Kesar(Saffron) Lassi

Healthy, easy, rich and delicious. What more are you looking for in a dessert? I am sure this lassi will satisfy your sweet cravings anytime!

I used store bought plain full fat yogurt. So the lassi came out very creamy. Thanks to my husband who bought it even after me repeatedly telling him to get fat free yogurt.

Ingredients:
Thick Yogurt(chilled)-2 cups
Sugar-3-4 tsp
Saffron-1/4 tsp
Hot water-1 tbsp
Cardamom-a pinch

Does it sound like shrikhand? There is a slight difference between lassi and shrikhand. Shrikhand is made of strained yogurt whereas lassi is made of yogurt which is not strained.

Method:
Add saffron to hot water and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Mix saffron water with rest of the ingredients and serve immediately.

Cheesy Chiffon Cake

This is an unique chiffon which is more like a savory chiffon cake.

If you like cheese, you will like this.

Recipe for 17cm round chiffon

For the egg whites mixture:

110g egg whites

55g caster sugar

5g corn flour

For the egg yolks mixture:

40g egg yolks

36g water

36g vegetable oil or olive oil

50g plain flour

24g cheese powder

40g cheddar cheese

How I made it:

1. Cut the cheddar cheese in 0.7cm cubes and leave aside.
2. For the chiffon cake, mix all the egg yolks mixture except flour. When everything well combined then gradually add in sifted flour and cheese powder. (I used electric mixer, its came very handy for this process). Mix everything well combine and no lumps left. The mixture would be very thick and and smooth.
3. Beat the egg whites in a clean large bowl until peak foam. Gradually add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Then finally add in corn flour. Make sure the corn flour mix well in the egg mixture. The egg whites mixture should be peak foam, smooth and shiny.
4. Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg whites mixture into the egg yolks mixture. When everything well combine then gently fold in the 1/2 of the remaining egg whites mixture. Lastly, fold in the remaining egg whites mixture. (Note: This stage took some times and patient and practice. Make sure all the egg whites mixture well combine with the egg yolks mixture without breaking the egg whites. Little egg whites left will cause a big hole in the cake during baking. And, over mixing will cause it hardly rise during the baking.)
5. Fold in the cheese cubes then pour the well mix mixture into a 17cm chiffon cake tin and bake at a 160'C preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. After baked, let the baked cake turn upside down for cooling before unmold it. . Keep the cake in the fridge it could last for 4 - 5 days. Best serve in 3 days.

Note: Warm it in the oven before serve, it's taste delicious too!

Vanilla Chocolate Cake -Two In One

Last night, my friend T, who is in US now, called me to wish for the New Year. Every time she calls, we relive our childhood memories. Having lived in the same neighborhood and studied in the same school and college, we could talk about the good olden days for hours together. Even if we speak after a long gap of time, if we speak, its like starting from where we left last. T was more happy to tell me that her friend referred her my blog, without knowing about our friendship. She was thrilled to hear the praises heaped on me by her friend. T wanted to share that joy with me. Needless to say, she made my day. That's a big boost for me as a blogger. And also the fact that my blog helps many silent readers is indeed a thing of joy. Now coming to the post, during our telecon, T wanted me to share a cake recipe. So that comes as the last post of the year. This post is dedicated to our friendship and the virtual cake is for T and her family for the New Year.

Kajal's Chocomilk cake is in my to-be-tried list, ever since I saw it on her blog. I followed Kajal's recipe with slight modifications.

Ingredients
All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup

Powdered sugar - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Ghee - 3/4 cup

Baking powder - 1 tblspn

Cocoa powder - 1 tblspn

Vanilla essence - 1 tspn

Next time, I might try substituting 1/2 cup oil + 1/4 ghee.

Method

Beat powdered sugar and ghee for 10 minutes. Stir in milk and maida alternatively with out forming lumps.Add vanilla essence. Beat the mixture with a beater or hand till it is blended well. Transfer 3/4th of the batter to the greased cake tin. In the remaining batter stir in cocoa powder and mix till it is uniform. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 C for 40 minutes.

My idea was to pour like how Kajal has done . That is forming the cocoa layer sandwiched between the plain ones. The shape of my cake tine and quantity of cocoa batter did not come along with my idea. Finally decided to make like a layered one. Go over to Kajal's to see the lovely step-by-step presentation.

I baked this cake to send as a gift for my friend. So I did not get to taste the cake. But from the tiny crumbs I got to taste, I felt it has come out well. I am yet to receive feedback from friend.

Here is Wishing all my friends a fabulous 2009 filled with more of happiness and less of worries.