Tervis Tumblers!

 This post is a part of a Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Tervis. Tervis tumblers are virtually indestructible - they won't crack, melt, shatter, or chip, and they come with a lifetime guarantee. Even better, their double-wall insulation means hot drinks stay hot, cold drinks stay cold, and your furniture stays clear of those annoying condensation rings! 


Recently, I was selected to receive a tervis tumbler! I have been using it everyday and it keeps any beverage hot or cold for longer time. Do buy these beautiful tumblers and try them!
The beverage displayed in this picture is badam kheer. For recipe click here. 

Orange Cupcakes

This year I prepared home made chocolate truffles for Halloween to gift my neighbourhood kids but in the last minute the kids count was high than expected. So I searched some simple recipe (aiming with available ingredients at my pantry) on web and got orange cupcake recipe from here. As I didn't get time to prepare frosting, I did very simple kids friendly Halloween decoration with chocolate chips and nutella. I prepared it in a jiffy and I need to say it disappeared in a jiffy. I first hesitate to blog this cupcakes because I felt the decoration is little sloppy, but the soft spongy orange taste of cupcakes made myself to compromise and post this recipe. Try the cupcake recipe and choose your own favorite frosting and enjoy them.

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: <15 minutes

Cooking Time: 18 minutes

Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For Orange Cupcakes:



Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2/3 cups

Egg - 3 nos

Plain flour - 1 and 1/2 cups

Baking powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Fresh Orange Juice - 1/4 cup (I used store bought juice)

Orange extract - 2 teaspoon (I didn't use)

Orange food color - 2 drops (I added a drop from Dr.Oetker's red and yellow color and I got mild orange colour.)



For Quick Halloween Decoration:



Chocolate chips / Chocolate buttons - 24 nos

Nutella - 1/4 cup approx

Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup approx



Method:



For Orange Cupcakes:



1) First bring butter and egg to room temperature. Sift  flour, baking powder and salt together and keep aside. Line the cupcake tray with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 180C(350F).

2) In a mixing bowl, beat butter until pale.

3) Add sugar and continue beating till you get the cream texture.

4) Add one egg at a time and beat well till all the eggs incorporated.

5) Add flour, baking powder and salt mixture and mix well.

6) Add orange juice, orange extract(If using) and orange food color. Mix well till all incorporated.

 

7) Spoon the cupcakes tray with 2/3 batter full.

 

8) Bake it for 18 minutes or till the tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

9) Cool sometime and transfer to a wiring rock to cool completely.



For Quick Halloween Decoration:



1) Top the cupcake with powdered sugar.

2) Place the 2 buttons or chips on each cupcakes like eyes in the face.

3) Draw a mouth line using nutella. Instead of nutella, any jam also be used here.

Note:

1) The original recipe's frosting was excellent, I didn't do that because of unavailability of time. But I suggest to do that if you are going to try this cupcakes.

2) As I started preparing this recipe in last minute, I kept eggs in bowl of hot water for some time to bring it to room temperature. This is the tip I used from the original recipe.

Sending this to Vardhini's Halloween Fiesta and

Srav's Cooking concepts- Festive foods.

RIBBON PAKODA

Usually the snacks like murukku, thattai, cheeppu cheedai, cheedai, ribbon pakoda, karasevu etc are very famous in Tamilnadu. But I always think that this ribbon pakoda remains at the top as the most favourite snack to so many people. There are different names for this snack like nada pakoda, ottu pakoda, olai pakoda, ribbon murukku, etc. There are also so many variations in preparing this pakoda. Some will add ground ginger+garlic+green chilli paste to this. Some will add just garlic paste. What I am going to post is a simple procedure to make a delicious ribbon pakoda.

ரிப்பன் பகோடா

Ingredients:

Fine rice flour- 4 cups
Gram flour- 1 cup
Butter- 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida- 2 pea’s size
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Enough oil to fry

Procedure:

Soak the asafoetida in a small cup of hot water over night.
In the morning, pour this water to the flours.
Add the remaining ingredients with enough water.
Knead the flours to a soft dough.
Fill enough dough in a murukku press with ‘ ribbon pakoda mould’.
Press it in to thin stripes on hot oil length wise or in to a circle.
Take the ribbaon paoda stripes out when they are cooked to golden brown on both sides.
The delicious ribbon pakoda is ready now!