BRIGADEIROS (with video!)

These are the famous Brazilian Chocolate Fudge Balls. They are incredibly easy to make and very very tasty to eat! They barely take 2 minutes to cook so it's perfect for that last minute chocolate craving,just like my Best Chocolate Mug Cake. I often make these for small celebrations we have at home,like birthdays. They look super pretty when they are displayed on a tiered pastry stand.

Like how I've mentioned in the video, you could use any topping of your choice. Crushed cookie crumbs, chocolate strands, sprinkles, nuts, dessicated coconut,sweetened coconut, praline, cocoa powder...the list is endless!

Ever since we moved to our new home, we have friends and family visiting almost every weekend. So naturally I've been cooking a lot and these fudge balls have come to the rescue almost every single time. I have a pastry case in our kitchen and I love filling it up with sweet things. These fudge balls look terribly pretty in them which is another reason why I love making them! That actually says a lot because I love trying new things so if something is made on a repeat mode here, it must be that good!

Ian and Zara loves these little fudge balls. They are perfect to pop one into the mouth and walk away! They are usually made bite sized so they are displayed in mini muffin cups /liners. Now that the Holiday season is fast approaching, these Brigadeiros would make the perfect gift! They don't have to be refrigerated and stays fresh for about a week in an airtight container. I've been making these for over a year now after I saw them on a YouTube channel that I am unable to pull up. It was a Grandmother demo-ing how to make her special recipe.The measurements were so easy that I memorized them right away!

BRIGADEIROS
Makes 18-20 bite sized balls

Ingredients:
1 tin condensed milk (396 grams)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method: Please refer to the video above.
Store them in airtight containers at room temperature.

I really hope you give these a try at home. I am sure you will enjoy them as much as we did. Dessicated coconut is my current favourite to roll these Brigadeiros. So tropical and so tasty! If you make them, please let me know how you liked it!

WHOLEWHEAT / ATTA LADOO

I have a major sweet tooth and so does my family. So it's really fun to try out new things because it will be cherished by all including Zara. The only problem is that I am the only one who seems to be gaining the happy sweet weight around my belly. Jobin does his daily workout religiously be it Summer or Winter. Ian is very active and so is Zara. I am the couch potato in the family. I would be the happiest to curl up with a cookbook or my phone on the couch with something to munch on,especially something sweet. So the other day, after a full fledged mallu meal, Jobin asked me if there was anything sweet to eat and surprisingly, there was none!

So yesterday, I thought of making something sweet for us. I wanted to make something Indian. So as usual, I checked out some of my reliable resources on the internet for recipes. I am not sure why but even after 8 years (almost 9!) of blogging, I still have only a handful of resources (literally viralil ennavunna) online when it comes to recipes. I stopped blog hopping around the time Ian was born. I barely had the time to show my face here.

So I am still reading the ones I used to read before 2012. Some of my favourite food blogs have stopped updating,which is such a sad thing because I felt I was a part of their lives, reading about them and one fine day,there are zero updates. Manjula aunty's page is one of my most favourites and her recipes are fail proof! I am sure almost all of you know her for her simple,fuss free and tasty recipes. I have tried out so many from her site and they all have turned out the way it should.Delicious!

Sarah,one of my close hostel friends, was known for her mother's Atta Ladoos because they were incredibly yummy! We would request her to bring it for us whenever she went home to Mangalore. As I was making these laddoos,I couldn't stop thinking about the fun we had in our hostel sneaking into each other's room and tucking in homemade special food without the hostel Warden seeing us.Some of my best memories and friends are made during my hostel days in Bangalore.

WHOLEWHEAT / ATTA LADOO
Makes 16

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup superfine sugar *
1/2 cup melted ghee
1/4 tsp ground green cardamom
Pistachios
Paper cups

Method: In a heavy bottom pan, roast the flour stirring constantly on medium heat for 6-7 minutes or until it starts to smell nice and toasty. Add the ghee,mix well and cook for another 4-5 minutes,stirring all the time  or until the mixture turns light brown in colour.It will be aromatic at this point. Take it off the heat and transfer the mixture to another heatproof bowl. Let it cool a bit until it is warm to touch. Add the sugar and cardamom and mix well. Form small balls right away and dip the tops in chopped pistachios if you like. Store them in airtight containers and serve them in paper cups if you have them.

