Mango rose cake

With mangoes in season all I could think was this delicious beautiful mango rose cake.We are a family of mango lovers and relish mango on its own .But a cake never hurts-right? Mango has its own sweetness and colour and is perfect for cakes.A moist vanilla cake layered with whipped  cream and adorned with mango in the form of a flower.Why vanilla not a chocolate? ( my kids too asked the same ).I don't want to over power the taste of mango with chocolate + mango and vanilla are a combo made in heaven.I have just added mango puree between the whipped cream layers just to increase the mango flavour.

Dinner rolls| Pav

Hello every one !! Hope you all have been well.Catching the train with today's recipe.Dinner rolls or pav/pau as we call in India is a staple of every house hold.These mini,feathery bundles of joy have been my all time favourite.I still blurly remember the chaos at our local bakery for fresh out of the oven breads and dinner rolls.This is the second bread post on the blog after leopard bread which is the most popular recipe till date.Bread making isn't a cake walk- no I am not terrorising you.Baking a cake and frosting is much easier compared to bread making,well that is my opinion and I am sure with practise In Sha Allah I am gonna conquer my fear.

Upside down apple cake

With the nip in air all you crave is a warm mildly sweet cake or a deep fried goodness -Agree?I better go with the baked one, first reason being the man of the house not really a fan of deep fried goodies and the second reason is the aroma wafting round the house that literally soothes your senses.Though winter has arrived much later it has started with a bang .Apart from the freezing cold the best part of winters is the winter produce and warm bakes.A big slice of this upside down apple cake with some freshly brewed coffee and the family gathered at the tea table ,is sheer happiness.What else could any one ask for? With apples in season this would be a perfect treat.Though apples are available here all the year round the winter apples have that perfect crunch and sweetness.This cake is perfect to gobble when warm with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Hyderabadi roat|How to make hyderabadi roat from scratch |Muharram special

Do you think cookies are from the western world ?No,cookies are very much Indian. Dum ka roat is one such example that cookies existed in India from ages .Roat/roote/roate what ever you call it.The big giant sized cookie measuring the size of your palm made with almond flour,semolina,all purpose flour and Desi ghee (clarified butter) is a labour of love . Hyderabadi dum ka roat is a speciality of Muharam -the first month of Islamic calendar .

Dum ka roat has become an iconic bake of Hyderabad and is available as seasonal bake at all the famous bakeries like Pistahouse and Subhan bakery.Its available for 3 months only from October to December.Every year some generous friends who are back from vacations deliver our pack of dum ka roat .

Vanilla chiffon cake|How to make vanilla chiffon cake from scratch

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication "-Leonardo da vinci.

This stands apt for today's post.A simple moist vanilla chiffon cake is pure bliss.Just dig in a bite and you will be transported in to gastronomic heaven .More over this vanilla chiffon cake is so easy to put up ,absolutely fuss free.No fancy ingredients and no complicated method ,just straight forward that even a beginner can be successful .So when you try, do make a big batch apart from the in-house mates your  neighbours too will go gaga over the aroma.This is such a versatile recipe that it can be used as a base for various party cakes or just a biggggg slice with a dollop of ice cream wouldn't be that bad .The particular recipe yields one 4" cake feel free to double the recipe according to your need.

Pizza rolls |How to make pizza rolls from scratch

Ramadan has started globally and Alhamdulillah we are observing the 3 day of fasting.Ramadan Mubarak to every one.We are fasting here are as long as 15 hours, let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are observing the fast for 20 long hours in countries like Russia and Canada etc .May Allah (SWT) ease their  hard ships and grant the highest reward of fasting .Let's start this blessed month with a guest post. 

