My Cakes

Cakes at Tasty Dreams

Tasty Dreams

Tasty Dreams A CHRISTMAS DELIGHT FROM SMARTMAA

Three extremely delicious homemade cakes to make your X Mas more special.

           1.Santa's Surprise: The Rich plum Cake

           2.Delightful Dream: Dates & Carrot Cake

           3.Smartmaa Special: The Magic Marble Cake

Cakes available in small and Big packs. All Cakes are custom made to your order.

Lead time for Cake delivery is 1 week for Plum Cake and 2-3 days for all other varieties.

Upcoming surprises from Tasty Dreams: 

Ethnic foods, Baked food varieties, Starters & Snacks for kitty/B’day parties.

Tandoori / BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken  - 500 gm ( Big pieces)
2. Caraway(Ayamodhakam) - 1/2 tsp
3. Black Salt - 1/4 tsp
4. Curd - 2 cup
5. Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
6. Lime Juice - 1 lemon
7. Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)- 1/2 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Mustard Oil - 1 tbs
10.Ginger garlic Paste - 2 tbs

Preparation

First marinate chicken with lemon juice ,salt and oil. Keep it for 15 min

Then add all other ingredients and marinate chicken completely.

Keep the chicken in room temperature for 2 hrs.or refrigerate it over night, then the taste will be good.

Then cook it in the proper BBQ grill.

Serve it with Green Chutney: http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-chutney.html

Photo Courtesy : Manoj B Ramakrishna

Mixed Veg Paratha

Ingredients

1.Oil - 1 tbs
2.Onion  Chopped  - 1 full
   Ginger Chopped  - 1 tsp
   Garlic Chopped   - 1 tsp
   Green Chilly Chopped  - 1 tsp
3.Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
   Turmeric Powder  - 1/2 tsp
   Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
   Garam Masala -  1/2 tsp
   Salt  - To taste
4.Carrot Chopped - 2 tbs
    Beans Chopped - 2 tbs
    Potato (Boiled &smashed) - 1
5.Coriander Leaves Chopped - 1 tbs
6. Butter - 1 tsp
7. Wheat Powder - 2 cup

Preparation

Make chapati dough with wheat powder ,Oil  and salt.Use hot water for preparing the dough.Keep it for 30 min.

Heat oil in a pan

Saute all the 2 nd ingredients in it.

When the onion turns to brown color add 3 rd ingredients.

Then add Vegetables and coriander leaves and mix it properly and turn off the flame.

Make chapati and add 2 tbs filling vegetables then keep another chapati on it and roll it nicely.

Then make veg paratha same like chapati and add butter....

Serve with curd ..

Vanilla Icing Glaze

Ingredients

Confectioners' sugar -1 1/2 cups

Milk- 2 1/2 teaspoons

Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Vanilla extract -1/4 teaspoon

Butter -1 teaspoon


Preparation

Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy.

If you want to add color you can add.

Then pore over the cake.

X mas Plum Cake

Ingredients

For Soaking : I soaked the dry fruits in Rum for 1 Year

Mixed fruits - 3 cups
Rum/Brandy - 1.5 cups

For Caramel:
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 tbsp
Warm water - 1/4 cup

For Cake:
Plain flour (maida) - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup+ 2 tbsp
Unsalted Butter - 250 gms (1 cup + 2 tbsp, approx) @ room temp
Eggs - 4 @ room temp
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Jam - 1 tbsp (Mixed Fruit)
Liquid Glucose - 1 tbs

For Spice Powder:
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - a small piece
Nutmeg - a small piece

Preparation

1. Soaking of Fruits :  I soaked it for almost 1 Year  Try to soak it for a minimum of 1 week, at least. Shake the jar of soaked fruits once in a while.( I used a mixed fruit packet from Super Market)

2. Caramel Preparation : Combine 1/2 cup sugar & 1 tbsp water in a sauce pan. Heat it & let the sugar melt. When the color of the melted sugar becomes dark brown, remove the pan from fire & add 1/4 cup warm water to this. You need to be very careful at this stage since the water tends to splash & can cause burns. Bring it back to the heat & boil for a few more mins, 3-4 mins. Remove from fire & let it cool completely. You can prepare the caramel in advance & refrigerate it. (If the Caramel is over burned it will give you bitter taste.)

