Homemade Doughnuts – Three ways

by Trisha Vaz
I’m really excited as I write this post. Those of you following my blog will know that I’ve been venturing into the world of baking with yeast lately. Obviously this is just the tip of the ice berg. There is so much more I need to learn and try. But so far its been great fun. So when I made these doughnuts yesterday and they turned out great, I was thrilled to bits. Now, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been craving doughnuts. Sinful, luscious, indulgent doughnuts. Strangely this craving pops around over the weekend. The past couple of weekends have been a little busy, so I really haven’t been able to do anything about this craving for a long time. But this weekend I needed to get my doughnut fix. I really didn’t want to stop by the mall and pick up a box of doughnuts. I wanted to try making them on my own. I had bookmarked a recipe that I liked a few months ago. And please don’t laugh, but I really wanted to try out this doughnut cutter that I’d picked up over a year ago. I tend to do that every now and then, buy stuff planning to put it to good use, but sometimes it gets pushed right back to the deep dark recesses of my shelf and doesn’t see the light of day for a while. But now I can happily justify this impulse buying. **wink*wink**

These doughnuts are fried, but are not in the least bit greasy. They are ever so light and did I mention, really delicious. The dough is not too sweet, just the way I like it. And I think I got a little carried away while dressing them up. I had some with a vanilla glaze, some with a chocolate glaze and some dipped in cinnamon sugar. The cinna-sugar ones were my favorite. I would also suggest making sure your vanilla glaze is nice and thick or else it won’t be seen. You can’t really tell but the vanilla glaze is supposed to be a lovely yellow. In any case, they are really delicious, so no one will really mind. I halved the recipe and I got 19 doughnuts. I guess your yield will depend on the size of you cutter. The recipe below is the full one that should yield 30. 
Homemade Doughnuts
Recipe from: La Mia Vita Dolce
4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 tbsp caster sugar
100g butter, melted
3 eggs
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Activate the yeast by placing the water, milk, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Keep aside for 10 minutes. It will turn into a frothy concoction, indicating that the yeast is active.
Mix the flour, butter, eggs and the yeast mixture to form a sticky dough.
Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for about 45 minutes or till the dough has doubled in size.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface till it becomes smooth and elastic.
Roll on a lightly floured surface and cut out. Place the doughnuts on lightly greased baking paper. Cover with a tea towel and keep aside for about 30 minutes to rise.
Heat oil for deep frying. Carefully fry the doughnuts on a medium flame till golden brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
For the chocolate glaze – 
(Makes enough to glaze the whole batch)
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup warm milk
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Sift icing sugar and keep aside.
Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted.
Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted.
Turn off heat, add the icing sugar, and whisk until smooth.
Dip the doughnuts in this glaze and sprinkle as desired. 
For the Vanilla glaze
(Makes enough to glaze the whole batch)

¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
Gel paste food colouring (if using)

Warm the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan set over low heat.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk slowly until well combined.

If tinting glaze, using a toothpick, add a drop of gel paste at a time, whisking to combine well, until you’ve reach the desired colour.

Remove from heat and set over a bowl of warm water (you may have to reheat over low heat occasionally).

Dip the doughnuts in the glaze and sprinkle as desired.




Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1 cup caster sugar
Cinnamon powder 
1/4 cup Melted butter

Mix the caster sugar and enough cinnamon powder, till you get the intensity of flavor you are looking for.

Dip the doughnut very briefly in the melted butter and then dip in the sugar and cinnamon mix to coat well.


This recipe has been linked to – 
Sweet Tooth Friday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Bread, Cakes, Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

Easter goodies #4 – Marzipan Petit Four Easter Eggs

by Trisha Vaz
Like I’d promised here, today I’m going to show you a little something that I did to change up these marzipan Easter eggs. One of my clients, last year, needed something to take along to work for his colleagues. He didn’t want something as big as the regular Easter goodies since quite a few of the guys at work were bringing something or the other. So this is what I did. I hand rolled the marzipan into small eggs (the larger ones are made using a mould). Pipped a little royal icing border and a single flower. I had no idea they would turn out this adorable, since this was the first time I made them. I sure do hope I get the opportunity to make these again. I had fun with them. They are ideal if you need to take some treats for a large number of people. It also turns out easier on the pocket than the larger pieces. Here they are in their individual little paper cups, ready to go. Aren’t they pretty? (If I do say so myself).

