Umm Ali

Happy Birthday Judy, on this beautiful day,
There’s so many things, We just want to say,
You inspire many, with your thoughts and actions,
We’re all so grateful, for your calm reactions.

Happy Birthday on this beautiful day,
You’ve always been there, for everyone’s birthday,
Kindness and thoughtfulness is your forte,
Our love for you, we wish to convey.

Happy Birthday on this beautiful day,
We wish you the best, for a beautiful day,
Hope you enjoy it, from beginning till end,
Here’s a hug and kiss, We at BOTCIY send.

The Egyptian Umm Ali is a delicious dessert, which utilizes many exotic ingredients and assorted nuts, and what better dessert could we dedicate to our exotic Queen of ‘Bring On The Chef In You’. Thanks Judy for all your efforts, in raising our blog to heights we never anticipated, for all your enthusiasm and passion in finding the apt dish for our food blog. Without your zeal, we could not have received such rave reviews. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and many more to come from all of us at ‘Bring On The Chef In You’

Ingredients
• 1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 5 cups milk
• 1¼ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
• 1/4 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
• ½ cup double cream
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Unroll the puff pastry sheets, and place flat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden brown.
2. Break the puff pastry into pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add the raisins, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, ¼ cup sugar and coconut, and toss to distribute. Pour into a 9×13 inch glass baking dish, and spread evenly.
3. Pour the milk into a saucepan, and stir in ½ cup sugar and vanilla. Heat until hot but not quite boiling. Pour over the mixture in the baking dish.
4. Beat the double cream with the remaining ½ cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over nut mixture in dish.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

PS : For a quick dessert, you can use honey coated Cornflakes instead of Puff Pastry and follow the recipe as above.

Rum Fruit Cake for Christmas

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jingle belling,
and everyone telling you,
“Be of good cheer,”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

There’ll be parties for hosting,
marshmallows for toasting and
caroling out in the snow.
there’ll be scary ghost stories and
tales of the glories of Christmases
long, long ago.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
There’ll be much mistletoeing
and hearts will be glowing,
when loved ones are near “.

Christmas will not be Christmas if a Fruit Cake is no where near….so here is a tried and tested ‘Rum’ laced Fruit Cake that you can try at home.  Its not difficult,  and its moist, tasty,  different, yummy and …ruuuuummmy !.

The colour of the cake depends on how dark you caramelize your sugar;  so if you want a deep dark brown,  caramelize the sugar a darker shade. Mine could do with a bit darker shade, I felt.

Soaking of the fruits can be done much in advance but even a mere 2 days will do.  I soaked them for about 3 days in a steel pan, tightly covered.

To soak the fruits:

850 grams dry fruits (I used raisins, prunes, dates, mixed peel, sultanas, dried papaya,  cherries, cranberries- as per your choice but see that it measures 850 grams)
2 tbsp strawberry or plum jam
1/2 cup orange juice
6tbsp granulated sugar
6 tablespoons dark rum
Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon
Vanilla essence – 1 tablespoon
Spices – (powdered fine 1 whole nutmeg, 1inch cinnamon and 12 cloves)
Mix and keep covered in a bowl.

For the Caramel Syrup :
1-1/2 cup of granulated sugar
3 / 4  cup hot water
Put the sugar in a pan and heat till it comes to a rolling boil and colour changes to a deep dark brown.   Switch off the flame and add the water (hot) and mix.  Be careful of the fumes and the hot caramel.  Stir and keep aside to cool.

For the Batter for the Cake :
250 grams unsalted butter
300 grams sugar,powdered
5 eggs, separated
6 tbsp granulated sugar
200g all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
100 g cashewnuts
½ cup milk
50g Semolina

For the cake batter:
In a small bowl add the egg whites and 6 Tablespoons of  granulated sugar and beat till stiff peaks form.  Keep aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar (normal granulated sugar powdered in a dry blender) till fluffy.  Add in the egg yolks one at a time and beat well.  Add in soaked fruits and cashewnuts and fold it with a whisk or a wooden spoon.  Add in the flour, baking powder and semolina and mix well.   Then add milk and caramel syrup little by little and beat till well mixed.  Lastly  fold in the beaten egg whites.
Pour the cake batter into prepared pan,  which has been greased with butter and lined with a double/or more wax paper on the bottom and sides of pan.
Keep in a preheated oven  (180 deg C) and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or till a cake tester inserted comes out clean.   Do not open the oven till at least one hour is over – only after that you can test to check if the cake is done.

