BOURBON (Sandwich Cookie) MILKSHAKE

Who doesn’t love sandwich cookies? After Oreo cookies, Bourbon cookies are my absolute favourite. Infact I love the new bourbon more which is dark in color and has vanilla cream in between, I used the same biscuits to prepare the milkshake. You can use any of the available kinds of BOURBON BISCUITS but I would suggest using the black bourbon with vanilla cream. It is really easy to prepare the milkshake. If you want a thick shake you can freeze the milk in an ice tray an then blend it. I don’t make it this way but you can if you like :).

BOURBON MILKSHAKE RECIPE

Prep time – 3 to 5 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 2

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Bourbon Biscuits – 3 to 4

Chilled Milk – 2 cups

Fresh Cream – 2 tbsp

Chocolate syrup – 2 tsp

Brown Sugar – 1 tsp

TO GARNISH:

Whipped Cream (chocolate flavor) – 1/4 cup

Bourbon biscuits – 2

METHOD:

• Blend in bourbon biscuits, 1/2 cup milk, fresh cream, chocolate syrup, brown sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Now, add in the remaining milk and blend again. Bourbon Milkshake is ready 😀 😀
• Pour out in serving glasses, pipe whipped cream on top of the milkshake and garnish with a bourbon biscuit on top.
• Serve Chilled 🙂

NOTES:

• You can add a dash of instant coffee powder for additional taste.
• As I say always, if you do not have brown sugar, add plain sugar.
• For whipped cream, I used leftover whipped cream from yesterday which I used in cake icing. To make chocolate flavoured whipped cream, beat heavy whipping cream or double cream until peaks are formed, add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and whip again till peaks are formed. It is ready to use.
• The bourbon biscuit which I used i.e., the black bourbon is available in the market, still if you do not find it, use the normal one which is available everywhere. I am sharing the picture of the pack of bourbon biscuits which I used in my recipe.

So did you like the recipe? I hope you did. Let me know how you liked the recipe. 

CYA!…XOXO!!

AAM PANNA – Tangy&Sweet Raw Mango Drink

AAM PANNA is another very popular summer cooler of India, specially in the North. It is a beverage in which of course RAW MANGO is the hero, and rest of the ingredients used enhances the taste of the drink. It is light green in color and is generally drank during summers to fight against heat. It also prevents loss of salt and water in the form of sweat from the body which means if you consume this beverage, sweating can be controlled. Aam Panna increases resistance against diseases like tuberculosis, anemia, cholera, dysentry etc. So have AAM PANNA this summer and keep off the HEAT 😀 😀

AAM PANNA RECIPE

Prep time – 5 mins

Cook time – 5 to 7 mins

Serves – 2 to 3

Category – Beverage

RECIPE:

Raw Mango – 2 (medium-sized)

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Water – 2 cups

Mint Leaves – 15 to 20

Black Salt – 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp

Chat Masala – 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp

Dry Mango Powder – 1 tsp

Ice cubes – 1/2 cup

METHOD:

• Pressure cook the whole raw mangoes with sugar and water. Don’t cut the mangoes and boil, trust me you get a better finished product when whole raw mango is used.
• After the mangoes are boiled, use your hand to separate the pulp from the skin and seed.
• Now, in a food processor add in the boiled mango pulp, mint leaves, pepper, black salt, chat masala, dry mango powder, roasted cumin powder, 1/2 cup water (use the same water which is left over after boiling the raw mangoes) and blend until a smooth paste is formed.
• Add the leftover 1 1/2 cups water, ice cubes and blend again.
• Pour out in glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves or mango wedges.
• Let the drink sit in the refrigerator for a while and then serve chilled!!!

NOTES:

• You can increase or reduce sugar according to your taste.
• Jaggery can also be used to prepare the drink, simply replace jaggery with sugar.
• I added 2 cups of water in the recipe which is fine for me, you can add more, if you want a thinner AAM PANNA.
• I prefer boiling the whole raw mango instead of peeling and cutting it into pieces. You can do it in either way. Boiling whole mangoes is what I prefer.

