Creme Brulee is an egg based dessert, similar to a custard, but with a crunchy sugar topping, which is normally created by sprinkling the sugar on top and caramelising it with a blow torch. For December’s Eggless Baking Challenge – by the way, completes its two years of successful running!-, Vimala had challenged us with making this dish, that she had suggested from Sanjeev Kapoor’s site, into eggless. It has been two months since I have been missing my challenges due to time constraints and many other factors. Even though, this time also I was in a tight corner, I really wanted to make it without losing out on this month. When I saw Gayathri’s post, I just went ahead with making it the way she did, with slight changes and was really happy with the result! Nobody missed the eggs for sure. The sugar topping was a pain to…
Pinwheel Cookies
The last weekend of 2013 vanished without much happening. A lot of guests and loads of cooking had literally exhausted umma and me, that we opted for a silent yesterday, where we had minimal cooking. As much as I enjoy cooking, days as such really temper your mood down that you do not want to do anything with the kitchen for the many many days to come! Today also I am thinking of pulling my folks at home out for dinner rather than something home made… A couple of days of no-cooking will not be of any harm, would it? 🙂 My kids love cookies, period! They love to munch on biscuits, wafers and cookies any time and our home has always stock of whatever they like. Nowadays, I am trying to push myself to bake them at home, so that I know what they are eating is home…
Banana Walnut Loaf
When the seas are rough and the going gets tough, holding on to your belief and faith takes a lot of guts. The Holy Quran clearly says: “Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried?” (Surah Ankabut 29:2) It clearly means that the Almighty is going to put things into your path, which will shake your belief in Him, which will make you doubt as to His existence and His support. I strongly believe that these difficulties come to you only to test how strong your belief is in Him. Many people crumble in the midst of hardships and difficulties. It is really difficult to hold onto your beliefs and faith when things don’t look rosy at all. But when the Almighty Himself warns you that you will be tested, it means we have to be ready all the time, accept that things may not be really easy as we want…
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
I visited an old friend on mine in Oman a couple of weeks ago. I was going to see her after 15 years – yes, that is after school! You could wonder how excited I was. Iwanted to ensure that I would make something with my own hands and take it for her as a token of love. That was when I remembered that I was yet to complete the month’s Home Baker’s Challenge, which is hosted by the lovely Priya, who blogs at “Cook Like Priya“. The list she provided were some lovely Christmas bakes, of which I zeroed on these cookies, as they seemed easy to make yet perfect for gifting to somebody. I made the recipe into half and got quite a big quantity of cookies, which I carried completely for her children. I don’t have to say that the whole day, we chatted like school children…
Mini Cheese Oregano Roll-ups
Dedicating this post to the great man that left for heavenly abode over the weekend – his influence was far reached, irrespective of caste, creed and color and his absence will be heavily missed. RIP Mr. Nelson Mandela! Going off to today’s recipe, it is a very simple snack that could be put together in a jiffy, when you really don’t have time in hand. Instead of yeast, baking powder is used so there is no waiting period involved. When I saw this recipe in one of the BBC Good Food ME issues, I decided to try it and was not disappointed. The original recipe only had the paprika and cheddar, I added in the oregano for little more flavor. You can play in with the seasoning as you want… Mini Cheese Oregano Roll-ups Save Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 30 mins …
Honey Yogurt Cake
I am so glad that I am being featured on one of my good friend’s blog. Shahina, even though she lives in a different place than mine and I have never met her personally, there is a bond that we have built over our virtual communications. When I noticed that she was going through a low patch on her blog, I messaged her to inquire the reason of her unusual silence. She seems to be packed up with a lot of backlog on her work front and is not getting time to feed her blog. I then just casually asked her if she would be OK if I give her a guest post and she so excitedly reverted back with a “yes”. Shaai, as I like to call her, has a lot of “naadan” food on her blog, which are so unique to Kerala. I really feel that whenever I have to cook up some Kerala food, I…
Soya Mince Pies
