Caramel Cashew Icecream | Icecream recipes

I.love.icecream... period. Open my freezer and you can find a tub of icecream anytime of the year, be it summer or spring or fall or even during the peaks of winter. Sometimes I make it at home and sometimes I buy it from the store.
The huss is a big fan of nuts in icecream. The likes like butter pecan and caramel cashew from Kopps make him go bonkers and we end up buying a scoop or two whenever it is the flavor of the day at Kopps. Few days back there was a sale for cashews in one of our local stores and I picked 2 packets to stock up. I then felt it was way too much (thats how I roll, guys) and so wanted to use up atleast one packet. Half of it went into making this yummilicious caramel icecream. Well, dont ask about the rest.

~What U Need*~ Granulated sugar - 1 cup Heavy cream - 2 cups, 1+1 Rosated salted cashew - 1 cup Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp Whole milk - 1 1/4 cup Egg yolks - 5, large How I Made it: Bring 1 cup cream to a gentle boil. Heat 1 cup sugar in a thick bottomed vessel with 4 tbsp water swirling occasionally to melt the sugar evenly. Melt the sugar till it turns dark amber. Add the cream to the caramel and stir gently until it forms a homogeneous mixture. Be careful the caramel will splutter a lot as soon as you add the cream to it. Remove from the flame. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, to boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Add the milk mixture in a thin stream into the yolk whisking all the time. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, and then stir in cooled caramel. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold overnight. When you are ready to make ice cream, add chopped salted roasted cashew to the custard mixture and make ice cream according to your manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have ice cream maker, freeze the mixture for 45 minutes. Take it out, break up frozen bits with whisk. Repeat this process at 30 minute intervals for 2-3 hours. Freeze until ready to serve.

Yummy ice-cream is ready...

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Methi Murgh / Methi Chicken

Its not spring yet here. It was but not now. The temperature has been varying constantly for the past month. One day we cannot survive without the cooler on and the next day you need to pull out your socks and sweater. With inconsistent temperatures comes cold and flu and the cycle has started in our house with pappu being infected the most.
Methi is one green that we buy frequently these days. Its mostly methi theplas with spicy thakkali thokku for dinner but sometimes I try something different and this methi murgh has become a favorite. Packed with tons of flavor, its the perfect side dish for rotis or parathas or pulaos.

~*What U Need*~ Chicken - 1 lb, washed & cut into medium sized pieces Methi leaves - 1 cup cleaned and packed Onions - 1, chopped finely Green chilli - 1 Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Tomato - 1, pureed Yogurt - 2 tbsp Turmeric powder - a pinch Red chilli pdr - 1/2 tsp Coriander pdr - 1 tsp Cumin pdr - 1/2 tsp Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp Salt - to taste Oil - 2 tbsp Cream - 1 tbsp How I Made it: In a bowl whisk the cream and yogurt and set aside. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai, add the methi leaves and saute for some time, remove and set aside. In a kadai, heat the oil, add the chilli and saute for a min. Add the onions and cook till brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell leaves. Add the pureed tomato add saute till it forms a masala. Add the masala powders and saute for some time. Add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cook on medium high flame for 3-4 mts. Reduce flame, place lid and let the chicken cook till three fourth done. Add the garam masala, methi leaves and cook till the chicken is done and you get the consistency of your choice. Reduce the flame to low, add the cream mixture and mix well. Cook in low flame for 2-3 mins. Add chopped coriander leaves, remove from flame.

Serve hot with white rice, biryani, flavored rice or rotis.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Life takes a turn at times. That which interested you becomes distant and that hobby which you thought would never peak into your mind becomes a favorite passtime. I am in that phase right now. I have been blogging for 4 years now and I would never want to give that up just like that. And so I am taking my time to settle my mind and start blogging again. I was pretty busy for the past few weeks with pappu's birthday celebrations. I will write a separate post on that soon. But as for now lets talk about this easy to make cajun chicken pasta.

