Cakes

Last-Minute Fruit Cake

This cake can be made anytime during the year especially if you need to bake a cake at the last-minute when you have not much time. I baked 2 cakes this christmas – last minute cake to give as a present to my neighbour and relatives, the other was a traditional brandied christmas cake.

I put a lot of time and thought into planning my recipe for both the cakes weeks before christmas and it was worth the effort. I was asked if the cake was store-bought and I was happy to tell them that it was in fact, Homemade!😇. Receiving good compliments on my recipes is what makes me motivated to post more recipes here and all credits to everyone of you making this happen. Do share your thoughts and tell me how you spent your christmas this year in comments below if you can spare a minute of your time.

Thank you and have a Happy New Year 2018! 😊💫☃

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1hr 10 minutes

Requirement: 20 cm / 8in round deep cake tin or springclip tin greased and lined (or use a ready made cake liner)

Ingredients

Dried Fruits: Raisins – 100 g

Black currents – 20 g

Candied Cherries – 10 pieces, halved

Orange juice – 3/ 4 cup, of 2 large oranges

Unsalted butter, softened – 200 g + extra for greasing

Brown sugar (fine) – 200 g / 1 cup

Plain Flour / Top flour – 225 g

Large whole eggs – 4, at room temperature

Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp

Nutmeg – 1 tsp

pinch of salt

Nuts:

Cashew nuts – 70 g, chopped

Almonds, slivered – 20 g

Directions

1. Place the dried fruits such as raisins and currants together with cherries, orange juice into a deep pot. Bring it to a boil on high heat. Turn on the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

dried fruits

Leave it to cool or if you have time leave it overnight or as long as you can. Coat the nuts in 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour and set it aside.

Preparing the baking tin:

2. In the meantime or on the day of baking, butter a 20 cm round cake tin and then line both the bottom and the sides with baking paper making sure the paper peaks over the top by about 5cm. Butter again the base and the sides. Set aside.

Preparing the cake mixture:

3. In a large bowl, put all the rest of the ingredients such as sugar, butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt except for dried fruits and nuts. Initially, use a wooden spoon and give it a good mix, otherwise using a hand mixer could make the flour fly around everywhere making a mess.

Now use the hand mixer and make sure to mix everything really well, around 1.5 – 2 minutes on medium speed. Once its mixed well enough, detach the beaters from the hand mixer and remove any cake batter on it.

4. Add the dried fruit mixture along with its syrup. Mix with the wooden spoon. Then mix in the nuts coated in flour. Give a good mix.

Nuts Coated in flour | Fruit Cake

Preheat the oven to 140°C/Gas Mark 1 or for 10 minutes.

5. Spoon the cake mixture into the cake tin, level the top using a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven or if using a convection oven place on the lower rack for 70 minutes checking in between once after 45 minutes.

It is cooked when a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. I could do this without removing the cake tin out of the oven. Do not worry if it has turned light brown on top and needs more time to cook. Just in case the top has turned dark brown in color before its cooked, cover the top with a parchment paper.

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. If you wish to decorate the cake you can do so after its completely cooled.

Packing as present. Forgive me for my bad photography skills.

More on Baking or Cakes

Traditional Christmas cake – Fruit Cake

Lemon Cake

Pear Cake

Tapioca cake

Cocoa -Easy Cake(Vegan)

Stay Healthy!

December 28, 2017

Cakes

Traditional Christmas cake – Fruit Cake

A Traditional Christmas cake is steeped in brandy and dried fruits imparting lovely aroma. An easy cake recipe that I made for the first time without any hassle of too many ingredients. It’s simple and can even be baked by a beginner.

