Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts

Scones and winners of the colour contest


Winners of the tetley colour contest giveaway are Brenda and Krishnaveni.
I selected the winners using random.org. Congratulations.
There were so many responses that I requested and was offered 2 gift baskets instead of 1, so thank you everyone and Tetley for these wonderful gifts.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter cut into cubes
2/3 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice)
2 tbsp chocolate chip optional

Mix everything until it comes together as a dough. Put it in a floured board and roll with a floured rolling pin.
Keep folding the scones and rolling a few times this will make fluffy soft scones, don't forget this step.
Roll to 7" diameter and 1/2" thick circle, then cut into triangles. Let stand for about 10 minutes, brush with buttermilk. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Put icing sugar on top and if you like put in the broiler for a minute or serve with icing sugar on top or jam in the middle.

Scones are in these events
breakfast club at fuss free flavours and fingers and toes,
cookies and cakes.
The snow picture goes to no croutons required.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Cake for my little prince

chocolate cake car shape
Tasty quick cake to bake, not the best decorated :)

Sponge cake
4 eggs
6 oz sugar
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz flour
1 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs till fluffy. Add sugar gradually and beat till creamy.

Mix flour and baking powder together. Add vanilla, then flour and baking powder into the mixture little at a time and beat well.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for about 1 hour or till the cake is done. Test the cake with a skewer inserted in the middle and it should come out clean.

For the shape of the car the cake was baked on a loaf pan. The batter doubles when baked, so make sure the batter is only poured to half level of the baking dish or it will over flow while baking.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely in a rack before icing.

Cut into a car shape and decorate with icing, cookies and jelly beans. Refrigerate for a little before serving.

Chocolate icing
Chocolate, cocoa powder, icing sugar and milk to mix.

White icing
Icing sugar mixed with butter.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Yogurt custard

Sweet yogurt made with just two ingredients. Easy and delicious like ice cream.

1 cup greek yogurt (thick yogurt)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Beat both together and put into an ovenproof dish. Steam till it sets, skewer inserted in the middle of the custard should come out clean.
Can also put the dish on another baking tray filled half way with water, bain marie, in the oven at 375F for 1/2 hour or until it sets.
Cool then cover and refrigerate overnight and serve.
Garnish with nuts, raisins or fruits.

This steamed custard goes to celebrate sweets bengali dessert bhapa doi and celebrating regional cuisine. And also to celebrate sweets sugarless dessert and food palette white and fuss free flavour's breakfast club yogurt as it can be eaten with fruits.


All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Apple pie puff pastry


2 cups apples cut into cubes (4 apples)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp bread crumbs (toast 1 slice of bread and grind to crust)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water for brushing
1 roll of puff pastry (the packages comes with 2)

Mix apples with sugar, flour and cinnamon and leave it to rest for about 1/2 hour. Mix brown sugar with bread crumbs.

Thaw the puff pastry dough. Stretch the dough to a rectangle on a floured board. Put the sugar bread crumb mixture. Then put apples on top of the mixture, don't spread it just lay it so it is easy to roll up the pastry. Then roll and pinch the ends.

I split the pastry into two parts then pinched the ends. Place the pastries in wax paper and brush with beaten egg yolk, then make some slits on top of the pastry to let out steam.
Bake at 375F for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Cool on tray for 20 minutes.

Can also use phyllo pastry instead of puff pastries. Layer phyllo with butter and bread crumbs in between each piece of phyllo like baklava and make as above. Can also add nuts to the mixture.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Buttery Blondies with chocolatey fudge cups


I had a wonderful time at the art of cooking food event on the 18th of November. I will share the little tips I learned at the event soon. One of the sponsors were President's choice, they gave out packages of mini fudge melts at the end of the event and this recipe is adapted from the package.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup salted butter or margarine
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs

Sift flour, baking powder and 1/4 cup fudge melts and leave aside.
Beat butter, sugar till creamy and light in colour then add eggs one at a time. Mix the flour mixture in low speed until combined. Flour your hands and pat the mixture onto a buttered 9" square pan and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with 1/4 cups of fudge melts then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes till it is golden in colour and skewer inserted comes out nearly clean.
Cool for 20 minutes in the pan before cutting and serving.
Can add more fudge melts if you like.

Update :) lots of people asked me about PC it is President's choice a brand in Canada you can replace with chocolate chip.
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Coconut toffee

Coconut toffee
We are celebrating Eid today Eid Mubarak to all the readers. It is a celebration after the annual pilgrimage Hajj known as Eid-ul-Adha or Festival of sacrifice, as we sacrifice meat (sheep, goat or cow) and give it to family, relatives and needy to remember the willingness of prophet Ibrahim or Abraham (peace be upon him) to do anything for God.

With the holidays nearing here is an easy sweet to make, coconut toffees.
November 19, 2010 This post was featured on FoodBuzz Top 9

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cardamom
1 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
pinch food colour powder or liquid (pink or green)

Remove cardamom pod and crush or powder the seeds.
In medium heat stir the sugar and water until it is thickens into a syrup that is sticky. Put a pinch of colouring into the coconut, lower the heat add coconut and crushed cardamom mix until it thickens.

Put into a greased dish and flatten about 1/2" thick. Let it cool it will harden a little then cut into squares. These coconut toffees will last for a week or more. Desiccated coconut works well compared to freshly grated, I used medium unsweetened coconut.
Coconut toffee
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Sour cream coffee cake and event offer

Hi everyone,

On November 18th, Bob Blumer and Jamie Oliver are coming to Toronto.
The Art of cooking is offering a saving of $10 per ticket or $20 per ticket for groups of 5 or more using this link.