Don’t you think the recipe is really easy,I highly recommend you to prepare this at home before summers come to an end. The drink came out really yummy, moreover if you are a fan of tangy taste this recipe is surely for you. Why waste money outside when you can make it at home so easily and BEAT THE HEAT!!! 🙂 😀

FIG & HONEY MILKSHAKE

FIG & HONEY MILKSHAKE is a very nutritious as well as healthy beverage for summers. Though not very common in my location, I still love it. This is the first time that I tried my hand into this recipe and it came out really well. I still remember , during my stay in Bangalore, I would always order this at the juice corner. They served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which of course is not used by me in my version of fig & honey milkshake. I couldn’t find fresh figs so I used dried figs for the recipe which is easily available in supermarkets in the dry fruits section. For me it doesn’t make a difference, I think dried figs taste even better. It also has the crunch and chewy texture in it.

FIG & HONEY MILKSHAKE RECIPE

Prep time – 5 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 2 to 3

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Dried figs – 7

Cold Milk (full cream preferably) – 2 cups

Honey – 2 tbsp

Brown Sugar – 1 tsp

Fresh Cream – 2 1/2 tbsp

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

TO GARNISH:

Dried figs – 3

Ice Cubes (optional) – to serve

METHOD:

• Soak dried figs in warm water for at least 30 to 40 mins.
• Come back after 40 mins, discard the water and save the figs.
• The figs are now soft, chop them into pieces.
• In a blender throw in chopped figs, 1/2 cup milk, honey, brown sugar and fresh cream, blend it until a smooth paste is formed.
• Now, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and vanilla essence, blend it again. VOILA!! Fig & Honey Milkshake is now ready 🙂 :D.
• Pour out in glasses and garnish with dried figs on top of the glasses.
• You can also add ice cubes (I did not). Chill it and serve immediately.

NOTES:

• You can also add bananas or dates in the milkshake which go well with figs. I may upload those recipes in future.
• Dry fruits can also be added in the recipe.
• Ice cubes are totally optional.
• If not in hurry, soak the figs for an hour at least. Softer the better :).
• Vegans who don’t consume cow’s milk can replace it with soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk.
• I use brown sugar for better taste and healthier version. If you don’t have it, just skip it, use normal sugar. Or you can also completely skip sugar to make it more healthy. 

I served the beverage to guests and they loved it. Try it for sure and do not forget to share your views. 

CYA!! 🙂

KIWI BLAST

Hello friends!!! I am back with another fruit beverage today. KIWI, as it is commonly known originated in China, it has a sweet and tangy taste. Kiwi fruit brings a lot of health benefits with it , it is a good source of dietary fibre and is also rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E. People allergic to kiwi should avoid its consumption. I prepared this drink keeping in mind that its summer time. I generally prepare this drink with fresh cream and serve it immediately as dairy and kiwi don’t go well together, but in this recipe I used cream of coconut instead so anyone can have it freely unless one is allergic to kiwi. The kiwi which I bought was not very sweet so I made a compote out of it first. Compote is to combine the fruit and sugar and heat it till a jam like consistency is formed. The motto of doing this is to intensify the flavor of sugar in the not so sweet fruit and enhance its taste.

KIWI BLAST RECIPE 

Prep time – 10 mins

Cook time – 7 mins

Serves – 2

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Kiwi fruit (peeled and chopped) – 2

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Coconut Cream – 3 to 4 tbsp

Cold Water – 1 cup

Ice cubes – 5 to 6

TO  GARNISH:

Kiwi Slices – 2

METHOD:

• Firstly, peel and roughly chop kiwis.
• To prepare compote, take a saucepan, cook kiwi and sugar together on a low flame for 5 to 7 mins. Let the compote cool for a while.
• In a food processor, throw in the prepared compote, coconut cream, cold water and ice cubes, blend until smooth.
• Pour out in glasses, garnish with kiwi slices and serve chilled.

My family loves this drink and so do I. I am hoping even my readers will like it. Its rich, its decadent, its thick, its just awesome. Let me know what you think. 

CYA!!!

PEACH LEMONADE

Bored of having the classic lemonade?? In that case I have got something interesting for you guys :). Today when I opened my refrigerator to just see what all fruits are available, I found something interesting, PEACHES. I took them out, thought for a while, researched a little bit and finally landed up with the idea, why not try out PEACH LEMONADE. Frankly speaking I am not a fan of peaches, that is the reason I invested a lot of time thinking how to use it. I never thought I will be sharing the recipe immediately, but the recipe came out so well that I could not resist sharing it. I was even not left with extra peaches to garnish the drink for photographing… hehehe 😀 . Still I decided to upload the recipe just now, moreover we do not find peaches very easily at our location.

