Blueberry Crumb Cake

This recipe is from our best friend Mrs. Kousalya Aunty, she is one of the best cooks I have ever seen in my life. She is very good in baking and shared her favorite blueberry streusel cake with us. She has used margarine instead of butter.

Streusel topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light –brown sugar

¼ teasppon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter

Cake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

1  1/2cups all purpose flour( spoon and leveled) , plus more for pan

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon all spice

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

¾ cup low fat buttermilk, well shaken

1 ½ cups blueberries

confectioner's sugar for dusting

 Procedure

Make streusel topping. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar and  salt. Cut in the butter using your hands or pastry blender until large, moist crumbs form. Chill. Butter and flour a 9 inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately until just combined. ( batter will be very stiff). In a large bowl toss the blueberries with remaining flour. Fold blueberries in to the batter and spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle cake with streusel topping.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean 45 to 50 minutes. Let it cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting in to squares. 

Source: Martha Stewart

Orange - Walnut Loaf

Ingredients:

• Evaporated milk – 125 ml
• Lemon juice – 15 ml
• Granulated sugar – 250 ml
• Eggs – 2
• Olive oil – 125 ml
• Grated orange zest – 15 ml
• Vanilla essence – 5 ml
• All purpose flour – 375 ml
• Baking powder – 5 ml
• Baking soda – 2 ml
• Salt – 2 ml
• Walnuts (toasted and chopped) – 175 ml

 Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease an 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” (1.5L) loaf pan.
• Combine evaporated milk - lemon juice and keep aside.
• Beat sugar and eggs until well combined. Add olive oil, orange zest and vanilla essence.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat in evaporated milk – lemon juice mixture and add remaining dry ingredients. Fold in walnuts. Pour this into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. 

Source : http://www.carnationmilk.ca/

Chocolate chip - Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients: 

• All purpose flour – 250 g
• Granulated sugar – 150 g
• Semi sweet chocolate chips - a handful
• Pistachio (dry roasted, shelled, chopped into small pieces) – a handful
• Baking power – 1Teaspoon
• Vanilla essence – 2 drops
• Egg – 2
• Salt - pinch

 Method: 

• Using an electric egg beater, beat eggs with sugar until fluffy (for about 10 mins) and add vanilla extract.
• Mix all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together then mix with egg mixture. To this mixture add chocolate chips and pistachios.
• Dust your hands with some flour, roll out the mixture (dough) and make into two equal logs (about three inches wide) on a parchment lined baking sheets. Make sure that there is enough space between the logs.
• Pre-heat oven at 350 degree F and bake them for about 20 minutes (or it should be firm while touching).
• Remove baking sheet from oven and let it cool for six to eight minutes.
• Then cut the logs diagonally into one inch slices.
• Place the cut slices in the baking sheet (cut side down) and bake at 325 degree F for eight to ten minutes and turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Allow them to cool and store in an air tight container.

Date - Walnut Loaf

Ingredients:

• Pitted dates, roughly chopped - 140 g
• Walnuts, lightly toasted - 100 g
• Baking soda - 11/2 Teaspoons
• Salt - 1/4 Teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature - 3 Tablespoons
• Warm water - 170 ml
• Sugar - 155 g
• Large eggs, lightly beaten - 2
• Unbleached all purpose flour - 200 g

Method:

• Pre heat the oven to 325 degree F.
• In a large bowl, using a large rubber spatula, stir together the dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt, butter and water until combined. Mix in the sugar and eggs, then the flour.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan (81/2 by 41/2 inch) and bake until the cake is puffed and browned, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, 50 - 55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Source : Cake 

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients:

• Sweet potato – 1
• All purpose flour – 2 cups
• Brown sugar – ½ cup
• Baking powder – 1½Teaspoons
• Baking soda – 1 Teaspoon
• Eggs - 2
• Salt – ½ Teaspoon
• Cinnamon – ½ Teaspoon
• Ground nutmeg – ½ Teaspoon
• Vegetable oil or butter – 1/3 cup
• Grated orange rind – 1 Tablespoon
• Orange juice – ¾ cup
• Mixed nuts (chopped walnuts and pecans) – 1/3 cup

Method:

• Pressure cook sweet potato and let it cool. Remove outer skin and mash sweet potato until smooth.
• In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• In a separate bowl, whisk in eggs, oil and orange rind and juice until smooth. Pour over flour mixture; stir just until combined.
• Now add mashed sweet potato, mix slightly. Then scoop into paper-lined or greased muffin cups.
• Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let it cool.