Pizza bombs| How to make pizza bomb from scratch

Pizza is relished by every one .But enjoyed thoroughly if it is hot out of the oven .Not everyone enjoys a cold pizza .As the pizza cools down it loose it charm the cheese dries up and the topping too. Hence it becomes difficult to carry it either in lunch boxes or for picnics or get-together.These pizza

bombs are packed with flavours of pizza and create a riot of flavours once you pop it into your mouth.Pizza bombs are made with 50/50 atta(whole wheat flour) and maida(all purpose flour).So indulgence will be guilt free.

chocolate cake with mirror glaze |party cake

This weekend perk up your dinner table for get together with a stunning as well as a delightful, moist ,decadent chocolate sponge cake layered with coffee whipped cream and wrapped with  a generous coat of chocolate mirror glaze.This cake is literally easy to whip up and equally delicious to devour .the chocolaty goodness is well paired with the subtle bitterness of coffee whipped cream ..

If your are a fitness freak and are keeping yourself at bay- let me enlighten you, the chocolate cake is a pure butter free cake with minimal oil,and for the calories gained from whipped cream and chocolate glaze and extra hour on the tread mill will compensate the gain in calories.After all festive season is all about food  and friends . So gear up to an over load of yumminess .

Chocofill cookies|Cookies filled with chocolate

Chocofill cookies are soft chewy cookies with bursting chocolate in the centre. In short  it would be a chocolate lovers paradise.Soft ,chewy,buttery cookies with melt in the mouth, smooth ganache are just good enough to hypnotise any one .You just need a glass of chilled milk and a box full of cookies to pamper your self .These  chocofill cookies were so yummy that I couldn't control my self gorging on it.

Butter scothch bread pudding | bread pudding with butter scotch |How to make butter scotch bread pudding from scratch

Starting today I will be doing the guest post series ,where in some amazing blogger friends of mine would grace the blog with their delectable's. Blogging undoubtedly has opened up a lot of avenues and blessed with some amazing friends from the blogosphere who share the same passion "food".We chat about food,props ,apps and many more.Alhamdulillah we have become a virtual family.So here I present you the logo for guest post series.....

How to make finger millet banana bread |Ragi-banana chocochip bread | Finger millet chocochip bread | Healthy banana bread

Mom ,What's there for breakfast ? This is the most irking question .Deciding the every day menu with 3 different meals is tedious job.With the school running in full swing and summer at its best I prefer a hearty and healthy lunch box which lifts their mood and makes my job (cooking) easier.Schools here in Qatar start as early as 6.30 am,Yes you read it right 6.30 am and the kids have to be ready by 5.30 to catch their school bus .

Sponge cake | American sponge cake | Easiest sponge cake with step wise pictures| zero oil sponge cake | flawless sponge cake | oil free,butter free sponge cake

#Happiness is a perfectly baked sponge cake .A moist sponge cake  in itself is a complete dessert when served with a dollop of whipped cream ...a match made in heaven .I have baked so many sponge cakes in my baking journey but this one is sure a keeper recipe. In fact, I have been baking for the past 10 years every type of cake from simple to party cakes to celebrate some special occasions in my family.But the happiness  and joy i felt after seeing this beautiful flat top sponge cake is UN -express able in words. This was a treat to eyes ,an eye candy .

Apple roses| puff pastry rolled with slices of apple |party special |easy snack |kids friendly recipe |snack box idea

Ahh its Sunday again,though its a holiday in almost every country of the world ,in middle eastern  countries its the first day of the week .So I am back to blogging after enjoying the weekend.A video was shared on fb showing this apple roses ....I was so excited  on seeing the video that i tried my hands on it .

And Alhamdulillah  I was successful in  the very first attempt .Served as an after school surprise for kids and my princess was like ....feeling short of words to describe its beauty "Mom they are so beautiful how did you make it ???....Are you sure they are apples???.She had to taste it to believe they were apples rolled in puff pastry .

This can be served as party special or a mid day snack or can be paired with your evening tea. Ahh!! last but not the least to serve surprise guests!! .I always have puff pastry on hand as it is so versatile that it can be served as snack with sweet or savoury filling .As i always make it for the evenings to be enjoyed with tea they haven't found their way to this blog .No one is patient enough to wait for me to be clicked .....hope some time soon  it will be here. Till then you enjoy these apple roses...I have given the step by step pictorial for easy understanding.