PEACH LEMONADE RECIPE

Prep time – 3 to 4 hours

Cook time – 5 mins

Serves – 4

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Peaches (roughly chopped) – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Lemon juice – 1/2 cup (I took juice of 4 medium sized lemons)

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Ice cubes – 2 cups (to serve on the rocks)

TO GARNISH:

Thinly sliced peach fruit – 4 (I was left not with it for garnishing 😦 )

METHOD:

• The first essential step of this recipe is to prepare a compote as peaches are not very sweet. So, here we combine water, sugar and roughly chopped peaches in a pan and let it boil. After it boils, simmer for 3 to 5 mins and then turn off the heat.
• This will not look like regular compote, it will be thinner than usual but do not worry, it is meant to be like that. Let it cool.
• When the mixture is cooled down, blend it in a food processor until all the peaches are crushed down and becomes smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for atleast three hours now.
• Come back after three hours, pass the mixture through a sieve and collect the entire liquid.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice into the strained liquid and stir well, Peach Lemonade is ready :D.
• Now, take serving glasses and fill them with ice cubes.
• Using a ladle fill the glass with prepared beverage.
• Serve with peach slices on top (I had to skip this step).

I know you have to do preparations for this recipe ahead of time, you may have to be patient for it. But trust me you will never regret it. The tangy taste, the twist to a classic lemonade can be very refreshing during summertime. Peach, my not so favorite fruit is definitely the hero of this recipe. Serve it for your house parties and amuse your guests. This is a must try for you this summer, do let me know what you think. Cya!!!

CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE

Hey chocolate lovers!! What can be the most comforting chocolate beverage for summers? Ummmm…. the first thing what comes into my mind is of course CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE. Even a kid would have an answer to this.. hehe.. 😀 So today I am going to share the recipe of chocolate milkshake. Chocolate Milkshake was first introduced during early 1900s and since then it has become everyone’s favorite, be it kids or grown ups. It is a quick recipe and you do not need to do preparations ahead of time. It is generally referred to as a perfect drink because you can have it in anyway, either as a cooling drink for summers, or as daytime / midnight snack. You can also have it for breakfast, or serve it to guests, for me I can have it at anytime of the day. I generally skip the addition of ice-cream into the milkshakes because it is not always available with me at home but I never stop anyone from doing so. Do add a scoop of ice-cream if you have it. Instead of ice-cream, I add few tbsps of heavy cream in the recipe for that extra richness and create a swirl of whipped cream on top. Also, I add brown sugar in this recipe because it is a known fact that brown sugar goes well with chocolate. If you do not have it, use normal sugar.CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE RECIPE

Prep time – 10 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 3

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Full Cream Milk (preferably) – 2 cups

Double Cream – 3 to 4 tbsp

Cocoa powder – 1 1/2 tbsp

Chocolate syrup – 2 tbsp

Brown Sugar – 2 to 3 tbsp (if u do not have brown sugar, use normal white sugar)

Ice cubes – 4 to 5

TO GARNISH:

Whipped cream (chocolate flavor) – 2/3 cup

Chocolate shavings – 3 to 4 tsp

METHOD:

• First of all prepare the glasses by decorating the sides by creating swirls in circular motion with chocolate syrup or melted chocolate, then let it sit in freezer for a while. 
• Throw in all your ingredients in a blender i.e., milk, cream, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, brown sugar and ice cubes and blend them until smooth.
• Now pour them out into the prepared glasses.
• To garnish, using whipped cream pipe swirl with a star nozzle on the top of the milkshake, then sprinkle chocolate shavings on the top.
• Chocolate Milkshake is ready 🙂 , serve chilled!

