Coffee ice cream.

My daughter had got this Nestle coffee mate ,Hazel Nut flavour.She had stopped having it just as suddenly as she started liking or rather gulping it with coffee. I get very cross with such wasteful attitudes. I started using the Coffeemate powder in cakes.And yet, I could hardly use one to two tablespoons per cake. The hazelnut flavored coffee mate powder continued to occupy space in my kitchen.I started googling for coffee mate recipes & came across many at the Nestle Coffee mate site .I tried searching for an ice cream recipe as that would help in using up almost all of the remaining coffee mate powder.I thought, coffee mate could be used as it was like milk powder .Moreover, it was sweet as it had added sugar.I had come across custard powder ice cream recipe.

Hence, I wanted to try ice cream with this coffee mate powder. I had one packet of 200 ml Amul Fresh Cream packet. And I had almost a tiny bit of malai removed that day itself from fresh milk.I decided to use all this to make ice cream.

Ingredients : 2.1/4 cups Nestle Hazel Nut coffee powder containing sugar, 200ml Amul Fresh Cream, 2 tbsp instant Coffee powder ( I used Nestle instant coffee powder ), 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1tsp cream ( mali removed from milk -optional ).

Method : Mix all the ingredients. If needed, add water drop by drop.There will a batter type consistency.Mine was quite wet. Blend all in a mixer .Pour it into a freezer safe air tight container. Freeze for an hour or more.

Take it out after more than an hour & blend it again in the mixer grinder. Again piur it into the same container from which it was removed & refreeze for more than an hour.

Repeat this freezing , de freezing & blending 3-4 times. This will make the ice cream get a creamy consistency.

Then  after it has frozen for the last time, remove it & scoop it out into bowls & serve.Eat it immediately as it melts quite fast .

Scopped ice cream can be garnished with nuts of choice. We had our scoops just like that.The quantity made was enough for five to six persons ( 2 small  scoops per person ) .

Notes : I found ,that I had added too much of coffee powder. Maybe, one tbsp of coffee powder would have sufficed. Initially,I had skipped adding brown sugar.After I tasted the ice cream ,I realised that sugar was needed. If just one tbsp of coffee had been used, there would be no need to add sugar. Coffee mate has added sugar & that is sufficient unless one likes ice cream to be more sweet & yet ,that would dilute the coffee flavour.

I used coffee powder to make coffee ice cream as the recipe used Nestle coffee mate powder .I felt that the coffee mate would blend nicely with coffee.

The ice cream was creamy in consistency.Yet, I feel, ice creams are best eaten outside, as home freezing can never compete with commercial refrigeration.

Microwave doodhi halwa

Lauki is saatvik veggie.My doctor always used to suggest that patients suffering from fever eat lauki ki sabzi.It is cooling as well.

I have made doodhi halwa on gas stove earlier.This time around,I wanted to make it in microwave. I googled for it & got this Tarla Dalal recipe.My recipe is little different.

Ingredients : 2 cups peeled & grated dudhi, 1+ 1/2  cups malai , 1/3  cup sugar, few kesar strands, 1/2 tsp elaichi powder,2 tbsp ghee,assorted nuts for garnishing.

Method : I used grated dudhi as it is  that is I let the lauki be as it is.I did not squeeze out water as I felt all nutrients of lauki would be lost.

I took a shallow microwaveable vessel & added ghee.Add the grated lauki & mix.Microwave on high for 5 minutes.Add malai mixed with kesar strands Again microwave for 2.5 minutes.Mix nicely.Add sugar.Mix.Microwave for 2.5 minutes.Again mix & microwave on high for 2.5 minutes.Add elaichi powder.Mix & microwave on high for two minutes.

Put off microwave.Let it cool in microwave for 10 minutes.Take out the vessel & let it cool outside for 20-25 minutes.Serve in bowls garnished with almonds or any nuts of choice.

My dad & all my extended family who ate the halwa relished it.I ate it later & agreed with them that it had indeed turned out delicious !

Tips : The halwa was sweet & yet, just so.If you would like it to be more sweet, please add more sugar as per taste.

Vegan Marble cake

I had three small over ripe bananas ( the usual ones not elaichi ) &  an  apple .Of course,I have date paste ( an import from Saudi Arabia  ) in the refrigerator.I thought of making a cake & then hit upon this chocolate free marble cake.My marble cake does not have patterns.It has drak & light bands.Next time around,I need to make it artistic !

Ingredients : 

For the light bands in the marble cake : 1/2 cup  + 1 tbsp maida, 1 tbsp Nestle Coffee mate hazelnut creamer (this is optional.I had it...so used it ) ,1 more tbsp of maida can be used in its place ), 1 cup of banana puree ( I pureed 3 small bananas ) , 1 tsp baking powder.

For the dark band in the marble cake : 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp atta ( whole wheat flour ) , 1/4 cup date paste, 1/2 cup apple sauce, 1 tsp instant coffee powder, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1tsp baking soda.

Method : Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

Dark batter : Blend date paste , apple sauce, brown sugar   & 1/4 cup water into a mixer .This is because the date paste is very thick & very dry.More water can be added drop by drop if needed .Generally, 1/4 -1/3 cup water should be enough.Keep aside.

Mix all dry ingredients that is atta, coffee powder & baking soda nicely. Make a well into the dry mix & pour the wet mix into this.Blend to make a batter .This batter will be thick as well.


Light batter : Mix all dry ingredients that is maida, baking powder & Nestle hazelnut creamer nicely with a whisk or fork many times over.Make a well into this dry mix.Pour banana puree into this.Mix nicely to make a batter. Batter will be thick.

Line a baking vessel with butter paper. Put the dark batter.Spread it at the bottom as it is thick.Next, spread the light batter on top of the dark batter.Line layer by layer till both batters get over. Bake in oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out dry.

My toothpik came out wet.So ,I baked in microwave mode for 5 minutes.Put off oven. Let the cake cool in oven for 10-15 minutes.Then take it out of the oven.Let it cool for half an hour .Then put it upside down on a plate.Remove the butter paper sticking at bottom.Cut into desired pieces & serve.

Notes : Added baking soda to dark batter as baking soda darkens colours. Added coffee as date paste was light brown .So there was fear that the resulting marble cake may have  light brown bands. Apple sauce is quite bland.Hence added 2 tbsp brown sugar.If adding white sugar, one tbsp should be enough unless more sweetness is desired.

Nestle hazelnut creamer has added sugar & is creamy in colour. Hence, no sugar was added to light batter.Moreover, the bananas were quite sweet.

Since I had to finish remaining atta as also maida, all the measurements are like 1/2 cup plus tbsps.And last but not the least one tbsp of oil in each batter ( a total of two tbsps ) would have made the cake even better & fluffier ! My dad liked the cake .My maternal UNcle was able to taste date as also bananas .Coffee & applesauce got eclipsed.

Wikipedia states that Nestle manufactures non dairy creamer called coffee mate in many flavours.