Monday 30 July 2012

Malt cupcakes with malty buttercream

First and foremost a very big thank you to all the people who commented on my previous post.............I'm really touched by the kind words and feel really blessed to know such wonderful people..........I know I've not even met most of you........but you guys make the world a better place.
Onto this recipe.........a friend had asked me what to make chocomalt,well one recipe is the
  malty-walty-banana-cake..........and this would be another that I thought of ,when I should have been doing some other work!(for example studying!)Anyway I tried it out...and I'm sorry if I sound a little immodest when I say this...but they were superb!Do try out the whole thing NOT just the cupcakes...........it has to be with this yum buttercream...I completely agree that the icing is not going to win any beauty contest.....BUT..it has character....and character is good!
INGRDS
3 eggs
1 cup wholewheat flour plus1 cup all purpose flour sieved together with 1 tsp baking pdr
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocomalt(maltova,ovaltine,nutramul,horlicks..whatever)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING
50 gms butter
2 tablespoons powered sugar
4 tablespoons choco malt(or any of the other malt products)
2-3 tablespoons milk
THE WAY TO DO IT!
1.Put ALL the ingrds for the cake(eggs etc)in a bowl,use your hand held mixer and beat till nice and smooth,3-4mins.
2.Put the cupcake wrappers into the muffin pan........now put spoonfulls of the batter into the wrappers till 3/4th way up(if you don't have the wrappers,simply butter the muffin moulds and dust with flour...then pour the batter 3/4th into each mould...........its easier and less messy with the cupcake wrappers)
after the heat treatment!
3.Bake in a preheated oven (180degC)for 20-25 mins.(put a shewer in /or a toothpick....if there is no batter sticking to it...your cupcakes are done)
ICING
1.Beat,with your hand held mixer the  softened butter and sugar,till light and fluffy,add the chocomalt and the milk...beat again....the texture should be spreadable.

2.Ice with a tsp.....put onto the cooled cupcakes.....decorate with whatever you have....I had mini marshmallows......I don't get malteasers in my neck of the woods....but if you can lay your hands on it ...then one malteaser on each cupcake would look awesome....grated chocolate would be nice too.sending this to http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/08/tastetastic-thursday-89/#comment-8559..........tastetastic thursday.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

R I P Casper

24 may 2004-13 jul 2012
I know this is a food blog......but this little boy has been a part and parcel of my posts.....an all important part of my life.He died on the 13th of July(Friday the 13th).He died of DKA caused due to diabetes,which resulted in multiple organ failure.
The start of his ill health,the detection of the diabetes and his death was a period of 13 days.
I thank you all for the lovely comments that used to be for him and thank you for the advice,for all those friends who have been such a pillar of strength to me........thank you....






God bless his soul.

Saturday 7 July 2012

lazy cooks macaroni salad

Hi folks.....finally time to put the recipe of the macaroni salad........quite simply because this time I remembered to take the pics ..........this miserable heat is kinda evaporating my brain cells!
This is a lovely summer salad,even my dear husband who likes only really hot and spicy dishes...likes this....its actually a complete meal in itself.......paired with a cool fizzy drink...perfect!
macaroni -2 pkts(I used 1 shell and 1 elbow pkt)
1 big mango(chopped-diced)
1 cup corn(cooked)
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced cheese(cheddar)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of hung curd/quark(take approx. 2 cups of curd...put this in a muslin cloth and hang for an hour....you'd be left with 1/2 cup of hung curd.........can also be called quark)
2 tablespoons mayonaise(I used eggless)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of Italian sesaoning
1 tblsp of honey(optional)
METHOD
1.In a huge pan of boiling salted water,cut open and topple the contents of the two pkts(Of pasta).Cook till al dente,(should not be mushy....your pasta should have a bite in it),drain,and rinse in cold water.
2.Take the mayo,hung curd,salt,pepper , italian seasoningand honey...mix it well.
3.Take the macaroni,mango,cucumber,onion, cheese,corn....toss the dressing into it,taste and now refrigerate till its nice and cold.........perfect to have for lunch on a hot sunny day.








On a completely unrelated note.......does anyone know how to reduce blood sugar in dogs,my poor Casper has been detected with diabetes,and its a bit of a mystery out here..the docs want to put him on insulin....I've got a week left to get his blood sugar down(I'd asked for 2 weeks to work some magic),I've got this chap eating lauki(bottle gourd),paneer,and baba ramdev meds..........does anyone know anything else that might help reduce the blood sugar?