One of those dry days, when my head is empty! 🙂 The day has started beautifully, with a mild sun, clouds splashed on the sky and the sky reflecting a beautiful tinge of blue. The breeze has been so lovely that there is no need to have the air conditioner on in the car now. All I do is to lower down my windows completely and enjoy the breeze as it slowly brushes by my face, till some damn smoker destroys the fun from the car in the front! No offence meant to smokers in any way, but then sometimes I really wish they would stop considering the air as their private property which can be made filthy whenever they want! I am sure many drivers who love to enjoy this kind of a weather would completely agree with me. The forecast for the day seems to thunderstorm in certain…
Sausage Puffs
It’s been a lovely weekend – have got some rest, my fair share of cooking, went for the Sharjah Book Fair, which is termed to be one of the largest book fairs in the world. The crowd was enormous… must have been because it is the last day today, but I was told that the crowd has been good everyday. I felt that it just goes to show that people still appreciate reading. I was happy that a lot of youngsters were vigorously going through the titles available and convincing their parents to buy it for them. I, as usual, picked up quite a bit of books, much above my budget and have promised myself to read them rather than leave them somewhere to hatch eggs!!! Reading was a habit that I so voraciously used to do, during my study days and my initial marriage days. Once studies in the…
Banana Choco Chip Muffins
Baking is always a passion for me, even though I am now forced to put a comma to it – why a comma? Because sometimes, I manage to sneak bake!!! 😉 More than having the end result, the whole process is what thrills me – putting together all the ingredients, following the steps, beating the wet ingredients, whisking the dry ingredients, preheating the oven, greasing the baking pan, testing the batter if it is sufficiently sweet, pouring the final mix into the pan, sneaking into the oven to check how the cake is faring, and the best and the foremost, the heavenly smell that spreads across the house when the batter is baking! When Razina, who blogs at Raaz Food Love invited guest posts related to baking, I jumped at the chance. First of all, she is a new blogger who is posting some lovely recipes on a regular basis. Secondly, her intention was to learn…
Chocolate Monkey Bread
Ramadan and Eid has come to an end… So quick… I feel quite numb doing this post. Somehow, my brain still cannot register the fact that those lovely days are over. It all came too quick and there was a total frenzy at home. Umma and I were immersed in cooking and feeding, apart from the Eid prayers and the loads of guests who were there at home. Whatever said and done, enjoyed every bit of it. My umma very tactfully ensured that I take the responsibility of making the biriyani on the day of Eid! Hmm… Made mutton biriyani and my umma chipped in with fried chicken and paal pizhinjathu. OK, please don’t force me to share the mutton biriyani here, as I was not fully satisfied with outcome, even though it was all wiped up and I had some pretty happy tummies at home! We had it…
Perfect Pound Cake with Crunchy Nuts Topping
150th post… I don’t know what to feel. Blogging seems to be all about numbers – the years you stay, the hits you get, the posts you publish, the followers you make, the comments that pour… each number indicates something about your blog. But whatever said and done, though I get excited by every hit, every comment and every activity on the blog, nothing can beat the feeling of beautiful relationships that I’ve got as a part of blogging. I only hope that I can keep moving on with what I feel for blogging now. As of now, I take it as a pass time to unleash myself in between my otherwise tight schedule. I know many of you have kept putting in comments as to how I am able to manage work, home and the blog. By Allah’s Grace, it is happening now, but it may not be the…
Tuna Pasta Bake
So finally Ramadan is declared, and it is tomorrow! Tomorrow, or rather from tonight, will mark a whole new routine for the next one month! We will have special Ramadan prayers called Taraweeh, which will start from tonight and will go on till Eid is declared. It will be the time for late dinners, a light meal before the striking of dawn and total abstinence from dawn to dusk. Since summer is at the peak this year, the dawn here starts at around 4 am and will go on till around 7:15 pm, that’s quite some long time, when the temperatures are peaking 45-48 degrees Celsius and the humidity can go till 100 percent! But Alhamdulillah, even though the first couple of days is difficult, the body gets adjusted to it and will withstand all the stress of not eating! The Qur’an says: “O you who believe, fasting is decreed…