Black Forest cake

Ingredients -

Cake mix - 1 packet
Oil           - 1/3 cup
Egg          -1
Egg - whites - 2
Cherry rum  - 1/4 cup
Sugar          -  1 Tbsp

For Frosting

Egg whites -  3
Water        -  1/2 cup
Sugar        - 3Tbsp
Cream of tartar - 1/4  tsp
Vanilla essence  - 3-4 drops

For Decoration

Canned cherries and  chocolate chips

Recipe -
1   .Beat the egg, egg whites. Mix the oil , and cake mix well . Bake 2 cakes at 350 F for 30 minutes.
(     Instructions are given on the packet. )
2. Cook the cream of tartar, water and sugar in a pan and then cool it for 5 mins . Then in another bowl  take egg whites,  a few drops of vanilla essence and mixture in the pan  and  then whip the mixture with hand blender till it reaches the frosting consistency.
( Cream of tartar helps to make the frosting airy and fluffy. )
3.  Mix the rum and sugar . ( one can replace the sugar with sweetener )
4.  Cut the cake into heart shape or any desired shape . Then slowly sprinkle ( rum + sugar) mixture on it.
5.  Place the cake and spread some frosting over it and then place other cake over it. then again spread the frosting. ( One can use chocolate sauce ) on the second layer.
6.  Decorate the cake with  cherries and chocolate chips.

I  have used  2 egg whites per whole egg to bake the cakes which saves extra calories and cholesterol  from the whole eggs. Instead of using heavy whipping cream , I have prepared frosting made from egg whites which is low fat , no cholesterol and high protein.

Shrikhand

Tuesday was an auspicious day of Gudi -Padwa / Ugadi. Its considered the beginning of the new year for people from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Happy Gudi - padwa  and Ugadi to all of you !!!
The above image is my last year's Gudi padwa menu.White- peas usal, dal ( varan ) , rice, Batatyachi bhaji , puri, papad and homemade shrikhand  was the menu. This year I didn't make any sweets on that day as few months back I lost my granny.

Shrikhand

Ingredients

Yogurt -   1 container
Sugar   -  1/2 cup 
Saffron - few threads
Nutmeg powder - 1/8 tsp
Roasted nuts -  1 Tbsp

Recipe -
1. Put curd in a soft cloth and tie it. Then put a sieve on a bowl and put the curd on the sieve. Keep it overnight so that extra water in the curd will drain off.
2. Add all the above ingredients except nuts and mix it well.
3. Set the shrikhand  in a bowl and refrigerate it.
4. Garnish it with roasted nuts.