3. Spice Powder : Grind all the spices with a pinch of sugar, to a fine powder & keep aside.

4. Cake Preparation:
                 1.Preheat the oven @ 180 C for 10-15 mins, before baking.
                 2.Drain the soaked fruits & keep aside. Retain 4 tbsp from the drained liquor. Toss the drained                            
                    fruits in 1-2 tbsp of flour.(This will prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake).
                3.Sift the plain flour with baking powder & baking soda.
                4.Powder the sugar & keep aside.
                5.Separate the yolks & white of the eggs.
                6.Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Keep aside.
                7.Beat the egg yolks & add the softened butter to it. Beat it till it forms a smooth paste.
                8.Add powdered sugar to this,gradually. Beat after each addition.
                9.When it becomes smooth add vanilla essence & cooled caramel & spice powder &beat again.                                            
               10.Add the sifted flour in 2 batches. Beat after each addition. Add jam ,liquid glucose & combine.
               11. Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible
               12. Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor.
               13. Grease the baking dish line with baking paper. Pour the batter into the prepared tins.
               14.Bake in the pre heated oven for 40-45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. The          
                    baking time can vary depending on the oven & also the size of the tin used.
               15. Alcohol free version:
               16. Soak 3 cups of fruits in 1.5 cups of fresh orange juice. Leave it overnight @ room temp.The rest of the recipe is same.

 Icing :
           1.Vanilla Icing Glaze(Green Color- 2 cake ) - http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2013/01/vanilla-     icing-glaze.html
          2. Fondant Icing - http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2011/12/fondant-icing-recipe.html

Schezwan Fish

Ingredients

Fish Fillets - 16 pieces
Marination

• Corn flour  - 2 tbsp
• Egg White  - from 1 egg
• Pepper Powder  - 1 1/2 tsp
• Garlic Paste  - 1 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Soy Sauce -  1 tsp
• Salt  - To taste

Oil - For Frying

Schezwan Sauce - 4 tbsp
(http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2012/06/schezwan-sauce.html)
Onion  - 1 chopped
Garlic - 4 nos Chopped
Red Chilly or green chilly  - 2 Chopped
Ginger  - 1 inch piece chopped
Corn Flour  - 1 tbsp
Water - 1.5 cups
Oil -  2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Preparation


Wash and clean the fish fillets and cut into small pieces . ( for the fish fillets remove the bone from fish)

Marinate the fish with egg white, soya sauce, cornflour, pepper powder , chilli powder ginger-garlic paste, and salt for 15 min.

In a pan, heat the oil and deep fry the marinated fish and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the ginger, garlic and red chillies for a minute.

Add the onion and salt and continue to stir fry.

Add the schezwan sauce saute for 2 min.

Add the cornflour mixed with water and stir continuously till the sauce thickens.If you want more gravy you can add corn flour with water.

Add the fried fish pieces. Just make it hot.

Serve hot.

Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients

Yoghurt ( Curd ) - 2 tbs
Cream Cheese  - 1 tbs
Salt & Pepper Powder - to taste


Preparation

Mix Yoghurt (curd) and cream cheese properly.

Add salt and pepper powder.

