Cinnamon Roll Bun

A must try recipe for those with a sweet tooth.This can be eaten at breakfast or tea time.I have introduced two additional ingredients : jaggery and cardamom to the traditional cinnamon roll bun recipe .The combination of cinnamon , cardamom and jaggery does wonders for your tastebuds.And the sweet aroma of these yummy delights will make you ask for more.Best when eaten warm  alongside a cup of tea

The rich flavours of jaggery,cinnamon and cardamon

For the dough 
ingredients.

4 cups all-purpose flour
 1 tablespoon active yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon milk powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup raisins

Method for making dough

In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast, milk powder,sugar ,salt,  melted butter and the warm water and stir well to combine.knead it well with an electric mixer.When the dough has pulled together, scoop it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic,
Slightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and  cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size about 1 & 1/2 hours.

 Preparing the baking tray ( line the tray with aluminium foil for easy cleaning)

For the base
(Ingredients)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup jaggery ( scrapped and melted in the microwave ( 30 secs)
2 tablespoons  cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon cardamom powder


In a pan, melt 3/4 cup butter in medium heat. Turn off heat. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup melted jaggery ,cardamom powder,cinnamon powder whisking until smooth  Pour it evenly  into greased 9x13 inch baking tray. Set aside.

The baking tray lined with aluminium foil and the jaggery- cinnamon mixture

For the cinnamon roll filling.
(Ingredients)
3/4 cup brown sugar
 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cardamon powder
1/4 cup melted butter
Method for the filling-
Melt butter; set aside. Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar,, and mix cinnamon/cardamon powder and  set aside.

Preparation for baking

 Gently deflate the dough ( remember?? Which was kept to rise in a warm place ) and onto a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough  into an 18x14 inch rectangle.
(Herein  make use of the cinnamon roll  filling ingredients )
Brush the rolled out  dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter, press the raisins firmly on the dough. sprinkle with brown sugar ,cinnamon and cardamon powder. Tightly roll up the dough, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.Cut the roll into 15 pieces; and arrange the pieces in the prepared baking tray. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 25  minutes, until golden brown. Invert into a serving dish  whilst still warm.  

   

Press the Raisins firmly into the rolled out dough

Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar,cinnamon and cardamom

Roll the dough

The cinnamon rolls kept in warm place to double in size

Just out of the oven

Invert the baking tray onto a serving platter 

Indulge in the most delicious and goey buns

Banana Apple Fritters

So far the only recipe I can think of making with  over ripened bananas  are banana fritters.But that didnt stop me from putting  a new spin to my old recipe.Adding some shredded apple and a teaspoon  of lemon zest took  the banana fritters to a whole  new level.I was a bit hesistant to introduce  the new addition  to my old banana fritter recipe ,nevertheless , I gathered some courage and  went   ahead with my decision.I did nt regret adding them as they brought out extra new flavours to it. I wish my daughters were here with me at home to taste it as  they  are my best critics when it comes to  my ' sweet'  dishes.

 Recipe for Banana Apple fritters

Sieve 1 1/2  cups of flour.Mash 5 well ripened  bananas and mix them together..Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda.Add  a little water .( the mixture should be of very thick consistency). Shred a piece of apple to the mixture and throw in a teaspoon of lemon zest.Leave aside for 15-20 minutes.Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry till golden brown.Then you soak these delightful fritters in a puddle of jaggery syrup before you enjoy them.

To make the jaggery syrup -

In a pan, add about 250 grams of jaggery to 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.Mix into it, about 3-4 tablespoons of sugar,a few crushed cardamoms and a small stick of cinnaman.Remove from heat , cool and add the fritters.(Remove the spices before your serve)

Low Fat Dessert

Being a diabetic,I decided to create a dessert so that it  will not bring about a spike in my sugar levels.This is a low fat,low  carb dessert,which I created recently.I used jaggery and date paste for mild sweetness.It is very light and healthy.All the same,eating in moderation is recommended.

Ingredients

^{10 gram  agar agar china moss/grass}

1 litre low fat milk

½ cup jaggery scrapped

1 cup date paste

½ tsp cardamom powder

A few nuts shredded ( optional)

1 1/2  cups water

Preparation

Wash and soak the china grass in water.Add milk and bring to a boil.Mix in the jaggery,date paste,cardomom.Keep stirring till the jaggery melts.Strain the contents into a pudding dish.Sprinkle shredded nuts.(optional) Keep in refrigerator to cool Cut into squares or desired shape and enjoy.

Coconut Cake ( Bibikkan)

Bibikkan is  a delicious, dark moist cake made of shredded coconut, jaggery,dry fruits and semolina. It has got a very distinct taste and savoured by most foodies  in my country.This wonderful sweet treat was apparently introduced to Sri Lanka during the Dutch/Portuguese  rule.It is very  popular during the festive season.Recently I took an effort to make  this delicious delight from scratch.Due to Diabetes  my husband and I need  to  keep our sugar levels  under control, hence it was   essential to make a few changes in the recipe.Therefore I  omitted the jaggery and used treacle and date paste and also left out the   sugary  ginger preserves winter melons and the candied peel, which the original recipe called  for and substituted with unsweetened  dry fruits and the zest of citrus to cater to our taste.Regardless it turned out fabulous.

