Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Cornflake, Cranberry and Raisin Cookies

8|07|2013

Did you like cereal as a child? I love them now but they never made it to my favourite breakfast list when I was a child. I think I know why! Because they were never as sugary or nutty or as flavourful as they are today. And now I snack on them whenever I am hungry, straight out of the box, pretty much throughout the day.

My title is kind of deceptive isn’t it? Sounds like a big bowl of health. Yes, the ingredients more or less form a part of the breakfast category. But I am not promoting health here. I can say with absolute certainty that I am promoting deliciousness with a few healthy ingredients.

These cookies are so quick and easy to make. They get a nice crunch from the corn flakes and a lovely chewy tang from the cranberries and raisins. The recipe is totally adaptable to use chocolate chips or nuts instead. Also, any crunchy cereal should work. Once, someone asked me if this was a means of getting nutrition over to my kids like a lot of mothers do. Well, fortunately I did not have to. Both my boys are pretty adventurous about food and I have never had to hide cereals in a cookie. But coming to think of it, it’s a fantastic idea for fussy or picky eaters. Because these are delicious and addictive. And bright and cheerful.

Big kids will love them too!

Cornflake, Cranberry and Raisin Cookies (adapted with variation from Taste.com)

Yields 16 cookies

125g butter, chopped, at room temperature
2/3 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted (or 11/4 cup plain flour plus 1 tsp baking powder)
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large flat baking trays with non-stick paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the flour and mix on low-speed until just combined. Add milk and mix until dough comes together. Using a wooden spoon, stir in corn flakes and sultanas, and mix until well combined.

Using 1 tbsp of mixture, roll into balls. Place onto baking trays allowing room for spreading. Flatten slightly with a spatula. Bake for 12-14 minutes, swapping trays after 8 minutes or until light golden. Stand for 5 minutes on tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Rhubarb Almond Crumb Cake

2|07|2013

I love using almonds in my cakes. I am always looking for recipes where I can substitute flour with almond meal or any other nut meal. Not only is it healthy, but it gives an amazing texture to the cakes. Rich but not heavy. Last time I paired it with orange to make a gluten-free treat but this time I wanted a recipe that would also use up the flaked almonds lying in my cupboard. The rhubarb almond crumb cake is sweet, tart, moist, crunchy all at the same time.

I made it for my friends who were coming over for afternoon tea. And everybody like it. The best thing about this cake is its different textures…the cake with the rhubarb and then the crumb topping. And the flaked almonds. This is one of those fuss free cakes where you just toss everything into a bowl and mix. I love recipes where you don’t need to cream the butter.

Rhubarb can at times be quite tart but in this recipe it just balances out. Being a colour fanatic, I also love the way it looks. Rustic brown and pink. I kept the styling to a minimum as I thought it didn’t need any. The cake is best served warm with some whipped cream on the side. Alternately, you can use hulled, chopped strawberries, peaches, apricots or any other fleshy fruit.

Not very long ago, I had a reputation of making everyone wait at the table because I had to photograph the dish. Especially warm dishes. I would end up on a guilt trip after that. And though I actually make loads of savoury dishes, I stopped photographing them. Gradually, I am learning the different tips and tricks of the trade.

This one however, came out of the oven and was a breeze.

Rhubarb Almond Crumb Cake (adapted with variation from Taste.com)

Serves 8-10

1 (550g) bunch young rhubarb
240g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
50g (1/2 cup) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
125g almond meal
185g unsalted butter, melted
6 egg whites
1 1/2 tablespoons Demerara sugar/brown sugar

Crumb topping

40g castor sugar (3 tbsp)
60g plain flour (1/2 cup)
40g unsalted butter, softened
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
60g sliced/flaked almonds

For topping, combine sugar and flour in a bowl, then rub in butter until mixture forms clumps. Rub through the orange zest until evenly combined.

Trim leaves and ends from rhubarb and discard, then cut into 2cm lengths.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a 24cm square cake tin (or a rectangular tin, 32cm by 16 cm) and line with baking paper. Push sugar, flour, cinnamon and almond meal through a coarse sieve over a bowl, then stir in butter and egg whites until just combined. Spoon into tin, scatter with half the crumb topping, then rhubarb, then remaining topping. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and demerara sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until firm. Cool in tin for 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

No Churn Raspberry Ice Cream

28|06|2013

Well, I suppose I told you that my Raspberry mania did not end with my raspberry cupcakes. Actually I doubt if it will ever end. Raspberries have taken over my life at the moment. After spending a good amount of time reading up on how to freeze berries, I promised myself I will wait till summer. Passing by the freezer section at the supermarket, I forgot all about my resolve and got a larger pack this time. And thus began the raspberry madness. All over again.