Pizza bread cups| Quick pizza bread | Pizza bites baked in a muffin pan| Instant pizza

Kids always want a novelty for the breakfast or their lunch box .they easily get bored with the regular stuff ,"Aaaj phir tiffin mein wohi diya aapne ". or "Aaj tiffin mein naya kya hai ".this question taunts like any other word in the world .every time you enter the kitchen you have to scrape your mind for some innovative ,rather easy ideas for lunch box so that the fussy eaters can be satisfied .I think this is a universal mummy woe!!!...."Don't you agree with me ?

 My kids are not  a butter or a jam person.They like to have their bread with either nutella or a sandwich .Once the video of this,Pizza bread cups was shared on fb ,and i tried it .Thank god my  kids liked it and i had another variation for their lunch box . Though it is enjoyed best just out of the oven ,kids were saying .."OK!!! momma cheese aur pizza sauce tha na,acha tha  is liye khaliya .If your are craving for pizza and want some thing instant ...then this cups are for you . A perfect accompaniment with your evening tea .

Go...give it a try ....  

Zatar bread

 Zatar is  the name for a condiment made from the dried herbs, mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices. Used in Arab cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Middle East.

 zatar is high in anti-oxidants.Zatar is traditionally dried in the sun and mixed with salt, sesame seeds and sumac. It is commonly eaten with pita(bread), which is dipped in olive oil and then zatar. When the dried herb is moistened with olive oil, the spread is known as zatar-wu-zayt . 

This mixture spread on a dough base and baked as a bread, produces manakeesh bi zaatar(zatar bread). Zatar is used as a seasoning for meats and vegetables or sprinkled onto hummus. It is also eaten with labneh (yogurt drained to make a tangy, creamy cheese), and bread and olive oil for breakfast.

This is one of the most popular and readily  available breakfasts on the go ,after  shawarma if you are going for a veg option .Its easily available in any supermarket or grocery stores.

Lets start baking ...............

Marble cake (eggless)

My daughter S was having their fun day at school and she wanted me to bake a cake to share with her class mates .While I was deciding on what to bake ,soon I realised that I was running short of eggs and it was too early in the morning for the shops to open .Rather than that I was feeling lazy to step out of the house and ferry my self eggs .

Suddenly my eyes fell on the yogurt lying in the fridge and........  what else? I decided to bake an egg less cake. A plain vanilla cake would be boring for the kids ,and for  a complete chocolate cake i was not confident of the egg less version . I had tried vanilla cake and loved the texture and taste of it ,but was sceptical with chocolate ..Finally decided that I will go with a marble cake.It came out so perfect that no one could figure it out that it was an egg less cake 

Lets  start baking ........

Designer swiss roll | Patterned swiss roll

After one failure ,finally nailed it .The first one was harder so could not find its place in the blog(i blog only successful trials).finally presenting here the ..."DESIGNER SWISS ROLL"

This is a Swiss roll or a roulade with a design and hence a designer roll .What is a Swiss roll ?A Swiss roll is a soft sponge cake rolled and filled with cream or jam or any filling of your choice.My kids love Swiss roll and have it for  snacks in their lunch box  .

I usually make plain roll ,but this time i had gone for a patterned one .this was hit with my kids and they loved it to the core .kids always love cakes, and when their favourite cake is served with a novelty .....the broad smile hanging on their faces is worth the energy utilised in executing it .   

So what r u waiting for ?just go ahead and bake one such to impress your loved ones .

Lets start baking........

Banana bread

The folks at my house are divided over bananas ,me and my Lil z like bananas and S and her father dislike bananas . if I insist her to eat banana's, S often says Mom I don't like  the taste of banana !!.

Have you ever seen or heard  a kid refusing banana ? you can find such 1 person no ....2 person at my house .As a kid my father would ensure that we have daily 1 banana and a glass of milk .Now a days the kids have become much more picky eaters  ,especially when it comes to wholesome food .

