Yumsilicious Bakes

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:18:00 +0000

I am just writing this post after submitting the last assignment of my life. I do have a dissertation due, but this is the last assignment ever. I'm pretty saturated with all the writing, so I'm going to keep this one short.

I was assigned Dancing Veggies blog, and had a lot of great options, but picked these bars, but forgot a step where I had to add the chips into the cookie layer. I made up for it by putting a chocolate layer on top, and these tasted amazing. I've changed up the proportions a bit, because I feel they need more of the cheesecake taste.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Inspired by Dancing Veggies

1 cup [120 g] flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick [113 g / 8 oz] butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips - or alternately, you can add a chocolate layer like I did, following this recipe
For the cheesecake layer.
16 oz cream cheese
4 tbsp white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease and line a 9x9 pan, with overhang
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.
In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Now beat in the egg and mix well.
Add the flours to the butter mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. Lay this onto the pan.
In a clean bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. Pour onto the cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes, until the center is a little jiggly and the sides are set.
Cool, and if using a chocolate layer, pour on top. Cut into squares and serve.

Celebrating 3 years of Yumsilicious Bakes.. And A giveaway to Celebrate

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Update : Winner announced at the end of the post.

Today, my little blog turns 3. Hard to believe. Thank you to everyone that has supported this blog, and loyally followed even though I had a period when life's little dramas made my slack off on the blog. Seriously, thank you. I hope you stick around, and now I'm trying to be a much better blogger. I've finally updated the About page too :)

Rather than write a heartfelt note to mark this day, I've decided to show you my top 10 recipes, that I always end up turning back to, and have made countless times over the years, though they're in no particular order, since it was hard enough to narrow it down to 10.

1. Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake from the awesome guys at Baked NYC

2. Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Truffle Cookies

3. Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4. Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

5. Swedish Visiting Cake

6.Chocolate Hazelnut Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake

7. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

8. Apple Pie

9. Fudgey, Goeey Brownies

10. Creamy Lemon Squares

Onto the giveaway. It's this beautiful 10 oz. Cornishware mug, part of their red collection

To win, you can do any of the following, leave one comment for each thing you've done -

1. Become an email subscriber [leave email address in the comment]
2. Like me on Facebook [leave name in the comment]
3. Share on Facebook, mentioning the page.
4. Follow my boards on Pinterest [leave name in the comment]
5. Follow me on Twitter [leave handle in the comment].
6. Tweet about the giveaway, mentioning @AvanikaYB.
7. Post a picture of a recipe you've tried from my blog on my Facebook page [extra entries - leave 2 comments if you do this]

~~Giveaway is open till May 19, 2012, worldwide. Good luck xx~~

Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Katrina for comment #4. I've sent you an e-mail.
Everyone else, thanks for participating, and the wishes. See you around xx

Foodbuzz 24x24 : Home Away From Home : Food is the Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

I'm so glad to be doing a Foodbuzz 24x24 post this month. 24 bloggers create 24 different meals in the same 24 hours, and post on the same day, each having different themes, and different approaches. It's a very fun event, one that I'd been seeing about a lot, and now I'm so glad to be one of the participants.

So you guys know it's been about 6 months since I left India to study, yeah? This has, so far, been one of the best years of my life. I'm at a prestigious University, I'm learning more than I could imagine, I've found the nicest friends ever, and me, the person who burnt rice during her first attempt at cooking, can now make entire meals, that actually taste pretty good. I've become independent, my outlook on life has changed, and I can't wait to apply all of this in my real life, to work, to become productive.

But as much as I love this, there's one thing that always gets me back, the one thing that doesn't let me give my 100% here. Memories of home. They are difficult to deal with. Most of us have left home for the first time ever, and even of those who haven't, being halfway around the world, with a 9 hour flight separating home and here, is difficult to manage. One day when I was feeling low, I thought of planning this event. where we cook food from home, the food is one of the things we miss the most, of course. Having food from home just lifts me up, way too easily. I really do think food is the connection, it is the best thing to happen to this planet for sure.

Anyway, I got a few people into this, called people, and set this up for a Sunday brunch, since one of the facilities on campus for us is the use of a kind of hall, with a patio and fully furnished kitchen and servery. There were a lot of different people making a lot of different food, but on the basic menu was Biryani, and 3 Indian desserts - Gulab Jamun, Jalebi and Halva. It was a mess, as you'll see in the pictures, with so many people doing so many things, but it was one of the best days ever, I had such a great time. At home, I would never make desserts like Gulab Jamun and Jalebi, since they're a little involved, and are available way too easily anyway. But here, since I was craving a good Jalebi, I decided to make it, desserts was my department. And it was actually quite easy to do, surprisingly.

