Everybunny Loves Food

Chocolate Marble Bread

2012-03-01T08:54:00.000+04:00

This is the second bread I made as a part of the February Daring Bakers Challenge. The method for both the breads is exactly the same and it is a very easy recipe. However, my cake turned out a bit dry and that could be because I baked it a bit too long. I have given the link to the recipe below from Joy of Baking.

Recipe - Joy of Baking

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers February 2012 - Pineapple Loaf Cake

2012-02-27T08:15:00.000+04:00

Up until the beginning of this month I had no idea what a quick bread was. So when I saw the title for the challenge I assumed we were going to make some type of bread. Then when I saw the recipe I thought, "hmm, this is a cake recipe..." I was really confused on the whole quick bread thing and hopped on to google to get some answers. So, what I have learnt so far is that a quick bread has a distinctive method of mixing ingredients and does not use any leaveners like yeast to raise the baked goods.

Blog-checking lines: The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lis stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

Though we were asked to make our own flavors I was hesitant to try anything of my own. I tried two recipes from the net and both were good. I thought the pineapple loaf would be a bit of a problem based on the reviews but that was the recipe that got rave reviews from my tasters.

Recipe Source - Slightly adapted from the Coconut - Pineapple Loaf Cake from Martha Stewart

Ingredients - I have reduced the recipe quantity from the original to fit my loaf pan.

2/3 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

2/3 Stick (approx 80 Gms) Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Tsp + 1/8 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp + 1/8 Tsp Salt

2/3 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2/3 Cup Thick Yogurt

6 Pineapple Rings (from a can - Drained and Chopped finely)

Note - Make sure the pineapple is really well drained. Place it on multiple sheets of kitchen towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, approx 60 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Eating!!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Swiss Strawberry Buttercream

2012-02-19T09:49:00.001+04:00

While I was attending my Cake Decorating course , we were required to bring some cupcakes for decorating and filling. I was feeling a bit uninspired as to my flavor choices and decided to check online for some ideas. Surely enough Annie's eats did not fail me and I saw these beauties with lovely swirls of pink buttercream.

The cupcakes are really delicious especially on their own and I ate most of them without any frosting on top. While I did try making the buttercream I was not a fan of it but only because I don't like buttercream in general. I was a bit worried that I would not be able to make it but after 10 minutes in the stand mixer the buttercream beautifully just comes together. One minute its a curdled looking mess and then it just transforms right before your eyes!

I filled my cupcakes with a simple strawberry sauce using a filling tip but they can also be served plain.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Annie's Eats with my notes in red.

Ingredients - Makes 32 Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes
21/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cake Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Salt
2 Sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
21/4 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs Plus 1 Large Egg White
1 Cup Milk
2 1/2 Cups Finely Chopped Fresh Strawberries (I used frozen strawberries for both cake and frosting)
For The Frosting
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries (8 oz.), Rinsed, Hulled And Coarsely Chopped
4 Large Egg Whites
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3 Sticks (1½ Cups) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature

Make The Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 175˚ C (350˚ F). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5.With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.

6. Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling each about ¾-full. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pans a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make The Frosting

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Puree until completely smooth.

2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

4.Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (it took 10 minutes for me) Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip with the frosting. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Happy Eating!!

Hazelnut and Chocolate Torte With Nutella Mascarpone

2012-02-06T10:09:00.000+04:00

I am really happy to post this recipe as this was one my best desserts so far. The flavor was so reminiscent of a Ferrero Rocher that I have started calling it a Ferrero Rocher Cake. I also got to try a lot of new techniques like baking a daquoise and making my own Mascarpone.

I had missed the November Daring Bakers challenge of the Sans Rival and wanted to give it a go. Sans Rival is a Filipino dessert which means 'without rival'. I decided to give it a try but without making the heavy buttercream filling as I wanted something light. The Nutella mascarpone complements the dacquoise perfectly and is very easy to make.

Recipe Source - Hazelnut Dacquoise Slightly adapted from November Daring Bakers Challenge host Catherine of Munchie Musings; Chocolate Ganache recipe from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients

For The Dacquois
5 Large Egg Whites (At room temperature)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cream of Tartar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3/4 Cup Chopped Toasted Hazelnuts (Texture of Breadcrumbs)
For The Filling
1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese (You can make your own!!)
1/2 Cup Nutella
2 Tbsp Cadburys Drinking Chocolate
1/4 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts
For The Ganache
100 gms Semisweet Chocolate
60 ml Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Bake the Dacquoise

1. Preheat oven to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw three squares measuring 4x4 inches on each pan. (See Diagram below). Turn over the paper and lightly grease the squares.

My weird attempt at drawing..baking sheet with three squares.

3. In a large clean, dry glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy (2 mins.)

4. Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at time, continuing to beat now at high speed until stiff shiny peaks form. (about 7-10 mins.)

5. Fold in nuts.

6. Divide meringue into 6 equal parts and spread onto square shapes in the baking sheet with each square being 1/2 inch thick. (Alternatively you can bake these in cake pans also).

7. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the meringue is set. Remove from oven and peel off parchment paper while still hot. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Can also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.) Bring just to a boil.

3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes. Stir gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth.

4. Place in fridge to cool completely before using.

Make the Filling
Combine all the ingredients and whisk well. Keep aside.

Assemble The Torte
1.Trim the sides of each dacquoise square.
2. Place one square on a serving plate.
3. Top with 2 Tbsp of the filling.
4. Repeat with one more layer of dacquoise and filling.
5. Add the last layer of dacquoise and pour some of the cooled ganache on top.
6. Garnish with chopped hazelnuts.

Happy Eating!!

How to make Mascarpone Cheese

2012-02-02T19:40:00.001+04:00

How many times have you walkedthrough the cheese aisle and looked at all that lovely cheese staring at you?And how many times have you looked at the prices and decided not to buy it? Ithas surely happened a lot of times to me as some of the prices are way too much(Ricotta and Mascarpone, I am talking to you!

In Dubai you can find a big variety of cheese inthe supermarkets but paying so much for a small tub doesn't make sense.When I made the Tiramisu at home I had purchased a small 200grams tub, but this combined with the cost of the biscuits, cream and coffeemade the dish expensive to make at home. This time when I needed Mascarpone fora dessert I thought why not make it at home? The recipe was very easy to findas The Daring Bakers had this as a challenge some time ago and a lot ofbloggers had posted their results.

I have made Paneer and Ricottaat home before and this time again I am amazed at the simplicity of it. And thebest thing about it, it is so cheap!!

Recipe Source - BakingObsession.

Ingredients
500 ml Pasteurized Heavy Cream (I could not findpasteurized cream so I used Ultra pasteurized, It tasted great to me, just usea cream with 33 - 36 % fat).
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (I used lemon concentrate from a bottle)

Equipment Needed

Medium size Saucepan
Stainless Steel Bowl (It must fit over the saucepan, without touching the bottom).
Cheesecloth (I used a clean tea towel)
Fine Mesh Sieve
Candy Thermometer (Optional, but great if you have it)

1. Fill a medium sizesaucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce theheat to low so that the water is barely simmering.
2. Pour the cream into amedium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl on the saucepan.

3. Heat the cream, stirringoften, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. (If you donot have a thermometer, look for small bubbles on the surface of the cream).

4. Add the lemon juice andcontinue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do notexpect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that thewhipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. Itwill cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clearwhey streaks when you stir.

5. Remove the bowl from thewater and let cool for about 20 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, line a sieve withfour layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer themixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth orpress on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time).Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve)overnight or up to 24 hours.

You will get around 2 Cups ofMascarpone. I wish I had weighed it, but I will surely make it again and update the weight.

I made a fantastic dessert with my homemade mascarpone. Recipe coming up!!

Happy Cheese Making!!

Daring Bakers January 2012 - Scones

2012-01-28T11:25:00.001+04:00

This months Daring Bakers challenge was a simple yet tricky challenge. While the scones looked easy to make and had staple ingredients the technique was anything but easy. To get perfect flaky scones one has to knead the dough for the right time and with the right pressure.

Due to time constraints I could make only one batch and they were quite good for a first timer. They were delicious hot out of the oven with some jam.

Recipe Source: The challenge scone (biscuit) recipe has been especially formulated by Audax Artifex after a large amount of research and experimentation. It is designed to help you master the techniques involved in making scones (biscuits) exactly the way you like them.

Blog-checking lines: Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Audax worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Ingredients

1 Cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) Plain (all-purpose) Flour

2 Tsp (10 ml) (10 gm) (1/3 oz) Fresh Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) Salt

2 Tbsp (30 gm/1 oz) Frozen Grated Butter (or a combination of lard and butter)

Approximately 1/2 Cup (120 ml) Cold Milk

Optional 1 tablespoon milk, for glazing the tops of the scones

1. Preheat oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.

2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.)

3. Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.

4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)

6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick (15¼ cm by 10 cm by 2 cm thick). Using a well-floured 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter (biscuit cutter), stamp out without twisting six 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch (2 cm) layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.

7. Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.

8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.

9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

Happy Eating!!

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

2012-01-16T08:41:00.000+04:00

There is a great rift among people in the brownie world due to all the different types of brownies out there. Fudgy, Cakey, with nuts, without nuts, plain chocolate ones, peanut butter ones, cream cheese and on and on. Everyone has their own favorite recipe and when I started searching for a recipe that I would love I must have browsed a 100 different ones with each blogger claiming that their version is the best. What is a girl to do in such a case? I just went with my instincts and picked the Triple Chocolate Brownies from Annie's Eats and I sure picked a winner!

These are everything that I love in a brownie. I would describe my version as fudgy and chocolatey. (I have tried Ina's Outrageous Brownies before and they were too fudgy for me). These rose nicely in the pan even without any leaveners and had a great chocolate flavor. I did not use too much of unsweetened chocolate as I am not a fan of the flavor and made these with half dark and half milk chocolate. This ratio was perfect for me. I made half a pan with walnuts and half without and I loved both the versions. I can't wait to try this recipe with more mix ins in the future.

Recipe Source - Slightly Adapted from Baking Illustrated via Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes one 8X8 Pan of brownies.

100 Gms (approx 3.5 oz) Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa) (Chopped)
100 Gms (approx 3.5 oz) Milk Chocolate (Chopped)
8 Tbsp (113.4 Gms) Unsalted Butter (Cut into Quarters)
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 Large Eggs
1 1/4 Cups (8¾ oz.) Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup (5 oz.) All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Chopped Toasted Walnuts (Optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175° C (350° F) and line an 8 inch square baking dish (I used a 10X6 inch rectangle) with foil (Use extra foil so that it hangs out from two sides). Grease lightly and set aside.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave proof bowl and melt in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring after each time till completely melted and smooth. (You can also use the double boiler method on the stove). Add the cocoa powder and whisk till combined. Keep aside to cool

3. Mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl for 15 seconds.
4. Pour in the warm melted chocolate mixture and mix.
5. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the walnuts if using.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. Place in the middle tray of your oven and bake until slightly risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes.
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

8. Pull the overhanging foil and remove the brownies from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut as desired. Store in an air-tight container.

Happy Eating!!

German Chocolate Cake

2012-01-09T09:20:00.000+04:00

This cake is not from Germany and has nothing to do with that country. Then why is it called so ? According to Joy of Baking "Richard Sax in Classic Home Desserts says this cake was being made in the 1920's and eventually became popular nationwide after a recipe appeared in a 1957 food column of a Dallas newspaper. While the name "German" Chocolate Cake seems to suggest a tie to Germany, the name refers to the type of chocolate used in the cake which, in turn, is named after the Walter Baker & Company employee, Samuel German, who developed the chocolate in 1852. German's^® Sweet Chocolate is a semi sweet baking chocolate that has a mild flavor and is much sweeter than other semi sweet chocolates (it tastes like a candy bar). Baker's^® sells this chocolate and it is sold on the baking isle of most grocery stores".

In Dubai I found the brand in a few supermarkets like Safest-way but it was way too expensive to justify its use in a single cake. That's where this recipe came in handy as it uses unsweetened chocolate and is very easy to make.

I must say that not everyone who ate this was a fan and that was because of the coconut in it. I am personally a coconut lover and I loved it, especially when heated a little so that the ganache is all warm and melty.

Recipe Source - David Lebovitz

Ingredients - Given as is from his website with my changes in red.

One big, tall 9-inch cake; about 16 servings

For The Cake
2 Ounces Bittersweet Or Semisweet Chocolate Chopped (I used Milk Chocolate)
2 Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, Chopped
6 Tbsp Water
226 Grams (8 ounces/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
1 1/4 Cup + 1/4 Cup Sugar
4 Large Eggs, Separated
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk, At Room Temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
For The Filling
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Sugar
3 Large Egg Yolks
85.05 Grams (3 Ounces) Butter, Cut Into Small Pieces
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Pecans, Toasted And Finely Chopped
1 1/3 Cups Unsweetened Coconut, Toasted
For The Syrup
1 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Dark Rum (I omitted this)
For The Chocolate Icing
8 Ounces Bittersweet Or Semisweet Chocolate, Chopped
2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
42.5 Grams (1 1/2 Ounces) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Heavy Cream

Bake The Cake

1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely. While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.

Make The Filling

1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.)

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.)

Make The Syrup

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum (If using)

Make The Icing

1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature.

Assemble The Cake

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.

Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.

Happy Eating!!

Boston Cream Pie

2012-01-05T08:45:00.000+04:00

Is it a pie? Or is it a cake? Well, it is surely a cake and a fabulous one at that. I made my first ever Boston cream pie for Latifs birthday and it was absolutely delicious. The sponge was light and simple, the pastry cream was yummy and the ganache was rich and sinful.

So why is it called a pie then? A Boston Cream Pie is simply a vanilla sponge with pastry cream and chocolate ganache on top. It is said that when the cake was invented pie pans were used to bake cakes in and thus it was called a pie!

Since it was for the two of us, I made only half the recipe. But I highly recommend making the full thing as you will surely crave more (Or wait, I guess its safer to make just half of it...)

Recipe Source - Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes one 9 inch cake

For The Pastry Cream
2 Cups Single Cream/Half and half (I used 7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter to make 1 Cup single cream)
1/2 Cup Sugar
Pinch Of Salt
5 Large Egg Yolks
3 Tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
4 Tbsp Cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 ½ Tsp Vanilla Essence

For The Sponge Cake
1/2 Cup (2 oz.) Cake Flour
1/4 Cup (1.25 oz.) All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Milk
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
5 Large Eggs, At Room Temperature
3/4 Cup (5.25 oz.) Sugar

For The Ganache
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
226 Grams (8 oz) Semisweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Make The Pastry Cream

1. Heat the single cream, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

2. Combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornflour until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

3. When the cream mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.

4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Make The Cake

1. Grease and flour the sides of two 9 inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 175 ° C (350 ° F ).

2. Whisk together the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter over medium low heat till the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Keep aside.

