Raspberry-Blackberry Chip Ice cream

Summer means lots of Berries and lots of Ice cream! I love the 'Black Raspberry Chip' ice cream from Graeter's and also by the 'Homemade' brand which comes very close to Graeter's in flavor.

I didn't have any Black raspberries, so tried to make my favorite flavor of ice cream with combo of  Red Raspberries and Blackberries and Dark chocolate with almonds. The combination worked well and the ice cream turned out super awesome and Yumm!

This ice cream recipe is super easy to make and the ice cream comes out perfect textured! You can use Heavy whipping cream+ Condensed milk and add pretty much any flavor you want to make your very own delicious homemade ice cream!

Ingredients: (Makes about 2 cups or 4 small scoops)
1/2 cup (heaped) Red raspberries+ Black berries
1/2 Cup Heavy whipping cream (unsweetened), chilled
1/4 cup Sweet condensed milk
2 tbsp milk (cold)
2 tbsp chopped dark chocolate with almonds (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate with almonds bar)
3 tsp sugar
Edible sugar pearls (optional) for decorating the glass

Method:

1) Add the berries to a pan. Add 3 tsp sugar and cook for 3-4 mins till berries start to cook. Crush the berries with spoon. ( I didn't mind the tiny berry seeds and pulp in the ice cream. You can strain the puree if you don't like pulp/seeds) The berry sauce will reduce to about 1/4 cup. Let the berry puree cool down completely and then refrigerate for 15 mins.

2) Mix the cooled berry puree, condensed milk and normal milk in a bowl.

3) Beat the chilled heavy whipping cream with electric mixer till stiff peaks form. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream will yield 1 cup whipped cream after whipping is complete.

 Reserve 1 tsp whipped cream for decorating the glass later. Save it in the refrigerator.

4) Gently fold in the whipped cream and chopped dark chocolate into the condensed milk-berry mixture.

5) The mixture will be thicker than smoothie consistency. Pour into freezer safe container. Add extra chopped dark chocolate on top.

6) Freeze for atleast 7 hrs for perfect consistency of the ice cream

7) Serve chilled in ice cream glass with extra berries and sprinkle some chopped dark chocolate 

Optional: Apply the reserved whipped cream as a glue to the rim of the glass. Stick the edible sugar pearls to the rim with whipped cream to decorate the ice cream glass.

Enjoy the delicious treat of homemade ice cream !

Wish you All a Very Happy Diwali 2013 with "Two layer (Chocolate Malai) Kalakand "

                                        Happy Diwali 2013 !!!

Over the last few years, I have made a variety of 'Diwali Faral' recipes and posted them on TheSizzlingPan.
Here is a compilation of  those:
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/search/label/Diwali%20Treats

This, year...it's different!! I am enjoying and being pampered with 'mom' made faral/ treats by mom-in- law and my mom:)) 
But could help myself making this sweet specially for Diwali!

Two Layer (Chocolate-Malai ) Kalakand 

 Malai Kalakand

 
This recipe is adapted from "Showmethecurry"(www.showmethecurry.com)

My version:
15 oz Ricotta Cheese
14 oz Sweetened Condensed milk
1/2 cup milk powder
1/2tsp Cardamom powder
1/2tsp vanilla essence
1/4cup unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder

Chopped Pistachios, sugar pearls etc for garnish

 
 Method:

1)Follow instructions from "showmethecurry.com"
2)After the kalakand is made.Split it into two parts.To one part add cardamom powder, to other add Vanilla and chocolate ----mix.
3) Apply ghee to a pan in which you want to set the kalakand.Press the white layer.On top layer which chocolate layer.
4) Garnish with nuts etc.
5) Let it set for 1 hour in refrigerator.Cut into pieces with sharp knife.

One layer Malai kalakand -

 
 

Quick and Easy Homemade Strawberry icecream

It's strawberry season here....and the markets all full of these lovely red berries!! What's the next better thing than eating them fresh.....turn them into a creamy luscious pretty pink Strawberry ice cream!! Agree??
I love this Quick and easy recipe of using whipped cream and condensed milk to make ice cream.The ice cream comes out creamy, perfect texture every single time.
It took 4 mins to 'make' the ice cream mixture and then 5 hrs to set it in the freezer! There was no mixing every 1/2 hour, no tedious work involved, no ice crystals.....and the results were still luscious and heavenly!!
Using the same recipe...this is my favorite Mango ice cream..and I promise it will be yours too:)
Quick and Easy Mango Saffron ice cream

http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/08/sweet-treats-quick-easy-delicious.html

Ingredients:

This is all you need!
1) 12-14 fresh strawberries
2) Half of the 8 oz tub of Kraft Cool Whip
3) Half of the 14 oz can of Sweetened condensed milk
4) 2 tbsp milk
5) 2tbsp Strawberry syrup

Method:

1)  Thaw the cool whip in refrigerator for 1/2 hr till softens.

