DIY Alien Costume - Easy peesy !

My daughter's school had An Alien Day 3rd week of October. All kids of Year 1 were supposed to come into school dressed up as Aliens. We knew it from before hand, so I had started looking up pinterest and google for inspiration.

Honestly I got a lot inspirations online, but trust me, either they were too creative for me or out of budget. I didn't want to spend more than 5$ on this costume, because it would be useless after this day.

I tried coming up with a few ideas by using some items that I had lying at home - guess what ... it was an epic fail ! I sent the picture to my friends, and they were super kind to me, they suggested, I could remove the box and add something black, and remove the glitter and add something green etc etc. In a nutshell, they didn't call it bad, but gave me wonderful ideas on how I could have improved it.

An idea struck me ! I checked the pantry and found a big green garbage bag (we had bought it from IKEA) and this is what I came up with.

Items I used for the dress

- Green Garbage Bag

- Her black old Abaya

- Silver duct tape

- Scotch Tape

I cut slight opening for the sleeves and neck and made her wear the bag. I ensured to also cut out some plastic from the bag so air could pass and she doesn't feel hot.

For the mask I used

- Black paper

- Silver sticker sheet

- Egg shaped Styrofoam

- Plastic Eyes

- Elastic

I drew the mask on a piece of paper and cut out the template. Attached the silver sheet on the black paper and cut out eyes. Used a waterproof eyeliner to make the outline of eyes and eye lashes. Attached the Styrofoam eggs to wires and pasted eyes on the eggs. Stuck the wires to the back of the mask and pasted the elastic so she could wear it easily ! oh and I used foil to cover her hair!

I only spent money to buy the supply for the alien mask.

My daughter thought she looked like "Princess Alien", hence the royal smile ;)

Hope you found this helpful

Hajj Recap - Power Guide - Part 2

Following up on my previous post Hajj Recap - Power Guide - Part 1, in this post I will jot down my remaining Hajj experience.

Arafat - 9th Zilhajj - THE DAY OF ARAFAH

We woke up for Fajr, took a bath, since we were still in Ihram, I had to make sure no hair breakage, hence my hair were tied in a bun while taking a quick shower to feel fresh and clean before the BIG day.
Since our tent was close to Jamarat and the train station, our group left on foot towards the train station. We carried small backpacks with us which had a small pocket Quran, book with all the duas, a small diary which had everyone's duas written in it, Some energy boosting snacks, a counter, a tasbeeh, our documents. The train station was over crowded - lots n lots of people. Keep some energy boosting things for you and lots of water so you can stand in those lines without fainting.
Once in the train, pls keep in mind, it will be very congested, best is to be with your friends/spouse. Keep reciting Talbiyah on top of your voices. It is the BEST feeling in the whole world I think.

When we were kids and used to watch Hajj on tv, we would keep reciting the talbiyah with them and felt a part of the group. Similarly, when in REAL life, I was reciting Talbiyah with the entire Hujj group, I had tears of joy, tears of satisfaction, running down my eyes.

We reached Arafat and were taken to our tent there. We prayed Zuhr and Asar there, and after Khutbah e Hajj, everyone went outside the tents to sit under the sun, in the open ground ! This is Day of Arafah, this is Hajj. You sit there on the ground, with your hands extended in front of Allah and you pray. I had a book with me which had a wonderful comprehensive dua for day of Arafah, I read it and cried. While I was going through that book, I came across a saying from hadees,

There is not a single day that the sun has come up on more beloved to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) than the Day of Arafat. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "There is no day on which Allah frees more of His slaves from Fire than the Day of Arafat, and He verily draws near, then boasts of them before the angles, saying: 'What do they seek?'" (Sahih Muslim). And in another hadith: "Verily Allah boasts of the people of Arafat before the people of Heaven (angels) saying: 'Look to my servants who have come to Me disheveled and dusty.'"
Abdullah ibn Al-Mubaarak narrates: I went to Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah as the day of Arafat was setting. He sat on his knees, his hands raised to the Heavens, and tears moistened his cheeks and beard. He turned and looked at me, so I asked him, "Amongst the people who have gathered here for Hajj, who is in the worst state?" Sufyaan ibn al-Uyaynah said, "He who thinks that Allah will not forgive him." 

Hence this is the day to ask for forgiveness, ask for whatever you want. Remember your friends, family, countrymen, enemies, distant relatives, acquaintance on this day. Remember Me in your prayers.

From Arafah we were supposed to leave for Muzdalfa around Maghrib time, but since the train station were super crowded and the train system had some issues, our departure from Muzdalfa was delayed. We left for Muzdalfa via train around 1:30am due to train issue.

Muzdalfa - 9th/10th Zilhajj
We were taken to our tent in Muzdalfa by our hajj group volunteers. On our way, we saw all the Hajis, sleeping peacefully under open sky on the roads of Muzdalfa. Trust me, you will have a very peaceful nap here, under an open sky full of stars.

At Muzdalifah, pilgrims collect pebbles (49, because seven are thrown at each of the three pillars each day) which will be thrown in the Stoning of the Devil ritual in Mina during the next 3 days. Pilgrims then spend the night at Muzdalfa, often sleeping in the open air, before leaving for Mina the next morning after Fajr.

