CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR

 

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: GUEST POST BY BRIDGET WHITE- KUMAR 

We are in the festive season with Christmas being around the corner! ! I was delighted when my friend, Bridget, the famous Cookery Book Author and Food Consultant kindly accepted my invitation to contribute a Guest Post for my blog. She is no stranger to this blog having contributed a Guest Post for Chocolate Yule Log Cake some years ago. 

Please do check out her blog Anglo-Indian Recipes and Anglo-Indian Food. She also has an active and popular Facebook Page. 

She has graciously shared her recipe for Christmas Pudding which I present below. 

You can check out her YouTube too.  

Christmas is a mixture of both religious and secular traditions in India and more especially in my hometown Kolar Gold Fields or KGF in the olden days.  It’s a time of celebration, of family and friends, of feasting and socializing. Christmas is a fascinating mix of traditions that combines pre-Christian rituals with modern traditions. Every family has its own customs and traditions while celebrating Christmas. Some of these customs and traditions are universal in nature while others may be a result of inculcating local practices and customs. Christmas is therefore the season for traditions, preserving old ones and creating new ones. One such tradition was making the steamed Christmas Pudding or Plum Pudding every year. 

Each family had their own traditional recipe for making the Christmas Pudding, which was sometimes handed down from generation to generation. The dry fruits and nuts that went into it were chopped finely well in advance and soaked in Rum and were normally made 3 or 4 weeks earlier before Christmas.

For me, Christmas is always associated with the smells, sounds and sights of the season. All of them awaken nostalgia in me for my home town Kolar Gold Fields and I relive the magical memories of Christmas of my childhood -- The smell of the decorated Pine Christmas tree in the sitting room, the enticing aroma of Christmas Cakes and puddings being baked, the Kal Kals and Rose Cookies being fried, the sight of all the Christmas decorations and Buntings everywhere and the soothing sound of Christmas Carols being played and sung in every home are my favourite childhood memories and are all part of the wonder of Christmas.

The Christmas Pudding is invariably made on Stir-up Sunday i.e. the last Sunday before the start of Advent or 4 weeks before Christmas, to give it time to mature. The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture and the person who got it in his/her piece of the pudding on Christmas day was supposed to be lucky. The finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.

I’m sharing a simple and easy family recipe for a steamed Christmas Pudding that anyone could easily make in a very little while.

Ingredients 

50 grams breadcrumbs (do not use panko crumbs)

50 grams flour

100 grams butter melted 

50 grams sugar (powdered in the mixie)

2 teaspoons Nescafe powder

2 tablespoons of either treacle syrup or caramel syrup or date syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg beaten well

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

100 grams chopped black raisins, black currants, cherries etc.

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 or 3 tablespoons milk as required 

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together then add all the other ingredients and mix well

Grease a suitable bowl, that would fit in your steamer, with butter or oil then transfer the pudding mixture to it. Cover with foil.

Now place a perforated steamer plate or stand in a steamer or suitable pot.

Add one cup of water

Place the bowl with the pudding batter on the stand 

Cook on medium to Low heat for 45 minutes to one hour. 

Open and check if the pudding is cooked by inserting a toothpick. 

Remove the bowl from the Steamer and let it cool. 

Once cool, run a knife around the edge and turn over on a plate. 

Your steamed Christmas Pudding is ready. 

If desired, make a few small holes and pour a few tablespoons of rum over it

You could make the pudding in advance and leave it in the fridge. Just before serving microwave for a minute or two and serve warm

SPANISH DELIGHT CAKE- GUEST POST BY MANJU G RAO

 SPANISH DELIGHT CAKE- GUEST POST BY MANJU G RAO

Here's wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas! For most of us Christmas time is Cake time!! 

You may remember we had a Guest Post for Plum Cake ( Christmas Fruit Cake) in this blog by my friend, Manju G. Rao. She is an accomplished baker who has developed her passion for baking to a home business called "The Cakery by Manju" which is doing exceedingly well. 

Last year she shared her recipe for Eggless Choco Butterscotch Cake  which was very well received.

I am happy that this year too she gladly accepted my invitation to contribute a Guest Post in the festive season. I am sure you will enjoy making her Spanish Delight Cake to add to the Christmas gaiety for your family and friends!! 

Thanks for this Guest Post, Manju.... and over to you!!!! 

From Ms. Manju G Rao of "The Cakery" :

Dear Friends, 

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

I am so delighted and proud to present my cake recipe in Shobana Akka's popular blog,  "Cooking With Shobana" for the third consecutive year. Thanks, Akka. I am honoured.