Remove the cake from the over once it is done and pour ½ cup of  Rum on it all over the top.   Every 2 days or so,  add a tablespoon of rum.  This ensures that the cake is moist.
When the cake is cooled,  wrap in Aluminium Foil and keep in a cool dark place to age.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

Christmas is finally here and the geese are not the only ones getting fat……… ;)….. HO, HO, HO….. Have a jolly good time.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

“Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers,
‘Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
He’s got a bag that is filled with toys
for the boys and girls again.
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
What a beautiful sight.
Jump in bed, cover up your head,
‘Cause Santa Claus comes tonight “
Sugar Cookies

For the Dough :

3 cups Flour/Maida
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (about 225 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar (powder granulated sugar)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sift flour and baking powder and keep aside.

In another bowl cream together the butter and sugar till fluffy and creamy..say roughly 3-4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla essence and beat. Then add the flour/baking powder mixture 2-3 tablespoons at a time till all the flour is used up.

Then knead the dough till it is nice and soft (say about 5 minutes of kneading is required). Cover with a plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Place the dough on a clean work surface and keep a wax paper on the dough and roll it. My rolling pin has two plastic dowels which allow me to roll to required thickness. The wax paper on the dough is a great idea coz the dough does not stick to the rolling pin and you don’t need to add more flour to ease rolling.

Cut the dough with your choice of cookie cutters. And place the cut ones on a wax lined cookie sheet. Keep in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 deg F and bake for 10-12 minutes till they turn a light cream colour. Remove and cool on a cooling rack.

After they are cooled, the cookies can be decorated royal icing.

Royal Icing

3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder (I use Dr. Oekter Brand)
4 cups icing sugar
6 Tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. (I prefer to sift the icing sugar prior so that there are no lumps in the icing). The bowls should be completely grease free. You will get about 3 cups of royal icing with above, which is very white in colour. Put separately in small bows so that you can colour as required.
Outline the cookies with royal icing and then used thinned royal icing to flood the cookies. (For thinning the icing for flooding, add 1 teaspoon of water per cup of royal icing –till it reaches the proper consistency).

I made some Christmas Tree Cookies and some other Christmas cookies like snowflakes, pears, gingerbread man, snowman, bells.

It’s a very time consuming but very satisfying job at the end.

Tell me how you liked them.

I’d like to wish my family, friends and relatives a joyful Christmas.

Celebrate,  have fun, eat, drink and be jolly.   And do remember,  that a “Cookie”  a day,  keeps that stress away  !!!!!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa’s on his way;
He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother’s child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I’m offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you! “ 

These Cupcakes are light and fluffy and have a rich chocolate flavor.

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Sieve Flour, baking powder and baking soda together and keep aside.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line muffin pan with paper liners…. (Someone borrowed my muffin pans, so you see I made use of the Idli containers).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.

Stir in boiling water. The batter will be thin – so don’t worry about it dears.

Fill liners 2/3 full with batter.

Bake cupcakes for aproximately 22-24 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting. I left them plain but you could frost them with frosting of your choice (cream cheese, mascarpone or plain butter cream).

Enjoy…….

Semolina Cookies with Dates

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
So to honor Him. Pa rum pum pum pum
When we come
Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?
♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

These Semolina Cookies bound together with butter, orange blossom water and rose water,  hold a delicious date stuffing,  which is ahhhh…so good.   Get hold of some good quality dates;  we in the Middle East get a variety.  I had purchased a 5 Kg. pack to gift to our friend in Malaysia;  but as our trip was cancelled,  the box was still with me, lying sadly in a corner.   I decided to make good use of the Dates and thats how these Semolina Date Cookies saw the light of day.

If you are a ‘Date Lover’ like me…..you are going to fall for these yummies.

Ingredients needed :
450 grams coarse semolina
100 grams  fine semolina
225  grams good quality butter at room temperature
75 ml rosewater
15-20 ml orange blossom water
1/4 cup milk
(You need a Mould for the cookies – or else you can just shape into a round and flatten it slightly)

Filling :  2 cups of pitted dates and ½ cup of room temperature butter + ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder.  Pulse together in a blender..then knead together and form  marble  (big) sized balls. Keep aside to use as stuffing for the cookies.

