Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Lemon Delicious Pudding

22|01|2014

When life gives you lemons what do you do? Do you make lemonade or lemon curd? Or Nimbu Paani?
Well, life didn’t give me lemons. Or melons. I had to get them myself. All the way from the markets. The markets are not that far away but it’s a rainy day. Have I told you how unpredictable our weather is! Thankfully, the pudding is not. It is very much the way it is and totally lives up to its name.

Australia Day (26th January) is one holiday I really look forward to. The date especially has always been special because that also happens to be Republic Day in India and I have great memories of fun wintry things I used to do on this holiday. I take this day as a great opportunity to whip up some of the Aussie classic sweet treats at home. I find it hard to decide which one as I love every one of them. The Pav is a must every year. Last year I also made the sticky date pudding. This year I debated between the golden syrup dumplings and the lemon delicious pudding. Finally, I realised I could do without the dumplings as I am lately looking like one myself. Seriously, I am almost embarrassed not to be joining the army of fit and health conscious people marching along the water side in my area while I am sitting and looking up recipes on my mobile.

I am not sure how the pudding got its name but I know that all the people I have made this for till date have told me they loved it. This is a self saucing pudding. Meaning, the pudding separates during the cooking process into a light cakey top and a thick lemon sauce below. All you need to ensure is that you don’t overcook it otherwise you won’t be left with enough lemon sauce. The flavours and textures are a treat. The recipe is also fairly simple. If you are a person who is intimidated by egg whites like I used to be years ago, put your worries aside. We are looking for soft peaks..where the peaks are just starting to form and fall back when the beaters are lifted. Other than that, it is all about adding and stirring. The baking takes place in a water bath..like a crème Brule. I have divided the batter into 4 individual baking cups and an oval baking dish (to give you a clear view how it looks on the inside). You can make them in individual ramekins. That way it’s easier to serve.

I also wanted to share with you that this is one pudding which tastes amazing, warm or cold. So many reasons to make this. I hope you give it a try.

Lemon Delicious Pudding (adapted with a slight variation from Taste.com)
Serves 6

150g unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cups castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup plain flour + 3/4 tsp baking powder)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used semi skim)
4 eggs, separated
Icing sugar , to dust

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan-forced) Grease six 1 cup-capacity oven-proof dishes.

Place butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, flour, milk and egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high-speed until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, fold one-quarter of the egg white into lemon mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white.

Spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Place dishes in a large baking dish. Pour boiling water into baking dish until halfway up sides of smaller dishes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and just set. If you want a brown crust on top, put the oven on the grill mode for an additional 5 minutes. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters

19|01|2014

Are you noticing quite a few breakfast recipes in this space? I confess, that is one meal I am paying more attention to. That is because the others are turning out to be less of sit down meals and more of quick fix situations. We are outdoors for most of the time our weather allows us. Day times have been warm. Hot rather! But evenings are the perfect excuse to step outside and watch the colourful sunset or lose ourselves to the soothing water views.

I find myself totally drawn to the water front. It kind of refreshes my soul. And that is probably the only time I am ready to sit down and relax. At home, I am constantly doing something. Life with two young kids can be very demanding…I have mentioned it before. I can make it worse for myself by finding a hundred other things to do. I am a cleanliness freak. It’s certainly not a great situation with two little boys running around the house looking for an excuse to begin an adventure. So yes, I think I’ve found another place to unwind. Other than my kitchen!

I’ve been making these fritters frequently because they allow me to add plenty of vegetables. They came together quickly but I still find it easier to make the batter the previous night and fry the fritters at breakfast time. The batter is very much like a pancake batter, only thicker. The choice of herbs and vegetables is entirely yours. For the herbs, I use coriander or parsley or mint…just a random choice. I grow the last two in my garden but I buy coriander leaves. So if that’s at home I usually try and finish that one. Sometimes, I serve sausages or smoked salmon with the fritters but it’s really quite great on its own. Even a salsa or salad is fantastic to go with it. I also like to dollop either sour cream or Greek yoghurt on the fritters. Needless to say, they will make a great snack or even an appetizer.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters
Makes 12-14 fritters

11/2 cups self-raising flour (or 11/2 cup plain flour +1 tsp baking powder)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup milk (more, if required)
3/4 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, drain if using canned)
1 carrot, grated
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Herbs- Coriander, Parsley, Mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and milk and stir gently to make a smooth batter. Add more milk if required. It should result in a thick but drop-able consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.

