Just another ramble

So then we had another food fest in my community. And this time around I made some sugar-free butterscotch blondies, vegan banana walnut bread and 2-3 varieties of muffins & cupcakes.

Needless to say I have no pictures, but this time I do have the recipes. Will post them over the next few days. Those of you looking to make Plum Cake this Christmas, watch this space!

Madhuri of - Cook-curry Nook gave me the details for a Bloggers event @ The Lalit Ashok. It was a wonderful evening - great food & wonderful company. I'll be writing abt that separately. I was really happy to catch up with the other food-bloggers in B'lore. Next time perhaps there will be a lot more of us.

I've been debating for a while now about starting a home baking business. A couple of my friends were already doing that. I decided to hop on board with them. Check us out at www.sonrisadesserts.com. Our site is still under construction, so if you don't see something that you want, leave me a comment here or shoot us a mail. We are now taking orders for Plum cake.

Alright, let me go now & dress up the No-Bake cookies. Oh, didn't I say I was making those today... well I am. Will post the recipe later tonite.

Till then!

No Recipe in this one

hey... I just wanted to say that I made and sold 3-4 batches of muffins & about 30 vegetable puffs!! I made the pastry sheets too!! And am mighty pleased with myself!!!

Where? How?, you ask.. well there was a food festival organized in the community where we live. So, I asked my husband - "What do you think I should make?" and he says "Vegetable Puffs, of course!!" Then we went hunting for puff pastry sheets in Bangalore, and didn't find them.

I've been thinking of making the pastry sheets for a while, but the process is lengthy., and I couldn't make the time. And now I did!! (rather had to, since I'd already committed to making the puffs!!!)

Made a batch with wheat flour & butter substitute - this didn't get all flaky on baking. Stuck that in the freezer & made another batch with all-purpose flour & unsalted butter - these were melt-in-the-mouth good!!! Yay!!!

I made 4 kinds of muffins - chocolate chip, banana nut, oatmeal raisin & rum & raisin - yes, with real rum!!

Recipe? Hmm now that is what I am so irritated about - I haven't had the time to post the recipes yet!!!

Beetroot Halwa

Had been to Mysore over the weekend. Had a scrumptious lunch at the Metropole. One of the items on the dessert table was beetroot halwa. It was the star of the show. All of us loved it. So, soon after we were back home, I made it. Here's the recipe -

Ingredients

Beetroot - grated 2 cups (got 2 cups from 1/2 kg)

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1/3 cup

Milk - 4 tbsps

Ghee - 4 tbsps

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Preparation

Wash, dry, peel skin & finely grate beetroot

Measure sugar & water into a pan

Heat till the sugar completely dissolves, add a few tsps of water if required

In a separate non-stick pan (kadai) heat 3 tbsps ghee

Add beetroot & saute for about a minute

Pour in the sugar / water mix

Sprinkle the cardamom powder

Stir occasionally, adding ghee as needed

You know the halwa is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan forming a ball. Don't wait till it gets very solid. This halwa sets well & solidifies as it cools.