This was just half of the shopping we'd done for this one day. Realised that while I love planning, it isn't really that easy!

There were desserts, there was biryani.

There were random cocktails being made by different people -

And ofcourse, there was the Gulab Jamuns

Gulab Jamuns

Adapted from Ria's Collection
Yield - About 20-24

Ingredients:
For the dumplings
1 1/4 c milk powder
1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cold butter
A few drops of cold milk (not more than 1/4 cup)
Hot oil for deep frying

For the sugar syrup
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 water
5 green cardamom pods, crushed [optional, but recommended]

Instructions -

In a large bowl, mix together the milk powder, flour and baking soda. Now add the cold butter, and rub it well into the flour mixture, till the butter is fully incorporated.
Now add the milk, a little at a time, rubbing it well into the dough after each addition, until the dough forms a cohesive ball, that is smooth yet still firm. It should not be crumbly.
Form into small balls [a little larger than a penny sized], and rub well between palms until the large cracks disappear.
Cracks will result in the dumpling breaking in the oil, but small cracks are normal, as you can see, in both pictures. The picture below gives you a reference for both size, and acceptable crack limit, if that's a thing. No that isn't me, that's a friend that was helping, I'm the one whose hand you can see to the left.
Now heat the oil for frying in a pan, the oil should be deep enough so that the dumpling can be easily submerged. The frying is the important part, else the centre does not cook. You need to give it a good 5-7 minutes to heat up on the stove, and then test by dropping one ball into the oil, along the sides of the pan. It should go to the bottom, and rise up to the surface slowly, taking about 10 seconds. [Next time I make this, I'll try and get temperatures for you].
Once the oil is ready, drop in about 4-5 dumplings, fry, and remove on a paper towel. Don't worry if they look black-ish, that's their color, they're ok as long as they don't burn. Fry all the dumplings, allowing the oil to heat back up at intervals.
For the sugar syrup - Now prepare the sugar strup by boiling together all the ingredients. Keep this on a low flame.
Drop the fried dumplings into the sugar syrup, and leave for 30 minutes to an hour.
Serve hot, with ice cream if you want, or just plain.

And my favorites, jalebi were also made. These actually go well along with gulab jamuns, since both need hot oil and sugar syrup to be made.

Jalebis

Recipe from Show Me the Curry via Ria's Collection

Note : Show Me the Curry have a video demonstration of this recipe, so if you're feeling intimidated, you could watch that.

Yield - About 25

Ingredients:
1 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups [240 g] flour
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp yoghurt
3/4 cup warm water
Oil for deep frying

For the syrup:
1 1/4 cup [300 g] sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp lime juice
1 drop red food colour
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions -

Add the yeast to the 1/4 cup warm water, and set aside for about 10 minutes, till frothy and active.
Mix together all the remaining ingredients. Add the yeast mixture. Place the bowl of this mixture, covered with a lid, into another larger bowl, filled with warm water. Set aside for about 45 minutes to rise.
Once the 45 minutes are up, heat the oil, and prepare the syrup - just boil everything together, and reduce to simmer once the sugar is melted.
Now give the batter a mix, and pour into a sauce / ketchup [any type of squeezy bottle with about a cm wide nozzle]. This might not be too easy to do, since the batter is sort of dough-y, but it pours in eventually.
Using the squeezy bottle, pour the batter into the oil, moving your hand in a circular motion to make a spiral, and after about 4 rounds, move the bottle towards the centre of the jalebi to close off the end, and stop.
Flip to fry the other side, and once the bubbling reduces, transfer to the waiting syrup. Flip, and remove, making sure to not allow them to stay in the syrup for more than 30 seconds, or they will turn soggy. Transfer to an empty plate. Serve immediately
Once you've got the hang of the process, you can do 4-5 at a time.

I also made some halva, which is standard and easy for me, but I seem to have lost the pictures. You can see pictures, and my tried and trusted recipe at my earlier post [I didn't bother with the colors this time]. Halva is standard, easy Indian dessert, one that's actually made in every household.

