Dinosaur Cake

Today is my son Raphael’s second birthday!!! Wow can’t believe my bundle of joy has turned 2. But he is still not that grown to realize what birthdays are all about…. My husband and I wanted to throw a wonderful party to him like his previous one. But due to some immediate incidence in our family we dint want to have a big party. But I still wanted to do something special for him.

He is a big fan of a television program Peppa Pig, and the character George is his favorite. George is fond of his toy Dinosaur and guess what my little one started becoming crazy over dinosaur and now that has become his favorite toy too…

I wanted to bake him his favorite dinosaur as his birthday cake…… Thanks to the Betty Crocker recipe to make dinosaur cake. It quite simple and easy to make cake…..I have share the recipe along with the template to make the dinosaur shape…..Do try it out.

Ingredients:

Betty Crocker devil's food cake mix - 1box

Water - 1cup

Vegetable oil and eggs - As required in cake mix box

Tray or cardboard (18x14 inches), covered paper and plastic food wrap or foil

Betty Crocker whipped Cream - 2containers

Betty Crocker gel food color – Green ( as required)      

Milk chocolate candy drops or pieces – as required

Assorted round chocolate candies (candy-coated chocolate candies, miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits, coating wafers, chocolate chips)

Betty Crocker white decorating icing (from 4.25-oz tube)

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or non-stick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box, using 1 cup water, the oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooking racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate or freeze 30 to 60 minutes for easier handling.

2. For body, cut 1-inch slice from edge of one cake. From cut edge, cut out small inverted U-shape piece. Place body on tray. From remaining cake, cut head and tail. Arrange head and tail pieces next to body, as per the template below.

3. Spoon frosting into large bowl. Stir in enough food color until desired green color. Spread thin layer of frosting over cake pieces to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes to set frosting.

4. Frost cake pieces with remaining frosting. Use milk chocolate candies for spikes along back of dinosaur. Decorate body with assorted candies. Use candy-coated chocolate candies for eyes and white decorator icing to make centers of eyes and teeth. Store loosely covered.

Recipe courtesy: Betty Crocker

Template for Dinosaur cake:

Caramel Pudding or Crème caramel

         Caramel pudding or Crème caramel is a delicious traditional dessert with a layer of creamy caramel over silky custard. The dish is eaten throughout the world. Caramel custard is my favorite pudding too. This dessert could be served warm or chilled, this caramel-glazed classic is both a comforting and elegant dessert.

All through my childhood, my Mom used to make caramel pudding as a Sunday special. My sisters and me we loved this pudding. This was a for sure dessert at home when we have guests coming over for Lunch/ dinner. My Mom is an expert in making this pudding. I would say this is her signature dish. Today I am gonna share my Mom’s recipe with you all and am sure you will love this dessert as I do.

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups very warm milk

Ground nutmeg, a pinch

Method

Making Caramel :

Add sugar in a dry pan and leave it untouched until the sugar melts down completely and turns slightly brown. Add water and the sugar syrup will start bubbling up. Do not stir just swirl to heat up evenly. Once the mixture turns golden brown then pour the caramel into moulds or ramekins immediately so that spreads to fill the base. Take a large baking pan and pour water up to 1-inch height. Arrange the ramekins inside the pan with water.

Making custard / pudding:

Beat eggs until fluffy then add sugar and beat it well until the sugar dissolves completely (you could use a whisk). Heat milk and allow it to boil, once boiled, remove it from flame and allow it to cool down. Now add it to the eggs and sugar, beat/whisk it for few mins. Add the vanilla essence, give a quick stir. Now pour the milk egg mixture into the prepared moulds or ramekins. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. keep the pan with ramekins arranged on lower rack of the oven, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it for 35-45 mins. When a fork upon inserting comes out clean, your pudding is ready. Unmould each ramekin in the serving plate. Here you go Yummy and delicious Caramel Pudding/ Crème Pudding is ready!!!

Chocolate Raised Doughnuts

A doughnut or donut is a type of fried dough confectionery or dessert food. The doughnut is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased at specialty outlets

A chocolate-glazed doughnut and cup of coffee is a match made in heaven for many of us, but wait!  Something new is happening in the doughnut world: boutique bakeries are popping up everywhere, and "designer doughnuts" are all the rage. The best news of all is that they're actually easy to make at home. And really, is there anything more scrumptious than a fresh doughnut? Here’s a simple and easy recipe for Chocolate Raised doughnuts.

Ingredients:

Water, warm - 1/2 cup

Active dry yeast – 14 gms

Milk, lukewarm - 3/4 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup + 1 tsp.

