Kakara Pitha or Coconut stuff sweet semolina cake

Ingredients

1 cup Semolina
2 cups water
1/2 cup  and 1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup cashew nuts and golden raisins

Vegetable oil for deep fry.

Preparation

For Stuffing
In a sauce pan, mix properly the shredded coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, cashew nuts and raisins  and  roast it in medium flame for 10-15 minutes and keep aside.

For Dough

In a sauce pan boil water add salt and sugar to it.

When the water comes to boil,add semolina  slowly and stir it properly to avoid forming lumps. Keep it on the flame for 2 min. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Wait till the dough cools down to room temperature, knead the dough with oil to make it softer. 

Make small balls from the above dough, roll out each ball into small round shape and put coconut stuff to it, and make as the shape showed in above pic by pressing in between your palms.

Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry  in a medium high flame till it turns golden brown from each side.

Flan or Egg pudding

Ingredient

2 cup Whole milk 

1 cup and 6 tbs Sugar

5 Large eggs

1 tbs Pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 6 tbs sugar until liquefied and gets golden in color. Carefully pour hot caramel into 6 ramekins evenly coat the bottom. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in milk,sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour egg mixture into each ramekin. 

Place ramekins in pan with 2" hot water in preheated oven.

Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.

To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup  unsalted butter room temperature 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup apple juice/orange juice

1 cup almonds chopped

1 cup  walnuts chopped

1 cup cashew nuts chopped

1 pounds Fruit cake mix.

3/4 pound of an assortment of raisins, currants, dried cranberries and  candied cherries

1 and 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon clove powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine candied cherries, raisins, currants, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts.  Add apple juice; stir until well blended. Let stand for at least 4-5 hours.Butter an 8 inch spring form pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with buttered parchment paper. Also line the sides of the pan with a strip of buttered parchment paper that extends about 2 inches above the pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream butter ,gradually add brown sugar and granulated sugar, stirring until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, and clove powder; gradually add to butter mixture. Add fruit mixture; stir until well blended. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, peel paper liner from cake, and cool completely.

Lemon Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 3  eggs
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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixture. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a tooth pick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.

Baked Chicken Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Red pepper to taste
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• Marinara sauce or ranch, for dipping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a pie plate or platter, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper. Dip the chicken strips in the melted butter, then dredge them in the bread crumb mixture. Place the chicken strips in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken sticks hot with marinara sauce, or with ranch.

Alternate way to make more crispy cook chicken strips at  425 degrees F  on a large cookie sheet, allowing heat to circulate all around & underneath, flip them after 15 minutes, and then cooked an additional 10, then under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.