Chocolate Fruit Cake

Chocolate Fruit Cake from Marias Menu

Ingredients
125 gms Butter (chopped)
3/4 cup Brown sugar (150 gm)
50 gms Dark eating chocolate (chopped coarsely)
1/2 cup Water (125ml)
1/4 cup Dark rum (60 ml)
1/4 cup Walnuts (30 gm, coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup Dried currants (75 gm)
1 cup Sultanas (160 gm)
1 cup Raisins (170 gm, coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup Mixed peel (40gm)
3/4 cup Plain flour ( 110 gm)
2 tbsp Cocoa powder
2 tbsp Self – raising flour
1/2 tsp Mixed spice
2 Eggs (beaten lightly (room temperature))
For topping
80 gms Dark eating chocolate
1/4 cup Sour cream (60 gm)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 150 degree/275 -300 F. Grease 20 cm ring pan; line base with baking paper. Combine butter, sugar, chocolate and the water in medium saucepan; stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; Let it cool for 10-15 mins. Stir in rum, nuts and fruit. Add sifted dry ingredients and egg; stir until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
Bake in slow oven about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan.
Just before serving, combine cooled extra chocolate and sour cream in small bowl; stir until smooth. Turn cake onto serving plate, top-side up; spread chocolate mixture over top of cake.
Notes
I made only half of the above quantity. As usual I didn't do the topping. I used a 6 inch round cake tin and my cake was ready in 45-50 mins. You can use dry fruits of your choice. I used cashew nuts, dates, mixed dry fruits. I dusted the dry fruits with 1 tbsp of flour before adding it to the batter, this prevents the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake. I used dark chocolate with 50 % cocoa. I used soft light brown sugar. I brushed the top of the warm cake with 2 tbsp extra rum. I used Captain Morgan rum in the cake batter and I used Bacardi rum for brushing the top of the cake. I stored the cake at room temperature for more than a week. If you want to store longer, refrigerate it.
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Eggless Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake

Eggless Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake

from marias menu
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Soda Bicarbonate
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Brown Sugar (I used light brown sugar)
85 gms Butter (softened)
1/2 cup Whisked yogurt (room temp)
1/4 cup Hot Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
For soaking
1 3/4 cups Mixed Dry Fruits
1 cup Apple Juice
For spice powder
1 Cloves
2 Cardamom
a small piece Cinnamon
Instructions
Soaking of Fruits
Soak the fruits overnight in Apple juice. I used a combination of sultanas, seedless raisins,currants & candied orange & lemon peel. I didn’t chop the fruits & used it as such. You can use dried fruits of your choice. If you are using dates/apricots etc; chop it into small pieces & soak it.
For the cake
Preheat the oven @ 180 C, 10 minutes before baking.
Just before making the cake, drain the fruits and keep aside. Grind together cloves, cinnamon and cardamom with a tsp of sugar and keep aside.
Sift together all purpose flour, baking powder & soda bicarbonate. Using a manual whisk combine softened butter and brown sugar till light & fluffy. Add hot milk, yogurt & vanilla essence and mix well. Batter might look curdled at this point, but it comes together after adding the flour. Fold in the sifted flour in two batches.
Coat the drained fruits with 1 tbsp flour before adding to the batter. Fold in the drained fruits and spice powder.
Grease and line a cake tin (refer notes) with parchment / baking paper. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake in the preheated oven till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. The timing can vary from 25-45 mins, depending on the size of the tin used (refer notes).
Cool the cake completely before slicing. You can store the cake in an airtight container @ room temp for 3-4 days. If you are living in a very hot or humid place, you may refrigerate the cake after 2 days.
Notes
I used store bought Apple juice for this recipe.
I used a 7.5 inch and 6.5 inch round tin for baking the cake. It took 30-35 mins and 20-25 mins respectively for the cake to be baked.
You can also bake this cake plain without any fruits. Follow the same recipe and skip the part of adding fruits and spice powder.
You can also use fruits soaked in alcohol for this recipe. Except for the soaking of fruits in apple juice, follow the rest of the recipe.
If you wish to use caramel for this cake to get a dark colour, you can do so. For the qty of cake mentioned above, you can use half the qty of caramel mentioned here. You can add the caramel to the batter, just before adding the flour and mix well.

