March 17, 2005

 Strawberry muffins
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
150 gms fresh strawberries, chopped
Additional sugar for topping

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F and line the muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs and vanilla essence. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid mixture and add the strawberries as well. Using a large spoon, gently fold the ingredients. Spoon the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Caramel fudge brownies

Ingredients
2 cups caramel ice cream topping
1 ¼ cups flour,
¼ tsp baking powder
4 tbsp unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped pecans
A pinch of salt

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking pan. Combine caramel topping and a quarter cup flour in a small bowl and keep aside. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a bowl over hot water. Stir sugar into the melted chocolate and add eggs and vanilla essence. Add flour mixture and mix well. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly in a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the brownies from the oven and spread caramel mixture over them and sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips and pecans. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown and bubbling. Cut into two inch bars.

Black Forest pudding

Ingredients
6 oz semi sweet chocolate
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
8 eggs
1 ¾ cup ground almonds
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 cups cherries (rinsed, steamed and pitted)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the chocolate finely and place in a small bowl over hot water to melt. Beat the butter with half of the sugar until light and fluffy and gradually add melted chocolate and egg yolks. Then add almonds and crumbs and lastly fold in the cherries. Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until very stiff and standing in peaks. Fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into a baking dish. Bake the pudding for 30 minutes or until it is well-puffed. Serve the pudding immediately, or allow it to cool slightly and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Apricot crumb pie

Ingredients
1 unbaked pie shell
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cups apricots, sliced
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cookie crumbs

Method
Place the apricots in a bowl. Sprinkle them with lemon juice. In another bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar, tapioca, salt and apricots and keep aside for 15 minutes. Line the pie pan with pastry. Fill with apricot mixture. Dot with butter. Sprinkle crumbs over top. Bake at 425°F for 45 to 50 minutes. n

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