Spanish Delight Cake as the name suggests is truly a delight, so yummy and "melt in the mouth", chocolaty and crunchy! This cake is on my best seller list and I am so happy to share the recipe with you. 

Ingredients ( For a 1 Kg Spanish Delight Cake)

 To Bake The Sponge:

• All Purpose Flour (Maida), 3/4 cup
• Cocoa Powder, 1/4 cup
• Sugar Powder, 3/4 cup
• Eggs, 4
• Vanilla Essence, 1 tbsp
• Baking Powder, 1 tsp
• Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp
• Sunflower Oil, 1/4 cup
• Milk, 2 tbsp

Mix the maida, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda well. Sieve it in a strainer 2-3 times and keep aside.

Grease a 7" aluminium cake tin with oil and butter paper, preheat the oven  for 10 minutes

In the mean time, crack the four eggs in a dry bowl , add vanilla essence and start beating the eggs with an electric beater at low speed

Then start adding the sugar powder little by little and continue beating the eggs till they become foamy and pale white

Add oil and mix once. Then add the maida and mix three or four times very gently so that the egg mix should not lose its foamy texture

Add a little milk and mix if the batter is too thick then pour the batter in the greased tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes @ 160 degrees Celsius

After 35 minutes, insert a toothpick and check whether the cake is done, if not bake again for 5 more minutes then let it cool.

Mean while boil 1 and 1/2 glass water with 1/2 cup sugar in it  for 2 minutes and let it cool. This is the sugar syrup to soak the cake

Nesxt step is to make the caramel sauce. Take 1/2 cup sugar in a thick bottomed pan, keep in low flame until it melts, when it turns light brown add 2 tbsp of butter  and 1/2 cup fresh cream  or whipping cream, stir continuously for 3-4 minutes, switch off when the sauce starts to thicken.

For crunchiness, take some almonds and cashew, dry roast them, crush them lightly ( but do not powder) and keep aside

Finally to prepare the cream to frost the cake:-

Take 2 cups of chilled non-dairy whipping cream, start to beat the cream in low speed and increase the speed slowly, within 7 minutes the cream gets ready for frosting. Add the prepared caramel sauce, 1 tsp instant coffee powder and 1 tbsp Boost powder to the cream. Beat again until the cream gets well incorporated  with the sauce and powders. The special cream is ready for frosting

Divide the cake sponge in 3 equal layers, in a turn table keep the cake board, keep the first cake layer, soak it with the prepared sugar syrup, spread the cream, add the roasted nuts and keep second layer repeat the process and cover the cake with cream and gently finish the frosting. (Frequent practice needed for perfect frosting)

You can decorate the cake as per your choice- with chocolates or with flowers or with nozzle decorations

Cakes will be more moist and tasty if refrigerated for 7-8 hours before they are cut

Try this out , dear friends, and enjoy Spanish Delight Cake this Christmas with your family and friends!! 

EGGLESS CHOCO BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE - GUEST POST BY MANJU G. RAO

 EGGLESS CHOCO BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE - GUEST POST BY MANJU G. RAO

Christmas is fast approaching and cake lovers the world over look forward to enjoying the festive season with cakes of different kinds.

A couple of years ago, we had a Guest Post for Plum Cake ( Christmas Fruit Cake) in this blog by my friend, Manju G. Rao. Manju is an accomplished baker and runs a bakery of her own. She has developed her passion for baking to a home business called "The Cakery by Manju". 

This time we have a guest post for Christmas by Manju where she shares her recipe for her delicious Eggless Choco Butterscotch Cake. I am sure you will enjoy making it to add to the Christmas gaiety for your family and friends!! 

Thanks for this Guest Post, Manju.... and over to you!!!! 

 From : Manju G. Rao, The Bakery By Manju" 

Let me start by wishing all of you - wherever you are in the world- A Very Merry Christmas !!!

I am delighted to present my recipe for Eggless Choco Butterscotch Cake, a melt in the mouth cake, which is liked by kids and elders alike. It's a perfect fusion of chocolate and butterscotch. There are 4 steps in this recipe:- 

1. Baking a chocolate sponge
2. Whipping the cream
3. Making the praline
4. Preparing the butterscotch sauce

It's a slightly lengthy process- but believe me, it is fully worth it! 