Pasta is one thing that I make when I am pressed for time or when we need a quick fix meal. Pappu is a sucker for mac and cheese and so I make it atleast once a month. As for pasta, I try a different recipe and that is how this cajun pasta happened. It happened and it is now a favorite.

~*What U Need*~ Boneless skinless chicken thighs - 1/2 cup, cut into bite size pieces Linguine - 6 oz Onion - 1/2, sliced Mushrooms - 1 cup, sliced Red bell pepper - 1/2, sliced, I didnt have this so skipped Garlic - 2, chopped Cajun seasoning - 1 tbsp Chicken stock - 1/2 cup Heavy cream - 2 tbsp Coriander - 1 tbsp, chopped Butter - 1 tbsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Salt, pepper - to season How I Made it: Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Season the chicken thighs with the cajun seasoning and set aside. In a large skillet add the butter and cook the chick thighs for 4-5 mins. Remove to a plate. Add the olive oil, add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and peppers and cook for 5-6 mins. Add the chicken stock, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add the cream and season lightly with salt and pepper, toss in the cooked pasta and cook everything together for about a minute or until the sauce thickens. Add the coriander and remove.

Serve warm!!!

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Mango Icecream

Something about winter makes you crave icecream. I don't know about you but that is me. I love eating icecreams on a wintery night or on a snowy evening. If you follow me by instagram then you would have known the recent addition to my kitchen ~ my brand new Cuisinart icecream maker. Ever since I got this beauty I have been churning out different flavors non stop. The inaugural was done with the huss's favorite flavor, mango. I used canned sweentened mango pulp but if you are using fresh mangoes then increase the sugar content to your taste.

~*What U Need*~ Egg yolks - 3, large Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup Heavy cream - 350 ml Milk - 200 ml Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Mango pulp - 450 gms, I used canned How I Made it: Whip egg yolks and sugar until pale. In a saucepan set on medium heat bring the cream and milk to a boiling point. Add the vanilla and mix well. Temper the egg yolks with a small amount cream mixture, stir well. Slowly add the cream mixture over the egg yolks whisking all the time. Pour back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the pureed mango, cover and refrigerate until cold. Freeze the mixture as per your icecream maker's instructions.

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Pumpkin Pie for two | Small batch baking

When it comes to baking, I always try to scale down the recipe. Its because a)it is just the three of us and b)if it goes the wrong way then I dont have to ditch a whole lot of ingredients. That being said, I had always wanted to try my hands on homemade pumpkin pie but something told me that this will not be sold that well in the house. And so I made pumpkin pie for two.

Let me talk about the batter first and then lets move on to the pie itself. The recipe that I have here makes more filling than needed. So I made another batch of the dough and made mini pumpkin pies for pappu's preschool. Moving on to the pie, if you are a lover of spices then pumpkin pie is your piece of cake. Its not that sweet, its not overpowering and the spices kinda tingle your palate. Allow the pie to cool completely and then stick it into the fridge overnight to get neat slices. And as for the decorations, they are totally optional but since I was in the mood I made small leaves and flowers and baked them separately and then stuck them onto the pie.

For the Crust: All purpose flour - 3/4 cup Cold butter - 2 tbsp, cut into cubes Cold vegetable shortening - 2 tbsp, cut into cubes Salt - 1/4 tsp Granulated sugar - 1/2 tbsp Ice cold water - 2 tbsp For the filling: Eggs - 1 + 1 egg yolk Pumpkin puree - 7.5 oz Whipping cream - 1/4 cup Light brown sugar - 1/2 cup Ground cinnamon - 1/2 tsp Ground ginger - 1/4 tsp Ground cloves - a pinch (1/16 tsp) Salt - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: Lets make the crust first. Mix flour with salt and sugar. Work the butter and shortening into the flour until it resembles pea sized peas. Add the water by tbsp just enough to bring the dough together. Form a ball, put into a ziploc bag and refrigerate for 30 mins. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together all the pumpkin filling ingredients until well combined. Grease a 6" pie plate with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. And set aside. Pour filling into the prepared pie shell and bake for 30-35 mins or until set, the center might jiggle a little. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Then, pop it into the fridge overnight.