4. Separate 3 eggs and place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks with the remaining 2 whole eggs in a separate bowl. Beat the whites until light and foamy on low. Increase the speed to medium and gradually add 6 Tbsp of sugar. Continue beating till the whites form soft moist peaks. Transfer the whites to a clean bowl and add the yolk and whole egg mixture to the stand mixer bowl. Beat with the remaining 6 Tbsp of sugar until thick and pale yellow in color (about 5 minutes).

5. Add the beaten eggs to the bowl with the egg whites. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the beaten eggs and whites. Fold in very gently with a spatula, about 12 strokes. Make a well in one side of the batter and pour the milk-butter mixture into the well. Continue folding until the batter shows no trace of flour and the eggs are evenly mixed.

6. Immediately divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops are light brown and spring back when touched, about 16 minutes. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cakes. Place one pan on a towel and cover the pan with a plate. Invert the pan so that the cake is upside down on the plate. Peel off the wax paper and re invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second cake layer.

Make The Ganache

1. Combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; cover and let stand for 8 minutes. (If the chocolate has not completely melted, return the saucepan to low heat and stir constantly until melted.)

2. Stir in the vanilla extract very gently until smooth. Cool the glaze until tepid so that a spoonful drizzled back into the pan mounds slightly. (You can refrigerate the glaze to speed up this process, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooling.)

Assemble The Cake

1. Place one layer of the sponge on a cake board (dab a smear of the glaze on the bottom so that it does not move). Place the cake board on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the excess ganache.

2. Spread the pastry cream evenly over the cake (You can reserve a little for decoration).

3. Place the other layer on top and press gently.

4. Pour the glaze slowly over the entire cake making sure it flows down the sides and covers evenly. Let it stand for some time till the glaze harden (Place in fridge to speed up the process if needed). Serve at room temperature, best eaten the same day (It still tasted great the next day!)

Happy Eating!!

Wilton Course 1 - Class 3 and 4

2012-01-03T08:40:00.000+04:00

I completed my Wilton course 1 last week and am happy that I don't have to make any more batches of Crisco butter cream!! Jokes aside, I have really learnt a lot of techniques from this class. Since I am left handed and write in a very weird way (for others) I have a lot of difficulty in holding the piping bag in the correct position. After this class I have learnt all the correct positions and the hands on experience has been really great.

In the third class we were asked to bring 6 un iced cupcakes, a filling and the usual batches of butter cream in different colours. We then learnt how to use different tips and make different flowers like the drop flowers, pom poms, shaggy mums etc. We also learned how to fill cupcakes using a piping bag and tip (can't remember the name). We then learnt the Wilton swirl with the 1M tip (which I have done a million times before) and proceeded to decorate our cupcakes as we pleased.

In the last class we were asked to bring an iced cake, prepped and ready to be decorated along with butter cream. We spent the whole class learning how to make a ribbon rose and it was a great challenge for me. The trick here is to hold the piping bag in the exact right position and you will get beautiful roses. If not, you are done for. I had to sacrifice a lot of roses in order to get a few right. We then decorated our cakes with the roses and did whatever we wanted for the borders. Since I was already using the petal tip, I wanted to do a ruffle cake. It took some time but it was worth it. The ruffles would look even prettier with a smoother icing.

We received our certificates at the end of the class and left with happy faces and lovely cakes!

Happy Decorating!!

Wilton Cake Decorating Class - Day 1 and 2 - Review

2011-12-01T16:49:00.002+04:00

Image Courtesy - Wilton.com

I finally got to attend my first cake decorating class and it was great! I had a great time and learnt a lot of new tricks which really helped me decorate my cake.

I wanted to do this post because I wanted to write about the class that is held here in Dubai. So I will give a play by play on what it is and what it contains...

The classes are offered by Tavola at Century Plaza in Jumeirah. I am presently doing Course 1, which costs AED 750 for four classes which are spread over 4 Saturdays. They have classes on weekdays too for those who are free on those days.

One the first day we were asked to bring a pencil and note pad. Our instructor is very nice and friendly. We were given a Wilton Student Kit (free of cost) which included a lot of stuff like essential tips, couplers, a spatula, parchment, practice board and sheets, icing bags etc.

The instructor showed us how to make butter cream with the Wilton recipe (super sweet made with Crisco!!) and also how to level and torte a cake. She then showed us how to crumb coat and ice the cake. She used the icer tip which is really cool and gives a great even coverage. We then learnt how to transfer a pattern on the cake using piping gel and decorate it. We practiced a few stars with our piping bags on cookies and just like that our three hours were up.

We were asked to bring a lot of stuff for the next class including a cake, icing etc. As soon as the class got over there was a mad scramble with people buying a whole lot of stuff. Most of the women want to do all the four classes so they purchased the big Wilton set which costs AED 500 approx. Since I am not planning on doing those courses I just picked a few things like the cake leveler (I am never letting you go my new best friend!!), icer tip and turn table. Tavola is a bit expensive so it’s better to search for these products elsewhere. I get my disposable icing bags really cheap at Daiso. Or if you have anyone coming from the U.S you can get it from there.

Day two came very quickly and we were all ready with our cakes and icing. The instructor checked our icing consistencies and if it was not right we were asked to add more sugar to it. I was the only one who had bought extra sugar to class and I handed it around. In the end I didn’t have enough for myself and had to work with a thin butter cream (picture my sad face here).

We leveled our cakes; crumb coated them and iced them. Since my icing was too soft I could not use the piping gel to transfer my design and had to draw it free hand. I somehow winged it and got the cupcake design (which was supposed to be a fish and I had made the colors accordingly but then had to change them to the cupcake colors and one of them turned super ugly! Long story!).

All in all, I learned a lot and am waiting for day three where we will be working on cupcakes.

I think this is a nice class to learn decorating essentials. I don’t like butter cream at all and I don’t think a cake can be iced this well with whipped cream frosting. So I will have to learn to work with it. Let’s see how it goes.

Class Details

What - Wilton Method Course 1 - Decorating Basics

Where - Tavola at Century Plaza (Not in Mercato) in Jumeirah.

When - Four Saturdays, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. Also available on week days.

How much - AED 750 (includes Student Course Kit). Cost will go up by the time you buy a lot of other things.

Read Class 3 and 4 review here...
Happy Decorating!!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-16T09:14:00.000+04:00

I celebrated yet another birthday last week and everybody asked me what cake did I bake for myself. When I said "Pumpkin Cake" they were all stumped. You see, in India Pumpkin is always used in savory dishes. Moreover we rarely use the orange pumpkin as it is not widely available. I have seen so many recipes for pumpkin pies, muffins, cakes etc and I was really tempted to try the pie. I searched for the canned stuff but it is not available anywhere over here in Dubai. One day however, I went to a supermarket where I rarely shop and what do I see? A can of pumpkin puree! I immediately grabbed it and headed home with grand plans of baking a pie. Sadly, there are no pie eaters in my house and I decided to chuck the idea. But when I came across this cake, I knew I had found the perfect recipe.

This cake is fantastic. But the frosting? It’s to die for! It may even be my favorite frosting from now on. It is light, creamy, not too sweet and does not have that buttery taste which I hate.

I highly recommend this cake if you want to try something new. I reduced the recipe by 25% as I had just less than 2 Cups of puree. The picture is of half the cake only as I have frozen the other half.

Recipe Source - Not So Humble Pie, originally from Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

Ingredients - Makes one 7 inch four layer cake. (Reduced Recipe)

For the Cake

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour (Spooned and Leveled)

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

A Pinch of Salt

3/4 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Ginger

1 1/2 Tbsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg

3/4 Cup Golden Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

1 1/2 Cups Canned Pumpkin Puree

4 Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

3/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Bake The Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 7 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

2. Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Keep aside.

3. In another bowl, mix the brown sugar with 1/2 Cup of the pumpkin puree, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the remaining puree and oil. Mix well and add the eggs, stirring after each addition.

4. Add the dry ingredients in batches, mixing well after each addition.

5. Pour equally into the prepared pans and place in the oven on a lower middle rack. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until done or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely before frosting.

Make The Frosting

1. Sift the powdered sugar and add the cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat them thoroughly until fluffy and completely smooth/lump free.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, scrape down the sides of your bowl and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.

Frost The Cake
1. Slice each cake horizontally to get a total of four layers.
2. Place one layer on a cake board or plate and place a dollop of frosting. Spread evenly without reaching the sides. Repeat with all layers.
3. Cover completely with remaining frosting, Decorate as desired.

Happy Eating!!

For The Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting - Yields enough to frost a 8" or 9" double layer cake.

453 Grams (16oz) Full Fat Cream Cheese, Softened But Still Cool

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Cold Heavy Cream (Use The Ultra Heavy 40%+ Cream If You Can Find It)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Key Lime Pie

2011-10-30T13:47:00.000+04:00

After making a fabulous Apple Pie last week, I wanted to try my hand at some more varieties of pie. I checked Joy of Baking and the Key Lime Pie just jumped at me. Of course I had never eaten one before and didn’t even know what it was. But the description was enough to reel me in. I tried to search for Key limes but could not get them anywhere so I substituted for the Persian limes (and now I at least know the difference between a lime and a lemon)

I must say that I did not love this pie but I surely liked it. It was a bit too tart for me and I think cutting back a little on the lime juice would be perfect. I did add more sugar to the whipped cream than the recipe called for and this was to balance the tartness a little. Because we rarely use lemon in desserts in India I am not a fan of them. But if you a like a combination of tart and sweet this is definitely a good recipe. It is smooth, creamy and the crust is amazing.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Joy Of Baking with my comments in red.

Ingredients - Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie

For the Crust

1 1/4 Cup (125 Grams) Graham Cracker Crumbs (I used Crushed Digestive Biscuits)

2 Tbsp(30 grams) Granulated White Sugar

5 - 6 Tbsp (70 - 85 Grams) Unsalted Butter, Melted

For The Filling

3 Large Egg Yolks, Room Temperature

One 14 - Ounce (390 Grams) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup (120 ml) Key Lime Juice (I used Regular Limes) ( I would reduce this to 1/4 Cup as I don't like anything too tart)

2 Tsp Grated Lime Zest (Outer Skin)

For The Topping

1 cup (240 ml) Cold Heavy Whipping Cream (Double Cream) (35-40% Butterfat Content)

2 Tbsp (30 grams) Granulated White Sugar (I used 4 Tbsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter or lightly spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan.

Make The Crust

1. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Make The Filling

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

2. Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest.

3. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Make The Topping

1. Once the filling has chilled, in the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Either pipe (I used a Wilton 1M star tip) or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers - October 2011 - Povitica!!!

2011-10-27T10:03:00.000+04:00

I have been so lost lately. Its been a long time since I actually did something productive (except at work mind you) and after skipping so many daring bakers challenges I really wanted to get up and do something. So that is exactly what I did the moment I saw the challenge go up on the first of the month. Yup, that's right, I was one of the first ones to complete the challenge (after Audax of course) and I had a great time making this.

Povitica (pronounced po-va-teet-sa) is traditional Eastern European dessert bread that is traditionally served during the holiday season. This was really a big challenge for me as it was a completely new type of bread and the dough was sooo tough to work with. The problem was that the gluten was not rested enough and so the dough was not stretching out. Wish I had known that before I started making it! Anyways, I did get good results and had an amazing loaf of sweet bread, The filling is fantastic. I actually ate toasted slices of the bread for breakfast each day! Yum! I would definitely make this again and even try savoury fillings as some of the other daring bakers.

The recipe is a long one with at least 30 steps but it is not difficult. The only challenging part is rolling out the dough which should not be a problem if your dough is rested. I made only a quarter of the recipe and this is enough for one loaf.

Blog-checking lines: The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

Recipe here...

Recipe (Scaled recipe, for full recipe check The Daring Kitchen)

Quarter Batch Dough Ingredients (Makes one loaf 1.25 lbs/565 grams)

To Activate the Yeast
1/2 Tsp (2½ ml/2¼ gm) Sugar
1/4 Tsp (1¼ ml/¾ gm) All-Purpose (Plain) Flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Warm Water
1 1/2 Tsp (7½ ml/3½ gm/0.125 oz/½ sachet) Dry Yeast
For The Dough1/2 Cup (120 ml) Whole Milk
3 Tbsp (45 ml/43 gm/1½ oz) Sugar
3/4 Tsp (3¾ ml/9 gm/0.17 oz) Table Salt
1 Large Egg
1 Tbsp (30 ml/30 gm/¼ stick/1 oz) Unsalted Butter, melted
2 Cups (480 ml/280 gm/10 oz/0.62 lb) All-Purpose Flour, measure first then sift, divided
For The Topping
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Cold STRONG Coffee
1 1/2 Tsp (7½ ml/7 gm/¼ oz) Granulated Sugar
Melted Butter
For The Filling

1 3/4 Cups (420 ml/280 gm/10 oz) Ground English Walnuts
1/4 Cup (60 ml) Whole Milk
1/4 Cup (60 ml/58 gm/½ stick/2 oz) Unsalted Butter
1 Egg Yolk From A Large Egg, Beaten
1/4 Tsp (1¼ ml) Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup (120 ml/115 gm/4 oz) Sugar
1/4 Tsp (1¼ ml/1 gm) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I didn't have any, so I omitted this)
1/4 Tsp (1¼ ml/¾ gm) Cinnamon

Activate The Yeast
1. In a small bowl, stir 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon flour, and the yeast into 2 Tablespoons of warm water and cover with plastic wrap.
2. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Make the Dough
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk up to just below boiling (about 180°F/82°C), stirring constantly so that a film does not form on the top of the milk. You want it hot enough to scald you, but not boiling. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 110°F/43°C.
2. In a large bowl, mix the scalded milk, sugar and salt until combined.
3. Add the beaten eggs, yeast mixture, melted butter, and 1/4 cup of flour.

4. Blend thoroughly and slowly add remaining flour, mixing well until the dough starts to clean the bowl.

5. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead, gradually adding flour a little at a time, until smooth and does not stick. (I had to add a little more flour so that the dough would not stick)

6. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, covering loosely with a layer of plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and let rise an hour and a half in a warm place, until doubled in size.

Make the Filling

1. In a large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cocoa.
2. Heat the milk and butter to boiling.
3. Pour the liquid over the nut/sugar mixture.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
5. Allow to stand at room temperature until ready to be spread on the dough.
6. If the mixture thickens, add a small amount of warm milk.

Roll and Assemble the Dough
1. Spread a clean sheet or cloth over your entire table so that it is covered. (I used parchment paper, I guess a cloth would be better)
2. Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons to a handful of flour (use flour sparingly)
3. Place the dough on the sheet and roll the dough out with a rolling pin, starting in the middle and working your way out, until it measures roughly 10-12 inches (25½ cm by 30½ cm) in diameter.

4. Spoon 1 to 1.5 teaspoons (5ml to 7 ½ ml/4 gm to 7 gm) of melted butter on top.
5. Using the tops of your hands, stretch dough out from the center until the dough is thin and uniformly opaque. You can also use your rolling pin, if you prefer.
6. As you work, continually pick up the dough from the table, not only to help in stretching it out, but also to make sure that it isn’t sticking.
7. When you think the dough is thin enough, try to get it a little thinner. It should be so thin that you can see the color and perhaps the pattern of the sheet underneath.

8. Spoon filling evenly over dough until covered. ( I didn't have enough filling to cover the entire dough, but once rolled it does cover it)

9. Lift the edge of the cloth gently and roll the dough like a jelly roll.

10. Once the dough is rolled up into a rope, gently lift it up and place it into a greased loaf pan in the shape of a “U”, with the ends meeting in the middle. You want to coil the dough around itself, as this will give the dough its characteristic look when sliced.

11. Brush the top of the loaf with a mixture of the cold STRONG coffee and sugar.
12.Cover lightly will plastic wrap and allow to rest for approximately 15 minutes.
13. Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
14. Remove plastic wrap from dough and place into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
15. Turn down the oven temperature to slow 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2 and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until done. (Check the bread every 30 minutes to ensure that the bread is not getting too brown. You may cover the loaves with a sheet of aluminum foil if you need to.)
16. Remove bread from oven and brush with melted butter.
17. Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes. (Do not remove the bread from the pan till it is cooled.)
18. It is recommended that the best way to cut Povitica loaves into slices is by turning the loaf upside down and slicing with a serrated knife.

Happy Eating!!

Apple Pie

2011-10-17T09:33:00.004+04:00

I baked my very first apple pie when I was 17 years old. I had not been bitten by the baking bug back then (say that fast 5 times!) but it was my sister who was into it a lot. It was she who taught me how to macerate apples and knead a nice dough for the pastry. Ever since my first bite, Apple pie has been my all time favorite dessert.

Of all the times that I have made this I have never used an actual recipe or measurements until now. I would just throw together the ingredients and take it from there. This time I decided to use the recipe from Joy of Baking and see if my pie was good or not. And I am pleased to say that my pie is as good (if not better) than this one right here. It is everything I love; cinnamoney, flakey, sweet... This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Every time I bake a pie I remember one of my sisters who would never eat the filling but only the crust! I would bake the scraps of the dough separately just to make her happy. Oh what good times!

Recipe Source - Given as is from Joy of Baking, with my changes in red

Ingredients - Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie

For The Pie Crust

2 1/2 Cups (350 grams) All-purpose flour

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp (30 grams) Granulated White Sugar

1 Cup (226 grams) Unsalted Butter, Chilled, And Cut Into 1 Inch (2.5 Cm) Pieces

1/4 to 1/2 Cup (60 - 120 ml) Ice Water

For The Apple Filling

2 1/2 Pounds (1.1 Kg) Apples (About 6 Large), Peeled, Cored, And Sliced 1/4 Inch Thick (About 8 Cups (2 L)) - I chopped my apples instead of slicing them.

1/4 Cup (50 Grams) Granulated White Sugar

1/4 Cup (55 grams) Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg (Optional) - Omitted

1/4 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp (28 grams) Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 Tbsp (15 grams) Cornstarch (Corn Flour)

Make the Pie Crust

1. In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).

2. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

3. Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

4. After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).)

5. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan ( I used a 10 inch pan). Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

6. Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. I made a lattice top instead

Make the Apple Filling

1. In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice.

2. Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.) - I used the stove top method.

3. Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften.

4. Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour).

5. Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine.

6. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven. - I cut the rolled dough into strips and made the lattice top at this point.

7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices. Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Happy Eating!!

Celebrating with Caramel Apple Shooters!!

2011-10-02T11:29:00.000+04:00

We had a dinner party this weekend to celebrate a long awaited event. What, you ask? Well, hubby has just graduated from college!!! I am so proud of him and was bursting with joy when his results were announced. To celebrate the occasion we invited a few of his closest friends for dinner and I cooked up the usual Indian fare. I wanted to try something new for dessert and when I saw these shooters on the Half Baked blog I knew I wanted to try them as I love fall flavors. It is basically a cinnamon swirl cake with a layer of caramelized apples and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It is a rich dessert and can be served in small portions. I did not have shot glasses so I made them in a little bigger size. This can also be made as a layer cake (yum!) I used a box mix to save up on time as I had a lot of stuff to do.

Recipe Source - Half Baked (I made a few changes which are given below)

Ingredients

For Cinnamon Swirl Cake

1 White Box Mix (And other ingredients asked for on the box) or any White Cake recipe

1 Tbsp Cinnamon Powder

For the Caramelized Apples

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Water
2 Cups Chopped Apples
1 Tsp Cinnamon

A Pinch of Salt

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

1 Package (200 Gms) Cream Cheese (At Room Temperature)

1 Stick Butter (At Room Temperature)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Make The Cake

Mix the batter for the white cake according to package directions. Remove 1/2 Cup of batter in a cup and mix the cinnamon powder to it. Pour the white batter in a jelly roll pan and add dollops of the cinnamon batter. Swirl lightly with a toothpick and bake till done.

Make The Caramelized Apples

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir lightly till the sugar melts, then reduce the flame to low. Cook the apples till softened.

Make The Icing

Beat all ingredients with a mixer until light and fluffy. Fill a piping bag fitted with large round tip.

Assemble The Dessert

You can use any type of glass or bowl.

1. Add a dollop of the icing on the bottom.

2. Using a round cookie cutter cut a circle from the cake (same size as the glass or bowl). Add the circle on the icing.

3. Add a tablespoon of the cooked apples.

4. Add another circle of cake and top with a layer of icing.

5. Drizzle a little of the liquid from the caramelized apples.

6. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!!

Cherry Poke Cake

2011-09-05T10:04:00.000+04:00

A poke cake? What? Yeah, that's the same reaction I had when I read the name. I had never heard of a poke cake and was intrigued by the name. But when I read the recipe I realized what it meant. All you do is bake a cake and poke holes in it. Then you fill those holes with liquid jelly! This is a really easy and quick dessert. I made this for my mothers birthday and also on Eid. You can use any flavour of Jelly but I think A tangy flavour works best to balance the sweetness of the cake and the cream.

Recipe Source - Adapted from Betty Crocker.com

Ingredients

1 13X9 inch Baked Cake (White, Vanilla or Yellow works best; use a box mix for ease)

2 packets Cherry Jelly/Jell-o (Strawberry, Raspberry etc also works fine)

2 Cups Boiling Water

1 Cup Pitted and Chopped Cherries (Fresh)

2 Cups Whipping Cream

1. Place your cake in a tray or baking dish (you can keep it in the same dish that it was baked in). Make sure its cool.

2. Stir the jelly in boiling water, stirring for 2 minutes to completely dissolve gelatin. Poke cake every inch with tines of meat fork or table knife. Keep aside 1/2 Cup and pour remaining cherry mixture slowly over cake, allowing mixture to fill holes in cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour longer.

3. Whip the cream till you get soft peaks. Spread the chopped cherries on the cake and spread the whipped cream covering the top completely.

3. Drop the remaining cherry jelly using a small teaspoon on the cake (at one inch intervals) and pull using a toothpick to create a swirly pattern.

4. Place in fridge covered with plastic wrap for one hour. Serve cold.

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers July 2011 - Mango Fraisier

2011-07-27T10:03:00.000+04:00

Blog Checking Lines - Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

I love making new desserts and that is one of the main reasons that I joined Daring Bakers. This Fraisier for example is something I would have never made or eaten if not for this challenge. I originally wanted to make the classic version with strawberries but since strawberries are not native to this place they are very expensive and even after paying so much I will never get plump, ripe strawberries. So I decided to go with mangoes and I can say that it was a great pairing. Though I must say that Alphonso Mangoes would be simply stunning in this dessert. I am very picky when eating mangoes and eat only a few varieties. For this cake I used a Pakistani variety and it was a little too sweet for me. Next time I will surely use Alphonso or something similar.

It was great fun making the chiffon cake and everything went smoothly. I got a perfect cake even though I baked it in a regular 9 inch cake pan. I couldn't find the bottom of my spring form pan and was scared that the cake would not turn out well. To support the sides of the cake pan I attached my spring form ring to the upper edge of my cake pan. That gave good height to the pan and the cake rose very well.

I must confess here that I was not very happy with the whole process of making the pastry cream. It was too long and in the end it didn't even taste like pastry cream but more like whipped cream (very delicious though!). I am not sure if it is supposed to taste like that or not. Next time I will try another simpler recipe.

The whole thing took me about 4 hours to complete from start to finish, though each component can be made separately and stored in the fridge for assembly later on.

I decided not to use the almond paste layer as the fruit, cake and cream were already too sweet. I added some cocoa powder and grated dark chocolate to balance the sweetness in the dessert. Latif loved the dessert and gobbled an entire piece in seconds!

Recipe

Ingredients

For The Basic Chiffon Cake

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (155 gm) All-purpose Flour

1 Tsp (4 gm) Baking Powder

3/4 Cups (170 Gms) Sugar

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

3 Large Egg Yolks

1/4 Cup + 1 tablespoon Water

1 Tsp (5 ml) Vanilla Essence

3/4 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

5 Large Egg Whites

1/4 Tsp Cream of Tarter

For the Simple Syrup

1/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Water

For The Pastry Cream Filling

1 Cup Whole Milk

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1/8 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch in U.S)

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Large Egg

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

3/4 Tsp Gelatin

1/2 Tbsp Water

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Make the Chiffon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).

2. Line the bottom of an 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan. (I used a regular cake pan and attached the spring form ring to it)

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.

4. In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.

5. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.

6. Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.

7. Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

10. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Make The Simple Syrup

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.

4. Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Make the Pastry Cream

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine

3. Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.

5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.

6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.

7. Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.

8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.

9. In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.

10. Put two inches (55 mm) of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.

11. Measure 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 ml) of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.

12. Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 C). Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.

13. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

For Fraisier Assembly

Components

1 Baked 9 inch Chiffon Cake

1 Recipe Pastry Cream Filling

1/3 Cup Simple Syrup

4 Large Alphonso Mangoes (Peeled and Sliced - 1/2 inch thick and 4 inch long)

Cocoa Powder For Dusting

Chocolate Curls for Decoration

1. Line the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.

2. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.

3. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.

4. Arrange the mango slices around the sides of the cake pan.

5. Place 1 Cup of cream in the center and using an offset spatula push it against the mangoes in the side and spread a thin layer across the top of the cake.

6. Chop the remaining mango pieces (reserve few for decoration) (use all the flesh from the seed) and spread it on the cream. Cover the mangoes entirely with the all but 1/4 Cup of the pastry cream.

7. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.

8. Spread the remaining 1/4 Cup of pastry cream on the top of the cake and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Decorate with chocolate curls and mango slices as desired.

9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

10. To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.

11. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Happy Eating!!

Caramel Banana Cake

2011-07-15T12:48:00.000+04:00

I watched the final Harry Potter movie yesterday (The movie was playing from Tuesday in the UAE) and it's like the end of an era. I am a big fan of the books and have read each book at least 10 times (No, I am not kidding). I just love the way the books are written and every time you read it you feel like you are reading something new. Whenever I was bored at home I used to pick a book read it in one sitting. When any of the movies came out I would always come back from the theatre and read that part just to compare the book with the script. No matter how good the movie is, it can never compare to the actual story in the book. I feel people who have not read the book and have only watched the movie are missing out on so many details .

Sadly yesterday I didn't come home and open the last part to read as all my books are back home in India. But what I came home to was the amazing smell of freshly baked banana cake. I had some ripe bananas (as usual) in the fruit basket and needed to make a cake. I would have gone with my favorite recipe but I didn't have enough butter in the house and searched for a new recipe. I had seen this on I am Baker and decided to give it a go. This is a very moist cake full of flavor. However, I will still make the other recipe next time (the streusal topping makes me go weak in the knees!)

I did not make the caramel sauce and used the nestle caramel topping instead. I started making the cake at 7 and didn't realize that it needs one full hour to bake. After it went into the oven at 7:45 pm I had to leave for the movie at 8:15. I panicked and didn't know what to do as I could not leave my gas oven on and also did not have any timer. Hubby said "you either sacrifice the cake or the movie". I almost cried but then saw my microwave. Ting!! Removed the cake from the gas oven and put it in the microwave on convection at 155 Celsius for 40 minutes and left the house with a big prayer. Tada!! I came home to a perfectly baked cake.

Recipe Source - The Kitchn via I am Baker

Ingredients (Makes 1 nine inch round cake, this is half of the original recipe)

6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup (6 Tbsp) White Sugar

1/2 Cup (6 Tbsp) Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups All purpose Flour

3/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Mashed Bananas

1/2 Cup Roughly Chopped Walnuts

3/4 Cup Caramel Sauce (I used Nestle Caramel Topping)

1. Preheat oven to 165 degree C (325 degree F). Grease one 9 inch round pan.

2. Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Keep aside.

3. Mix the milk with the mashed bananas in a separate bowl.

4. Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

5. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk mixture in three parts, mixing until just combined.

6. Add the walnuts and mix.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Pour the caramel sauce in the middle and swirl around with a knife.

8. Place in oven and bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Happy Eating!!

Bake Me Some Baklava

2011-07-01T22:48:00.000+04:00

O.K. I know I have been missing for a long time from here but I do have some pretty good excuses. An operation, a house move, some house guests and an additional role at work have all kept me very, very busy the past few months. But now that I am recovered (almost) and settled in my new home (again, almost!) I have decided to pay more attention to my blog. This is a fantastic new dish that I tried, which is also the last thing that I baked in my old house (I love you my old kitchen, you will always be my first love!)

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

After missing the last two daring bakers challenges I was determined to at least attempt this one. I must say that I absolutely LOVE baklava. And I have eaten my fair share of it here in the middle east. Give me a box and I can polish it off entirely by myself (I have been known to have self control issues). So I was really excited to try making it myself. Because I could not stand on my feet for long after my operation, I knew rolling and kneading copious amounts of dough was out of the question. So I had to resort to store bought phyllo. Boy oh Boy! Did the dough give me a tough time! This was the first time I ever made Baklava or handled the store bought dough. The sheets just would not separate easily and I almost had a patchwork of sheets in my baking tray. But the end result was well worth the time and energy spent on it.

Most of this baklava was eaten by Latifs friends and one of them said that it was irresistible! Ah , music to a bakers ears! Before making the baklava I watched Alton Browns video from the Good Eats show and I I fell in love with that guy. He is so funny and explains so many things about the dish. As I did not make the phyllo from scratch I mixed and matched the given challenge recipe with Alton Browns recipe.

Check the Daring Bakers Website for the recipe and don't miss the great video of Alton Brown making baklava.
Switched On Baklava Part I
Switched On Baklava Part II

Happy Eating!!

Rainbow Baby Shower

2011-05-03T11:51:00.000+04:00

The Rainbow Banner with the Mommy-to-be's name

I am so excited to share this party with you guys as this was my first ever party as a host. I wanted to throw a baby shower for my cousin and since it is not something common in India I was a bit skeptical about asking her. But when I did she immediately agreed as she was really bored!! So I started planning and searching the Internet for inspiration and I found tonnes of it! I decided to go with a rainbow theme as it was easy to incorporate and there were so many rainbow parties on the net to get ideas from.

I wanted to try making a dessert table as it is something of a rage now and decided with some simple stuff like cake and cookies. I made the ruffle for the table using crepe paper and two sided tape based on an idea on the Hip Hooray blog.

I did all the baking at home and made all the decorations also at home. There was a lot of labor involved but in the end it was all worth it.

I made a rainbow cake using fruits which I had seen on I am Baker. I went with a box mix since I didn't have the time to search for a good recipe and try it out. I loved the concept and it was a hit with everyone except for the fact that the icing melted and the colors were see through!! I will post separately about the cake.

For the cupcakes I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe and divided the batter in two parts. With one I baked 12 cupcakes and with the other I baked a 9 inch round cake to be made into cake pops. The cupcakes were topped with chocolate ganache and they were absolutely amazing.

I made sugar cookies again and while I had a great idea in mind it didn't translate very well on the cookies. I used a glaze icing instead of royal because royal icing tastes so YUCK. My piping skills are hardly anything to brag about so I left the heart cookies bare which was a very good idea. They were really delicious and I packed them up in individual treat bags that I had on hand.

To make the cake pops I crumbled the entire cake and mixed half a can of chocolate frosting (again store bought to save time). I rolled them into 24 balls and dipped in white chocolate. I tried a new product this time called Dr. Oetkers Cake Covering and it is a good product for the price. Good quality white chocolate is just too expensive and too thick to get the results you want. So I am happy with this stuff. After dipping them in the chocolate I sprinkled crumbled cake on it which I took from each layer of the rainbow cake. So, I had four pops of each color of the rainbow. Unfortunately the heat got to my pops when I was transporting them to the venue (in an upright position), the coating melted and they fell off the sticks and lost their lovely looks.

Of course I was smart enough to NOT take photos of them the night before when I made them. After reaching her place I placed all of them upside down (hence the upside down rainbow) on a tray and put them in the fridge. They came out in one piece again but the coloring and looks were all gone :(

Fruit Kabobs - These were a hit with the children and I wish we had made more of them. We forgot the orange fruit (LOL!) but the idea was to create a rainbow on each stick.

Snacks - Since it was teatime we ordered snacks from outside. We got delicious Ragda Patties, Vegetable Grilled Sandwiches and Samosas with tea.

Games - We played two games - Guess the Baby Food and Guess the Chocolate in the Diaper. They were both super fun for me as I was watching every ones reactions to the faux poo!!

Favors - I picked up cute little favor bags from Tavola and we added candles and kisses for the women and chocolates for the kids in each bag. I made the rainbow printable and printed it out on card stock.

I also made the printables for the cake pops, place cards, bottle wrappers etc. If you would like the printables, please email me.
For the cupcakes I used free printables that I got from PaperGlitter.com They have a lovely set for a rainbow birthday party which can be found here.

All in all, it was a great party (if I may say so myself!) and I really enjoyed planning it. I am eagerly waiting for Latif to finish his graduation and then I'll throw him a big graduation party!!

Happy Eating!!

Southern Coconut Cake

2011-04-12T10:04:00.000+04:00

I made this cake some time back when we had guests over for dinner. Though it's a coconut cake, the coconut taste is only from the sweetened shredded coconut on top (yes, I colored mine pink and green). The cake itself doe not have a coconutty flavor and if you are looking for a more pronounced flavor then a dash of coconut extract would do the trick. Other than that the cake is fabulous. It is moist, soft and delicious. My only gripe was with the frosting as I thought it was way too sweet. This was the first time I made a cooked buttercream (with the sugar syrup and eggs) and although it tasted very good and a million times better than regular buttercream, the sugar quantity was too much. Next time I will surely reduce the sugar. I got to use my candy thermometer for the first time and it was so much fun watching the temperature rise to the correct stage :) The cleaning afterwards was anything but fun though!

I forgot to take a picture of the cake after I finished decorating it and this was the only piece left. I tinted the coconut into pink and red colors and made alternating stripes all around the cake. On the top I made a pink circle in the center followed by a green circle and another pink circle. It looked so pretty and now I am really sad that I didn't take a picture :(

Recipe Source - Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne Via Lulu The Baker

Ingredients - I halved the recipe and baked it in two 7 inch round pans.

For The Cake

1 Large Egg Plus One Large Egg White

1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 1/2 Cups Cake Flour

1 1/4 Cup Plus 1 1/3 Tbsp Sugar

2 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

For The Frosting

170 Gms (6 Ounces approx) Cream Cheese (Slightly Chilled)

1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Sift After Measuring)

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp Water

1 1/2 Egg Whites

For The Garnish

2 Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut

Bake The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Butter the bottoms of two 7 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

2. Put the egg and egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps.

4. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

5. Divide the batter among the pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

1. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. 2. Add the butter 1-2 Tablespoons at a time, mixing until smooth.
3. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and heat slowly, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring until the syrup reaches the softball stage, 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

5. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and have the mixer ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on medium low and begin mixing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites, taking care not to pour onto the beaters (it may splash). When all the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed on the mixer to medium high and beat the egg whites until the mixtures has cooled and stiff meringue forms.

6. With the mixer on low, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Assemble The Cake

1. Place one layer--flat side up--on a plate. Cover this layer with 1 cup of buttercream frosting. Spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded coconut on top.

2. Repeat with the next layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake and cover with the remaining coconut. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour to allow the frosting to firm up. . Remove one hour before serving. Store any remaining in refrigerator

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Pizza

2011-04-07T19:16:00.000+04:00

We had this fabulous pizza for dinner last night and everyone loved it. Hubby's friends were at home for dinner and even they gave it full marks. The recipe is from Eat Laugh Love, my partner for Taste and Create for the month of March. I know its a bit too late to be posting this but I didn't want to miss it.

I had made a similar pizza for the previous taste and create but the BBQ sauce was different from this recipe. I couldn't find liquid smoke and made a few changes in the sauce. Some great bad luck befell me and I added two teaspoons salt in the sauce thinking it was sugar (a mistake many people have done in my house as my salt and sugar containers are very similar and kept next to each other, LOL!). To rectify, I added some more tomato sauce and a whole lot of sugar. The end result was a very yummy sauce and I am glad I have frozen the rest of it for the future.

The Pizza dough is good and rises well. I mixed the whole thing by hand and kept it in the oven (switched off) to rise for one hour as I had time to spare.

Recipe Source - Eat Laugh Love

Ingredients

For The Pizza Toppings

BBQ Sauce (Recipe Below)

Sliced Mushrooms

Green Peppers

Onions

Mozzarella Cheese

Chicken (Cooked and tossed in the BBQ sauce, Chopped to 1/2 Inch pieces)

Oregano

Coriander Leaves

For the Pizza Dough - I got two crusts from this dough as I doubled the recipe.

2 Cups Whole-wheat Flour

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 1/2 Tsp Quick Rising Yeast (I used instant yeast)

2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Hot Water (120-130°F)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Sauce

1 Cup Tomato Sauce - I used 2 Cups

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onions

3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1 Tsp Chili Powder - I used two tsp.

1 Tsp Paprika - Omitted

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke - Omitted

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Cumin - I used cumin powder

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Oregano

1 Tsp Basil

Make The Dough

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the hot water and olive oil and knead till the dough comes together and forms a soft ball. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add more water if required.

2. Slightly oil the bottom and sides of the bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and swirl in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and keep aside to rise if using regular yeast.

3. If using rapid rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

Make The Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Cool sauce.

Top the Pizza and Bake

Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (about a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes, or as directed by your recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Water Park Cake

2011-04-04T10:04:00.000+04:00

I had a lot of fun making this cake and even more fun looking at the expressions of two little kids for whom I made this. (Please excuse the horrible pictures. My camera is acting weird and the real thing looked a million times better). This week my cousin left to India for good and I will really miss her. She was very close to me and we had spent the last three years together in Dubai. Her daughter had been asking for a water park cake for a long time and so I decided to make this for her as a farewell.

I saw the idea for this on the Woman's Day website and gathered all the ingredients. The entire cake is edible and finding candy that matches your theme is like finding gold. You can use all candy to decorate any cake and it looks so realistic.

The cake is a simple chocolate cake recipe that I love and the frosting is simply whipped cream with powdered sugar. I made piping gel (recipe below) successfully at home using gelatin and corn syrup. It tasted just like sweet syrup and looked so realistic in the swimming pool.

Here is how I made it -

Baked one recipe for a 9 X 13 inch cake in two pans. One 6 X 9 rectangle and one 7 inch round pan.

I cut the round cake and shaped it as a swimming pool (free hand). Using a fork I scooped out some of the cake to get a pool.

Both the cakes where chilled, crumb coated and chilled again.

Meanwhile I made the decorations. With royal icing I piped the shape of a ladder on wax paper and also two candy cane shapes and two small straight lines. The candy cane shapes and lines were late rejoined to make the steps that go in the pool.

I used liquid food color to paint the lines on the lifesaver rafts.

I added eyes on the teddy bears using nigella seeds (that was the smallest black seed I could find!)

After both the cakes where chilled, I placed the small pool on one edge of the rectangle and finished icing both the cakes. The remaining whipped cream was tinted blue and I piped small stars on the entire edge with a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle.

To make the slide I used a striped sour belt candy and cupcakes. The cupcakes were trimmed, stacked and frosted using chocolate icing. The belt was then placed on it to look like a double bump slide. There were two stacks of cupcakes to give the bumpy effect. I then filled the pool with the piping gel (frost the bottom of the pool with cream first to prevent the gel from seeping into the cake).

Place all the teddy bears and lifesavers around the pool and one on top of the slide. Fix the ladder and the steps at the end. Decorate with any remaining candy (I used Mn M's and fish shaped candy)

Recipe for Piping Gel

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Unflavored Gelatin

1 Cup Corn Syrup

1 Tbsp Cold Water

1. Sprinkle the gelatin on the cold water and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Heat the gelatin till it dissolves (On very low heat, do not let it boil)

3. Add the corn syrup once the gelatin has dissolved and heat thoroughly for few minutes.

4. Remove from heat and cool completely.

5. Store in a cool place (Keeps for two months)

Daring Bakers March 2011 - Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

2011-03-27T10:40:00.000+04:00

So, my last post was on March 1st and today is the 27th. And I don't even have a freakin picture to go with my post!! What happened to me??? I have been so busy at work and home lately that my baking has taken a backseat and I am almost ashamed to admit it but I am really lazy to take pics of the stuff I do manage to make. Case in point was the yeasted coffee cake I made for this months daring baker's challenge.

Blog-checking lines: The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

This was a new type of cake for me to try and even though my results where not that great (I baked mine for a little too long) I could totally see that it was a yummy recipe. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture and the whole thing was finished in a day! I made only one wreath as I had halved the recipe and it was more than enough for the two of us. I whipped up a fabulous meringue (my egg whites where so stiff and shiny!!) and added lots of cinnamon and chocolate and loved everything about it. (I made Jamie's version). I wanted to make one more to photograph it but didn't get the time. One thing I would change the next time though would be the shape as I struggled to get a nice wreath shape and mine looked all flat and weird. Probably a loaf or something. I will leave you with the recipe as given to us and prepare for my next challenge. Which I will surely photograph!

Ingredients

For The Yeast Coffee Cake Dough
4 Cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) Flour
1/4 Cup (55 g / 2 oz.) Sugar
3/4 Tsp (5 g / ¼ oz.) Salt
1 Packet (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) Active Dried Yeast
3/4 Cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) Whole Milk
1/4 Cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. Water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
1/2 Cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
For The Meringue
3 Large Egg Whites (Room Temperature)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup (110 g / 4 oz.) Sugar

For The Filling
1 Cup (110 g / 4 oz.) Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (30 g / 1 oz.)
1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon - I used 1 Tsp
1 Cup (170 g / 6 oz.) Semisweet Chocolate Chips or Coarsely Chopped Chocolate

For The Egg Wash

1 Beaten Egg

Prepare The Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.

3. With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

5. Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare Your Filling

1. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, nuts, chocolate and sugar for the filling.

Make The Meringue (Once the dough has doubled)

1. In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble The Coffee Cakes

1. Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).

3. Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

4. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

5. Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings. Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

7. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.

8. Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

2011-03-01T22:19:00.000+04:00

Hello everybody, meet my new favorite cupcake! You already know about my love for apples, so it should not be a surprise that when I saw these on Annie's Eats it was love at first sight. Last weekend I finally got a chance to make them and boy oh boy, what a cupcake! The vanilla cake is so good on its own I think I have my new go to recipe for vanilla cake. Combine that with the apple filling and I was in heaven. My only gripe about this was the buttercream. I really don't like buttercream and never make it for any cake. I always use my favorite whipped cream frosting but somehow I decided to give it a try this time. Big mistake as I should have known better. Apple pie is served with whipped cream right? Duh!! Anyways, everyone else didn't seem to mind the cream and were happy with it. But next time I am piling on the whipped cream baby!

Recipe Source - Given as is from Annie's Eats adapted from Fatty Fats Fat

Ingredients

For The Cupcakes
3 Cups Sifted Cake Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup (2 Sticks/200 Gms) Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Milk
For The Apple Filling
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tsp Cinnamon
2-3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Large Apples (peeled, cored and diced)
For Decorating
Whipped Cream

Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

5. Add the vanilla extract and mix well to combine.

6. Add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make the apple filling

Heat the butter a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon and sugar and cook for a minute, until the mixture begins to bubble. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the apples. Mix well.

Cook until the apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

While the apple mixture is cooling, use the cone method to remove a chunk from the center of each cupcake, making sure to leave a rim around the top of the cupcake. Fill the holes with the cooled apple mixture. To decorate, top each cupcake with a swirl of whipped cream.

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers Feb 2011 - Mango Panna Cotta and Florentines

2011-02-27T09:13:00.000+04:00

Blog Checking Lines: The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

For this months challenge we had to make two things that were complete opposites. Soft, smooth and silky panna cotta with crispy, crunchy Florentines. While I have eaten panna cotta once before I had never even heard of Florentines. Whenever we have a challenge to make something I have not eaten before I feel a little lost as I have nothing to compare my results against. Though my cookies tasted good they did not spread out into thin discs. I guess I was supposed to flatten them with a spoon before putting them in the oven. I made only a quarter of the recipe and loved the cookies.

The panna cotta was very easy and straightforward to make. I replaced the honey and added mango pulp to make mango panna cotta and added a layer of mango jelly which I made using the pulp and gelatin. I reduced the recipe by a third because I didn't want to have so much of the creamy stuff to tempt me and still got 4 servings. I loved the taste of it but hubby was not a big fan. He wanted more of a mango punch and I ended up eating all four servings! (Over a few days mind you).

Recipe Source - Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients - 1/3 of the Original Recipe with my changes in Red

1/3 Cup Whole Milk (80 ml)

1 Tsp (5 ml) Unflavored Powdered Gelatin

1 Cup (240 ml) Whipping Cream (30+% butterfat)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) Honey - I used 4 Tbsp Mango Pulp

1 Tsp (5 ml) Granulated Sugar - I used 2 Tsp

Pinch of Salt

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.

2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).

3. Next, add the cream, honey (I added the mango pulp after the sugar), sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.

5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

Nestle Florentine Cookies

2/3 Cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) Unsalted Butter

2 Cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) Quick Oats

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) All Purpose Flour (Maida)
1/4 cup (60 ml) Dark Corn Syrup - I used Lyle's Golden Syrup
1/4 Cup (60 ml) Whole Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
1½ Cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) Dark or Milk Chocolate - Prefer Semi Sweet as the cookies are quite sweet

1. Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.

3. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula. (Flatten well as mine didn't spread on their own)

4. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

5. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).

6. Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).

7. Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

Happy Eating!!

Neapolitan Layer Cake

2011-02-21T22:44:00.000+04:00

This Feb 14th Latif and I completed three blissful years of marriage and to celebrate the day I wanted to try a new cake recipe and also try my hand at decorating. I had seen two beautiful cakes on I Am Baker and Annie's Eats and this is what I came up with. Not bad for a first try huh? Actually the frosting work on the sides was awful but it tasted great and that's all that matters right? That's what I keep saying to myself!

The various recipes are very easy to prepare and can be done one by one without too much hassle. It basically consists of three cakes of different flavors (vanilla, Chocolate and strawberry) which are torted and assembled to make one big 6 layer cake. The layers are kept together with jam and frosted with buttercream. since I am not a big fan f the stuff I frosted mine with whipped cream. I tried my hand at making stabilized whipped cream and loved the strawberry whipped cream a lot. It was so yum I could have eaten it by the spoonful. The only thing I would change next time would be to add a little bit of whipped cream mixed with the strawberry jam between each layer to keep them moist as I thought my layers were a little hard (this was also because this cake had to be kept in the fridge at all times due to the whipped cream frosting.)

The strawberry cake tasted really good and is a big keeper. The chocolate cake recipe is from Ina Garten and is also one of my favorite recipes.

Recipe Source - Annie's Eats and Sweetapolita

Ingredients

For The Chocolate Cake
3/4 Cup plus 2 tbsp. All-purpose flour

6 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Vegetable Or Canola Oil

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup Black Coffee

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

For The White Cake

2 Large Egg Whites

1 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Sugar

8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)

3/4 Cup Very Cold Water

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Tsp Almond Extract

For The Strawberry Cake

1 1/4 Cups Plus 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 oz. (42.4 Gms) Strawberry Gelatin (Strawberry Jelly/Jell-O)

8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature

2 Large Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

11/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Sweetened Strawberry Puree*

For The Filling

Whipped Cream mixed with Strawberry Jam or plain strawberry jam.

For The Whipped Cream and Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream (Divided)
1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Unflavored Gelatin

1 Tbsp Strawberry Gelatin

2 Tbsp Cold Water

*To make the strawberry puree, process partially thawed frozen strawberries with a bit of sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. If using sweetened frozen strawberries, no additional sugar is necessary.

Make The Chocolate Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) Butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

4.With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.

5. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Make The White Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) Butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside.

4. In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

5. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated.

6. With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Make The Strawberry Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) Butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.

3. Combine the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated. Blend in the milk and vanilla extract. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Blend in the strawberry puree.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Assemble The Cake

Torte each of the cake layers horizontally into two thin halves. Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter. Top with a very thin layer of the whipped cream or strawberry jam. Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top. Again, cover with a thin layer of cream or strawberry jam. Top with a layer of the white cake. Cover with a thin layer of the cream or strawberry jam. Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream (see below). Decorate with the strawberry whipped cream (see below).

Make The Whipped Cream and Strawberry Whipped Cream

Whipped Cream - Thoroughly chill the bowl of your electric mixer, the beaters and the cream. Place one cup of the heavy cream in the bowl of your stand mixer (or any steel bowl - make sure it is chilled). Whip the cream till it is thickened. Add the powdered sugar and whip till soft peaks form. Crumb coat the sides and top of cake. Place in fridge for 15 minutes. Remove and frost completely with remaining whipped cream.

Strawberry Whipped Cream - Pour the cold water in a small saucepan and sprinkle both the gelatins over it. Keep for five minutes till the gelatin softens. Heat the pan over low heat till the gelatin is melted (do not bring to boil.) Keep aside to cool.

Whip the remaining 1 cup cream till soft peaks form. Add the cooled gelatin (make sure its not set) and whip till stiff peaks are formed. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with a 1 M tip. Pipe roses all over the top and sides. (See I Am Baker for the tutorial)

Happy Eating!!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2011-02-15T07:43:00.000+04:00

I cannot call this cake by it's real name because there is no sour cream in it. Well, the original cake does have it but I was out of sour cream (not that I ever have it in my fridge) and I didn't want to buy a tub for this. Instead I used plain old yogurt and still got excellent results if I may say so myself. I made this cake to take to work and it was gone in 10 minutes flat! It is a very easy cake to make and definitely a crowd pleaser. I made mine in a 9X13 Inch dish as I didn't have a tube pan and this baked in 45 minutes. Many reviewers had recommended doubling the streusel recipe and that's what I did. I have used the same streusel recipe before in my banana cake and always love it. This is one of my favorite cakes and I will be making this again and again!

Recipe Source - Barefoot Contessa Via Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients - My changes in red

12 Tablespoons (11/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter At Room Temperature
11/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
3 Extra-Large Eggs At Room Temperature - I used 4 large Eggs
11/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1¼ Cups Sour Cream - I used equal amount full cream yogurt
21/2 Cups Cake Flour (Not Self-Rising)
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
For The Streusel: I doubled the quantities below
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
11/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Pieces
3/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts, Optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. I used a 9X13 inch pan

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, and then add the vanilla and sour cream.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

4. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

5. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

6. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.

Happy Eating!!

Celebrating a 100th Post with Marshmallow Fondant!

2011-02-08T10:41:00.000+04:00

My 100th post! Can you believe it? It's already been a year since I started blogging and now I have reached the century mark. I started this blog on a whim, on a lazy day. I am an avid blog reader and seeing so much good food everyday I was itching to share what I made with someone other than my hubby and sisters. So, I googled "how to start a blog" and voila! There I was with my spanky new blog with nothing to write. I thought a lot about what to write as my first post and finally wrote whatever flew from the top of my head. A 100 posts later I am so glad I did this.

Compare my pixie looking Ben 10 with the original below. LOL!

To celebrate my 100th post I decided to tackle something completely new to me. Fondant! I have never eaten fondant in my life and from what I have heard, the stuff tastes awful. But, they say, Marshmallow Fondant is something completely different and nice. Of course it doesn't have the same properties as regular fondant, but as long as I am able to cover cakes and decorate I am happy. There are a lot (and I mean a lot!) of tutorials out there for this and I have listed some of them below. Please check out Peggy Weavers page as there is a lot of detailed info and pictures on the subject and this helped me a lot. I made a Ben 10 cake for my nephew's birthday and I am happy with the results even though there were a lot of mistakes. I know the cake looks very amateurish but this was my first attempt and I was not sure what would be the end result. I just wish I had those Americolor food markers with thin tips. I ordered mine from ebay (Wilton) as we don't get them in Dubai and the tips are quite fat. I made this in my cousins kitchen and didn't have access to all my stuff so I had to improvise on a few things (the hair is colored brown with cocoa powder).
BTW I hate marshmallows. They have this weird texture and feel slimey in my mouth. But this fondant tastes nice and not sticky!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Peggy Weaver's Baking Corner

Ingredients - Makes enough to cover and decorate a 9X13 inch cake

250 Gms Mini Marshmallows (Use a good quality brand)
1 Tbsp Water
450 Gms Icing Sugar
1/2 Tsp Clear Vanilla Essence
1/2 Cup Shortening

1. Grease a large microwave-safe bowl, the bowl of the stand mixer, a spoon, and the dough hook generously with the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl on the counter so that it is easily accessible.

2. Put the marshmallows and water in the greased microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Remove and stir with the greased spoon. Microwave again for 30 seconds till all of them are fully melted.

Add the vanilla essence to the bowl. If you want only one coloured fondant you can add the food colour at this stage.

3. Keep aside about 1 cup of the icing sugar and add the rest to the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the salt. Create a well in the center. Pour the melted marshmallow into the well and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. When the mixer sounds strained, turn the speed up one setting. Turn off the mixer once all the sugar has been incorporated. If the fondant is sticky, add the reserved sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it is no longer sticky.
4. Grease the counter and your hands with shortening. Pour out the contents of the mixer bowl and knead till the fondant becomes a smooth dough adding more sugar if needed.

Grease the outside of the fondant ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a Ziploc bag and let it rest overnight.

To Use Fondant

When ready to use, microwave for 10 - 20 seconds to soften and divide in portions as desired. Colour as needed and keep the unused fondant covered in plastic wrap.

Generously sprinkle cornflour on counter and roll out dough to 1/8th of an inch. Make cut outs or cover cake fully, just have fun with it!

Useful links

Bake at 350

Annie's Eats

Happy Eating!

Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse Cake

2011-01-30T09:10:00.001+04:00

This is a rich cake. Eat slowly. Or you will repent. Not that I did! I made this entremet (oh what a fancy word!) as a part of this months Daring Bakers challenge and everyone loved it. This cake has three parts - A flourless chocolate cake, topped with chocolate hazelnut mousse and white chocolate whipped cream. The cake for the bottom layer doesn't take too much time and is very easy to prepare. Only thing was that I found it a little too bitter as I used a 70% dark chocolate, so next time I will use semi sweet (change given below). The hazelnut mousse requires something more to increase the hazelnut taste as mine was completely over powered with the chocolate in the nutella. Most of the reviewers added Frangelico but as I don't take alcohol, that was out. The original recipe has a chocolate mousse in the middle but I made the hazelnut mousse instead. This dessert can be made without the jaconde.

Update - I am linking this to Sweet As Sugar Cookies Linky Party.

Recipe Source - Adapted from Cook's Illustrated (November 1, 2009) via I am Baker and Gourmet (February 2006) via Epicurious

Ingredients

Bottom Layer - Flour less Chocolate Cake

6 Tbsp (3/4 Stick) Unsalted Butter (cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan)

198 Grams (7 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate (Chopped Fine)

3/4 Tsp Instant Espresso Powder
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

4 Large Eggs, Separated

Pinch of Salt

1/3 Cup Packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) Light Brown Sugar (Crumbled with fingers to remove lumps)

Middle Layer - Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

1 1/2 Tsp Unflavored Gelatin

4 1/2 Tbsp Cold Water

1 Cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (E.g. Nutella)

1 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese (E.g Philadelphia)

3 Cups Chilled Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

4 1/2 Tbsp Sugar

Top Layer - White Chocolate Whipped Cream

1/2 Tsp Powdered Gelatin

1 Tbsp Water

100 Gms (Approx 3.5 ounces) White Chocolate (Chopped)

3/4 Cups Cold Heavy Cream

Make The Bottom Layer

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 165 degrees C (325 degrees F). Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch spring form pan. Place parchment paper on the bottom only (cut to fit the bottom).

2. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth (I melted mine in the microwave) Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.

3. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared spring form pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.

4. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Remove cake from pan and add the jaconde imprime to the spring form side if using. Place the cake back on the base, add the spring form side and snap shut. (If not using the jaconde, do not remove cake from the pan and continue with next step).

Make The Middle Layer - Prepare after bottom layer has cooled completely

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is melted, about 2 minutes.

2. Whisk in chocolate hazelnut spread until combined and remove from heat.

3. Whisk together cheese and chocolate hazelnut mixture in a large bowl.

4. Beat together cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in another large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until cream just holds soft peaks. Whisk one third of whipped cream into cheese mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream until well combined.

5. Spoon filling onto cake base in pan, gently smoothing top, then chill, covered, at least 3 hours.

Make the Top Layer - Prepare after middle layer has set.

1. In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes.

2. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring 1/4 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).

3. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining 1/2 cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain.

4. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer (make sure middle layer has set). Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours. Unmold and serve. Cake should be served cold as it melts if kept out for too long.

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers Jan 2011 - Biscuit Jaconde Imprime

2011-01-27T07:38:00.000+04:00

Jaconde what? That's what my first reaction was when I read this months DB challenge. This was something completely new to me and looked mighty difficult. However, after going through the recipe and seeing what some of the bakers made I decided to tackle it early on in the month. Since my parents and husband were both leaving to India, I made this as a good-bye treat. The imprime is the outer sponge of the dessert you can see in the picture.

Blog-checking lines: The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

I had great fun making this dessert and even though it is time consuming (three days), the ooh's and aah's make it all worth it. I spread the entire thing over three days as I didn't want to burden myself and things went very smoothly. I made a butterfly design with the decor paste (coloured pink and blue) and halved the sponge recipe. I ended up with a little less sponge and had to improvise with cut up pieces of the cake.

This is the order that I used to make the recipe

Make the decor paste

Make the design and freeze the paste on the tray

Make the sponge batter

Pour batter over frozen paste and bake

Cut and assemble.

Recipe - Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste (Makes Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan) I made 1/3 this recipe

Ingredients

14 Tbsp/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

1 1/2 Cups + 1 1/2 Tbsp/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) Sugar

7 Large Egg Whites - About 7 oz / 200g

1 3/4 Cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g Cake Flour

Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)

2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.

3. Fold in sifted flour.

4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern

1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan. - I poured the paste into a pastry bag and drew the butterflies on parchment paper kept over a baking tray. Make sure your baking tray does not warp in the oven.

2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.

3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes - It took around 30 mins for me.

Joconde Sponge (Makes Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan) - I halved this recipe

Ingredients

3/4 Cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g Almond Flour/Meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter

1/2 Cup Plus 2 Tbsp/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g Confectioners' (icing) Sugar

1/4 Cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g Cake Flour (1 Cup Cake Flour = 3/4 Cup All purpose flour + 2 Tbsp Cornflour)

3 Large Eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g

3 Large Egg Whites - About 3 oz/ 90g

2 1/2 Tsp/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g White Granulate Sugar or Superfine Sugar

2 Tbsp/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g Unsalted Butter (Melted)

1.Pre heat oven to 475ºF /250ºC

2. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.

3. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)

4. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )

5. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.

6. Fold in melted butter.

Getting Ready to Bake

1. Remove the patterned tray from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

2. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 10 - 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.

Assemble The Entremet

1. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.

2. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

3. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.

4. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold (mine was a 9 Inch spring form pan). This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.

5. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)

6. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.

7. The mold is done, and ready to fill.

I will post separately on what I filled inside my mold.

Happy Eating!!

Russian Honey Cake - Medovyi Pirog

2011-01-13T15:03:00.000+04:00

After a year of searching through the world wide web, I have successfully found it! What, you may ask. This recipe of course! Here is the background story. One day, my colleague bought this unusual looking cake to work. I had a piece and fell in love. It was so different and yet so tasty. I asked her for the recipe but as she had not made it she could not give it to me. I quickly logged onto the net and started searching for a Russian Honey Cake as I was told that was its name and it was famous in this part of the world. Well, my search revealed only two results and I was not sure if the outcome would be the same. Fast forward to a year later, and I ate the cake again. This time however, my search revealed a lot of results and I even got a recipe with pictures! Yay! I quickly went home and made the cake and got the exact same taste as I remembered. The simple ingredients morph into a fantastic taste and this is a great cake to serve to company.

This cake takes some to make, but it is very easy. you need to make the dough which takes like 5 minutes. Cool it and roll it out. Cut into shapes and bake. What you need to make sure is to stand near the oven like a hawk and keep an eye on these babies. They bake so quickly that you wont have time for anything else. I lost two precious layers to my negligence :( I halved the original recipe and still got a good cake to serve 5 - 6 people.

Recipe Source - Food.com

Ingredients - Makes approx. 15 layers of 8 inch each.

For the Cake Layers
2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tbsp Liquid Honey
100 Gms (1/2 Cup/8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter
2 Cups All Purpose Flour

For the Filling and Topping
750 Gms Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Honey
1/2 Cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut (Optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Beat eggs well with sugar; add baking soda and liquid honey (warm).

3. Melt the margarine/butter in a pot over low flame; and add the above mixture (margarine should not be too hot).

4. Keeping the heat on low, add the flour a little at a time. Keep mixing until the mass is without lumps. (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.

5. Take a big piece of dough, roll into a ball and dip the dough in flour. Place on parchment paper and roll into a very thin layer. (1-2mm). Using a round cutter (I used my saucepan lids-use something of minimum 8 inches in diameter) cut a circle as round as possible.

7. To start, roll out at least 4 circles and place on separate parchment sheets. Place each circle in the oven and bake 180°C for 2-4 minutes (You can do two at a time or one by one) or until golden brown in colour; repeat with remaining dough and allow to cool before assembling. (Watch the cakes very carefully as they are done quickly and burn easily).

Make the Filling

Beat the sour cream, sugar and honey until the sugar dissolves-the mixture will still be fairly liquid.

Assemble The Cake

1.Take two cake layers (Use the most imperfect ones) and grind to make cake crumbs in the food processor. Keep aside.

2. Place one cake layer on a flat plate and add a generous layer of cream. Repeat till all the cake layers are finished. Coat the entire cake with the remaining cream.

3. Cover completely with the cake crumbs. Top with sweetened coconut if using.

4. Place in fridge and allow to set at least 6 hours before eating.

Happy Eating!!

Dahi Vada

2011-01-09T21:51:00.000+04:00

Last Saturday was a cooking marathon in my house as we were having guests for tea. As any Indian would know, having guests for tea time in India is big work. You see, you cannot offer them just tea and biscuits and have polite chit chat. There is major work involved here which means laborious time spent in the kitchen and cleaning the house top to bottom. Especially if these are first time visitors. The same thing happened here and I was dead by the end of the night. Thankfully my mom was there to help me and we shared the work between us. She made the Gajar Ka Halwa and Masala Aloo, while I made the Chicken Patties and Dahi Vada. Everything turned out good and I was ready for my guests at 4 p.m only to learn that would not be arriving until 7 pm!! Grrr...

Making Dahi vada at home is very easy.. It may look like too much work but its done quickly and you have a big quantity of food for a little time and effort.

Recipe - From Everybunny Loves Food

Ingredients

1 Cup Urad Dal
A Pinch of Salt
Oil for Frying
4 Cups Thick Yogurt (Divided)
Sugar As Per Taste
Salt To Taste
Dahi Vada Chaat Masala or Coarsely ground Cumin (Jeera) and Coriander Seed (Dhanya) Powder
Tamarind Chutney (Recipe Below)
Water

1. Wash and soak the urad dal for 4 hours or overnight. Drain the water and grind coarsely with salt to taste. Try to add as little water as possible. The batter should be thick.

2. Heat the oil in a kadai (or a deep bottom vessel) and keep on medium flame till the oil is ready.

(Add a drop of the batter and if it rises slowly to the top the oil is ready to fry. If it rises too quickly lower the heat and if it does not rise at all increase the flame.)

3. While the oil is heating, fill a big bowl (3/4 of the way) with room temperature water and keep next to the gas.

4. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into the hot oil. Make sure there is some space between each vada to prevent sticking.

Gently turn the vadas after 2 minutes and cook till light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and put directly into the bowl of water.

5. Once all the vadas are fried and soaked in the water, remove them and squeeze gently to remove the water. Place in a deep serving dish or bowl and keep aside.

6. Take two cups of yogurt and mix with 1 cup water and mix till smooth. Pour over the vadas and refrigerate for 3 hours. (This step is crucial for the vadas to soak the yogurt and become moist.)

7. Mix the remaining yogurt with the sugar and a pinch of salt.

Take the vadas out of the fridge before serving and pour the sweetened yogurt over them. Add tamarind chutney, red chili powder and dahi vada chaat masala. Serve Cold.

Tamarind (Imli) Chutney Recipe

1/4 Cup Tamarind (Imli)
1 Cup Dates (pitted and soaked in water)
1/4 Cup Jaggery (Gud - Chopped in small pieces)
2 Tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
Salt To Taste

Soak the tamarind in some water and remove all the pulp. Discard the waste. Grind the dates to a paste with some water and bring to boil over the flame. Add the tamarind pulp. Add the jaggery, chili powder, cumin powder, salt, garam masala and mix well.

Cook again on medium flame till jaggery dissolves completely and the chutney gets semi thick. Cool completely and refrigerate in an air tight container. If your fridge had good cooling the chutney will last upto 2 -3 weeks.

Note * - If you do not get ready made dahi wada masala use coarsely ground cumin (Zeera) and coriander seed (Dhanya) powder.

Happy Eating!!

A Happy New Year And A Happy Breakfast

2011-01-02T15:35:00.000+04:00

Wishing all my readers (yes, all three of you) a very happy new year!! I can't believe it's already been a year since I started blogging. And what a year it was. This last year was full of ups and downs for us and for the most part of it, it was a great year. I learnt a lot of new things in the kitchen and came out of my comfort zone. I joined the daring bakers, learnt how to make bread at home, made my own sugar cookies (and decorated with royal icing!!!), decorated a cake and even made cupcake pops! There is still so much more to learn and do and I really wish that I can pursue this passion of mine. So what are the things that I want to do this year? Let me list them down (in no particular order) Mind you, these are not any resolutions but just stuff I would like to do-

1. Learn swimming - seriously, its high time I know how to swim.

2. Get pregnant - Why do the virgins on T.V always get pregnant on their first time? No one tells us what hard work this is!!

3. Take up a cake decorating course - Any sponsors??

4. Lose weight - O.K. I know I said this last year as well, but I did manage to join the gym and lose a good 7 kgs. BUT. I stopped going and nothing has been the same since :(

5. Visit a new country - hubby and I have been planning this since forever but we never make it out of here.

6. Pray more - I have complete faith but when it comes to practice I am LAZY. If I don't want to reach hell I need to act fast!

7. Clean my house more often - Or better yet, get a maid! ha ha. (Hubby, are you listening?)

8. Make Marshmallow Fondant - Hello Crisco and mini marshmallows lying in my cupboards!

9. Learn to make better lists - I know this one is damn boring.

10 . Stop boring readers - No more lists, I promise!

Well that was my pretty boring list. What is not boring is this Stuffed French Toast. A great way to jazz up that plain morning breakfast. Instead of using french bread I used half of the Stollen that I had made for daring bakers. It was yummy! But I will make a few changes to it the next time I make it. Here is the recipe

Recipe Source - Given as is from Tasty Kitchen by Manda2177 with my notes in red.

Ingredients - Makes 6 Servings

1 Loaf French Bread - I used the stollen.
3 Tbsp Any Flavor Fruit Spread (You Can Also Use Jelly, Jam, Or Fresh Fruit)
1/2 Package Cream Cheese (100 Gms), At Room Temperature - Next time I will reduce this amount as it was too tangy for me
2 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon - Omitted this since the stollen already had cinnamon.
1/2 Cups Skim Milk
2 Tbsp Butter
Golden Syrup for serving

1. Heat skillet or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees.

2. Cut french bread into 2 inch wide slices. Then, with a paring knife, go back and cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

3. In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice. (I used mixed fruit jam.) Combine well.

4. In a separate bowl, break 2 eggs; add cinnamon and milk and combine well.

5. Now, take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. Place on a baking sheet.

6. When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered. Do all pieces before starting to fry.

7. Put 2 tbsp (you can use less!) of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add all of the bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

Serve hot with golden syrup or maple syrup.

Happy Eating!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins

2010-12-29T10:44:00.000+04:00

So, what is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? Is it just the absence of frosting in one? Or the excuse to eat dessert for breakfast? Whatever the difference, cake is cake. And these muffins are just right to eat any time of the day. The combination of chocolate chips and banana is something that I have already tried before with a cake, but adding coffee to it was something new. However, I could not taste any coffee even though I added double than the quantity called for! Hmm, maybe it's just that my taste buds can only detect chocolate and forget everything else!

Recipe Source - Annie's Eats

Ingredients - This recipe is for 12 Muffins but I got 12 regular plus 8 mini muffins

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp Espresso Powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Very Ripe Bananas (Mashed - approx 4 Large Bananas)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar (Firmly Packed)
8 Tbsp (1/2 Cup/100 Gms) Unsalted Butter (Melted)
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Large Egg
1/3 Cup Mascarpone or Cream Cheese (At Room Temperature)
1 Cup Dark or Semisweet Chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the mashed bananas, sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk, egg and cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and

mix on low speed just until incorporated. Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Happy Eating!!

Daring Bakers - A Stollen For December

2010-12-26T12:23:00.000+04:00

This months challenge was something completely new to me, both in terms of eating and making. Prior to this I had never heard of a stollen before and when I read its description, I was a bit put off because of the raisins. I absolutely hate fruit cake or anything with dried fruit in it and thought that I would have to skip this challenge. But then I saw a lot of variations on the recipe and decided to just remove the raisins and continue with the recipe.

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. Candied orange peel and candied citrus is often also added. It is a very traditional German Christmas bread and the traditional shape is that of a loaf that was originally meant to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. For this challenge we were asked to make the stollen in a wreath shape.
The recipe and instructions were pretty straightforward and I had absolutely no trouble with it. Well, except the part where the stollen baked into a huge wreath and I couldn't even carry it! It is a nice bread which tastes great toasted with butter. I will make a stuffed french toast with half the bread this weekend.

Stollen Wreath Recipe - Given as I made it, for the original recipe, pictures and more helpful hints check here.

Ingredients - Makes one large wreath or two traditional shaped Stollen loaves. Serves 10-12 people

1/4 Cup (60ml) Lukewarm Water (110º F / 43º C)

2 Packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) (22 ml) (14 grams) (1/2 oz) Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup (240 ml) Milk

10 Tbsp (150 ml) (140 grams) Unsalted Butter (Can use salted butter)

5 1/2 Cups (1320 ml) (27 ozs) (770 grams) All-purpose (plain) Flour (Measure flour first - then sift- plus extra for dusting)

1/2 Cup (120 ml) (115 gms) Sugar

3/4 Tsp (3 ¾ ml) (4 ½ grams) Salt (if using salted butter there is no need to alter this salt measurement)

1 Tsp (5 ml) (6 grams) Cinnamon

3 Large Eggs (lightly beaten)

Grated Zest of 1 Lemon and 1 Orange

2 Tsp (10 ml) (very good) Vanilla Extract

1 cup (240 ml) (3 ½ ozs) (100 grams) flaked almonds

1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Melted Unsalted Butter for coating the wreath

Confectioners’ (icing) (powdered) Sugar for dusting wreath

Make The Dough

1. Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water into a small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and let stand 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast completely.

2. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 ml) milk and 10 tablespoons (150 ml) butter over medium - low heat until butter is melted. Let stand until lukewarm, about 5 minutes.

3. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl and the vanilla extract.

4. In a large mixing bowl (4 qt) (4 liters) (or in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment), stir together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange and lemon zests.

5. Then stir in (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) the yeast/water mixture, eggs and the lukewarm milk/butter mixture. This should take about 2 minutes. It should be a soft, but not sticky ball. When the dough comes together, cover the bowl with either plastic or a tea cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Add in the almonds and coconut and mix with your hands or on low speed to incorporate.

7. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing with the dough hook) to distribute the add-ins evenly, adding additional flour if needed. The dough should be soft and satiny, tacky but not sticky. Knead for approximately 8 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The full six minutes of kneading is needed to make the dough have a reasonable bread-dough consistency.

8. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

9. Put it in the fridge overnight. The dough becomes very firm in the fridge (since the butter goes firm) but it does rise slowly… the raw dough can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week and then baked on the day you want.

Shaping the Dough and Baking the Wreath

1. Remove dough from the fridge and let it rest for 2 hours in order to warm slightly.

2. Punch dough down, roll into a rectangle about 16 x 24 inches (40 x 61 cms) and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.

3. Starting with a long side, roll up tightly, forming a long, thin cylinder.

4. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

5. Transfer the cylinder roll to the sheet pan. Join the ends together, trying to overlap the layers to make the seam stronger and pinch with your fingers to make it stick, forming a large circle. You can form it around a bowl to keep the shape.

6. Using kitchen scissors, make cuts along outside of circle, in 2-inch (5 cm) intervals, cutting 2/3 of the way through the dough.

7. Twist each segment outward, forming a wreath shape. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

8. Proof for approximately 2 hours at room temperature, or until about 1½ times its original size.

9. Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

10. Bake the stollen for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The bread will bake to a dark mahogany color, should register 190°F/88°C in the center of the loaf, and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

11. Transfer to a cooling rack and brush the top with melted butter while still hot. Immediately tap a layer of powdered sugar over the top through a sieve or sifter. Wait for 1 minute, then tap another layer over the first.

The bread should be coated generously with the powdered sugar.

Let cool at least an hour before serving. Coat the stollen in butter and icing sugar three times, since this many coatings helps keeps the stollen fresh.

When completely cool, store in a plastic bag. Or leave it out uncovered overnight to dry out slightly, German style.

Happy Eating!!

Black and White Chocolate Cake

2010-12-20T09:43:00.000+04:00

Latif celebrated his birthday on the 18th and this was a great day for me as I got to try a new cake recipe! (I think I was more excited than he was). I had been wanting to make this cake for a long time but couldn't justify the effort and time involved. But when his birthday came I knew exactly what I was going to make. This recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Though I don't have the book, the recipe is on a lot of blogs thanks to the group Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD).

I absolutely loved this cake. The dark chocolate cream is amazing and I could just eat it by the spoonful. The whole thing was actually very easy to make as I prepared the various components one day and assembled the whole thing the next day. I halved the entire recipe and made a 7 inch cake (I didn't have a 6 inch pan) Next time I will make the whole thing as it is a great cake. Check Brown Eyed Baker for the full recipe and baking instructions.

Be extra careful while whipping the white chocolate cream as even a little too much can cause it to spoil. I read a lot of blogs before attempting this so I knew exactly when to stop and got perfect results. However, after sitting in the fridge my whipped cream became a little too thick and so I thinned it a little by adding more heavy cream and stirring gently with a spatula. Use good quality chocolate here (I used Lindt) as it does make a difference in the taste.

Recipe Source - Baking: From My Home to Yours via BrownEyedBaker

Ingredients - Makes One 6 Inch Cake - Serves 5-6.

For The Cake

1 Cup Cake Flour - Used 3/4 Cup All purpose flour + 2 Tbsp Cornflour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Baking Soda

1/8 Tsp Salt

1/2 Stick Plus 2 Tbsp (5 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Large Eggs (To get half an egg, Crack open the egg in a small measuring cup and whisk with a fork. Check the quantity and take exactly half of it)

1/2 of a Large Egg Yolk

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

6 Tbsp Buttermilk - Used the milk and lemon juice substitute

For the Dark Chocolate Cream

1 Cup Whole Milk

2 Large Egg Yolks

3 Tbsp Sugar - Used 5 Tbsp

1 1/2 Tbsp Cornflour/Cornstarch, Sifted

1/8 Tsp Salt

3.5 ounces (99.2 Gms) Bittersweet Chocolate, Melted

1 1/4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Cut into 5 pieces, at room temperature

For The White Chocolate Whipped Cream

3 ounces (85 Gms) Premium-quality White Chocolate (Such as Valrhona Ivoire or Guittard), finely chopped

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Chocolate shavings or curls, dark or white or a combination, for decoration (optional)

Getting Ready

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 6-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Make the Cake

1. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.

3. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then unmold, remove the paper and invert to cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Make the Dark Chocolate Cream

1. Bring the milk to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, cornstarch and salt until thick and well blended.

3. Whisking without stopping, drizzle in about 2 Tbsp of the hot milk - this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle - then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Whisk in the melted chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the pieces of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the chocolate cream is smooth and silky. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the cream until chilled, or for up to 3 days. Or, if you want to cool the cream quickly, put the bowl with the cream into a large bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and stir the cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.

Make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream

1. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently to melt the chocolate evenly. Meanwhile, bring 1/4 cup of the heavy cream to a boil. When the white chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from the pan. Pour the hot cream into the melted chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Using a small spatula, stir the chocolate gently until it is smooth. Let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature - it can't be the least bit warm when you add it to the whipped cream.

2. Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. Turn the machine to high, add the cooled white chocolate all at once and continue to beat until the whipped cream holds firm peaks. Turn the whipped cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours. (Beat the whipped cream just until it holds stiff peaks, the slightest over beating will cause it to separate)

Assemble the Cake

1. If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Slice each layer horizontally in half. Place one layer cut side down on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.

2. Remove the dark and white chocolate creams from the refrigerator and whisk each of them vigorously to loosen and smooth them. With a long metal icing spatula, spread enough dark chocolate cream (about 1/2 cup) over the cake layer to cover it completely. Top the cream with another cake layer, cut side up, and cover this layer with white chocolate whipped cream, making the white layer about the same thickness as the dark layer. Cover with a third layer, cut side up, and cover with another cup or so of the dark chocolate cream. (You'll have some dark chocolate cream left over - I used mine for piping happy b'day on the cake) Top with the final layer of cake, cut side down, and frost the sides and top with the remaining white chocolate whipped cream. If you'd like to decorate the top with chocolate shavings or curls, do it now.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Serving

Remove the cake from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut it.

Storing

While both the dark chocolate cream and white chocolate cream can be made ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator, once assembled, the cake is best after about 3 hours in the fridge. However, it can be refrigerated overnight - just cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.

Happy Eating!!

Moist Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-12-13T10:26:00.000+04:00

Annie's Eats is one of my go to sites for all baking recipes and when I wanted to try a red velvet cake that is the first place I turned to. And sure enough I was not disappointed because this cake is wonderfully moist and delicious. Never having tasted red velvet before, I was curious as to what it would taste like. Well, I guess it just tastes like very good cake. I know, that is not a good answer but really if you close your eyes and eat it, you will feel like you are eating a very nice yellow cake.

The recipe is extremely simple to make and takes very little time to come together. I mixed everything in a glass bowl with a fork (yes, that's right!) and made mini cupcakes. My frosting however turned out very runny and even though I could have added more sugar to make it thicker but I didn't want to as it would have made it too sweet.

Recipe Source - Originally from Apple a Day, Via Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes 24 Cupcakes

For The Cake

2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour - I made my own using the ratio given below

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 Tsp Salt

2 Large Eggs

1 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Buttermilk - I used 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice mixed with enough milk to make one cup.

2 Tbsp Liquid Red Food Colouring

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 Tsp Distilled White Vinegar

For The Frosting

226 Gms (8 oz.) Cream Cheese

5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

2 1/2 Cups Confectioners Sugar (Sifted)

Note - To make one cup of cake flour, sift 3/4 cup all purpose flour and add 2 Tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch in U.S). Thus, 1 Cup Cake Flour = 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour + 2 Tbsp Cornflour

1. Preheat the oven to 175 Degree C (350° F). Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt and keep aside.

2. Combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine all ingredients.

3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make The Frosting

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate and Pecan Pie Bars

2010-12-12T18:07:00.000+04:00

Every year as Thanksgiving and Christmas rolls in, I start seeing recipes for all the different types of pies like pumpkin, pecan, cranberry etc on the net. Coming from India, I have never tasted any of these pies and my only experience to making them is of the humble apple pie. But that doesn't stop me from drooling at all the gorgeous pictures on various blogs and this year is no different. I love nuts and think that a pecan pie would be amazing. But when I read about it one thing that I figured is that some people think that it's too sweet. Hmmm, I don't like my desserts too sweet, so when I came accross these bars that resemble the pie taste I was happy to try them.

I halved the original recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and loved them. Seriously, I think I ate half the pan by myself. Next time tough I might increase the crust ratio and reduce the chocolate chips. I also reduced the sugar and used Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup. This was sweet enough for me and a perfect little snack when the craving sets in!

Recipe Source - Given as is from Brown Eyed Baker (my changes in red)

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, Softened
1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

For The Filling
3 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Corn Syrup - I used Lyle's Golden Syrup
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar - I used 6 Tbsp
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
13/4 Cups Coarsely Chopped Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate - I used chocolate chips
11/2 Cups Chopped Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
3. For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).

Happy Eating!!

Prawn Biryani

2010-12-09T09:23:00.000+04:00

My husbands love for prawns is well documented here and it should not come as a surprise to you that we got 3 kg's of fabulous prawns from the fish market (my first trip there in two years mind you) last week. I decided to make a prawn biryani from one batch and made this quick and easy version. It is very simple to make and is a nice dish to serve to guests as well.

Recipe - From Everybunny Loves Food

Ingredients - Serves 6

1 Kg Medium Sized Prawns (Weighed with the shell)

2 Large Potatoes (Peeled and Cut in 8 Pieces each)
4 Cups Basmati Rice

For the Marinade*

2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder (Dhanya Powder)

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)

Salt To Taste

1 Cup Yogurt

For the Masala

4 Cups Finely Chopped Onions

2 Cups Chopped Tomatoes

2 Green Chilies (Slit Vertically Halfway)

1/2 Cup Cooking Oil

For The Rice

2 1/2 Cups Basmati Rice

4 Cardamom Pods (Elaichi)

1 Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

2 Bay Leaves (Tej patta)

4 Cloves (Lavang)

Salt To Taste

For The Garnish

1/2 Cup Fried Onions (Sliced And Deep Fried)

Coriander Leaves (As Needed) (Hara dhanya)

Mint Leaves (As Needed) (Pudina)

1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/4 Cup Milk

Food Color (Yellow, Red or Orange)

Saffron Strands (Zaffran)

1 Tbsp Ghee

*Note on ingredient quantities - The quantities given are what we prefer at home. You must taste and adjust the quantities as per your personal preferences. Add a little at a time. Taste and add more spice, salt or lemon accordingly.

Prep Work

Wash, shell and de-vein the prawns. Clean thoroughly with water and drain. Mix all the marinate ingredients in a bowl and marinate the prawns for an hour.

Wash and soak the rice.

Make the Masala

Heat the oil in a large bottomed pot over medium high heat and fry the potatoes till done. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Add the onions to the oil and fry till soft and brown in colour, turning the heat to low if needed to prevent burning. When the onions become brown, add the tomatoes and green chillies. Turn the heat to high again; Cook till the tomatoes are soft and oil separates. Add the marinated prawns and stir well. Cook till prawns are almost cooked. Turn off the heat.

Boil the Rice

In a separate pot, heat 6 cups of water; throw in the whole garam masalas and salt. Keep a wide colander ready in the sink to drain the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and let it cook on high, uncovered till the rice is almost done. It is very important to watch the rice closely at this point as we want it to be cooked but not completely. There should still be a bite to the grain and must not be easily squished between your fingers. Once the rice reaches this point, turn off the heat and drain the rice in the colander.

Assemble the Biryani

When the rice is boiling keep all the garnish ingredients ready near the stove. Wash and chop the coriander and mint leaves. Dissolve the saffron and food colour in the milk. We need a big bottomed and high pot for this. Place the pot on the stove, and spread half of the prawn masala in the bottom. Add half of the rice on this layer and repeat the prawn and rice layers once again.

Pour the colored milk on the rice evenly. Sprinkle the garam masala powder on the rice and place the ghee on top. Garnish with all the fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Cook
Cover the pot with a tight lid to ensure no steam escapes from it. Keep the flame on high for a minute or two to ensure sufficient heat is generated in the pot. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking till steam starts forming on top and the rice is complete cooked. Serve hot with raita.

Happy Eating!!

Checkerboard Cake - Without The Special Pans!

2010-12-06T09:16:00.001+04:00

We had an amazing four day long weekend here in Dubai and we made good use of it by planning a trip to the water park and a fun barbecue the next day. I had so much fun playing in the water without a care in the world. As soon as winter rolls in out here everyone starts planning fun activities for the weekend because in summer it is impossible to go out in the day time. we have already had a lot of picnics and I am looking forward to more of them before winter is over. Another reason why I love the get togethers is because I am given the responsibility of bringing dessert. It's a win-win for me as I get to try out new recipes and not worry about eating it all on my own!

For this picnic I decided to do a big four layer cake with a checkerboard pattern from inside. This was the first time I did a layer cake with frosting and I absolutely loved making it. I don't have the checkerboard pan so I googled an alternative way of doing it and found a great tutorial on Chef Doughty. It was very easy to make once I had the cakes baked and ready.

You basically need four layers with two different flavours or colours. You can use plain vanilla and just colour it with food colour to get two different colours. You then cut out rings in each layer and exchange the inner circles.

The cakes with the inner rings
exchanged

Once you stack them up and cut you will get the checkerboard pattern. The only problem was that when cutting the different rings were not holding together and had to be cut separately. That didn't deter us from enjoying the cake though!

Stacked and ready to be frosted

I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe from Cupcake project and the vanilla came from a boxed mix (Sorry, pressed for time on a Friday morning!). For the frosting I used the Chocolate Whipped Cream recipe and it was really easy to ice the cake with it. I definitely recommend freezing the cakes before any cutting and assembling as the frozen cakes were a breeze to work with.

Recipe Source for Chocolate Cake - The Cupcake Project

Ingredients

3/4 Cup (75 Gms) Butter, Room Temperature

2 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

8 oz (Approx 200 Gms) Dark Chocolate, Melted

3 Large Eggs, Separated

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 3/4 Cup Milk

1. Preheat oven to 175 Degree C (350 Degree F). Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans.

2. In the large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Mix in the eggs.

3. Add the vanilla and chocolate. Mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter/sugar mixture.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the checkerboard cake - See the picture tutorial on Chef Doughty.com

1. Have ready four layers of cake with two layers each of a different colour.

2. Using two round templates and a sharp knife cut two inner circles in each layer. (See pictures above)

3. Exchange the middle layers of two different colours.

4. Place any one layer on a cardboard circle and frost the top lightly with icing. Place a second layer on this ensuring that the outermost colour is the opposite colour of the first layer.

5. Frost and repeat with remaining layers.

6. Give a crumb coat and keep in fridge for some time. Frost completely with desired icing and decorate.

Happy Eating!!

Apple and Pecan Crostata

2010-11-28T14:56:00.000+04:00

I absolutely loved this version of the crostata as I love apples and cinnamon in any form. This was made with the remaining dough from the Custard and Fruit Crostata. I didn't follow any recipe as such but just threw in whatever I liked.

Recipe

Ingredients

Half a batch of Crostata dough

1 Tsp Cinnamon

A Pinch of Nutmeg

1/2 Tsp Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Large Apples (Any kind)

1/2 Cup Toasted Pecans (Roughly Chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C (350 degree F). Keep the dough in the fridge until needed. Keep ready a large baking sheet.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a microwave proof plate and add to it the rest of the ingredients (except the pecans). Give a good stir with a spoon to mix and heat in the microwave for 4 minutes on high. The apples will become soft and leave a lot of liquid. Separate the liquid and add in the pecans (Alternatively you can cook them on the stove).

3. Take the dough and place between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out the dough to form an 8 inch circle, upto 5 mm in thickness. Remove the top sheet of wax paper. Using the bottom sheet, lift the dough circle and flip on the baking sheet.

4. Place the filling in the center of the circle, leaving a one and half inch gap from all sides. Fold the dough over the filling from all sides to form a temporary bowl leaving the center open (pleating the edges to form a broad rim). Place in the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Happy Eating!!

Dare to make a Crostata?

2010-11-27T10:25:00.001+04:00

I just did! After missing out on the Octobers Daring Bakers challenge (too much going on at home - but the doughnuts had me going nuts!), I was all geared up to know what November brought for us. And it was something that I have always admired in the cute glass displays of bakeries. Beautifully decorated crostatas with jam, custard and fresh fruit. Yum!