Well. That was a long post. Hope I didn't lose too many of you mid-way. Try these recipes, they're desserts that every Indian loves, and it feels just like home. I know I felt amazing after accomplishing these recipes, and eating all of the things was reward enough :)

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread... Homemade Twix

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:14:00 +0000

These bars! I've been waiting so so long to be able to post. For once, I made my Secret Recipe Club assignment almost as soon as I got it. Turns out, this isn't always the best idea, since I had to wait almost a month, and these bars were so good, it was like slow torture. They rank high up, in my top 10 recipes for sure. They had the perfect slightly crunchy crispy shortbread base, exactly like a Twix base, but more substantial, with more win in it. The caramel is a modified dulce de leche, just with extra butter and extra goodness. It was the perfect goeey, stringy soft caramel that I love. And ofcourse, the chocolate layer. I used good quality dark chocolate, and that just took the bars to a whole other level.

This recipe is one of the easiest I've made, but also is one of the best. I can't stop raving, I made the mistake of making only half a recipe, since I didn't have a big enough pan. I'm just waiting to go buy a nice big pan now so I can make a full recipe. Don't make the same mistake I did.

I got Sara's blog, which has probably given me the most options to pick from ever. Since I now cook, there were a few cooking recipes that I bookmarked too, but since I want to keep the blog only about baking, I picked this. Sara chose to decorate it with some colored white chocolate, and while I considered that, for me, nothing looks better than a nice smear of dark chocolate.

I always leave nice overhang so that removing and cutting becomes easy. I sometimes lay two strips of foil out in a cross pattern if the foil won't cover the pan entirely.

The shortbread, nice and golden brown-y, will make your house smell amazing!

One of the best things in this world!

Your finger should leave a dent like shown in this picture. This is post cooling, so it aim for a little runnier.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbreads / Homemade Twix

Recipe adapted from Cook with Sara

Shortbread Crust -
1 cup [2 sticks / 226 g] butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups [240 g] flour
3/4 tsp. salt

Caramel Filling -
7 Tbsp. [100 g] butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of salt

10 oz. dark [or semi-sweet] chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp [ 42 g] butter

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Grease and line a 9x13 pan with parchment, leaving some overhang on the sides.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Now add in the vanilla, the flour and the salt. Mix until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan, and pat the crumbs down lightly, to make sure they stick. Bake for around 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Remove to cool completely.
For the caramel filling - In a large saucepan, combine together the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring. Reduce heat to medium low, stirring constantly and simmer until it turns a deep caramel color, about 15 - 18 minutes. Pour onto cooled crust, and refrigerate for an hour. It might seem runny at first, but the refrigeration makes it firm up a bit. Post refrigeration, your finger should make and leave a dent, as shown.
Once the caramel layer is ready, melt the chocolate and butter together. Pour onto the caramel layer, just making lines with the spatula if you want, and refrigerate for another hour.
Cut into bars, [I prefer using a pastry scraper], and serve.

Raspberry Strawberry Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:21:00 +0000

I'm still getting used to having stuff like raspberries and blueberries available to me right at the store, whenever I want. It's so much fun, each time I buy some to use for baking, I end up eating them plain, or with breakfast or something. And then I have to wait till I visit the store again before baking, and the cycle repeats. I finally managed to keep some away, since I had my eyes on these muffins since forever.

The muffins are so good! They're more of the healthy kind, especially since I used half whole wheat flour, than say these muffins, that were just sinful. These are perfect to go with your morning coffee [or are you a tea drinker?], they aren't too sweet, and perfectly soft, with busrts of flavor with the ample berries in it :)

Raspberry Strawberry Muffins

Adapted from Gingerbread Bagels via The Keenan Cookbook
Yield : A round dozen, if you don't make them teeny tiny like me

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups [240 g] all purpose flour - I used half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup mix of raspberries and chopped strawberries
About 2 tbsp of turbinado or any other coarse sugar, to sprinkle on top [optional]

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 375 F [190 C]. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold this mixture into the above mixture, until just combined.
Now fold in the sour cream till incorporated. Add in the berries, fold and pour into prepared pan.
Sprinkle sugar on top, if using. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean, and the tops feel springy. Enjoy xx

Chocolate Fondant / Chocolate Lava Cake / Molten Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Doesn't that look amazing? This is the elusive {or fussy} cake that goes by too many names. What do you call it? I prefer Molten Chocolate Cake. Anyway, I got Heidi's blog as my assignment this month, which had so so many recipes, that the choice became qutie difficult. Now that I've began cooking, a lot of her savory recipes seemed interesting too, but in an effort to keep this blog all about the good stuff, I decided to stick with a dessert recipe. Since her blog is translated to English, I chose one of the easier recipes, I didn't want to lost in translation. And this satisfies a craving too.