Other Recipes you might like:

Last-Minute Fruit Cake

Orange cake

Preparation time: 30 – 45 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Round Springform cake pan: 8-inch / 20 cm

Ingredients

Dried fruits (soaked a day in advance, *see notes):

Dates pitted, roughly chopped – 90 g

Raisins – 110 g

Black currant – 70 g

Cake mix:

Brandy / Rum – 100 ml + extra for feeding the cake (*see notes)

Unsalted Butter ( soft) – 200 g + extra for greasing the pan

Dark brown Sugar (fine) – 1 cup / 200 g

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Honey – 2 tbsp

Lemon Zest – 1

Top Flour / Plain flour (All-purpose flour) – 225 g

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Cloves – 1 tsp / 5 pcs (powdered see notes*)

Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp

Nutmeg – 1 tsp

Pinch of salt

Large whole eggs – 4, room temp

Cashew nuts – 1/2 cup or 75 g, chopped

Almonds, slivered – 20 g

nuts in flour

Directions

1. Chop the dried fruits and soak them in a mixing bowl with brandy or rum and cover with cling film. Leave it for 24 hours or a week, stirring occasionally in a cool place.

Dried Fruits in Alcohol

2. The next day or after a week:

Add 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour to the cashew nuts and almonds, mix together. This in done so that they do not sink to the bottom of the cake. Reserve for later. Prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Grease and line a 20cm (8″) cake tin base with a circular cut parchment paper and also the greased circumference with a layer of baking parchment paper. Make sure the paper is few inches above the level of tin.

Greased with parchment

3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a electirc hand mixer. Stir in the honey, vanilla extract, zest of one lemon and mix well with the hand mixer until well combined.

Butter-sugar

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, cloves cinnamon, nutmeg along with salt. To avoid any face full of flour mix with a large spoon, initially, then use the electic hand mixer to mix and combine.

flour & spices

5. Add 2 eggs first, beat it and mix well for 30 seconds on low speed until you add the next one. Repeat until all are done.

Eggs

6. Add the dried fruits along with left over liquid and mix in, then stir in the cashew nuts and almonds.

Dried fruits nuts

7. Preheat the convection oven at 140 degree Celsius (275 °F / Gas mark 1). Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the tops.

cake batter

For a convection oven place the cake on a lower rack and see to that there is more than 2 inch gap from the parchment paper to the top.

Bake for 1hour and check with a wooden skewer for doneness. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. You may need to cover the top of the cake with a round parchment paper if it is getting too brown before the cake is fully cooked.

Fruit cake

I prepared this late in the evening hence the indoor lighting.

8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin completely. Remove the parchment paper from the sides.

Tada!! That is beautifully done with a great texture and lovely color. We were so tempted 😍 and right now just can’t wait for Christmas to grab a bite and try it out.

Fruit cake with brandy

For Feeding the cake:

Pierce the cake with a toothpick and drizzle 2 tbsp brandy over the cake. Immedialtely wrap it with double baking paper sheets and the final layer with aluminium foil. Store it in a cool place in a plastic bag and place it in a sealed airtight container.

Feeding the cake

If you have prepared the cake weeks in advance feed the cake with alcohol every week.

Notes

*I soaked the dried fruits with brandy for a week but you can also soak it overnight or the previous day before baking.

*In case you do not find cloves powder: take 5 pieces of cloves, place them in a small zip-lock bag and pound them to make a powder. You can also use a mortar and pestle.

*I used the following brandy for this cake. If you do not wish to use alcohol replace it with orange juice.

Brandy Napoleon

Wish you all a joyful pleasant Christmas with family and friends!😇🎄 And please stay updated through my FB page>> Delicious Sweet Aroma

Signing off for now – Sherryl 😊✍ 🎅

Hi folks, I am posting the Update on my Brandied Plum Cake after feeding it for few days and unwrapping it on Christmas day this week (Excitement! 😇 ). While I unwrapped it from the foils and butter paper we could get the lovely aroma of brandy. It was moist, fully flavored and matured with perfect amount of all ingredients I used. It tasted delicious just like the one’s I used to have from the bakery in my hometown during Christmas which made me so happy. I am quiet surprised that the brandy I used was the right amount – not too much and not too less. Hope you all are enjoying your holidays😊. Following are few pics taken on Christmas day where me and my husband sat all morning enjoying our homemade christmas treats just like we do in our hometown. How did you spent your Christmas this year?

