Butter Cake (recipe no 1)

I baked this cake in an 81/2 inch cake pan, the batter was too much for an 81/2 inch pan that's why I had to bake this cake for longer time then it's baking time. In the picture you can see from bottom to up cake colour is little fading brown that's just because of too high cake being baked longer time without burning, this cake tastes great and if you are baking in an eight inch pan just divide batter into two pans. 

Here is a great news :) from today on wards I will try to post my recipes with a "DHIVEHI" recipe card so that any Maldivian who cant understand English can try my recipes. 

Ingredients

1 cup (227grms) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoon milk powder

11/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Method:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, milk powder, baking powder and salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

2. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. pan. Bake at 160 C for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan. Invert cake onto a wire rack over waxed or baking paper.

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May 9 ga feshey alhuganduge cooking class ga baiverivumah 7709426 aa gulhuhvaa.. cooking class aa behey dhivehi tafseel tireegai evanee eve. 

Sunshine Mango Mousse

It’s mango season going on and the local market is full of mangoes. Most mangoes are brought from the island Gan, I heard many mangoes go rotten and it have to be thrown before they could send to Male’ or any other island to sell because of transport shortage. Even the islander’s don’t have any facility to keep mangoes fresh for long time. Few Maldivians used to sun dry sour mangoes and these dried mangoes are capt in gunny bags for months to make pickles. Mangoes are used to cook curry, make pickles and juices, even we do eat sour mangoes dipped in spicy fish paste. I think ripened mangoes are a delicacy to be eaten any time of the day as it's my favorite fruit. I have written some mango recipes which I want to include in my recipe book. Hopefully trying to publish it before Ramadan. Sunshine mango mousse is an easy yummy dessert I made for last Friday lunch. 

 Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream

3 tbs sugar 

¾ cup mango pulp

Lemon Yellow food color (Optional) 

Method:

1 – Whip whipping cream with sugar until soft peaks.

2 – Fold mango pulp into whipped cream. For nicer color add few drops of food color and fold again.  Chill for 2 hour’s garnish with chopped mango's and serve. Enjoy!

- This recipe makes 3 servings ...

Kashikeyo Baipen

Baipen is called to a rice gruel cooked with tiny discernible rice grains. This can be cooked as a dessert or as a savory gruel. In all sweet baipen all other ingredients other than screw pine which I have mentioned in the ingredient list are used. Savory baipen is cooked using some spices, breadfruit, crushed dried tuna, rice etc.

My family is from capital Male'  we have our own home located in Henveyru and since a baby I have been living here and haven't seen a single Screw pine tree ever in this island, but of course Screw pines are always available at the local Market which is expensive to buy for business purposes so my mum brings Screw pines from some of the near by islands. She makes screw pine cakes for orders that’s why she keeps good stock in her freezer.

To keep screw pine for 4 to 5 months my mum slices screw pines and grind it than put it in an airtight container and freeze it, this does not bring any difference to the taste of screw pines. 

Ingredients:

3 liter water

2 big sticks of cinnamon

16 cardamom pods

1 big pandan leaf cut in to 2 inch pieces

1 cup basmati rice (washed)

3 cups (sliced or grind) pressed screw pines

3 cups thick coconut milk

3 cups sugar

11/4 cups Jasmine water (Jasmine flower infused water)

Method:

1-      Put first four ingredients in a pan and cook until fragrant.

2-      Add rice, cook until rice gets mushy.

3-      Add sugar and screw pine, cook until all sugar is dissolved

4-      Add coconut milk & Jasmine flower infused water stir and serve hot or cold …. Enjoy! 

    Note: For this recipe Instead of fresh coconut milk canned or packet 100% coconut milk can be used this will not bring any difference to the taste but not the powdered coconut milk. If Jasmine water is not available rose water will be fine, don't put it as much I have mentioned for Jasmine water, may be 1/3rd cup will bring the taste just taste and adjust to your taste buds. This is a huge pot my cooked for all of us around 10 servings can be taken from this amount.
    

Saagu Bondibai my way

Hello my readers I am sorry I am not updating my recipes regularly, but I will try to upload as much as I can when I get free time. I never made sago bondibai & this is my first attempt of cooking it, I am happy this bondibai turned out great & yummy. Saago we have always seen in white color, but now it’s available in different colors and sizes so I bought this pink sago packet I saw from one of the stores.  I always think food looks delicious and tempting when beautiful colors are combined. Don’t you agree with me? 

Ingredients:

3 cups water

½ cup sago or saagu

1/3 cup sugar

3 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick
3 piece pandan leaf

¼ cup Jasmine flower infused water or some rose water

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

Method:

In a pan start cooking water, when water starts to boil add sago. Cook until sago turns transparent or until cooked. When sago is cooked drain water using a strainer, again add sago into the same pan. In to this add sugar, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, pandan leaf and jasmine water.