I’ve added one of my favorite marzipan recipes. Click here to view it.

This fun idea is linked to –
Crafty Soiree
The Homespun Bake Shop
Sweets for a Saturday
Meals on Monday
Easter Party

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes

Franzipan: My mum-in-laws recipe

by Trisha Vaz
Honestly, before I got married and before I could take a look at my late mum-in-laws recipe collection, I had never heard of this treat. And let me tell you, I was missing out on something. My mum-in-law was a very talented person. She was an amazing cook and very skilled with the crochet needle. She was also a really good seamstress and was very creative. I wish I had the opportunity to meet her. So the first time my husband asked me to make this, I didn’t know what to expect. This is one pie he enjoys making, and hey, I’m not complaining. He does a wonderful job with it. We’ve made this for quite a few parties, gatherings and it works well as a hostess gift as well. It has always received great reviews. It is quite a rich pie, so you might want to adjust the portion sizes accordingly.

Franzipan


For the pie crust – 
250 gms all purpose flour, sieved

125 gms cold butter, cubed

Mix the cold butter and flour till it becomes crumbly.

Add a little cold water at a time and knead lightly to form a dough.

Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for ½ hour.

Roll out.

Place it in the pie pan and pierce it with a fork to help the steam escape.

Bake at 180º till lightly brown.

For the filling – 
4 oz butter

4 oz superfine sugar
4 oz cashewnuts, ground
1 oz flour
2 eggs

Method –

Melt butter over low heat.

Whisking well, add sugar and cashewnuts. Mix till it is well combined.

Take off heat and add the eggs. Mix well.

Bake in a baked pastry shell for 25 minutes at 180ºC.

Enjoy!!!

Here’s a peek at what the inside looks like –

This recipe is linked to –
Sweet tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Recipes

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

by Trisha Vaz
This post is a relatively exciting one for me. In my part of the world, some baking ingredients, tools and bakeware that many of you find in every possible store around you, is practically impossible to find. So whenever I go shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for something I’ve not seen before. Imagine my joy a few days ago when I was on one such grocery shopping trip and I spotted a bundt pan, a silicon one. I wasn’t going to be fussy about how it was not the likes of a typical Nordicware pan, so I quickly grabbed one. Yay! my very first bundt pan. I had recently seen a post on a cream cheese pound cake and I knew that was what I was going to bake in this one. Now shocking as it may sound to many of you, I must admit I’ve never baked a pound cake before. I can’t figure out why. So yes, for me it was another first, my very first pound cake. I also baked some burger buns that day. Yeasted bread, another first for me – I will post about that later. Getting back to the cake, I was a little concerned at first, when I found there was no baking powder listed in the ingredients for this cake. I crossed my fingers and followed the recipe closely. I ended up with one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever tasted. It was moist and light and tasted heavenly. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Preheat the oven to 165ºC.
Cream the butter and cream cheese till it is silky.
Add the sugar and beat well till fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Add the vanilla and beat well. At this point you may want to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix well.
Add the flour and gently fold it in until it is just incorporated. Do not beat the flour.
Bake at 165ºC for an hour. (The original recipe said 1 hour and 20 minutes but mine was done in a hour.)
 
 
This recipe is linked to –
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
Sweets for a Saturday
Remembrance Cakes for 9-11

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Recipes

Vanilla Custard In Guava Cups

by Trisha Vaz
This is a fairly simple dessert that my mum used to surprise us with every once in a while. I still have fond memories of coming home to be greeted to some of this. As a child, I think this was one of my favorite desserts. It is so simple to make, yet tastes divine. I used some Brown & Polson Vanilla Custard, but I’ve always wanted to try making my own custard. I’ll probably do that the next time I make this. I can’t believe I haven’t made this on my own before. This dessert is served refrigerated, so its lovely for the summer months when you need to take an edge off the heat. I consider this one a healthy dessert and I’m sure you’ll agree once you’ve taken a look at the list of ingredients.

Vanilla Custard in Guava Cups


For the Vanilla Custard –
1/2 litre milk
2 tbps custard powder
3-4 tbsp. sugar, superfine or to taste

Mix the custard powder and the sugar with the cold milk.

Place on a medium flame, stirring continuously till it has thickened.

Cool and refrigerate.

