Chapter : 5 - Food of the Earth Tests of Heaven

 

Raisin Nut Cake

2 cups water                                          1 tsp baking soda

1 cup black raisins                                  � tsp salt

� cup butter or margarine                        � tsp cinnamon

1 cup unbleached flour                              � tsp nutmeg

� cup wheat flour                                     1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup brown sugar

1.     In a saucepan, bring water and raisins to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add butter and set aside to cool.

2.     Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3.     Add sifted ingredients to the raisin mixture and mix thoroughly.  Stir in nuts.

4.     Pour mixture into a grased 9-inch a square pan.

5.     Bake at 350⁰F for 40 minutes.

                                                          Serves 4-6

Chocolate Applesauce Cake

(eggless and butterless)

2 cups flour                                                      1 � cups sugar

3 Tblsp cocoa or carob powder                           2 tsp vanilla essence

1 � tsp baking soda                                          2 cups applesauce

� tsp salt                                                         1 � cups semi-sweet

� cup oil                                                           chocolate bits

1.     Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

2.     In a bowl, cream together, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.  Blend in vanilla. Add flour mixture and applesauce.  Stir vigorously and mix well.

3.     Pour into a greased 9� x 13� x 2� pan. Sprinkle with chocolate bits and chopped walnuts.

4.     Bake in a 350⁰F oven for 35-40 minutes.  Cool in pan.

                                                           Yields 12 to 14 pieces

If a cake fails to rise and is heavy in texture, slice and shallow fry in hot butter, roll in powdered sugar and serve.

 

Strawberry Cake

1 can condensed milk                                   � cup water

2 level tsp baking powder                              1 cup chopped strawberries

1 level tsp soda bicarbonate                           2 tsp strawberry essence

1 cup self-rising flour                                     1 9-inch diameter cake pan

� cup melted butter

1.     Butter cake pan and dust with flour, set aside.

2.     Preheat oven to 400⁰F.

3.     Sift flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate.  Mix remaining ingredients together and stir well with a wooden spoon.  Pour into the cake pan.

4.     Bake for 15 minutes and lower oven temperature to 250⁰F and bake another 15 minutes or until done.

5.     Cool cake, ice and decorate.

                                                     Serves 4-6

 

Strawberry Ice-Cream Cake

1 � cups crushed butter biscuits

1/3 cup melted salted butter

1 quart strawberry ice cream (taken out half hour ahead)

� cup sour cream

� cup water

4 Tblsp agar-agar flakes

2 Tblsp powdered sugar

Few slices strawberries

Whipped cream

1.     Mix butter and crushed biscuits together.

2.     Press mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan.  Put in freezer for half an hour.

3.     Put strawberry iee-cream in a bowl.

4.     Boil water and let simmer.  Add agar-agar flakes slowly and stir until all the flakes are dissolved.  Add this agar-agar mixture, sour cream and sugar to soft ice-cream and mix thoroughly.  Put this mixture over warm water until it becomes a smooth sauce and the agar-agar is dissolved thoroughly.

5.     Take out crust from freezer and pour ice-cream mixture over crust.  Put cake in refrigerator to set.

6.     When set, arrange strawberry slices and whipped cream over cake.  Cut into desired slices and serve.

                                                       Serves 6-8

 

Crunchy Square Treat

1 cup creamy peanut butter

� cup brown sugar

� cup corn syrup

3 cups Rice Crispies

6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate morsels (optional)

2 tsp vanilla essence

1.     In a pan, heat peanut butter, sugart and corn syrup on low heat until dissolved thoroughly.  Approximately 5 minutes.

2.     Turn off heat, add rice rispy, chocolate morsels and vanilla essence.  Mix well.

3.     Empty into a large cake pan, pack evenly.

4.     Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.  Cut into desired squares.

                                       Yields 50-60 one-inch squares

Indian Cone-Shaped Ice Cream

(Kulfi)

1 cans condensed milk (400 gms.)           2 Tblsp milk masala

7 oz. Heavy cream (200 gms.)                    � tsp ground cardamom

2 � cups milk                                         � tsp ground nutmeg

                                                                   � tsp saffron powder

1.     Bring milk to a boil and add to milk, masala, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron.

2.     Remove from heat and add condensed milk and cream, and allow it to cool.

3.     Fill cone-moulds with this mixture.

4.     Arrange them upright in the freezer and chill for 8 to 10 hours.

5.     When set, take each cone and wash quickly in water.  The Kulfi will slide out easily.  Arrange in a shallow dish.

6.     Cut into �� slices and serve.

                                                  Yields: 12 Kulfis

Note: The cone-shaped mould can be bought at Indian Grocery Stores, or Kulfi can      be set in any other container or mould with a lid.