Since during our time, the train system was a mess, a group of people from our tent decided to walk to Mina. So we walked 7-8kms to reach our tents in Mina. It took us around 1hr30mins. By the time we crossed Muzdalfa and entered Mina, it was right after Fajr prayer. Our group of friends decided to directly go to Jamarat and do the Rami (Stoning of devil) before the rush starts.

This was the best decision because there weren't many people in Jamarat at that time.

A night before the day of Arafah, we had a lady in our camp who gave us a small lecture on what exactly "Stoning of Shaitaan"is all about. One thing which hit my heart was her words

"During those two or three days after the Eid that one is in Mina, one must stone the three jamarāt, meaning that one must trample upon his internal despot (an-nafs al-'amāra), the external despot of the Shaitan from the Jinn (Iblīs and those like him), and the Shaitan from among the Humans (the enemies of religion and of humanity).

"The stoning of the three jamarāt is, in essence, the trampling upon the despots and waging war against all of them. When one focuses on them and the hatred for them, then one automatically focuses with complete attention upon one's self – and rightfully so – while stoning the jamarāt, one must focus entirely upon one's self.

"You are not stoning the pillars, you are throwing all your worldly desires outside, all your fears, all incorrect thoughts, all of backbiting, all of shirk thoughts, everything that you know is not right, You are throwing that out - "In your face, Shaitaan ! I'm stronger than what you think, I'm here to tell you, you cant win us".

Trust me, when I thought of this while stoning the Shaitaan, I was throwing the stones with all my might, with all the hatred towards those pillars reciting "Allah o Akbar, Allah o Akbar"! I was about to be pure like a new born baby, my sins will be washed away today. Think about this and then stone the Shaitaan. On this day you just stone the Biggest Jamarah with seven pebbles.

My husband and I, left towards Haram right after stoning the Shaitaan. We were tired but this was yet again one of the good decisions my husband had taken. Since most of the people were on the way to Jamarat, there was no rush in Haram. We easily found a taxi outside Bin Dawood that took us to Haram. The locals were offering Eid Namaz, while my husband and I along with a handful of people quickly did our Tawaf - e- Ifadah, on the ground floor, right in front of Kaaba.

The moment we got done from Tawaf e Ifadah we left for Mina, we found a taxi, which dropped us till the bus stop and we took the SAPTCO bus, that was luckily empty at that time. The bus dropped us under the Mina tunnel and we walked back to our tent, which was closeby.

Alhumdulillah, we completed our Hajj at this point. We had paid for the qurbani already and had the token which stated the qurbani will happen after Eid Salah. My husband got his head shaved, I trimmed my hair, took a bath and got ready for Eid day !

Our Hajj was done! The rest of the people from our group left for Tawaf I Ifadah after Zuhr and they had a tough time looking for taxis, the ones they found charged them 400-500sr, on the way back also, SAPTCO buses were full and taxis weren't allowed in the Mina area. But still they managed to perform Tawaf I Ifadah and got done with their Hajj too - Alhumdulillah.

Carry some makeup with you and new Eid Clothes, in your Mina camp, with your female friends, do celebrate Eid

Jamarat  - Stoning of Devil - 11th-12th Zilhajj

The next 2 days, we went back to Jamarat to stone the Shaitaan. We used to leave around 11am and back to our tents in half an hour.

Most of the Hujjajs from Mina left for Tawaf I Widah on 12th night. Our group stayed an additional day in Mina and we left for tawaf I widah night of 13th Zilhujj, all of us did our tawaf in a group and returned back to our buses to leave for the airport.

This completed our Hajj journey with Alfaris and returned back with new resolutions, forgiven by Allah SWT to our homes.

This is all from my end, if you feel I have missed out anything and should have covered that, please let me know and I will be glad to add it to this article.

Remember all Muslims in your duas, Pakistan and my family and myself in your duas

May Allah make this Hajj Mabroor for you ! Ameen

Hajj Recap - Power Guide - part 1

Dear Friends,

Hujj is very close to my heart, this is one pillar of Islam, which requires lots n lots of patience, willpower. For some, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, for years they plan for this journey and hence everyone wants to make the most out of this opportunity !

We did Hujj in 2012 from Riyadh and it indeed was a memorable journey, every year I try my best to help out the groups leaving for Hujj by sharing our wonderful Hujj experience, so they can get an idea about Hujj, what to expect and what not to do.

Since now hujj is 30 days away, I thought I will quickly recap the 7 days of Hujj journey.

Before Departure:

We had registered with Alfaris group from Riyadh, after getting the Hujj vaccination and our Tasreeh (Hujj permit) on 3rd zilhujj (4days before departure), the group gave us a small handbag labelled with the group name, it carried a small counter, a tasbeeh and our name tags with Hujj tent and accommodation details. We had decided to travel light becase it was just 7 days and in Mina the tents are small, so we had to take that into consideration. So instead of taking hand-carries, we took the 2 small handbags that Alfaris gave us and one backpack for Arafat and Muzdalfa.

