SPONGY STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

These were the cupcakes i was talking about yesterday. I had some strawberries left in tte fridge. So when my daughter asked for a Christmas cake i thought of making strawberry cupcakes for a change.

These cupcakes were soft and spongy yummy as well.The whole house was filled with the amazing smell of strawberries while the cupcakes were getting baked.Though these cupcakes look very plain,because i didn't have anything for making frosting.So i added some sprinkles ,chocochips and tutti fruitty in few of them

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour /maida -1 1/2cup
Butter -100gm
Sugar-1cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla essence - 1tsp
Baking powder - 1tsp
Baking soda  - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Fresh strawberry  - 1/2 cup

How to make

Preheat oven at 180degrees for 10 minutes
Add the strawberries in a blender and puree them
In a bowl add the flour baking powder  baking soda , mix well and keep aside
In another bowl add butter and sugar and beat well with hand mixer or electric beater
Now add vanilla essence and egg and beat well
Add in half of the flour along with some strawberry puree and little milk and mix gently
Now add the rest of the flour ,puree and milk and mix well
Grease the cupcake mould and spoon the cake mix
Fill each mould only till half of it
Bake them at 180 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes
Insert a toothpick or knife at the center of the cupcakes to check whether its done.If it comes out clean the cake is done.
Allow to cool down  and enjoy the soft and spongy cupcakes.

CREAMY SAUSAGE PASTA

Merry Christmas dear folks...hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year...For me n my little one,school closed and its vacation time.We both had great baking plans for Christmas, but unfortunately we all three were sick since last week. So today when we felt better my daughter asked for a pasta and cake, but my husband wanted a vegetable omlette.I made this pasta from scratch,with whatever was available. Same with the cake as we couldn't go out for any shopping.

So for today's breakfast i made vegetable omlette and creamy sausage pasta.Since i was in a hurry in the morning couldn't take pictures of omlette.will soon make that again and post it.

Nevertheless to say this pasta was deliiiicious,as you see in this picture. Now to the recipe

INGREDIENTS

1. Pasta -1 cup
2. Butter-2tbsp
3. Maida-1tbsp
4. Red chilli powder  -1tsp
5. Milk-1cup
6. Mozarella cheese-2tbsp
7. Cheddar cheese -2tbsp
8. Oregano-as required
9. Pepper-as required
10. Sausage- 3 or 4 chopped into circles or semicircles 
11. Salt - to taste
12. Olive oil-1/2 tbsp
13. Garlic - 4 pods
14. Onion - 1 medium size cubed
15. Capsicum -1 medium size cut into slices

HOW TO MAKE

• In a vessel cook pasta with enough water and once cooked drain the pasta and keep aside
• In a pan add little oil and saute the sausage  and keep it aside
• In the same pan add olive oil and add chopped garlic and cubed onion and saute in high flame for a minute
• Immediately add sliced capsicum and saute well for 3 minutes in high flame.
• Switch off the flame and keep the sauted vegetables aside.
• In a nonstick pan add butter
• Once the butter melts add maida and stir well continuously
• Add red chilli powder and stir
• Now slowly add milk little by little and mix taking care no lumps are formed
• Now add the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese and mix well
• Once the cheese melts and becomes a creamy mixture add salt pepper and oregano seasoning and mix
• Now add the drained pasta and mix
• Add the sauted sausage and the onion capsicum into this
• Mix everything well.
• Serve hot in a plate and season with oregano or pepper if required

CORNFLAKES COOKIES

i saw these beauuuuuutiful cookies somewhere i don't remember where exactly it was.but i was sure i am going to make them..i  made changes in the recipe to my convenience and came up with this one..i adapted more or less the basic cookie recipe with dessicated coconut..i love anything with coconut..let it be cookie cake chocolate curry whatever i love it

Ingredients
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Butter - 50 gm
Egg - 1
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1tsp
Dessicated/grated  coconut - 1/4 cup
Cornflakes - i used one small sachet of Kellogg's cornflakes

METHOD

Preheat oven at 180degrees for 10 minutes
in a bowl mix the flour baking powder and baking soda and keep aside
in another bowl mix butter sugar and vanilla essence
add in egg and mix well
add in dessicated coconut also and mix well
now fold in the flour mixture and mix well to form a dough
roll and shape the dough into small lemon sized balls and flatten it lightly
take the cornflakes in a bowl and crush it
now roll the cookie balls in the cornflakes and keep them alligned in a baking tray
bake them at 180 degrees for about 12 - 15 minutes
transfer the cookies into cooling tray and allow to cool completely  and store in airtight container

TOMATO GARLIC CHUTNEY

this is a very simple recipe that can be made in a jiffy

INGREDIENTS

1. tomato - 2 big
2. garlic - 8 to 10 flakes
3. red chillies - 5 or 6 
4. salt - to taste

to temper

1. mustard 
2. oil
3. curry leaf
4. asafoetida

how to make

• in a pan add little oil and saute red chillies and garlic and remove 
• in the same pan saute tomatoes cut into small pieces
• once the tomatoes become mushy and the raw smell goes switch off the stove
• allow to cool and then grind everything to a smooth paste adding salt and little water
• in a pan add oil followed by things mentioned under "to temper' 
• now add the ground mixture to the pan and mix well
• switch off the stove after 3 or 4 minutes 
• now the chutney is ready to serve