Chicken Fried Kebab

Ingredients

1. Chicken  - 250 gm ( Small Pieces)
2. Garlic  -  1/2 tsp  ( smashed )
3. Ginger  - 1/2 tsp ( smashed )
4. Fennel Seeds  - 1 pinch
5. Cloves - 4
6. Cinnamon - 1 piece
7. Cardamom - 2
8. Coriander Leaves & Pudina Leaves -  1 hand
9. Onion -  3 tbs (Chopped ) 
10. Green Chilly - 1/2 tbs (chopped)
11. Egg yolk - 1
12. Pudina Leaves - 1/4 cup
13. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
14. Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
15. Lemon juice and salt  - to taste

For Coating 

Bread Crumbs - 5 tbs

Egg White - 1

Preparation

Smash the ingredients from 2 - 8 and tie it with a cloth.(Make a KIZHI)

Cook the chicken pieces with smashed ingredients ( Don't Remove the Cloth) and water , lemon juice and salt.

Once the chicken cooked properly  squeeze the juice from the smashed ingredients and add to the chicken and dried it properly.

Now take the chicken and grind it in a mixer grinder.

Then mix it with  9-14 ingredients and make spindle shaped kebabs ( If  you want more lemon juice and salt , you can add now )

Now heat oil in a pot

Dip the spindle shaped kebab  in the beaten egg white  

Then dip it in the Bread crumbs

Now fry it in the hot oil.

Serve it with Yoghurt Sauce or any other Dipping Sauce.

Yoghurt Sauce
http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2012/08/yoghurt-sauce.html

Cup Cakes

Basic Cup Cake (plain ) Recipe
Ingredients

Butter - 150 gm

Sugar - 150 gm
All Purpose Flour - 250 gm (Sieved)
Eggs - 4
Vanilla Essence - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Preparation

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one by one.

Mix the flour with the baking power and gradually add the butter/sugar/egg mixture,stirring constantly.


Add Vanilla Essence

Place the Cupcake cases into the preheated Cup Cake Maker and fill the cases with sough (Only Half-way,as the sough tends to rise a lot)

Bake Until browned ad desired. Remove cupcakes and allow to cool.

For the Chocolate Cup Cake

Add 3 tbs  baking coco powder to the 1 cup dough.


For the Mixed Fruit Cup Cake


1.Soaked Mixed Fruit in (Rum or Wine) - 3 tbs
2.Caramelized Sugar - 2tbs


Add the 1 and 2 ingredients to the 1 cup dough

For the Mango Cup Cake

Add 1/2 cup of Mango juice and 3 drops of green colour to the 1 cup Dough

Vanilla Icing

Ingredients 


Butter - 60 gm
Icing sugar  - 3 cups (sifted)
Milk - 2 tbsp
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Salt - a dash

Preparation


Whip butter in an electric mixer on mediu speed for about 8 min or until it becomes creamy

Pour in rest of the ingredients and continue blending them on low speed for a minute,then change the speed and keep mixing for another 6 minutes or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.( You can add different colors)

Spread it on any cake of your choice .

Red Velvet Cup Cake

Ingredients


All Purpose Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Baking Cocoa (powdered) - 1/2 cup
Baking Power - 1tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 200 gm ( at room Temp )
Eggs - 5
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1tsp
Red Food Coloring - 1 tsp


Preparation

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Sift dry ingredients three times. 

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each egg. 

Add 1/4 of dry ingredients to creamed mixture then approximately 1/4 of buttermilk alternating until mixed well.  Mix in vanilla and food coloring.

Fill lined cupcake pans 1/2 full of red velvet batter.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Or you can use Cup Cake Maker.

Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 to 10 minutes then remove from pans.  Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

NOTE:  If you don't happen to have buttermilk on hand you can try this simple substitution.  Place one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in an empty one cup measuring cup.  Fill with milk to 1 cup.  Let stand for 5 minutes then use in any cake recipe that calls for buttermilk.

Vanilla Icing : http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2012/07/vanilla-icing.html

Top 5 baking secrets for your kitchen!

Top 5 baking secrets for your kitchen!

Professional bakers employ techniques perfected over the years to achieve perfect results every single time. Here are some things that you can do in your own kitchen, to get those perfect results!