*Make sure the sugar is super fine or else it will remain as is in the final product. You can go ahead and substitute it with 200 grams of icing /confectioners /powdered sugar. If that's the case, wait until the laddoo mixture,after adding sugar and cardamom is cooled down completely before forming laddoos. It's only because they will not retain the shape well when it is still warm.

We literally inhaled these laddoos. They were incredibly tasty! I have a soft spot for Besan Ladoos and these will give a tough competition for them. Zara was super excited to give it a try and she happily ate the crumbs she got. Ian on the other hand never liked any Indian sweets we've given him so far. He is forever happy with his Chocolate Cake & Chocolate Chip Cookie. Well, that remind me of the pending order for some cookies from him. He does not like our cookie jar to be empty!

HOMEMADE GULAB JAMUNS...from scratch!

If you noticed the title, I have mentioned that these Gulab Jamuns are made from scratch. It's just to avoid any confusions that I had when I was searching online for gulab jamun recipes. Many claimed it to be homemade (in the literal sense) and when I reached the recipe part,it asked for xyz brand of Gulab Jamun mix. I can get away with a readymade mix and I have done that many times before but knowing the person that I am, I have to make things at home, if it's possible :) I have searched high and low for a reliable source for it's recipe and have tried quite a few and I must say all of them were disasters. The main problems were a super sticky/stiff/dry dough or gulab jamuns not soaking the syrup.

Ateast once a week, there would be these experiments in our kitchen and when Jobin comes back home, instead of saying a 'Hello' it used to be 'This is the last time I'm ever going to try this!'. Everything went wrong but I never gave up. So after that, when he opened the main door,he would sniff, smile and say,'I thought last time was the last time!'.

So after many a 'last' time, I got hold of a proportion which worked like a charm for me! You will have to be careful about the consistency of the dough or else it will break while frying.If that happens, add a little more flour to the dough and fry another one.

HOMEMADE GULAB JAMUNS
My own recipe

Ingredients:
For the dumplings
1 1/4 c milk powder (Use Everyday- It's available at Indian grocery stores)
1/2 c all purpose flour/ maida
A good pinch of baking soda
3 tbsp cold butter
A few drops of cold milk (not more than 3 tbsp)

Method:Mix together milk together, flour and baking soda. Add the cold butter and rub it well into the flour.It will change the texture of the flour. Add milk little by little( you may or maynot need all of it) and form a smooth yet firm dough. Divide into 25 smooth small balls and deep fry in hot oil.Add the fried dumplings into hot syrup (recipe below) and leave aside for 30 mins.

The  oil should not be very hot or else the centre wouldn't be cooked completely. Add a ball of dough into the hot oil, it should settle at the bottom and rise slowly at the count of 10.That is the perfect temperature for frying the dumplings.

For the sugar syrup
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 water
5 green cardamom pods, crushed

Method: Boil together for 5 mins and keep warm on low heat.
Serve warm or chilled.It's delicious when served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

You can flavour the syrup with Rose water too.

The end result was melt-in-your-mouth Gulab Jamuns. The centres were perfectly cooked and the syrup was well absorbed making the dumplings pleasantly sweet. We really love these homemade Gulab Jamuns,especially Jobin! If at any point you feel that the dough is breaking during frying, add some more flour to the dough and knead it in. Your problem will be solved! :-)

MIXED FRUIT SWISS ROLL...for 3 years of Blogging!

Please don't go away reading the title,pretty please!I promise you ,there will not be any speeches given on this special day. Even then, I do have to say that I'm very happy about it and I owe a big thanks to you , dear readers! I haven't been participating in any group baking that I used to for the last 2 months,  I promise you, I shall return to it very soon! :-)

Jam rolls/ Swiss rolls has been something which my aunts used to bake. We never rolled anything  sweet at home except for these yummilicious Coffee Cream Wheel .This was the time when I never quite liked anything with jam in it, so I stayed away from any such rolls. Later, when my taste buds developed I had a liking towards all these jammy treats especially My Favourite Jam Tarts  , Jam Filled Cookies and also Bakewell Tart .

When I think of it , all the veggies that I disliked when young is my favourite, now! Bittergourd was something I disliked terribly and I love it with all my heart,now! Have you observed such stuff about yourselves? I bet there are plenty for you to tell me! :-)

MIXED FRUIT SWISS ROLL
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c -1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp mixed fruit jam, stirred well

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a 9x13 inch/ swiss roll tin.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs & sugar for 12 mins, non stop.Add the vanilla and beat for another 1 minute.Add the dry ingredients and fold it in.Pour into a prepared tin and bake for 10-15 mins or until the top is golden and is springy to touch.Pull it out of the oven and unmould it onto a tea towel sprinkled with sugar.Roll it away from you, along with the towel. Hold it there for 10-15 second.Open the roll and let it cool completely.Spread the jam and roll once again.
Slice and serve!

