Fig n' Raisin muffin

As a kid I remember enjoying cupcakes (vati-cake) from the corner bakery. But over the years the quality reduced and it became a rarity in our house. However, the fascination for those soft and spongy no-fuss cupcakes continued. With continental changes, vocabulary changed and now those cupcakes have becomes muffins. So as I baked my first batch of muffins, childhood memories of that quick walk to the bakery with my dad, the excitement of finding a cupcake in the tiffin... came rushing back. And the fact that I was making them for a little girl made them even more special.

The recipe has been adapted from 'Food Network' to work with ingredients I already had, and the blueberries have been substituted with figs and raisins. This recipe makes eight muffins.

Ingredients2

• 3/4 of a stick unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup fig puree or jam
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 8 muffin liners
  

Method

Soak 1/4 cup raisins in water. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar so that it is light and fluffy. If you are using fig jam you could reduce the amount of sugar to suit your taste. Now add one egg at a time and mix well. Then continue to mix in the sour cream and milk. After that sieve the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients. Make sure to mix it well so that no lumps remain. Now fold in the fig jam/puree. Also drain the raisins and fold them into the mixture gently. (You may choose to use other nuts or fresh fruits instead of the figs and raisins. They all taste equally amazing.)

Fill the muffin liners to the brink with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Enjoy your delicious warm muffin with milk or coffee.

Mango Cheesecake

I believe if you are a summer baby away from home (India) during mango season, a mango delicacy on your birthday surpasses any other lavish celebration you could have. And so the mango cheesecake, decadent as decadent could ever be, was my husband's b'day gift this year. I adapted the recipe from the 'New York Times Dessert Cookbook by Nigella Lawson', and it was the best cake I ever baked.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 pounds cream cheese
• 1 cups mango puree or 2 mangoes
  
• 1/2 cup fine sugar
• 1 tbps lime juice
• 1 9 inch crust (I used the pre-made crust available in stores, but you could make it at home)
• Icing and whipped cream for decorative purposes.
  

Method

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Cut, peel and puree mangoes in a mixer or food processor. If mangoes are not readily, use canned puree. Since I am very picky about mangoes, I used the canned Alphonso mango puree you find in Indian grocery stores in the US. The flavor of the Alphonso makes the cake extra special. But you may choose to use any other type of mango.

Add the cream cheese to the puree and blend until smooth. I usually mix cake batter by hand, but it is necessary to use a mixer or food processor for this one due to the cream cheese that cannot be blended as well by hand. Once the cream cheese is smooth add the sugar and lime juice and blend further. Then add the eggs one at a time and mix it to a fine batter. The batter would not be as thick as regular cake batter, since we do not use any flour for this cake.

Pour the mixture in the crust and fill it up to the brim. This cake does not rise like a regular cake would, and sinks as it cools. Do not remove the aluminum foil around the crust since it is to be placed in a deep baking pan filled with hot water to about half way to the crust. Bake for about 50-55 minutes. Remove the cake from its water bath and let it cool completely. The cake will sink along the way. Once cooled, refrigerate it overnight or around 9-10 hours. The aluminum foil is easier to remove when the cake has been refrigerated.

You may use icing for decoration. I prefer not to. For well defined slices dip the knife in cold water before cutting. Serve the cake with some whipped cream on top and experience bliss.