What we Packed:
Hajj List - What to carry for 2 people (7 day trip)

Departure from Riyadh to Jeddah - 7th Zilhujj:

Our group, AlFaris, departed from Riyadh on 7th Zilhujj for our first leg of the hujj journey. The entire group was taken by Saudi Airlines to Jeddah. Since we just hand handbags so we all took the luggage in the plane. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION, because the baggage waiting at Jddah airport is KILLER. When we landed, we all had our bags with us so it was easier for us to gather at the meeting point and into our buses, ready for departure. However, a couple of people in our group, had bigger bags and they had checked it in, hence we had to wait for another 1.5hours for them to come out with their luggage. Later, they also regretted checking in their baggage because the carousel was a mess with so many local flights coming in at the same time.

So I will advise you all to travel LIGHT. Carry handbags that can be taken in the plane and not supposed to be checked-in.

The bus took us to Haram for Umrah (Must before Hujj). We all performed Umrah and came back to our bus stop and left for Mina. Here, I will like to mention, as you know there are 3 kinds of Hujj. We did Hujj Qiran, stayed in Ihram from 7th till 10th zilhujj.

Hajj-e-Qiran:  Literally Qiran means to combine two things. A pilgrim who performs this kind of Hajj combines Hajj and Umrah. After performing Umrah a Qarin (person who is performing Hajj-e-Qiran) will perform Hajj with that same Ihraam. (Ref: http://www.dalil-alhaj.com/en/qa.htm)

The Logical Plan for the Pilgrim performing Qiran Hajj

Before the 8th of Dhul Hijjah

Ihram from Miqat intending ‘Umrah and Hajj together and saying Talbiyah

Before the 8th of Dhul Hijjah

Tawaf of ‘Umrah Two rak‘as of Tawaf Al Multazam – Zamzam Sa‘y of ‘Umrah (Do neeyah for sa,y Hujj also, because of same Ihram)

Before the 8th of Dhul Hijjah

To stay in the state of Ihram in Makkah until the eighth of Dhul Hijja

8th of Dhul Hijjah

The pilgrim goes to Mina after Fajr prayer where he prays (Zuhr - Asr - Maghrib - Isha and Fajr of the 9th day)

9th of Dhul Hijjah

The pilgrim goes to Arafat after performing Fajr prayer Arrival in Arafat Combining in advance Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers at the time of Zuhr To say as many supplications and invocations till sunset He goes from Arafat to Muzdalifah after sunset (Ifadah) Combining Maghrib and Isha prayers in Muzdalifah by postponement at the time of Isha

10th of Dhul Hijjah

Heading to Mina after Fajr prayer and before sunrise Throwing of Jamrat Al-Aqaba Slaying of al-Hady (Sacrificial animal) Shaving hair or shortening Tawaf Al-Ifadah Sa‘y (if he didn’t perform it after Tawaf Al-Qudum) Retuning to Mina and spending the night there

From the 11th till the 13th of Dhul Hijjah

Throwing pebbles at the three Jamarat (Al-Soughra, Al-Wusta, Al-Kubra)

Returning to Makkah for The Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf Al-Wida) - End of pilgrimage

Hajj-e-Tamattu: Tamattu literally means to enjoy or take advantage of a facility. A pilgrim who performs Hajj-e-Tamattu combines both Umrah and Hajj. The difference between Hajj-e-Qiran and Hajj-e-Tamattu is that after performing Umrah the Mutamatti (person who performs Hajj-e-Tamattu) relinquishes his/her Ihraam and on the 8^th of Dhul Hijjah he/she resumes that Ihraam.


Hajj-e- Ifrad: The person who performs Hajj-e-Ifrad is called a Mufrid. Before passing through Miqaat (the place for assuming Ihraam) one will enter in the state of Ihraam and with the Niyyah of performing Hajj alone. A Mufrid does not combine Umrah with their Hajj. Hajj-e-Ifrad is the only kind of Hajj allowed for the residents of Makkah and the Hills (those who reside between Miqaat and the precincts of Haraam) for example Jeddah.

After Tawaf e Qudoom (First Umrah) we left for Mina around 5pm KSA time.

Mina - 8th ZilHujj:
The Hajji, has to stay in Mina for a day and pray Fajr (if arrived before Ishraaq), Zuhr, Asar, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr of next day before departure to Arafat. Our tent was in Maktab 1, very close to Jamarat. We entered in our tents, very pumped up but tired. Our rooms had bunk beds, which made the room less congested and more comfortable for us.

Our tent in Mina

Since we travelled LIGHT, it was easier for us to put our bags on ours beds because the rooms aren't big to accommodate huge bags.

In Mina, pray as much as you can. Read all the duas, best is to carry a pocket Quran Pak, which you can easily recite whenever you want.

9th Zilhujj - The day of Arafah and rest of Hujj steps, Ill recap in the next post. Next Post Uploaded

Hajj List - What to carry for 2 people

Dear Readers/Friends,
Since the Hajj season is close and the bookings from KSA will start in a week's time. Its an exciting journey and once in a lifetime opportunity for many. We did Hujj in 2012 with Alfaris Group (from Riyadh), and Alhumdulillah it was one of the most beautiful journey of our lifetime. We had the best time when in Mina, Arafat, Muzalfah and Haram. My daughter was 18 months old at that time and I had dropped her in Karachi, one week before our Hujj flight. ...She had a great time with her loving family back home. While I was away for Hujj, I did not contact her, skyped or facetime or anything. we were there for Ibadat and she was in safe hands - so no worries !!

