Ramadan Eats: Suhoor & Iftar Treats

Posted by Salma @ Chasing Rainbow - - 4 comments

Having sweets and desserts on hand is always a big deal in my house. Since we have moved far away from family and friends, we don't have guests (not so far), but, experimenting in the kitchen is still a favorite past-time.

Now that the month of Ramadan is upon us, and we will be fasting, preparations for iftar (breaking the fast) is an excuse to unpack the baking dishes, get out the recipe books, and create some sweet treats.

I have chosen recipes that can be used for suhoor and iftar...be creative.

Just say Bismillah...

Spiced Coconut Balls


Ingredients

1 1/4 cup (200 ml) icing sugar, divided
1 tsp (5 ml) ea. ground ginger & cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) margarine or unsalted butter (at room temp)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sweetened fancy flake coconut
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour


Directions
　
1.Sift icing sugar with ginger, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat margarine with sugar mixture until evenly combined. Stir in vanilla, then coconut and flour until mixture starts to come together. Pinch off a scant tablespoon of dough, then roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 11⁄2 in (4 cm) apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2.Bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until edges are set and bottoms are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3.Place 1 cup (250 ml) icing sugar in a bowl. Roll one cookie at a time in sugar to coat. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. To make ahead: Bake cookies but don’t roll in sugar. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost as many as needed and roll in sugar before serving.
4.*For an allergy-friendly version of this recipe substitute butter or margarine for dairy-free margarine. Be sure to check the ingredient list to ensure the margarine does not contain any dairy products.


Cinnamon Rolls (recipe without yeast)

Here is a great recipe that I found for cinnamon rolls without yeast. Alternatively, if you want to use yeast, you will find the recipe by clicking the link below.
Ingredients

Rolls:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
**To make frosting, mix all ingredients until smooth.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 inch round cake pan and a wire cooling rack with vegetable oil spray.
2. Make the filling: combine together the brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the 1 Tablespoon melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour; 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons of the melted butter together.
5. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until absorbed, about 30 seconds. The dough will look shaggy.
6. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Press the dough out into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle using your hands.
8. Brush the dough with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.
9. Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper or a metal spatula.
10. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log.
11. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 8 even pieces.
12. Place the slices in the greased pan.
13. Brush with the remaining 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
14. Use a knife to loosen the buns from the pan. Flip the buns out onto the prepared wire rack, then turn buns upright and let cool for 10 minutes before frosting with cream cheese icing. Prepare the icing while rolls are cooling.
Recipe found here.



Overnight Stuffed French Toast
An all time family favorite ~ makes 8 servings ~

What You Need

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
3 Tbsp.  sugar
8 slices cinnamon-swirl bread
4   eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups  sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Make It


MIX reduced-fat cream cheese and sugar until well blended; spread onto bread. Place 4 bread slices, cream cheese-sides up, in 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining bread slices, cream cheese-sides down.
WHISK eggs and milk until well blended; pour over bread. Cover; refrigerate overnight. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 min. or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Serve topped with fruit.

Recipe found here.

Moist Chocolate cake (from a box)
A quick and yummy alternative when you're short on time

Recipe
1 box (500g) chocolate cake mix
1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Blend all ingredients.
Bake as directed on box. If desired, frost with chocolate icing


Toblerone Cake Recipe


1 box (500g) chocolate cake mix
1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Blend all ingredients.
Bake as directed on box.
Ice cake with chocolate icing (I mixed semi-sweet chocolate chips with whipped cream)
Place Toblerone on top


Mexican Chocolate Cake
I made this for the first time on New Year's day, and it was a hit.
Ingredients

For cake
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
For glaze
  • 2 cups chopped pecans (71/2 ounces)
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
*Special equipment: a 9-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan


Preparation

Make cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then sift again into cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (don't worry if there are lumps).
Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 45 to 55 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.
Make glaze:
Spread pecans in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool pecans slightly in pan on a rack, about 5 minutes.
Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Spoon glaze over top and sides of cake (cake will still be warm) and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.
Cooks' note: Cake (with glaze) can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl.

Recipe  here



Apple Crumble

Ingredients
3-4 Royal gala apples peeled and sliced {you can use any type of apple...how about Granny Smith (my favorite)}
2 tbsp lemon juice, 
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup granulated Sugar 
1 tsp nutmeg 
a pinch of ground Cloves
1 tbsp Cornstarch 


Crumble topping
1/3 cup brown sugar 
1/8 cup All-purpose flour 
1/8 cup Butter
1/3 cup rolled Oats

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter and toss apple slices with all of the Apple Filling ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and flour and cut in the butter with a fork or two knives until it is coarse and crumbly.
  4. Stir in the oats.
  5. Pour the oats mixture over the top of the apple filling.
  6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until top is well browned.
  7. Serve with ice-cream & ENJOY!


Fruit Kebabs
Ingredients

A variety of FRESH fruits
Kebab skewers

Dipping Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Make it
In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, the sugar, the vanilla, and the mint.
Tread the fruits, alternating them onto the skewers.
Serve the fruit kebabs with the sauce.



Yummy Scrambled Eggs


Ingredients

  1. 8 Eggs (depends on family size)
  2. ½ Onion, chopped
  3. 2-3 Tomatoes (like Roma Tomatoes), chopped
  4. 2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  5. ½ Green Bell Pepper chopped into small pieces
  6. 1 inch ginger peeled and grated
  7. 1 Tablespoon of ghee (Butter can be used too)
  8. 2 Serrano Peppers chopped (optional)
  9. ½ Teaspoon turmeric
  10. Salt to taste
  11. ½ Teaspoon Garam masala
  12. 4 medium sized potatoes (chopped into tiny pieces and boiled )

Directions
  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl with an egg beater or fork till frothy.
  2. Heat Ghee and add the onions, grated ginger and the serrano peppers. Fry for sometime till the onions just start to brown.
  3. Add potato to mix and stir ensuring they are coated with the spices
  4. Add the tomatoes and the green peppers and salt and turmeric. Fry for a couple of minutes.
  5. Slowly pour the beaten eggs and break and mix it while doing it (Like you would do a scramble).
  6. Keep cooking and breaking up the eggs till the eggs are done.
  7. Finish it with chopped cilantro and the garam masala.






* Ramadan Terms:


Iftar: A meal served at the end of the day during Ramadan, to break the day's fast. Literally, "breakfast." We break our fast with milk and dates.

Sawm: One of the pillars of Islam. Allah prescribes daily fasting (from sunrise to sunset) for all able, adult Muslims during the whole of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the sighting of the new moon.

Suhoor: a small meal traditionally eaten before dawn during Ramadan by Muslims; the final meal before the day’s fast begins.






Categories: Labels: , , , ,

4 Responses so far.

  1. Aiman says:
    August 2, 2011 at 3:00 AM

    Mashallah all of it is great. I am definately gonna try the coconut recipe. I salute for being genius by making cake with mayonnaise. Def gonna grab this cheat and use it some day.

    YUmmy indeed.

  2. MarieHarmony says:
    August 2, 2011 at 6:19 AM

    Yummy recipes! Salma they all sound delicious! Will try some for sure by the end of the month.

  3. Wafa' says:
    August 2, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    oh God, the Toblerone Cake has broken my heart :(, looks so delicious :)

    Thanks for the share my dear :)

  4. Salma @ Chasing Rainbow says:
    August 28, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    Aiman, Marie & Wafa- great, let me know how it turns out.
    Wafa- we got sick from eating all that Toblerone. But I would do it again.

Post a Comment