Perfect Guava Scones

Baking is something which I truly enjoy. Till date, almost 95% of my attempts have been successful and today's recipe is one of them. I had some guavas lying in the fridge and didn't know what I can do with them (am not a fruit eater). So I quickly took help of my best friend (read Google) and she sorted out my problem in just .004 secs with this awesome scone recipe. For a first attempt at scones, I am totally proud of the results. Very easy to make and good to store as a takeaway breakfast item, you must give this recipe a try. You can also replace the guava of this recipe with a similar fruit like apples and pears.

Ingredients (8-10 servings)

1 medium guava, cut into small chunks

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/3 cup butter, chilled

1 egg

1/3 cup full cream milk

Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius.

Mix together the dry ingredients, that is, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon powder,  and sugar. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Cut the butter into chunks and add. Whisk together till the mixture attains a crumbly texture. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients and mix well. If you find the mixture too dry, you can add an additional 1 tbsp of milk. The consistency should be lumpy and not that of cake batter. Finally, add the guava chunks and fold everything well. Line a baking tray with a cookie sheet and add lumps of the mixture with a tablespoon. The lumps should not be too big as it will raise further during baking. Bake the scones in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown in color. Serve warm with tea or coffee or store in air-tight containers as a early morning takeaway breakfast. Very light and fluffy yet very filling to last you a good 2-3 hours. Enjoy!!

                                         

                                         

Baked Omelette with Tomato and Feta Cheese

This week, starting from today, I plan to observe a "only bake" theme in my kitchen. There are two reasons, of course. First, my husband is out of country for good 8 days and I am left with nothing much to do at home. Cooking for myself has always been quite boring. So in a bid to make this week interesting, I thought of honing my baking skills. As such, I love baking and is also a good time to experiment since I can then recreate the successful attempts when hubby is around and garner a few compliments. Secondly, Diwali has just got over and New Years is round the corner. It's now time to put a check on your diet and get back in shape to look stunning for the 31st night party. I hope you will enjoy my healthy and tasty baked goodies and return for more!

Ingredients (servings 1)

1 egg 

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp dried herbs (oregano/thyme/parsley/anything of your choice)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 slice of bread, cut into small chunks

A handful of chopped tomatoes

A handful of crumbled feta cheese (can be replaced with cottage cheese or paneer)

Salt to taste

Note: You can create a lot of variations with this recipe by adding veggies of your choice, buttering the bread slices, topping up with cheese, or anything that your imagination calls for!

Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree Celsius.

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Add all other ingredients except the bread. Mix well. Lightly grease a oven-safe dish and transfer the egg and milk mixture. Top it up with the bread chunks slightly pressing it down so that it gets lightly soaked in the egg milk mixture. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or till the bread chunks get well toasted and the egg is set. Your healthy and tasty breakfast is ready to be served with your favorite cup of tea or coffee.

                                             

Coconut Raisin Laddoo

This Diwali I am getting a little adventurous with cooking Indian sweets and I am totally loving the results. More so since my husband is all praises as well. In the previous years, I used to go all out in decorating the house with rangolis, diyas, and aroma candles in the entire house. However, this time with no decorations in the house (as my husband won't be around to see them), I thought of rather celebrating it by making some Indian sweets and gift packing them for friends as Diwali gifts. The kaju badam laddoos and these coconut laddoos are not only easy to make but really yummy to taste as well. 

Ingredients

350 gms grated fresh coconut

1/2 tin milkmaid (the entire contents may not be required)

2-3 tbsp brown sugar (can be replaced with white sugar)

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup raisins (just enough to ensure 1 raisin per laddoo)

1 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp almond powder (optional)

Mini cupcake wrappers

Directions

In a heavy bottomed non-stick kadhai or wok, heat the ghee and add the grated coconut. Stir for 5-10 minutes till the coconut gets slightly browned. Add the cardamom powder, milkmaid (little ar a time), and saffron. Mix well and stir for another 5-10 minutes till the water from the milkmaid dries up a little. At this moment, you can add some almond powder. Check for sweetness and adjust with some sugar as per taste. Add the raisins. Keep stirring till the mixture is dry enough to make into small balls. Remove from heat and let it cool. Take small quantity in your hands and make small balls by gently rubbing it between your palms. Arrange in mini cupcake wrappers and serve.