Cherry | Aapplemint

Christmas Financiers

Dec 232009

Take all the goodness of a Christmas fruit cake and put it in a light and delicate – ground almond + egg white batter… What do you get ? Christmas Financiers ! This is my twist on the traditional festive cake. Smaller cuter financiers which of course are not only great to eat, but again great as give away presents. This does not need much advance preparation. Just marinate the dried fruits overnight in equal amounts of brandy and amaretto, they absorb enough flavour to come through the ethereal batter. When you’re ready this hardly takes any time to put together. Bake to a lovely golden brown colour and let them cool completely before you wrap them individually in fancy paper.

Ingredients

100 gms butter
140 gms icing sugar
25 gms plain flour
85 gms ground almonds
3 egg whites
50gms mixed dry fruits – raisins, blackcurrants, glace cherries, orange peel
3 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons amaretto

Preheat oven to 180C. Strain the dry fruits and lay them on a kitchen towel to absorb any remaining alcohol.
Melt the butter in a microwave and keep aside. Sift the icing sugar and flour in a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds.Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage and fold them into the dry mixture. Now pour in the butter and mix gently, incorporating everything together. Fold in the dry fruits now and pour into the financier moulds. Bake for15-20 mins or till golden brown.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

Boozy Balls for Christmas

All, Dessert 14 Responses »

Dec 192009

With just a week to go for Christmas, these Rum Balls are just the thing to make for people like me who have risen up late for the occasion. They look decadent, are very rich, full of flavour, great to serve your guests at dinner and they also make beautiful presents. I cannot begin to tell you wonderful these are, trust me when i tell you, as i couldn’t resist having a couple whilst making them. With strong flavours of coconut and rum, enveloped in lovely chocolate fudge and cookie layers, these are not only lovely to eat but also fun to make. I started the day before and made them in 3 stages. Kinda took up the whole day as its insanely warm here and it takes longer to chill and set. Its the worst weather to handle chocolate, cream, icing … basically anything that requires cooling and setting. I think I’ve whined about this constantly in my earlier posts. For those of you living in cooler countries these should be a no hassle recipe. Make them, chill them, serve them as it is with some dessert wine, or wrap them in chocolate wrapping paper and then in individual pretty cases, hang them on your Christmas tree or set them on your dinner table. They look gorgeous in every way. Just make sure you store them in an airtight container.

Ingredients

200 gms the bestest dark chocolate you can lay your hands on.
120 gms creme fraiche ( if you cannot get it, use double cream. Works equally well )
20 glaze cherries marinated overnight in rum
150 gms cinnamon n coconut cookies crushed ( use any coconut cookies/macaroons you like)
60 gms sifted icing sugar
45 gms sifted cocoa powder
90 gms unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp dark rum
60 gms desiccated coconut

Chocolate coating

200gms the same chocolate
100 gms unsalted butter
Silver Vark to decorate

Melt together the chocolate and creme fraiche in a saucepan over low hear till melted and smooth. Pour in a wide bowl/box and chill till it all firms up. Get in there with your hands and scoop out about 20 balls. Its a very sticky and goey process as the fudge melts in your hands so you got to be quick. If you don’t get perfect rounds at this point its ok. You can re shape them once again after they have cooled. I like to make these first so i have equal size balls. Now place a cherry in between and and mould it around. Place on a baking paper and chill till firm. For the coconut layer mix together the coconut cookies, coconut, icing sugar, rum, butter and cocoa powder. Mould a thin layer of this mixture around the chocolate balls, and chill them again till they have set. For the final stage, melt together the butter and chocolate in the microwave and stir well to combine. Now using a skewer dunk the balls one by one in the chocolate and line them on a baking paper and return to the fridge till finally set and looking glossy. Decorate with silver Vark.

Summer Salads – Savoury and Sweet

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 34 Responses »

May 252009

As the days stretch and warm up, the sunny, enchanting outdoors just scream at you to get out n have some fun. This weather calls for, entertaining and having parties in your backyard or poolside, by the beach or carry a picnic basket to the park. Cool crunchy salads are especially inviting at such time. These two salads are just perfect for any such occasion. Pretty leafy salads, delicate summer berries and chocolates are all essentials, as are fresh and healthy ingredients. Quick to prepare and easy to eat, looks impressive too.

Prawn Salad with Quail Eggs

Serves 6

18 quail eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 raw tiger prawns, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
bag of mixed baby lettuce

Place the eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 mins then remove and cool under cold running water before peeling. In a small bowl whisk together the, mustard, tarragon, vinegar and 6 tbsps of olive oil. Season to taste and set aside. Clean the prawns – remove the heads and peel off the shells leaving the tail on. Run your knife down the length of the back and pull away the digestive thread. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Now set a frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining 2 tbsps of olive oil. Season the prawns and briskly fry them in 2 batches, turning regularly, for about 3 mins or until pink and cooked through. Remove and dress with the lemon juice. Now in a large mixing bowl, put the slices spring onions, mixed lettuce, halved eggs and dress with the vinaigrette. Gently toss the salad together, mixing them evenly. Serve in individual plates, getting equal amounts of prawns and eggs in all of them.

