Bakery-Style Tea Rusk

Rusk dipped in sweetened milk was my tea time snack for most part of my school days.I wondered why my friends called it sick-time food.For that matter,even bread-butter was looked upon as food which was had when one was sick,really?

Best Bakery had the best rusks those days.Sweet,crisp and crunchy decked with raisins,tutti-frooti and sometimes cashewnuts.Rusk was always bought in bulk since it had a longer shelf life and was an all time favorite for all of us.But as and when we grew up,our interests drifted to better looking snacks,namely cakes,pastries etc.

My interest was doubly revived in rusks when my father-in-law introduced me to Warrier Bakery rusk in Bangalore.These were plain sweet rusks but so tasty that I had to get back to my rusk-love.I've always wondered how these were baked and surprised to know how easy it was to make homemade rusk.

Bakery-Style Tea Rusk
Recipe source - Lakshmi Nair

Ingredients

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
Butter,softened - 125 gms
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/3 cup
Tutti-frooti - 50 gms

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.Grease and line an 8' square tin.
 
Sift together flour and baking powder twice.Reserve.
 
Beat together butter and powdered sugar till creamy.
 
Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla.
 
Beat in the flour mix and milk alternately beginning and ending with flour.
Coat the tutti frooti in 1/2 tbsp of flour and fold into the prepared batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or till the cake is golden brown in colour and is firm to the touch.
Let it cool to room temperature.
 
Peel off the baking paper and cut the cake into three vertically.Cut thin slices of the cake and bake again for 20-25 minutes(at 180C) or till golden brown and crispy.
 
Cool and store in air-tight containers.Makes about 30 rusks.

Notes

• The rusk can be made plain or with any additional ingredients of your choice.I suggest chopped cashewnuts,currants or raisins.
• The recipe can be easily doubled for making larger quantities.
• I baked the rusk for an additional 5 minutes since we like it a bit more crunchy.
• Every oven is different,so baking times may differ.

Off these go to Srivalli's Cookie Mela.

I Love your Blog - ChefinYou

She is my namesake,she blogs about food and maintains a website which is widely followed worldwide.

Yes I am talking about Dhivya Karthik who blogs at ChefinYou.Someone called her India's Pioneer Woman and I think it is no exaggeration.Step by step pictures of making a dish is her forte and she has been doing that from day one.I know how difficult that can be when making dishes with complicated steps.But she makes it look all easy!

I almost jumped into trying out Tiramisu when I saw the pictures here.Really,is it all that easy?Apparently not,she only made it look so;)

She cooks with exotic ingredients and blends them into easy Indian recipes and voila you get Purple Parathas!

How often have you seen a vegetarian lollipop?I am guessing very rarely.Here,she cooks a Paneer and Baby corn dish and makes it looks like a Chicken Lollipop!

I am sure with recipes like this up her sleeve,she doesn't need a Boy Bait,but wait I think that's for us to try,isn't it?

She says she is not a Chocolate fan but that doesn't deter her from churning out delicious chocolate recipes.The eggless Chocolate Pound cake recipe is an example.

I cannot wait to try this Idli Fingers when I have leftover idli.Now DK,how did you come up with this idea;))?

There are quite a few recipes I tried from her blog.Some already blogged and some yet to.

Classic Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani

Disclaimer - All pictures published with the bloggers permission.

Kalathi Kadai Rose Milk

I wasn't sure where we were headed to when we parked our car near the temple street in Mylapore but I was sure I wouldn't leave the place without tasting 'The' Rose milk from Kalathi Kadai.Having heard so many rave reviews about this pink glass of beauty,I had to try it,no matter what.We are not very familiar with Mylapore and surroundings and hence finding out where the shop was,with only the name for company was not a simple task.

With my limited knowledge of reading Tamil,I found out the shop somehow but was baffled because the shop looked like a very simple corner shop where people stopped for a puff or a snack.There was no mention of Rose milk anywhere.Hesitantly we asked the guy for 2 glasses of Rose milk and he quickly pulled out his big steel jug and poured out two chilled glasses.I couldn't wait and gulped it down at one go.

With just a hint of rose flavor and mildly sweet,this one was a drink I wouldn't mind travelling a few kilometres for.I got myself a bottle of rose milk concentrate so that I could make it at home too.Here,I am giving a recipe using this concentrate.There are different varieties available but by far the closest I've felt to the original is the Bakers Rose Milk Powder.You could try making the same with that too.