Wishing you a joyous holiday season 🤩🎅☃ with peace and cheer in the New Year!❤🎶🎀🎁🎉

Sherryl 😊

December 21, 2017

4 Comments

Rose cookies /Kokisan | Mangalorean kuswar | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Christmas Delights

0

Rose Cookies – Mangalorean Kokkisan

Crispy treat of rose cookies are traditionally prepared before new year in South-Indian Christian households are always available in Mangalore supermarkets during Christmas with varieties of other crispy and savory Christmas snacks.

Kokis are made using a special round iron mould in the shape of a flower with a long handle to hold called as ‘kokis achchuwa’ that I bought from Mangalore the last time I visited home. I have also seen a few different designs of moulds here in Singapore which can also be used to make kokis. In Mangalore we call it Kokkisan (or kokis), Rose cookies because of its rose-shape named in various regions, in Scandinavia (Swedish or Norwegian) its called Rosette cookies, Achu murukku in Tamil and Achappam (Malayalam) in Kerala. Similar mould is also available on Amazon Rose cookie mould.

Rose cookies are not baked but deep-fried from either freshly ground rice grains or rice flour batter that contain coconut milk, sesame seeds and egg. Some recipes use other additional spices to make savory varieties. It might get a bit tricky at first but once you get a hold of how it works with the batter and the mould it is very easy. If you prepare with rice grains make sure to get the Kerala idli Rice which are usually available at Indian stores and make a thin batter with the other ingredients mentioned below.

How to use a new cookie mould?

Wash the cookie mould with soap and then, applied oil to the mould 2 hrs prior to doing the following :

Drop the mould completely submerged in oil. Keep it dipped in oil until hot.
Once the mould has heated in hot oil, remove and immediately dip the mould in a bowl of water at room temperature. You will hear it sizzle.
Tap dry of any moisture on the cookie mould. Continue with step 3 (under step-by-step pictures) until it gets heated on medium-low heat.

Tips to prepare rice paste

Soaking – Rinse the rice with running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough water to cover it. Cover with a lid and let it soak for 4.6 hours. The soaking process softens the rice and makes it easier to grind into a smooth batter.
Grind the batter – After soaking, drain the water from the rice. Using a mixer jar or blender grind the rice into a smooth batter with some water (approx. 1/2 cup). The lesser the water the finer the paste. But make sure the blades keep moving.
Consistency – The batter should have a thick yet pouring consistency. To achieve the right texture add water as needed.

How to make Rose Cookies with step-by-step pictures

1. Take the bowl containing rice paste, add salt, sugar, sesame seeds and mix. Pour coconut milk and the egg. Stir to combined together to make a thin batter of pouring consistency.

2. Add more coconut milk if the batter is very thick. The batter must be of pouring consistency (*see notes). Reserve until your ready with next step.

3. Heat a heavy bottomed container with enough oil up to 3-inchs to submerge the mould. Place the mould in oil completely covering the whole mould till the top.

4.When the mould is heated you will know when it radiates heat by placing you palm few inches away from it (careful not to touch it).

Dip the mould in the batter making sure the sides are 3/4 covered in batter (see picture below). Hold steady in the batter for minimum 10 seconds and not less (it is important because otherwise it will form a shape in the batter itself and batter will not cling to the mould). Video clip here

5. After 10 seconds immediately place the batter covered mould completely dipped in hot oil to deep-fry (induction #6). You will see the oil bubbling, hold it in oil for at least 10 seconds then gently shake the mould to release the cookies.

If not, It should loosen up in 30 secs to 1 minute from the mould. You could also use a wooden skewer to release it from the sides.

6. Meantime, leave the mould in hot oil for few seconds until your ready for the next cookie and continue with step 4. Depending on the size of the container used you can fry more than one but just make sure you have enough space to dip the mould after each cookie (*see notes).

7. Flip them with the wooden skewer to fry evenly until light brown color on both sides.

8. Remove the fried ones and place them on kitchen paper towels. Repeat from step 4 until all the batter is used.

Leave them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or airtight storage bags.

