Hershey's Chocolate cake

I found this cake recipe on Hershey's cocoa powder box. It has rich chocolate flavor and super moist texture and is one of my favorite recipes. It is much easier to make and perfect recipe for beginners.
 

1¾ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup vegetable oil
2 egg at room temp
1 cup milk (warm)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Method:

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease and flour 2 round baking pans and keep aside.

In a bowl mix all dry Ingredients. Then add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract and beat with a whisk for 5 min until everything is well combined. Stir in boiling water and mix again.

Divide batter in both pans equally and bake for 30 to 35 min. or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for10 min. then remove cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Dust some powder sugar or cocoa powder and sever.

Enjoy!

Butter Cookies

It was winter break for my daughter’s school, and holiday season. I wanted to do something she loves doing and also something which would keep her busy for sometime. So I decided to make these simple butter cookies. These cookies are easy are very less time consuming and fun to do with your kids. I had great time doing them with my daughter.

Ingredients:



Wilton cookie press.



3 ½ cups all purpose flour,

3 sticks / 1 ½ cups of butter (room temperature.)

1 tsp baking powder.

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cookie press to make different shapes and designs.

Method:

Preheat oven at 350° F.

In a bowl combine flour and baking powder and keep aside.

Now in large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix well till the egg gets incorporated.

Then add flour mixture and mix well.

With the help of a cookie press make desired shape of cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 min. or till the edges are golden brown. Cool for a min on the baking sheet and remove immediately on a cookie rack to cool completely.

Store in container and enjoy for weeks. Decorate with your favorite frosting just before serving or it will turn them soggy.

Enjoy!

Instant pedha

Peda or pedha is traditionally made with Khoa and is served as Prasad during devotional purpose. Khoa or khoya is the main ingredient to make this yummy dessert and is flavored with cardamom and Pistachios and sometimes also saffron. During festive season it is very difficult to get khoa so here is a good alternative to make this peda in a very simple way without using khoa.

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk Powder

½ cup Melted ghee

1 can condensed milk (14 oz can)

Few chopped pistachios for decoration

1 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

In a microwave safe bowl Mix together Ghee and milk powder, add condensed milk and mix again, make sure no lumps remain.

Microwave this mixture on high for 1 min. remove and stir well. Now repeat this same process for 3 more min and make sure You mix well each time afer every min.

Once the mixture is cooked for 4 mins Let the mixture cool down for few min. add cardamom powder and mix well then divide it in 30 equal parts. Now roll them between your palms and press gently to give nice shape. Decorate each peda with chopped pistachios. These pedhas Can be Stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.

Enjoy!

*try to make them 1 day before as they taste better next day.

Cheesecake Brownies

 

You will love this irresistible combination of two best desserts, Cheesecake and brownies. Great for any party, they taste and look delicious.

Ingredients:

For cheesecake batter:

225 gms (8 oz) cream cheese - Fat Free (Room temperature)

2 tbsp Heavy cream

½ cup fine sugar

1 Egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

For brownies batter

100g semisweet Chocolate
125g butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar.

2 eggs.
1 cup all purpose flour/ maida.

In a bowl, soften the cream cheese and make sure no lumps remain. Add heavy cream, sugar, eggs , vanilla extract  and mix well and keep aside.

In another bowl melt chocolate and butter on double boiler, remove from heat and let it cool a bit then add beaten eggs and sugar and mix well. Now add cocoa powder and flour, mix and make sure no lumps remain.

Pre-heat oven to 325⁰ F/160⁰ C.

Grease some butter in baking dish and pour brownies mixture and spread evenly in the dish then scoop cheesecake mixture over brownies mixture. With a help of spatula mix both the batters slightly so get the effect of a marble swirl.  

Place backing dish in oven and bake for 40 to 45 min. To check if brownies are done insert a knife in the center the knife will not come out clean but will have little crumbs on it.

Chill in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hrs and serve.

Enjoy!

Besan Ladoo

I tried to make these ladoos so many times but just could not get them right. I tried many recipes from magazines and cookery show and would end up with lot of mess in my kitchen. Then I called my mother for the recipe (which i should have done little earlier) I tried it and they turned perfect and so once again here is one of my mother’s recipes which are easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpea flour/ besan  

¾ cup ghee / butter

1 cup fine sugar or powder sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

Cashew nuts for garnishing

Method:

Heat ghee in a non stick pan and add chickpea flour/besan and cook on a very low flame till it turns golden brown ( Which will take about 20  to 22 min.) continuously keep stirring  as it burns quickly.