May be because of their never ending fascination towards junk food that tantalises their  taste buds.

But as a mother  I try to incorporate fruits and vegetables in their diet in the form of bakes or sweets ,savouries ,or smoothies .In either form that pleases them .you can find such effort in my orange cake.

 Beetroot smoothie ,strawberry oats smoothie ,Orange pudding   and many such recipes .

This banana bread too was one such effort of mine to  include banana in bakes so that the kids could enjoy it .

During our last family holidays when we were holidaying in the UAE,this particular bread was served daily  for breakfast buffet at the Sheraton .The menu was changed daily ,but this banana bread was daily spread on the table from day 1 to the last day of our trip !!.this shows its popularity .

Since then this has become a heart throb .

The crunchy nutty top with a soft inside,and the chunks of banana with a hint of cinnamon  are simply enough to make you crazy for this .And to my surprise   S ,who dislikes banana ,gulped down this bread as if her mission is to finish it to the last bit .The aroma of the bread baking in the oven wafting the entire house made me n my kids  go crazy for this.

I saw this recipe on my friend Rafeeda's blog and just liked it as it was much easier and moreover it had wholewheat flour in it . My camera roll shows the date of December  but I am posting it now ,may be because this recipe was destined to be a part of her blogoversary event .Thank you Rafeeda for the recipe ,it was a hit with the kids .

Now lets start cooking 

Orange cake

Fresh oranges sitting on the kitchen counter were giving me a left out alone !!!! look .Lil Z loves oranges to the core ,He wants to eat it even if they are sour ,"No problem momma just add a little bit of salt and pepper it will be okay,it was his justification to eat the sour oranges .

Any ways I was not okay with his word due to the chill weather .Iwas just pondering upon what to make with these oranges as I had already made orange pudding, I wanted something different for the kids to rejoice their holidays ,suddenly this orange cake clicked to me which was a long...... pending "to do " due.My kids love baked goodies very much ,but now a days I am avoiding it due to health concerns -and all thanks to the ever increasing weight !!!

If you bake some thing how can you control your self from having a bite of it!!!.Indeed a difficult task .But my kids keep pestering "momma this is totally unfair if you are on a diet then you can bake for us ?don't u love us ?This is seriously emotional blackmailing :) 

I too feel that baking and frosting a cake is a way to express your love to your loved ones ,so finally surrendered my self to the kids and agreed to bake a cake for them .Naked cake are the talk of the season ....and do cater a minimal calories unlike the frosted cakes loaded with whipped cream or butter cream or even fondants ,so I  had it just plain cake with a cup of coffee.If you wish you can go for a frosting with whipped cream or chocolate mouse as I had done for Joan's cake .I personally prefer frosted cakes for any birthdays or family occasions  .

Now over to the recipe

Neujarhrs pretzel

An another new year , the first month of the year ....it seems it was 2 days prior that this month has started ,but actually its mid Jan ...phew!!!the days are passing by.... as a blink of an eye.For this months baking partners challenge  we were suggested 2 recipes by Swetha of Tasty curry leaf .

One was a pizza and the other one was this Neujarhs pretzal.I went with the second one as I was very keen to try the shape and the  smell of bread, baking in the oven drives me more crazy towards it  .

These  are a speciality across Europe especially Germany. They are supposed to bring Good Luck and Prosperity if consumed at midnight or before breakfast on New Year’s Day.

There are several stories behind the origin of these and also pretzel is the universal bakers emblem. Its neither sweet as cake nor plain as bread. What makes the New Years Pretzel separate from other breads is the icing and decoration with candied cherries and nuts.It is a simple recipe as of bread but the hero of this recipe is the shape .....

My kids loved the shape of the pretzel so much that S started asking me the shape and was keen to try it with her play dough .

I have quartered the given recipe to suit to my needs,you can double the recipe .I have avoided the icing part as my kids had severe cough ,you can go with it .

Now over to the recipe .....