Verdict: I have lost the number of times I have used this basic sponge recipe given to me by Amma. It's so versatile.You can roll it, layer it,mould it or better still, eat it plain! This roll was very very soft and we really liked it!

COFFEE CREAM WHEEL

We are on a roll these days.Rolling from one part of the country to another.It's just the beginning of our journey. When we booked the tickets, Amma & I insisted that we go in a train so that we get to rest atleast for that many hours!To be at home, is the best thing to ever happen to many of us and that's even more awesome if you can lose some weight, even though you are gorging on endless yummy Amma-made food!

This recipe is sensational. It is such an easy one and something you just cannot go wrong with! Did it seem that easy to you? If you just look at it, you wouldn't think so but when you actually make it, you would wonder how something so simple to make can turn out to be so tasty! Amma got this recipe from Amma's twin sister, Daisy.

Yes,my Amma,Susy, has a twin.They are identical twins, in almost everything.Sharing recipes is one of their favourite hobbies which is also passed down to me.I recently started writing another diary with just homemade recipes...mostly passed down from my aunt's and cousins. I hope to fill it by the time this vacation of mine, is over.

I have been itching to put this recipe here for a long time while I was in Minneapolis but it never happened. Today, finally it is here for you all. This is an excellent make-ahead snack/dessert and it freezes very very well! The only thing that you need to remember here is that, you have to refrigerate it. Don't leave it outside for too long or else the filling will become soft yet the taste won't be compromised :-)

You can make these really small, like a candy or big like a summer sausage. It's totally upto you as to how big or small you want these to be. Whatever size it maybe, make sure you wrap it well so that once you store it in the fridge, it doesn't get any 'fridge' taste. I always feel if desserts are not covered when left in the fridge,it get's a fridge taste and I don't like it. So whatever you keep in the fridge, cover it well. You don't want all the flavours to be mixed up or do you? ;-)

So are you all ready to make this easy peasy snack/dessert with some biscuits, butter and sugar? Say YES! please! :-)

COFFEE CREAM WHEEL
Recipe source: Amma via Daisy Mummy

Ingredients:
250 g Marie biscuits/ Graham crackers, powdered superfine
150 Sugar, powdered fine
1/2 c Warm water plus 1 or 2 (if needed)
1 tbsp Instant coffee granules
100g Salted butter,softened
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Method:
In a large bowl, dump in the powdered biscuits.Dissolve the coffee powder in warm water and add it to the biscuits and knead to form a smooth dough. It should not be too dry nor too wet. You should be able to kind of knead it. It will be smooth and soft, almost like a Chapathi dough.Divide it into 4.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and beat to mix. Reserve.
Take a rectangular sheet of foil and roll out one ball of dough. It should be about 1/4" thick,as seen in the photographs above.
Spread some buttercream over it making sure it's spread all over. It need not be very thick,just a good coating would do.
Now, start rolling from the shorter side. You should roll it away from you, with out the foil. Take the help of the foil to lift the dough and to aid in rolling.
The dough will crack at the first roll but it's OK, it won't be seen in the end. Keep rolling and  it will come off the foil easily.
With the seam side down, wrap the assembly in the same foil and secure the ends tight. Refrigerate till firm.
Cut into thin circles with a serrated knife, carefully with the seam side down.
Enjoy!!

Verdict: Dee-li-cious! If you like, you can serve it with an ice cream of your choice. This is something I've grown up eating and it's still one of my favourites!

STRAWBERRY & VANILLA BAVARIAN CREAM GATEAU

Not sure how many of you know about the Minnesotan weather. It's COLD...very very COLD here during winters with the temperature going as low as -40 C. Last winter was my first winter here in the US and from the Day 1 after I moved to Minnesota, whoever knew it was going to be my first winter here said,'It's long', 'It's COLD!', 'Ooooh! You have to experience it!'.

