Banana Muffins

~ Banana Muffins  ~

With all the hustle bustle and fast pace  life of  a metro, I sometimes

 deeply crave for  simple country life - deep blue skies, the gentle 
warmth  of morning sun,deep earthy aroma of wet soil and dew 
drenched crisp blades of wild grass.The city life enriches us with
 super luxuries and comforts but slyly keeps us away from the little
 joys of nature ...Amongst this city life my little green area aka
 the balcony of  apartment  is my best little hideaway and a perfect
 place to spend the  Sunday mornings with family and enjoy 
a cup of piping hot tea with some warm buttery muffins. 

Most of the kids in  northern India are enjoying a spring break or a
 change of new academic session break to be more precise, owing to which 
my lil one is at home these days. This weekend she was adamant to bake a
 treat for her dad . With a couple of over ripened bananas  on the fruit tray
  it had to be some banana muffins .....

Bananas are a wonder fruit, they are a rich source of  potassium n magnesium 

that aid in maintaining normal blood pressure , healthy heart and strong
bones. Being rich in soluble fibre they help in healthy digestion and nutrient 
absorption. Bananas are perfect anytime snack for little ones too. 
The overripe ones are great to bake muffins and banana breads !! 

I'm a sucker for pretty colorful stuff , right from cupcake liners to funky 
molds , tableware and baking accessories. Picked up these cute polka ones
 at a throw away price from  the  local market . 

These easy to bake buttery delights are a perfect accompaniment to any hot
 beverage. Add some choco chips or nuts or keep them plain ; eat warm or pack 
them as treats in lunch boxes - they are absolutely indulging. With almost 
equal measurements of flour , butter and  sugar this recipe  based on 
traditional pound cake  is simple enough for lil ones to remember and try 
their hands on. With loads of butter it is better to term these as divine 
indulgence and treats ....I love the smell of vanilla and  banana
 together but you can omit vanilla for a stronger banana aroma. 

Banana Muffins 

Ingredients- 
100 gms flour , 100 gms butter ( I used Amul), 100 gms powdered 
sugar , 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 2 over ripe bananas mashed, 
1tsp baking powder, 50 gms walnuts /choco chips .

Method
Preheat oven to 180C . Sift flour and baking powder twice and keep aside. 
In a large bowl cream( beat) butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Gradually add the eggs and vanilla .Mix well . Gently fold in the sifted flour .
Finally add the mashed bananas and walnuts/choco chips. Add  1-2 
tsp milk if required. Spoon the batter in lined muffin cups and bake in a 
preheated oven for 25-30 mins or till toothpick inserted in the centre
 comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and serve. 

Buckwheat cake

~ Rustic Banana Cake ~ 

(Using up  the festive leftovers, egg free too !!)

India is a land of  colors,traditions and  festivals . Just last 
week  we finished celebrating the spring festival of Navratras . 

Each day of this  nine day long festival is dedicated to nine forms of 

divine feminine power or Devi . Although our family fasts for just the first

 and the last days , there are many who fast , worship and abstain themselves

 from consuming grains and  eggs during the  nine days. Amaranth( ramdana) , 

Buckwheat (kuttu) and wild rice ( sama ke chaval) along with nuts,  fruits,

vegetables n  milk products are consumed during this period. Post the 

festivities I decided to consume the leftovers of buckwheat flour , 
raw sugar, nuts and  overripe bananas for a treat .

Sunday mornings need a bit more !! Its the day when i tend my tiny
 balcony garden , take out lil one for a morning session of skating /
 badminton ,make some special breakfast and of course finish 
the piled up laundry . While I was still in the balcony , I noticed this 
beautiful eagle just on the railing and off came in my camera for 
 capturing the beauty. 

Eagles had become the hot topic of the morning, while lil one was 
still busy in discussion , I headed to the kitchen to bake a treat . 
Today I was not only in a mood to  please the craving palates but also 
to finish up the festive leftovers . After all I love experimenting with new
 flavors !!!!