Over years, I have tried my level best to help out other people who plan to go on this spiritual journey. I will try to jot down my experience over time here but I really wanted to share this list, which was compiled by my friend Nida Nauman and she shared with us before we departed for Hujj. Since we were going from Riyadh and for 7 days, this list was super helpful and we carried less luggage which was easier to keep in the room (Mina tent) and carry around (if needed)

Hajj List (2 persons)
1 - Ihram - 2 sets with belt
2 - Pocket size Quran -1 each
3 - Prayer Rugs - 1 each
4 - Tasbeeh - 1 each
5 - Tashrih, Hajj Permit, Iqama, PP copy, Medical Insurance each
6 - Ladies Shalwar Suits 4 sets (or whatever you are comfortable in)
7 - Mens clothing after ihram 2 sets
8 - Sweater or jacket - 1 each (We went end of Oct'2012, it was slightly chilly in Muzalfa so shawls helped)
9 - Bed Sheet 2 (We didn't carry this, because our group provided everything but you can keep a small one just in case)
10 - Slippers - 2 each
11 - Shoes + Socks for ladies
12 - Miswak/ Toothpaste/Toothbrush 1 each
13 - Handwash/Moisturiser/Wipes/Vaseline - Fragrance Free - 1 each (We got these easily from Boots/major pharmacies)
14 - Shampoo (after you are done with Ihram restrictions)
15 - Cell phone/charger with credit 1 each (We carried a Nokia old style phone and trust me when I say, everyday women in our tents were running here n there to get hold of a charging socket, we the Nokia holders spent 4 days without charging the phone)
16 - Medicines :Throat Infection,fever, flu, Stomach upset, Vomiting, Pain, Band Aids etc
17 - Towel 1 each
18 - Back Pack 1
19 - Cross bag 1
20 - Hand carry 2 each - separate for both
21 - Travel Umbrella 1
22 - Scissors
23 - Nail Cutter
24 - Cookies, Nuts and candies Separate for both
25 - Important Tel Nos.
26 - Polythene bags small & big each
27 - Duppattas/ Shawl to cover at Mina
28 - 2 Abayas
29- Comb + bands
30 - Tissues
31 - Hajj Books / Dua Books 1 each
32 - Scarf + caps 2 each
33 - Undergarments
34 - Sun glasses 1 each
35 - Disposable toilet seat covers - we got these from the pharmacy
36 - Masks (to cover face to protect from infections)
Hope this helps whoever is planning Hujj this year.
This list is for a 7 day trip for 2 people !

Moist Chocolate Cake

I LOVE CHOCOLATES... do I need to repeat?  Ages ago, this recipe of chocolate cake was introduced in our family by one of our relatives, who has always been fond of baking. We used to call this  cake as Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, and we had shortened it to DDC. The recipe called for less time hence it was a must at every picnic or party.

Fast forward a few years, we got access to Hershey's Cocoa Powder and booom .... found the same recipe at the back of the pack. So then we figured out that this was the famous chocolate cake recipe from Hershey's. I always make this cake whenever I want to eat a super moist chocolate cake. My relationship with this cake (recipe) is going strong from last 18 years.

The yummiest chocolate cake - with perfect chocolate frosting

The recipe is pretty simple and this cake is also famously known as "One-Bowl Cake". Becaure you can easily put everything in one bowl and just mix it with a spoon or whisk. you can make this one even without a beater :) Simple isn't it ?!

Without further talking, I shall share the recipe below

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (in Urdu, we call it Maida)

3/4 cup  Cocoa (I love Hershey's cocoa. but in most countries, either its not available or if available, its slightly towards the expensive side. You can use any good cocoa powder)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 cup boiling water

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350°F/180C. Grease and flour 9-inch round baking pans or two 9" round pans. (I prefer two pans of same size, because it gives more room to the cake batter to rise hence making it more moist and gives the cake a better height)  

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (or if you don't have a beater, just mix it together with a spoon). Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Makes 12 servings. 

VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

   

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick or 100gms) butter

2/3 cup Cocoa

3 cups icing sugar (first put 2 and taste, adjust as per your liking. Please use ICING Sugar, not home grinded sugar)

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

You can use this cake for fondant cakes also. Bake the cake, do the icing and then cover it with home made fondant. Recipe below:

I did this for a friend's birthday

Marshmallow Fondant:

1 package (16 ounces) white mini marshmallows ((use a good quality brand))

2-5 tablespoons water

2 pounds (about 8 cups) sifted confectioners' (icing) sugar

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

Step 1

To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 30 seconds more; stir again. Continue until melted (about 2 1/2 minutes). OR Alternatively if u don't have microwave, you can do it on a double boiler and melt it in a heat proof bowl over the pan of simmering water.

Step 2

Place 3/4 of the confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture. Flavoring can be added at this point if desired. Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter GENEROUSLY; turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Start kneading like you would dough. Continue kneading, adding additional confectioners' sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time) kneading until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes.

