Eggless Christmas Fruit Cake

Wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I know it's a little too early to wish but I'll be gone for my annual holiday in a day's time and so this delicious Christmas Cake recipe seemed to be the perfect post to end this wonderful year. Yes, it has indeed been a lovely year for me. I never imagined the kind response and appreciation that I have received for my classes and the feedback of my happy clients. I don't know what the new year will bring for me but whatever it is, I will certainly try and enjoy every single day and live each day like there's never tomorrow. That's my New Year resolution and I truly wish that the New Year brings to each one of you all that your heart desires and may everyone be safe and healthy and stay blessed. 

Ingredients 

1 cup mixed fruit (tutti fruity bits)

1/4-1/2 cup orange juice (can be substituted with 50-50 rum and orange juice or entirely rum)

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

3 tsp egg replacer mixed in 2 tbsp water (can substitute with 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp whipped greek yogurt or hung curd; to make with eggs, simply add 3 eggs)

1 tsp orange extract 

1/4 tsp almond extract 

11/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond meal/ flour/ ground almonds 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda (use only if you are using yogurt instead of egg replacer)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

Direction 

For this recipe it is best to keep the fruit bits soaked in the Orange juice for at least 3 days for best results. 

If you are using egg replacer, prepare it first. Beat 3 tsp of the egg replacer powder with 6 tbsp water till foamy. If using yogurt, add 1/2 tsp baking soda and whip it till smooth and creamy. Let it stand for 5 minutes. 

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree celcius for 10 minutes while you prepare the batter. 

Now in the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar till creamy. Now add the egg replacer liquid or yogurt or eggs (if not making eggless) and beat till the mixture is foamy, smooth and creamy. Now add the extracts and beat again. Now add the flour mixture (flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt) and add the milk in alternate additions. Once the flour us well incorporated, add the fruit bits along with the liquid and fold in. Do not over mix at this stage. Transfer the batter to two loaf pans of medium size or a single big loaf pan. Bake in the pre heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Aam Sondesh

A big apology to all my readers for the long hiatus in posting a recipe and while it was always on my mind to post something here, my schedule had become so hectic that I hardly found any time to cook at home leave aside cooking something new and interesting. Today however I made up my mind that I will definitely post a recipe, whatever it takes! I tried this delicious Aam Sondesh today in preparation for a Sondesh Cake order this week and while I have tried making Sondesh many times in the past, it was never this perfect. With today's success I now know where I had been going wrong all this while and hence this post. 

Ingredients 

1 litre full cream milk

1 tbsp vinegar 

2-3 tbsp powdered sugar

4 tbsp mango purée 

Direction 

Bring the milk to a boil and churn it with the vinegar. Drain the whey and collect the chenna in a muslin cloth. Wash it well with drinking water to remove the taste of vinegar. Squeeze out the excess liquid   and let it hang for 5-10 minutes. Now  knead the chenna till smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix  again till the sugar dissolves. Now add the mango purée and mix till well combined. Now transfer this mixture to a pan and stir constantly on a low flame for exact 4 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer to a greased plate with ghee. While the mixture cools to a little bearable temperature, you can quickly grease the Sondesh moulds (if using) with a little ghee. Then take little portions out of the mixture and press against the moulds. Then remove gently and place on another greased plate and cool completely before serving. You can also chill them until served. If you do not have the moulds,you  can just shape them with your hands.