Buckwheat flour ,  known as kuttu ka atta in local dialect , is high in fiber, 
manganese , copper and  zinc , which are great for immune system. I love to 
use it for making savory  pancakes through out the year and usually grind 
the grits in small batches , as it goes rancid when stored long.We didn't have
 eggs at home , so  flax seeds mixed in water came as a rescue .

Banana Buckwheat Cake 
with Dark  Caramel glaze 

Ingredients - 
1 cup buckwheat flour , 1/2 cup all purpose flour , 
1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp powdered raw sugar ,
1/2 cup apple puree(boil 2 apples n puree), 4 small bananas mashed  ,
 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp oil ,  pinch of salt ,  2 tbsp powdered flax 
soaked in 2 tbsp water (or 2 whisked eggs ), 1/4 cup walnuts . 

Method - 
Preheat the oven to 180C. Sift together flour, soda n salt and  keep 
aside .Whisk together sugars, mashed bananas, apple puree , oil and
soaked flax mixture. Gently fold in the flour mix and half the walnuts .
Pour in a greased and; dusted  8" pan , sprinkle the remaining walnuts .
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 c for 35- 40 mins or till toothpick 
inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 20-25 mins , unmold 
and pour some  caramel glaze and  top with some more walnuts .
 Slice and  serve with some sliced apples . 
Note- I sliced the cake into 2 layers and poured some caramel 
in between too. .

Dark caramel glaze
Ingredients -1 cup powdered dark raw  sugar ,2 tsp water , 1/2 cup
 cream , 2 tbsp butter,  pinch of salt . 
Method- Melt sugar and  water  in a large pan, till it turns into liquid . 
Turn off heat and gently whisk in butter and  cream till smooth . Finally 
add  salt and  mix well. 

Halloween -2

~Happy Halloween~

The magic of Halloween , big bright orange pumpkin o lanterns , colorful

candy corns and uncanny devilish food had made a silent place in my little

teen mind. My first introduction to the eeerie ghostly festival was through

Agatha Christie's - Halloween party . During that time the dictionaries and

 encyclopedias were our Google and I still remember the endless hours and

efforts i had put in to know about this festival extravaganza  absolutely

unknown to the Indian kids back then. Mom ,  an ardent listener to both

my sensible and senseless teenage talks listened  patiently about my

stories from the other half of the globe.

Till half a decade back Halloween was almost unheard here but 

the popularity of the festival grew in leaps and bounds ... n today 

many homes, offices , restaurants and  clubs are a part of the ongoing 

scary fun. Funky Jack o lanterns, eerie masks, creepy costumes and

bewitching knick n knacks are a common sight at  upscale markets. 

During this time of the year when the markets are full of brightest 

pumpkins and the tables and minds are flooded with craziest 

 spookiest hallowlicious treats - a punch  of pumpkin is perfect to 

pamper little ghouls and goblins . Pair this pumpkin cake with some
 funky and  healthy Halloween  treats and  let the magic begin ......

 Healthy Halloween

( click to see all halloween fun foods here )

Halloween is incomplete without draculicious foods. These creepy

delicious treats are easy to make and free from artificial colors 

n  preservatives. 

Choco Pumpkin Bundt 

 (with glazed ganache) 

partially adapted from joyofkosher

Ingredients-

1/2 cup whole wheat flour , 6 tbsp all purpose flour, 3/4  cup brown sugar -

( can be substituted with regular sugar ),6 tbsp cocoa powder,   3/4  tsp baking
 powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4  tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, pinch of
nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup milk mixed with 2 tsp lemon juice, 200 gms
 pumpkin puree( I used freshly boiled n mashed pumkin) , 1 eggs, 2tbsp
olive oil, 2tbsp  honey , 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Method- 
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease n dust a  6'' bundt and keep aside.
Sift together flours, sugar , cocoa , baking powder, soda, spices & salt.
In another bowl whisk egg n mix in milk & puree. Stir in oil , 
honey n vanilla.Gradually stir in the dry ingredients . Transfer the batter
 to the prepared pan.Bake in a preheated oven for 40 -45 mins or till
 toothpick inserted in thecentre comes out clean. Cool on a wire 
rack for 15- 20 mins. Unmold n cool for an hour. 
Drizzle with glazed ganache.

