Rich Fruit Cake#SundayFunday

This is a delicious Rick Fruit Cake with awesome flavor. There is no need to soak these in advance. Soak them overnight and they are good to use.

Ingredients
113 Grams Butter
113 Grams Caster Sugar
113 Grams All Purpose Flour
3 Eggs
¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
80 Grams Chopped Nuts
400 Grams Chopped Dried Fruits
3 Tablespoons Rum
1 Teaspoon Cake Spice - Homemade
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder

Method 

I have used golden raisins, sultanas, mixed fruit peel, cranberries, homemade candied grapefruit and sweet lime peels, plums, glazed cherries.
soak all the fruits in 300 Ml rum overnight. An hour before mixing the cake. Place all the soaked dry fruits in a colander to drain off all the rum. Reserve the rum to use it later. 

Add softened butter into a bowl and then add sugar and cream them together until light and fluffy. Add eggs (one at a time)
If you are using vanilla extract ,you can add at this point.
Add in the flour mix (combination of baking powder, salt ) and lightly fold in with a spatula. Fold in the spices and drained fruits into the batter. This smell and flavor is so awesome of this rich fruit cake. Pour it into lined 6" pan's. 

Bake it at 180°C preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. As soon as the cake it out of the oven pour in the rums on them. Cool these on a wire rack. These went for my friends.

Labels: Cake, Cake Spice Mix, Cinnamon, Rum, Golden Raisins, Christmas Cake, Sunday Funday 

• Puerto Rican Papas Rellenas (Picadillo-Stuffed Potatoes) from Culinary Cam
• Rich Fruit Cake from Sneha’s Recipe
• Double Cut Pork Chops with Apples and Raisin from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ember Avocado Toast from Palatable Pastime
• High Protein Oatmeal Raisin Baked Oatmeal from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Carrot & Apple Bread from Mayuri’s Jikoni  

Khoya/Mawa Gujiya With Dry Fruits

Gujiya/Turnover is a classic North India sweet which is crispy, flaky pastry filled with khoya/mawa and nuts stuffing. Gujia is generally deep fried. This are traditional is sweet that is made for Holi or Diwali festival.

Measurement 1 Cup = 200 Ml Cup
Ingredients
Recipe For The Dough
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Desi Ghee
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup +1 Tablespoon Water 
For The Stuffing 
125 Grams Mawa/ Khoya Homemade
2 Tablespoons Fine Semolina/Rawa 
1 Cup Level Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Green Cardamom Powder
1 Tablespoon Lightly Toasted Charoli - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Golden Rasins– finely chopped
20 Lightly Toasted Cashewnuts - finely chopped
20 Lightly Toasted Almonds - finely chopped
½ Cup Desiccated Coconut

Method

Dry roast the semolina on a pan till light pink, remove and keep aside.
In the same pan separately toast the cashewnuts, almonds and charoli lightly, remove and keep them in a plate. Then finely chop them.

Recipe For Dough 

Rub the ghee into flour with your hands well till it represents bread crumbs. Then first add ¼ cup water and start to knead into a stiff dough, add the other ¼ cup and make a stiff dough if necessary just a teaspoon to a tablespoon of water. 

This dough will not be smooth at all, but, do not worry just cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour. In the meantime let's prepare the stuffing/filling.

Chop the dry fruit finely and mix in the desiccated coconut and cardamon powder.
Microwave the mawa on high power for a minute. Cool then add rest of the ingredients and mix well the filling is ready.

The dough has been rested and become smooth, knead it well again. make lemon size balls and roll it into a slightly thick puri 

then cut it with a round cutter or use a gujiya mold to make them slightly wet the edges with water  

then place a heaped tablespoon of filling . 

Cover it and seal it the edges by pressing it with your thumb, then with  with a fork make a design.

Like wise make all and let them rest covered with a damp cloth for 10 minutes.

In the meantime pour oil into deep frying pan and heat it till slightly hot and on medium low flame frying them 3 - 4 at a time or more if your pan is bigger till golden brown.

These are all fried, crispy flaky.

These are packed and ready to take for our trekker's Holi party on the hills. Enjoy

My Notes

Make sure you do not add a lot of water while kneading the dough -  the dough should stiff/hard.
Cook the khoya properly until it releases fat and become bit brown.
If you feel that the stuffing is dry the add few teaspoons of milk
Rest the dough properly and it will become easy to use.
You don’t need to apply any dry flour to roll the dough
Do not fry the gujiya on a high flame the flame should always be low. 

Labels: Desi Ghee, Desiccated Coconut, Almond, Cashewnuts, Charoli, Golden Raisins, Mawa, Homemade, Festival Sweets, Deep Fried, Turnover, Gujiya 

Doodh Poha/Rice Flakes In Milk#SundayFunday

I love to have a warm, balanced and healthy breakfast. Doodh Poha is one of those easy, quick healthy breakfast to make. Doodh is milk,  Poha is rice flakes. This is a delicacy from the Guajarati and Maharastrian  cuisine, which is a satisfying warm breakfast. 

Serves 2 - 3
Cup 250Ml
Ingredients
500Ml Milk
¼ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Poha/ Rice Flakes
A Pinch Cardamom Powder
A Pinch Saffron Strands
Dry Fruits as per your choice
I used Almond, Pistachios, Figs, Raisins, Apricots

Method 

Wash the poha and drain it in a strainer and keep aside.