I was prepared for the worst, in my head. Therefore I expected everyday to be worse than the previous day but once it's cold, it's just COLD. It doesn't seem to get any cold-er to me until the wind blows! :-) Jobin made sure we never stayed indoors especially on the weekends, so we used to go sledging and playing in the snow. We always always had a sledge in our car so that if we ever spot a small hill covered with snow, we would stop the car there, pull the sledge out and go sledging! It was fun! I never hated those cold days...all because of him.

Last winter, my first winter lasted loooong. We skipped Spring. I was still wearing a sweater till the end of May and a few days in June. Everyday I'd wait for the sun to make an appearance. Finally we hit Summer and the days are still cloudy and rainy. Not sure whether I'll be around here to witness the Minnesota Summer this year since I'll be home sweet home! I'm trying my best to soak up the sun here...to make sure I get my dose of Vitamin D, naturally...from Mr. SUN.

I baked this cake over the weekend. To honour Summer, I used fresh berries. Strawberries, to be precise. You would have guessed that from the title :-) We had some friends over for dinner on Saturday so this cake was baked for them. I love serving cakes,not plain cakes but layered cakes for our guests,for dessert.

He had to come and touch that layer because he loves Bavarian Cream and you can see that in the picture, above! I have used it before in Jobin's Birthday Gateau & Mocha Bavarian Cream Gateau with Joconde Imprime. It's such an awesome filling for cakes and our guests love it as it is very smooth and not too sweet.It sets well and leaves a lasting impression!

STRAWBERRY & VANILLA BAVARIAN CREAM GATEAU
Serves:10

Ingredients:
For the sponge:
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla

For the Vanilla Bavarian Cream (Use only half the quantity)
22 g Gelatin
150 ml cold water
5 large egg yolks
125 g granulated sugar
500ml warm milk
8 ml Vanilla Extract
500 ml whipping cream

Soaking Syrup 
1 c sugar and 1 c water boiled together for 2 mins or till sugar dissolves.

Strawberries for lining the cake tin

Method:
For the Vanilla Sponge:
Pre-heat the oven to 350F/ 180C.Prepare an 8" round cake tin.

Beat together the sugar,vanilla and eggs on high speed for 12 mins. Now, they would have tripled in volume.
Fold in the flour and pour into a prepared tin.
Bake for 30 mins or till done.
Cool in tin for 10 mins, turn it onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Cut into 2, horizontally, when cooled.

For the Bavarian Cream:
Soak the gelatin in water. Leave it aside to bloom.
Beat together the yolks and sugar. Pour in the milk while whisking constantly.
Using a double boiler,on medium, cook the milk-egg mixture till they thicken slightly, 4-5 mins.
Take it off the flame and add the melted gelatin into it and mix well.
Chill in the fridge, stirring every now and then till they thicken up.
Beat the whipping cream to soft peaks and fold into the custard.

Assembly:
On a plate or a cake stand, place one round of the cake and soak it with 1/2 c of Soaking Syrup.
Place a cake ring/Springform tin's ring and tighten it.
Place halved strawberries with their pointed tip facing up and the cut-surface facing the cake ring.
Fill in with Bavarian Cream and place the next round of cake and soak it with 1/2 c Soaking Syrup.
Let it set in the fridge overnight.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve in wedges.

Verdict: LOVED IT, like totally! :-) Jobin insists that I make something with Bavarian Cream everytime, now!

All the pictures are SOOC (Straight-out-of-the-camera)
Happy Monday, peeps! Also, don't forget to register for My Baking Class in Kannur!

THE REAL TIRAMISU...for me from him!

This time, it's me who is doing all the talking about the cake as opposed to last year when he did it all.So it was my birthday yesterday and as usual (the 2nd time) he asked me what I wanted him to bake for my birthday. He gave me about a month's time to decide because I need time to think always( because my mind wanders and I dream too much!). No prices for guessing, I changed my mind the last minute and chose my favourite dessert, Tiramisu. I have made a Tiramisu Cake before, but this time I wanted the real deal...The Real Tiramisu :-)

Whenever we dine out, if there's a Tiramisu on the dessert menu, I always always eat that. We once drove about 6-7 miles just to buy a small piece of Tiramisu just because I felt like eating it...from that particular restaurant!  :-D I'm not sure how many of you have eaten at Bucca Di Beppo, they have one of the best Tiramisu's I've ever eaten so I end up comparing the one I'm eating to the one I ate at Bucaa ...always! :-)

We were away for the weekend and got back home just in time for my birthday. We knew this early (duh!) so Jobin and I made sure all the things we needed for making my Tiramisu were in place before we left home. As soon as we got back, we unpacked our suitcases, opened a bottle of wine and chose a  'Suresh Gopi's' 'edi padam' to play as he took breaks from the Tiramisu-making. Then we spent the rest of the day (oh it's bright outside till almost 9.15 pm) watching the movie and slurping on some homemade Bisi Bele Bath.