1. If you want to make bread at home, use Instant yeast or Fast action yeast. This works better than dry yeast and the bread dough proves and rises much better. Try this once and you'll never want to eat readymade bread again!

2. Many bread recipes include salt for taste. Be very careful that the yeast doesn't come in direct contact with the salt - or the yeast will not work. Sieve the flour with the salt or sprinkle salt on the edges of your flour before mixing the yeast into a well in the centre when making the dough.

3. If a recipe calls for beating the eggs with sugar till 'light' or 'double in volume', then try using granulated sugar instead of using caster sugar and beat eggs until the sugar dissolves. This ensures that the eggs are sufficiently beaten and you incorporate maximum possible air into the batter.

4. Professor Gaikwad, Baking Instructor at MSIHMCT Pune, says that "greasing and dusting" or "greasing and lining" of cake tins or trays is a very important step to create perfect baked goods. This is particularly important when you have to un-mould the cake from the tin for frosting or for display. If the recipe calls for 'greasing and lining' the baking tin or tray with butter paper - line both the bottom and the sides of the tin. Then grease the paper once lined. This prevents the cake/cookies from sticking to the paper. If the recipe calls for 'grease and dust', carefully brush the inside of the tin with butter or oil and sprinkle some flour. Shake the tin so that the flour spreads evenly on the inside. Also be very careful to not touch the greased part once it is dusted.

5. Here is a tip if you plan to make one of those fantastic bakery style pastries at home - like the Black Forest pastries. Bake the cake a day ahead; wrap it in cling film and store in the freezer so that they are easier to cut and handle. For the icing use non-dairy whip toppings available at specialty bakery stores or gourmet stores. They are much easier to handle and give a smoother finish to the cake. Fresh cream on the other hand is difficult to handle and more so during summer, so it may split or curdle.

Courtesy:http://food.femina.in/featured/top-5-baking-secrets-for-your-kitchen/

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• Egg - 4, separated

• Sugar -1/2 cup

• All purpose flour -1 cup

• Vanilla Essence - 1 teaspoon

• Baking Powder – ¾ tsp

• Soda Bicarbonate – ¼ tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease and flour the baking dish

Sift all purpose flour with baking powder and bicarbonate of soda .

Beat butter and powdered sugar in a bowl ,when it becomes very soft add egg yolks one by one and beat well.

Then add sifted all purpose flour and vanilla essence ,then mix properly.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, and then add to the flour mix with a wooden spatula


Then pour the batter to the greased baking dish

Then bake the cake in a preheated oven for 20 – 25 min (dependent upon the size), until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.


Sponge Cake is a basic cake. This cake we are normally using for cream filling and all.

Vegetable Schezwan Fried Rice

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cup

Water - 4 cup

Schezwan Sauce - 3 tbs  

http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2012/06/schezwan-sauce.html

Carrot - 1 (Finely Chopped)

Cabbage  - 1/2 cup (Finely Chopped)

Capsicum - 1/2 cup ( Finely Chopped)

Beans - 1/4 cup ( Finely Chopped)

Chopped Spring Onions- 3 tbs

Salt  - to taste

Pepper Powder - to taste

Paneer - 1/4 cup

Oilve Oil - 2 tbs

Preparation

Soak the rice in water for about 20 min, drain it for 10 min

Boil the 4 cup water with salt  and add the strained rice and cook well.

Heat oil in large pan and add chopped carrot,cabbage,beans and saute for 3- 5min

Now add prepared Schezwan sauce( If you want more spicy you can add more schezwan sauce) ,mix well.sprinkle some water if needed ,so that the sauce is evenly coated to all the vegetables.

Fry them together for 3 mins and then add the chopped capsicum, paneer and conitnue frying for another 2 mins

Finally add the cooked rice, mix evenly and sprinkle some pepper powder and salt to taste.

Add the spring onions ,toss and serve hot.

Serve with raitha.