 Ingredients

40 ml  bottle of treacle

2 cups shredded coconut

50 g semolina  slightly roasted 

50 gram whole wheat flour

1 cup dates  chopped  

½ teaspoon fennel  crushed

2-3  cardamom crushed

50 g cashew nuts

1  cup  dry friuts/prunes,raisins( (chopped)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon mixed lemon/orange zest

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Extra cashew nuts for decoration (optional)

Method

Mix the coconut with the treacle ( I also used  1/2 cup of date paste). Stir in the semolina, dates, fennel, cardamom, the dry fruits,lemon/orange zest, cashew nuts, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.

Separate the egg white and york. Beat it separately and fold into the mixture.Now pour the contents into  a greased baking tray(9 inch*12 inch).Decorate with cahew nuts (optional).Bake in a moderate oven (160°C ) for 2 hours.Cool completely and cut.

*If you are using jaggery ,melt the jaggery in 375 ml water in a pan, add the coconut and  set aside to cool and then mix in the rest of the ingredients.

This can be wrapped individually and  stored in an airtight container in the freezer for later use.

Please note-This particular coconut cake (Bibikkan) was prepared to suit a diabetic's palate,using,treacle,date paste and whole wheat flour.There is an original recipe for this specialty cake using a varied of ingredients.

Sago Pudding

Sago is a cereal acquired from the powdered pith of a sago palm. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago It is starchy and  used for making  puddings and pancakes and for various other purposes. Sago is commonly used for cooking  in India, Bangaladesh and  Sri Lanka.

Traditionally,in our home,sago is  cooked and eaten in the form of a pudding.It is in  the spotlight during the festive seasons.It makes a good dessert  and keeps us feeling warm and cosy during the  cold wintry days.In summer, you can chill the pudding and enjoy it's thick texture. Sago is  widely sold  in the form of "pearls". Sago pearls can be boiled with water or milk and sugar to make a sweet  sago pudding.I usually  purchase white sago pearls to make  a warm dessert.Some prefer to eat  sago pudding or porriage  with a serving of thick coconut milk.

Ingredients

¼ pound sago pearls

6-8 oz jaggery

½ teacup coconut milk

5 cardomom pods

A piece of cinnamon stick

A pinch of salt

A tablespoon sugar ( optional)

Method

Wash and soak the sago pearls for about 15 minutes.Put the pearls into a pan,add the water ,cinnamon ,and the cardamons and bring it to a boil.Scrap the jaggery and add it to the cooking sago.Add a pinch of salt.At this point,( optional)  you can add an extra tablespoon of sugar if you want the pudding to balance your taste buds..Now pour the coconut milk and stir it very well.Remove from heat and pour the contents  into a glass dish.This will taste good when eaten warm. Some love to serve it with a spoonful of thick  coconut milk/cream.

Remove the  cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving.

Tip: Add an extra cup of water to the above recipe to make sago porridge. And add sugar according to taste.

 

 

Wattalappam ( Jaggery pudding)

This pudding is popular mostly in Muslim homes in my home country.Muslims prepare this dessert during special occasions like weddings and festivals.This pudding was originally known as the Malay pudding and later became to be popularly known as wattalappam.This dessert  is mostly steamed but for the last few years I have tried baking the pudding,by placing the  pudding bowl  in a tray with water.I believe it is as good as steaming.

 Wattalappam


Ingredients
10 eggs
1 pound jaggery
2 teacups thick coconut milk
1/2 teaspoons powdered cardamoms
A pinch of salt


Method
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat well .Scrape the jaggery and mix it with the eggs .Add the coconut milk ,cardamoms and the salt and mix well.Pour into  small moulds and steam for about 1 and  1/4 hours or until firm..
Baking takes a longer time to cook.It took me almost 2 and 1/2 hours for the pudding to be well cooked.

Go Bananas With Fritters!

I love making Fritters with fruits.It is usually composed of some fruits mixed in some batter and deep fried.My children love to eat banana fritters.And whenever I have over ripened bananas, I make my children this special treat.

Banana Fritters

3 over-ripened bananas
1/4 lb flour
A pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda
2 tablespoon water
Oil for frying

Peel the bananas and mash into a pulp.Add to this, the flour, salt,water and the bicarbonate soda and mix well into a batter.Let it stand for about 15 minutes before using.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil.Fry until golden brown.Serve with jaggery* syrup or dust with powdered sugar.

The main ingredient here is Jaggery.A naturally sweetened hard substance made from cane juice or palm sap.This jaggery is made into a syrup by adding water and boiling.

Traditional Dish During The Festive Season

Kiribath or Milk Rice

Kiribath or milk rice is a Sri Lankan delicacy.It is a typical traditional dish.It is made out of rice and milk.It has now become customary and is common in almost every Sri Lankan household.The method for preparing this dish is quite simple.The rice is cooked in boiling water for about fifteen minutes.Then the coconut milk is added and cooked further,until the liquid is all soaked up.Salt is added according to taste during cooking.

Kiribath is served with Lunu Miris, a fiery chutney or sambol ,consisting of red onions, red chilly and spices.It can also be eaten with jaggery and bananas.On special occasions it is served alongside other traditional sweetmeats.In our country this is a must in the menu for any auspicious moments,happy and joyous events and during the festive seasons.