Blueberries N Walnut Brownie Cookies

Ingredients -

Butter - 1/2 cup softened
Powdered sugar - 2 cups
Unsweetened cooking chocolate - 1 cup coarsely chopped
Eggs - 4 at room temperature
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp 
Walnut pieces - 1/2  cup
Blue berries - 1/4 cup
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Powdered sugar, for coating

Method -

1. Melt chocolate and butter on a double boiler until its
    melted completely, remove it from the boiler, let it
    cool partially and beat it with a wooden spatula until
    smooth.
2. In another bowl beat sugar and eggs on a high speed
    with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until it's light and
    double in volume.
3. Blend the slightly cooled chocolate and vanilla essence
    into it, add  the walnut and blueberries too.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and mix into 
    the chocolate mix with a wooden spatula, half at a time
    until the dough is all mixed and smooth.
5. Cover it with foil or a cling film and refrigerate it or
    3-4 hours.
6. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease the drip tray 
    and line them with parchment paper. 
7. Put about 1 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl. 
    Now shape the dough into 1-1/2-inch-thick balls,
    applying little oil on your palms. Generously coat 
    each one with sugar and place it on a baking sheet,
    baking about 4-5 cookies at a time. 
8. Bake for about 10 minutes or until brown on both
    the sides, when done, the cookies will be puffed and 
    will feel very soft to the touch. Do not overbake.
8. Transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool, store it in
    an air tight container.

Tri-layered Dates n Carrot Cake

Ingredients -

All purpose flour- 1 cup
Wholewheat flour - 3/4 cup (little more than half)
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Egg - 3
Baking powder - 1 1/3 tsp
Soda bi carb - 1/2 tsp
Dates - cut into pieces 1 cup
Carrot - grated 1/2 cup
Butter - 60 g
Cream ( malai) - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Food colour orange - few drops until u get desired colour

Method -

1. Beat malai and butter until it's very light and fluffy.
2. Add sugar gradually and keep beating it continuously
    on full speed from an electric mixer.
3. Add eggs one at a time  beating after each addition.
4. Sift the flours, baking powder, soda and add it
   gradually in the batter alternating with the milk.
5. Mix all well, add vanilla essence.
6. Divide the batter into two unequal parts, take out
    less than half of the batter in another bowl and mix
    the grated carrot in it.
7. Now add food colour and chopped dates in the
    remaining batter and mix it well.
8  Grease and line a baking tray and spread half of
    the orange batter on it evenly,
9. Spread all the carrot mixed batter on it, taking care
    to spread evenly over the orange batter.
10. Finally spread the remaining orange batter over
      both the layers, covering it all.
11. Bake it on a pre - heated oven for 1/2 an hour or
      until baked thoroughly, when inserted with a skewer,
      it should come out clean.
12.  Take it out from the baking dish, let it cool on a wire 
       rack for half an hour, cut it into pieces and serve
       this tasty and healthy cake.

Malva Cake Pudding : Christmas Special

Malva pudding is an ubiquitous South African dessert, originally of Dutch origin. It is a pudding, usually served hot with custard or ice-cream. Malva is made with apricot jam. This typical South African dessert has a spongy, caramelised texture.

Ingredients - 

Butter - 3 tbsp
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Sugar white granulated - 3/4 cup
Egg - 1 large
Soda bicarb - 1 tsp
Milk full cream  - 1 cup
Apricot jam - 2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

For the sauce -

Butter - 3-4 tbsp
White sugar - 1/2 cup
Cream- 3/4 cup
Vanilla essence - 2 drops
Water - 1/2 cup

Method - 

1. Take a big bowl and put melted butter in it, 
    beat it for a minute with an electric mixture.
2. Put sugar and mix it, add egg and beat it for a minute.
3. Pour the vanilla essence and milk into it and mix all.
4. Sift flour, salt and baking powder and mix gradually 
    into the batter, avoid any lumps.
5. Grease a baking tray and pour the batter into it.
6. Put it into a pre-heated oven and bake in the oven, 
    for 30-40 minutes on a medium heat. (For the first 
    half i put on the lower heating rod then for the 
    second half i covered the cake with the drip tray 
    and put on the upper heating rod of the oven.)
7. Take it out when it's done when inserted with a knife 
    and the upper layer of the cake has turned a beautiful
    brown.

For the sauce -

1. Take a pan and put everything listed for the sauce 
    in it.
2. Heat it and bring it to boil, reduce the flame and 
    simmer it for a minute, stirring it.
3. Pour the sauce over the hot baked pudding as soon 
     as it comes out of the oven. 
4. Let it soak for a while and serve it hot, Njoy this 
    sumptuous delight with your loved ones.

Bobotie : Christmas Special

    

Bobotie also spelt bobotjie, is a South African 
dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked
with an egg-based topping. Although not
particularly spicy, the dish incorporates a variety
of flavours that can add complexity. For
example, the dried fruit (usually apricots and
raisins/sultanas) contrasts the curry flavouring
very nicely. The texture of the dish should be
tender and creamy which means long, slow
cooking with the baked egg mixture topping, 
complementing the milk-soaked bread which
adds moisture to the dish.


Ingredients -

 Onions- 1
 Garlic cloves crushed - 2
 Curry powder - 1 tsp
 Mango chutney- 1 tbsp
 Apple jelly - 1 tbsp
 Vinegar - 3 - 4 drops
 Worcestershire sauce- 1/2 tsp
  Salt - to taste
  Red chili powder -  1 tsp
 Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  Mixed herbs - 1 tsp
  Eggs - 3  Milk- 250 ml
  Bread - 3
  Sultanas- 1/4 cup

Method -

1. Add 3 breads to 1/2 cup of milk and let it
    soak, set aside.
2. Take a frying pan, add onions, garlic and
     stir till brown. 
3. Add curry powder, apple jelly,
    chutney, vinegar, Worcestershire
    sauce, salt, red chili powder, turmeric
    powder, mixed herbs, stir and mix all. 
    Let it cook for a while.
4. Take the bread and add to the frying pan,
     add minced meat, sultanas, butter and
     let it cook thoroughly.
5. Take it off the heat and let it cool down a
      bit, add 1 beaten egg and mix. Put into a
      greased baking pan evenly.
6. Take the remaining milk and make a mixture
      of  milk, 2 eggs and pinch of salt, pour it all
      over the minced meat in the baking pan. Put
      few bay leaves on top and let it bake till it turns
      beautiful golden in colour.