2)Wash and Cut off the strawberry leaves and stems.Put them in the blender along with 2tbsp milk.Puree them.

2) Mix the 1/2 container of cool whip, 1/2 container of sweetened condensed milk, strawberry puree and syrup.Mix gently till lumps are gone.

3)  Pour into a freezer safe container/ individual serving glasses( I like the 'bath' cups...they are perfect for single serving of ice cream)

4) Freeze for 5-6 hrs.Done!!!

Tres Leches Strawberry Cake

I know you are drooling over this one..just by looking at the pictures!!! Soft creamy whipped cream over a amazingly moist cake (almost custard like!) topped with fresh strawberries....I am with you! Love Love Love it!!!
I had never had or made "Tres Leches Cake"[ 'Tres' means Three and 'Leches' mean Milk....probably all must have come across these words...living in 'Spanish' translated America!] . I came across this one...on  a Facebook Foodie Community "Bon  Appetit'...One of the fellow members,Shalmali Thakur-Pradhan, had posted the cake recipe on her blog (Bakasoor.blogspot.com).Check the detail recipe here--
http://bakasoor.blogspot.com/2012/12/tres-leches-cake.html

It was a very pretty looking ....luscious...tempting cake..and I couldn't resist baking it! Since Christmas was right around the corner...we celebrated Christmas with this aweesomeely delicious 'Tres Leches Strawberry Cake'!!!

I pretty much followed the instructions on Shalmali's blog...with few modifications.

1) Bake a cake with "White Cake " Mix. I used 8inch round pan. I made 1- 8inch round cake and 6 cupcakes

After the cake bakes...let it cool for 1/2 hr or so...transfer to a disposable aluminum pie dish (which you can cut out after soaking the cake in 3 milks)
2) Poke the cake with fork all over and soak it in 3 milk mixture. Let it soak for 1 hour. Keep the cake in the refrigerator for that time.

 3) Cut out the sides of the aluminum plate and top with whipped cream and decorate with fresh cut Strawberries.Done!

Indulge into the rich, moist, milky, whipped creamy, strawberry goodness!!

"Treats for Diwali"- Pedha with Flower icing

It's the second day of Diwali....and it is "Padwa"..the festival of "husbands and wifes"!! I couldn't resist making these "pretty" looking Pedhas to sweeten M's  mouth after the "Ovalni"(Pooja).

To make these, I used the left over "Pedha dough"(3 minute condensed milk pedhas) from the "Pedha Diyas"(http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/11/treats-for-diwali-pedha-diyas.html) that
 I made couple days ago and made a simple butter-sugar icing to make those pretty flowers!

Ingredients:
Pedha dough (recipe below)
Icing (recipe below)
Decorating  Edible Pearls ( Bought them from 'Cake decorating section' of a grocery store)

Here is the recipe for 3 minute Pedhas:
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweet-treats-3-minute-pedhascondensed.html
( I halved the recipe for these Pedhas)

Icing:
1/4 stick butter (at room temperature)
5tbsp powdered sugar (plus little extra)
few drops of orange color/ red and yellow color(mix 4 red to 2 yellow to make orange color)
few drops vanilla essence
Zip lock bag and icing tip

1) Mix the butter and powdered sugar till smooth and without any lumps.It should make 'icing' consistency) easy enough to be squeezed from zip lock bag.Add more sugar if needed.
2) Add the orange color and vanilla essence to the icing and mix.
3) Cut the tip of zip lock bag(small enough for the icing tip to come through). Place the icing tip inside.Fill the bag with orange icing.
4) Squeeze out icing in shape of a flower. One dot in the center and 5 dots around it.

5) Place one edible pearl in the center of each flower
6) Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

"Treats For Diwali"- Pedha Diyas

Wish You All a Very Happy Diwali 2012!!

Festival of Lights

 

What else goes 'hand in hand' as good as "Diwali and Diyas"??? After all it is called the "The festival of Lights".And so..I thought why not make my "star attraction" this Diwali...."The Pedha Diyas"!!

