Tag Archives: Summer

Decadent Desserts, The Kitchen Diary

A Couple of Cream Cheese Frostings

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I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂

 

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you a cupcake with cream cheese frosting – Me 🙂 ”
The Fact: Neufchatel cheese, the inspiration for conventional block cream cheese, originated in France in the 1500s. In 1872, William Chester, a New York dairyman, accidentally discovered a cheese making method that produced a creamy mild cheese while trying to duplicate the French Neufchatel recipe. He sold it as ‘cream cheese’ to the Empire Cheese Company, who in turn marketed it under the ‘Philadelphia’ brand.
The Inspiration: Who doesn’t like cream cheese? It’s the perfect in between for those who don’t quite get the cheese frenzy and think cream’s too fatty and tasteless to be loved as much. As for me … I love the soft, almost-smotherable, velvety-smooth texture and the lightly salted flavor of the cheese. But then I also love cream and cheese, independently, just as much.
I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad 🙂 The cream cheese in my home goes into cake and cupcake frostings more often than not. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂 

Plain Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting has a more distinctive tang than the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe I share below, simply because it uses pure cream cheese and whipped cream. It’s wickedly delicious, less sweet and works better with cakes in general, where you want the cake to carry the main flavor and the frosting to complement it; for example, red velvet cake or carrot cake. This frosting is also relatively stable and forms firmer and steadier peaks and swirls than the second frosting recipe on the blog, below. Since this frosting uses whipped cream, it’s less stable outdoors and in the heat for long hours.

Carrot cake with plain cream cheese frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 cupcakes

  • 227 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 70 – 80 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • 160 ml heavy whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and on slow speed, beat in the sugar until it’s smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

  3. Add the cold whipping cream and whisk on high speed, until the frosting is thick and stiff peaks are formed. It should take no more than a few minutes. If it’s not yet stiff, add more sugar, tablespoon at a time. Remember that the temperature and brand of whipping cream is very important. The cream has to be absolutely cold, preferably being beaten in a chilled bowl. It should also be a brand you’ve tried and tested before. If it’s one that doesn’t form peaks easily, beat it separately and fold it into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
    Cream cheese frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar and the whipping cream that gives this frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of the sugar, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you what to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar and stiffer whipped cream. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing outdoors or in the heat for a while, avoid this frosting because it won’t hold too long in heat.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Use this frosting when you want the frosting itself to be your highlight—sweet, yummy and addictive, like in most cupcakes. This one has a wicked taste and texture. It also pipes softer peaks and swirls and is easier to handle compared to the frosting above, simply because of its higher butter content, because of which it won’t last too long in the heat; however it can stand for hours at room temperature or in a relatively cool place because the frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.

Cupcake with cream cheese buttercream frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 – 20 cupcakes

  • 113 gms butter (softened at room temperature)
  • 113 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 240 – 270 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Whisking the butter until soft
  2. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and continue to beat until the entire mixture is smooth and you can no longer differentiate between the butter and the cream cheese.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat on high for a little less than a minute. Then, on low speed (stir speed), beat in the confectioners’ sugar until well combined.Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar scraped down

  4. Once you’re sure of the sweetness and stiffness, beat the frosting on high speed for about 2 minutes. At this point, the frosting should no longer feel grainy. It should be fully incorporated. If you need the frosting to be stiffer than what it is, add more icing sugar by the tablespoon. Alternatively, you can also add 1 – 2 tablespoons of whipping cream.
    Cream cheese buttercream frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar that gives the frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of it, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you want to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing in the heat for a while, avoid frosting altogether because it won’t hold too long. However, if your cakes/cupcakes will be standing in a relatively cool place, they will last for hours because this frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Breakfasts n Brunches, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Sumptious Main Courses, Tea-time Titbits, Vegetarian Varieties

Sausage Potato Quiche

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The quiche has always been one of those fascinating kitchen creations that has an exotic appeal with a sprinkling of humility. I’m not sure whether it’s the many variations of the dish, its humble beginnings in Germany and France, its popularity after World War II, or the sheer simplicity of the dish. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it…