Cook until all the sugar is dissolved and all water evaporates, add condensed milk give a stir cook another 2 minutes turn off flame and serve hot or cold. This recipe is enough for 2 person …………………….enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Oreo Fudge .. Oh, baby. Come to mama.

Friday I wanted to make something which tastes like chocolate cookies, chocolate brownies, chocolate fudge & gooey chocolate (gooey I am trying to say is chocolate melting in my hands when I am holding a piece) and Friday went thinking, so Saturday I came up with this dangerously decadent recipe. This is without a doubt, completely and utterly insane. But I mean that in a good way. Of course : ) To make this fudge all you need is ..

Ingredients:

200 grams Oreo cookies (11/2 pkt) crushed in to crumbs and chunks

50 grams unsalted butter

100 grams dark chocolate

1 cup condensed milk

Method:

Generously butter a seven inch tray, set aside. In a sauce pan melt butter & chocolate, add condensed milk. Cook until chocolate mixture starts to boil. Add crushed Oreo. Mix everything well. Pour fudge mixture into the buttered tray soon after taken from heat. Cool completely and chill for 2 to 3 hours to serve cut in to desired shapes. Enjoy!

Note: I used 11/2 pkt oreo cookies with the cream. If you don't want too much gooeyness add 2 whole pkt oreo's. I love my fudge this way. Just for all readers information next recipe is Chicken Shawarma with the touch of Sweet Hungarian .. 

Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake

Hi my readers, Ramadan Mubarak to all the lovely people of Maldives & all around the world. I know a lot of people are waiting impatiently for a new recipe from me so here I go and the first recipe of Ramadan starts with Chocolate.  

This is how cake should look when baked

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

100 grams dark chocolate (melted using a double boiler)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup butter milk (1 cup full cream milk + 1 tsp vinegar or 2 tsp lime juice mix & keep for 10 minutes)

1 large egg

For the poured syrup

½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream

1/3 cup condensed milk

½ cup cocoa powder (Sieved cocoa powder)

Method:

Prepare an 8 inch baking tray by greasing the bottom & sides with vegetable oil or margarine, set aside. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 160 c. Mix all the syrup ingredients well until all the cocoa is dissolved set aside.

In a bowl using your hand mixture or a stand mixture mix all the cake ingredients. It will be easy to mix if sugar is finely ground. Pour cake mixture into baking tray. Bake the cake for 10 minutes just until the sides are set. Below is a picture.

Take the cake out from oven and pour the chocolate syrup on the middle of the cake, using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the cake batter together so they're mixed, but not completely blended.

Bake until a pick inserted about 1 inch from the edge comes out gooey, but not liquid, 40 to 45 min, don't over bake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked ... enjoy!

Chocolate Lava Muffins

 

After long time again I am posting a new recipe. Just too busy at home & baking, but as the Ramadan is getting near I am getting ready with some delicious recipes to upload and next month I am conducting three classes especially for Ramadan that's my Cheesecakes Class, my Cooking Class & I love Chocolate class, all my readers if you want to join any of my classes feel free to contact me or mail me or for more information you can always check my face book page “Cheesecakes” .

These Muffins I made yesterday for my daughter's request. Since last December she is staying at Colombo for her higher studies. She came for few days & this morning again she left. My kid's love the chocolate lava cakes sold at the pizza hut or Mac Donald's at Sri Lanka from these two places I don't remember much from where. I was able to make four muffins from this batter. That's normal ramekins size. These muffins are so delicious, give a try just so simple & you don't have to use a beater too, if you don't have ramekins you can make a one big Muffin in a 6inch tray or even oven safe cups can be used.

Ingredients

1/2cup unsalted butter

200grms dark chocolate

1/2cup sugar

3tbs flour

1/4tsp salt

4eggs

Butter & cocoa enough to coat your muffin cups or ramekins

Method

Pre heat your oven to 160c, in a sauce pan melt chocolate & butter, set aside to cool.

Generously butter your ramekins, keep in fridge until the batter is ready. When the chocolate mixture is cool add sugar, flour & salt mix well until no lumps. Now add the eggs, beat until everything is incorporated. Take out your ramekins, put a teaspoon of cocoa powder into each ramekin & turn to coat the inside and sides well.