In a large sauce pan, boil the milk , when it boils let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and saffron strands, stir till sugar melts. Switch off the flame, add the washed and drained poha. Stir it add rest of the ingredients and let it sit till warm. 

Serve into individual bowls and add the chopped dry fruits. Enjoy this warm, a healthy and delicious breakfast which is also light on the tummy.

Labels: Milk , Poha, Almond, Pistachios, Dried Figs, Golden Raisins, Apricots, Breakfast, Sunday Funday, Sweets & Desserts

In our today's event for Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. I thank our host Rebekah of Making Miracles for this week's event and the theme is "Celebrate Dairy".

• Blackberry Peach Overnight Oats by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Eggplant Pork Roast Rolls by Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Pots de Creme by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Creamy Asparagus Soup with Ham Stock by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Creamy Steak Fettuccine by Making Miracles
• Doodh Poha/Rice Flakes In Milk by Sneha's Recipe
• Fresh Turmeric Chaas by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Homemade Chocolate Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peanut Butter & Banana Ice Cream by Cooking With Carlee

Hot Cross Buns#BreadBakers

These Hot Cross Buns were perfect and delicious.   They were on my to do list for a long time.  At last I, made  six buns and in my house, the aroma / smell  as they were  baking was soooo good . 

Makes 6  buns
Ingredients
For the Buns
300 Grams All Purpose Flour
1 Sachet Instant Yeast
2 Tablespoons Heaped Caster Sugar
 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg½ Teaspoon Salt
¾ Cup Warm Milk or as required
30 Grams Unsalted Butter - softened
1 Egg - lightly beaten 

1 Teaspoon Orange zest
20 Grams Candied Mixed Peel
30 Grams Golden raisins or Currants
For the Egg Wash 
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon Milk
For Crosses
50 grams All purpose flour
1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
50+ -  Ml Water

Method 

In the  food processor combine the flour, yeast, sugar  and salt. Add the milk, butter, egg, and mix.  Knead the dough until it is silky smooth and elastic.

Now take the dough on to the work surface add the candied peel,currants, and 

knead till incorporated and then add spices,orange zest. 

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough once, so the top is lightly greased. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size.

Deflate the dough, divide into 6 equal pieces.  

Form each piece into a round ball and place on a oiled baking tray until they double in size. 

Make an egg wash of the beaten egg with  milk and with a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides of the buns.

For the crosses

Whisk the flour and sugar with enough water until it is of piping consistency. Place in a piping bag, fitted with a small plain tip ( I added a litter more water and the batter became runny )  pipe crosses on each bun.

Bake them in a preheat oven to  200°C about  18 - 20 minutes, or until the buns are nicely browned. 

Brush them with butter and place on a wire rack to cool completely .

These came out lovely, soft and delicious.

Labels : Breads, Easter Breads, Bread Bakers, Candied Fruits, Golden Raisins, Black Currants 
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla has selected Easter breads from around the world as our theme.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Choereg (Armenian Easter Bread) by Making Miracles
Easy Glazed Baked Donuts by Shockingly Delicious
Folar da Páscoa, a Less-Than-Traditional Version by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
German Osterbrot Easter Bread by Ambrosia
Hot Cross Buns by Sneha's Recipe
Polish Babka by A Messy Kitchen
Kalach (Hungarian Easter Bread) by Passion Kneaded
Kozunak (Bulgarian Easter Bread) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Russian Kulich - Easter Bread by Food Lust People Love
Sourdough Hot Cross Buns by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sourdough Ukrainian Paska by Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Healthy Granola Cakes #FoodieExtravaganza

This month our Host Caroline Williams, for this month's Foodie Extravaganza, choose the theme "Nuts " . Made these Healthy Garnola Cakes for my daugther to snack whenever she does not have time to have a proper breakfast.

A granola taste and texture in a form of a healthy cake! These baked cakes are perfect for a diet plan or after a gym work, or, even perfect to have as a healthy snack. The granola cakes are made of oats, nuts and dried fruits.

Ingredients
60 Grams Almonds - sliced
60 Grams Golden Raisins
60 Grams Melon Seeds
60 Grams Apricots - chopped
60 Grams All Purpose Flour
60 Grams Oats
2 Tablespoons Heaped Honey
4 Tablespoons Apple Sauce
1.1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Line and grease a baking tray.

Mix all of the ingredients together and form into thin small cakes. Arrange in the prepared tray and bake for 25 minutes.

Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy whenever hungry ... happy and healthy eating!

Labels : Granola Cakes, Baked, Oats, Melon seeds, Apple Sauce, Honey, Olive Oil, Apricots, Golden Raisins, Almond, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Healthy snacks

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly food fest, where a group of bloggers all create and share a recipe around one of the monthly food 'holidays' as detailed in The Nibble. This month Sneha from Snehas Recipe is hosting, Peanut Butter is our theme. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

See all the other nuts recipes for today's Foodie Extravaganza hosted by Caroline's Cooking:

Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice by Food Lust People Love
Canadian Pecan Butter Tarts by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Healthy Granola Cakes by Sneha’s Recipes
Pecan Chicken by Family Around The Table
Pumpkin Nut Braid by Passion Kneaded
Pumpkin-Nut Crumble Cake by Hardly A Goddess
Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Walnut Sauce by Caroline’s Cooking