 Source – Canadianliving.com

  

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Applesauce Cake

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 1½ Cups
• Ground cinnamon - 1½ Teaspoons
• Nutmeg powder – ½ Teaspoon
• Brown sugar – 1¼ Cups
• Canola oil – ½ Cup
• Smooth applesauce (unsweetened) – ¾ Cup
• Baking power – 1½ Teaspoons
• Eggs (large), at room temperature, lightly beaten – 2
• Toasted walnuts and pecan, coarsely chopped – ½ Cup
• Salt – ¼ Teaspoon

 Method:

• Pre – heat the oven to 325 degree F.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and keep aside.
• Mix oil with sugar. Add eggs and beat till it is mixed.
• Add dry ingredients, applesauce and beat just until combined.
• Then fold in the nuts.
•  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, bake for 40 minutes, and then covered with aluminum foil. Continue to bake until cake is puffed and a tooth pick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 20 – 25 minutes longer.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack.
• Enjoy this low fat cake with low fat sour cream.
• Source: Cake. I have modified the original recipe into low fat version.

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Cranberry - Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour – 2 Cups
• Ground cinnamon - 1½ Teaspoons
• Nutmeg powder – ½ Teaspoon
• Sweet Potato (cooked and mashed) – ½ Cup
• Dried cranberry – ¼ Cup
• Baking power – 1½Tea spoons
• Baking soda – ½ Teaspoon
• Skim milk – ½ Cup
• Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon
• Salt – ¼ Teaspoon

 Method:

• Pre – heat the oven to 425 degree F.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and keep aside.
• Add sweet potato to the dry ingredients and mix with your hands.
• Add cranberry, milk and lemon juice. Mix the dough well.
• Then take the dough and by using a roller roll out into half inch thick.
• Cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter and place them in a non stick baking dish.
• Bake the biscuits in the middle rack until they are slightly brown (10 – 12 minutes).
• Serve warm.
• In this recipe i didn't use butter oil, or sugar. But it tasted very good.  These biscuits are excellent tea time snack for those who are in diet.

Almond - Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 1 cup
• Almond meal – 1/3 cup
• Walnut meal - 1/3 cup
• Unsalted butter – 1/3 cup
• Icing Sugar – 1/4 cup
• Salt – pinch
• Rice flour – 1 Tea spoon

 Method:

• In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter and salt.
• Add all purpose flour, almond meal, walnut meal and rice flour to this mixture.
• By using your hands mix well and make the dough into disc shape.
• Don’t work too hard with the dough.
• Then take the dough and by using a roller roll out into half inch thick.
• Cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter and place them in a non stick baking dish.
• Pre heat oven at 350 degree F and bake in the middle rack until the cookies are golden brown (15 to 20 mins).

 Note:

• For almond and walnut meal, just grind whole almond and walnut in a mixer grinder to a fine powder.
• Walnut is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.
• No baking powder, baking soda and eggs are used.
• So these are excellent for kids and those who don’t like eggs.

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Oats - Barley Mini Delight Cookies

Ingredients:

• Rolled oats – ¼ Cup
• Barley flour – ¼ Cup
• All purpose flour – 1 Table spoon
• Brown sugar – ¼ Cup
• Cinnamon – ½ Tea spoon
• Salt – 1/8 Tea spoon
• Unsalted margarine – ¼ to ½ Cup

 Method:

• Pre - heat oven to 375 degree F.
• In a mixing bowl combine oats, barley flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
• Melt margarine over medium heat and add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Make the dough into desired shape, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool and store in an air tight container.

