<div>With Christmas almost upon us, it’s the season of parties and get-togethers yet again. It’s a time when our food tables are dominated by cakes and puddings. Here are some easy recipes that spell X’mas to the T and are guaranteed to make you everyone’s favourite this season. <br /><br />Lava cake<br /><br /><em>Ingredients:</em> 2 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs,45 gm caster sugar, unsalted white butter, 125 gm dark chocolate, 125 gm maida. <br /><br /><em>Method: </em>Beat egg yolks and the whole eggs nicely. Double boil chocolate and butter, cool for a while. Slowly fold the eggs and the chocolate together, until well combined. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot with one scoop of vanilla ice cream.<br /><br />Macaroons<br /><br /><em>Ingredients: </em>3 egg whites, 100 gm caster sugar, 125 gm icing sugar, 65 gm almond powder, a little food colouring (green, pink). <br /><br /><em>Method: </em>Whisk egg whites and caster sugar still shiny and stiff. Fold icing sugar, almond powder and colour. Fill into the piping bag that has one cm plain nozzle and pipe out the macaroons evenly, with sufficient space in between. Knock the tray, let dry at room temperature for two hours. Bake at 140 degree celsius for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven. You can make macaroon sandwiches with butter cream or ganache. <br /><br />Chocolate Swiss roll<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 eggs, 65 gm caster sugar, 65 gm maida, 7 gm baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla essence, ¼ cup sugar syrup (made out of ¼ cup sugar & ¼ cup water, cook both for five minutes and cool.), 1 cup ganache (double boil ½ cup butter and ½ cup dark chocolate, cool at room temperature and whisk well before use).<br /><br /><em>Method:</em> Sieve maida and baking powder. Whisk the eggs and sugar till you get a ribbon-like consistency. Fold the maida mixture into the eggs along with cocoa powder. Pour on a tray lined with greased butter paper and smooth the surface. Bake at 210 degree Celsius for seven minutes in a pre-heated oven. Let it cool. <br /><br />Then upturn the cake on a baking paper lined with caster sugar. Roll the cake along with the paper inside it. Leave it alone for five minutes and then unroll it slowly. Then spread the ganache on the cake and re-roll it without the paper. Refrigerate for one hour and dust with icing sugar before serving. <br /><br />Nutty assorted rock chocolates<br /><br /><em>Ingredients: </em>100 gm dark chocolate, 100 gm milk chocolate, 200 gm chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins. Method: Cut chocolate into small pieces and double boil it till it is melted. Take it off from the heat, stir well with a spoon and add the assorted nuts. Mix well. Pour on to a greased butter paper and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Take them out and cut into pieces and they are ready to serve. <br /><br /></div>
<div>With Christmas almost upon us, it’s the season of parties and get-togethers yet again. It’s a time when our food tables are dominated by cakes and puddings. Here are some easy recipes that spell X’mas to the T and are guaranteed to make you everyone’s favourite this season. <br /><br />Lava cake<br /><br /><em>Ingredients:</em> 2 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs,45 gm caster sugar, unsalted white butter, 125 gm dark chocolate, 125 gm maida. <br /><br /><em>Method: </em>Beat egg yolks and the whole eggs nicely. Double boil chocolate and butter, cool for a while. Slowly fold the eggs and the chocolate together, until well combined. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot with one scoop of vanilla ice cream.<br /><br />Macaroons<br /><br /><em>Ingredients: </em>3 egg whites, 100 gm caster sugar, 125 gm icing sugar, 65 gm almond powder, a little food colouring (green, pink). <br /><br /><em>Method: </em>Whisk egg whites and caster sugar still shiny and stiff. Fold icing sugar, almond powder and colour. Fill into the piping bag that has one cm plain nozzle and pipe out the macaroons evenly, with sufficient space in between. Knock the tray, let dry at room temperature for two hours. Bake at 140 degree celsius for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven. You can make macaroon sandwiches with butter cream or ganache. <br /><br />Chocolate Swiss roll<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 eggs, 65 gm caster sugar, 65 gm maida, 7 gm baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla essence, ¼ cup sugar syrup (made out of ¼ cup sugar & ¼ cup water, cook both for five minutes and cool.), 1 cup ganache (double boil ½ cup butter and ½ cup dark chocolate, cool at room temperature and whisk well before use).<br /><br /><em>Method:</em> Sieve maida and baking powder. Whisk the eggs and sugar till you get a ribbon-like consistency. Fold the maida mixture into the eggs along with cocoa powder. Pour on a tray lined with greased butter paper and smooth the surface. Bake at 210 degree Celsius for seven minutes in a pre-heated oven. Let it cool. <br /><br />Then upturn the cake on a baking paper lined with caster sugar. Roll the cake along with the paper inside it. Leave it alone for five minutes and then unroll it slowly. Then spread the ganache on the cake and re-roll it without the paper. Refrigerate for one hour and dust with icing sugar before serving. <br /><br />Nutty assorted rock chocolates<br /><br /><em>Ingredients: </em>100 gm dark chocolate, 100 gm milk chocolate, 200 gm chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins. Method: Cut chocolate into small pieces and double boil it till it is melted. Take it off from the heat, stir well with a spoon and add the assorted nuts. Mix well. Pour on to a greased butter paper and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Take them out and cut into pieces and they are ready to serve. <br /><br /></div>
