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.

Apple Clafouti

 Clafouti, also known as clafoutis is a classic French
 dessert which resembles a fruit filled custard or sweet 
 frittata. While native to the Limousin region of France,
 clafouti is made in many other locations as well, and it 
 is a popular dessert food. Since clafouti is very easy   
 to make and it has an elegant presentation, it is an 
 excellent choice of quickie dessert for dinner parties. 
   The fruit is layered with a dense batter and baked
 until the batter puffs up, just like a quiche. The
 dessert is allowed to cool slightly before being served
 with whipped cream, ice cream, crème anglaise, or 
 a similar topping. It can be served directly out of the
 baking pan also.

Ingredients - 

Butter - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Cream - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Egg - 3
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Lemon zest - 1 tsp
Choco chips - 1 tbsp
Apple - 2 big (thinly sliced)

Method -

1. Take a big bowl and using an electric blender whisk
    together milk, cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, lemon zest,
    cinnamon and salt, add the flour and combine all until
    it becomes a smooth batter.
2. Grease a baking dish and pour 1/4 of the batter onto
     the baking dish, set aside the remaining batter.
3. Place it in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until the
     upper layer sets in and starts to thicken but it is not 
     thoroughly baked.
4. Remove it from the oven and arrange the sliced
    apples in a fan pattern, pour the remaining batter
    over apples and some choco chips and bake it for
    20-25 min until it is puffed and brown or a knife 
    comes out clean when inserted.
5. Sprinkle sugar over it and serve it hot.

Almond Raisin Dark Chocolate Bar : Diwali Special

 Ingredients -
  
Chocolate - 230 g (bitter sweet, dark cooking chocolate)
Almonds - 120 g
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Castor sugar - 1 tsp

Method -
 
1. Take a deep bottomed heavy pan and roast the
    almonds in it on a slow flame until its crunchy.
    It will take around 30 -45 minutes to roast it.
    Break the almonds in two pieces or ground it
    very coarsely when it has roasted.
2. Break the chcolate in small pieces so that it
    melts easily.
3. Take a double boiler and melt the chocolate
    completely in it, stirring it continuously. Add 2 tbsp
    sugar and the raisin in it when the chocolate melts.
4. Temper the chocolate. Place the bowl of melted
     chocolate into a bowl with ice water, and stir
     slowly but constantly. Once it begins to thicken,
     crystallization or "tempering" occurs, take it out
     from the cold water. Place the bowl over the
     pot of warm water, the trick is to warm it again
     without losing the tempering. Take it off the warm
     water as soon as it loosen up the chocolate a bit.
5. Add half of the roasted almonds, mix it nicely
    with a spatula in the chocolate, add the remaining
    half and mix all thoroughly.
6. Take a butter paper or grease an aluminum foil, 
    place it over a plate, Pour the chocolate and almond
    mix quickly over it before it starts setting in. Spread it
    in the shape of a bar on the foil. If the chocolate isn't
    setting after 6 minutes, then place in the fridge for 2-3
    minutes to speed things up.
7. Cut it in pieces and sprinkle castor sugar over it,
    serve it and NJOY it with kids, family members and 
    of course with guests too, everybody is simply going
    to love it.