Rose Milk

Ingredients(serves 1)

Rose Milk Concentrate - 1 tsp
OR
Bakers Rose Milk Powder - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup,chilled
Sugar - 1 tsp
Ice cubes - 3-4

Method
 
Mix together sugar,rose syrup(or powder),milk and ice cubes in a shaker* or a glass till everything is mixed together.
Serve chilled.
 
*I used a Tupperware Quick shake which churns out excellent milkshakes.You can use any shaker(which comes free with most of the health drinks)or even use a blender if you are making it in huge quantities.

Bakeware Online - A peep!

How many times have you come across a bakeware,liked it,wanted to bake in it but got disappointed because the product couldn't be shipped to India?In my case,many a times.I've ogled at Bundt pans and Ramekins for a long long time before someone offered to get it for me from the US and Singapore respectively.These days though,it is not so difficult to find stuff with stores stocking up many baking goods,thanks to the viral baking bug:).


I came across a few websites which ship bakeware to anywhere in India and found it quite interesting.


Love this Purple Baking dish - FabFurnish

Perfect for baking Pasta,Lasagna or Crumbles.

My Dear Bundt pan,where were you when I needed you the most?
Wonderfchef Cake Mould - FabFurnish

Funky Measuring spoons - FabFurnish

Lovely gift-shaped pan,for cake decorating challenged people like me:)

Wonderchef Cake Mould - FabFurnish

Such a pretty pan!

Blue Round Baking Dish - Zansaar

Springform pan - Urban Dazzle

Set of 6 Ramekins - Urban Dazzle

Square Muffin Molds - Urban Dazzle

Brioche Tin - Urban Dazzle

Disclaimer - This is NOT a paid post.I have not purchased any items from the aforementioned sites nor have I been asked by the sellers to write about them.I found the information useful and hence sharing it with you.I am not affiliated to any of the sites mentioned either.

Mango Crumble

We are at the fag end of Mango season and busy picking the last few mangoes off from the shelves of fruit markets.Every summer it is the same old story.We like eating mangoes as is and never get enough of it,but by the time  the season ends,I panic and start thinking of ways to cook/bake with it for the kitchen as well as for the blog:)

Strangely,this year there was no upkari or gojju since all we could buy this year was Banganapally(my fav) and Alphonso which are not suitable for curries.There were lots of lassis and milkshakes though.

I remembered this recipe from my baking bible Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.The original recipe is a Tropical Fruits Crumble which has Mangoes and Bananas.I tweaked the recipe and the quantity to make enough crumble for 3-4 people using one big Mango.Love the combo of Mangoes with Ginger and it was perfect for this recipe too.

Mango Almond Crumble
Recipe roughly adapted from BFMHTY

Ingredients

Ripe Mango - 1 big,chopped into chunks (roughly 2 cups)
Butter - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Fresh ginger,grated - 1 tsp
Ginger powder - a fat pinch

For the crumble

Flour - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Oats - 2 tbsp
Butter - 30 gms
Almonds,chopped - 1/4 cup

Method

To make the crumble -  
In a mixing bowl,add flour,sugar and oats.Mix in the butter and blend the butter into the flour mix till it resembles bread crumbs.A few big pieces here and there is fine.
 
Mix in the chopped almonds.Refrigerate this crumble till required.
 
In a nonstick pan add the butter and sugar.Stir for a while till the sugar starts to caramelize.
 
Mix in the chopped mango and swirl the pan.Do not stir much as it would make the mangoes squishy.Just keep swirling the pan till the mangoes cook a bit and change in colour.
Mix in the grated ginger and powdered ginger.Transfer to a heat proof pan.

Preheat the oven to 180C.
 
Pour the mango mix into four ramekins or a single pie-dish.
Cover the mango with the prepared crumble.Top with some chopped almonds if you like.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or till the fruit starts bubbling and the topping is a pretty golden brown.
Serve warm.

Notes

• This recipe makes enough crumble for 3-4 people.Though it tastes great on its own,I served it with some Mango ice-cream on the side and it was pure mango heaven!
• The flavor of ginger is not overpowering,in fact it complements the sweetness of the mango and crumble and makes for a perfect after-meal dessert.
• The original recipe calls for mangoes and bananas and uses lime juice and zest too along with ginger.You could try it out for a different flavor combination.