For all my vegetarian friends, you can replace milk with almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk. For all those who want to cut out on calories, simply use skimmed or double toned milk for a healthier version. Also avoid the cream, if you want a thick shake without the cream, then freeze skimmed milk in an ice tray and then use the milk cubes to prepare the shake (you will definitely need a powerful blender for that), it really comes out rich and frothy. Try using dark chocolate as it is more healthier compared to white and milk chocolate, rest is fine :). So now hurry up, Go and Try, then, share your thoughts!! 😀 😀

MANGO SLUSH

Now, this beverage is the simplest and tastiest beverage for summers. What is SLUSH actually? As tough as it sounds, it is not at all complicated. Slush is nothing but a flavored frozen drink. What can be better than consuming ice, that too flavored ice to quench your thirst during the super hot summers. Slush, whose Indian version is better known as GOLA, is very easy to prepare at home. I prepared this recipe for the first time today and it came out so well that I decided to share it over here immediately.Slush is non-carbonated drink, hence it does not require any pressure chamber for production. That is the reason its so cheap. Its actually so simple, just pour flavoring over crushed ice and it is ready to consume :). To prepare it at home, you just need a powerful blender to crush the ice, no worries if you don’t have it, you can always hammer them and then put in the blender. I never thought mango slush could be so yummy. The ginger and lemon flavoring do wonders in the mango slush. You will need little bit of ginger juice for which you can grate the ginger with a fine shredder first and then squeeze out the juice from it. Rest of the steps are simple, so lets get started with directions 🙂 🙂

MANGO SLUSH RECIPE

Prep time – 15 to 17 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 2

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

1 Mango (large) / 2 mangoes (medium) – peeled and cubed

Ginger juice – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Brown sugar / Honey – 3 tbsp / as required

Ice – 3 cups

To GARNISH:

Lemon wedges / slices – 2

Lemon zest – little

METHOD:

• Wash, peel and cube the mango. If possible you can also freeze the mango cubes overnight to get a rich texture.
• In a food processor, add the mango pieces, ginger juice, lemon juice, brown sugar / honey and ice, blend it on a high speed until all the ice is crushed. Do not over blend, it can melt the ice.
• Spoon out the mixture into the glasses and lock them inside using a spoon.
• Garnish with lemon wedges / slices topped with lemon zest and serve chilled.

The hint of ginger and lemon made my day and I am sure it will do the same for you as well. Just try it out if you are trying to struggle with the hot summers, it will be worth. One more thing, don’t be in a hurry when trying, enjoy it slowly with the slow melting ice 😀 :D. Do prepare and let me know… XOXO!!

JALJEERA RECIPE

JALJEERA is a  common Indian beverage which means cumin water wherein JAL stands for  WATER and JEERA stands for CUMIN but wait, I know what are you thinking 🙂 , this is not just plain cumin water, it is a very interesting recipe and I bet once you try it , you wont stop at once. This beverage is mostly available and made during summers because this is another refreshing summer cooler. Jaljeera is also served as an appetizer because its taste helps to startle the taste buds. Also many people have it after meals to get benefit of digestion from it. Basically, this beverage is a blend of Indian herbs and spices and has proved to be an ideal refreshing drink during summers since ages.

JALJEERA RECIPE

Prep time – 8 to 10 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 4 to 5

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Mint leaves – 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup

Lemon – 2

Boondi – 1/4 cup

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Asafoetida (heeng) – a pinch

Black pepper – 3/4 tsp

Cumin seeds (roasted) – 2 tsp

Sugar – 2tbsp / as required

Black salt – 1 tsp

Table salt – 1/2 tsp

Dry mango powder (aamchur powder)  – 1 tsp

Chat masala – 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp.- 1/2 tsp or more

Cold water – 4 cups

Ice cubes / crushed ice – as required

METHOD:

• In a food processor add mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, asafoetida, black pepper, cumin seeds, sugar, black salt, table salt, dry mango powder, chat masala, tamarind pulp, 1 cup of water (initially) and blend it to a paste.
• Now add lemon juice of 2 lemons, remaining 3 cups of cold water and ice cubes / crushed ice, blend it again.
• Refrigerate the prepared beverage and let the flavors intensify into it.
• At this stage pass it through a sieve, collect the remaining liquid and chill it again.
• Serve chilled with boondi on top.

There are different variations of this recipe and this is one of them. In many places the drink is not strained out but that is completely optional. I do it but I let the flavors intensify by letting it sit for sometime. For my friends who do not know what boondi is, it is small, round crisp fried gram flour which is easily available in Indian and Asian markets. So prepare the recipe and keep cool in the hot summers. Mention your thoughts below.