Managing the Facebook page for the Secret Recipe Club has made me quite active about it, so there's no chance anymore of me missing a post, which, with the new stricter rules, is a good thing. Go on and like the page, and while you're at it, like the page for this blog too :)

Molten Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen via Heidi's World

100 g dark chocolate {I used 64%}
1 stick [113 g / 8 oz] unsalted butter
2 tsp [30 g] cocoa powder
2/3 cup icing sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp flour

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 425 F [220 C]. Grease and line ramekins with castor sugar, optional, but it helps.
In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate, butter and cocoa. Remove from heat, and sift in the icing sugar.
Now add the eggs and the yolks, mixing well between additions. Sift in the flour, until just mixed, being careful not to overbeat.
Pour into prepared ramekins and bake 13-15 minutes, till sides are set but the centre is still jiggly. You might want to have one test run first, since the timing is crucial for this sort of cake.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or a dusting of icing sugar.

Almond Cake with Dried Fruit

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Here's another recipe that I'd made while back home. Figure I should post it now, or else it'll go to the never ending folder of recipes that I didn't post on time, and then it became too old to post. {Do any of you also do that, or is it just me? For some reason, I can't bring myself to post things I made too long ago} Anyway, I made this because we had some dried fruits at home that my Mom wanted me to use up, and she loves her simple, unadorned cakes anyway. It was actually she that found and picked the recipe for me. Slavery at its best :P

Anyway, since you probably know by now, I don't like simple plain desserts too much. I went about making this pretty unenthusiastically, even though the recipe is by someone I admire a lot, Jacques Pepin {who is also the Dean at my dream school. I figured it would be one of those cakes that my Mom and others would eat, and I would just taste. How wrong was I? I should have trusted one of my idols more. The cake was absolutely amazing. Proved to me that not all cakes need to be over the top indulgent to be sinful. The almond flavor in it made it super rich, yet light and simple. And the dried fruits gave a wonderful contrasting flavor + texture. I had dried strawberries, figs, cherries and pineapples on it, but I'm sure you could make do with much fewer kinds. We took it to my grandparents' house because they love getting such handmade gifts, and even they gobbled it down :) {they have the appetite of a bird, between the two of them!} I also think they'd look much prettier in individual servings, made in a muffin pan instead, so maybe some of you could try that and show me :)

Almond Cake with Dried Fruit

Recipe from Jacques Pepin via the Wayward Oven

115g almond paste - I processed 115g of almonds in the food processor, which is about 1 cup
¾ cup sugar
1 stick [113g / 8 oz] unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium eggs
¼ cup milk
Dash of salt
1 cup cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

For the syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons whiskey, rum or cognac [optional]
2 tablespoons sugar

For the Garnish
1½ cups diced dried fruit (currants, peaches, apricots, pineapple)
¼ cup good apricot jam, diluted with 2 tablespoons water
8-10 mint leaves
1 cup Greek yoghurt for serving (optional)

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line a 8 cm round pan.
Put the almond paste, sugar, butter and vanilla in a food processor and process for about 10 seconds. Add the eggs, milk, and salt and process for 5 seconds. Add the flour and the baking powder and process for another 5 to 10 seconds, or until smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack to room temp.
Combine the ingredients for the syrup in a small bowl. Using a spoon or pastry brush, moisten the cake with the syrup. Scatter the dried fruit on top of the cake. Brush on the diluted apricot jam and garnish with the mint leaves. Serve with the Greek yoghurt.

White Chocolate Oreo Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:30:00 +0000

I've had a momentous achievement in the time between this post and the last. Wait for it...... I've finally learnt how to flip an omelette! Though I've tried a lot, the omelette ends up scrambled most of the time. Not this time though, it flipped beautifully and I had a gorgeous omelette like the ones they serve at cafes. I'm quite proud, even though I get how stupid this sounds, considering my utter lack of cooking skills, it's enough to have made my day. I've learnt how to make pasta and a few other basic things, and while it's turning out to be quite fun to cook, I think I'll learn properly once I'm back home, from Mom.

Anyway, back onto the brownies. SRC took a break last month, to do some re-arranging and a revamp of the rules. I am now officially handling it's Facebook page, which is a super fun thing to do. The group is turning out to be a lot of fun, I actually ended up missing it, and made my recipe almost as soon as we were given our secret assignments, more than a month ago.