For Chocolate Sponge:-

• Maida, (All Purpose Flour),  1 and 1/4 cup
• Cocoa Powder, 1/4 cup
• Sugar Powder, 1 cup
• Curd, 1/2 cup
• Salt, a pinch
• Baking Powder, 1 tsp
• Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp
• Sunflower Oil, 1/2 cup
• Milk, 1/2 cup 

In a bowl add curd and sugar powder, mix well then add oil and again whisk until the mixture combines well. Next add the dry ingredients ( maida, baking soda and baking powder should be sifted well 2-3 times). Mix gently, add 1/2 cup milk to get a proper ribbon consistency.

Pour this mix into a well greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius temperature. Take 1 and 1/2 cup of non-dairy whipping cream ( any brand like Tropolite or Fiona), beat it well using an electric blender until a stiff peak is formed. Refrigerate until it is time to use it. 

For Butterscotch Praline:-

In a thick bottomed pan, add 1/4 cup sugar, caramelise it in a low flame. When sugar gets caramelised add 1/2 tsp of butter, switch off the gas, add 3 tbsp of cashew bits, mix well and quickly pour into a greased plate. Let it cool, then crush it into small bits using a mortar and pestle. Keep aside. 

For Butterscotch Sauce:-

Take a thick bottomed pan, add 1/4 cup sugar, let it caramelise on slow flame 

When sugar turns brownish, mix it well and add 1 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup whipping cream ( at room temperature) , add 1 tsp butterscotch essence too to enhance the flavour. Mix well and switch off the gas when the sauce turns a little thick

To wet the cake layers take 1 tbsp of butterscotch sauce, add 3 tbsp of water, mix well and keep aside.

Now to assemble the cake:- Cut the cake into 3 layers, place a cake board on the turn table, place the first cake layer, wet the layer fully with 1 tbsp of syrup, spread the whipping cream on the layer, then spread butterscotch sauce and praline on the layer.

Then place the second layer and repeat the process.

After placing the third layer, wet the cake and spread cream fully, and slowly cover the whole cake with cream until you get a decent finishing.

You can decorate the cake with chocolate ganache or butterscotch sauce or both if you wish. 

Tips:-

• It's always better to use a piping bag to spread the cream. It makes the work easy
• Be very careful while caramelising the sugar. Keep a proper distance during the process as it gets too hot!
• For pouring consistency chocolate ganache, take 1/2 cup grated compound chocolate, pour 1/4 cup hot whipping cream and 1/2 tsp butter, mix well and sieve using a strainer. Pour the mild hot ganache on the chilled cake
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 4-5 hours for it to set properly before serving.

This is what my Eggless Choco Butterscotch Cake looks like!! 

EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE/MUFFINS: GUEST POST BY SANDHYA KINI MAYENKAR

EGGLESS RED VELVET CAKE/MUFFINS : GUEST POST BY SANDHYA KINI MAYENKAR

As we are in the festive season, let me wish you, my readers, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I am grateful to my friend, Sandhya Kini Mayenkar for so readily agreeing to contribute a guest post to my blog despite the busy Christmas season when she does what she loves- teach people to bake cakes in sunny Goa. Do check out her Facebook Page: Skm Kitchen D'lites. 

She says, "All these cake pics are of the same recipe, done in 3 different ways

For heart shaped plain red velvet I just sieved icing sugar on a decoration template over the cake."

Many thanks, Sandhya for your recipe and pictures.

Ingredients:

• Maida, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Thick Yogurt, 1 cup OR Warm Milk + white vinegar, 1 tsp*
• Granulated Sugar, 3/4 cup
• Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp
• Baking Powder, 1 and 1/4 tsp
• Refined Oil/Melted Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup
• Vanilla Essence, 1 tsp
• Salt, 1/2 tsp
• Cocoa Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Red Colour, a pinch, or as required

*Please note warm milk + vinegar is equivalent to yogurt so you can use either.

Method:

Sieve all the dry ingredients (maida, baking powder, baking soda, salt, colour, and cocoa) three times and keep aside

Cream the sugar and curds till all the sugar is dissolved

Add the oil and vanilla essence and mix well

Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture

Pour into cake tin or muffin moulds and bake in a pre heated oven to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes

Cool completely before you do any icings

Usually topped with cream cheese frostings

For Cream Cheese Frostings:  1 cup unsalted cream cheese combined with 1 cup heavy whipped cream. Colour and essence as per choice.
Combine well and pipe on your cake with the required decorations.

With the same batter, we can also make these yummy, beautiful muffins!