EASY LEMON CUP CAKES (NO EGGS NO BUTTER !!!)

How fast the time flies!!! Its been one year since I posted something in my blog.My blog was kept unnoticed for long time.I apologize my fellow bloggers for not visiting and commenting on their blogs. 

 Motherhood changed my life drastically.My little man is now 9 months old. Imagine how tough it is looking after a naughty baby boy. I find it really hard to spend much time on cooking.But once  I opened my blog account I did find fairly good number of page views.Then I badly wanted to restart my blog. I wish this post be a sweet one as this is my first post after my Kannan born.This is for him.I started cooking this after making him sleep .But just after measuring all the ingredients he woke up.So the rest I completed by holding him in my hands.I was struggling to get hold of muffin cups which he tried to snatch from me:)Anyway we both enjoyed cooking this.

 Coming to these recipe.This  is a quick one bowl cake.Anything lemony is refreshing so does this cake.Usually the cake taste best on the next day. I had  a piece when it just came out of the oven and it taste awesome!!i feel this cake taste delicious even while it is hot . When ever you feel like having something truly refreshing try this out .You can make this in a jiffy since it contains no fancy ingredients and no tedious work.Here goes the recipe…

Ingredients

1.      Maida-1 cup

2.      Sugar-less than ¾ cup

3.      Oil-1/4 cup(use any unflavoured oil)

4.      Baking powder-1/2tsp

5.      Baking soda-1/2tsp

6.      Milk-3/4 cup

7.      Lemon juice-1tbsp

8.      Lemon zest- zest of two small lemons (it was around 1 tbsp or more)

9.      Lemon yellow color-tad a bit (it is purely optional)

Method of preparation

1.      Preheat oven at 180degree for 10 minutes.

2.      Take a bowl.mix all ingredients except flour  and stir till the sugar dissolves.

3.      Add the flour in  two batches and give a nice stir without any lumps.

4.      Pour in to muffin cups or greased muffin tray and bake for 30 minutes at 180degree or till the inserted knife comes out clean.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EASY FRUIT / PLUM CAKE (LIQUOR FREE)

This is a hassle free recipe as it requires no pre soaking of fruits, no hard beating of eggs, sugar or butter and more over you don’t need to bring your ingredients to room temperature!! but the result is awesome. Why don’t you try this super easy, delicious cake on this X’mas..

Recipe is adapted from here 

Ingredients

1.      All purpose flour(maida)-150gm(around 1 ¼ cup)

2.      Baking powder-1 ¾ tsp

3.      Salt-less than ¼ tsp

4.      Brown sugar or granulated white sugar-150gm( around 1 1/3 cup)(refer notes)

5.      Eggs-2nos

6.      Chopped dry fruits and nuts- 1 ½ cup to 2 cups (I used dates,kismis,cashew nuts and almonds)

7.      Butter-100gm

8.      Mixed spice-1tsp (see notes)

9.      Chopped orange peel-3 tsp

Method of preparation

1.      Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

2.      Take dry fruits and chopped orange peel in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover the fruits. Bring it to boil and keep in low flame for 5 minutes. Drain the water.

3.      When the cooked fruits are still hot, add the butter .Give a nice stir and allow it to melt.

4.      Add lightly beaten eggs ,sifted flour, sugar, mixed spice into this. Mix well without forming lumps. It is always better to add flour in different batches for getting lump free batter.

5.      Pour into prepared 8” inch cake tin and bake at 180 degree for 1 hour or till the inserted knife comes out clean.

Notes:

1.       If you are using normal sugar, it is better to make caramel for getting dark color cake though it is purely optional. For this, heat ½ cup of sugar(from the mentioned amount) in a saucepan .When it is completely melted and turned brown switch off the flame, carefully add ¼ cup of water. Heat again until sugar crystals completely dissolves. This is the caramel. Add this into the cake mixture once it has cooled.

2.      Mixed spice can be made by pounding a small piece of cinnamon, a clove, a small piece of nutmeg and a small piece of dry ginger.

KINNATHAPPAM- A TRADITIONAL KERALA SWEET SNACK

Kinnathappam is a traditional Kerala ‘palaharam’ .Kinnam refers to a shallow copper or steel vessel in malayalam.Kinnathappam can be called as a steam cooked rice cake . Kinnathappam are of two types, one made with jaggery and the other with sugar. Here I have made sugar kinnathappm.Dont be confused with Kinnathappam and vattayappam.Unlike kinnathappm the latter is prepared with fermented rice batter. This is a delicious sweet snack  with smooth and soft texture.

Recipe by Lakshmi Nair

 Ingredients

1.      Raw rice( pachari)-1 cup

2.      Sugar-1cup

3.      Egg-1no

4.      Thick coconut milk-1cup

5.      Thin milk-2 ½ cup

6.      Cardamom powder-1/2tsp

7.      Jeera (cumin seeds)-1/4tsp

8.      Little oil or ghee for greasing the plate

Method of preparation

1.      Soak rice for 3 or 4 hours. Grind this into smooth paste by adding required amount of thin coconut milk. When the rice is fully grinded, add egg, sugar and cardamom. Grind again till sugar dissolves completely.

2.      Add remaining thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk. Mix well .Sieve this mixture through a fine cloth .This sieved batter will look like frothy milk.(see the pics below)

3.      Grease a shallow steel plate. Pour this batter. Fill only ¾ th of the plate. Steam cook this for 45 minutes .When it is half done, open the steamer ,sprinkle few jeera seeds over the top. Keep the lid on and cook again till it is done. Even after the mentioned time, the appam may look like uncooked and sticky on touch. But it will solidify upon cooling. So try not to cut while it is hot.

 Once it has cooled, cut into desired shapes and serve.

Notes: Kinnathappam is a thin cake .So always use a shallow vessel, preferably a steel thali plate. The batter should not be thick. With the above quantity two Kinnathappams can be made.

Sieved batter

 

KAPPALANDI MUTTAYI (PEANUT CHIKKI)

Ingredients

1.      Roasted peanuts-1 cup

2.      Sugar-1/2cup

3.      Butter/oil -1/2 tsp

A flat steel plate and little oil for greasing the plate.

Method of preparation

1.      Grease a steel plate and keep it aside.

2.      Pound the peanuts slightly either by a pestle or mixie.

3.      Heat a pan .Add the sugar in. Allow it to melt and turn slightly brown .It needs to be stirred to prevent it from burning. When it is completely melted and browned add the butter/oil. Stir well .When it bubbles add the peanuts. Mix well.  When the peanuts are completely coated with the sugar syrup, switch off the flame.

4.      Immediately transfer it in to the greased plate. Spread it using a rolling pin. Cut it into desired shapes while it is still hot (check the pic below).

Separate it into each piece once it has cooled completely.

                   Sending this to NIVEDHANAM and SPICE YOUR LIFE