That was my birthday gift sent to me by my reader and a good friend Elvina . Those tiny cakes are actually fridge magnets .Don't they look cute?? I really liked it, El. The minute I opened the packet, I was walking towards my fridge to place them on it :-) How on earth did you know that I have a fetish for fridge magnets?

Also, I have Rose (btw, the chocolate buttons you see on top of the Tiramisu was sent to me by Rose, sometime ago) baking a cake to celebrate my birthday (She lives 1000's of miles away from me) and Dhanya cooking up my Chatti Pathiri to give me a surprise on my birthday! Gosh, you guys are just fantabulous!! Another reason for me to love food blogging!!

THE REAL TIRAMISU
Recipe source : Recipe behind the Alessi Savoiardi Cookie packet.

Ingredients:
For 1 portion Zabaglione
5 egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c marsala (you can sub it with rum)

For the cheese layer:
1c whipping cream, chilled
4 tbsp sugar
450g Homemade Mascarpone cheese,at room temp.

2c freshly brewed strong coffee
1/2 c Rum or Marsala
1 tbsp Vanilla
24 nos. Savoiardi Cookies/Lady Fingers or as needed
3 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Extra Cocoa powder & Chocolate Curls for garnishing.
Method:
For the Zabaglione: In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks &sugar. Now, you need to set up a double boiler and let the water come to a full boil. Then reduce the flame to a simmer, place the bowl with the egg over it and whisk constantly and pour the marsala/rum into it. Keep whisking it till it forms into soft mounds. It won't take long. Transfer it to another bowl, wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

For the Cheese layer: Meanwhile, whip the cream with 2 tbsp sugar to soft peaks.Fold in the mascarpone and Zabaglione and mix carefully till well blended.Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a separate bowl, mix coffee,2 tbsp sugar,Marsala & Vanilla.

Arrange one layer of cookies to fit the pan that you are using and pour 1 tbsp of coffee mixture over each cookie so that they are well saturated but not falling apart.Spoon 1/3 rd cheese mixture over cookies and sprinkle with 1tbsp cocoa powder. Repeat two more time ending with cocoa. (We didn't follow this method of layering as I wanted it in a cake form)

Cover and refrigerate overnight so that the flavours mature well plus the cookies gets to soak up all that liquid.

Dust with some more cocoa and decorate with chocolate curls. Serve chilled.

Verdict: I couldn't stop licking the cream as and when he was making it because I just wanted to make sure it's up to the Bucca standards ;-) The next day (on my birthday) which was yesterday (confusing??) as I cut the cake and had a slice, the first thing  I said was,'Oh my goodness, this is so yummy! It tastes just like Bucca's! :-D

It is a very good one and is very very simple to make! Do try it at home. I'm sure you can substitute the  lady's finger with a good pound cake and proceed with the recipe if you live no where close to a supermarket which sells those fingers ;-) After all once they are soaked in the syrup, their texture is similar to a cake!

So make sure you try this for your next party!

RE-VISITING CHOCOLATE BISCUIT PUDDING

Isomehow just cannot get enough of this pudding. This has been one of my firm favourites due to ease and taste. It's not that I have't blogged about it, it's just that I have improved in photography over the years and I wanted to give this pudding a better look and share it with you all so that this deliciousness wouldn't go unnoticed! It needs attention :-) I have plenty of time in my hands when it comes to dessert and I want it to look as pretty as it can even if I am standing on one leg in my messy kitchen :-)

This recipe comes from my Aunt Beeji. She is my dad's cousin and I remember asking her for some recipes a  long time ago, easily 10 years ago. She said she has this yummy biscuit pudding recipe which she shall send me once she gets back home, which she did. I love recieveing letters especially in this world of everything electronic.There's something about fresh ink and paper, it's so personal, so touching that makes you want to treasure it.

I still have that copy she sent me. She sent me some fabulous icing recipes too, along with it. I have used her 'Fudge Frosting' recipe on my Mahogany Cake and it is a winner. You need to work fast with that icing because it might dry out otherwise and be a bit crackly.

So here's is the recipe (once again!) for my favourite easy pudding as I celebrate the success of my little blog having 600,000 hits!

