Black Forest Trifle

Easy Black Forest Trifle| Chocolate Cherry Trifle is a quick to assemble dessert in minutes. Left over cake crumbs could be utilized in an efficient way. I have prepared the chocolate cake using this recipe. The cake is absolutely soft and moist it soaked with the cherry syrup and tastes real yum. My son loves this cake trifle as he loves chocolate.A wow dessert that can be prepared in advance, only needs to be refrigerated prior to parties or gatherings. Simple yet delicious appealing dessert. 

You could buy chocolate or brownies from shop and assemble this dessert too if you feel lazy. Now cherries are in season and it is delightful to make these with fresh cherry syrup and top it with fresh fruits that taste divine. I love the fruit bits inside this dessert. You could use chocolate chips or fruit pieces for extra taste and garnish for this appealing dessert.

Black Forest Trifle

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Eliza Lincy
Cuisine: American
Category: Dessert

Yields: 4 cups

Ingredients

• Chocolate cake| Chocolate cake crumbs| brownie pieces-2 cups
  Cherry syrup| diluted cherry compote| cherry pie topping- 8 teaspoons
  Whipped Cream- 1/2 cup before whipping
  Sugar- 2 teaspoons
  Vanilla essence- 1/2 teaspoon
  Fresh Cherries| Cherries in syrup- few for garnishing
  Cocoa powder| Chocolate shavings- 2 teaspoons

Instructions

• Chill the whipping cream and whip with 2 teaspoons of sugar and vanilla essence till stiff peaks. Refrigerate till you use.
• I have prepared the chocolate cake using this recipe. You could follow this healthy beetroot chocolate cake recipe, Chocolate Brownies or make use of  the leftover crumbs after icing a chocolate cake.
• I used cherry compote by boiling chopped fresh cherries 10 nos with two teaspoons of sugar and half a cup of water and allowed to boil for few minutes till the cherries softened; allow to cool.

• To assemble task a glass tumbler and first divide and fill the crumbs into four glasses.
• Then drizzle 2 teaspoons of the cherry syrup or the diluted compote over the chocolate cake.
• Then layer on top with the whipped cream.
• Garnish top of the dessert with chocolate shavings or cocoa powder and top it with some fresh cherries or cherries in syrup.
• You could layer once more as mentioned above the same way to get two layers. 
• You could assemble everything in one single big deep bowl or trifle glasses.

Notes

• You could use cherry pie filling by slightly diluting it or dilute the prepared compote or jam by adding some water and boiling a bit and use it for the syrup.

Read More »

Avocado Cheese Cake

No Bake Avocado Cheese Cake: Today is a big day for me, as it is my blogs 3rd Anniversary and I am stepping into the 4th yet another illustrious year.

I thank here the good Lord, my family, friends readers and followers of my blog. Here is a healthy avocado cheese cake as a token of love to all my patrons. I have also posted another cheese cake recipe Strawberry cheese cake. And refer for more Avocado recipes Avocado Fries, Avocado Paratha, Avocado Pasta, Avocado Hummus, Avocado muffins, Green Smoothie bowl with avocados, Guacamole, Avocado Milk Shake and Avocado Deviled Eggs.

This cake I have made with digestive light biscuits and I used very less whipping cream as the avocado filling does not require it much. I love the color and the taste of this cheese cake. You could top this cake with chocolate, chocolate syrup, fresh fruits or any compote or jelly. Tastey & delicious with any of the toppings.

No Bake Avocado Cheese Cake 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Eliza Lincy
Cuisine: American
Category: Desserts | Cakes

Yields: 10-12 cm cake

Ingredients

• (Double the quantity for 20cm cake i have made here 10cm)
  For the biscuit base:
  Digestive Biscuits- 4
  Salt- pinch
  Butter- 2 tablespoons
  
  
  For Avocado Cheese Cake Filling:
  Avocado-1 large
  Sugar- 1/4 cup+ 1 teaspoon
  Gelatin- 1/2 tablespoon
  Water- 1 tablespoon
  Hung Yogurt | Cream cheese- 3/4 cup
  Whipped Cream- 1/4 cup (before whipping)
  Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon
  
  
  For the Cherry Compote:
  Cherries- 10 nos
  Sugar-1 tablespoons
  water- 1 tablespoon

Instructions

Biscuit  Base:

• Break the digestive biscuits by hand and keep inside the blender jar with a pinch of salt.
• Add the softened butter and close the lid; pulse to make a uniform wet sand like texture.
• Check this by press a small portion if it holds its shape the added butter is enough. If it does not retain add more butter and pulse till it holds its shape.