Knead the coarse and fine semolina with the butter until incorporated.  Add orange blossom water and rosewater and knead till a mass is formed..say about 5-10 minutes.  Rest the dough for one hour in the fridge and then remove and add ½ cup of milk a tablespoon at a time and knead the dough till all the milk is used up.  Your dough will be not sticky now and is somewhat like clay now.  Make a small ball  and press it to make a cup like shape. Add the date ball and then cover it up with the dough and make it a nice and even ball.

Put it in a mould and then lay it on a wax lined cookie tray.  Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and bake for 15-20 minutes till you see the cookies just turning a slight brown.

When cool – store in an air-tight container.   These Date Cookies are loaded with lots of butter, thus will be very buttery and melt-in-the mouth type.  These can be stored for 10-15 days.

Besan Burfi …Gram Flour Fudge

Oh! You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

He’s making a list
Checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!

So! You better watch out
Oh! You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming
Santa Claus is coming
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Made this Besan Burfi / Gram Flour Fudge recently. Want to try it for this festive season ?

Ingredients Needed :
1 Cup – Gram Flour
Granulated sugar 1 cup (powder and keep aside)
1 cup + ¼ cup extra Ghee to add when the mixture is being heated)
¼ Cup Water
Handful of Pistachios for garnish

Take a thick bottomed non-stick pan and add a teaspoon of Ghee. Add the Gram flour and roast it till it is fried well. Ensure that you stir often so that it does not burn.

This should be done on a slow fire for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and sieve (this step is important) and keep aside.
Add one cup of Ghee (melted and cooled) to the roasted Gram Flour and mix well. This will be of a pouring consistency…(like honey consistency). Keep aside for 10-15 minutes for it to soak and absorb the flavor of the ghee.

In a pan (preferably a non-stick one) add sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil. Keep on a slow flame and check for it to become a one string consistency. When you take a pinch between your thumb and index finger to check, you will see a thin string forming. This is an indication that the consistency has reached. It is very hot, so take just a small pinch for testing.
Add the Gram Flour and Ghee mixture to the one string sugar syrup. Add the remaining ¼ cup Ghee, a tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously, to ensure that it does not burn.
After sometime you will see that the mixture will start leaving the sides of the pan and will stop being such a sticky mess.
Pour into a flat plate which has been greased liberally with ghee. Spread and flatten it a bit. Garnish with sliced pistachios. Cut into squares when still warm. Store in an airtight container.

Almond Butter Cake

This moist and Buttery Almond Cake is a favourite with kids who hate whole nuts or raisins in their cake.  Easy and quick.  To get the cake right, use right measurements and oven temperature.

 -145grams Flour
- 50 grams almond powder/meal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 170 grams butter at room temperature (I use Lurpak)
- 170 grams powdered sugar (powder normal granulated sugar)
- 2 small eggs  (this is important –if using large-use 2 egg yolks + 1 white of egg)

- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
- 12 tablespoons fresh milk

Preheat oven to 180ºC.  Butter and line a 8” square pan or a loaf pan with wax paper.

Sift flour, almond powder, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

Take a bowl and cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy – say about two minutes on medium speed.

Add egg and vanilla powder and beat.  Switch beater to low speed and add half the flour first and half the milk and beat until just incorporated.   Add the remaining milk and flour in two batches.  Do not overmix or the cake will be tough.

Pour batter into the lined cake pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes, till the cake tester inserted comes out clean.

You can add sifted icing sugar or vanilla cream on top when cool.  My son prefers it plain.

Orange and Cranberry Muffins for Christmas

♪♪♪♪♪♪
“City sidewalk, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.
In the air there’s
A feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, people passing,
Meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you’ll hear:
Silver bells, silver bells,
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas day.
City street lights,
Even stop lights,
Blink a bright red and green,
As the shoppers rush home
With their treasures.
Hear the snow crunch,
See the kids bunch,
This is Santa’s big scene,
And above all this bustle you’ll hear:
Silver bells, silver bells,
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas day.
♪♪♪♪♪♪

Cranberry and Orange Muffins

The combination of Oranges and Cranberry is really something sensational. These lovely Cranberry Orange Muffins, usually made during the festive season, are something that you will make again and again. I’ve had them first thing in the morning, yesterday and even today, with a steaming cup of coffee; and it’s a real good way to start the day.
Come, make something different for your family this Christmas Season.