This month, I received Eliot's Eats as my blog, which was super interesting because it's written by this couple, that keep their identity anonymous. The name comes from T.S Eliot. I haven't seen anonymous food bloggers around too much, so I was totally kicked by this, and the privelege of being anonymous is something I wish I had too, at times. There's just so much I could have been able to say. Their blog has a lot of stuff on travel and adventure, but I zoomed in onto the food stuff, and after quite some deliberation, picked these White Chocolate Oreo Brownies, that she too made for a SRC post. I'd never baked with white chocolate before, other than the occasional ganache, so I was quite pumped. And I bought a ton of oreos once, which I wanted to use up rather than just pig out on them.

These were so so good. They browned a little too much, but that's because I haven't gotten used to this new oven yet. They tasted amazing, not overly sweet as I had worried, and the Oreo's added amazing flavor. A great recipe to keep, especially when you need something quick and easy.

White Chocolate Oreo Brownies

Recipe from Hugs & Cookies xoxo via Eliot's Eats

1 stick [113 g / 8 oz] butter
1 cup [170 g / 6 oz] white chocolate chips
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup [ 150 g] sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 cup [120 g] flour
1/4 t. fine sea salt
15 oreos, cut into quarters

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 325 F [160 C]. Grease and line a 9x9 pan, leaving some overhang of the foil to make it easier to pull out later
In a small pan under low heat, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring constantly. Be careful, white chocolate burns easily, so use a double boiler if you're comfortable with that. Remove from heat.
Stir in the sugar. Now add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Fold in the flour and salt, stirring until just combined. Toss in the chopped oreos.
Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Enjoy :)

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream.. A sinful treat for Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:47:00 +0000

So Valentine's Day is coming up. Again. This will be my second Valentine's day alone, ever since I was old enough to know what it was and celebrate it. But this time, it's different because even though I'm not single, I'll be spending valentine's day with friends.. the problems of being in a long distance relationship. I'm actually quite excited to be doing so though, this year of studying abroad is turning out to be totally awesome! And I've never quite got the hate for the day. Single or not, I love the day, it's an excuse to eat more chocolate, everything is so pink and colorful, it's the BEST! Make this for your big day, whoever you might me celebrating it with. You'll get a lot more love for sure :)

This is the level of decorating I could manage with my hungry flatmates hovering about me. Even this was a bargain to be honest :)

I thought I'd make a simple chocolate cake for the day, since I'm not really celebrating, I wanted to keep the red and stuff to a minimum. And since I had an evening off, I just randomly made this cake I'd bookmarked long ago, mainly because it was the one that suited my ingredients in the fridge the best. I didn't have very high expectations, just thinking it'd be an ok, nice, normal chocolate cake. Especially considering the cake uses cocoa instead of chocolate. But this cake blew me away. It was gone within the hour, but I guess that's what happens when you're living in Uni. It was really really good, and super easy to make too.

The cake layers were extremely moist, the kinds you'll find at bakeries, and the egg yolk buttercream was super delicious, and since I'm not a fan of traditional buttercream, these SMBC sorts have become standard for me, and don't worry me anymore. I even made this one with just a hand mixer, I haven't bothered lugging Sir Mix a Lot all the way since it's just a year's course. And it's topped off with a standard ganache. All the components on their own are pretty standard, but they come together to make the awesome cake. I love coffee, so the espresso is a welcome addition too.

How to use a candy thermometer in a teeny tiny saucepan

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream

Recipe from Oprah.com via My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

For the cake -
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup very hot water

For the espresso buttercream -
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter , softened
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon very hot water

For the ganache -
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped (I used semisweet)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened and diced
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Equipment needed -
Candy Thermometer
Electric Mixer (Stand Mixer preferred)