For ganache - Melt 150 gms dark cooking chocolate add 1 tbsp butter ,

 n 1/2 cup cream ( I used Amul with 25% milk fat  )- stir until completely

mixed and  glossy . Cool n pour. Serve.

Teachers Day

~ Happy Teachers Day ~

I am indebted to my father for living,

but to my teacher for living well.

- Alexander The Great

September 5th is celebrated as Teachers Day in India.

The day commemorates the birthday of the great Indian teacher

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for his contribution towards

our education system . Today's post is a tribute to all the

efforts & love our mentors have put in to shape our

careers & make us what we are today .

Say it with Flowers

Flowers are the best way to say Thankyou ,better still

if they can be touched , smelled & also relished till the

last bite. These edible flowers on stick are quick to make.

Gift them as individual sticks or bunch these into a beautiful

edible bouquet. The little ones will surely enjoy creating

these gifts of love.

Truffle Flower sticks

Makes 8-10 truffles

Ingredients - 8-10 seedless dates, 4 regular cookies or any of your

favorite chocolate cookies crushed coarsely with a rolling pin, 2 tbsp

finely chopped nuts ( almonds, cashews, figs, raisins , apricots -

the choice is yours) 2 tsp nutella or any other chocolate spread .

For dipping & decorating - 100 gms chocolate & few colorful

sprinkles, some lollipop sticks or skewers .

For assembling - colorful craft paper , scissors, cling wrap & some

non- toxic craft clay, some florist tape & paper leaves ( opt)

Tip - adjust the Nutella as per requirement , buttery cookies will

require less while wholegrain / low fat cookies need a bit more.

Method- Grind the dates till pasty. Mix in crushed cookies, nuts &

Nutella. Roll into small balls & keep aside. melt the chocolate in a

double boiler or for 30 secs in a microwave. Dip one end of the lollipop

stick in it & skew in the prepared truffle. Refrigerate for a min .

Remove from the refrigerator , hold the stick & dip the truffle into

melted chocolate, gently tap to remove excess. Top with sprinkles

& refrigerate for 5-6 mins or till chocolate sets. Cling wrap .

For Assembling - Cut out flowers from craft paper .Pass the wrapped

truffle stick through the centre of the flower. Put some craft clay below

the flower to make it stable. You could also cover the stick with some

florist tape & stick a few paper leaves.

If lack of time bothers you pick up some market made candy

lollipops , dip in chocolate & put sprinkles or skip the dipping part ,

just cling wrap & proceed further .

Truffle Card

For making a truffle card- Stick the flowers & leaves on a

thick sheet of paper . Put some double sided tape on the center

of the flower & stick the cling wraped truffle balls . ( Skip the sticks

for this version )

If you have still not joined me on Facebook , this is especially for you.

Check out my fun food article- Treats For Tutors in Hindustan Times

Live Mint ( click to read the e- paper) Sep 1st , 2012 .

Adieu Olympics..

~ Adieu Olympics 2012~

While London was busy with the last minute

perfections for today's closing ceremony of

Olympics 2012 , I was busy in the kitchen,digging

through my pantry to create some quick thematic

Breakfast fun for my family . To add a zing to their

breakfast on a bright sunny Sunday morning ,

I just picked up some cookies , honey & fruits :)

These easy to make fruit cookies are our way to thank

the Indian players for the hard work & efforts they have put

in to bring laurels to our nation .

Using a small cookie cutter (a bottle cap will also do) gently

cut out circles from the centre of the cookies, use gentle

rotating motion or the cookies will break....

Ahh!!! these lil cutie leftovers , believe me kids will love

gulping these tiny circles much before you can think of

using these for something else!!!! )

Smear some honey on the cookie rings & top with finely chopped

fresh & dried fruits . I wish we got some blueberries in India :( :(

Anyways I topped the first one with some blueberry preserve &

a few blue sprinkles.Chopped black raisins (Sultanas) were

perfect for depicting the black ring , frozen maraschino cherries,

chopped pistachio & diced mango were perfect toppers for the

red , green & yellow olympic rings.