SIMPLE VANILLA CAKE

Heloo guys..i have been looooong absent again from  my fav space...now it's our short vacation time here and got some free time to bake and post...My little one has been planning even before her exams that we have to bake cakes and cookies and so much more during this holidays..Plus my husband also demanded some healthy cookies for his office snacks..so i started the baking marathon today with this simple yummy aromatic  -Vanilla Cake:) ..Will be posting cookies recip

These were the only pics i could take ..Before i could take any photo my daughter started gobbling the cake.I can't blame her because the aroma was soooo tempting and the cake was melting in the mouth.It reminded me of the vanilla sponge cake from Jayaram bakery near medical college, our uncle used to buy for us whenever he paid us a visit..

To the recipe...........

INGREDIENTS

1. all purpose flour - 2 cups
2. baking powder - 1 tsp
3. baking soda - 1/2 tsp
4. butter - 100 gm(1 stick)
5. sugar - 3/4 cup
6. egg - 1
7. vanilla essence - 1 tsp
8. milk - 1/2 cup

HOW TO MAKE

• preheat oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes
• in a bowl mix flour baking soda and baking powder and keep aside
• in another bowl mix butter and sugar well
• then add egg and mix
• now goes in vanilla essence
• mix well and add this into the flour mixture
• fold in everything
• now add milk little by little and mix well
• transfer this mixture into the greased baking mould
• bake at 180 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes
• check wether the cake is done by poking the middle of the cake with a toothpick.
• if it comes out clean your cake is ready
• allow the cake to cool
• slice n enjoyyyyyy:)))))))))))00000

Chocolate cup cakes and my first frosting ever:))))))

chocolate cupcake

I am so excited to post this one.Finally I tried icing on the cake..that too on these wonderful looking and absolutely delicious chocolate cupcakes.My husband got me a brand new  blender few days back.I consider it my x'mas gift;).But the very first recipe i tried was not this icing but that of Mayonise....it came really well..Then i tried this frosting with butter and icing sugar.I even made orange juice with my blender..yaaa i looooooove my blender😙

Look at them!!!..aren't they real beauties?I love these many colours here.I  bought these lovely silicon cupcake moulds recently.I am on a baking spree since Christmas.i have baked some cookies, cupcakes, chicken and so on.

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour -1 1/2 cup
Baking powder -3/4tsp
Baking soda -1/2tsp

Coco powder -1/2cup
Sugar -3/4 cup
Egg -1
Oil - 1/4 cup
Buttermilk - 3/4 cup(i mixed 1/2cup milk with 1/4cup curd)
Vanilla essence -  1tsp

For frosting

Butter -100gm
Icing sugar -200gm
Vanilla essence - few drops
Milk - 2 or 3 tbsp
food colour of your choice a pinch

METHOD
Preheat oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes
In a bowl mix flour baking powder baking soda and coco powder and keep aside
In another bowl mix sugar and oil well
Add in egg and whisk
Now add vanilla essence followed by buttermilk and mix everything well
Add the wet mixture into the flour mixture and fold gently
Grease the muffin tray or mould and pour in the batter only till 3/4th of the mould
Bake for about 15-20 minutes
 Check whether the cake is done by inserting a toothpick or knife at the center .if it comes out clean your cake is done
while the cake is getting baked we can make the frosting
in a bowl add butter and blend at high speed for 5minutes
add icing sugar little by little and beat
finally add the vanilla essence and milk and beat again
your icing is ready
Allow the cake to cool once baked and apply the icing on the cake
Serve and enjoyyy...:)

Beetroot Mezhukupurati/Beetroot stir fry

This is a very simple dish which goes very well with rice.We even use it along with chapati too.I love vegetables as much as i love meat.When it comes to food i eat almost anything and everything unless it is forbidden:).and beetroot tops my favourite list of vegetables.I don't think i have to mention the nutritional benefits of this wonderful creation of God:) here again as you all are well aware of it already

My mom used to prepare beetroot mezukupuratti in a different and more simpler way.And it tastes delicious.My fond memories of childhood definitely includes my mom's beetroot mezhukupuratti and morukoottan/morucurry(yummm)

To the recipe

Ingredients

1. beetroot - 2 nos
2. onion - 1 big
3. garlic - 2 or 3 pods
4. chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
5. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. grated coconut - 2 tbsp
7. mustard - 1 tsp
8. dry red chilly-2 or 3
9. oil - 2 tbsp(i used coconut oil)
10. curry leaf - a spring
11. water  and salt -as required

Method

• cut beetroot into small cubes and put them in water in a bowl and keep aside.
• heat oil in a  pan and splutter mustards
• add dry red chillies
• add finely chopped onions and saute nicely
• add in curry leaves and crushed garlic
• drain the beetroot add it along with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
• cover and cook for 3 minutes
• now add water and salt and mix well
• cover and cook in medium to sim flame till the water evaporates and beetroot gets cooked
• finally add the grated coconut
•  give a nice stir and switch off the flame