Now let it cool completely. Then add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Divide this mixture in small equal parts (make around 15 to 18 parts) and roll them in rounds with your palms to make ladoos.

Garnish with cashew nuts and you can store them for 15 to 20 days in a container.

The secret to make these ladoos perfect is Patients. So try the recipe and Enjoy!

Shira/ Suji halwa

This Most popular dessert made all over India is prepared during any festival, puja or religious purpose and is served as prasad. This healthy and rich halwa made with semolina and ghee is my mom’s recipe and my daughters all time favorite dish. It’s very easy to make and you can refrigerate this halwa in a covered container and enjoy for 3 to 4 days.

Ingredients:

1 cup Semolina/Suji/Rawa

½ cup ghee/melted butter

½ cup finely chopped dryfruits of your choice

1 cup water

1 cup milk

¾ cup of sugar

½ tsp cardamom powder

Pinch of salt

(keep 1 tsp of ghee and some dryfruits for garnishing)

Method:

Mix together milk, water and bring to a boil and keep aside.

Now pour ghee in a pan add dryfruits, semolina and roast till it turns pink/golden brown. Then add milk and water. Cover the lid and cook till all liquid is absorbed.

Add sugar and salt. Cover the lid and simmer for another 5 min. now add 1 tsp of ghee and mix well.

Garnish with some dryfruits and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Shahi gulkand roll

My husband has a sweet tooth, every day after lunch or dinner he wants something sweet. Sometimes it’s a big challenge for me, so I am always looking for good and simple dessert recipes.

Few days back my mom gave me this recipe. I tried it and trust me it’s simple, easy but delicious and was ready in less than a hour.

Ingredients: 

roasted gram dal

For outer layer

1 cup roasted gram dal (Phutana dal in marathi)

½ cup powder sugar

½ cup milk powder

½ cup Melted butter/ghee

Desiccated coconut

Pink/red color

For filling

½ cup dry fruits

½ cup gulkand

Method:

Grind roasted gram dal to a fine powder. Mix powder sugar, milk powder, butter/ghee and knead the dough. Divide the dough in 16 equal parts.

Now mix together dry fruits and gulkand. Divide this mixture also in 16 equal parts.

To make rolls take one part of dough and spread it little on your palm, now add the dryfruit and gulkand mixture and roll it in cylindrical shape. Repeat the same process with remaining dough and filling mixture.

Color the desiccated coconut in pink/red.

Cover the rolls with colored coconut and cut each roll in 3 pieces.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Mejwani Etv marathi

Baked Saffron Cheesecake

This yummy cheese cake is all time favorite dessert of my family. This rich and creamy cake just melts in your mouth. Easy to make and a sure recipe to impress guests.

Ingredients:

For base

You can use a store bought pie crust or can make one at home.

125 gms (4.0 oz) Digestive biscuits.

1 Tbsp Fine sugar

45 gms (1 ½ oz ) melted butter

For Filling

400 gms (14 oz) creamcheese (Fats Free) at Room temperature

150 ml (5 oz) Heavy cream

50 gms (1 ¾ oz) fine sugar

2 Eggs

2 Pinch of saffron

2 Tsp of water

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Crush digestive biscuits finely. Add in the sugar, butter and mix well. Now press firmly this mixture into cake tin and keep in refrigerator to set.

Add saffron into 2 tsp of water and let it soak.

In a bowl, soften the cream cheese and make sure no lumps remain. Add heavy cream, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and juice.  Mix well till the batter is smooth. Now add half of the saffron mixture and mix again.  Slowly pour the mixture over the base in cake tin. Now pour the remaining saffron water on top.

Pre-heat oven to 325⁰ F/160⁰ C.

Place the cake in the middle rack and bake for about 60 mins. The cake is done when the surface is firm, but should wobble slightly in the center. Turn off the oven and leave the cheese cake in the oven for 10 min. Remove the cake and let it come to room temp. Then chill in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours.

Garnish with little saffron on each slice of cake.

Enjoy !