**A special thanks to Jeyashri who gifted me these white ramekins along with some cute cupcake liners.Pleasures of blogging-thanks a ton Jeyashri!

Batate High Jump | Garlic Baby Potatoes in Coconut Masala

Tell me if you found the name interesting.Cute isn't it?My love for baby potatoes is well documented here,any curry made with potatoes can be made prettier using baby potatoes,that's my mantra.

High Jump Potatoes is a star recipe from Asha Philar's book The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook.I saw many people trying it and posting it on Facebook and even mentioning it as one of the best recipes in the book.I had no reasons to postpone making this dish.

Baby potatoes cooked in a coconut based masala and seasoned with Garlic,how can it go wrong I ask.Tastes great with Rice and dal and even with some curd rice.So what are you pairing it with?

Batate High Jump|Garlic Baby Potatoes in Coconut Masala
Recipe from The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes - 30-35
Salt to taste

For the Masala

Grated coconut - 3-4 tbsp
Roasted Red chillies - 3
Tamarind - a small channa sized piece
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp,roasted
Whole peppercorns - 1/4 tsp
Hing/asafetida - a pinch
Haldi/turmeric powder - a pinch

For the tadka/seasoning

Oil - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 6 cloves,crushed with skin

Method

Cook the baby potatoes in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles.Peel and keep aside.
 
Make a smooth paste of the ingredients given for the masala.Keep aside.
 
In a thick bottomed kadai add oil and then the crushed garlic.Saute on low flame till the garlic is evenly brown and soft.
Mix in the ground masala,salt to taste and let it boil.
 
Add the cooked potatoes and give a good mix.
Simmer the flame and let the potatoes cook further in the masala.Keep stirring over a low flame until the potatoes become brownish and dry.

Featured in Food Fetish Fridays.

Notes

• If you do not eat garlic,use mustard seeds and curry leaves for seasoning and then proceed with the rest of the procedure.

Donna Hay's Lemon Yogurt Cake

I don't know if it is my imagination but I see a cookery show in every other channel these days.Food seems to be the in thing now,to discuss,to argue,to elaborate upon and what not.Some time back,a Malayalam movie released aptly named Salt and Pepper which showed food as a main character which took the story forward.It was a trend which paved way for many such movies to follow.

Ustad Hotel is one of the latest ones to follow the trend.People have started taking food seriously,not something which you have to fill up your stomach but something to fill up your senses too.

I am waxing eloquent on food I know,but I have a recipe to share too.Donna Hay's Fast,Fresh and Simple is a series on TLC which I never miss to watch.Though I haven't tried out a single recipe of hers,I enjoy watching her show.I was tempted to bake the cake she presented on Junior Masterchef Australlia,but didn't want to challenge myself against those wonderful talented kids,I have a reputation you see;)

I chose this simple recipe because I wanted to use up the huge quantity of yogurt I had in the fridge and have something to munch on.It truly is a simple cake,full of fresh lemon flavor and a slight crunch of the lemon drizzle icing.We are not big fans of lemon but the flavor is not overpowering and goes well with the cake.The cake didn't brown much so the drizzle is not very evident.Probably a chocolate drizzle should have looked better!

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Recipe source - Donna Hay

Ingredients

Oil - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2,room temperature
Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Caster sugar - 1 3/4 cup
Thick Yogurt - 1 cup
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

For the Lemon drizzle icing

Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Method

The original recipe calls for self-raising flour.I made the substitute following simple changes.
To 1 cup of flour add 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt to make 1 cup of self raising flour.

Preheat oven to 180C.Grease and flour a 6 cup bundt pan. 
In a big mixing bowl add oil,eggs,lemon zest,juice,caster sugar and yogurt and whisk together.
 
Slowly mix in the flour and beat slowly but swiftly to make a smooth lump-free batter.

Pour it into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake inside the pan on a wire rack till you prepare the icing.
 
Mix together sugar and lemon juice to get a thick syrup.
 
Unmold the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the syrup all over.Let it cool completely and then cut into thick slices.

The cake tastes great plain but I served it with some whole strawberry jam.Perfect tang and a good combination.