• Grease the pan with little butter or oil and throw the crumbs inside the cake ring. Press it well with your fingers without any gaps.
• Refrigerate the base to harden till the filling is ready.

Avocado Cheese Cake Filling:

• Whip the whipping cream with a teaspoons of sugar and vanilla essence till stiff peaks using a electric beater of hand held whisk. Refrigerate till you use.
• Hang a cup of thick yogurt in a muslin or cotton cloth to drain the whey water.
• Soak half a teaspoon of gelatin in a tablespoon of water for 5 minutes.
• Microwave or double boil on stove top for 15 seconds until it melts.
• Allow gelatin to cool and reach room temperature.

• Scoop out the avocado flesh using a spoon and add inside the blender with 1/4 cup of sugar; Puree it with out any pieces. If the color looks dull, then add 2 drops of green food color.

• Once the whey almost drained from the milk solids remove it and keep inside a deep bowl.
• Using a electric beater or whisk beat the hung yogurt or the cream cheese well to make a uniform paste without any lumps.

• Now add the avocado puree and again beat once or twice to combine.
• Add the gelatin and beat few times. Immediately add the whipped cream and mix once or twice to combine well. Fold with a spatula if necessary.

• Scoop out the filling and transfer it on the cake base. Tap slightly to remove air bubbles.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

For the Cherry Compote:

• Pit the cherries and chop them. In a sauce pan add the cherries with sugar and water.
• Allow to simmer for 10 minutes till the flesh becomes soft and the syrup if formed.

• Allow to cool and pour the filling on top of cake and allow to chill.Or pour on top at the time of serving.

Notes

• You could add few drops of lemon juice if you are keeping the dessert outside for longer time as it tend to brown.

Read More »

Steamed Chocolate Pudding

Steamed Chocolate Pudding, this recipe was in my to do list for many years and for this Easter i planned already to make this and today my wish come true. I wanted to make this chocolate pudding steamed version and it came out very well and tasted yum too. With the rich chocolate sauce it feels like a rich dessert.

This dessert is super easy to make and only the cooking time is long. Suitable dessert for any festivals like Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day..etc. Decadent delicacy for the Chocolate lovers for no doubt.

INGREDIENTS:
Butter- 1/2 cup(100gms)room temperature
Sugar-1 cup (i used muscavado sugar u could use normal sugar)
Eggs- 2-3
Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon
All Purpose Flour| Self raising Flour- 1 cup
Baking powder- 1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder- 2 tablespoons
Instant coffee powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt-pinch
Hot Milk- 1/4 cup
*If you use APF; Use cornflour- 1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda

PROCEDURE:

• Sift together dry ingredients self raising flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, coffee powder and salt. Or combine well with a whisk; set aside.
• In a bowl add the butter and sugar and beat well till it reaches a creamy stage.
• Now add the eggs one by one and beat well till frothy stage.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches and fold well or slowly run the electric whisk till combined without lumps.
• Microwave the milk for 30 seconds or boil and add the hot milk just to loosen the batter little. You may not end up using the whole milk. Add according to the consistency of the batter. I used 2 eggs so i required all of the milk. Beat slowly till combined as a smooth batter slightly pourable thick batter.
• Butter 1.25 lit capacity bowl and pour the batter and tap the bowl slightly to avoid air bubbles and flatten the top with a spatula.
• Fold a pleat in the centre of the foil and parchment to give the pudding room to expand as it cooks. Tie the foil onto the basin with string; wrap it twice to keep it tight.
• Heat the steamer with water till rolling hot stage. Now carefully keep the bowl inside the steamer and steam for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours on slow flame till the inserted skewer comes out clean. 
• Note: You could use any steamer you use at home like Idli steamer.
• You could pour individual moulds or small teacups and wrap them and steam them to make individual pudding.