Step 2 (Alternate). If you have a stand mixer, generously grease the bowl and dough hook with shortening and transfer your melted marshmallow in the bowl, add 3/4 of the icing sugar on the marshmallow and mix well. Also you can add CORNFLOUR in case you find it too sweet for your taste, cornflour works well to give it a good texture.

Step 3

It's best to allow Marshmallow Fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will keep well in refrigerator for several weeks.

Step 4

When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick. and cover the cake with fondant, Decorate as per your choice.

Step 5

To color fondant: If you need to tint the entire batch of fondant, add a little icing color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding confectioners' sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add icing color to portions of fondant as needed.

I hope you like the recipe. Do try it out and let me know.

You can follow me on Facebook as well. Mayhem in the House

Chocobons at home !! Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Who doesn't like having yummmmy Cinnamon rolls at home? Well, since I'm a chocoholic so I definitely love having the chocolate cinnamon roll or Chocobon at home whenever I feel like. This recipe is very close to the Chocobons available at Cinnabon.

The delicious Chocobons

The recipe is quite simple and if its followed exactly, you wont be disappointed !

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls – Chocobon

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter/margarine
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 -4 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
50gm cooking chocolate
1/3 cup butter, softened

ICING:
1 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup cream cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract(optional)
2-3 tablespoons milk

Method:

• Warm the milk in until it just starts to boil, then remove from heat. Mix in the butter; stir until melted. 
• Add water and wait for the mixture to reach room temperature.
• In a large bowl, mix the milk mixture, yeast, white sugar, salt and eggs till sugar dissolves.
• Add flour (save 1cup for kneading) very slowly and stir well to combine.
• Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has been mixed together, take it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Keep sprinkling the remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic. (You can use a dough Kneading machine as well)
• Cover with a greased plastic film and leave for half an hour.

• Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, cocoa powder, melter cooking chocolate and cinnamon together and add butter in it (i had granulated brown sugar so I had grinded it a bit).
• Now, take your dough, generously sprinkle flour on your work surface and using a roller pin gently roll it into a rectangle of around 12X9 inches.
• Spread a layer of the cinnamon mixture leaving the 1/1inches at the top and bottom to seal.
• Next, roll the sheet gently and keep tucking the sides to get a uniform cylinder. Seal with a little milk. Using a sharp knife cut your rolls into 12-14pieces of around 2 inches thick, which will depend on your cylinder size.
• Place them widely spaced in a greased pan (preferably a rectangular pan) and cover with plastic film and leave it to rise till size doubles.
• Preheat oven to around 180 degrees and bring down to 160C. Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes have been passed keep a check by poking a toothpick in the center and turned golden. 
• While its baking, make frosting; beat icing sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add milk gradually until frosting reaches a good creamy consistency.
• Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

Yummy rolls are ready to eat!!! Do try this out and let me know

Follow me on facebook also : Mayhem In The House

Boston Creme Donuts - Home-made !!

Just last week I came across a recipe of Boston Crème Donuts, and thought to myself "why not give this a try" .. so I checked my kitchen for all the ingredients and the moment I figured out I had all the items, I was all set to make it!

This recipe is adapted from Laura Vitale's laurainthekitchen webpage. I just did a teeny meeny change in the custard filling and it tasted delicious ! Although these donuts are easily available at Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts but you aren't always in the mood to drive to these outlets...so my family was delighted to see home made donuts and that too Boston crème ones.

Even I couldn't believe this will turn out so well..

This recipe made around 12 donuts.

INGREDIENTS:

For the donuts:
2 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour, plus a bit more if the dough is sticky (APF is Maida)
1 (7gr) Envelope of Yeast (which is equivalent to 2 1/4tsp)
3 Tbsp of Granulated Sugar
3/4 cups of Whole Milk, warmed
2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp of Shortening, melted (if you don't have shortening, replace this with butter also)
1 Egg
1/2 tsp of Salt

For the Custard:
1 cup of Whole Milk
2 1/2 Tbsp of All Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp of Granulated Sugar (original recipe asked for 2 tbsp. but for me it was slightly less
sweet)
1 Egg Yolk
1 1/2 - 2 tsp of Vanilla Essence
Small Pinch of Salt

For the Topping: 4 ounces of Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup of Heavy Cream



METHOD:
1) In a small bowl, add the warm milk and sprinkle over 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof for about 5 minutes or until it starts to foam. If you are using instant yeast, you can directly add along with milk in the flour mixture.
2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the sugar, eggs, salt, melted butter and shortening, mix either by hand or with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and incorporate it in.
3) Add the flour, mix on low until the flour is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and mix the dough for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the dough is nice and smooth.
4) Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm to double in size (this can take about 1 to 2 hours). Meanwhile, make the custard. I usually put it in my oven with the inside bulb on (don't heat it and don't put the flame on)

For Custard:
5) Add all your custard ingredients in a large saucepan and with the heat turned off, whisk them all together to combine.
6) Place your custard over medium heat and cook it, stirring the whole time until the custard thickens. To check the readiness of custard, it should cover the back of your spoon.  Strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl, cover the custard with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic wrap is touching the custard) and pop it in the fridge.

