Blondies

Blondies are indulgent desserts that are hard to resist.  The brown sugar gives the blondies their distinctive molasses flavor and they are rich, chewy and extremely delicious. Since brown sugar is the critical flavor, I used a combination of light and dark brown sugars.  This original recipe is from Bobby Flay. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Butter - 1 1/2 stick
All-purpose Flour (Maida) - 1 1/2 cups
Light Brown sugar - 1 cup
Dark Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2
Chocolate chips (milk) - 1 cup
Toasted Almonds (optional) - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x9 baking pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set them aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add both the brown sugars and whisk until the sugar is melted.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Add the eggs and vanilla extract until combined.  Add the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips and the almonds.  Transfer the mixture to the buttered pan.

Bake until the top cracks slightly and is firm to touch and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 30 minutes).  Remove the bars and let it cool completely and cut them into 2-inch squares.

Easy Cream cheese pound cake (box recipe)

The original recipe is from Duncan Hines website. It is a keeper of a cake recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix

Cream cheese- 8 oz

Eggs - 4

Canola oil - 1/2 cup

Hot water - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter - 2 tbsp

Vanilla - 1 tbsp

Method

Heat oven to 325ºF.
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until blended. Gradually beat in flour and hot water on low speed until blended.  

Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan.

Bake for about an hour at 350, until it is light brown and starts to pull away from the sides.

Enjoy!

Mango Pound cake

It's summer and mangoes are abundant. If you like mangoes, then you will definitely like this cake.  It's hard to believe that finely chopped mangoes can give a homemade pound cake this much flavor. The cake was delicious!

Ingredients

All-purpose Flour (Maida) - 2 cups
Baking powder - 11/2 tsp
PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese - 8 oz 
Butter - 3/4 cup (11/2 stick) 
Sugar - 2 cups
Eggs - 4 
Vanilla - 1 tbsp 
Mangoes - 2

Method
 

Heat oven to 325ºF.

Beat cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until blended. Gradually beat in flour and baking powder on low speed until blended.
 
Pour 1/3 of the cake batter into 12-cup tube pan sprayed with cooking spray. Toss mangoes with remaining flour; stir into remaining cake batter. Pour over batter in pan.

Bake for an 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 10 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. 

Enjoy!

Chilli Parotta

Chilli Parotta is a popular dish served in restaurants in Tamil Nadu, India.  You can use the leftover Parottas and turn it into a scrumptious dish. Chilli Parotta is usually served with raitha in restaurants.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Parathas (Frozen) - 4

Onion - 1 big

Green chillies - 3-4

Tomato - 1 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 3/4 tsp

Salt

Curry leaves

Cilantro leaves

 

Method

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and add some mustard seeds and urad dhal. When mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves.  When the onion become translucent, add ginger and garlic paste and fry for 3 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and the spices and salt and saute the mixture till the onion and tomato blend well with the spices.

Cook the parathas and cut into bite size pieces.  Add the paratha pieces  to the onion - tomato mixture. Mix the ingredients until the parathas are well coated with the spices.

Garnish the chilli parotta with Cilantro. Enjoy!

Optional : You can add an egg towards the end.