Read More »

Pressure Cooker Pineapple Upside Down Cake

       After successfully baking my 'Pressure Cooker Sponge Cake' i got confidence to try other cakes too in pressure cooker. So my next cake recipe using pressure cooker is 'Pineapple Upside Down Cake'. When i was in my native place there was abundance of pineapple from the farm. So i planned to make a cake out of this yummy fruit.

       Regarding the outcome the cake was so soft and spongy and yummy. Everyone liked a lot even my kid. Actually i have planned to make this cake in oven so many times and finally i will make some other cake. At last i am happy that i made this cake successfully in pressure cooker. You can follow the same recipe and bake this cake in oven too.

INGREDIENTS:

Butter/ ghee-  1 teaspoon (to grease the pan)
Sugar- 2 tablespoon (to sprinkle)
Pineapple round slices-6 fresh/ tinned pineapple in juice
Pineapple Puree- 3 tablespoon (or) Pineapple juice- 3 tablespoon (from the tin)
Cherries in syrup-11
All purpose flour/ Maida- 1 ½ cups
Baking Powder- 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda- 1/2 teaspoon
Oil/ Butter- 1/2 cup
Milk- 1/4 cup
Sugar, powdered- 1 cup
eggs-2 large

PROCEDURE:

• Grease the cake pan with butter or ghee. Sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar on top and arrange the pineapple pieces on top of that and stud the centre and sides with glazed cherries.

• In a bowl beat the eggs till fluffy and add the powdered sugar, salt and mix well.
• Add the oil and beat well. then add the milk and pineapple puree/ juice.

• Sift the All purpose flour with Baking soda and Baking powder.
• Now add the All Purpose Flour mixture tablespoon at a time and mix well until finish the whole lot.

• Batter should be little runny (Pouring Consistency) if not add some milk and get the consistency.
• Pour the batter on top of the pineapple pieces.

• Keeping the separator plate or any plate or stand inside the cooker and heat (to avoid burnt cake base) the pressure cooker without gasket(black rubber kind thing) close the lid and heat the cooker on medium flame for 10 minutes.(Do not keep water inside the pressure cooker)
• Transfer the cake pan using a holder without touching the sides of the pressure cooker.(Careful because cooker will be so hot)
• Close the pressure cooker with the lid without gasket, do not keep the whistle on top and keep the flame to little above the sim and cook the cake.
• Donot open the cooker till you get the smell of the cake.
• Because it will take around 5-10 minutes to cook well after you get the smell of the cake.
• Now open the cooker and check whether it is done or not. If it is not done close the lid and cook till the skewer/ knife inserted comes out clean.

• It took for me about 40 - 45 minutes to cook.
• To remove the cake from pan if you are in a hurry you can use holder and remove the cake pan without touching the sides of the pressure cooker (it will be so hot).
• Allow the cake pan to cool around 20-30 minutes and run a knife all around the pan and invert the cake over a plate and tap at the bottom of the cake pan.

• Note:
• You can follow the same recipe and bake this cake in oven too. If you bake inside oven preheat the oven 180 degree for 10 minutes and then bake the cake by following same instructions.
• To make cakes in pressure cooker water, gasket, whistle these items are not required.
• Be careful while transfer the cake pan into the pressure cooker and while removing from it (Cooker will be so hot so i used holder to keep the batter inside and remove the cake). 

Read More »

Pan Cakes/ Fluffy Pan Cakes/ American Pan Cakes/ Easy Pan Cakes

        A pancake, also known as a hotcake or flapjack is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot pan. In Britain it is made without a raising agent, and is similar to a crepe. In America, a raising agent is used (typically baking powder). The American pancake is similar to a Scotch pancake. These pan cakes are light and fluffy served as a breakfast.

       We can call this dish as “American uthappam”. Preparation is same as that of our uthappam. But the ingredients are different. They use all purpose flour instead of rice and egg instead of urad dhal.  Uthappam needs fermentation and pan cakes are instant preparations using raising agent.

       They may be served at any time with a variety of toppings or fillings including jam, fruit, syrup, chocolate chips, or meat. In America, they are typically considered to be a breakfast food.