Back to donuts:
7) Once the dough has risen, proceed with the donuts.
8) Dump the dough onto a floured surface, punch it down, roll it out to a 1/2 inch thickness.
9) Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle some flour on each one.
10) Using a 3.5” biscuit cutter, cut out your donuts, place them on your baking sheets, placing them a couple inches apart, cover them with a slightly damp towel and let them rise in a warm place for about half an hour or until doubled again.
11) Add enough oil to a wok/karhai so it comes half way up the sides of the pot, allow it to come up to 350 degrees/ or hot enough when u put your wooden spoon handle u see bubbles around it
12) Once the donuts have risen, gently lower them into the hot oil and fry them for about 3 minutes on each side or until puffed and golden brown. Take them out of the hot oil and place them on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain the excess oil.
13) While the donuts cool a bit, make the ganache.

Ganache:
14) Heat the cream in a small pan over medium heat until just below boiling point.
15) Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute, whisk it all together until the chocolate is fully melted.


Assembly:
16) To assemble, using a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip (about 1/4 inch round tip) squeeze about 1 Tbsp (or more) of the custard into each donut. Simply choose and make a small opening on one side and stick the piping tip about halfway in and squeeze out the cream.
17) Swirl the top of the donut in the ganache and allow them to sit and rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Super delicious home made boston crème donuts are ready to be eaten !!

Enjoy the treat and do let me know if you try these out.

I am also reachable at:

www.facebook.com/mayheminthehouse :)

This Triple Layered Chocolate Mousse cake is to die for ....

This is one of my favorite cake recipes. I always wanted to try out an amazing Mousse cake without any disasters and this recipe was just perfect. I make this cake for my husband's birthday every year, just because he loves it, although he isn't much of a dessert fan.

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's page, however the original recipe was individual mousse servings, while I changed it into a cake. Also in her original recipe, in the milk chocolate mousse layer she didn't add gelatin, but when I tried without gelatin, it didn't hold its shape and looked more like a ganache. So I had to adjust the recipe to add gelatin in only the milk chocolate mousse layer. Dark chocolate mousse layer will hold its shape without gelatin , because of high cocoa content.

A closer look .... yummmm !!! This recipe is slightly time consuming but its worth every single minute.

Triple layered chocolate Mousse Cake (Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart with changes.)

Serves: 10-12 people

Making time: 2hrs
Setting time: 5hrs- overnight

Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate Cake:

Unsalted butter, softened, to grease
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
2/3 cup (83 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup (39gm) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder or normal cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup(150 g ) caster (superfine granules) sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup/4 tablespoons(59ml) whole milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup/4 tablespoons(59ml) water

Method for Dark Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat oven to 180° C (350°). Line a 9” spring form pan with non-stick baking paper. Using a small pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of the pan with unsalted butter; dust liberally with unsweetened cocoa powder, set-aside.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of electric stand mixer or a standard mixer bowl. Add the sugar; whisk together to well combine.
• Add the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and water; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 3 minutes.
• Pour the batter in the pan and bake until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse:
1 2/3 cups (395ml) whipping cream
4 egg yolks, room temperature
¼ cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey
2 tbsp water
198 g (7 ounces) good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoons vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

Method for Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Layer

• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 395 ml (1 2/3 cups) heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3½-5 minutes.
• Transfer to an airtight container; refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Place 4 egg yolks into the clean bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until pale and frothy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn syrup/honey and 2 tablespoons water to a rolling boil.  Cook until clear, large bubbles form, about 1 minute.
• Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Carefully and gradually pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer; add the melted bittersweet chocolate, 1-teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Using a large flexible rubber spatula, stir to well combine.
• Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and place into a large-sized bowl. Add one-third of the bittersweet-chocolate mixture to the whipped cream; whisk until well combined. Add remaining bittersweet-chocolate mixture, whisking until well combined. 
• Pour the mousse carefully on the already cooled cake base. Place it in the refrigerator for atleast 20mins to 1 hour. Proceed to making the milk chocolate Mousse layer.

Milk Chocolate Mousse
1 2/3 cups (395ml) whipping cream
4 egg yolks, room temperature
¼ cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey
2 tbsp water
1 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon gelatin dissolved in 2 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
198 g (7 ounces) milk chocolate, melted

Method for milk Chocolate Mousse Layer

• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 395 ml (1 2/3 cups) heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3½ minutes.
• Transfer to an airtight container; refrigerate.
• Place 4 egg yolks into the clean bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until pale and frothy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn syrup/honey and 2 tablespoons water to a rolling boil.  Cook until clear, large bubbles form, about 1 minute.
• Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Carefully and gradually pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer; add the melted milk chocolate, 1-teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt and gelatin dissolved in water. Using a large flexible rubber spatula, stir to well combine.
• Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and place into a large-sized bowl. Add one-third of the milk chocolate mixture to the whipped cream; whisk until well combined. Add remaining milk chocolate mixture, whisking until well combined. 
• Take the cake out of the refrigerator and pour the milk chocolate mousse carefully on top, spread it evenly using an offset spatula or back of the spoon. 
• Place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to overnight (I recommend overnight).
• Once set, remove cake from refrigerator  and serve immediately 

Tips:
You can use any GOOD quality dark chocolate for bittersweet mousse. Ive used Hershey’s
bittersweet chocolate chips. Since the cocoa factor is high in bittersweet chocolate, the mousse
will set on its own without gelatin.