Rose Cookies with rice | Mangalorean Kokisan | Achu Murukku

Indulge in the delightful world of South Indian sweets with Rose Cookies, also known as Kokisan. Perfectly balancing sweetness and sophistication, Rose Cookies are not just a snack; they are a cultural celebration that captivates both the palate and the heart.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Soaking Time 4

Total Time 1 15

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian, Malaysian

Servings 50

Calories 98 kcal

Equipment

Rose Cookie Mould

Ingredients

½ cup 250 g idli Rice / white small grain / Surai
1 water for soaking
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds black
1 large egg, room temp
½ tsp salt
½ cup thick coconut milk
¼ cup water, if required for batter consistency
1 oil, for deep-frying

Instructions

Firstly, in a large bowl take 1/2 cup idli rice.
Soak in water for 6 hours.
Drain the water and transfer it to mixer grinder jar.
Grind to a smooth batter adding some water as required.
Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
Add salt, sugar and sesame seeds and mix. Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 egg. Stir to combine together.
Add some water if required if its thick to make it pouring consistency.
Heat a heavy bottomed container with enough oil upto 3-inchs to submerge the mould. Place the mould in oil completely covering the whole mould till the top.
When the mould is heated you will know when it radiates heat by placing you palm few inches away from it (careful not to touch it)
Dip the mould in the batter making sure the sides are 3/4 covered in batter (see picture below). Hold steady in the batter for minimum 10 seconds and not less (it is important because otherwise it will form a shape in the batter itself and batter will not cling to the mould).
After 10 seconds immediately place the batter covered mould completely dipped in hot oil to deep-fry (induction #6). You will see the oil bubbling, hold it in oil for at-least 10 seconds then gently shake the mould to release the cookies.
Use a wooden skewer to release it from the sides.
Meantime, leave the mould in hot oil for few seconds until your ready for the next cookie and continue with step 4. Depending on the size of the container used you can fry more than one but just make sure you have enough space to dip the mould after each cookie.
Flip them with the wooden skewer to fry evenly until light brown color on both sides.
Remove the fried ones and place them on kitchen paper towels. Repeat from step 4 until all the batter is used.
Leave them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or airtight storage bags.

Video

Notes

Make sure not to overheat the oil. You can keep the oil on medium-low heat (induction 5 or medium-low) if your preparing it for the first time . It might be hard to release the batter from the mould if overheated.
If the batter is too thin you will know it once you prepare the first two cookies, since it tends to be very fragile and breaks off easily. And, the hot mould will need to be immersed in the batter for longer than 10 seconds for thinner batter.
For deep-frying I used a flat deep-bottomed 7.5-inch / 19 cm wide container that could fry 3 cookies at a time.
While dipping the mould in batter, tilt the bowl for even coating.
If its too much batter to make at one-time. You can separate and use half the batter and keep the rest in fridge. I used half the rice paste for one-time which made 25 cookies, while the rest of the rice paste I stored it in the fridge for next day.

Keyword Achu Murukku, Crispy Rose Cookies, Indian Festival treats, Kokisan, Moulded Cookies, Rose Cookies, Traditional Indian Snacks

December 17, 2017

0 Comment

Mangaloran Snack | Christmas| Delicious Sweet Aroma

Christmas Delights

0

Diamond cuts (Tukdi)

I’m quiet surprised that I’m making another snack for Christmas. After my Sweet curls recipe this is my second recipe on Christmas goodies. I prepared this yesterday and I loved the way they turned out.

Diamond cuts or Tukdi (we call it in konkani at home) is a traditional snack. It’s still a favorite snack to munch on while at home. They are crunchy, fluffy and hollow. It is made in different varieties, sweet or biscuit flavored. I made a small batch of it and the recipe is very easy.

