Cinnamon Swirl Cake Recipe
So I have received some comments about my Cinnamon Swirl Cake recipe…mainly “Where is the recipe??” So here it comes….
This is by far one of my all time favourite cakes to enjoy with a cup of tea or with a Tim Horton’s coffee. I was sent this recipe by Parmjit Aunty when she made it at one of our Toronto Sikh Retreats. I tweaked it a little adding that Manraj flare and I hope you all enjoy it!
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
1 cup butter
3 teaspoons of ground flax seed mixed with 4 ½ teaspoons of yogurt (…or 3 eggs)
1 ½ cups of yogurt or sour cream
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Mixture (equal parts of the below):
Ground almonds
Cinnamon
Brown sugar
Method:
Add baker soda to yogurt and set aside to ferment.
Cream together sugar and butter adding flax seed and yogurt mixture gradually.
Add baker powder and salt to flour and mix well.
Alternatively add the yogurt/sour cream and flour to the creamed mixture, ensuring completely mixed before adding each addition.
Once completely mixed, pour half of mixture into a tub or bundt or loaf pan, sprinkle with a generous amount of the almond, cinnamon and sugar mixture. Pour over remaining mixture and top with more of the almond, cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Bake for approximately 45 mins. @ 350.
Chocolate Chip Cookies (the secret is out...)
So there seems to be a collective belief that I have been keeping my chocolate chip cookie recipe a secret. Many have accused me of sabotaging the recipe I have given them. This is hardly the case. I must give credit to my sister, Rumnik, who is famous for these cookies and first introduced me to them when she made for the 2009 Toronto Sikh Retreat. I credit her for sharing this recipe with me and for all of you out there who have asked me countless times here it is….finally.
Ingredients:
* 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Chips (Dark or Semi-Sweet…your choice)
* 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
To change it up substitute 1 cup of chips for ¾ cup of Skor bits
Egg Substitute
1 tbsp alsi (ground flax seed) and 3 tbsp of hot water per egg let sit and thicken before adding to batter.
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy.
4. Add eggs/egg substitute; beat well.
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 5 dozen cookies.
Veronica "Rani" Sidhu takes us on a culinary journey...
In the South Asian culture food is not simply a necessity; it is an expression of love, a medium of creativity, the beginning of a colourful story and a magnet for loved ones to join you by the warmth of the stove.
At a very young age I remember my Nanni making aromatic and colourful masalas and curries while telling me stories of how her father used to cook, or about their Gujrati neighbour who used to make the wonderful masalas for fish and how she adapted it for the colourful seasonal vegetables grown in their gardens.
Veronica Sidhu has ingeniously taken what we all love about food, the taste, the stories associated with each dish and the people we hold dear, and has created a book that weaves all of these experiences together. I hesitate to call this a “cook book” as it is more than that. As I made the “Vegetable Cutlets - Subze Tikee” (pg 89) and the “Cashew Coconut Chutney - Kajoo Khopa Chutney” (pg 90) with my dearest friends it was as if we were learning about Veronica, her life and her experiences through these easy to understand recipes. She has appropriately titled this book “Menus and Memories from
Morning Glory Muffins
Spinach Phyllo Rolls
So I came up this recipe after I first tried this dish at a Greek restaurant. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1 package chopped frozen spinach
1 cup feta cheese
1 small container Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese
(alternatively you can use plain cream cheese and add a vegetable soup mix)
½ small onion, diced
Thawed phyllo sheets
Melted butter
Directions:
Mix together the spinach, feta, cream cheese and diced onion. This will be the filling for the phyllo pastry.
Layer 3 sheets of phyllo applying a light layer of melted butter in between each layer. Keep a damp cloth on the remaining phyllo to avoid them from drying out.
Once three sheets have been layered spread 3-4 heaping tablespoons of the spinach mixture along a short side of the phyllo stack. Fold the long edges in and roll the stack into a log. Place seam side down onto a baking sheet. Repeat this process until all the mixture has been used up.
Brush the top of the logs with some melted butter and make small scores 1 inch a part on the logs.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 25 min. or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to a cutting board. Use serrated knife to cut each log.
That’s it! Easy Peezy ;)
Fennel
My experimentation began by using copious amount of fennel in my chai…I loved chewing on the little seeds. This obsession turned into a desire to incorporate the exotic flavour into as many foods as possible.
I started buying fresh fennel bulbs and creating salads with it. Slicing it very thinly and tossing it with watercress leaves in orange vinaigrette was a wonderful salad. I also began using fennel seeds, gently toasting them in a pan, and adding it to salad dressings with garlic and fresh black pepper. Another great way to incorporate fennel into your meal is to roughly chop the fennel bulb tossing it in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasting it in the over or on the BBQ.
I owe my introduction to fennel to my mum…as well as my most secret way to incorporate fennel into my meal. She always used to grind up the seeds in a mortar and pestle adding it too pizza sauce giving the sauce a subtle anise flavour.
How have you used fennel?