Fruits Charlotte Cake

   Charlotte cake is an dessert that can be had hot or cold.  Invented by French chef Marie-Antoine Careme and named after the chef's former employer's only child (Charlotte) this has sponge cake or ladys finger cake arranged over in a dish and is topped with fruit puree or custard.

    I had to make this as member of honourable group, potluck party, cyber style challenge hosted by Jagruti mam.   Adapted original recipe from tangy minds, kindly take a look as the preparation is made very professionally, thanks to tangy minds blog I am able to make this!!

   To begin with I was holidaying at chennai in order to attend my sister's marriage.  At chennai's residance there was no oven available, hence I was not able to prepare my own lady's finger cookies!!  And to top with lots of marriage preparations, confusions delayed my preparation and post a loongg, now I am back but still feeling tired and feverish from journey and marriage tension.  Hope I recover soon!!

Newyork-styled pizza (from scratch)

    I had made pizza before using readymade pizza base, but when Baking partners had announced challenge to make pizza from scratch, I was too excited !  I always wanted to make my own pizza's but regular time with house-keeping, baby-sitting didn't permit me to explore on baking side.  Cooking on stove, was an easy-task as curries go with easy-stir.  Even stuffed paranthas can be balanced by an uniform rotation.  But, unlike baking everything has to be precise, perfect!  So, I just followed first recipe suggested by Pam (http://livinranchodelux.blogspot.in/)   Thank god, pizza turned out great and everyone appreciated my effort.

 

(For the seasoning for pizza base, I used left-over of domino's oregano sachets.  These sachets can be replaced by 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, Pinch of red chilly flakes, Basil fresh or dried, 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp coarsely crushed peppercorns)

 

Silky butterscotch milk-shake

         My second dish for J odyssey's potluck party .  I made this today and everybody enjoyed it.  My daughter varsha, liked it and carved for more.  So, let us move to recipe.

Ingredients required

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate (broken into small pieces)
• 1/2 tsp butterscotch essence
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp crushed nuts
• Few drops of water, to caramelise
• 2 scoops of vanilla icecream, to garnish (optional)

Watermelon icecream

This watermelon ice-cream was an perfect summer treat.  Everybody will luv it and that too when watermelons are available frequently.  Preparation is also easy.  

Ingredients required

• 1 cup full cream milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 cup watermelon juice (Made by blending 1 cup water melon pieces with 1/4 cup water and straining the same)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of small watermelon pieces

Whoopie pie

     Remember our idly-upma from left-over idly's??  Here is the same process of converting left-overs to more yummy snack.  In Pennsylvania, some farmer's wife didn't want to throw away  left-over cake batter.  She inturn, spooned them over parchment paper, baked to form cookie-shaped cake.  After that, two cake cookies were sandwiched with icing.  This initial delight excited the farmer's tastebuds, that he had shouted 'WHOOPEEE' and hence the name.  Slowly, and steadily whoopie pie became popular and lots of people preferred it over cupcakes (because of ease of biting into cake first and tasting icing inside rather than cupcakes toped with icing)  Now, this whoopie pie is declared as US baked good and is made professionally over a lot of eateries....

Quite interesting, isn't it ?  This professionally made whoopie pie, itself is an complex process.  They are actually made from butter, eggs and buttermilk.  But, as the real concept involved is to balance up the left-overs, isn't it ??  So, I just baked these choco whoopie pie as simple as possible.  You can take a look below