Have a joyous Christmas 🎄🎅

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 30 mins

Utensil : Pizza cutter/biscuit cutter

Roller pin

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Unbleached All-purpose flour/Maida + extra for dusting – 250 g

Unsalted butter (soft)- 2 tbsp

Chickpea flour – 25 g

Salt – 1/3 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup or as required for the dough ( *EDIT), room temp

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, salt, butter. Mix together with your hand. Add water in parts and knead until you get a soft elastic dough. It’ll tend to be sticky at the beginning, keep kneading until it becomes smooth.

ingred_IMG_5908

Step1_IMG_5912

2. Prepare a rolling surface, dust the surface with flour. Take a small portion of the dough and form a ball. Place it on rolling surface and sprinkle some flour again. This will help prevent sticking.

Step22_IMG_5941

Now, using a rolling pin, roll the dough thin (not too thin or thick).

3. Using a small biscuit roller/pizza cutter, cut the flour vertically with 1.5 cm spacing between each line. Then, cut them in horizontal direction that shape it into a diamond form.

vertical cut of dough horizontal cuts

diamond cuts from dough

Carefully transfer them, by using a knife edge to slide them onto a flat plate without disrupting it’s shape.

4. After your done making diamond cuts. Heat a container with oil on medium-high heat (If your using induction, keep it on 7).

5. Drop a piece to check if the oil is hot. It’l start sizzling and bubbling. Slide the diamond cuts in oil in batches, not to over-crowd them. It will start puffing up. Stir them gently so they get separated. Let it fry for a minute or two, until golden brown.

tukdiyo, tukdi, diamond cuts

6. Strain them into paper towel. Pour the next batch until all are done deep-frying.

diamond cuts, snack

Mangaloran snack, christmas snack

Storage:

* Keep them in airtight container to retain the crispiness once they have completely cooled down.

For updates on posts and recipes to come please follow the Fb page >> Delicious Sweet Aroma

Note:

*While kneading the dough, if it tends to be sticky add some flour.

*Dust generous amount of all-purpose flour before running the biscuit roller otherwise they stick to the plate which will tend to loose its shape while sliding into hot oil.

More on Christmas Recipes:

Sweet Curls /Kidyo or Kulkuls

Rose Cookies – Mangalorean Kokisan (NEW)

Traditional Christmas Cake – Fruit Cake (NEW)

Stay healthy!

December 25, 2016

0 Comment

Christmas Delights

0

Kidyo or Kulkuls (Sweet Curls)

These are my first time actually making homemade Christmas goodies or snacks and it turned out pretty amazing. I believe everyone celebrates Christmas differently. It’s my first Christmas with my husband and I thought of preparing these delicious snacks of crispy sweet curls we usually make at home with family, to get into the Christmas spirit.

Kidyo (Kul Kuls) in Konkani is a snack prepared as one of Christmas goodies (called Kuswar) in South-India, especially in my hometown Mangalore, during Christmas. Initially, you prepare a dough with flour, butter, salt and coconut milk, shape them into curls, deep-fry and then coat them with sugar-glaze. It is crunchy, hollow on the inside. Tastes delicious with or without the glaze. We have grown up helping my mom preparing them since childhood. Holiday treats are creative and takes a lot of effort, but it’s worth it.

I made an attempt to set a schedule to prepare it during the weekend, so my husband could help me with it as it gets done faster. More the people, the merrier it is. I made a small batch of sweet curls for just the two of us. They can be made using a fork or a medium sized comb with teeth. A fork gives a wider impression/mould and makes a smaller sized curls slightly different than a comb. I used a comb, since I was more comfortable with it and it looks more prettier with thinner striations.

Merry Christmas to you! 🎄Have a wonderful holiday.

Preparation time: 1- 1.5 hrs

Cooking time – 30 minutes

Quantity made for 2

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Fork / Comb with teeth (depending on the number of individuals)

All-purpose flour / Plain flour/ Maida – 500 g

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Butter – 2 tbsp, (softened at room temperature)

Coconut milk – 1 1/4 cup (or as required to make a smooth dough)

Coconut milk, salt, butter, four/maida for chris

For Sugar Glaze:

White Confectioner / powdered Sugar- 1/2 cup

Water – 1/4 cup

Directions

Making the dough:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, butter. Mix. Add in small quantities of coconut milk working it into the flour using your hands. Punch and knead the dough, until a soft elastic dough is formed. It will tend to be sticky at the beginning but as you work through it, the dough becomes less sticky.

dough for sweet kurls during Christmas

Cover your dough with a damp cloth or a lid so it doesn’t get dry.