Cinnamon Teacake

Cinnamon Teacake
from Marias menu

60 gms Butter (softened)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
2/3 cup Caster sugar (150 gm(refer notes))
1 Egg
1 cup Self-raising flour (150gm(refer notes))
1/3 cup Milk (80ml)
10 gms Butter (melted, extra)
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Caster sugar (extra)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degree C/350-375 F, 10 mins before baking. Grease deep 20cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper. Beat butter, essence, sugar & egg in a small bowl with electric mixer until light & fluffy; this process will take 5-10 mins, depending on the type of mixer used.
Using wooden spoon, gently stir in sifted flour and milk. Make sure that there are no lumps.Spread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake cake in the preheated oven for about 30 mins. Turn cake onto wire rack then turn top-side up; brush top with extra melted butter, sprinkle with combined cinnamon & extra sugar. Serve warm with butter, if desired.
Notes
Taking care to thoroughly beat the butter, essence, sugar and egg will result in a light-as-air texture to this cake, best when eaten warm with butter (courtesy:Australian W omen's Weekly Magazine) . Though this is best eaten on the day its made, you can store this cake at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
Substitution for self raising flour – to get 1 cup self-raising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder+ 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup all purpose flour. Substitution for caster sugar: to get 1 cup caster sugar. process 1 cup granulated sugar (usual sugar) in a food processor/mixer until fine, but don't powder it like icing sugar.

Moist Butter Cake

Moist Butter Cake

Ingredients
125 gms Butter (softened)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups Caster sugar ((275 gm))
3 Eggs (at room temp)
1 cup Plain flour ((150 gm))
1/2 cup Self-raising flour ((75 gm))
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup Milk (125 ml at room temp)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 C, 10 mins before baking. Grease a deep 20 cm/8 inch round cake tin; line base with baking paper. Beat ingredients in medium bowl on low speed with electric mixer until just combined. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed to a paler colour. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake cake in the preheated oven for 40-50 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand cake 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack; turn cake top-side up to cool. Dust cake with a little sifted icing sugar, if desired.
Notes
The batter might look curdled, but its ok, go ahead and bake it. If you want a caramel flavor, substitute 1 1/3 cups (275 gm) firmly packed brown sugar for the caster sugar.
Baking in Pressure Cooker: If you dont have an oven/MW and still want to bake the cake, it's possible :). You can bake this in a pressure cooker. Suchitra, one of the dear readers of this space, tried baking it in a pressure cooker and it came out well. She was kind enough to share the method here. Please do check her comment in the comments section for the details. Thanks again Suchitra :)
Substitutes:
Substitution for self raising flour – to get 1 cup self-raising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder+ 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup all purpose flour.
Substitution for caster sugar: to get 1 cup caster sugar. process 1 cup granulated sugar (usual sugar) in a food processor/mixer until fine, but don’t powder it like icing sugar.
Recipe source: Cooking Class Cakes by The Australian Women's Weekly Magazine

Citrus TeaCake

Citrus TeaCake
from Maria Menu
Ingredients
250 gms Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
250 gms Butter
250 gms Powdered sugar
4 Egg yolk
1/2 tsp Orange rind
1/4 tsp Lemon rind
1/4 cup Milk
4 Egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven at 200 degree for 10 minutes before baking. Prepare a round shaped cake tin for baking.Beat the egg whites separately till it forms a soft peak. Add vanilla essence and sugar to this and keep it aside. Sieve all purpose flour and baking powder. Beat well the butter and powdered sugar. Add egg yolks one by one to this and mix well. Add the lemon and orange rinds. Add flour and milk alternatively to this and beat well. Add egg white mixture to this and fold in. Pour the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake at 200 degree for first 10 minutes and 180 degree for another 25 - 30 minutes.

