Marzipan is a smooth almond and sugar mixture used to make candy centres, form figures, diminutive fruits and vegetables, cartoon characters and cover wedding or Christmas cakes. This is a great all-purpose marzipan recipe that comes together quickly and you can make this simple and easy dish for your kids. This has been one of my favourite dishes and I get repeated orders for it. Marzipan icing is particularly common in England, on large fruitcakes. It may also be used as a cake ingredient, as in stollen. Parzipan is a similar, yet less expensive product, in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels.

Cartoon cakes

Ingredients
(Makes 10 cup cakes of 90g each)
Flour 200g
Unsalted butter 200g
Sugar 200g
Egg 5 no
Vanilla extracts 1 tsp
Baking powder ½ tsp
Raisin 20g

Marzipan
Almond powder 450g
Powdered sugar 3 cups
Honey 4 tbsp

Method
Combine almond powder and powdered sugar in a mixer so that they are combined and the texture is sandy.
Gradually add honey spoon by spoon to the mixer and mix at slow speed.
Make into a soft dough which can be easily moulded like a clay.
Once ready keep wrapped in plastic air tight wrap.
Make cartoon characters and allow to air dry for 1 hour and place on the prepared cupcakes.

Method for
vanilla cake
Sift flour and baking powder together and keep aside.
Pre heat the oven at 180 degree C.
Cream butter and sugar till all the sugar is dissolved and mixture is light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla extracts one by one and mix well.
Gradually add flour and mix using spatula by cut-and-fold method add raisins.
Pour in the desired cupcake mould and bake at 180 degree C for 20–25 minutes.
Check the cupcakes by piercing a cupcake with knife, if the knife comes out clear then the cup cake is cooked.
Remove from oven and allow to cool and garnish with favourite cartoon character made by marzipan.

Eggplant
It is neither an egg nor a plant, but the fruit of a plant native to Indian subcontinent. Other names are — aubergine, garden egg or guinea squash. The egg-shaped glossy black fruit has white flesh with a meaty texture. The cut surface of the flesh rapidly turns brown when the fruit is cut open due to the high iron content.
Different varieties of the plant produce fruits of different size, shape, and colour though typically purple. The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, unique flavour.
Eggplants are cooked in numerous ways, they can be roasted and peeled to make ‘moutable’, the famous Arabic dip. Or they can be cut into dices and deep fried to be used in Chinese dishes. They can also be hollowed and stuffed with cous-cous or meats and can be roasted or baked to make moussaka. Eggplants can be enjoyed from August to October when it is in season, but is available throughout the year.

Eggplant masala

Ingredients
Eggplants 8-10 no
Coriander powder ½ tsp
Cumin powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Red chili powder ¼ tsp
Garlic, chop ½ tbsp
Ginger, chop ½ tbsp
Onion, chop ½ cup
Tomato, chop 2 cup
Tomato puree 1 cup
Fenugreek dried 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Yoghurt  2 tbsp
Oil to fry
Garam masala 1 tsp
Coriander leaves  2 tbsp
 
Method
Wash and slit eggplants lengthwise but leave the stem intact so that eggplant retains its shape.
Using a knife coat some coriander powder, cumin powder and salt in the eggplant.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and deep fry over slow flame until they start to brown from the sides. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Heat about 1tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan and add chopped ginger, garlic, onion and saute till onions turn brown.
Add the chopped tomato, puree and red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and stir.
Cook over slow flame for about 5-8 minutes, once the mixture leaves oil, remove from flame and blend.
Return again to flame and add yoghurt and adjust the seasoning and consistency by adding warm water.
Sprinkle dry roasted fenugreek leaves and place the fried eggplants in the gravy and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves with choice of bread or rice.