MY FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE BISCUIT PUDDING
Recipe source: Beeji Aunty
Serves 6-8 depending on the size of your dish.

Ingredients:
200g Marie biscuits,crushed
100gSalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 c milk
1 c sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp Vanilla/Rum

1 c heavy cream, whipped

Method:
Mix together crushed biscuits and butter till they are soft and sand-like. Spoon in half of it into wine glasses and press it with a spoon and level it.Reserve the remaining biscuit crumbs aside.
Make a thick sauce by boiling together milk,sugar, cocoa powder & cornflour.Whisk constantly to obtain a smooth sauce .When cooled, add vanilla/rum. Divide this among the wine glasses.
Top it with the remaining biscuit crumbs and then put a blob or two of whipped cream in each glass.
Let it set in the fridge for 4 hours. Serve cold.
You can decorate with a cube/square of chocolate like I did :-)

Verdict: I can eat this for brekky, lunch, tea time and dinner! I love this pudding so much that I convinced Amma to add it to her 'Cookery Class Menu'. There is nothing to go wrong with this recipe, so it's simply fool proof! Go ahead and try it for yourself and if you do, please let me know how you liked it :-)

NUTELLA - COCONUT MILK BREAD PUDDING for 500,000 hits

Isometimes get this feeling that I should create a series of my own recipes. And  I pull out everything and start with some weird combination of ingredients in my head. Luckily, they have always been edible.Last Friday evening,I was thinking of baking something out of that weird combination of ingredients and use Nutella to balance everything just in case something goes wrong ;) I couldn't wait for it to get baked. I almost stood by the oven for that 1 hour, the time it took for the pudding to bake...taking a peek every now and then. I bless my oven because it has a bulb inside it, so it's easier to have a peek.

I actually made this pudding for the World Nutella Day but I couldn't post it that day as we were busy at the Winter Carnival at the State Capitol,St.Paul. That day was fun! We got to see ice sculptures, ice palace,ice chair so on and so forth.They also had wine tasting plus a torch parade ,so I don't have to tell you how much fun we must have had! :) It was freezing but our jackets did a good job so I have no complaints!

Then came the SuperBowl Sunday and we were at our friend's house for dinner...so even that day passed by. But the good news is, this little space of mine touched 500,000 hits yesterday!! So that means the nutella post can be tweaked in for the celebratory post! ;-) So once again, I'm killing 2 birds with one stone! I hope I got that line right because the last time I said that, I said something else! :-D

NUTELLA- COCONUT MILK BREAD PUDDING
My own recipe



Ingredients:
For the custard:
1 1/2 c whole milk
4tbsp coconut milk powder
1 c warm water
5 eggs
1/2 c sugar
A pinch or two of salt

10 slices white bread
3 tbsp nutella

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C and position the rack in the centre.

Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet and toast/bake them in the oven for 5 mins.
Spread nutella on each of the slices and cut them into 2 diagonally.
Arrange them neatly (with peaks showing) in a pudding dish.
Mix together whole milk, warm water and coconut powder (Instead of coconut powder and warm water, you can use 1 cup thick coconut milk).
Beat together eggs ,salt and sugar till fluffy, for about 30 secs.
Add it to the milk mixture.
Pour the milk mixture over the bread. If you want, you can spoon some over the slices too.

Prepare a water bath*and bake for 55 mins or till set.

* Inorder to prepare a water bath, take a rectangular baking tray and fill it half way with hot water. Place it in the oven and then place the bread pudding dish into it,carefully.

Verdict: We both had been craving for a bread pudding the whole of last week. Jobin said he's not a big fan of Nutella after I baked the pudding but he still ate it.It's because this was not the kind of bread pudding he was longing for, instead a Shahi Tukre/ Double Ka Meeta types. According to me, it was really nice with a faint coconut-y hint. If you are not a big fan of coconut, you can subtitute it with milk or cream for the same amount.Serve it hot or cold, I bet you are going to fall in love with this pudding! I just had 2 huge serving, myself :)

Now that the Shahi Tukre /Double Ka Meeta kind of bread pudding is still pending in our house, you might see that pop here as well ;)

On another note, I am hosting the Kerala Kitchen (click on the link for more details)this month, so if you are making anything with a touch of 'Kerala' in it, send in your entries to  airmathew AT gmail DOT com. The event ends on 28 Feb 2011. Please feel free to use the logo.