Apple Cake

The first time I had apple cake was at a friend's house,and it was delicious.I came home thought about the cake,talked about the cake and also dreamt about the cake,yes it was that good! This is a very simple recipe,with little prep time and the cake bakes in 30 minutes,I love the fact that its dairy free and I'm thinking of making this again over the thanksgiving holiday.

The cake batter is not like your typically batter,it is dense and you are going to need to really give it a good couple of stirs to incorporate all the ingredients.

Recipe Source :
Thanks to Nicole!
http://www.applerecipes.us/apple-cake.html

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced apples
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 cup sugar (you can add 1/2 cup,adjust to desired sweetness level)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; Mix all the ingredients till they are well incorporated.
3. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes; remove from cake pan and cool completely.
   

Paleo Mug Cake

This is a perfect one person dessert or a quick after school snack.I found this recipe on the internet while searching for Paleo Mug Cakes.My little boy thought this was delicious.I ate my mug cake with a dollop of chocolate coconut milk ice-cream and it tasted divine.I like the fact that this is a flour-less cake and that it can be made in under 3 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe banana
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons almond butter(or any nut butter)
• 1 egg
• 2 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup or Honey
• A handful of walnuts 

Method:

1. In a microwave safe mug mash the banana with a fork into a smooth puree.
2. Mix the almond butter, egg, cocoa powder, and the maple syrup or honey until it forms an even batter(mix well with a spoon)
3. Fold in walnuts into the batter(make sure that this batter is not more than 2/3rds level of the mug,because it will expand in the microwave).
4. Microwave on high for 2 and 1/2 minutes until the centre is set.
5. Carefully remove the mug from the microwave (the mug is going to be really hot)
6. Enjoy!
   
   Tip :
   • You can add chocolate chips or other mix ins to the batter if you like.
   • This is a 2 minute mug cake,so doesn't compare to the 2 hour baked cake,this mug cake tastes good when accompanied with ice cream!

Milk Peda (Milk Fudge)

Peda is an Indian sweet and is usually prepared in thick, semi-soft pieces. The main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings, including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron.The word peda is also generically used to mean a blob of any doughy substance, such as flour or (in the case of the sweet) khoa. (source Wikipedia).

Peda happens to be a dessert we all enjoy and when I found this two minute microwavable version I had to try it.

Milk Peda

Ingredients:
1¾ cups Milk Powder
1 Can (14 oz) Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder
A small pinch of Saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water or milk
A small pinch of Salt (Optional)
Few Dry Nuts of your choice (cashews, almonds, pistachios etc)

Method :

1. Melt the butter for 5-10 seconds in the microwave (until melted)
2. Mix the melted unsalted butter,milk powder and condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl (make sure they are combined well)
3. Stir in the saffron,cardamom powder and a pinch of salt
4. Microwave this mixture on high for 2-3 minutes (after a minute,give this a mixture a quick stir,and continue to microwave again,for another minute or two)
5. Give the mixture another quick stir
6. Let this mixture cool slightly (don't let the mixture cool down completely,as it will crumble)
7. Grease your hands with a little ghee or oil, make small balls of the mixture while its still warm n flatten slightly.( I used a toy train wheel for the circular design,you can use a fork and make a similar pattern)
8. Garnish with nuts (optional).

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

I always relied on the  store bought condensed milk can,until we started exploring diary-free options.I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make this version of condensed milk.This recipe makes about 12 ounces of delicious goodness.

Ingredients:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk(14 ounces)
• 1/4 cup  raw honey, or equivalent sweetener of choice

Directions: 

1. In sauce pan, combine coconut milk and raw honey(whisk the coconut milk and honey to combine the two ingredients)
2. Warm the mixture over medium heat and bring it to a simmer.
3. Reduce the heat to a low heat.
4. Allow to simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.(stirring occasionally)
5. Cool to room temperature.  
6. Store refrigerated in a glass jelly jar(mason jar) until ready to use. 
7. This sweetened condensed coconut milk should last for at least a week when stored in a sealed container in the fridge.

Mangalore Buns.

I was introduced to Mangalore buns on our frequent trips to Mangalore and loved snacking on these delicious circles of fried dough. This recipe to me is the second perfect solution (banana bread being the first) to over ripe bananas, the one that no one wants to eat or look at in our case!!

 

My mom would make these growing up as an after school snack and sometimes we had these 
for breakfast  accompanied with coconut chutney. Traditionally Mangalore buns are eaten for
breakfast. Re-tasting these as an adult transported me back to my childhood  and fond memories of home cooked food.

Mangalore Buns

 Ingredients :-  

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1 overripe organic banana
• 4-5 tbsp raw organic honey
• 1/2 cup organic whole milk yogurt, beaten
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil
• Oil to deep fry

Method :-

1. Peel and mash bananas. 
2. Add yogurt, honey, salt, cumin and baking soda. (Mix well)
3. To make the dough I used the kitchen aid (this can be done the old fashioned way-by hand)
4. Gradually add flour till it forms a dough. 
5. You might need to add more flour if the dough is too 'sticky'.
6. Add a teaspoon of oil.
7. Cover and set aside overnight or for a minimum of 4-5 hours.
8.  Dust rolling pin and board with flour (the dough will be very sticky) and keep some handy to help with rolling.
9. Roll out circles of 3-4" diameter.( I used a saucer to cut out my perfect circles,you can use a cookie cutter)
10. Heat a pan with enough oil to deep fry. Gently slide in rolled out dough and fry on moderate heat till it puffs up. Turn over and fry on the other side. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.