Add the corn, grated carrots, peas, onions and herbs to the batter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter in the pan for a fritter, fitting in as any fritters in the pan leaving room for spreading. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles have risen to the surface and the fritter is golden underneath. Turn with a spatula and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat in more batches with remaining batter and oil.

Serve fritters with sour cream or greek yoghurt.

Apple and Maple Syrup Friands (Financiers)

17|01|2014

I did not make resolutions for the new year because somewhere along the course of the year, I feel they change for me. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learnt over time is that with some minor adjustments, a bit of flexibility and a wee bit of make-do, life becomes a lot easier to embrace. Flexibility means along with the expected you also make room for the unexpected things in your life, both good and bad. And in doing so, you save yourself from a few let-downs and disappointments. The world becomes a happier a place to live in.

I have decided to adopt a ‘take it as it comes’ approach to both life, in general and blogging. There will be days when meringues will crack..I will not fret. I will make an Eton Mess instead. Lava cakes may turn out over-baked…I will enjoy them as puddings. If l can’t pipe pretty swirls around life, then so be it. I will learn to have fun with dollops. Dollops aren’t perfect…you can’t weigh or measure them. That’s why they are dollops and we love them.

Uh..well, think I could do with a sugar fix at the moment.

These friands are the simplest things to bake. Easy, uncomplicated and quite forgiving. Flexible, in other words.

All you need is a bowl to mix. If you do not have friand moulds (I have used oval ones), bake them in muffin pans or mini loaf pans. You can use honey or golden syrup instead of maple syrup and your own choice of fruits or berries if you like.
Try them, they taste great!

Apple and Maple Friands (Financiers)
Yields 12

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds) or any nut meal of your choice
3/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
11/4 cup icing sugar
6 egg whites
125 g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apples
2 apples, cored and thinly sliced to place on top of the friand

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place the almond meal, flour, baking powder, icing sugar, egg whites, butter, maple syrup and chopped apples in a bowl and whisk until combined. Divide the mixture into friand pans/friand moulds or muffin pans (till half full) Place a few sliced apples on top of each mould. Push slightly into the batter so that the apples are enclosed within the friand batter. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the friands are golden and cooked through. Using a palette knife, loosen the edges and remove the friands from the tins immediately. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Date and Carrot Cake

14|01|2014

So I finally made a cake. Though I couldn’t convince myself to loudly exclaim ‘my first dessert for 2014’! No ganache, no glaze..not even a sauce. Well, I am all about Sugar. The more the better. You know that already, don’t you! Dessert or no dessert…I leave that to you to decide. But this cake is good. So very good! Once it came out of the oven, I changed my mind about including a dessert sauce.

There are several reasons why I like this cake. First, it has a subtle caramel taste to it that comes from the dates. If you have never made a date cake before, I highly recommend it. Unlike nuts and raisins, you don’t bite into dates while eating a slice of the cake. They disintegrate and get lost in the batter adding a beautiful flavour and moisture to the cake. The cake is filled with great ingredients like carrots, seeds and nuts that not only make it filling but nutritious too. And the best one. You don’t need a mixer! You just add and stir.

The original recipe was that of a loaf. It always tasted amazing so I’ve been looking for an opportunity to turn it into a cake that can be served for any occasion. I made a few changes in the proportions and ingredients marrying a date cake to a carrot cake. And I loved it so much that I am making it again this week for friends. The first one was over before I had imagined it would.

The cake tastes best when warm. If you want to be fancy with it, you can serve butterscotch or caramel sauce alongside. Whipped cream would be great too. And if you are somewhere in this part of the world, chances are that you may want some ice-cream to go with it!

Date and Carrot Cake
Makes a 9 inch bundt cake

150g butter, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
11/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon mixed spice
11/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup nuts and seeds of your choice (sunflower kernels, walnuts, cashews, pepitas, raisins)
1 cup grated carrot

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 9 inch bundt cake pan.

Place butter, sugar, dates, spice and 11/2 cup cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Cool for 30 minutes.

Stir in eggs. Add flour, nuts and grated carrot. Stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve.