And what better way to have fun at home during a time like this than to have Movie Nights! Just make a list of movies of your family's choice, make your favourite snacks, drinks, cookies, chips and dip, and a big batch of popcorn and spend some quality time with your family.

My grandmother always said, how you spend the first day of New Year will define how the rest of your year will go, and if you eat delicious food it means you will eat well for the rest of the year.

So, she always cooked special items on New Year's Day and we ate amazing dishes throughout the year. But I think it had more to do with her passion and talent for cooking, and for the love and dedication towards her family.

 With these recipes, I hope I can share the love and send best wishes for this new year from my family to yours. With 2021 just beginning, let's pray and hope as one united human race that this crisis will soon end and we all can have our normal lives back.

 Stay safe and Happy New Year everyone.

CITRUS FRUIT CAKE

This is a moist fruit cake, packed with fruits and bursting with citrus flavour. You can always change the ingredients you use. This recipe usually requires orange zest. But since I did not have orange zest, I used orange juice. If you are using orange zest, then use 1 cup of water to boil the fruits. When using dried fruits, keep in mind, if you are using candied fruit, you may need to use less sugar, depending on your taste.

Ingredients

2 cups flour 

3 eggs

1½ tsp baking powder 

½ tsp baking soda 

1 tsp grounded nutmeg 

1 tsp grounded cinnamon 

Pinch of salt

½ cup water

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp honey

3½ to 4 cups dried fruits

½ cup orange juice

½ tsp lemon zest

½ tsp vanilla essence 

Method

In a pot, add water, butter, brown sugar, honey, and dried fruits. Bring to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take the fruits off the heat and cool completely. In a mixing bowl beat the eggs. Add fruit mixture, orange juice or orange zest, lemon zest and vanilla essence. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and salt into the mixing bowl. Pour batter into a prepared cake tin. Bake for 75-90 minutes at 160° C in a preheated oven.  

ITALIAN HOT CHOCOLATE

This hot chocolate is very thick in consistency. It is almost like drinking a cup of melted chocolate. When making hot chocolate, use good quality cocoa powder. The chocolate you use should be one that you enjoy the taste of. I used semi-sweet chocolate here but dark chocolate goes really well in this recipe. When you heat the ingredients, don't make it too thick as it will thicken more as it cools. You can have whipped cream and marshmallows on top or you can dip churros, donuts or cookies in it.

Ingredients 

4 tbsp sugar 

2 tbsp cocoa powder 

1 tbsp cornflour 

Pinch of salt 

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate

1½ cup milk 

½ cup heavy cream 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

Method 

In a pan, mix sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour, and salt. Add milk, stir and start heating. Add salt, vanilla, and chocolate pieces. When the chocolate has melted, add the cream. Pour into cups and serve with your favourite toppings.

Photo and Food: Nafisa Ahmed Sonali