However for milk chocolate mousse (it has less cocoa factor), you will have to add gelatin so the
mousse can hold its shape, else it will not set properly. I use Hershey’s milk chocolate chips for
this.

Hope you like this recipe !! Do Share your feedback

The Ultimate Chocolate Brownies ... Gooey, fudgy and yummy!

There are two kinds of people in this world, one who like cakey brownies and other who like fudgy brownies... I fall in the latter kind. Before today, i had never baked brownies, because honestly I can't stand cake like brownies or cake served in square shapes and called brownies. Brownie is brownie and cake is cake! 😂. Two totally different things ! Right?

I was always looking for the perfect Brownies recipe, but most of them felt like square shaped cakes, therefore, after a lot of reading up, comparing recipes, pinterest-ing, i finally decided to follow one recipe which i felt wouldn't go wrong.... And oh boy oh boy... Was i right or what !! I found exactly what I have been looking for since ages. Perfectly fudgy, gooey, cracked tops brownie... Martha Stewart, I love you !. It was sooooo delicious that I couldnt even take a picture of the full ready brownie out of the oven because I was too busy drooling over it and then eating from the pan. Took one pic from my daughter's plate when I served her.

Did I mention how fudgy and gooey this was .... loveeeeeee!!!

And you know the best thing? the recipe is so easy and it is ready in less than 60 mins !

Recipe:
1 stick (113gms) unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped. I used semisweet chocolate from Hershey's
1 1/2 cups sugar (if you are using semisweet chocolate you can use 1 cup of sugar only)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar.
Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Fold in flour until combined.
Pour batter into pan. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes.

Basic difference between a cakey and a fudgy brownie is quantity of flour and butter. if you want cakey, increase the flour and decrease the butter quantity and in fudgy brownies, butter is always more!!

Do try this out and let me know how did it go !!

KitKat & MnMs Chocolate "overdose" cake !

By now many may have guessed how much I love chocolates !! I can have them anytime of the day, in any form, may it be icecream, plain, cake, frozen dessert, in a biscuit etc etc. Has to be CHOCOLATE !

I was in Karachi past two weeks and my cousins were constantly after me to make some desserts for them and honestly, I love baking for them because they are the best and praise generously ! They fight over second helpings and that just made me super happy.

During my stay 12 day stay I made 3 desserts, a triple layered chocolate Mousse cake (will share the recipe in coming weeks), Chocolate Éclair Dessert (Recipe here) and KitKat MnM Chocolate Cake. All of them were super duper hit.

The cake inside is a basic chocolate MALT cake (Recipe here). You can use any chocolate cake recipe you are comfortable with.

After the cake has baked and cooled down. You need to do the frosting. This is my personal favorite Chocolate Frosting recipe which you can follow blindly. Beat well, frosting needs to be thick, not runny.

1/2 cup (1 stick or 100grams) butter (room temp)

2/3 cup Cocoa (I prefer Hershey's)

3 cups Icing sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Beat butter really well until it changes color to off white. Add in cocoa and icing sugar and beat well. Alternately keep adding milk, beating to spreading consistency. It shouldn't be runny. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Spread the frosting in between the cake and cover the whole cake with it. Now carefully press the KitKat bars against the sides of the cake. Cover the entire cake sides with KitKats and tie a ribbon around so it can hold the chocolate bars.

Generously put MnMs (or smarties or local bunties available) on top of the cake in the center. Cover the entire top. Refrigerate and ENJOYYYYYY

Chocolate Malt Cake = Nandos CopyCat

This is one cake that we used to order for every colleague's birthday  back when i was working !! Chocolate Cake from Nandos. I tried a lot of recipes trying to replicate the cake. I will not say i succeeded in doing it, but i can say that i did pretty well, veryy similar to the chocolate cake thats available at Nando's.

I found this recipe on a blog by buddingbaketress. However to achieve icing similar to nandos, i made a few changes.

And if you havent tried Nandos cake yet, dont worry, this one is equally good. You dont need to benchmark this against some other cake. Its great on its own. A very moist, soft and delicious cake.

The major ingredient in this cake is "Malt chocolate powder". Like, Milo, Ovaltine, Horlicks. The packaging will state "malted drink". Unfortunately you cannot use Nesquik, Cadbury drink etc, because they arent MALT. Please dont use Pediasure, Complan etc - lol

I had shared this recipe earlier in one of the very famous Karachi cooking groups on facebook and a lot of ladies tried this out, testifying how similar it is to Nandos or those never tried the nandos one termed it as an amazingly delicious cake! On my own facebook page, a very dear friend, Mehreen, tried this out and was quite delighted with the result

Please do try this out. It is super easy. No rocket science, trust me!

Sour cream is available in big stores in Pakistan, however if you cant find it, you can replace it with yogurt. Serves the same purpose. Or, you can take one cup cream add 1tbsp lemon juice and let it stand for 10-15 mins, sour cream is ready.



RECIPE:

Chocolate Cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup Chocolate horlicks Or Ovaltine Or Milo or any malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Chocolate Malt Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup thick cream OR tetra pack cream
1/2 cup malted milk powder
3 cups icing' sugar
4-5 tbsp cream cheese

Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

In the bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil, and eggs to flour mixture, beating at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla essence, beating just until combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

To make the frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. combine cream and malted milk powder, Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar(icing sugar) and cream cheese until smooth.

Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. This cake tastes great when slightly cooled. So do pop in the refrigerator after you have done the icing.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert - heart winning recipe !

Some 2 years back, I was getting super bored and hungry and out of my habit, of being on the phone constantly, I was browsing here n there. One dessert picture caught my eye and it looked super simple, atleast to me.

This Chocolate Éclair Dessert recipe was originally taught by Chef Rida Aftab in one of her shows. I tried it and believe me ... it was outstanding. super duper easy and a very different kind of a meetha. Kids and adults equally love this. This is my one dessert, which I can make for a grand party without any fear.

This dessert is basically, biscuits, pudding and chocolate ganache. That's it ... yup ... that's it. So what all will you need for this is:

A good quality MILK chocolate or a cooking chocolate (any that you can eat by itself). The options are unlimited. No nuts or caramel or wafer chocolate, just simple plain milk chocolate. it can be Dairy Milk, it can be Galaxy, Flakes, Hershey's chocolate bar, Unsweetened cooking chocolate, Milk Chocolate Chips, Semisweet chocolate chips ... ANY MILK CHOCOLATE. Simple...no?

Cream is the other ingredient which will help make ganache. For this recipe you can use any cream BUT not fresh cream (or facial creams - lol). I prefer tetra pack creams (they are also called thick cream)

Pudding sachet, Milk (to cook pudding), coffee and Tea biscuits are the other things that you will need to make this dessert.

First and foremost, you have to LAYER (not crush, no butter, nothing),  simple layer tea biscuits at the base of the dish. I hope you aren't also thinking which tea biscuits. I will say any tea biscuit that's available in your city. It can be Gluco, Marie, Ulker's, Brittania Milky bikis etc. Plain biscuits without any cream, zeera, salt, peanut etc.

After the layering, you need to cook pudding (as per the packet instructions). stir it so it thickens a bit. Simultaneously melt chocolate, cream and coffee together in a heatproof bowl, either in a microwave or a double boiler.

Pour pudding (1/2) slowly and gently, I repeat, very slowly carefully on the biscuits, the biscuits may float, but don't worry, once the pudding sets in, the biscuits will be fine. On top of the pudding mixture pour 1/3rd of the chocolate cream mixture (also called ganache). At this point you can refrigerate for 5 mins so pudding settles in, but you can go ahead without waiting too.

Repeat the same steps. Layer biscuits, pour remaining 1/2 pudding, wait for 5-10 mins and then top the entire top layer with Chocolate Cream mixture. Garnish with cream and chocolate curls etc.

This recipe is super simple and trust me on this when I say everyone will love this !

Do try this out and let me know. Complete recipe with method below.

Ingredients:
Cooking Chocolate or any good quality MILK chocolate - 200gm
Coffee 1tsp
Cream 2cups
Tea Biscuits 2 half rolls (Marie, Gluco, any tea biscuit)
Vanilla or Egg pudding 1 sachet
Milk 2 cups
Cream for topping 1/2cup
Method:
In a heatproof bowl, microwave cream chocolate and coffee for 1-2 mins. Mix
well. Alternately, you can use a double boiler to melt cream, chocolate and
coffee.

Take 2 cups milk and bring it to boil, add pudding sachet and mix well.

In a dish, place a layer of biscuits. Top it up with warm pudding (use ½ pudding
mixture) and top it with 1/3 of the chocolate mixture. In a zig zag pattern

Repeat the above step. Place biscuit, pour remaining pudding.
Completely cover the top with chocolate mixture.
Garnish with extra cream or chocolates or nuts, as desired.
Refrigerate for atleast 4 hours.

o Tips: when you will pour pudding, please make sure that you are pouring with a
very light hand. Don’t pour it altogether. Slowly please
o The biscuits may float when the pudding is poured, don’t worry, it will set when
refrigerated. In case, if you feel too reluctant to handle, at step 3 refrigerate for
10 mins.

Introduction

I am a mother of two super sweet kids 5 and 1.5 yrs old. Born n brought up in the city of lights and food - Karachi, Pakistan. In the past I have worked in a FMCG for 7yrs and then moved to Riyadh in 2012. From writing one pagers to mastering the art of making gol rotis, from the city of lights to the city of sandstorms, I have had a very pleasant journey. Riyadh is beautiful, not as great as my beloved Karachi but still ... its nice.

In my 4 years in the Saudi land, I worked in Riyadh for a year in Harvey Nichols as their marketing leader. But then, as they say, there comes a point in life where personal life takes precedence over professional life, so I quit to be a dedicated mother.

While I sucked at cooking, I was pretty reasonable when it came to making meethas. Then slowly and steadily I improved my cooking, instead of daily kitchen disasters, it improved to just 2 in a week and now twice in a month - quite proud of myself. However, my dear desserts never failed me. I love trying new recipes and sharing them.

So this blog will be full of mayhem, food, Karachi, Riyadh, DIY party ideas (which i throw for my kids) and lots and lots of my tried and tested recipes.

Happy Reading!