Divide the batter in to four ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in a flat baking tray & bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until sides are baked & the center is soft. Run a small knife inside around the ramekin to release the muffin & turn the ramekin upside down on to a serving plate & tap the bottom little, take the ramekin, serve the Chocolate Lava Muffin with Vanilla Ice Cream, I loved it plain........ Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake…………. Busy manmage favorite …that’s me

You wouldn't believe how moist, Choco balanced & finger licking this cake can be! This is one of my favorite cakes. I have frosted this cake with Milk Chocolate Mousse , sometimes when I make for orders I use Milk and White chocolate mousse for a three layer cake. This cake will be a hit with some vanilla ice cream too.

Make the chocolate mousse one day ahead so that the chocolate mousse will be nicely set to a spreadable consistency and frost the cake with chocolate mousse just half hour before serving the cake. You don't have to frost as a profession cake decorator, just spread chocolate mousse using back of a spoon. Why not let your kids do the fun part.

l always use parchment or baking paper when I bake my cakes because I don't like my cakes to get stuck on the baking tray, but if you don't have just generously grease the baking tray with oil or butter and sprinkle little flour and turn the tray to coat inside and bottom of the baking tray completely. I used 8inch three baking trays to make this cake because it was a three layer cake. You can use a 9x13 inch cake tray.

Ingredients A

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Ingredients B

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 table spoon white vinegar

2 eggs

Ingredient C

2 cups cold water

Method:

Pre heat oven to 160C, Mix all the Ingredients A, Pour all the ingredients B in to ingredients A, mix little bit & pour ingredient C mix using a hand Wisk or a hand mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared trays and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting,  I did level the cakes using a cake leveler but this is not necessary

 ……………………………………………………….enjoy!!

Sharubath Boakibaa or Cake …… ridiculously easy

Yesterday I actually set out to make a super-easy one-step boakiba or cake and my flavor of the day was rose syrup. So I made the boakiba batter which was very thin, pored it into the pan & popped into my preheated oven, but when I removed the boakiba from the oven it was very very soft like a soggy blob, just it made me feel very disappointed after so much eager anticipation of making a good boakibaa, so I capt it to cool on my kitchen counter thinking what I will do with it and to my surprise as the boakiba cooled it got firmer and firmer after two hours just like a bread boakiba, so what I understood is that this boakiba after taken from the oven to until it cools down it keeps on cooking ...... yummy yum.....

Ingredients:

1cup flour

1cup coconut milk (I used liquid coconut milk packed in a packet)

11/2cup unsweetened sharubath (1cup water + 1/2cup rose syrup)

2eggs

1/2cup sugar

3/4cup condensed milk

2tbs margarine

Pinch of salt

A drop or two of red food coloring

1 table spoon of black sesame seed (optional)

For the pan:

2tbs butter or oil

2tbs flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C. Butter a 9inch baking pan, sprinkle the 2tbs flour into the greased pan and roll the pan to court the entire inside. Mix all the ingredients except the sesame seed in a food processor. Pour mixture in greased pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes remove the pan and sprinkle sesame seed. Return pan to oven, bake for another 50-60mins. Let cool the boakiba for minimum of two hours before cutting, the longer you keep the boakiba the better it is.....enjoy!!

Marie Biscuit Chocolate Fudge…. Easy as eating a Cadbury Silk..

This is an absolutely delicious and easy fudge that my kids rave about! The gorgeous gooiness!! Just perfect for a family like mine who are chocolate crazy.

Ingredients:

2tbs unsalted butter

1can condensed milk

1/2cup unsweetened cocoa powder

250grms Marie biscuit ( crushed in to bite size pieces)

Method:

Generously butter an 8inch round tray or pan, set aside. In a sauce pan melt butter, add condensed milk and cocoa powder mix to combine.

Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat, Add crushed Marie biscuits mix to coat all the biscuits with the chocolaty fudgy sauce. Immediately transfer the chocolate biscuit mixture into the prepared pan, using a spoon spread and press biscuit fudge in to the tray and place in fridge at least 2hour's. When ready cut into squares and serve ..........................................enjoy!!!

Note: If you are not a very chocolaty person you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder up to 1/3cup, but 1/2 cup is delicious and chocolicious!! 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pudding Cake

Am I getting crazy about cream cheese & pudding, This Ramadan mostly my sweet tooth craves for puddings, anything with cream cheese and only desserts?  I made this pudding yesterday and it was so awesomely delicious, today I am thinking to go for some luscious chocolate cake with a mousse filling and a shiny creamy chocolate frosting....

Ingredients:

300g cream cheese

4egg whites

4egg yolks

1cup sugar

1/3cup flour

2tbs corn flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2cup milk

2cups Blueberry pie filling

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C, Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 inch round cake tray. Line the bottom of tray with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. Prepare a hot water bath set aside.

