Cake House

A warm, spicy, cozy soup on a cold, wintery evening is what most of us would dream of. My father- in- law likes different varieties of soups. In this cold weather, I made one of his favorite spicy chicken soup and here it is now on my blog. This chicken soup is a hearty, comforting soup that's so easy and simple to make which only take few minutes. In this, I have added roasted corn which is optional. You can add boiled corn and any of your favorite veggies. When all the spices are added together, the flavors are very well blended with each other which gives a distinctive taste and enhances your taste buds. The spiciness can be adjusted to suit your taste. I have made different varieties of soups before, but this one is more Indian with the addition of spices. Hope you all might like this. Try this out and let me know. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken pieces- 1 Cup Roasted Corn- 1/2 Cup Water- 3 Cups Pepper powder- 1 tbsp Salt- as required Cumin Powder- 1 Tsp Grated Gi...

Paradise Cakes Another lovely recipe from the Ladies of the WI. Why Paradise? I have no idea but they taste like heaven. You can use bought shortcrust pastry if you wish, but I made mine with my usual 8 oz plain flour, 5 oz cold butter, a little caster sugar, I egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of cold water. You will have some left over, so handy for jam tarts or similar. You will need a Swiss roll tin that has been buttered and lined with shortcrust pastry. [mine was 9” x 13”] Pre heat your fan oven to 170C 6 oz softened butter 5 oz caster sugar 3 large eggs, beaten 4 oz ground rice 3 oz ground almonds 2 oz sultanas 2 oz glacé cherries 3 oz currants caster sugar to dredge Roll out your shortcrust pastry to line the Swiss roll tin. Chill in the fridge while your prepare the filling. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one  at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the rice and almonds. Finally adding the fruit. Tip over the pastry bas...

Y esterday was our wedding anniversary and to celebrate the occasion I baked this mirror glaze mocha cake for the first time. I was looking for a chance to bake this amazingly scrumptious cake and so I got a reason. This is the first time I am trying the mirror glaze effect and it came out perfect. I have followed my very own mocha cake recipe, the coffee mousse recipe and mirror glaze recipe I adapted from different blogs. I choose the coffee flavor for our anniversary cake as we all love the flavor a lot. The glaze came out perfect and so I want to share the recipe with my lovely friends. The creamy white chocolate gives a mirror-like finish when poured over a smoothly frosted cake. The latest craze in this baking is this shiny mirror like a glaze and the glazing effect. I am very happy and excited to share this recipe with all of you. Hope you will try and let me know. Ingredients: For Mocha Cake All Purpose Flour- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar- 1 Cup Baking Soda- 1 Tsp Cocoa Powder- 3 ...

NUTTY SLICES These nutty bars are just deliciously gooey and nutty and the recipe comes from the Ladies of the WI. I used a nut mix of Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Cashews and Almonds [in Lidl] but you can use any nut combo. So easy. But don’t panic when you cut them after baking, the top will crack. You will need a Swiss roll tin [I used one 7” x 12”]  that has been buttered and lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 170C 3 oz melted butter 12 oz light soft brown sugar 2 med eggs, beaten ½ teaspoonful vanilla bean paste or extract 6 oz plain flour 2 level teaspoonfuls baking powder 7-8 oz nuts [roughly chopped] In a medium bowl stir the melted butter into the sugar and beat well,  then adding the eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well combined. Stir in the flour with the baking powder and add this into the sugar mix. Now add your chopped nuts. Tip into your prepared tin and level off and bake for about 30-35 mins. Cut into bars while still hot and leave the bars in the tin until cold...

I n India, by evening the bakeries are filled with a different variety of hot puffs. Though I am not a big fan of these puffs, my family loves them a lot. Here in the US as we get them very rarely, I bake them once in a while for my puffs loving daughter and husband. Now as my in-laws are here, I make sure they eat fresh homemade snack along with their evening tea and puffs have become a common one. I usually bake egg puffs and paneer puffs . These chicken puffs, I made for the first time and is a huge hit. This is a perfect snack for guests. Make the chicken filling and fold it in the pastry sheet. Arrange them on a baking tray and when needed just bake and serve hot puffs. Enjoy them as it is, or douse them generously with ketchup and bite into this splendid treat. Ingredients: Puff pastry Sheets- 10 square sheets Boneless Chicken Pieces- 1 Cup Green Chillies (chopped)- 2 tbsp Pepper Powder- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder- 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder- 1/2 Tsp Salt- as required Tomato Sauce- ...

Pork Sausage and Apple Pie I was given this old recipe by a lovely senior lady from near Truro and it was in her mother’s old hand written recipe book. It can be eaten hot or cold and will happily sit in the fridge for a day or two and can also be frozen. You need no fancy equipment, just a flat baking sheet. You can also use bought “all butter” shortcrust pastry. You will need about 8 oz of shortcrust pastry. I have given you my version many times. I added plenty of seasoning and some dry mustard powder. A well buttered baking sheet and pre heat your fan over to 190C 10 oz best pork sausage meat 2-3 oz smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped a sharp eating apple peeled, cored, finely chopped, like a Granny Smith a small trimmed leak, finely chopped 2 heaped teaspoonfuls fresh chopped parsley a beaten egg seasonings to taste In a medium bowl mix all of the above ingredients together, best done with your hands. Cut your pastry in half and roll out a base until it is about 8 inches in diame...