I notice ice cream recipes, frozen yoghurt all over the blogosphere. So I decided to make one too. I love this recipe to bits. The colour just blows me away. What an amazing pink! And the taste.. Honestly the only reason you wouldn’t make this is if didn’t have access to raspberries. Or if eggs (egg white) are an absolute no-no. Once you do…you are addicted for life! Like me:-) The recipe, rather somewhat similar recipe was featured on Masterchef Australia with different set of fruits. I adapted the concept with a bit of variation on the ingredients and proportions to suit myself. And it worked beautifully for me.

Can it get simpler than this? Just 3 ingredients! No ice cream machine! Dairy free too. And so easy to make. Texturally it is like a ice-cream but tastes like a sorbet. The ice cream can be stored for up to a month in your freezer.

No Churn Raspberry Ice Cream

250 g frozen raspberries (if you have fresh raspberries, just put them in the freezer in an airtight container and freeze overnite)
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 egg white

In the bowl of your electric mixer or with your hand mixer whisk all the ingredients together on high-speed, till the mixture doubles in volume (about 5-7 minutes)

Pour the mixture into an ice cream container or any air tight container and freeze for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. I stored mine in a glass tray and covered tightly with cling film.

Irish Cream Milk Chocolate Mousse

24|06|2013

It poured incessantly all weekend. Rains are great but not when it is already cold. And definitely not during the weekend. When I woke up to the rains on Saturday morning, I imagined how our weekend would turn out, walled in with no adventure. But to lift up the spirits, the Husband served a gourmet breakfast, all plated up with the perfect amount of cheese. Loads of it! Now that was not a bad start.

It did not shower in a huge downpour…just an annoying drizzle that wouldn’t go away. We came up with the idea of an impromptu visit to our earlier suburb. The twins instantly recognised the place, much to my surprise and became very excited. And so was I. That familiar lanes, shops, faces, library, parks and the BAKEWARE store. I realised how much I missed this place. We had a Vietnamese lunch at our usual table at the restaurant and talked about memories of our stay in that locality. I had stayed a considerable amount of time with the kids alone there on account of my husband’s work related travel but I was almost always at ease. Guess who I had for a neighbour. The cops!

During the course of the conversation, I was reminded of this dessert that I had made for myself at midnight during one such long travel. I made four servings, added a good deal of liquor (far more than the recipe), refrigerated them for setting up, piped a little decoration the first thing I woke up in the morning, took pictures, posted them on Facebook (for my husband to see:-)). And devoured them myself! It definitely made me feel good…and a little less lonely. Bailey’s Irish cream, I think can by default takes you to Heaven. When you add chocolate to it…need I say more!! Have you ever made something fancy, just for yourself? I would love to hear your stories.

Until this day, one of the pictures was the profile photograph of my blog’s Facebook page. But l missed posting this beauty. When I came back home, I looked up some old folders and found what I was looking for. And a lot more. So many posts that never happened. Or should I say, yet to happen.

The forecast is calling for rains all week. But guess who’s not disheartened.

Rains are great!!

Irish Cream Milk Chocolate Mousse
Serves 4

4 Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Sugar(or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ Cup heavy cream for the custard (Crème Anglaise)
3/4 Cup Milk Chocolate chopped or broken into cubes
1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
1 Cup Heavy Cream for whipping

2 Tablespoons Irish Cream (preferably Baileys)

Heat the ½ cup cream over medium heat in a saucepan. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. When the cream reaches boiling point take it off the heat, let it cool till just warm and add the gelatine. Let the mixture stand till the gelatine becomes puffy. Reheat the cream slightly till gelatine dissolves and slowly pour it over the egg mixture whisking constantly. Return the egg-cream mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture under a medium-low flame, whisking constantly till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This is called a Creme anglaise/custard.

Place the milk chocolate in a bowl. Remove the custard from heat and pass it through a sieve into the bowl of chocolate. Let the mixture remain undisturbed for a while. Stir to smoothen out the chocolate. Cool to room temperature.

While the custard is cooling, whip the remaining 1 cup cream to stiff peaks. Add the 2 tablespoons of Irish cream and mix gently. Store in the refrigerator till needed.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled down completely add it to the whipped cream gradually & fold in till no white streaks appear. Pour into serving glasses. Refrigerate till set, about 4 hours or preferably overnight.

To serve, pipe a little swirl of whipped cream or simply dust with cocoa powder.