In your electric mixture or using hand mixture whip the egg whites with 2tbs of sugar until soft peaks or until it holds its shape. Whip the egg yolks with the rest of sugar until pale yellow. Add the milk into the egg yolks give a stir, mix flour, corn flour and baking powder using a spatula fold this into the egg yolk mixture (folding & mixing is different, if you mix the air which was incorporated while yolks and whites were whipped may deflate) so just fold gently and into this fold the egg whites just the same way. Now in another bowl cream the cream cheese until no lumps, again fold the creamed cream cheese mixture into the egg & flour mixture. Take 11/2cup batter into another bowl and add one cup of blueberry pie filling and blend well.

Pour the rest of batter into the prepared baking tray. Now drizzle heaping teaspoons of the blueberry mixture over the batter in the tray. Use a skewer to swirl the blueberry mixture in short strokes to drag it down through the plain batter without mixing it in. This will give a nice marble effect.

Put the tray into the water bath and bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs. Take the cake pan out from water bath on to a wire rack & cool completely, the cake will shrink little bit, remove cake from the tray, peel off the paper and transfer the cake on to the serving plate or dish. Refrigerate overnight or at least four hours, before serving spread the remaining cup of blueberry pie filling on the cake generously.........................................enjoy!!

Note: You may think 8inch tray is too small for this pudding, but trust me it wont be as this cake does not rise much.

Caramel Cream Cheese Pudding

This pudding looks more like a caramel pudding, but tastes totally different more like a caramel cheese cake, but softer than a cheesecake. I love anything with cream cheese and this is a delicious pudding whoever loves cheesecake will love this pudding.

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

1/2Cup sugar

2tbs water

For pudding:

350grms cream cheese

1/2cup heavy cream

1can condensed milk

7eggs

1/2tsp vanilla essence

2tbs corn flour

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 180C, prepare a hot water bath by putting hot water into a bigger tray which can accommodate the pudding tray inside, The water must reach half of the pudding tray.

To Make the caramel: In the tray that you are going to bake the pudding combine sugar and water, Cook on medium heat swirling the tray occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and starts to turn color. Increase the heat to high and boil until the syrup turns to a deep amber color, 3 to 5 minutes. With a spoon try to push the caramel all sides of the tray coating the bottom completely, set aside.

To make the pudding: In you're electric mixer or hand mixture beat the cream cheese until no lumps, add condensed milk, heavy cream, eggs, corn flour and vanilla essence beat until smooth.

Pour this mixture into the caramel coated tray. Put the pudding tray in the hot water bath and bake for 45min to 1hour, different ovens temperature varies so check just giving a shake to the pudding tray if the middle does not gobble, then the pudding is done. Carefully take the pudding tray from the water bath, run a thin knife around the edges of the pudding, cool completely and keep over night or at least 4hour's inside your fridge.

(After baking pudding looks like a cheese cake until it's flipped upside down)

To serve again run the knife around the edges and put a serving plate or dish big enough to hold the pudding on top of the pudding tray and flip upside down, give a little tap on the tray and the most gorgeous, golden pudding will be in front of your eyes..... Enjoy!!

Caramel Paan Pudding (Caramel Bread Pudding)

Another yummy dessert I would indulge in wholeheartedly. Today is the second day of Ramadan and I wanted to make something special and sweet for breaking the fast. I have heard of some people making bread pudding so I thought a little and came up with this heavenly RECIPE, my family loved this dessert.

Ingredients:

1cup sugar

4tbs water

1cup milk

1cup heavy cream or wiping cream (at room temperature)

1/2cup condensed milk

11/2tsp vanilla essence

3/4part of small bread (upper hard crust removed ( matheega ina harubai nagaafa))

4eggs beaten

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C, cut or tear each bread slice in to four pieces and put in an oiled 9inch tray. I used two 6inch trays.

In a bowl mix milk, heavy cream, condensed milk & vanilla essence, set aside. Put the sugar and water into a deep saucepan, swirl to dissolve the sugar before putting on medium heat. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it all turns a deep amber color this will take 3 to 5 minutes.

(I could not take a picture while the sugar turned to deep amber color but you can see from this picture how the sugar is changing color from the sides)

Be very careful at this stage as the sugar may burn quickly, as soon sugar caramelize take the pan off the heat and add the milk, heavy cream & condensed milk mixture little by little ignoring all spluttering, whisking constantly (when the milk is poured into the caramel it will start rising vigorously like an angry volcano, no matter if I haven't seen one) whisk whisk so that all the toffee pieces forming will dissolve. Add the beaten eggs whisking constantly, Pour this quickly over the bread and leave to steep for 10 minutes. 

Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sides are set. I love to eat this pudding little hot ...........................................................enjoy!!