Praline...

This onez been inspired by MasterChef Australia - frankly, the only MChef show that T & me loved! Gazed longingly at the pralines that topped many desserts at the show.. n guess the longing was strong enough to push me into making a batch to top our desserts as well... especially the ice-cream servings! :)
The bitter sweet crunch.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! ;)
Crushed them lightly to get a broken-glass feel...

Mushroom masala...

You need:
1 pckt - White button mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
2 medium sized onions - diced
a big pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized red tomatoes - diced
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
salt to taste
a bunch of corriander leaves - chopped
How to:
In a wok, heat the oil & add in the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, throw in the cumin seeds & the finely chopped green chillies.
** You could substitute the green chillies with a mix of green & red chillies, chilly flakes & powdered pepper - which is what i normally do.
Now add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric a little salt and sauté till it browns, taking care not to burn them. Add in the tomatoes & mix well, adding the soya sauce. This helps in breaking the tomatoes & making them mushy. Add the garam masala and cook till the tomatoes make a sauce-y like appearance. Add in the mushrooms, stir well and cook till done - checking for salt. Add the corriander leaves a minute or two before you turn of the flame, mix well & leave covered till you serve. Goes well with rotis, rice, toast... almost anything! :)
Pointers: Mushrooms have good water content & so adding water might not be necessary. You could still add about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of water if you think it is too dry.

Home-made wine... Merry Christmas!!! :)

Stuffed buns for breakfast... :)

Chewy Choco-Coconut brownies...

Was planning to make some brownies for T to take along as an after-lunch treat... the dessicated coconut lying around was screaming at me to be picked up &... in they went! ;) Chewy, moist n yum!!!
You need:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3-4 heaped tbsp Bournvita
How to:
In a plastic/glass mixing bowl, take all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, Bournvita, coconut) and mix well. Now add the milk and stir in. Slowly add the oil and mix well with a plastic spoon till incorporated.
Pour this mixture into a well greased baking tin(sprinkled lightly with flour) and bake at 250 deg C for 5 minutes, lower the heat to 180 deg C & bake further for 10-15min or till done.
I packed them for T's workplace with a drizzle of Hershey's chocolate syrup on top and some crispies... :)

Papaya preserve...

No-bake Pinwheel bites...