Choco Chip Muffins

Well Its summer and my travelling feet has been itching for a while now...
Going on a month long vacation !!..

See you all in June!. Of course i will miss blogging! Anyways catching up will be fun too!.

Happy Vacation to all of you!

Signing off with a simple Choco chip muffins from Nigellas's Kitchen.

Super simple and super Yumm !

Choco Chip Muffins

(Nigella's Kitchen)

INGREDIENTS
250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Half-teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 tablespoons best quality cocoa
175g caster sugar
150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)
250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
METHOD
1.Preheat the oven to 200C and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases. I used silicon cases which were a thouhtful gift from a good friend and a terrific cook herself.
2.Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug.

3.Mix both together – it will be a runny batter - then spoon into waiting muffin cases.


4.Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and springy.

Enjoy!!.

sticky lemon bars

My mother grows these amazing 'Limes ' in her farm that i cant get enough of. They are huge with dense flesh and are lusciously juicy and smells divine. Every time i get my share it becomes a big lemony feast at home. One becoz i don't get them very often, and two the batches come in plenty that i don't want to waste them.

So i have few tried and tested standard recipes like Lime Cordial, Cheesecake, Lemon Cake, Lemon pie and several other marinades. Oh how can i forget Lemon Pickle! Yes !. But this time i added something new to my list which is the 'Sticky Lemon Bars'!.
I am totally bowled over and in love with them.

It cant get simpler than his. Even a beginner can fix this without any hitch!.

It has got a soft crust base which is basically short bread , with a topping of silk smooth tangy lemon filling. mmm divine!

For the Crust
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 tbsp lemon zest

For the Topping
1 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained


Preheat oven to 180 deg. Butter the inside of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


To make the crust: In a medium-sized bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon Zest and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough (it will be quite liquid) evenly in the bottom of the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned.


While the crust is baking, make the topping: Stir together sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.


When the crust is baked (and still hot), pour in filling, turn oven down to 300, and bake for 20-20 minutes or until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. Dust it with powdered sugar.



Makes great teatime snack



Verdict : My Second twin who cant take any sourness in his food finished two bars!!

corn on toast

Corn is an all time favourite at home... anything with corn is a sure hit with my boys. So i am always on the lookout for recipes with corn in it.
I first had this in a restaurant in chennai. Then i tried it at home pretty much guessing the ingredients and was happy with the outcome. Since then it has been a regular feature at home. I love its creamy texture and the mild curried flavour. The basic for this is the bechamel sauce . But it is done with a curried twist. When i am lazy to cook, or want something comforting or have an unannounced guest then 'corn on toast' it is..
I used..
green giant tinned corn 115g .. you can use fresh corn as well..
warm milk 1 1/2 cups
plain flour 2 tbsp
butter -3 tbsp
garlic 1 clove finely chopped
onion 1 finely chopped
green chillies - 1 chopped - optional
tomato -3 big- boiled,peeled, de seeded and pureed
Curry powder -1tsp
plenty of coriander finely chopped
1. Heat butter and add the onion and garlic and saute till it turns pink.
2. Add the tomato puree and curry powder and cook till it doesn't smell raw anymore.
3. Now add the plain flour and cook for a while.. at this stage it may look little sticky but its fine..
4. Turn off the heat and add warm milk while whisking all the time.. This helps to avoid lumps in the sauce.
5. Turn on the heat and continue stirring until it starts to thicken.
6. Now add the corn and coriander and let it cook for few mins.
7. Serve the corn on warm toast.
6. If you don't mind the calories add a few tbsp of fresh cream for even smoother and creamier texture.