First of all a Happy Diwali and Thanksgiving to all of you...One thing i like about Public holidays is,the fact that  i do'nt have to go to office which means no crowded trains ,no traffic,no tension and the most important thing is, i get more time to be in the Kitchen and unleash the creative person inside me and do something interesting.

As it was Diwali and also my Sister's Birthday this past week.i thought this would be the perfect time to for me to make her more happy not just by gifting something expensive but to make something out of my own hands with lot of Love in it..so ..i decided to make her favorite -FLAN [it's actually ,a Vanilla Pudding with the caramel sauce on top]!!And to complete the celebration of Diwali ,i decided to make a simple yet yummy Sundae using some easy to get ingredients which can be made in minutes!!So all in all it was a Sweet and Sugary week for me.

Flan [Carmelle Dessert with Caramel Sauce]

"Flan" is the Spanish name for vanilla egg custard, topped with caramel sauce. It is a Spanish classic and one of the most popular desserts, served everywhere in Spain.it's a very yummy sweet as well as light dessert that goes well with any meal as a finisher!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar

Method

• Wipe out the baking dish to ensure that there is no dust in them. Set in the glass baking dish.
• Heat 4-5 cups of water in a pot on stove.
• Put a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sugar. With the back of a wooden spoon,[i prefer using wooden spoon] keep sugar moving constantly in skillet until sugar is completely melted, and of a rich medium brown color (caramelized).
• Carefully spoon caramelized sugar into the large dish.
• Pre-heat oven to 325F (162C) degrees.
• Scald cream in a saucepan. (ya...just make sure to keep a close eye on the pan, so that cream does not boil over.) Remove immediately.
• Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, beat slightly 3 eggs. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar.
• Stirring constantly, gradually add hot cream to egg yolk mixture. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Blend in vanilla extract. Ladle mixture into dish.
• Carefully remove the baking dish to provide some extra room. Pour in hot water until there is about 1/2-inch of water in the 9” x 13” baking dish for boiling water bath....be sure that the dish is tall enough to accommodate the water necessary.)
• If the water level does not reach 3/4 of the way up the sides of the dish, carefully pour more water in. Bake uncovered in water bath for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted half way between center and the edge of dish.

 Note: To ensure the custard does not over-cook, check doneness after 45 minutes, then every 3-5 minutes.

• Carefully remove the baking dish  from the water bath. Set on a cooling rack until lukewarm, then chill thoroughly in refrigerator. This usually takes at least 1 hour.
• When ready to serve, un-mold by running a knife around the inside edge of baking dish. Place a small dessert plate on the top of the dish . With one hand under the dish and the other on top of the place, turn over. Tap the baking dish and the flan should drop onto the plate. If it does not, carefully “prod” the flan out of the baking dish with a small paring knife. It should slide out of the dish onto the plate.

 
Vanilla Ice cream Sundae With White Chocolate Sauce and Choco Syrup [Milkmaid Sundae]



There's just something about vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup that's much more magical than chocolate ice cream.it took me a lot of thinking to come up with this wonderful dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 oz sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 oz cocoa powder
• 12 oz water
• 8 oz sugar
• 3 oz butter
• 1 oz heavy cream

• First, bring the 2.5 cups of heavy cream and the vanilla extract to a simmer in a saucepan and steep for 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt.
• Temper the egg yolks into the cream by whisking them with a bit of hot cream and then stirring that back into the rest of the cream.
• Heat this, stirring often, until it thickens slightly. Or cook to 170 degrees if you want to use a thermometer.[i needed that or it would've been a disaster]
• Chill this mixture and pour it into your ice cream maker.
• While this chills,Put a tiny square of butter to oil up the pan on medium heat.then add the white chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon clockwise for a couple or 1 minutes,then add just a tiny bit of milk and condensed Milk..it's just to smoothen the mixture,then stir for some 2-3 minutes..by now the sauce should be ready.
• Now mix together the cocoa powder and enough water to make a paste.
• Combine the rest of water and the sugar in a saucepan and heat to a boil.
• Then whisk in the cocoa paste and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the butter and the heavy cream until melted and uniform.
• Once everything is made,top the Vanilla ice cream with the White choco sauce and with the Choco syrup..Voila!!there you go[NOTE-you can also add chopped nuts,cherries or whatever else you like]

So as i said this whole week was more of a sweet..and sugary week for me...birthdays ,festivals,celebrations....and whatever it be ....occasions like these are never complete without  a dessert,ice creams or be it any sweet..which brings more happiness,meaning and color to it!!take care everybody....Jai Ho!!