Ginger, pecan and rum chocolate brownies

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz plain chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, broken into pieces

• 250g/9oz butter

• 5 free-range eggs

• 350g/12oz dark muscovado sugar

• 1-2 tbsp rum (optional)

• 150g/5½oz plain flour, sifted

• 125g/4½oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped

• 4 x 2.5cm/1in pieces stem ginger (from a jar), chopped

• icing sugar, sifted, for dusting (optional)

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 30cm x 20cm/12in x 8in, deep-sided cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate pieces and butter to the bowl and stir until melted and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar using an electric whisk until pale, fluffy and thick.

4. Add the melted chocolate mixture and rum, if using, then whisk again until smooth and well combined.

5. Carefully fold in the flour, using a metal spoon. Add the pecan nuts and stem ginger and fold into the mixture, then pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin.

6. Transfer the brownies to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch but a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out slightly sticky. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin.

7. When the brownies have cooled slightly, cut them into 18-20 squares or triangles and carefully remove from the tin. Pile onto a plate and dust with icing sugar, if using.

CHUM CHUM RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 -3 drops lemon colour
1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
a few strands saffron
250 gms cottage cheese (paneer)
2 tblsp refined flour (maida)
100 gms condensed milk (unsweetened)
1 cup sugar

How to make chum chum :

• Melt sugar in water and heat up to make a thin syrup.
• Knead the paneer with flour and shape into oval shaped fingers, mix in them to the sugar syrup and boil for eight minutes.
• Take off from heat up and mix in lemon color to the syrup.
• Cool for a while and take off the chum-chums from the syrup.
• Mix in saffron and cardamom powder to sugarless, creamy, condensed milk.
• Spread this on each piece and serve.

Christmas Ham

Ingredients:
1 8 lb. ham
3 quarts sweet cider
2 cups maple sugar (or brown sugar)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon powdered cloves
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups raisins

Directions:
Simmer ham in cider for 2 hours; drain. Cover with paste made
from sugar, mustard, cloves and water. Place in baking dish.
Pour cider over ham. Add raisins to pan bottom. Bake for
2 1/2 hours at 325* basting frequently.


Glazed Baked Ham
by Cindy Sanchez
Ingredients:
1 12 lb. ham
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup pineapple juice
6 slices fresh or canned pineapple
6 maraschino cherries

Directions:
Place ham, fat side up on rack in open roasting pan. Bake in
350* oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Combine sugar, mustard and
pineapple juice. Remove ham from oven 45 minutes prior to
completed baking time. Pour off excess fat. Spread 1/3 of the
glaze on fat side. Arrange pineapple slices and cherries on
the glaze, pressing firmly. Return to oven and baste with
remaining glaze at 15 minute intervals.

Peanut Butter Truffles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped milk chocolate 375 mL about 8 oz (250 g)
1/2 cup whipping cream
125 mL 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
175 mL 1 tsp vanilla 5 mL
1 1/4 cups peanuts, preferably honey roasted 300 mL

Directions:

1. Place chocolate and cream in a small saucepan set over low heat. Watching very carefully, stir continuously until chocolate is nearly melted. Remove from heat and whisk until completely melted. Whisk in peanut butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until firm enough to form into balls, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
2. Meanwhile, place peanuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Then place in a wide shallow dish (a pie plate would work well). Using your hands form mixture into 3/4-inch (2-cm) balls then roll in peanuts to cover. Refrigerate on a waxed paper lined tray until firm. Store in an airtight container up to one week or freeze.

Chocolate Yule Log with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:
1 pkg Robin Hood Angel Food Cake Mix 1
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted 125mL
icing sugar

Filling:
3/4 cup chocolate chips 175mL
3 tbsp hot coffee 45mL
8oz cream cheese 250g
2 tsp vanilla 10mL
2 cups icing sugar 500mL

Ganache:
3/4 cup whipping cream 175mL
1 cup chocolate chips 250mL
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Directions:
Grease a 17" x 14" (43cm x 35cm) jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper and grease again.

Combine Angel Food Cake Mix and cocoa in large bowl of electric mixer.
Prepare according to package directions.

Spread batter into prepared jelly roll pan.

Bake in preheated oven 18-20 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert on to clean tea towel, which has been sprinkled with icing sugar.

Remove pan and waxed paper and roll cake in tea towel.

Cool rolled cake thoroughly.

Meanwhile, combine chocolate chips and coffee in microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on medium power, 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.

Cool to room temperature.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar in food processor bowl, until just mixed.

Do not over process.

Add cooled chocolate mixture and pulse to combine.

Unroll cooled cake and spread with chocolate cream cheese filling.

Re-roll cake and place on serving dish. Chill while preparing ganache.

Ganache:
In a medium sized saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.

Mix to incorporate.

Cover pan and let sit 10 minutes.

Remove cover and let cool until spreadable consistency is achieved.

Spread over chilled cake and decorate with tines of a fork for "bark".

Prep time: 1 hour

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Freezing: not recommended

Tip: Filling can be made with an electric mixer, however, the results will be better if made in a food processor.

COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup maida
1 cup sugar
1 tea.sp baking powder
few drops of vanilla essence
50 grams butter

Instructions

sieve maida and baking powder mix well with spoon.Now mix butter essence and sugar in it.
The mixture is like a dough.Now make two balls and put it into freezer for 5 mints.
Now give it the shape of bisciuts and put it into oven for half na hour.
Enjoy cookies.

GULAB JAMUN RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup Carnation Milk Powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons butter -melted
Whole milk just enough to make the dough

For the Sugar Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup water
Oil for frying

How to make gulab jamun:

• Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
• Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

• The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.
• Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.