Salt - 1 tsp

All-purpose flour / Refined flour, sifted - 4 cup

Butter (unsalted) -  1/2 cup

Eggs - 2

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Milk, warm (may need more to thin, but thicker is better) - 1/4  cup

Coco powder - 1 Tbsp

Confectioners' sugar / Icing Sugar - 1 cup

Butter, room temperature – 1/4 cup

Nuts( Almonds / cashews / walnuts) for garnishing

Method:

1.     Soak yeast in 1/2 cup warm water - 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp. sugar in with this to quicken the yeast activation process.

2.     Heat the milk in a sauce pan and melt the butter along with it.

3.     Pour the milk into a bowl and add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Make sure this mixture is warm, not hot.

4.     Now add 1 cup of flour, eggs and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Then add the remaining flour to make a soft dough. When dough leaves sides of bowl, turn out onto lightly floured board.

5.  Knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl. Grease top of dough and cover with waxed paper. Allow to rise in warm place until doubled. This might take about 1-1/2 hours.

6.  Now you find your dough has doubled in size. Give it some punches to release the air that has built up in it. Then roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut-with a cookie cutter and also a small size cookie or doughnut cutter to make the center hole. Remove centers.

7.    Leave this on a baking tray to rise again for about 30 minutes. Heat oil for frying and fry the doughnuts till they are just barely brown. Turn once again when browned sufficiently.

8.     Drain the cooked doughnuts on an absorbent paper.

Chocolate glaze:

          Mix all the ingredients under the glaze into a creamy consistency. Now dip               the doughnuts into the glaze mixture or dust each doughnut with granulated            or confectioners' sugar. 

Vermicelli Kheer / Semiya Payasam

Kheer is prepared in festivals and all special occasions. The term Kheer (mostly used in Northern parts of India) is derived from Sanskrit words “Ksheeram” (which means milk). Its known as Payasam in southern part of India. While the dish is most often made with rice, it can also be made with other ingredients such as vermicelli or with dhal. Vermicelli Kheer / Semiya Payasam is a popular dessert in India made throughout the year during special & festive occasions. Semiya Payasam is also a common accompaniment in Onam Sadya(Banquet).

My Husband is a greatest fan of desserts and this is one of his favourite. Today being a holiday he is at home, thought of suprising him with his favorite Semiya Payasam. 

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 1 cup

Milk, - 5 cups

Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tablespoons

Cashewnuts - 10 to 12Nos

Raisins -  10 to 12Nos

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Saffron a pinch (optional)

Green cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan, add vermicelli and cashewnuts and fry till a pleasant aroma is released. I fried it for around 4 to 5 minutes in low flame. Boil milk in a thick-bottomed pan, and add to the roasted vermicelli and cashewnuts. Mix well and simmer for five minutes. Add sugar and continue cooking, stirring continuously. Cook for three to four minutes or till it thickens to the right consistency. Sprinkle saffron (this optional) cardamom powder and stir well.

Garnish it with raisins fried in ghee.

This can be served either hot, warm or chilled.

[Recipe courtesy – Sanjeev Kapoor]

Cherupayar / Yellow Moong Dal Payasam

Things you need:

1. 1 Cup - Cherupayar parippu (yellow moong dal)
2. 1 1/4 to 1 1 /2 cup - Melted Jaggery 
3. 1/2 cup - Coconut milk ( I used store bought readymade coconut milk)
4. 1/2 Cup - Milk 
5. 1 to 2 pinch - Cardamom powder 
6. 1 to 2 pinch - Cumin powder roasted 
7. 1 pinch - Chukku podi (dry ginger)
8. 1 to 2 tbsp - Coconut pieces 
9. Cashew nuts few
10. Raisin few
11. Ghee/clarified butter as required
12. Water (1 cup or as required)
13. Salt a pinch.

Procedure:

1. Roast the yellow moong dal in a kadai/pan for 5 to 8 mins(without changing its colour). After cooling it well, wash it and pressure cook it with a pinch of salt. 
2. In another vessel melt jaggery and filter it. Keep it aside. Roast the cumin seeds and powder it.
3. Heat ghee in any thick bottomed vessel and add the above cooked dal and stir it well. Now pour the melted jaggery into the dal and mix till it combines well. Make it into a thick form without letting it stick to the bottom.
4. To the dal, add water and boil it well. Then add milk and again boil it in low flame.
5. Finally add the coconut milk  along with cardamom powder, roasted cumin powder and chukku podi (dry ginger). Mix well and when it starts to boil remove it from the stove. 
6. Fry the splitted cashews and raisins in 1 tbsp of ghee and pour it into the payasam. 
7. Serve hot/cold