Slice and serve with some whipped cream!!!

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White Chocolate Creme Brulee

The huss loves white chocolate. If I choose 85% cacao dark chocolate for my midnight snack, he would choose the straight opposite and go for white chocolate. I am not a hater, I love anything chocolate but I just prefer dark to white. I love making, serving and gifting sweet things to friends and family. And no dinner for us is complete without a scoop of icecream or a piece of homemade cake to share between the three of us. So when I had some white chocolate chips left over after making cookies for friends during the holidays, I thought I could make something for the huss exclusively. And with valentine's day coming up, I though it would be a great dessert option to share with you guys.

Prep: 15 min; Bake: 50 min; Makes: 3-4 servings ~*What U Need*~ Egg yolks - 3 Sugar - 6 tbsp, divided Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup White baking chocolate - 2 ounces Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, chocolate and 2 tablespoons sugar. Heat over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolk mixture to temper the egg yolk mixture; return the mixture to the pan, stirring constantly till the mixture thickens slightly. {I missed taking pics of this step but its very similar to making icecreams} Pour into ramekins. Place in a baking pan. Add 1 in. of boiling water to pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until center is set. Remove from water bath. Cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. To broil the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Broil on the top rack of the oven for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Keep an eye every 1-2 mins. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Serve chilled!!!

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Tres Leches Cake

Hi friends, how was your New year celebrations? Ours was good, we ate, we drank to the new year and then we had a potluck with friends. All together it looks like a pretty good start. But on the weather front, the temperatures have started plunging head first and we had a terrible snow storm two days back. And the temperatures are still dropping. So its been garam garam pakodas and bhajjis with cardamom chai for the past few days.

Coming to this recipe, I made this some time back when we met a friend for dinner. I wanted to try my hands on something new and this tres leches cake has been in my bucket list for a long time. We loved the cake so much that this has been fixed to be part of pappu's birthday party after his approval.

Prep Time: 45 min; Cook Time: 1 Hour; Serves: 12 ~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 1 cup Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Whole eggs - 5 Sugar - 1 cup, divided Vanilla - 1 tsp Whole milk - 1/3 cup Evaporated milk - 1 can Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can Whole milk - 1/4 cup For the frosting Heavy cream - 1 pint Sugar - 3 tbsp Fruit cocktail - 1 can drained Mandarins - 1 can, drained Maraschino cherries - 8-10, cut into halves How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with fruits and cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Serve chilled!!!

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Chocolate Icecream | A David Leobitz recipe

Come on guys, lets take a break and chill out. And what best way than icecream. I wanted to take a break from the cookies but wanted to keep up with the season of sweetness and indulgence and this chocolate icecream is just right. Something about winter and chillness makes me have icecreams. And when it is chocolate, I have to go for it.
I have become a firm believer of "you taste what you add" after having this icecream. I used Ghiradelli chocolate and that is what tasted in every bite. Its rich, its smooth, its creamy and it is absolutely chocolate-y. So I strongly urge you to use the best quality chocolate that you can lay hands on.

~*What U Need*~ Heavy cream - 1 cup Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp Semisweet chocolate - 70 g, I used Ghiradelli Whole milk - 1/2 cup Sugar - 6 tbsp Medium egg yolks - 3 Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: Warm 1/2 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or whisk the mixture every 1 hour to remove the ice crystals for 3hours and then freeze overnight.

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Eggnog | Homemade eggnog | Boozy Chirstmas Drink

When it comes to eggnog you either love it or don't. If you are a spice lover then you will love it. But then if spices are not your thing then this drink is not for you. As for me, I love eggnog. Its creamy, its luscious and its comforting. This here is an adult version like the one where Jake drinks and sings "mammio daddio" in Two and a half men. Most of the eggnog recipes that I came across uses uncooked eggs and whipping eggwhites and folding it into the drink. Well I hate uncooked eggs and this recipe was just right for me. I referred lot many recipes and came up with my own version. As for the rum, you can totally skip it and add imitation rum extract or if you are one who doesn't love rum flavor then skip it.