Apple Amber Pie The simplest tastiest dessert, especially if you buy your ‘all butter’ shortcrust pastry. The apple filling is just delicious. Another WI winner. I used golden syrup rather than honey! After all I am Cornish. You can really taste the orange juice and zest and it comes through wonderfully. You will need a 8 inch loose bottomed flan tin, buttered. Pre heat your fan oven to 190C 6 oz shortcrust pastry [see my recipe below] 1½ lb cooking apples, peeled and cored grated rind and juice of an orange golden syrup or runny honey to sweeten 1 oz butter 2 eggs, separated 2 oz caster sugar caster sugar for sprinkling Roll out your pastry, as thinly as you can and line your flan tin. Prick the bottom with a fork and scrunch up some parchment paper and cover the pastry and fill with ceramic beans [or whatever you use]. Bake for about 20 mins until set and starting to brown. Remove the paper and beans and set aside for a mo. Meanwhile, slice the apples and stew in the orange juice and...

F ocaccia is a type of bread which is very easy to make and tastes so rich and wonderful with the addition of chopped garlic, fresh rosemary, and olives. In my house, we all are great bread lovers. The smell of the fresh warm bread that emanates from a bakery while walking on the streets of Bangalore still makes my mouth watering. Before Baking My daughter is fond of this focaccia with any topping. I decided to make for her school snack. This time our MFB challenge is to "add an ingredient" i.e "olives" and so I have added chopped olives for topping focaccia. I like my focaccia to be thin, you can make it thicker by rolling in the desired thickness. Dough before baking.. Just whip up a simple batch of dough, once it has risen, proofed and rolled onto a baking sheet. Use your fingers to poke dents in the dough, drizzle the garlic, herb infused olive oil and spread the chopped olives and fresh rosemary needles. Bake till done and enjoy warm focaccia with your choice o...

DATE CAKE Us Cornish have always loved dates and this recipe makes the most delicious, gooey, fruity filled cake. Oh my! You will love it. Another old WI recipe, although I did make one or two updates. I used half light muscovado sugar, as that flavour marries so well with dates, plus I added a large splash of sherry to the liquid when soaking the dates. Butter well and line the base of a 10” spring form cake tin, not too deep. Although I baked this one in a  9” square tin, as I wanted slices. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C 8 oz stoned and chopped dates ½ pint boiling water, plus a large glug of sherry or brandy  a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 6 oz softened butter 12 oz soft light brown sugar [or half light muscovado] 3 large eggs, beaten 11 oz plain flour a little demerera [optional] Dissolve the bicarb in the boiling water and add the dates. Stir well and leave to cool, overnight is good to let the dates absorb the liquids.. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar th...

Start with the soup. Roughly cut 2 yellow paprikas, 1/2 a fennel bulb, 3 cloves of garlic and a stalk of celer y and sweat them in some olive oil. Add a pinch of safran. Add 0,8 litre  chicken stock and softly boil for 10 mins. Use a stick blender to liquify and then add 100 m l cream. Boil some samphire  for 3 mins. Use a mandoline to make very thin shavings the other halve of the fennel bulb. Now whip some  cream. Add a tbsp Pernod and whip again. Start plating: Put some fennelshavings in the middle of the plate. Then some samphire Now the smoked halibut Finally a quenelle of cream Hold the stick blender just above the soup and create a nice foam. Then pour the soup around the little tower (Inspired by Angelique Schmeinck, 24Kitchen. Here's a video  )

Start a day in advance with making lemon jelly from 60 cl lemon juice, 20 cl sugar water, 20 cl water and 1 leaf of gelatine.  For the tuiles: mix 160 gr boiled potatoes with 5 tbsp of grated Parmesan, 20 gr butter, 1 tsp Curry Madras till you have a smooth substance. Preheat the oven on 160C, put baking paper on an oven tray and put 4 heaps of the potato mix on it. Flatten with a spoon. Bake till golden brown and crisp, do the same with the other side after turning. Take out to cool. In the meantime make the guacamole from 1 avocado, 1 tbsp coriander, 1 tsp limejuice, the zest of the lime and a knifepoint of piment espelette. Put a tbsp guacamole on each tuile, then some smoked halibut and finally som e lumpfish roe. (unless you prefer caviar). (my interpretation of a recipe from Belgian chef Peter Goosens)

                      Happy New Year To All!!! C arrot laddoos are the most popular Indian sweets made for festive occasions. This is one of the easiest desserts which can be prepared within no time. Usually, sugar is added in this, but compared to sugar I prefer jaggery which is a healthy option. These laddoos are a perfect to gift to friends and family. In this, the carrots are cooked well in milk and jaggery till combined and shaped in the form of laddoos. Every bite is a melt in the mouth. This will be an instant hit among kids as well as adults. Next time when thinking about making a dessert, this carrot laddoo is the best to prefer as it is very easy to make and with fewer ingredients. Ingredients: Carrots (grated)- 2 Cups Milk- 1/2 Cup Jaggery- 1 1/2 Cups Cardamom Powder- 1 Tsp Cashews (chopped)- 2 tbsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter- 2tbsp Method: Heat the ghee in a nonstick pan, roast the cashews and when they turn golden brown kee...

Chocolate Buttermilk Sandwich Happy New Year! This is a delicious, luxurious, Chocolate cake recipe, so easy and guaranteed to be a winner. A cousin sent this over to me from the US. Yes, it is a large cake, but great for a special occasion. You can fill this delicious cake with whatever filling you fancy, fresh double cream or a chocolate buttercream. Cream cheese with a little icing sugar and cocoa mixed together is good too! I made a buttercream and added some melted white chocolate. You will need 2 x 9 inch sandwich tins, well greased and the bases lined if you wish. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C 10 oz plain flour 1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda 8 oz softened butter 7 oz caster sugar 7 oz soft light brown sugar 1 teaspoonful vanilla extract 4 large eggs 6 oz 70% cocoa solids chocolate, melted 6 fl oz buttermilk In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, along with a teaspoon of the flour, with each addition. Beat in th...