Nothing could be simpler than making these treats. But the end result is so satisfying. You get the subtle mintiness from the dark chocolate and the crunch from the crackers and all in all, I think its a fantastic combination. I know I’ll be making these often.
Thin Mints
Makes a dozen
120-150g good quality dark chocolate
A few drops of peppermint extract (Its fairly strong, so start with a couple of drops and add gradually till you get the strength of flavor you’re looking for)
12 crackers (Ritz / Monaco)
Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
Add the peppermint extract and stir well. Taste and adjust flavoring if needed.
(Note: If you accidentally add too much extract, you can still salvage the chocolate, simply add more melted chocolate to the bowl and mix. This should dilute the flavor.)
Dip the crackers in the chocolate and lift up using a fork. Let the excess chocolate drip off.
Place on a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to set. Alternatively, you could also leave these to set at room temperature.
Enjoy your very own almost homemade Thin Mints.
Don’t forget to stop by and check out what the others have brought to the table for Week 6 of our 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats series, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic.
Week 5 of 12WOCT: Besan ke ladoo
Besan ke Ladoo
1 1/2 cup tightly packed Chickpea flour (besan)
3/4 cup ghee (clarified butter), melted
1 1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Some raisins for topping
In a nonstick pan, over low heat melt the ghee and then tip in the chickpea flour (besan). Mix well and cook for about 7-8 minutes on low heat or till the mixture starts smelling nice and nutty. Keep stirring all the while so that it doesn’t burn.
Take off the heat and leave it to cool completely.
Add the sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
Divide into 24 portions and roll into small balls (ladoos). Place a raisin on top and this yummy treat is ready.
Note: If the dough feels too soft when shaping into balls, don’t worry. Shape them anyway and leave them to stand for about 15-20 minutes. The mixture should dry out a little during this time. Then re-shape them into balls and they should hold their shape now.
I placed them in little brown paper cups. You can then easily place them in little boxes to give them away.
Don’t forget to check what the others have put together for this weeks edition of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic.
Fish N Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce
The results were amazing. I was astonished at how simple the entire meal was to put together. We were feasting on Fish N Chips in no time at all. Would I dare compare it with the one from Pop Tate’s. This time around, hell yeah! My version was just as good, if not better and my husband agrees. Now we no longer have to go out to tuck into a platter. Every single element on this plate can be made from scratch. Isn’t that wonderful.
Fish N Chips
Serves 2
For the fish:
4-6 fillets of fish depending on the size (I used 2 Premium Basa fillets from Hypercity and cut it into smaller pieces. You can use any fish you like, preferably not the tinier ones.)
I simply crumb fried these fillets. I used the same recipe like the one for Crumb Fried Prawns.
Try not to fidget with the fish while it is frying as it is fairly delicate. Once it develops a nice golden brown crust on one side, flip it over and let the other side cook.
For the chips:
Use 2 potatoes, more if you’d like a larger portion of chips. I used the recipe for my Homemade French Fries.
For the tartar sauce:
1/3 cup Mayonnaise (This time around I used some store bought Mayo, that I happened to have on hand, but you could just as easily whip up some on your own. Click here to find out how.)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Some chives, chopped (I didn’t have any fresh chives at hand, so I used dried chives)
A spoon of Pickled Sweet Cucumber Relish (I had a jar of this so I used it, otherwise I would’ve just thrown in some finely chopped cucumber)
A large squirt of lime juice
Place all these ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.
Check for seasoning and adjust the ingredients as required to suit your taste.
Keep refrigerated till you’re ready to serve. Stir before serving.
This recipe is linked to –
Real Food Wednesday
It’s a Keeper Thursday
Full Plate Thursday
Thick Strawberry Milkshake
If you want your milkshake sweeter, feel free to add a sweetener to your liking.
Add more berries for a more fruity flavor or cut down the quantity of strawberries if that suits you better.