Prep time: 5 mins; Cooking time: 15 mins; Serves: 2 cups ~*What U Need*~ Egg yolks - 4 Sugar - 1/4 cup Whole Milk - 1 1/2 cups Heavy cream - 1/2 cup Freshly grated nutmeg - 1/2 + 1/8 tsp Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp Ground cloves - 1/8 tsp Cinnamon - 1/8 tsp Rum - 2 tbsp How I Made it: In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture doubles in volume and is a nice pale color{I missed including that in my step by step pictorial}. Add the cream, milk, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add about half of the hot milk into the egg yolk stirring constantly. Add this into the saucepan with the remaining liquid and cook stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees or coats slightly the back of the spoon. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, add the rum and vanilla and place it in the fridge to cool completely, best if refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors meddle.

Serve chilled with a dollop pf whipped cream!!!

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Charlotte Russe | Chocolate Charlotte Russe ~ for our 5th!!!

We celebrated our 5th anniversary this month. Yeah 5 years with this man. I wouldn't say that life was perfect. We have had our fair share of fights and together moments and I would say fights triumphed over the latter. But it was those fights that brought us closer and intimate. Life with this guy is like a roller coaster ride. I am still learning something new but life with this guy is what makes me complete.

This anniversary I wanted to make something new and special, something that I had never tried before and this charlotte russe is everything that I needed to make the day special. It is light, it's creamy and it's delicious. Delicious in the sense mouth wateringly delicious and you would definitely crave for another slice. We kept most of the dessert to ourselves but then we started over-indulging and finally gave away half of it for friends. It is that good...

~*What U Need*~ For the genoise: Melted butter - 1 tbsp All purpose flour - 50 g Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Eggs - 2, large Sugar - 60 g For the Mocha Bavarian Cream: Powdered gelatin - 11 g Cold water - 75 ml Egg yolks - 2 Sugar - 60 g Milk - 250 ml Vanilla extract - 1 tsp Instant coffee powder - 1 tbsp Bittersweet chocolate - 1 oz Heavy cream - 250 ml Simple coffee syrup: Boil 1/2 tbsp instant coffee with 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp water. Set aside to cool. Ladyfingers - 20 or to fit 8-inch springform pan. Chocolate shavings - to decorate How I Made it: Preheat oven to 180 C. Whisk the eggs and sugar. Place over a pan of simmering water and whisk till it is warm approx 5 mins. Take this egg in a mixer bowl and beat on high till cooled and triple in volume. The batter should leave a ribbon like trail when lifted out of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Sieve about a third of the flour and fold in. Repeat with the remaining flour in thirds. Take a spoonful of the mix and add to the melted butter and whisk well. Add this to the flour mixture and fold gently. Spoon into greased 8-inch cake pans and bake for 10-12 mins until they are slightly shrinking away from the tin. Cool for 5 mins in the tin then loosen the edges with a knife and transfer to a cooling rack. To make the mocha bavarian cream, soak the gelatin in cold water and let it bloom for 5 mins. Whip yolks and sugar until light and thick. Scald milk and slowly add it into the egg mixture, beating constantly. Cook this mixture over a pan of simmering water until it thickens slightly. Add vanilla extract and coffee powder and mix well to dissolve. Melt the gelatin on heat and add into the egg mixture. Let it cool in the fridge till half set, whisking every now and then to keep the mixture smooth. Whip cream to soft peaks, fold the cream into the half set egg mixture. Set aside. To assemble, line the springform pan with ladyfingers(I cut them into half), place one genoise on the bottom of the pan, brush with the coffee syrup generously, pour half of the bavarian cream and smooth the top. Place the second genoise on top and repeat with the steps. Decorate with chocolate shavings and place in the fridge to set for 2-3 hours. Slice and serve.

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