Chamomile Berry Salad with Chocolate Almond drops

Serves 6

200 gms white chocolate
100 almonds or walnuts
1 unwaxed lemon
200 ml water
3 organic camomile infusion tea bags
50 gms caster sugar
500 gms cherries and blueberries
800 gms strawberries hulled and sliced

Begin with making the chocolate almond drops. Lay some baking paper on a baking sheet. Break up the chocolate and place in a bowl and microwave for a minute, stopping in between to stir, as white chocolate burns easily. Mix in the nuts and using a teaspoon, drop 18 or more blobs of chocolate nuts onto the baking tray. Chill until set. Now finely pare the lemon zest with a potato peeler and place in a saucepan with 200 ml water. Bring to boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and add camomile tea bags. Leave to infuse for 5 mins, strain into another bowl and infuse the sugar. Once dissolved and cooled and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stone the cherries and mix together all the berries. Add the camomile syrup and serve with the chocolate drops.

A Christmas Cake n Seasons Greetings to All

All, Baking 52 Responses »

Dec 252008

This Christmas, the spirits in Mumbai have been particularly low. Due to the terrorist attacks exactly a month ago on Mumbai the celebrations have been subdued and are low key. Such is the nature of this festive season in Mumbai which have been fueled by global recession and the recent carnage by terrorists, that we have lost ourselves in revenge, forgiveness, fear, politics, ministers, war, death and hatred instead of finding ourselves in the solace of Love, peace, carols, decorations, joy, friends, festivities and celebrations. As a show of solidarity during these testing times we have kept our Christmas a relatively simple affair, with just a simple traditional Christmas fruit cake, and even foregoing the turkey.

Christmas cakes are made in many different ways, but generally they are variations on the classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, or unleavened. Sticky mounds of chopped raisins, candied peel, almonds, nuts, and cherries have to be doused with brandy, rum and other assorted spirits and mixed thoroughly. Baking a Christmas cake, a few days before Christmas is fine, but ‘feeding’ it with alcohol, will ensure the cake is full of rich flavours and aromas. You can serve it as a pudding after a meal with custard or brandy butter; or as a Christmas cake with a layer of traditional marzipan icing on top made from ground almonds. I woke up quite late to make my Christmas cake, as i figured i will need atleast something festive this Christmas. So i got only a weeks time to drouse my pile of dry fruits n nuts and baked my cake just at the nick of time. Chose to omit the marzipan, and just went for a simple dusting of icing sugar and served it with some chilled custard.

150 gms sultanas
150 gms raisins
150 gms currants
75 gms glace cherries
50 gms candied oranges or mixed peel
50 gms chopped almonds
50 gms chopped walnuts
4 shot glasses of VSOP Champagne Cognac

Mix everything together, and store it in an airtight container for as long as you can. I kept ir for 7 days.

225 gms self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4th tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon pd.
1/2 tsp mixed spice
225 gms unsalted butter
225 gms demerera sugar
4 large eggs
some more VSOP Champagne cognac – depends on how boozy you want to make your cake

Start with lining your baking tins with silicon paper and pre heating the oven to 140 C. I used two 6″ cake tins to get 2 small cakes, you could just go for one big one instead. In a bowl sift together the dry ingradients. In another bowl cream the sugar and butter till light and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and while beating them in be carefull not to curdle the mixture. Now with your hand , gently fold in the dry mix spoon by sppon, untils its all incorporated. Now fold in the spirit soaked fruits n nuts and give it one good stir. Divide equally between the tins and cut a silicon paper round to cover the top of the cake to prevent it from burning in the slow baking process. Put them in the lowest shelf of the oven and let it bake for an hour n a half. Once the time is up, get them out and let them cool in the tins for 30 mins, but if you are impatient like me, 15 will do Now turn the cake cake upside down in a big box with a cover, and prick hole with a skewer on it. Drizzle some of the cognac on the cakes and cover tightly so as the cake does not dry out and it soaks all the booze. Keep doing this ‘ feeding’ at regular intervals , until you are satisfied that the cake has had enough. When ready to eat, dust with icing sugar and serve with some traditonal English custard .

Wish you all Happy Holidays ! Cheers !