This recipe is linked to –
Mix it up Monday
Just Another Meatless Monday
My Meatless Mondays
Mangia Mondays
Hearth and Soul
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
A Little Birdie Told Me
Thick Mango Milkshake
A well made, thick milkshake is really hard to come by these days. Don’t get me wrong! When you step into a McDonald’s outlet or the like, you can sure get what they call a thick milkshake, but honestly it tastes so artificial and who really knows what goes into one. So once I started using the internet to check out recipes and other wonderful resources and how to’s on food etc. I realized what I had to do to make a nice thick milkshake was simple freeze the fruit and add some yogurt for a healthy treat or for a more indulgent one use ice cream instead of milk. This changed our whole home made milk shake experience.Sure you still can’t be too sure about what goes into commercially made ice cream, but atleast I have the satisfaction of using actual fruit instead of just flavors and sugar. And a homemade milkshake tastes so much better.
I had to make a mango milkshake before my favorite fruit went out of season. This thick mango milkshake that I make uses just 3 simple ingredients. The measures given make 2 glasses, but you can easily adjust the amount to make more or even tweak the flavors or the thickness. So have fun this summer with your very own homemade milkshakes.
Thick Mango Milkshake
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
Pulp of 2 ripe mangoes (You can use any variety you like)
A couple of splashes of milk (Depending on how thick you want your milkshake)
Blend all the ingredients together till you get a smooth milk shake.
If you want your milkshake sweeter, feel free to add a sweetener to your liking.
Add more mango for a more fruity flavor or cut down the quantity of mango if that suits you better.
Most importantly have fun.
This recipe has been linked to –
Mix It Up Monday
Mangia Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
My Meatless Mondays
Hearth & Soul
A Little Birdie Told Me
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tropical Summer Smoothie
Weekend Potluck
How to make Marzipan from scratch!!!
heat for exactly 7 minutes.
– If the marzipan turns too dry add a couple of drops of rose water and knead till it reaches desired consistency.
– If the marzipan is slightly moister than you’d like, knead with some icing sugar till it reaches the desired consistency.
– If the dough is too moist, put in back on the fire for a minute or so and stir. This step is usually not needed. I had to do this just once when using a different stovetop and the lowest flame was way to low than what you’d find on a regular stove top.
Mushroom Toast Bites
Mushroom Toast Bites
200g packet of button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
2 onions, sliced
1-2 green chillies, slit
1 tsp olive oil
A knob of butter
3 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed to release flavor
Salt, to taste
Crushed black pepper, to taste
Place the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and saute till they’re done. Don’t overcrowd the pan as the mushrooms will just stew in their juices. Do this in stages if you’re using a small pan. Drain the mushrooms and keep aside.
Using the same pan, add a dash more oil / butter, if needed and tip in the garlic and onions and saute them on medium heat till they’re lightly caramelised.
Add the chilies and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well.
Take off the heat.
You can add some chopped coriander leaves at the end. I didn’t have any that evening, so I just left that out.
Lightly toast slices of bread and cut in halves and place the stir fried mushrooms over it.
Arrange on a platter and serve.
This recipe is linked to –
Savory Sunday
My Meatless Mondays
Mix it up Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Just Another Meatless Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Mangia Mondays
A Little Birdie Told Me
Mini Eggless Banana Walnut Muffins
Can you tell that I absolutely love bananas? They’ve always been one of my favorite fruits. If you’re new here and don’t believe me, check out these beauties – Banana Bread, Bananas Foster, Stuffed French Toast and Monkey Business. See I wasn’t kidding. Today I have yet another banana treat for you. And let me tell you that these were absolutely wonderful. Even though they were an eggless bake, they were light, moist and super yum. I made mini muffins this time just as an excuse to have a second helping, maybe even a third 😉 These were so great that the next time I whip these up, I’m going to make them the regular muffin size. I think that tells you how much we enjoyed them. I hope you do too! Oh, I love my new silicone mini muffin cups. They are so gorgeous, they just brighten up my day. Am I crazy to want them in every color available 🙂 ? Unfortunately I forgot to use them while baking the muffins but they do make a pretty picture. Can’t wait to bake with them.
Mini Eggless Banana Walnut Muffins
Yields 12 mini muffins
2-3 over ripe banans, mashed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup natural unflavored yogurt
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 180ºC and prepare your muffin mould
Mash the bananas in a bowl and add the oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add the mashed banana mix and fold it into the flour till incorporated. Don’t beat the batter.
Add the walnuts, reserving a few and stir them in gently.
Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin tins and sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top of them.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or till done.
This recipe is linked to –
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday
Savory Sunday
Mix it up Monday
My Meatless Mondays
Bake Fest