Carrot Dates And Orange Cake

Carrot Dates And Orange Cake
ITS A MARIAS MENU RECIPE



1.5 cups Plain Flour (maida)
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 inch piece Cinnamon
6 Cloves
6 Cardamom
1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
1/2 cup Semolina (rava)
2 cups Chopped dates (measured after chopping)
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 cup Water
2 cups Grated carrot (measured after grating)
100 gms Chopped cashews and walnuts (refer notes)
2 tsp Vanilla essence
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of 1 orange
1.5 cups Powdered sugar (you need 1 cup regular sugar to get 1.5 cups powdered sugar)
1/2 cup Vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
3 Eggs (@ room temp)
Instructions
Preheat oven at 180 C, 10 mins before baking. Grease and line(with parchment paper) two 7 inch cake tins.
Soak dates in 1/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp baking soda for 1 hour.


Using an electric beater, mix the powdered sugar and oil, till it's combined well.

Separate the egg yolk and whites. Add the yolk, one by one, to the sugar and oil mixture. Beat well after each addition.


Add soaked dates, chopped nuts and grated carrots to the above mixture. Mix well using a wooden spatula or manual whisk. Add vanilla essence, orange juice and zest to the above mix and combine well.


Powder cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add grated nutmeg to this and mix well. Combine together plain flour, baking soda and the spice mixture. Sift this and add to the batter along with semolina.


Beat the egg whites till a stiff peak forms. Add this to the cake batter and fold in gently, till no white traces are visible.


Transfer this to the prepared cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 mins or till the tooth pick inserted comes out clean.


Notes
I used a combination of cashew and walnuts, however you can use any nuts of your choice like almonds, pecans etc;
You can bake this in a single cake tin, if you've a 10 inch deep baking tin. The baking time may vary depending on the size of your tin.

FISH PIE

Fish Pie
marias menu

Have some garlic bread and salad on the side, it's a great meal. You can have it for brunch or when you are entertaining or for a potluck!


Fish Pie
A simple, easy and tasty fish pie recipe with Salmon. Fish marinated with herbs and cooked and layered with white sauce, mashed potatoes, and cheese.

Ingredients
400 gms Fish Fillet (I used salmon)
500-550 gms Potato
5-6 Mushroom, cooked (I used white button mushroom)
1 small – medium Onion
1 tsp Chopped garlic
Marinade for Fish
1.5 tbsp Chopped garlic
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Whole black pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
For Mashed Potato
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (refer notes)
2 tbsp Butter (I used unsalted)
1/4 cup Hot milk
For White Sauce
30 gms Butter (I used unsalted)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
2 tbsp Plain flour (maida)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (refer notes)
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cup Hot Milk (I used full fat)
2 tbsp Grated cheese (refer notes)
1/2 – 3/4 cup Grated cheese (refer notes)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 C, 10 mins before baking.
Grind together 1.5 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper till it becomes a smooth paste.


Clean the fish fillet. Pat dry and make some gashes on it. Add the above marinade and marinate it for half an hour.


Cook the potatoes till done. Mash the cooked potatoes.


Add 1/2 tsp dried herbs, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup hot milk, salt and pepper to the mashed potatoes. Mix well, until everything is combined. (refer notes)


To make white sauce: melt 30 gms butter in a wide pan. Add flour and cook till the raw smell of the flour goes, around 5-7 mins.


Add milk gradually while stirring the sauce. If it gets lumpy use a whisk (refer notes). Once the milk is added and begins to thicken, add cheese (2 tbsp), salt, pepper and dried herbs. Mix well and keep it aside.


Cook the marinated fish until it's done. Salmon tends to cook faster (3-4 mins on each side and it should be done).


Heat oil in the same pan in which you cooked fish. Add chopped onion and garlic (1.5 tsp). Once the onion browns a bit, add cooked mushroom and shredded salmon. Mix well. Add 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the prepared white sauce to the fish mixture. Mix well and remove from fire.

Grease an eight inch baking dish generously with butter. Transfer the fish mixture to the baking dish. Top it with the remaining white sauce.


Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the white sauce. Sprinkle the grated cheese as the top layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 mins. During the last 5 mins, put it on broil to get a golden crust