INGREDIENTS:

All Purpose flour/ Maida/ Self-rising flour*-1 cup

Salt- ¼ teaspoon

Sugar- 2 tablespoons

Milk-1 cup

Egg-1

Butter- 5 teaspoons
*Baking powder- ½ teaspoon (Use if you are making with all-purpose flour)

Pancake syrup/ Honey- 4 teaspoons

Strawberry/Banana- few pieces

PROCEDURE:

• In a bowl, break an egg; add sugar and salt; beat well till frothy using a ladle or whisk. Then add the milk and mix well.
• Now add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add quarter cup at a time  and mix together, without any lumps.
• Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. 

• Add half teaspoon of butter in a pan; Pour a ladle full of batter onto a hot pan. Don’t spread it. Flip pancakes when the edges appear cooked. Serve immediately drizzling Pan cake syrup or maple syrup or honey with chopped fruits like strawberries/ banana or blueberries.
• Makes 5 Pan cakes. 

     

Read More »

Ultimate Christmas Pudding/ Traditional Steamed Christmas Pudding (No Alcohol)

Merry Christmas!!! and cannot extol the utter glorious of this pud too much, I know that you’re unlikely to get through most of it, even half of it, at one sitting. Even though the steaming time is a bit lengthy (6 hours), the end result of this pud is very satisfying. You must now understand the reason behind my delayed posting. Phew, this pudding does take some time.

Christmas pudding is a type of pudding traditionally served on Christmas Day (December 25) as part of the Christmas dinner. It has its origins in medieval England, and is sometimes known as "Christmas Pudding" or just "pud". The pudding is composed of many dried fruits and is held together by egg and suet (beef/mutton fat), sometimes moistened by treacle or molasses. Also, flavoured with cinnamon,  nutmeg,  cloves, ginger, and other spices. But my version is alcohol and suet free.

     Initial cooking usually involves steaming for many hours. To serve, the pudding is reheated by steaming once more, and dressed with warm brandy which is set alight. It can be eaten with hard sauce, brandy butter, rum butter, cream, lemon cream, custard, or sweetened béchamel, and is sometimes sprinkled with caster sugar.

       

     The pudding is aged for a month or even a year; the high alcohol content of the pudding prevents it from spoiling during this time. Make and freeze the Christmas pudding for up to 1 year ahead. Thaw overnight at room temperature and proceed as recipe on Christmas Day.

       I wanted to try this recipe for a very long time & that too alcohol free. Since i have not used alcohol i have done it the same time. Here in place of Pedro Ximenez Sherry (which is white wine that is normally used) i have made use of red grape juice & in place of vodka (poured over pudding and flaming vodka) i have replaced with lime juice in the pudding mixture (to get soft pudding). If you wouldn't mind alcohol, you could still use the original spirits.

      If you are planning to consume it on the same day a of 5 hours steaming is enough, but is you are planning to make it ahead & consume it after some time, steam first for 3 hours remove the aluminium foil & the parment paper then keep in a cool, dry place till the planned date, then steam it for 3 hours on Christmas Day. You can use any dry fruit of your choice like sultanas, raisins, black currants, prunes, dates...etc.

     Do not be upset, you will not get any smell like baking of cakes when steaming. Once you remove the foil & parchment Oh My God the smell of the pud so..... amazing.

INGREDIENTS:
Raisins(black) - ½ cup
Dates, Chopped- ½ cup

Prunes, Chopped - ½cup

Red grape juice- ½ cup

All purpose flour- ⅓ cup
Bread crumbs- ¼ cup
Vegetable shortening/ Butter- 75grams (1/3 cup)

Dark brown sugar- ⅓ cup

Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon

Cloves powder- ¼ teaspoon

Baking powder- ½ teaspoon

Lemon, zest- 1
Lemon juice- 2 teaspoons

Egg -1 (replace with 2 tbsps beaten yogurt for egg less version)

Apple, grated-  ¼ apple

Honey -1 tablespoon

PROCEDURE:

• You will need a 700ml-1 litre heatproof plastic/ ceramic  pudding basin/bowl, and also a sprig of holly to decorate.
• Three hours’ steaming both first and second time around should do it. After it’s had its first steaming, and is cooled, follow with the with the same steaming instructions for Christmas Day.
• Put the raisins and prunes, dates into a bowl with red grape juice, swill the bowl a bit, then cover with clingfilm and leave to steep overnight or for up to 2days in fridge.

•  When the fruits have had their steeping time, put a large pan of water on to boil, or heat some water in a conventional steamer (here I have used idli steamer), and butter your heatproof  pudding basin.
• Take a piece of wax paper and grease that too to cover the cake (nonstick lid)

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy then add the brown sugar beat well till creamy.