Sour cream cake

Brown sugar filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts chopped
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients and leave aside.

Coffee cake
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream

glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp milk

Mix dry ingredients of the coffee cake together. In a bowl beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with a mixer. Add 1/2 the flour mixture until combined then beat 1/2 the sour cream. Then add the rest of the flour and sour cream alternately.
Grease a tube pan and spread 1/3 of the batter. Sprinkle the filling then the batter and repeat sprinkling the filling and batter.
Bake at 350F for about 1 hour until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove and cool for 20 minutes before drizzling the glaze.
Mix the icing sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle the top of the cake using a spoon and serve.
We liked the cake even more the next day.
Recipe adapted from the book Baking basics Betty crocker and goes to cookbook Sundays and dish name starts with C.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Pumpkin whoopie pies and giveaway winner

Thank you everyone for the support and participation in making the food palette orange event successful. Check out the beautiful orange links so many variety of dishes.
Stay tuned for the next colour :)

The giveaway winner is selected using random.org
Girlichef

Pumpkin whoopie pies

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp cloves powder
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree (baked and chilled pumpkin)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

cream cheese frosting
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla

I prefer eating without cream cheese frosting so I make only a little. The pie without the frosting taste like a childhood favourite soft cake.

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and set aside. In another bowl whisk brown sugar and oil until combined then add pumpkin puree. Add eggs and vanilla whisk. Add the flour mixture and whisk till it is combined.


With a small ice cream scoop drop 1 tbsp of dough on baking trays lined with parchment papers about 1" apart. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cookies cool on the pan. Can keep wrapped in parchment paper in an air tight container for about 3 days in the fridge.

If using filling combine all the ingredients until smooth and apply on the flat side and sandwich the cookies. If preparing sandwiches keep in the fridge for 1/2 hour before serving so the sandwiches hold up.

Adapted from here recipe is originally from the book Baked: New frontiers in baking
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Cinnamon bun for breakfast

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp yeast
pinch sugar
1/4 cup warm water or warm milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 oz unsalted butter melted

filling
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon ground

glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp butter melted
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla beans

Mix yeast with a pinch of sugar then pour 1/4 cup water let it froth add 1/4 cup flour whisk and let stand in a warm spot for 1/2 hour. Instead of using only water mix with milk to get a soft dough.
Add eggs, sugar, salt, 2 cups flour, butter into the mixture and knead a smooth dough cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
Roll the dough into 15 by 10 rectangle put half the melted butter then filling leaving about 2" of long side without filling then roll tightly cut into 1". Place in a buttered rectangle baking dish. Brush the remaining butter over and let rise overnight. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes till golden brown then leave in the pan for 15 minutes. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

I didn't leave it in the fridge as it is cool here. If you leave in the fridge overnight then in the morning remove from the fridge and let it rise for an hour before baking.
The method of making these cinnamon buns are modified from the book Family meals. Here is another favourite pumpkin cinnamon bun that started this blog.
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Banana fritters

It is easy to make banana fritters with any type of banana. I am happy to share this Banana fritters recipe is featured as most delish on the basics magazine.

1/2 cup banana or ripe cooking banana
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp sugar optional
1/4 tsp baking powder optional
pinch turmeric if using cooking banana optional
pinch salt if using cooking banana optional
1 to 2 tbsp water if needed and using cooking banana
oil 1" high for frying

Mash the banana or cut into small chunks then add flour, if using baking powder, sugar, turmeric and salt. Heat oil and fry the fritters by dropping tablespoonful thick batter. If it is browning too fast lower the heat to medium high and fry till golden brown, inside will be fluffy. We love to accompany it with treacle.
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Jelly pudding

October 20, 2010 This post was featured on FoodBuzz Top 9 today

1 pkt strawberry flavoured jelly
1 pkt banana flavoured jelly

agar agar pudding
1/2 cup agar agar or ceylon moss or china grass
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp condensed milk

2 cups milk
4 tbsp custard powder
4 tbsp sugar

I use 100% vegetarian jelly made with agar agar.
Boil 2 cups water dissolve strawberry jelly then pour into mould. Leave for 1/2 hour to set or refrigerate.
Make the agar agar pudding by dissolving the ceylon moss with water then add condensed milk and mix. Pour over the jelly layer when the jelly layer has set well. Leave for about 15 minutes for it to set.
Make the banana flavoured jelly the same way as the strawberry jelly and pour over the pudding that has set. Leave for 1/2 hour to set.
Make the custard pudding by boiling 1 1/2 cups milk add the sugar dissolve. Mix custard powder with 1/2 cup cold milk and pour into the hot milk keep stirring till it thickens. Then pour onto the well set jelly layer. Refrigerate and serve cool.


Responding to a questions from friends
Agar agar in an alternate to gelatine. I usually use powder that comes in packets or sheets that are known as china grass.
The sheets of china grass is cut into small pieces and is melted in hot water. Agar agar powder like gelatine is melted in hot water and stirred.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Palm leaf plates

Palm leaf plates
I received these palm leaf plates to review on our Eid festival, which was exciting as I had so many dishes to keep on the plates and see if they hold up well. I love these and would certainly recommend it to anyone. They are friendly to the environment, sturdy and beautiful. These plates are made using Adaka palm leaves from forest floors are washed, hand stretched, flattened and heat pressed into shapes and dried in the sun.
Palm leaf plates
Here are few dishes I served
Palm leaf plates
Yellow stock rice with Roasted chicken and potatoes

Palm leaf plates
Light fruit cake, date cake and cookies

Palm leaf plates

Palm leaf plates
Can be washed and reused if you want :)

Palm leaf plates
All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First