1 cup dried cranberries  (I got these from Albert Abela)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest (the zest of one whole orange)
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 Tablespoons cornoil
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. [I used cupcake liners and some silicone moulds that I recently purchased].
Zest one whole orange (to make about 1 tablespoon of zest – I had more and added all of it) and set aside.
Squeeze the juice from that one orange (about 1/3 cup).
Put the orange juice and the cranberries in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Scrape down the side of the bowl, then add in the eggs (one at a time), vanilla, orange extract, and oil. Blend until well combined.
Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk (add about half of the flour mixture, then some milk,then the rest of the flour, and the rest of the milk). Fold in the cranberries. Do not over mix.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin/cupcake pan.
Bake muffins about 20 minutes – test to see if done – a toothpick inserted should come clean).
Cool muffins on a wire cooling rack.
Best had when warm, but they are still good the next day.   And…And…you cant stop with just one….dont say I did’nt say so. :):

Boozy Rum Balls

You want a perfect adult indulgence ?  Here is a delight that is laced with Rum.   Rum Balls are a truffle-like confection,  being sweet, dense balls flavoured with chocolate and rum.  These no bake ones have the goodness of crushed cookie crumbs, cocoa, sugar, corn syrup and rum.  Garnish them as you please, dipped in chocolate, roll them in icing sugar, cocoa powder, nuts, sprinkles;  creativity knows no bounds.

These Rum Balls are said to mature in flavour with age.  I did not get the opportunity to find out…but you can.  Try them, they are really exotic and you will get the ‘kick’ that everone deserves at Christmas time.

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) toasted nuts (as per your choice – I used cashewnuts, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts)

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) digestive biscuits (use the best quality available-as they make the base)

1/2 cup (60 grams)  powdered sugar  (grind granulated sugar in dry coffee grinder)

2 tablespoons (15 grams) Cocoa Powder

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 cup (60 ml) dark rum  (can use more to bind if required)

For Topping :  120 grams of dark chocolate and 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them for 8-10 minutes.  Let them cool and then pulse them in a dry coffee grinder.  They should be like bread crumbs but not moist.  Keep in a large bowl.

Pulse the biscuits in the dry coffee grinder or beat them with a rolling pin till you get biscuit crumbs,  Add the biscuit crumbs to the nuts mixture.  Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and stir with a whisk.  Add corn syrup and rum and mix well.  If not binding together add more rum.  Chill the batter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then proceed to shape into 1” balls.  Lay them on a wax paper and chill.

You can even coat them with nuts or coconut shavings,  but I feel a chocolate coating gives best results.  For this put 120 grams of chopped chocolate and 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter in a saucepan placed over a pan of simmering water.  Ensure that the saucepan with the chocolate does not touch the water but is just above the water.  Also no water should splash into the melting chocolate or the chocolate will cease and get hard.  Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and dip the balls one by one into the melted chocolate ensuring that it is fully dunked into the chocolate.  Lift with a fork and allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.  When the dripping stops, transfer to the wax paper lined tray, till they dry and turn hard.

I drizzled royal icing on the balls ( mix 3-4 tablespoons of water and icing sugar till you get a thickish icing and then drizzle on the rum balls).

Nankhatais…..Something Special

Made with just a few ingredients,  these melt in the mouth Indian Cookies called, Nankatas, Nankhatais; or Nankuts; are really something special.  This recipe has been widely circulated to all my friends and loved ones; and those who were extra lucky have even got to savour them.   The success ratio of these are very high,  provided you use the right ingredients, measurements and the oven temperature is right.    I have this nasty habit of making them and dumping it on others,  whether they like it or not.  So those who have been victims of my dumping,  do excuse me ; shama karna.   I’ve got the special thumbs-up for this one from my Mother-in-law…so what more can I want.

The cream ones I made recently for my niece, Nicole,  who is a big fan of these.  (Nicky…are you reading this ?).  The making is a piece of cake.  Go ahead and try them this christmas season.

Flour 2 cups

Powdered Sugar 1 cup

Ghee to knead  (roughly 1-1/2 to 2 cups)

Baking Powder 1/2 tsp

Knead all together.  Rougly add 1-1/2- 2 cups (+/-) ghee (a little by little) to the flour and knead till you can get it all together into a mass.  Once that it achieved..do not add more ghee.

Place small rounds on wax lined baking tray and bake at 180 deg C for 10-15 minutes.  You can use one or two drops of colour to get coloured ones;  though I prefer the cream ones.