For the Guava Cups – 
3 guavas, ripe but firm and not bruised (Use as many guavas as you would need to serve the number of people for the meal. You can serve half a guava to a person.)
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
5 cloves

Wash and cut the guavas in half. Cut off the brown parts near where the stem would’ve been.

In a large vessel, place the guavas cut side up.

Pour enough water to reach a little over the top of the guavas and add the sugar.

Bring to a boil and continue cooking till the seed portion of the guavas start popping out of the flesh.

At this point, you can pick out the guavas using a slotted spoon, cool the stewing liquid and place the guavas back in it and refrigerate till you’re ready to serve.

I picked out the guavas and let the sugar syrup continue boiling till it had thickened a little.

The stewed guavas are delicious even by themselves.

For Assembly – 
When you’re ready to serve, scoop out the guava seeds and discard. Place the guava on the serving plate/bowl.

Spoon out the chilled custard into the guava cup. I always like a little extra custard for me.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to –
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent
Fun with Food Fridays
Sweets for a Saturday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Goan Recipes, Recipes

Gaajar ka Halwa

by Trisha Vaz
Gaajar ka Halwa, Carrot (Gaajar) Halwa or Carrot Pudding is a very popular dessert in India. There are loads of recipes you will find being using to whip this up. Some serve it warm, some serve it cold, some recipes will result in a richer version, but I’d like to think of mine as a slightly more health conscious variant which still results in a delightful dessert. This can also be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a long time. But truth be told, it’ll get gobbled up much sooner.

Gaajar ka Halwa
(Makes about 14-16 servings)

1 kg carrots, grated
1 (400g) tin condensed milk (I used Milkmaid)
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. ghee or clarified butter
2 tbsp. sugar (please adjust this to suit your taste)
Seeds of about 15 green cardamom pods, pounded to a fine powder
A few almonds, slivered

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the ghee.

Add the grated carrots and stir well. Let the carrots sweat a little.

Add the milk and let it cook off for a couple of minutes on a medium flame.

Add the condensed milk. Stir well. After a few minutes add sugar to taste. Stir well.

Leave it uncovered on a medium flame, stirring occasionally till all the liquid evaporates. You may need to turn the heat down towards the end of the cooking process.

When its almost done, add the powdered cardamom seeds and slivered almonds. Mix well and take of the heat.

Garnish with a few slivered almonds and serve.

Once it has cooled completely, you can refrigerate the rest.

Note: When adding the powdered cardamom and slivered almonds, you can also throw in a few raisins and/or some chopped pistachios if you want.

This recipe has been linked to
Sweets for a Saturday #1 hosted by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies

Please spend some time and check out what the others have brought to the table this week.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Recipes

Coconut Pancakes

by Trisha Vaz
Those of you who’ve been following this blog, know that I love coconut. Today, I’m going to share with you one of my all time favorites, the coconut pancake. From what I know, the coconut pancake has its roots in Goan cuisine. It uses Goan jaggery which is a lovely sweetener and is much healthier compared to sugar. So yes, its Decidedly Healthy and at the same time what I would consider Horridly Decadent. Its fairly easy to make and it is a wonderful treat. These are the pancakes that we make year after year on Pancake Tuesday. You can choose to use store bought crepes or make your own. I hope you enjoy these pancakes as much as we do.

Coconut Pancakes

For the Pancakes –

1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp. sugar, optional
Milk

Put all the ingredients except the milk in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add milk gradually to get the batter to the consistency ideal for making crepes. It should flow smoothly but should also be able to coat the back of a spoon.

Brush some oil on the pan.

Ladle the batter onto the pan and swirl the pan around to spread the batter. When the top of the crepe is no longer sticky, flip it over. Once this side has cooked as well, take it off the pan.

Repeat the oiling of the pan after each crepe is taken off and continue with the rest of the batter.

For the filling –

Freshly grated coconut (about 1/2 a coconut)
Grated Goa jaggery, to taste

Mix both adjusting the amount of jaggery to get the desired amount of sweetness.

To assemble the pancakes –

Once the crepes have cooled, spoon some of the filling onto the crepe and roll it up, making sure to tuck in the sides to stop the filling from falling out.

The pancakes are now ready to serve.

This recipe has been linked up with –
Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent Saturday Party
Fun with Food Friday

and
Breakfast Club  – Guest Hosted by Krithi’s Kitchen

Do stop by and check what the others have made.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Goan Recipes, Recipes, Snacks