•  Then add the egg and beat well. After that add the fruit mixture kept for steeping. Add the all purpose flour, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and juice, baking powder, apple, honey and bread crumbs. Combine all the ingredients, and stir well.
• Scrape and press the mixture into the prepared pudding basin, squish it down and cover with the buttered wax paper. Then wrap with a layer of foil and tie tighly with a string, so that the basin is watertight, then either put the basin in the pan of boiling water (to come halfway up the basin) or in the top of a lidded steamer (this size of basin happens to fit perfectly in the top of my idli steamer) and steam for 3 hours, checking every now and again that the water hasn’t bubbled away.

• When it’s had its 3 hours, remove carefully without burning yourself and, when manageable, unwrap the foil, and put the pudding in its basin somewhere out of the way in the kitchen or, if you’re lucky enough, a larder, until Christmas Day.

• On the big day, re wrap the pudding (still in its basin) in foil and steam again, this time for 3 hours. Six hours combined cooking time might seem a faff, but it’s not as if you need to do anything to it in that time.
• To serve, remove from the pan or steamer, take off the foil, put a plate on top, turn it upside down and give the plastic basin a little squeeze/ tap the ceramic powl to help unmould the pudding.
• Put the sprig of holly on top of the dark, mutely gleaming pudding.
• Serve with the Eggnog Cream, or Custard which you can easily make - it's the work of undemanding moments - while the pudding's steaming.

    

Read More »

Banoffee Pie/ Banana Pie/ No Bake Banana Pie

   In this recipe Banana and Toffee are the main ingredients used. So the name of this dessert is 'Banoffee Pie'. It is an easy Christmas recipe which can be prepared with limited ingredients. In this recipe you can replace caramel sauce with ready-made caramel also. The ginger biscuit base gives the Christmassy feel and the taste of caramel sauce with bananas have no word to explain. It is delicious. Whipped cream with chocolate add extra taste and make this dish attractive. A Dish you must try once.

  

INGREDIENTS:

Ginger nut biscuits-10-12

Butter softened/ melted- 2 tablespoons

Banana-1 large

Whipping cream- 4 tablespoons

Sugar- 1 teaspoon

Vanilla essence- 2 drops

Chocolate- for garnishing

For Caramel Sauce:

Sugar- 3 tablespoons

Water- to cover the sugar (4-5 tablespoons)

Milk- 5 tablespoons

PROCEDURE:

• Using a food processor or a rolling pin, smash up the biscuits so they become almost fine crumbs.
• Mix the crumbs with melted butter. Try to roll this mixture as ball. If it holds/retains its shape then, the butter you have added is adequate enough. If it is not retaining the its shape add some more butter till it retains its shape.
• Press the crumbs into a tart tin. Place in the fridge for half an hour to set. 

 

• Mean time prepare caramel sauce by adding sugar and water in a sauce pan by melting. Once the sugar melts keep on swirling the pan. The colour of the sugar turns to mild yellow, then when it turns honey coloured add the milk and swirl the pan to mix well. Allow to just boil  switching off the gas and allow to cool. if you are not using a loose bottom tin unmould the biscuit base now.
• Now place the sliced banana on top of the biscuit base in a single layer and drizzle the caramel sauce on top so you have thin layer of it covering the bananas.
• Place back in fridge while you prepare your cream.
• Whip the cream with sugar and add vanilla until soft peak. Don’t add extra sugar since we have added caramel sauce in it. Chances are there your dessert becomes too sweet.
• Spread the cream or pipe the cream over the top.

 

• Sprinkle chocolate shavings or keep piece of chocolate on top of the whipped cream.
• Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
• This will keep 3 days in fridge.
• Note: When preparing caramel sauce don’t allow to keep on cooking once the sugar syrup reaches honey colour. If you over cook it. The sauce turns bitter.
• Here I have used English tartlet tins. You can use frilled fancy or any normal vessel like tiffin boxes to make this recipe.
• Increase the quantity of ingredients used depending on the capacity of the vessel.
• Large tart tin would require 500grams of biscuit, 5tablespoon butter, 3bananas, 400 ml whipping cream.

• • 

Read More »