Orange Cake

Winters mean oranges!! =D I had been craving for a slice of Orange cake for a long time. Never having tried it, I was convinced it would be ambrosia to a citrus-lover like me! And as those people who know me can attest, food and recipes are high-involvement decisions for me ;) So after a lot of research, I hit upon a recipe for Orange Cake that had a lot of great reviews. Finally one day, smack in the middle of my semester finals [because everyone knows that’s when you need the comfort of food the most], I decided to give it a try.

It turned out LOVELY! =D I baked it in a loaf tin, because most reviews said it’s more moist that way. But next time, I shall make it in a round cake tin, and I’ll also frost it. I don’t frost cakes the first time I try out a recipe because then you can’t judge the actual cake. Well, this one needed no frosting!

The original recipe is from Allrecipes. I’ve tweaked it slightly, for more orange flavor. I’ll take pictures the next time I bake it. It disappeared too fast, this time around! ;D

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp grated orange zest

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour which ever cake tin you’re using.

• In a jug/bowl, combine milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, oil, beaten eggs and 2 tablespoons orange zest. Set aside.

• Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix in sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.

• Pour batter into prepared pan. Pan should be 2/3 full!

• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting!

Lemon Bread

YET another fantastic recipe from Simple Recipes =D I left off the glaze though, as I found it too sweet. Served it on the side so that people may drizzle it on their slice if they like!

4 ounces (1 stick/8 Tbsp) butter, softened*
1 cup minus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp honey
2 eggs (room temp)
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp honey
* Do not soften butter in microwave. Either leave a stick of butter on kitchen counter for an hour, or place between two pieces of wax paper and rollout with a rolling pin to soften.

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.

2 Beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and honey, continue to beat until creamy, a few minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate. On low speed, slowly beat the milk in. Do not worry if the mixture looks a little curdled. Mix in lemon zest.

3 Sift together the flour, salt, cardamom, baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients, beating until smooth.

4 Place batter in prepared pan and bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

5 While the lemon bread is baking, prepare the glaze. Heat the glaze ingredients - lemon juice, sugar, honey - in a small saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved.

6 Once you have removed the bread from the oven, poke holes all over the top with a thin skewer (this will help the glaze penetrate). Spoon the glaze over it while the bread is still in the pan and is still hot. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing to serve.

Mum's Tea Party

Mum had her friends come over to tea last Thursday. We sent out invites to about forty ladies, and around thirty showed up. It was very hectic beforehand -with ingredients falling short, tempers running high, Feepo the cat having "accidents" after the cleaning was done and Scoop the dog generally being a nuisance- but everything turned out well after all. =D The guests really loved our efforts: many of them ended up asking for doggie bags! =D

Remember how I said I get these obsessive phases? Now days it's table settings and decor =D I read up on buffet table settings and fall party decor. I even drew sketches for the settings, and made paper flowers and bought new candles. Like most meticulously crafted plans, it didn't turn out exactly the way I saw it in my head. But the guests weren't to know that. They loved it and that made me happy so yaay anyway =D =D

p.s. It looks waaay more christmas-y than how I envisaged it.

Sugar Cookies

Another recipe I got from Elise of Simply Recipes!

Cookies:
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla (can substitute almond extract)

Sift dry ingredients, cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill for several hours. Break off a piece of dough the size of an orange and pat it flat in your hand.

Using a rolling pin, roll on dough on floured board (best to use a 2/1 ration of flour/sugar - 4 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp sugar) or between wax paper. (It helps if you flour both sides of the dought.) Roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out and put on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 5-8 minutes at 400 F. Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as you see them turning color at the base of the cookie. Let cool completely.

Banana Bread

I really, really dislike anything to do with bananas. I even hate their smell. Alas, my mum really loves banana bread, so I make it for her. This is a gorgeous recipe by Momal Sharif which turns out perfect and gets rave reviews every single time!

2 Eggs
4-5 Bananas [mashed]
1/3 cup Oil
3/4 cup Sugar
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 level tea-spoon Baking Soda

1. Beat the eggs until fluffy.
2. Slowly beat in the oil, and then the sugar, until dissolved.
3. Next, add the bananas and beat to incorporate.
4. Seive together the flour and soda until well combined, and add to the egg mixture.
5. Pour into a greased, paper lined loaf tin and bake in an oven at about 170 degrees C, until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean!

Apple Cinnamon Cake

I tried an apple cake recipe once before, to abysmal results. This recipe by Elise, of simplyrecipes.com, seemed very simple. More importantly, the reviews were good, and it doesn't use any fancy expensive ingredients I would be scared of wasting! =D Turned out well, though next time, I will double the batter for a 'higher' cake.

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced

1- Set the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan a 4-cup capacity.

2- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3- In a bowl, combine 1/3 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.

4- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.

5- Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.

6- Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I get these food obsession phases, where a certain type of food, or a specific dish, becomes all I think about. I can spend hours researching recipes and book-marking them, or just looking at the photographs! And then I absolutely HAVE to get cooking. =D

As the weather gets cooler, soup is what I'm obsessing over. Creamy, rich, or thin, clear... what ever, which ever, soup is what I crave! So I spent two days browsing through countless recipes, before hitting jackpot at simplyrecipes.com with a cream of mushroom soup, which I adapted to suit pakistani taste buds! =D

Maryam Masud's Praline Delight

This isn't a very appetizing picture, but then, those of us who cook at all know that food in the making is rarely appetizing =D

Maryam Masud makes this astoundingly simple, yet supremely impressive dish, and she shared the recipe with us. The first time I made it was when my grandfather, who is notoriously difficult to please, came to visit. If it impressed him... well. It's very, very good. =D

The uber simple dessert requires:
A tub of Praline Ice-cream
1 cup milk + a pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp instant coffee
1 packet chilled cream
Rusks: the flat, rectangualr variety
Assorted nuts [optional]

And this is how you make it:

• Leave ice-cream at room temperature to sofetn slightly
• Mix the Coffee in the milk. Pour into a shallow dish.
• Dip rusks in the milk, just enough to coat both sides, and layer them in a serving dish. Do not soak them too much, they get soggy too quickly.
• Drizzle with cream.
• Spread a layer of ice-cream on top. Just enough to cover. Sprinkle chopped nuts if so desired.
• Repeat with layers of rusk, cream and ice cream.
  The top-most layer should be ice cream.
• Put it in the freezer to set. Decorate with sprinkled coco/milo/ovaltine, or bunties, chocolate sprinkles, etc. Serve chilled!

I think this would also taste fantastic with hot fudge topping =D

My spin on Shepherd's Pie

So I don't use ground beef for my Shepherd's Pie. Chicken and mushrooms, in white sauce, are way more tempting [the green is from bell peppers that I threw in on a whim] =D This is what the mixture looks like before the mashed potato covering. Just to give you an idea of the consistency of the mixture.

I don't use an exact recipe, so I won't be able to give you one. But I'll up the general instructions soon!

Amna J's Microwave Brownies

I was a tad skeptical about these, primarily because the recipe calls for a whole cup of oil. That's more oil than I've ever used in a single cake! But these are very dense, fudgy brownies, and done in five minutes! For variations, you can add m'N'ms, assorted nuts, etc. You can also reduce the sugar a bit: more than 3/4 and less than a whole cup. Experiment! Happy Baking! =D

[Photographs coming soon]

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coco powder
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar

1. Beat eggs until fluffy.


2. Add sugar and oil, beating until the sugar is dissolved [you may grind the sugar just a little bit, to make this step easier]


3. Sieve together the flour and coco powder, twice


4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, beating well.


5. Pour into greased microwave safe dish, and microwave for 3-5 minutes on a medium-high setting according to your machine [check after thrid minute]

Does not require topping, though a little extra chocolate never hurt anyone. Nutella? *hinthint* ;) You may sprinkle it with dessicated coconut, if you like the flavor!

Sweet Rolls

I increase the amount of sugar to atleast half cup, to make them sweeter. Come out beautifully =D


5 tsp. active dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)
4 large eggs
2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. milk



Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and milk. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Beat together the eggs until fluffy and pale lemon yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter and beginning and ending with the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 18 standard muffin cups.

Punch down the dough with a wooden spoon. Scoop out and divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Lightly butter a sheet of plastic wrap and place, buttered side down, over the rolls. Let rise again until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Uncover the rolls and lightly brush the tops with the egg-milk mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a roll comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the rolls out of the pan onto the rack and let cool completely before serving.

White Bread

If you like to read fiction, there's a good chance you would have come across people baking bread at home. And you'd have read about "the smell of fresh bread baking" and the "aroma of yeast permeating the kitchen" =p It always sounded delightful to me, and I've forever been wanting to try my hand at different breads.

This is a very basic recipe, and I halve it to make one loaf at a time. The crust come out very crunchy sometimes, and I'm still experimenting as to how to make it softer. I also increase the amount of sugar considerably. half cup water may be replaced by half cup milk.



4 1/2 tsp./1/2 oz./14g active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6-7 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining warm water, butter, sugar and salt. Stir until mixed.

2. Add 6-7 cups of flour and mix until blended. Add enough of the remaining flour until dough forms a smooth ball that is slightly sticky to the touch.

3. Place dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

4. Punch dough down, divide in half, and shape into loaves. Place loaves into two 9 x 5-inch greased loaf pans and let rise until double in size, about an hour.

5. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 40 minutes.

Chocolate LoveStories!

Also Called a "Dirt Dessert" =D

Pineaaple No-bake Souffle

2 Tbsp plain flour
2 Cups milk
1 Cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 packet [250 ml] cream
2-3 Tbsp gelatin
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tin pineapple bits

Blend together the milk, flour, sugar and egg yolks.
Pour into a sauce pan and cook, stirring, until thickened.
Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, dissolve the gelatin in 2-3 tbsp boiling water.
Pour gelatin paste into the custard, stirring constantly.
Whip the cream with the vanilla essence, until thickened, and mix into the custard.
Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into the mousse mixture until just incorporated.

Sprinkle pineapple bits on the base of serving dish. Pour the mousse into the dish, and top with more pineapple bits, letting them sink into the dessert. Cool and let set.

This dessert will be served out of the dish.

If you want a denser mousse which may be turned out of a mold, increase flour to three tbsp, and gelatin to three and a half tbsp. oil the mold slightly before pouring the mousse in, and let sit over night in the refrigerator.