I used the "3 minute microwave pedha recipe" to make the basic Pedha mixture.(I used 1/4th portion of the recipe to make the Pedha dough for the Diyas.I will make regular Pedhas with the remaining mixture)
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweet-treats-3-minute-pedhascondensed.html


Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter+ little to butter the molds
2 cups milk powder (Use Nestle Nido if you can find)
1- 14oz can Sweetened Condensed milk
2tbsp milk with saffron

Colored Sugar( I used yellow)
Edible colors
Toothpicks

Method:
1) Bring the butter to room temperature.
2) In a microwave safe dish, mix butter, milk powder, condensed milk and flavorings of your choice.
3) Microwave for 3 mins.At each 1 min interval, mix everything together.
4) Let it cool,then form into traditional round pedhas or mold into various shapes. 
5) I molded them into "Diya" shape
6) Used a toothpick to make the 'rim' design

7) Dip the toothpick in edible color of your choice and make designs on the Diya

8) Or dip a straw in the color and make design on the Diyas

9) Pour some colored sugar in the center of the Diya

Pumpkin shaped Pedhas

'Fall' and Halloween in America ...has "Pumpkin" written all over it. The bright Orange color like the 'falling  leaves'...represents 'Fall' extremely well. With the Jack O lanterns of pumpkin ..no Halloween is complete without Pumpkins...their carvings...cookies shaped like pumpkins...cupcakes with pumpkin color and pumpkin pie. I thought...why not Pumpkin shaped Pedha???? 

I am sure everyone will love to get their hands on these cute little 'Pumpkin Pedhas' at the Upcoming Halloween Party.
For the recipe.....I used the same old 3- minute Pedha recipe ( http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweet-treats-3-minute-pedhascondensed.html) with few modifications-

Ingredients:
1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 can of 14 oz sweet condensed milk
1 cup+ little Dry milk powder(I used carnation milk powder)
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4tsp Saffron crushed
Liquid Food colors:( Red and Yellow color) or Orange color and green color

Method:
1)  Mix together butter, condensed milk, milk powder in a large microwave safe bowl
2) Warm 1/4 cup milk with saffron.Add to the butter, milk powder mixture.Mix well
3) Microwave for 3-4 minute total, mixing every 1 minute.The mixture will fluff up and thicken as it cooks. Remember to mix every 1 minute.
4) After 4 minutes, if it isn't thick enough to roll into Pedhas, add 2 tsp milk powder, mix. Microwave for 40 secs more.
5) Add orange color drop by drop ( If using Red and yellow to make orange...mix 4 parts red + 2part yellow to get orange color). Mix. Add more to get desired orange color if needed.
6) After cooling, knead well.Roll into small balls of equal size without cracks. You can apply butter/ ghee to your hands to prevent sticking.Slightly flatten them to get pumpkin shape. Make ridges on the sides with a small fork.
For details chk:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/09/sweet-treats-quick-and-easy-mango-pedha.html

7) Make the Pumpkin stem by slightly pinching the top.
8) Apply green color to the stem with a small brush.Draw eyes and mouth with green color with pointed brush.

Your own little Pumpkin Patch is ready and sure to satisfy any sweet tooth!!

Halloween cake that I baked few years ago:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/11/pat-cake-halloween-cake.html

"Sweet Treats"- Mango-Pineapple-Cream cheese Gelatin molds

From the last weeks ''Mango Sago pudding"...I had Mango pulp and condensed milk leftover. To use that up and to make some snack/ dessert....these pretty  Gelatin molds came into being!!
'E' loved snaking on these after coming from school,, and we made Gelatin hearts and flowers with the cookie cutters!
I had loved this dessert- 'Mango Cheese Cake' that 'S' had made.
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/07/aroma-from-guest-kitchen-guest-soniya.html

On similar lines with few modifications, I made a tropical "Mango-Pineapple Cream Cheese gelatin mold"

Ingredients:
1 Cup Mango Pulp(I used Kesar Mango pulp)
4 oz Cream cheese
1/2 can of Sweetened Condensed milk
1 pkg Jello Island Tropical Pineapple gelatin
Mango slices for the garnish
Cookie cutters for cutting shapes

Method:
1) Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Microwave for 4 secs just to make it soft.
2)Heat 1 cup water. Dissolve the Pineapple gelatin in the water by stirring.
3) Mix the mango pulp,condensed milk in the gelatin mix.Stir the cream cheese. Use hand /hand mixer to blend it well and make it smooth.
4) Pour into a flat  glass tray/dish.Spray the dish with cooking spray before pouring the gelatin.

5) Let it set in the refrigerator for few hours.
5) Serve cold by cutting 'pie' shapes or by cutting various shapes with a cookie cutter.Garnish with sliced mango.