Blog-checking lines: The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

According to Simona "Crostata (tart) is an Italian dessert. The base of a crostata is pasta frolla (or pastafrolla), sweet short crust pastry (or sweet tart dough) made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Pasta frolla is versatile: it provides the base to make crostata with fruit preserves, pastry cream, fresh fruit, ricotta, and other ingredients, and, by itself, it makes very nice cookies."

Though I have made pies before, I have not made a crostata and was happy to try something new. While I could have gone wild with my filling ideas I chose to go the simple route and opt for a crema (pastry cream) filling and fruit topping. Because I did not have a tart pan I decided to use my mini tart pans and make four individual tarts with half of the dough. The other half was used to make a free form Apple and Pecan Crostata.

The pastry cream recipe is from Annie's Eats and makes a great home made custard. As my mom is a diabetic I used Sugar free instead of sugar in the recipe. All I can say is blech!! Somehow I was getting a chemical after taste in the cream even though none of the others could taste it. The cream by itself was good but I will never use the sugar free for desserts again.

Update - Let me clarify here that the recipe for the pastry cream is great and I was the only one who had a problem with the chemical after taste. I'm sure if I made it with regular sugar it would be fantastic. Every one in the house enjoyed the cream without any complaints :)

I used Version 1 from the recipes provided.

Recipes - Crostata di Frutta Fresca

Pastry Cream Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

For The Pasta Frolla (Tart Dough/Base)

1/2 Cup minus 1 Tbsp (100 Gms) Superfine Sugar Or A Scant 3/4 Cup (90 Gms) Powdered Sugar – I used artificial sweetener

1 3/4 Cup (235 Gms) Unbleached All-purpose Flour

Pinch of Salt

1 Stick (8 Tbsp/100 - 115 Gms) Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut Into Small Pieces)

Grates Zest of Half a Lemon

1 Large Egg and 1 Large Egg Yolk (Lightly Beaten)

For The Crema (Pastry Cream)

2 Cups Single Cream - I substituted with 420 ml whole milk and 4 Tbsp melted butter.

1/2 Cup Sugar - I used artificial sweetener.

A Pinch of Salt

5 Large Egg Yolks

3 Tbsp Cornflour (Called Cornstarch in U.S)

4 Tbsp (50 Gms) Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut into 4 Pieces)

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

For Assembling

Fruits like strawberries, kiwis, raspberries (whatever you love!)

Jam (Any flavour - I used strawberry)
2 Tbsp Melted Chocolate

Making The Pasta Frolla
1. Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.

2. Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.
3. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
4. Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.
5. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
6. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
7. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Make The Crema (While the dough is chilling)

1. Heat the single cream (in my case I combined the milk and butter), 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

2. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.

3. Whisk in the cornflour until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

4. When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. (The cream thickens very quickly so keep an eye on it)

5. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

6. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Bake The Pasta Frolla

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F).

2. Divide the dough in two parts and roll out on a lightly floured surface (I made four mini tarts, if making a single crostata roll out to at least 11 inches). With the help of a rolling pin roll the dough onto the pin and unroll over the base of the pan.

3. Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil large enough to cover the bottom of the crust and extend out a bit over the edges of the pan.

4. You can use pie weights or dry beans to blind bake (I used uncooked rice). Place whatever weight you’re using directly on the parchment paper or aluminum foil in an even layer.

5. Place the crostata shell in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. (Lesser if making a smaller version like me)

6. Remove the weights and parchment paper and continue baking the crostata shell until the border is light golden, about 5 minutes (watch carefully to avoid over-baking, which results in a hard shell). In the absence of weight, the crust may rise in the middle: if that occurs, gently push it back down with the back of a spoon.

7. Remove from the oven and let the crostata shell cool completely before proceeding.

8. If you use a tart pan with removable bottom, release the base from the fluted tart ring, then slide the cooled crostata shell on a serving plate for filling. (Note: If you’ve used a cake pan or pie plate, use a bit of care in taking the shell out of the baking vessel.)

Assemble The Crostata

1. Spread a thin layer of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the cooled shell.

2. Spread the chilled prepared pastry cream on top.

3. Decorate the surface with fresh fruit (You can use any fruits you like - I used strawberries and kiwis).

4. Heat the jam in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly melted and easy to stir. Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of the jam over the fresh fruit.

The crostata must be cool, but not cold, so if you refrigerate it, take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving. This crostata is best eaten the same day it is prepared.

Watch for the Apple Recipe in the next post!

For the complete challenge recipe and directions check out the daring bakers website.

Happy Eating!!

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

2010-11-21T19:00:00.000+04:00

Sorry for the bad picture, but my camera broke :( Have to rely on my cellphone!!

There are many times in life when someone claims that they make the best of something or that they have eaten the best possible version of it somewhere in the world. And think I half of the times those claims don't hold true to a taste test and you and end up disappointed. However, this time I have to hand it over to the Pioneer Woman. Having already made Cinnamon rolls before, I was expecting a similar result from this recipe. But was I wrong! These rolls are melt in your mouth delicious and I am not at all surprised that she makes 7 pans at a time because my sister and I managed to finish 2 pans all by ourselves in just two days. If all you have eaten is the store bought stuff its time you whip out the yeast and create these babies. The best part about this recipe is there is no kneading of the dough. Just mix with a spoon or spatula and you are ready to roll (no pun intended!). I didn't want to make the entire recipe so I searched for a scaled down version and got it on another blog (even though I could have calculated it myself - talk about lazy!). I got three pans of seven - eight rolls each, next time I will not roll out the dough as much. I added all the flour at once in the beginning without reading the recipe properly and had to add the baking powder and soda on their own later on. However, this didn't affect my rolls at all and I got a great rise. Because I was pressed for time I made the dough one night and the rolls the next day and the dough was a lot easier to work with. You do have to knead it with a little flour so that it is no longer sticky. In her recipe Pioneer Woman makes a lot of frosting and drowns the rolls in them. But I preferred the rolls with just a drizzle as the frosting was way too sweet for our tastes. I suggest adding a little at a time according to your sweet tooth.

P. S - For Step-by-step photos and instructions check the Pioneer Woman's Site.

Recipe Source - Originally from The Pioneer Woman, Scaled down recipe from here.

Ingredients - Aprox. 20 rolls.

For The Rolls

1 1/3 Cup Whole Milk

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/3 Cup Caster Sugar

1 1/2 Tsp Dry Yeast - I used instant yeast

2 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour (Maida) (+ 1/3 Cup for sprinkling)

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/3 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

100 Gms (1/2 Cup/1 Stick) Unsalted Butter (Melted)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Cinnamon Powder - As Much As You Like

For The Vanilla Frosting

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

3/4 Cups Milk

2 Tbsp Brewed Coffee

1/2 Cup Roughly Chopped Pecans (Optional)

A Pinch of Salt

1. Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in the yeast (Whichever yeast you are using). Let this sit for a minute. Transfer the mixture to a big mixing bowl and add 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir together and cover. Let rise for at least an hour.

2. After rising for at least an hour, add remaining 2/3 cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

3. When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take the dough and form a rough rectangle (I added some extra flour and kneaded my dough till no longer sticky). Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle the 100 gms melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. (Put the cinnamon powder in a sieve and lightly tap against your hand to get an even sprinkling all over).

4. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

5. Generously grease three 7, 8 or 9 inch round foil, cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans (A bread knife or large serrated knife works best). Turn on oven and pre-heat to 190 Degrees C (375 Degrees F).

6. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Make The Frosting - Mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

Happy Eating!!

Mango Cheesecake

2010-11-10T23:28:00.000+04:00

Mmmmm, Cheesecake! Creamy, tangy and sinfully delicious. I really like fruit cheesecakes more than any other flavours mostly because they are lighter (can a cheesecake be called light??) and give a subtle yet refreshing fruity taste. One of the treats on my sisters' list was this cheesecake and I was all geared up to make it since I rarely get a chance to bake cheesecakes. A big cheesecake sitting in my fridge is a big danger sign for me! After making the Oreo Cheesecake and the Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, I was all geared up to try a new flavor and decided to try a mango version.

As you know I am from India, the land that is home to hundreds of varieties of the best mangoes you can get anywhere. Come summer and the markets are flooded with mangoes like the Alphonso, langda, totapuri, gutli, badami etc. Every variety has a distinct flavor and smell. Ripening mangoes smell heavenly and if you have a tree in the backyard you are done for. It is so much fun to go and pluck the unripe mango from the tree and store it in the rice bin till it is ready to eat. What is not fun is having to share one mango among five people!

Even though I am not a big fan of the fruit, I love everything made from it like pickles, chutneys, curry, ice cream and aam ras (slurp!)

I used canned mango pulp in this recipe rather than fresh ones as most of the reviewers suggested it. I also cut down the sugar and I think this amount was perfect.

Recipe Source - Adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious

Ingredients - Makes One 9 Inch Cheesecake

For the Crust

1 1/2 Cups Crushed Digestive Biscuits (Or Graham Cracker Crumbs)
1/4 Cup Sugar
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) Unsalted Butter (Melted)

For The Filling
2 Cups Canned Mango Pulp**
680 Gms Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
4 Large Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 165 Degree C (325 Degree F). Lightly butter a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Mix the biscuit crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Add in the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to press and evenly distribute the crumbs to get an even crust. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 cups mango puree and beat until well blended. Beat at low speed and only till the ingredients are combined. Pour filling over crust in pan. I used a little extra pulp to create a swirled look on the top. But my cheesecake cracked and the pretty swirls were lost! :(

3. Bake cake until set and puffed and golden around edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove and cool cake 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Run small knife between cake and sides of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

* Tip - To powder the biscuits easily, place the biscuits in a large Ziploc bag and seal tight. Roll a rolling pin over the plastic to powder till fine.
** - The original recipe calls for fresh mangoes. If you have fresh mangoes follow the recipe on Epicurious.

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Biscotti

2010-10-25T08:09:00.000+04:00

I am so excited this week as my sister and niece have come over for a holiday. She has already given me a list of things she wants me to make and I have a head start on her. On Friday I made these fantastic biscotti which I found on Joy of Baking. After making the Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti, I knew that these would be great too because I love hazelnuts (Is there a nut I don't love?). And sure enough they are fantastic. I had to hide a few in the cupboard so that we don't finish all of them in a day!

I made one change to the original recipe and that was to use a dark chocolate with orange flavoring. I used a Lindt Intense Orange Bar in the biscotti and the citrus pairs beautifully with the dark chocolate. The chocolate bar is pulsed with the brown sugar into a powder so you will not get any chunks of chocolate but a complete flavor all over. If you cannot find a flavored bar I recommend adding a tablespoon of orange zest to the recipe. The final biscotti is not sweet and so I added a drizzle of melted white and milk chocolate which somehow completed the overall flavor of it.

Recipe Source - Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients - Makes approx 30 Biscotti

1 Cup (150 Grams) Hazelnuts

4 Ounces (120 Grams) Orange Flavoured Dark Chocolate* (Coarsely Chopped)

1 Cup (210 Grams) Tightly Packed Light Brown sugar

1 3/4 Cups (230 Grams) All-purpose Flour

1/3 Cup (30 Grams) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 Tbsp (4 grams) Instant Espresso Powder

1Tsp (5 grams) Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

3 Large Eggs

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

* - If you cannot find flavored chocolate use regular dark chocolate (60 - 70%) and add 2 Tbsp Fresh Orange Zest. Pulse with the sugar and chocolate.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). To toast the hazelnuts, spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and the skins begin to blister and peel. Remove from oven and place the nuts in a clean dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts 'steam' for 5 minutes and then briskly rub the towel (with nuts inside) to remove the skins from the nuts. Cool and then chop coarsely.

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degree F (150 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, place the coarsely chopped chocolate and brown sugar and process until the chocolate is very fine.

4. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.

5. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and vanilla extract until combined (about 30 seconds). Add the chocolate/sugar mixture and the flour mixture and beat until a stiff dough forms (I didn't get a stiff dough and my mixture was very sticky), adding the hazelnuts about half way through mixing.

6. With floured hands (Use a lot of flour on your hands to avoid it sticking to your hands) divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll each half of dough into a log about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet (I directly rolled mine on the baking sheet to avoid any mess while transferring), spacing about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

7. Using a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices cut-side down on a wire rack for the oven. Bake 15 - 20 minutes until crisp and dry. (If you want a softer biscotti, reduce the baking time). Remove from oven and let cool before drizzling with chocolate.

To make the White and Milk Chocolate Drizzles, Melt the chocolates separately in the microwave in 15 second intervals or on a double boiler. Place in a piping bag and decorate the completely cooled biscotti.

Happy Eating!!

Tangy BBQ Chicken Pizza

2010-10-20T08:26:00.000+04:00

Pizza!!! Aah, the universal food that is so popular among all age groups. I mean who doesn't love pizza right? What? There are some people who don't like it?Hmm, maybe they need to eat a good home made pizza with all the deliciousness piled high. It had been so long since I had made pizza at home, that when I saw this recipe at the Low Fat Chick website I decided to try it out for this months Taste and Create.

The sauce is a lovely combination of sweet and tangy and comes together so easily. Usually while making pizza sauce there is so much stirring that I often resort to the bottled stuff to save time. But this time I just had to mix the stuff and let it simmer. Yum Yum! For the toppings I added a few more things than the original recipe like tomatoes and capsicum (green bell peppers) for a little tandoori feel. For the base I used the ready pizza base that is available in the freezer section of the grocery. You can use your own home made dough, I have given the Pioneer Woman's recipe below which I have made before and is great.

Recipe Source - Slightly Adapted from The Low Fat Chick

Ingredients

2 (6 Inch) Pizza Base

For The Sauce

1/2 Cup Grape Vinegar

1/4 Cup And 2 Tbsp Ketchup

2 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Garlic Clove (Pressed or Finely Minced)

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

For The Toppings - Quantities As Per Personal Preference

Cooked Shredded Chicken

Red Onion (Thinly Sliced)

Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)
Diced Tomatoes

Diced Capsicum

Olives

Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves

1. Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan. Stir till all ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to slightly cool.

2. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F).

3. Place the pizza base on a baking sheet covered with foil.

4. Spread the sauce on the dough. Layer with cheese, chicken, tomatoes, capsicum, onion and little more cheese. Sprinkle some coriander and place in the oven.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted on top.

6. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Recipe for Homemade Pizza Base (Source - The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

1 Tsp Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 Cup Warm Water
4 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cups Olive Oil

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

2. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

3. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.

4. To use, lighlty flour a baking sheet or pizza stone and place dough in the middle. Strecth the dough to the corners and top as desired (Dough will be slightly sticky).

***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

***Makes 2 big crusts.

Happy Eating!!