Mango Trifle:

Trifle, name itself brings a smile on my face. I started my non-Indian dessert preparation journey from this recipe and it has come a long long way. It has been almost 20 years now. When I was in my native, exposure to the outside world was minimal and our day to day preparations were all traditional and prepared with locally available ingredients or seasonal vegetables. After my wedding, my opportunities got widened as well as the encouragement. It was not an internet era. My sources were library books and my notebook and pen. I used to read about the different cuisines, uses and ingredients. In the meantime, I tried to implicate all of that knowledge in my cooking.

Trifle is an English dessert, which is cold and creamy, that contains 3 layers. Here I usually use Sponge cake at the base, then vanilla milk custard which is topped with any seasonal fruits. Mostly Mango or strawberries. Here sponge cake will be soaked with hot custard and will swell like a thick foam. It is cooled under refrigeration and while serving, last layer will be added. It is a party pleaser and a very good idea for a large gathering and usually is loved by all. Prepared this easy dessert to celebrate 6th Anniversary of our Foodie group in  Facebook.

Ingredients:

Sponge cake – ½ kg

Custard powder – 4 table spoons

Milk – 1 litre

Sugar – ½ to ¾ cup (I usually prefer light sweet)

Mango fruits – 3 to 4

Method:

-Take one flat, rectangular or square glass dish or baking dish.

-Place the first layer.  Slice the sponge cake and place flat at the bottom of the dish.

-Prepare custard first:

-Pour milk to the vessel, remove half cup of milk from this vessel, mix in custard powder and make a paste and keep it ready.

-When milk starts boiling, add the custard paste and boil for some more time (2 to 3 minutes)

-Mix in sugar and stir nicely.

-Pour this hot custard over the first layer (over the sponge cake)

-Sometimes sponge cake pops up, while pouring the custard. It is ok. After some time, you will be able to press it back.

-Now cool it completely, cover with the cling wrap and keep it under refrigeration to cool.

-It takes almost 4 to 6 hours or overnight is also fine.

-Next is Fruit layer: Chop the fruits into small chunks. Remove all the pulps which is attached to the inner seed as well.

-Mix in couple of spoons of sugar and keep it in the fridge.

-Before serving, remove cling wrap and spread the fruit all over the custard.

-Take one serving spoon, dig it up to the bottom, take out all three layers, while serving and enjoy.

-If you are making this for a larger crowd, you can prepare this in advance and serve.

Crunchy Ice cream:

I am celebrating my blog’s first anniversary, what more reason do we need to celebrate than this? I chose to prepare our all-time favorite “crunchy ice cream” which I whipped up a couple of years back, after tasting this yummilicious blend of fresh cream, chocolate, Vanilla ice cream with crunchy rice crispies, which we enjoyed during our Malaysia trip at Dip n Dip’s This recipe is a crowd pleaser, child friendly as well as perfect for any family gathering and celebrations.

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Ingredients:

Fresh cream – 200 grams

Cooking chocolate – 100 -150 grams

Sugar – 2 tsp

Rice crispy – 100 grams

Vanilla ice cream – as needed

Chocolate vermicelli or sprinkles – little

Method:

-Grate cooking chocolate or make small chunks.

Ribbet collage 1

-Take one sauce pan and boil fresh cream, cooking chocolate, sugar into sauce consistency.

-Now Take 4 serving bowls. Pour Rice crispies at the base.

Ribbet collage 2

-Next, pour Hot chocolate sauce and place one ball of ice cream.

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-If you want, you can sprinkle some chocolate vermicelli/ sprinkles and some more sauce and enjoy with your family.

Lemon pudding cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce:

Soft, melt in a mouth citrusy warm pudding is paired with fresh strawberry sauce. It is a real treat in winter evenings. The basic recipe is from here and I adapted it according to our taste and availability of the ingredients.

collage

Ingredient:

All-purpose flour or Almond flour – ¼ cup

Salt – one pinch

Lemon zest – from one lemon

Eggs -2 (separated)

Butter- 1 tablespoon

Sugar- 2/3 cup

Buttermilk – 2/3 cup

Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons

For Sauce:

Strawberries- 20

Sugar – 2 tablespoon

Method:

  • Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. i.e. All-purpose flour, salt, lemon zest and mix this nicely by using a dry wire whisk.
  • Preheat oven at 160° C . Keep cookie tray inside by putting water. So that the water bath will be ready to bake while preheating.
  • Take 4 pudding moulds and apply some butter or oil and keep aside.
  • In another bowl, beat egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, sugar. Beat until well mixed.
  • Add dry ingredient content to this and keep aside.
  • In another bowl, beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks. It takes almost 2 to 3 minutes of beating.
  • Combine this with a pudding mixture by folding gently by using a wooden or plastic spatula.
  • Divide evenly by filling this into 4 pudding moulds.

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  • Bake these filled cups in a hot water bath for 40 minutes or until the top becomes light brown.
  • After placing the cups, check for the water level in the cookie tray (water bath). If it is less, please fill it with little hot water and close the oven door.
  • When it is done, remove from the water bath and cool those cups.

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  • Now you can make strawberry sauce or Compote :
  • Chop all the strawberries, Mix in sugar and keep aside for 5 minutes. Churn half of the content in a mixer jar and keep another half as it is. So that you will have some chunks in your sauce and it looks good as well OR to make the compote, cook all these until syrup become bubbly and cool before serving it. 
  • For serving, invert the pudding on a serving plate and pour some strawberry sauce and enjoy.

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Note: To invert the pudding, you can use a small knife at the edge and it will release itself from the sides.