Low Fat Onion Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat Bread – 4 slices
• Yellow onion (medium size) – 1
• Egg – 1
• Skim milk – 2 cups
• Salt – ¼ Tea spoon
• Ground pepper - ¼ Tea spoon
• Turmeric powder - ¼ Tea spoon
• Italian seasoning – 1 Tea spoon
• Low fat Cream cheese – 2 Table spoon
• Canola oil – 1 Table spoon

 Method:

• Cut onion into ¼ inch slices.
• Heat skillet in medium heat, place onion slices with a table spoon of oil, and cook till they are slightly brown.
• Cut bread slices into small cubes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, salt, pepper, turmeric powder and half of cream cheese.
• Grease a small baking dish, place half of the bread slices, half of onion and pour milk mixture.
• Then place remaining bread slices, onion and pour milk mixture.
• Sprinkle Italian seasoning and cheese over top.
• Pre heat oven at 375 degree F and bake till the top turns slightly brown (30-35 minutes).
• Enjoy this pudding with blueberry jam.

Cinnamon - Pumpkin Seed Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour (sifted) - 200g
• Margarine - 120 g
• Granulated sugar - 140 g
• Low fat yoghurt - 160 ml
• Eggs - 2
• Baking powder - 3/4 Tea spoon
• Baking soda - 1/2 Tea spoon
• Orange zest (peel) - 1 Tea spoon
• Vanilla extract - 1 Tea spoon
• Salt - pinch

Topping

• Cinnamon powder - 1 Tea spoon
• Roasted Pumpkin seeds - 60 g
• Brown sugar - 40 g

Method:

• Pre heat oven at 350 degree F. In a mixing bowl beat sugar with margarine, add eggs and beat until fluffy.
• Add sifted all purpose flower, baking powder, baking soda, yoghurt, orange peel, vanilla extract and salt and mix them well.
• Prepare topping mixture by combining chopped pumpkin seeds, brown sugar and cinnamon powder.
• In a non-stick baking pan pour half of the cake batter, sprinkle half of the topping mixture in the edge, then spread the remaining cake batter over topping. Sprinkle the remaining topping all over cake batter.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes.

Note:

• Normally, while cooking pumpkins we discard the seeds , but pumpkin seeds have good nutritional property. Here I have used those seeds in cake. After removing seeds from pumpkin, wash them with water, pat dry with paper towel, leave it to overnight, roast in a pan or bake for abour 8 - 10 mins at 350 degree F. You will get crispy pumpkin seeds with excellent aroma.
• Further, here in this cake I have used Orange peel for tangy orange flavour.

Spicy Cardamom Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 250 g
• Granulated sugar – 150 g
• Cardamom powder – 1 Tea spoon
• Pistachio – 60 – 70 g
• Clove powder - ½ Tea spoon
• Baking power – 1Tea spoon
• Vanilla essence – 2 drops
• Egg – 2
• Salt - pinch

 Method:

• In an electric egg beater, beat eggs with sugar until fluffy and add vanilla extract.
• Mix all purpose flour, cardamom powder, clove powder, baking powder and salt together then mix with egg mixture. To this mixture add chopped pistachios.
• In a slightly floured surface, roll out the mixture (dough) and make into two equal logs (about three inches wide).
• Place the logs in a parchment lined baking sheets. Make sure that there is enough space between the logs.
• Pre-heat oven at 350 degree F and bake them for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and let it cool for six to eight minutes.
• Then cut the logs diagonally into one inch slices.
• Place the cut slices in the baking sheet (cut side down) and bake at 325 degree F for eight to ten minutes and turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Allow them to cool and store in an air tight container.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• Sifted all purpose flour – 2 cups
• Unsifted whole wheat flour – 2 cups
• Baking powder – 1 Tea spoon
• Baking soda – 1 Tea spoon
• Salt – ¼ Tea spoon
• Golden raisins – ¼ cup
• Caraway seeds – 2 Tea spoon
• Buttermilk – 1¼ cups

 Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds.
• Add enough buttermilk to make dough that is firm but not dry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth – two to three minutes. Shape the dough into a round loaf and using a sharp knife, slash a large X ¼ inch deep across the top.
• Coat a baking sheet with the cooking spray, place the loaf on it and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

 Courtesy: Great Recipes For Good Health

Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 2 cups
• Almond flour – 1 cup
• Unsalted butter – 1 cup
• Brown Sugar – 1 cup
• Salt – pinch
• Almond or Vanilla essence – ½ Tea spoon
• Rice flour – 1 Tea spoon

 Method:

• Grind sugar and keep it aside.
• In a large bowl, mix ground sugar, butter, salt and essence.
• To this mixture add all purpose flour, almond flour and rice flour.
• By using your hands mix well and make the dough into disc shape.
• Don’t work too hard with the dough.
• Then take the dough and by using a roller roll out into half inch thick.
• Cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter and place them in a non stick backing dish.
• Refrigerate them for about 30 mins to retain their shapes while baking.
• Pre heat oven at 325 degree F and bake in the middle rack until the cookies are golden brown. 

Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 200 g
• Sugar – 200 g
• Butter – 200 g
• Baking power – 11/2 Tea spoon
• Vanilla essence – 2 drops
• Egg – 3 nos.
• Salt - pinch

 Procedure:

• Sieve all purpose flour and baking powder for three times.
• Separate egg whites and beat them with an electric beater for about 20 mins.
• In a large bowl, mix butter and ground sugar.
• To that add egg yolk, vanilla essence, salt, flour and baking powder. Mix them well.
• Add egg white and mix gently with a spatula.
• Pour this mixture into a non-stick baking dish.
• Pre-heat oven at 350 degree F and bake until it is done (45-50 minutes).

Cinnamon flavoured Shortbread Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 3 cup
• Unsalted butter – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup
• Salt – pinch
• Vanilla essence – 1 Tea spoon
• Cinnamon – 1 Tea spoon

 Method:

• Grind sugar with cinnamon and keep it aside.
• In a large bowl mix ground sugar, butter, salt and vanilla essence.
• Add all purpose flour to this mixture.
• By using our hands mix well and make the dough into disc shape.
• Don’t work too hard with the dough.
• Wrap the dough with a plastic cover and keep it in refrigerator for about an hour.
• Then by using a roller roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter and place them in a non stick backing dish.
• Again refrigerate them for about 15 mins to retain their shapes while baking.
• Pre-heat oven at 325 degree F and bake in the middle rack until the cookies are golden brown. 

Multigrain Apple Muffin

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour (with germ) – 180 g
• All purpose flour – 20 g
• Rolled oats – 1 Table spoon
• Ragi (Finger millet) flour - 1 Table spoon
• Cumbu (Pearl millet) flour - 1 Table spoon
• Flax seed powder (dry roasted and ground) – ½ Tea spoon
• Baking powder – 1 Tea spoon
• Cinnamon powder – ½ Tea spoon
• Nutmeg powder - ½ Tea spoon
• Margarine – 50 g
• Fat free milk – 50 ml
• Canola oil or Vegetable oil – 1 Table spoon
• Vanilla essence – 2 drops
• Brown sugar – 100 g
• Egg – 1
• Apple – 1
• Salt - pinch

 Method: 

• Sieve whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and baking powder for three times.
• Wash apple, peel skin and remove seeds. Cut it into small cubes and keep them aside.
• In a large bowl, take margarine and brown sugar. Mix them well.
• To that, add egg and beat them with a beater.
• Then add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, rolled oats, ragi flour, cumbu flour, flax seed powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, fat free milk, canola oil and salt. Mix them with a spatula.
• Add vanilla essence and apple cubes and mix them with a spatula.
• Pour the mixture into a non stick muffin tin.
• Pre heat oven at 375 degree F and bake till muffins are done (approx. 25-30 mins).  

 Note:

• Flax seed in this recipe is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
• This is an excellent dish for breakfast with high fibre and low fat.

Almond Honey Cake

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 300 g
• Brown sugar – 200 g
• Baking power – 2 Tea spoon
• Honey – 3 Table spoon
• Fat free milk – 100 ml
• Canola oil or Vegetable oil - 100 ml
• Raisin – 50 g 
• Almond – 100 g
• Almond essence – 2 drops
• Baby milk powder or Plain Horlicks powder -3 Table spoon
• Plain Rava - 100 g
• Egg – 2 nos.

 Procedure: 

• Soak almond in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes. Remove skin and split each almond into two pieces.
• Sieve all purpose flour and baking powder for three times.
• In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour, baking powder, brown sugar, baby milk powder or horlicks powder, plain rava, honey, fat free milk, oil, eggs, raisin, almond and its essence. Pour this mixture in a non-stick baking dish.
• Pre-heat oven at 325 degree F and bake until it is done (30 – 35 minutes).  

Note:

• It is a low calorie cake with less sweet.
• It is a good snack for tea time.