 

“Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”— A book by Bruce Feirstein; a bestseller satirizing stereotypes of masculinity
The Fact:  Why is the Quiche Lorraine named so? It is believed that Quiche Lorraine is a recipe traditionally from Lorraine, France, near the border with Germany. In reality, the classic Quiche originated in Lothringen, Germany, a region initially under German rule; however, it was renamed Lorraine when it came under French control. In fact, the word ‘quiche’ is derived from the German word for cake, ‘kuchen.’
The Inspiration: My fascination with the “quiche” began when I was 16 and was introduced to a quaint little French café that opened up next to the college I went to. A little late, I agree, but quiche was just not a regular in my house. I still remember spotting the quiche as a cute little something with pretty, wavy edges, and beautiful, golden brown bacon bits sprinkled over it… I just had to give it a try! And with that introduction, began my love affair with quiches and tarts and pies and short crust pastries, and the eagerness to master them all. To me, this dish is really not so much about the taste; it’s about the beauty in its simplicity—the simplicity in the ingredients, the preparation and the result.

The Ingredients

This dish makes 6 – 8 servings.

Pie Crust or Short-Crust Pastry

  • 1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter (115 g or ¼ lb) frozen or chilled butter
  • ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Quiche Filling

  • 3 large potatoes; grated, using a regular cheese grater

Grated potatoes

  • 2 cups of diced, chopped or minced sausages
  • 1 cup of chopped bacon

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Chopped bacon and sausages

  • ½ cup of diced bell peppers (Use a combination of yellow and red for a pretty quiche)
  • 1 cup diced mushrooms
  • About 15 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.)

Finely chopped garlic

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt to taste

Egg Custard

  • 3 large or 4 small eggs
  • 2/3rd cup milk
  • A pinch of salt for each egg

The Method

Making the Short-Crust Pastry or Quiche Crust

  • Click here to read up on how to make the perfect short-crust pastry, pie crust or quiche crust.

Pie Crust

Making the Filling

  • Heat a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to simmer lightly. Do not burn the butter or allow it to turn brown.
  • Toss in the finely chopped garlic and allow it to brown slightly.

Garlic in butter

  • Add the bacon and let it release some lovely flavor into the pan as the fat melts. Allow the bacon to brown.

Bacon and garlic in butter

  • If you haven’t already grated the potatoes, now’s the time to do it. Remember to sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the grated potatoes. Give it a toss. Keep it aside.
  • Add the mushrooms and let them cook in the butter and fat, while absorbing the flavours in the pan. Mushrooms also release a lot of water. Allow the water to dry up as much as possible.
  • Now, toss in the chopped/minced sausages and the shredded potatoes.
  • After about 2 minutes, add the diced bell peppers.
  • Sautee the ingredients for a few minutes, or until all the water has dried up.
  • Season the mixture with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of sugar. You could even add a soup cube for more taste, but if you do, remember to adjust the salt.
  • Take the skillet off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down a little

The quiche filling

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Making the egg custard

  • Whisk the eggs, the milk and the salt together. You’re done.

Assembling the quiche

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Take the ready pie base. Sprinkle the sausage filling into it. Pour the egg custard over the filling.

Pie crust with the filling

  • Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over it. This is completely optional 🙂
  • Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the egg custard is set.

Serve hot and enjoy! You can refrigerate leftovers for later as well.

Bon appétit!

A piece of quiche

 

Breakfasts n Brunches, Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Tea-time Titbits, Vegetarian Varieties

Mango Milkshake

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Summer is gorgeous—it’s pretty, it’s colourful, it’s vacation time, it’s hot (not always a good thing—ask the 42°C outside), it’s time for fun clothes, and in my part of the world, it’s also mango time! And though winter will always be my favourite month, nothing beats mangoes and fresh mango juice, mango salsa and mango milkshake!

