Bread pudding with coffee and nuts

Coffee nut summer pudding 

This I made on an instinct , of things I would like. Easy peasy and very cool on a summer afternoon. I could do with this instead of a lunch. 

Ingredients

6-8 slices full corn bread

500-600ml prepared vanilla custard

2 tsp coffee powder

Walnuts and almond slivers

Method

Cut bread into small squares.

Dip in custard well and line in a serving glass dish. Pour a bit of custard extra.

Sprinkle coffee powder. Here and there a bit extra.

Line again the same way.

Pour the rest of the custard.

Top with coffee and lots of chopped walnuts and almond slivers.

Cover with a cling film.

Really chill this many hours, preferably overnight till coffee leaches into custard. 

Serve chilled scooped right till the bottom. Enjoy the crunch, munch and thanda thanda cool cool effect.

Summer pudding

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   Summer pudding sounds like such a lovely pudding and I tried to make in India with fruits locally available there.I used oranges, pineapple,grapes and pears.the result was good.But the dark red colour was something so luscious to look at and since most berries were not available back there, it was a dream to make it again.My husband had got a bag of frozen mixed berries and since they are really sour I tried using them in different ways.Last week was my daughter's birthday.I had left over chocolate sponge sheet lying in the fridge.I thought of making a summer pudding with it.Normally white bread is used in the recipe but I thought of using the chocolate sponge.Result was good and am planning to make it again soon.
Ingredients
Chocolate sponge 10"x8"           1 no
Frozen mixed berries                  250 gms
sugar                                          50 gms(more if berries are too sour)
whipped cream                           50 ml
scraped chocolate flakes for topping
Method
Line a glass bowl with the chocolate sponge such that it covers it completely.In a saucepan,heat the berries with 1/2 a cup of water.Add the sugar and boil well.Pour it into the bowl and use some cake to cover the top of the berries.Press with a plate which fits in the bowl well.Press hard and keep a weight on it.Keep to cool and later refrigerate.After a couple of hours,keep a plate on the bowl and gently turn it up side down and unmould.The pudding should fall like a big mound.Top with fresh cream and sprinkle chocolate flakes and serve chilled."Delicious" is the word for it.Enjoy.

Gajar ka halwa (carrot sweet)

  One of the most famous desserts made in the North of India is undoubtedly Gajar ka halwa.Every house hold is busy making it in kgs and storing in the fridge every  winter the moment red luscious carrots storm the vegetable market.This dessert can be made very nutritious and is great for eyes as it is full of beta carotene.As a kid my mother would make it and the smell would be all over the home.I sometimes just love it half cooked with sugar sprinkled on it.It is great for eyes she would tell me and I would gobble it all up.I make it more healthy as it is made normally very rich with loads of "ghee" and dry fruits.I try and cut it down.
Ingredients
Grated carrots                1 kg
whole milk                      1 lt
sugar                              150 gms(adjust to taste)
ghee/cream                     2 tbsp/50 ml
cardamom powder          1 tsp
chopped nuts(almonds,walnuts) according to your like
raisins                    

Method

Put the grated carrots in a thick pan with milk and boil till it reduces.make sure to keep stirring so that it does not get burnt.It should reduce completely and cooked till all the milk is dry.Add ghee/cream and cook again.Add the sugar and keep cooking till its a bit dry.Add the nuts and raisins and switch off.It tastes really good when warm.Serve with vanilla ice cream as another option.