A cup of warm milk, cookie rings topped with energy

boosting fruits ,loads of fun & laughter , what else do we need to

make a weekend perfect :) :)

Fathers Day

~ Happy Fathers Day ~

I love you , Dad and want you to know

I feel your love wherever I go .

Whenever I have problems , you are there to assist,

The ways you have helped me would make quite a list .

- from Star Dad by Karl Fuchs

Today is Fathers Day , a day set aside to honor the

great man , and the pillar of the family , our Father .......

While half the world is busy celebrating the occasion

and the other half of the globe is still getting geared

up with the preparations -it still isn't too late to share

all the fun we had , making the dad at our home feel

the so very very special :) :)

We wanted to pep up the day with some cute DIY stuff ,

& surely our Moustachey theme proved perfect

to give him a good laugh & a lovely treat !!!

Moustachwich

Whole wheat bread , cheese, olive , cucumber & carrot

(Cut out a mustache on a piece of paper to serve as ur

stencil guide , place the cutout on the cheese slice & cut

out the shape using a toothpick( believe me its easier to

cut cheese into fancy shapes via toothpick), make

a few lines on the cheesy mustache for the hairy look . )

Moustacheookies

( or Moustache cookies :) : )

What about some funky cookies ?????? Not much time to bake .....

not an issue at all , these cuties just need 10-15 mins & jus 3

basic ingredients to pep up ......

Ingredients - Your favorite cookies, some tempered chocolate , a few

M&Ms or gems candy is all that you need ..

Sketch a few mustaches on a piece of paper , keep an acetate sheet on top .

Fill a piping bag with some tempered chocolate & pipe the chocolate all over

the drawing. Pipe a few circles for the nose too . Make tiny dots on the candies

for the eyeballs . Refrigerate everything for a couple of mins . Once

set , peel your chocolate art & stick on the cookies with

some melted chocolate.

Moustache chocopops

If you have some mustache shape candy molds go ahead n

have some more fun with all the Big n lil daddys !!!

Animal pops

~ Animals on Sticks ~

A party with tiny tots , animal props and food on stick - what else can

lil ones ask for ????

Its a commonly known fact that food just tastes better (or i

should say looks n feels ) better when topped on sticks.

Inspired by cute food , cakes , fudges ,chocolate n of course

Bakerella these little cuties came alive from my sketch pad

to reality at my lil ones animal theme party. No doubt

they were a bit time consuming but definitely worth

all the time & effort. Owing to the omnipresence of cake

at the party I opted for a cookie truffle pop version .

From paws & leaves on floor , from placards to posters , the

party was a hit but the cuties on stick stole the show , the kids

simply loved the treats on sticks. (Although I just couldn't bring

myself to bite their heads off !!! )

Finding a variety of sprinkles, colorful loli sticks , brightest

food colors , colorful candy melts & of course the candy eyes

is not much easy in India . But as always my lil ones high

spirits opened paths for substitutions . I used Kellogg's

chocos for the ears , Cadburys Gems for the nose & white

mint holes for the eyes. To add life to the pops I finally made

the features- eyeballs , nose & mouth with food markers.

Prepare the cookie truffle balls according to the recipe

below.Dip one end of lolipop stick in melted chocolate

n fix into the prepared truffle balls, refrigerate for

10-15 mins.Hold the pops from the stick n dip the ball

in melted chocolate.Gently shake off the excess chocolate.

Quickly place the sprinklers n other decorations. Place on a

florist foam or styrofoam block to set .

Cookie Truffles Recipe for Pops

Ingredients - 250 gms Marie biscuits, 1 tbs powdered sugar , 4tbsp

cocoa powder, 20 gms butter , 1/2 cup milkmaid ( condensed

milk), 100 gms cooking chocolate , finely crushed nuts (opt)

Method- Roughly crush the biscuits by pressing down a rolling pin.

Melt the butter n chocolate in a double boiler and add in the crushed

biscuits n the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and shape into lemon

sized balls . Refrigerate for 6-7 mins. Use as required .

(Tip- you could replace Marie with any leftover cookies, but jus 
make sure to adjust the quantity of condensed milk to balance 
the sweetness)