Fruit Custard is a version of fruit salad. Well you can call this recipe a fruit salad too. I have added fruits to the custard and garnished with dry fruits and cream. It can be served as a dessert as well as a good way to make your kids eat fruits. I would not say a healthy one, because fruits are to be eaten in their whole form to get maximum nutrients. But this way you can at least get your kids to eat some fruits.

Ingredients:

1 litre low/whole fat milk, cold or at room temperature

4 heaped tbsp of vanilla flavored custard powder (you can use any other flavor like mango or strawberry, melon

4-5 tbsp sugar,

2-3 cups of chopped fruits like apples, chikkus (sapota), bananas, strawberries, bananas, grapes, oranges, papaya or any other seasonal fruits,

Some cashew nuts,

Sweetened cream (optional).

Method:

Take a cup of cold milk and add custard powder to it. Mix until a paste in formed. Bring remaining milk to boil. Add sugar while boiling the milk. Once the milk boils, reduce the flame to minimum and add the paste to it. Stir or mix using a whisk instantly and continue to mix the custard else lumps would be formed. Cook the custard for 3-4 minutes and remove from flame. Let the custard come to room temperature.

Then using a hand blender or a mixer grinder, blend the custard into a smooth paste. Then chill it in the refrigerator. Chill the chopped fruits in the refrigerator until ready to serve. While serving, combine fruits with custard, garnish with cashew nuts and cream.

TIPS:

1. Avoid using sour fruits like kiwi, cherries, etc in the custard as they may spoil the taste.

2. Chop apples and bananas only at serving time, so that they do not turn brown in color until you serve.

3. You can add the cream along with custard while blending it.

Who doesn’t like Chocolate Fudge? Well I guess there may be few, but this recipe is for all the fudge lovers. This rich chocolate nut fudge has a nice chocolate flavor of cocoa with milky sweetness of condensed milk and a texture of nuts. It is a lovely combination and the best way to begin your year. Happy New Year to all!

Ingredients:

200ml or 1/2 tin sweetened condensed milk,

25 grams (approx. 1 tbsp) butter,

1/3 cup cocoa powder,

1/4 cup sugar, (I do not like my fudge very sweet, but you can adjust sugar as per your taste buds)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract,

1/3 cup coarsely crushed mixed nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts cashew nuts, pistachios and almonds.

Method:

Add all the ingredients (except nuts and vanilla extract) into a saucepan. Place it on low flame.

On the other hand grease a square/rectangular baking dish with butter. Line it with parchment paper or butter paper. The length of the parchment/butter paper should be more than the baking dish, so that when the fudge sets, you can use it to pull out the fudge from the sides of the dish. You can set the fudge into the greased dish also. It won’t stick.

Meanwhile the ingredients would have started to heat up. Use a spatula to stir and mix everything well. Keep mixing until all the ingredients are well blended. Add the nuts and vanilla extract at this stage.

Scrape the sides of the pan and combine well. When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and come together to form a ball, remove from flame.

Now pour the fudge into the baking dish and allow it to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for an hour or two, to set.

Once set, cut into squares.

TIP:

To prepare plain chocolate fudge omit nuts.

Ingredients:

150gm apples; peeled and finely chopped,

25gm orange zest,

300gm flour,

150gm granulated sugar,

200ml milk,

3 eggs,

15gm baking powder,

150gm vegetable oil,

75gm buttermilk,

15gm orange/vanilla extract (essence),

A pinch of salt.

Method:

Sift flour with baking powder. Beat the eggs and whisk along with sugar until frothy. Slowly add the flour and baking powder to the egg and sugar mixture. Whisk in milk, oil, buttermilk, orange/vanilla extract and salt. Mix until the batter is even. Then stir in apples and orange zest. Drop the batter into greased molds and bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C for around 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana; pureed,

1/2 cup whole wheat flour,

1/2 cup plain flour (maida),

1/3 cup salted butter; softened,

1 egg; beaten until fluffy,

1/3 cup milk,

3/4 cup granulated sugar,

3/4 tsp baking powder,

1 tsp vanilla essence,

1/4 cup chocolate chips,

Cake tin.

Method:
Grease the cake tin. Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.
Sift the flours along with baking powder. In a bowl, beat together, butter and sugar until even and smooth. Add banana puree, beaten egg and vanilla essence and beat until even. Add flour and fold gently so that lumps are not formed and you get a dropping consistency. Fold in chocolate pieces or chips. Pour the batter into the tin. Bake at 180 degree C for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool down before you demold it.

TIPS:

1. You can use the same batter to create muffins.

2. Prepare banana strawberry or blueberry cake/muffin by adding 1/4 cup of strawberry or blueberry jam instead of chocolate chips.

Last week we went on a vacation to this hill station in Maharashtra (India) called ‘Mahabaleshwar’. It is a native place for strawberries and though summer is not the best season to grow them, we were tempted to have them anyway. ‘Strawberry with cream and ice cream’ is the most famous strawberry preparation found all over the place and is a must have. It is available at all roadside eateries and is simply divine. Have posted the picture that we took while I was having one. Here is the recipe for the same.

Ingredients:

5-6 large strawberries; sliced,

1/4 cup thick cream,

2 tsp confectioners’ sugar,

1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream,

2 tbsp strawberry syrup.

Method:

Whip cream with sugar till peaks are formed. In a tall serving glass, pour some cream to fill 1/4th height of the glass. Put half of the sliced strawberries on the cream. Then add a scoop of ice cream. Top with some strawberry syrup. Again add some sliced strawberries (reserve few to garnish later). Then pour the last layer of cream to fill the glass, evenly spread it, garnish with some sliced strawberries and some more syrup if you like. Delicious strawberry with cream and ice cream is ready to be served.