Mango Jam

Indian summer, a particularly unpleasant season of the year .  It’s a million degrees here.  The only good thing about summer is that this is the Mango season . Mangoes to India is what Olive oil is to Italy.   For most Indian Families Mango is not just a fruit , eating them is almost a sacred ritual  which every Indian loves to  indulge in every summer.   

India is a biggest exporter of Mangoes.   Alphonso , of course being the king of  fruit is the most savoured one but apart from that there are a variety of different mangoes which are equally delicious Kesari, Badami, langda etc.

Did you know that Mangoes are fruits with low glycemic  index and also rich in Vitamin C And Vitamin A .  Also this fruit is laden with Anti-Oxidants.  So even if you go a little over board with this delicious fruit during season its okay

Like in every Indian Home my kitchen is also flooded with too many mangoes.  That’s why I thought of making Mango Jam.  Okay I know it’s way too easier and cheaper to buy Jams from the nearest grocery store.  But preserving fruit is not only such a  fulfilling and homely thing to do, you can also be guaranteed to have a fantastic tasting jam which is just not filled with artificial colours, preservatives and sugar.

 

Making Jams require hardly any ingredients . Basically it’s just Mangoes , sugar and lemons.  I have used the Badami variety they are quiet a sweet variety of Mangoes grown in the South of India.  They I find are the ideal mangoes for making jams , not only are they every cheap , they cost Rs 50 a kilo in local market, but  also very fleshy and naturally sweet therefore you can reduce the sugar content in the jam considerably.

 
Ingredients for  making Mango Jam

1kg of Mangoes (Badami)

500 gms of Sugar

2 large lemons
 

Method
 
 First sterilize  glass jars..  The process is explained in this following link. http://veena-cakesbakes.blogspot.in/2011/10/applepear-jam.html
 

Peel the Mango and Deseed them.  After which you need to make a puree of this.  Add together all
the ingredients in a thick bottomed vessel . 

 

Cook  this mixture together.  Mangoes have natural pectin therefore it will start gelatinizing as an when it gets cooked.
 

Go on stirring the mixture while cooking and cook on a slow flame.  This process should take 25 mins . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  When the consistency  starts thickening  to a jammy consistency.

Let this mixture sit of 10 mins . pour this in glass jars you can use a funnel to do that as it is lot more easier that way. Tighten the lid and  store  it in a cool dark place

 
 

 
 
 

Home Made Peanut Butter

I have been reading a lot on health benefits of peanut butter .  When eaten in moderation its supposed to be an excellent source of protein. Fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants making it a good alternative over butter.  In addition to that peanut butter has a tendency to keep you satiated for a longer time making it an excellent mid morning snack.  Its just in recent years that the consumption of peanut butter has become fairly popular in the Indian markets .  It is a  great alternative to butter ,can be used as a icing I have used peanut butter icing for my chocolate beer  cupcakes http://veena-cakesbakes.blogspot.in/2014/01/chocolate-beer-cup-cake-with-peanut.html#links as chocolate and peanut butter is a classic combination.  If nothing else you can simply spread it on a brown bread , it makes a yummy sandwich .

Peanut butter is nothing but plain peanuts.  It’s also extremely easy to make .  Which gives you all the more reason to make it at home rather than going for the store bought one which is not only expensive , A jar of 350 gms of American Garden peanut butter will cost you around Rs 280 but also you don’t have any control over the amount of sodium , sugar , oil and preservatives added to it.  So go the healthy way and make your own peanut butter it hardly will  take 15-20 mins of your time.

 

Ingredients for making Peanut Butter

 

Peanuts -250 gms
Sea Salt ½ tsp
Honey-50 ml or alternatively Jaggery 75 gms
Good Quality Vanilla 1 tsp
Peanut oil/Olive Oil- 50 ml.





Method

Roast the Peanuts in a Microwave for 5 mins.  Remove the outer skin alternatively you can purchase the skinned variety.

In a coffee grinder add all the ingredients together and grind it.  Initially it will be all grainy but you need to go on grinding it

Till you start getting a smooth paste this process will take atleast 4-5 mins of blending in the mixer.  Instead of vanilla you can add cinnamon, chocolate chips etc.  Store it in a dry bottle .

 

 

Chocolate Beer cup cake with Peanut butter frosting

Cup cakes are such a girly thing.  All the girls seem to go gaga over cute little fairy cakes . I just thought of creating a cup cake for  the guys " Why should girls have all the fun",
This cup cake is dedicated to all the guys .  Introducing Chocolate beer cup cake with peanut butter frosting. I have been a little indulgent and filled the cup cake with chocolate Ganache to make it even more irresistible.

The ideal beer for this cup cake would be Guiness or Stout which has a nice malty flavour but I live in Mumbai where for most people beer means Kingfisher.  I have made the best use of available resources for this recipe I have used Kingfisher strong.  These cup cakes turn out really soft with a nice malty aroma.  The peanut butter frosting is just the right combination  and decorating with fondant beer bottle and beer mug gives it just the party feel to it.


Ingredients ( makes around 20 medium sized cup cakes

Cup cake base
25 gms Good quality Cocoa powder
100 ml Dark strong beer  preferably stout (though I have used Kingfisher strong, which is readily available in India)
55 gms unsalted butter
125 gms dark brown sugar
1 large egg
85 gms All purpose flour
1/8^th tsp baking powder
½ tsp Soda bi carb

Filling
50 gms Dark Chocolate
50 gms Fresh cream

Frosting
100 gms Peanut butter
25 gms unsalted butter
125 gms icing sugar
25 ml fresh cream

Method

Cupcake Base

·        In a mixing bowl  cream together butter and sugar , till its light and fluffy

·        Add an egg and cream it further

·        Separately sieve together flour, baking powder and baking soda

·        In a bowl mix together cocoa powder and strong beer.

·        Now alternatively fold the egg mixture with  flour and beer mixture.

·        With a ice cream scoop divide the cake mixture in a muffin pan.

 

Filling

·        Microwave fresh cream for 30 secs add chopped chocolate

·        Again microwave the mixture for 30 secs

·        Mix thoroughly, till the mixture is nice and glossy.

·        Fill the mixture in a pastry bag.

·        In the prepared muffin pan gently squeeze  the chocolate ganache in the middle

·        Bake in a preheated oven for 15 mins at 160 degrees.

Frosting

·        In a bowl cream together butter and peanut butter.

·        Go on adding icing sugar

·        Lastly add fresh cream to adjust consistency

Assembling

·        Take some simple syrup  and beer in a bowl.

·        With a brush moisten the cup cakes with beer.

·        This gives it a added beer flavour

·        Using a piping bag and nozzle, pipe the peanut butter frosting on the cup cake

·        I have garnished it with fondant figures but you can garnish it with sprinkles or crushed peanut chikki.

 

 

 

Enjoy your chocolate Beer cup cake "Cheers".