 

“Sometimes, a summer afternoon needs a whole mango to be kept entirely for oneself, and eaten in one sitting.” – Alison Pill
The Fact: The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. It is also the national tree of Bangladesh.
The Inspiration: It’s summer. The markets are filled with that lovely sweet aroma that draws you, no matter which market you go to. It’s another thing that I’m grateful for when it comes to India and or warm, tropical climate. So, the mangoes called out to me… I bought a few dozens… didn’t know how to finish so many mangoes before they got overripe… solution: mango milkshake. And though I agree that this probably didn’t require a post because, I mean, “Who doesn’t know how to make milkshake, right?” But then the pictures that I took with my Samsung Galaxy S4 were so lovely, I just had to put this up.

The Ingredients

Makes 4–5 milkshake servings
  • 4 sweet, fully ripe mangoes

The colour does not determine the ripeness of the fruit; the smell and firmness do. When you lightly squeeze the head or the stem end of the fruit, it should lightly give in. The stem end should also give out a lovely sweet, ripe smell. Remember that the sweetness and flavour of the mangoes decide what your milkshake will taste like. Get the mangoes wrong, and you’re not quite going to enjoy the milkshake.

  • A cup of milk (or more, depending on what thickness you prefer)
  • Sugar to taste
  • Optional: one scoop of vanilla flavoured ice cream
  • Optional: A sprinkling of cardamom (peeled)

The Method

  • Wash, dry and peel the chilled mangoes. Using warm mangoes will give you a warm shake—something you definitely do not want.
  • Roughly chop up the mangoes, while carefully discarding the seed. Try not to get too close to the seed; it’s usually not as sweet as the fleshy part of the fruit.

Chopped mango bits

  • Toss the chopped up mangoes, the ice cream, the sugar and the peeled cardamom into a blender/grinder and blend the ingredients together.

Chopped mangoes, ice cream, sugar, and peeled cardamom in a blenderChopped mangoes, ice cream, sugar, and peeled cardamom in a blender

  • After a smooth paste is formed, stop the blender and pour in half a cup of milk. Then, blend once more. 
  • In this way, keep adjusting the milk until you reach the desired thickness. There’s no harm in tasting the shake until you get exactly what you’re looking for.

Mango milkshake in progress

  • Serve in lovely tall glasses. If you prefer a cooler milkshake, toss in a few ice cubes—just not too many or it will water down the milkshake. Cover and store in a refrigerator for a day or two.

chilled mango milkshake

Breakfasts n Brunches, Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Lockdown Recipes, The Kitchen Diary, Vegetarian Varieties

Better Buttermilk

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I swear by butter and cream and milk too; buttermilk was new and certainly was a welcome change!

 

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” – Woody Allen
The Fact: To get the amount of calcium in an 8-ounce glass of milk, you’d have to eat one-fourth cup of broccoli, seven oranges or six slices of wheat bread.
The Inspiration:So my research began when I visited about seven dairies and four supermarkets in search of buttermilk, and still didn’t get any. They blamed it on the winter—“Nobody drinks buttermilk in winter, ma’am—and the lack of demand in the winter. And so I gave up. I decided I’m going to make some and I’m going to make it better. And I did.Buttermilk sits right in the middle of milk and cream; it’s slightly thicker than milk and not quite as thick as cream. It’s also more acidic than milk, has a lovely flavor, and is a super alternative for lactose intolerant people because much of the lactose has been broken down to lactic acid. Buttermilk has quite a few benefits—it’s low in fat and calories (lower than that in milk—a cup of buttermilk contains 2.2g of fat and 99 calories while a cup of whole milk contains 8.9g of fat and 157 calories), is cooling for the body (which is why it’s perfect for summers), aids digestion, makes the yummiest, lightest, and softest pancakes and cakes, and lasts much longer in the refrigerator because of its acidity, which inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria.Since most store-bought buttermilk is quite fake and not quite the real thing, here are some easy ways in which you can make your very own homemade buttermilk.

#1 Super easy, all of 10 minutes, but rather watery kinda buttermilk

Watery buttermlk

This buttermilk is very easy to make at home and takes a maximum of 10 minutes. And although you can use this buttermilk in your baking recipes to make cakes, biscuits and pancakes, I found this version to be very light, watery and rather tasteless. But if you need a substitute, it works.

The Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 1 cup of milk (minus 1 tablespoon)
The Method
  • Pour the lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup.
  • Add enough milk to bring the mixture up to the one-cup line.
  • Stir once and let the mixture stand for 5 – 10 minutes. You’ll notice tiny curdled bits in you measuring cup. If you do, you have your buttermilk. If you don’t, add a further half tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and try again.
  • Refrigerate.

#2 Easy, perfect and yummy, but takes 1 – 2 days to make kinda buttermilk

A glass of buttermilk

This buttermilk is easy to make, requires cultured buttermilk (thick, real, buttermilk preferably from a health store or an organic store) and takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is perfect to drink and use as a substitute in your baking recipes.

The Ingredients
  • 1 cup of cultured buttermilk
  • 3 cups of milk
  • A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)
If you want smaller quantities, you can do so by reducing the quantities of the ingredients but maintaining the proportion, which is a 1:3 ratio.
The Method
  • Pour the buttermilk into the glass jar.
  • Next, add the milk, screw the lid on and shake the jar.
  • Leave the jar to rest in a relatively warm place for about 24 hours. You can check whether your buttermilk is ready by tilting the jar slightly. While milk does not coat the glass, buttermilk will (as you can see in the image right at the top of this post).
  • Now pop it into the refrigerator and it will stay for a few weeks.

#3 Not-so-easy, the best, but takes about 5 days to make kinda buttermilk

A glass of perfect buttermilk

This buttermilk is still easy to make, however, it involves you making your own buttermilk culture from raw milk and then takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is the best buttermilk you could ever have, is perfect to drink, use in your baking recipes, and will make you a buttermilk addict (yes, that’s possible :)).

The Ingredients
  • 1 cup of raw milk
  • 1 cup of regular milk
  • A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)
The Method
  • Let a cup of raw milk sit covered, at room temperature, until it has clabbered or thickened. This usually takes about 2 – 3 days.
  • Take a quarter or one-fourth of the clabbered milk in a glass jar and add a cup of regular milk to it.
  • Screw the lid on and shake the jar. Now, allow the jar to sit at room temperature until clabbered.
  • Repeat this sub-culturing process several times until the milk clabbers within 24 hours. To know that you’ve got the right buttermilk, taste it. It should be tart (not bitter), thick, and should not have a bad or off taste. If it’s perfect, you’ve got your buttermilk culture.
  • Now use the buttermilk culture with milk in the 1:3 ratio that was used in the Method #2 above, mix and allow to stand for 24 hours.
  • Refrigerate and use.

#4 Easy, quick, not the best, but makes butter and buttermilk

A bowl of homemade butter

This method is lovely because it gives you lovely homemade butter and buttermilk. The method is simple, quick and gives you buttermilk that’s nice to drink. I haven’t yet used this buttermilk to bake, so you could be my judge??

The Ingredients
  • Heavy cream (as much as you want)
The Method
  • Pour the heavy cream into a blender and blend the cream (with the lid on)
  • When you notice the yellow butter starting to separate from the now formed buttermilk, stop the blender and let the cream sit for a minute or two to allow the butter globules to rise to the top.
  • Pour out the buttermilk. Use a spoon to squeeze out as much buttermilk as possible. You have your buttermilk.

Now for the butter. Your homemade butter is already ready, but if you want it to last longer, wash it with ice-cold water by pouring ice cold water into the blender and blending it for a minute. Pour/squeeze out ALL the water, add a little coarse salt (for salted butter) and mix. Voila! You have your yummy homemade butter ready for use.

#5 Insanely easy, super quick, only for drinking kinda buttermilk

This method is everything I’ve called it. All you have to do is use store-bought curd, add some water to it to lighten the consistency as much as you want. Stir or blend. You have your buttermilk. Once again, I haven’t used this buttermilk to bake, so let me know if you do.

So that’s it from me. I know it’s easy to simply go out and buy fake buttermilk, but you really should give these simple methods a try. I’d love to hear from you on these 🙂