week we had a small get together in one of my friend's place and they told me to prepare some chicken snacks. But I was really not in a mood to cook which would take lots of time. So I chose an easy recipe CHICKEN RESHMI KABAB, an authentic kabab which melts in mouth.

All my friends love the kababs so I thought to share my recipe with all my followers. You just need the proper ingredients then you can easily make this KABAB, a perfect snack Item for any party.

Ingredients:
For first round marinating:
1.Chicken brest: 1 lb.
2.Black pepper powder: 1 tea spoon.
3.Red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.
4.Kasoori Methi: ½ tea spoon.
5.Orrange food color: Few drops.
6.Cumin Powder: ½ tea spoon.
7.Garama Masala Powder: ½ tea spoon.
8.Meat Tenderizer: ½ tea spoon. 
9. Salt as per taste.

For second round marinating:
1.Haeavy cream: 1 ½  table spoon.
2.Shreded Mozzarella Cheese: 2 table spoon.
3.sour cream: 1 ½  table spoon.
4.Ginger Garlic paste: 1 table spoon.
5.Lemon juice: 1 table spoon.
6.Oil : 1 table spoon.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken breasts now cut them into some thin long stripes.

Marinate the chicken stripes with the first round marinating ingredients as mentioned (from 2 to 9). And keep it aside for 30 mints.

Now in a bowl add all the second round marinating ingredients together and mix well.

Now put the chicken stripes into the bowl and mix well.

Now Skewer the chicken pieces. Just skewer the chicken pieces from one end to another end. (If you using bamboo skewer please soak them into water for 10 mints).

Now Place the skewers in an oven proof tray and cook them in a preheat oven for 15 to 20 mints in high temperature.

Your easy CHICKEN RESHMI KABAB is ready serve hot with few drops of lemon juice and Onions.

Ghee Pongal: A dish from Tamilnadu

For my daughter I try to cook something different everyday so that she loves to have food. Like all the other kids she is very choosy about her food. Most of us like to give our kids Rice at least one time of a day like rice dal and curry or some time just a simple rice preparation. My daughter likes rice, so something different with rice is something new to her so she enjoys a lot. One of a very famous Rice preparation of South India especially Tamilnadu is Pongal. A simple rice and dal combo which is flavored with lots of ghee and cashew nuts and served with sambar.  But I love to have pongal alone. PONGAL is Tamilnadu’s harvest festival which is coincided with MAKAR SANKRANTI.

The best part of this dish is the smell of ghee, fried cashew nuts and black pepper which make you hungry. My daughter just loves it so I can say this one is really good for small kids, a very simple and easy recipe for all of you.

Ingredients:
1.Raw Rice: 1 cup.
2.Split Moong Dal: ¼ cup.
3.Water:4 cup.
4.Crushed ginger: ½ tea spoon.
5.Hing or asafetida: a pinch off.
6.Salt and sugar as per taste.
7.Ghee:3 table spoon.

To temper:
1.Cashew nute: 15 to 20 pieces (split).
2.Few curry leaves.
3.Few black pepper corn.
4.Few cumin seeds.

Process:

Dry roast the moong dal first, then wash the dal and rice together.

Now in a cooker add one table spoon of ghee slowly add the crushed ginger and the asafetida and fry for few seconds now add the washed rice and dal.

Now add the water and some salt and sugar and cook in medium flame (around four whistles) and open the cover when all the vapors come out completely.

Now in a small pan add the rest of the ghee, now add the split cashew nuts fry till it become golden, next add the curry leaves, black pepper corn and cumin seeds and fry for some time.

Now add all the temper ingredients along with ghee in the boiled rice and dal and mix well.

The easy and simple PONGAL is ready serve hot with Sambar and enjoY.