XOXO

White Sands and a Raspberry Charlotte

All, Dessert, Places & Travel 69 Responses »

Aug 042008

If you ask me, how was my weekend, i’d have to say … simply fantastic. Celebrated a friends birthday at this breath taking beach resort called White Sands. Overlooking the Atlantic, this beach with its pristine white sands is located in the town of Gomoa Fetteh, about 1 n 1/2 hrs from Accra. There is a Lagoon Terrace, which is flanked on one side by a white beach, and on the other, by a salt water lagoon and bird sanctuary. I cannot describe how picturesque this place is and my photographs do not do justice. Its very rarely that you get a wonderful place like this in Ghana. I’m not going to talk much, but just share some pictures i took. And ofcourse i made the birthday girl a cake !!! This time it was a Raspberry Charlotte, which by the way, she loved

$White Sands Beach Resort 17\$

Double Treat And A Meme

All, Baking, Dessert 50 Responses »

Feb 152008

This is probably the first time i am sincerely following up a meme. I know i haven’t in the past and like to apologize to all those who tagged me and i didn’t follow up. I’m sure there was an explanation why i couldn’t. This time around the very talented and beautiful Annemarie of Ambrosia & Nectar has tagged me for a 7 Random Things Meme … and watch out i gotta pass it on to 7 more. I cant do all 7 … or u’ll be reading forever, I’ll try as many as i can.

Lost in Translation

While i was in Ethiopia, i had trouble finding staff that spoke english. Somehow i had to settle for a house maid who could understand sign language … as in when i needed her to sweep the house I’d have to catch the broom in my hand and show her what i wanted her to do, when i needed her to make the bed every morn i had to literally go to the bed, touch the sheets n show her how … u get the idea right. Fortunately for us she knew the number zero and that it resembles a circle, so every time we need her to cut onion in circles/slices, I’d hear my hubby shouting in the kitchen, ” Cut onion zero zero !”, ha but thats hardly funny …. in that house for some weird reason the stupid architect had decided to make the kitchen outside the house. So every time i cooked, she had to carry the food to the sitting room. So one fine day I happened to make some Chinese and rushed the food to the sitting room from outside and when i reached the table i realized that she forgotten to put bowls on the table. Now we were bloody hungry and the food was getting cold so i didn’t go myself and instead told her pls bring me the bowls … she didn’t understand … then i said the one u put on the table everyday … round round … shaking my hands fanatically … zero zero … i stared at her hoping she understood … and then she said … oh yes … i bring …. and we waited .. what was taking her so long … almost finished our meal …. and then she walks holding a basket ball in both her hands …. ” madam u say ball , this ball ?!”
haha my hubby n me were on the floor … i swear u should’ve seen the expression on her face. It was a really funny moment.

Real Stupid

Yes, thats how i felt on the 15th of July last year. My hubby n me were leaving from Mumbai to come to Ghana. We were having a real tough time getting bookings and after chasing the travel agent for days together and changing the dates a couple of times we decided either 15th or 16th would be good, whichever booking we got.We got a booking finally and the travel agent had the tickets sent home. I collected them with my very own hands and didn’t bother to re check as i assumed they were correct and besides i was busy doing something else. So i packed up, said our goodbyes and my in laws came to drop us at the airport. We x-rayed our baggage and went to the airline counter and presented the tickets. The guy looked at the tickets and then looked at us, then looked at the tickets and looked at us …. and then said … ” u are one day early !” WHAT !!! how can that be… pls chk u are making a mistake .. by now realizing i could be the laughing stock of my family for the rest of the year. And yes I was. I had got us to the airport one day early ! I read the date wrong or something … but all i know is that from a seasoned traveller like me this was not expected and felt real stupid, and had to go back home. My in laws were still waiting out, they usually do till they see us walk into immigration , but this time around they took us back home ! yes everyone was laughing – except me !

Something Nice For A Change

I’ve been a bit busy lately, u can call me productive. I have been supplying a couple of sweet goodies to a local Cafe and Salad bar, here in Ghana … think i mentioned it before. But before it was just a trial kinda thing, this time I’ve started all out. Here are some shots, of some of the things I’m making and supplying. Nothing fancy, but it sells.

Numbers

I’m just not good with them ! Tell me a number and i assure you i cant repeat it. If you talk to me i will absorb everything but if theres a number in there somewhere I’ll not even register it. Dunno why but its just a terrible problem. Cant remember prices, telephone numbers even after few seconds of reading it, cant calculate a discount when i get one in the store, just not good at anything with numbers …. and thats probably also the reason why I’m not making a killing in the share market and just blogging with all the spare time i have! “P
I’m tagging Eva of Sweet Sins, The Homesick Texan, Mansi of Fun and Food , Rachel from Tangerines Kitchen Hangout , Mohini of Mango Power Girl , Zen Chef from Chefs Gone Wild , Sara from MS. Adventures in Italy,