COLD COFFEE

For all the coffee lovers. Summers are the best time to have chilled cold coffee with a dash of whipped cream.

Though I'm not a very avid coffee drinker but when I do drink it I love it chilled with a dollop of cream on top and nicely frothy and creamy.

Of course most of us make cold coffee at home so I'm just sharing the way I love it at my place.

Cold coffee serves as a nice summer refresher to go with your breakfast or replace your evening tea time with this chilled and refreshing beverage.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 glasses

2 glasses chilled milk

1 table spoon instant coffee powder

4 table spoons of warm water

2 to 3 table spoons of powdered sugar or as per your requirement

4 to 5 ice cubes

1/4 cup whipped cream (optional)

METHOD

1. I mostly mix my coffee powder with warm water first and then use for making cold coffee. You can also add it directly with all the ingredients in the blender.

2. In a blender add milk, sugar, coffee mix.
3. Add ice cubes. Blend everything well till it becomes frothy.
4. You may swirl chocolate sauce around the rim of the glass.
5. Pour cold coffee in the glasses.
6. Top it with whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate sauce and chocolate vermicelli.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. I mostly mix my coffee powder with warm water first and then use for making cold coffee. You can also add it directly with all the ingredients in the blender.

2. In a blender add milk, sugar, coffee mix.

3. Add ice cubes. Blend everything well till it becomes frothy.

4. You may swirl chocolate sauce around the rim of the glass.

5. Pour cold coffee in the glasses.

6. Top it with whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate sauce and chocolate vermicelli.

INSTANT MANGO PICKLE- KERALA STYLE

Mangoes are so versatile they can be eaten in various forms. For me mangoes are love, I wait for the mango season to arrive so that I can have my favourite fruit in every possible form that I can.

Of course I love to eat mangoes as a fruit but now over the years I've learnt how to use it to make a variety of dishes.

Some of the mango recipes that I've shared on the blog are Mango Ice Cream, Kerala style mango curry with coconut, Aam panna, Aamras, Mango Shrikhand (Aamrakhand).

Though I've still not started making pickles by myself because I get my yearly supply of pickles from my mother but I found this recipe of instant mango pickle by my mother in law very easy to prepare.

Another reason why I wanted to learn this recipe was because whenever I used to prepare Sadya for Onam and Vishu I used to miss serving the pickles as the north indian ones don't go very well with the full south indian meal.
So this year I decided to learn it from my mother in law and prepared it for Vishu. 
I made a small quantity of this pickle as I was making it for the first time and now with the mango season in full bloom I'll make more of it before the mangoes vanish.

As it is an instant pickle which does not use much of oil it cannot be stored for a long time. It is better to make small batches and consume quickly. 
You can store it in the fridge upto 10 days. You may also adjust the spices according to your taste as everyone has varied tastes in pickles. You may even add salt and chilli powder later and give it a nice mix.

INGREDIENTS

2 Raw mangoes (Kachcha aam)
1/2 tea spoon Fenugreek (methi) powder
1 tea spoon Red chilli (lal mirch) powder 
1/4 tea spoon Asafoetida (heeng) powder
Salt to taste
1/8 th cup water
2 table spoons cooking oil (I've used mustard oil here, my mother in law uses coconut oil but I did not have it at home)

METHOD

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes. Chop them into small pieces. No need to peel the mango.
2.Take the chopped mangoes in a bowl and add salt and keep aside for a couple of hours or overnight. 
3. Now add red chilli powder, methi powder and heeng powder and mix well.
4. In a pan take oil heat it well and let it cool down.
5. In another pan boil water and then let it cool.
6. Now add the boiled and cooled water to the mango pickle. Mix.
7. Fill it in a glass jar and drizzle the cooled oil on top.
8. Refrigerate and use within 10 days.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes. Chop them into small pieces. No need to peel the mango.

2.Take the chopped mangoes in a bowl and add salt and keep aside for a couple of hours or overnight. 

3. Now add red chilli powder, methi powder and heeng powder and mix well.

 

4. In a pan take oil heat it well and let it cool down.

5. In another pan boil water and then let it cool.

6. Now add the boiled and cooled water to the mango pickle. Mix.

7. Fill it in a glass jar and drizzle the cooled oil on top.

8. Refrigerate and use within 10 days.

                                                  HAPPY COOKING!! 😊

POUND CAKE WITH EGGS

Pound cake refers to a cake which is traditionally made with a pound  each of the four ingredients that is butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Pound cakes give a nice and rich buttery taste and are a treat as it is but they also turn out to be a nice base for fondant cakes.
I use this recipe quite a few times while i make fondant cakes.
This cake can be enjoyed as it is or you can flavour it with a filling of your choice.

INGREDIENTS

200 gms all purpose flour (maida)
200 gms powdered sugar
200 gms butter
1 1/2 tea spoon baking powder
2 tea spoon vanilla essence
4 eggs

METHOD

1. Grease a baking tin and line it with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour and baking powder and keep aside.
3. In a bowl beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence till very light and fluffy.
4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and keep aside.
5. To the butter and sugar mixture, add half of the beaten eggs and half of the flour. Beat well.
6. Add the remaining eggs and flour and beat well again.
7. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
9. Bake in a pre heated oven at 160 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Check with a knife or skewer in the centre of the cake if it comes out clean the cake is done.
10. After 5 minutes remove from the oven. Let it cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes or till it is comfortable to hold the tin. Turn it upside down on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Grease a baking tin and line it with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour and baking powder and keep aside.

3. In a bowl beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence till very light and fluffy.

4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and keep aside.

5. To the butter and sugar mixture, add half of the beaten eggs and half of the flour. Beat well.

6. Add the remaining eggs and flour and beat well again.

7. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

9. Bake in a pre heated oven at 160 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Check with a knife or skewer in the centre of the cake if it comes out clean the cake is done.

10. After 5 minutes remove from the oven. Let it cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes or till it is comfortable to hold the tin. Turn it upside down on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

               

I've used the same recipe to bake this cake and covered it with ganache and decorated with fondant accents.                               

                                HAPPY BAKING!!😊