Cya… XOXO!!! 🙂

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WATERMELON COOLER

Its summer and how can I forget about watermelon, so today I am going to share the recipe of a watermelon cooler which my mother often prepares. This is definitely a much needed beverage for the season as watermelon has high water content in it and also contributes to many health benefits. This is a seasonal fruit so I try making it very often during summers.

WATERMELON COOLER RECIPE

Prep time – 8 to 10 mins

Cook time – Nil

Serves – 3 to 4

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Watermelon – 4 cups (cut into cubes)

Chilled water – 1/2 cup

Lemon juice – 3 to 4 tbsp (I used juice of 2 small lemons which was nearly 4 tbsp)

Sugar – 1 tbsp (if needed)

Mint leaves – 6 to 8

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Black pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Chat masala – 1/2 tsp

Aamchur powder/ dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp

TO GARNISH:

Lemon wedges – 4 to 5 (to garnish)

Mint leaves – 3-4 (to garnish)

Ice cubes – to serve

METHOD:

• Blend in all the ingredients together except the garnish items in a food processor.
• Then strain out the mixture, collect the remaining liquid and let it chill in the refrigerator.
• Before serving give it a good stir and pour out in glasses.
• Now, garnish with lemon slices/wedges and mint leaves.
• Serve chilled, if you wish you can serve on the rocks using ice-cubes.

Please try this at home and I am sure you will love it. The combination of sweet, salty and tangy refreshes me whenever I have it on a hot sunny day. Do mention in your comments if you like it.

COLD COFFEE

ICED COFFEE, commonly known as COLD COFFEE in India is a chilled, sweetened, coffee flavored beverage that originated in the country Algeria. This beverage is served in variations in different countries. I am going to share the recipe with all my readers in the way that I prepare Cold Coffee. You can prepare it simply by blending all the ingredients together, but I do not prefer this way because coffee tastes best when it is brewed, also sugar does not easily dissolve in cold liquids. So I choose to prepare a coffee mixture beforehand and leave it to cool. Many people prefer adding ice-cream in cold coffee but I like to fresh cream/whipping cream instead. Even if I’m falling short of whipping cream to garnish, I add fresh cream. If you have a foamer at home, even better.

People in India mostly use instant coffee to make cold coffee and add vanilla ice-cream to get a thicker consistency which is more like LATTE. Cold coffee is drank mostly in the coffee shops like CCD and BARISTA  here in India. Atleast I always order one when I’m in any of these two places. These days even small joints here have started selling cold coffee. Cold coffee is a beverage which should be enjoyed while having, it definitely works like a stress reliever for me. The smell of coffee acts like a eye opener, you cannot sleep after having it. Though I’m not a fan of a hot espresso coffee, but cold coffee goes really well for me. This recipe is really easy and I highly recommend you all to give it  a shot.

COLD COFFEE RECIPE

Prep time – 3 mins

Cook time – 3 to 4 mins

Serves – 3

Category – Beverage

INGREDIENTS:

Chilled Milk – 2 cups/ 1/2 litre

Water  – 1/2 cup

Coffee powder – 3 tsp

Sugar – 3 to 4 tbsp/ as required

whipped cream – 1/2 cup

Cocoa powder – 1/2 tsp (to garnish)

Chocolate syrup ( I used HERSHEY’S) – as required

 Ice cubes – 1/2 cup

Colored sprinkles – to garnish (optional)

Ice-cream – 3 scoops, any flavor(optional) [I did not use]

METHOD:

• First of all, take the serving glasses and decorate the side of the glasses in a circular motion using chocolate syrup, let them sit in the refrigerator until the cold coffee is fully done.
• Next, bring water to boil, add coffee powder, sugar and continue boiling till everything dissolves. Set aside to cool.
• Now, blend in the coffee mixture and milk together.
• Put in the ice-cubes and blend again.
• Pour out in glasses kept in the refrigerator.
• Thrown in an ice- cream scoop of any flavor if you like (this step is totally optional).
• Using a piping bag pipe swirls on top of the glasses.
• Garnish with cocoa powder, colored sprinkles and serve chilled.

VOILA!!!! so here goes my cold coffee recipe…. YUMMM!!! Do prepare if you like it. This is another summer cooler which is really easy to make and lets you feel alive after a tiring day. It is also an interesting beverage to serve for your home parties, children can go GAGA over this if decorated attractively. So, prepare it, enjoy it and share it. SHARING IS CARING…. Bye.. XOXO!!!!