Preparing the Kidyo: This can be done by using a fork or a medium sized comb. I used the traditional way by using a comb.

2. Prepare a working surface. Take a small portion of the dough.

dough for sweet curls

Roll it back and forth on working surface (or by placing in between the palm of your hand and roll it back and forth) applying gentle pressure to taper the dough on the outer edges. Repeat for the other end of the strand or the areas which are fatter than the rest.

dough

Using a small knife start cutting the strand into small bits of 1 cm thickness. making this gets easier and faster than removing bits of dough directly from the large portion of dough, preventing from making unequal size of curls.

Step2a_

3. Holding a comb in hand, place the dough over the teeth of the comb (If your using a fork, place the dough on back of your fork). Press it and flatten it gently (step 2, picture) . With you thumb, roll it away from you (step 3,4,5 picture). While ending the curl (step5, picture) seal them so they don’t open while frying.

Repeat the same for the rest and place it on a large plate without sticking them to each other.

How to make kidyo /sweet curls from dough

When this strand of dough is almost done. Continue from point 2. Finish making the kidyo/curls, until atleast half of your dough left, before starting to fry them.

how to make kulkuls/kidyo

Deep Frying:

4. Heat a container with oil on medium-high. When the oil is hot enough (oil will start bubbling if it is hot enough) carefully drop a portion of kidyo/kulkuls, make sure not to over-crowd.

making kidyo and deep-frying

Stir them gently so they get separated. Let it fry, until golden brown, by stirring a couple of times in between (this might take approximately 5 minutes).

how to prepare kidyo/kulkuls/sweet curls for christmas

Strain them into paper towel. Pour the next batch until all are done.

Once they have all completely cooled down, transfer them into a sealed container or large zip-lock bags if you are gazing them the next day.

Sugar Glazing: They need not be glazed, based on personal choice. You can leave out the sweet glaze for a less sweet treat.

* Place sugar and water together in a cooking pot.

how to sugar glaze

*Cook the sugar and water over high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. bring this mixture to a boil.

* To check if it has turned into a glaze, drizzle few drops into a stainless steal spoon dipped into bowl of water. If it hardens. It’s done.

hot to sugar glaze

*Immediately, glaze the curls or kidyo in parts and mix as you pour the syrup to coat all the curls.

Christmas kuswar sugar glazing kidyo/kulkuls

* Let the kidyo/curls/kulkuls cool. The coated sugar glaze hardens by time.

how to make christmas kuswar or sweets

*Store them in airtight container.

Note:

*When glazing the kidyo, make sure the syrup is used immediately after it’s removed from the heat. Otherwise, it hardens quickly if left to cool at room temperature and will have to repeat the sugar glazing process. You can glaze half batch and leave the other half unglazed if you prefer non-sweet curls.

*Make sure to frequently agitate the curls when deep-frying to fry them evenly, until brown.

Stay healthy!

December 19, 2016

0 Comment

Sherryl's Good Food

Category: Seasonal Recipes

Last-Minute Fruit Cake

Ingredients

Directions

Preparing the baking tin:

Preparing the cake mixture:

More on Baking or Cakes

Traditional Christmas cake – Fruit Cake

Other Recipes you might like:

Ingredients

Directions

Rose Cookies – Mangalorean Kokkisan

How to use a new cookie mould?

Tips to prepare rice paste

How to make Rose Cookies with step-by-step pictures

Rose Cookies with rice | Mangalorean Kokisan | Achu Murukku

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

Notes

Diamond cuts (Tukdi)

Ingredients

Directions

More on Christmas Recipes:

Kidyo or Kulkuls (Sweet Curls)

Ingredients

Directions

Search Keyword

Language

About Author

Sherryl

Follow us on Social Media

Nav

Facebook