Sunday 23 June 2013

Raspberry muffins !

A great combination of ingredients all within one scrummy muffin ! Made these for my family and they just loved 'em! This makes 12 good sized muffins.So here is the recipe that i evolved and have been using to make raspberry muffins , and yes! its my very own !

Serves 12 people 
Prep time- 25 min 
Ingredients:
1. All purpose flour - 250 g 
2.Unsalted butter- 220 g
3.Confectioners sugar -265 g
4. Eggs - 3 (large)
5. vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
6.Baking powder - 1 tsp
7.Butter milk- 30 ml 
8. Raspberry preserve- 3 tbsp.

Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven at 220 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until creamy. 



3.Then add the eggs , flour , essence , baking powder and finally the buttermilk . Beat the mixture till you get a smooth texture . 


4.Grease a muffin tray with some butter and pour the creamy batter into the moulds . 

5. Now add the raspberry preserve on top of each mould filled with the batter and swirl with a butter knife. 


6.Place the muffin tray in the middle rack and bake for 20 - 25 min . this will vary depending  on the amount of batter you put in and on the oven. 




7. Leave to stand for a few minutes after you take them out of the oven. 




Saturday 22 June 2013

Foods that help you to sleep better

1. Nonfat popcorn - The carbohydrates in nonfat popcorn help bring the amino acid tryptophan into the brain where it is used to make a sleep inducing neuro transmitter called serotonin. Since eating a heavy meal within 2 hours of bedtime can keep you awake , this nonfat popcorn is a great late night snack.

2.Mango lassi - packed with antioxidants , vitamins and protein , this treat satisfies your sweet , creamy craving as well as ice cream without the sugar bomb. To make a mango lassi cut up one fresh peeled mango and put it in a blender . Add a handful of ice, a small scoop of plain Greek yogurt(strained yogurt)and a splash of water or milk.Add a dash of sugar for extra sweetness if desired. 

3.Chickpeas - They are rich in vitamin B6 from which our body produces seratonin.Try adding chickpeas to salads , soups and stews when you need sleep.

4.Chamomile tea-  This herbal tea lacks caffeine found in traditional teas and it has calming effect on the body. Also, a warm liquid before bed can make you sleepy by raising the body temperature.

5.Honey - A rise in blood sugar can reduce the production of orexin in the brain. Orexin is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that has been linked to wakefulness.Try drizzling a smal amount of honey into your chamomile tea.A different route to sleep: avoid desserts which are high on sugar.

Friday 21 June 2013

How to make sour cream instantly

Prep time- 15 min 
Ingredients :
1. full fat cream - 227 gm (or) 1 cup 
2. Lemon juice- 1tsp 

Procedure :
1. Place the cream in a bowl and add the lemon juice to it 
2. Whisk the mixture with an egg beater
3. You will find the mixture getting thicker in a few minutes. 
4. Your sour cream is ready to be used in your recipes !


NOTE : You can change the consistency of the sour cream by adding a little more of the lemon juice (for thicker sour cream) or by adding a little more cream (to make it a little runny).