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 375 F [180 C]. Grease and line two 8 inch round pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir well, and gradually incorporate into the flour mixture, until just mixed. Add the hot water, and stir till blended.
Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on racks.
Buttercream - In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks vigorously, about 5 minutes, until they become ribbon like and pale and fluffy. In the meanwhile, (or later if you can't manage both at the same time), combine the sugar and the water, and boil until mixture reaches 238 F on a candy thermometer.
Once the sugar reaches the temperature, pour it in a slow steady stream into the yolks, with the mixer on, making sure to incorporate while pouring. Continue beating mixture until it comes down to room temperature and is light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
Now begin adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition. The mixture might curdle somewhere along the process, just continue beating till it comes together, and then go on with adding the butter, until it's all added. Dissolve the espresso powder in hot water, and beat into the buttercream. Set aside.
Ganache - In a large bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and butter. In a smaller bowl, boil together the cream and sugar just until it boils, and immediately pour into the chocolate mixture. Stir until chocolate is completely smooth. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes so that it thickens slightly.
Assembly - Remove parchment papers from the cake layers, and split into two using a large serrated knife. Alternately lay down the layers and the buttercream onto a cake plate, using 1/3rd of the buttercream each time. Make sure the topmost layer is an inverted one, so that the flat bottom appears on top of the cake, ensuring a nice even top.
Pour ganache over the top, easing it a little to cover the sides. If entire cake has not been covered, gather up the fallen ganache, and pour again, until the cake is well covered.
Refrigerate for about an hour, after which you can cut into slices with a clean, hot knife to serve.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Doesn't that cake look pretttty? It's ofcourse mainly because the cake was Oh. So. Good., but also because, I'm the proud new owner of a Canon EOS Rebel T2i! Finally :) Even though I haven't learnt any of the settings yet, I've got so many nice pictures of myself + friends. Can anyone recommend a good book / links to understand it all better, for a total beginner? It'd be super helpful, any would actally lead to me making some use of the camera beyond automatic settings! I super suck at food photography, and while I doubt that's going to change soon, I'd still like to learn more about the camera in general.

So back to the cake. I baked it on my visit home. The visit was amazing and so so much fun, but I was so busy meeting people and getting stuff done, that I hardly managed time to bake, and only did because people were requesting it so much, and ofcourse, my own cravings ;)

I'd had my eye on this cake ever since it won Most Popular on the Secret Recipe Club's December reveal, and was looking for a chance to make it, but couldn't because of exams. After baking it, I realised why it was most popular, the cake was heavenly. It was super fudgey and dense, but not annoyingly so wherein you need to grab a glass of water. The chocolate taste really shone through, which is why it's important to use a good chocolate [I used Callebaut Dark]. This cake has got the vote of a lot of people, so you need to try this one soon. Paired with some ice cream, it was sheer indulgence.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Recipe from David Rosengarten's Taste via My Beautiful Disasters

7 oz extra bittersweet chocolate
1 3/4 stick [200 g] unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup [180 g] granulated sugar
pinch of salt - omit if using salted butter
2 tbsp [15 g] unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a 10 inch springform. I halved the recipe and used a 6 inch pan.
In a double boiler, melt together the butter and chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly. Now slowly whisk in the egg yolks and the vanilla. Stir to combine, and add in the sugar, salt and cocoa powder, stirring until incorporated.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Now gently fold in the remaining 2/3.
Pour into prepared springform pan, and tap lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Place on cooling rack, removing the sides immediately. Allow to cool, and serve alongside some ice cream

German Christmas Market in Birmingham

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:57:00 +0000

Happy 2012!! I know I've been away, I'm on a visit back home for the holidays. And I'm having the absolute best time, this year has been amazing so far. I finally managed to get some time in to do this post, which has been pending since forever. Back when I was still in the UK, I went over to the German Christmas Market in Birmingham, after hearing a lot about the food there. Frankfurts make me happy :) After getting some shopping done at my paradise, the Bullring, we went over to the Market.

It was so so much fun. I had the best food and beer there, even though I'm not a fan of beer. It wasn't a very big thing, but the stalls that were there, were absolutely amazing.

The steakhouse, that had one of the best beef burgers I've ever eaten. It was moist, juicy, and their homemade sauces just took it to a whole other level.

So many different types of frankfurts, supersized :)

And ofcourse I had to try out the desserts. These crepes were fantastic, rivalling what I'd eaten in the streets of Paris. They had a ton of options.

I had the Nutella Marshmallow one - messy food is always more fun - and the Bailey's one, because I just had to try one of the tipsy ones :) The Nutella Marshmallow was delicious, but it's the one with Bailey's that hit it out the park, it was so good, and completely a new taste for me, I hadn't seen crepes with any alcohol before this.

A line up of all my favorite men. After the Bailey's I wanted to try every other version too. :)

So many options here too. Can you tell that I absolutely loved this stand?

This stall was all about the nuts. In every flavor imaginable!

There were a ton of other stalls, for German chocolate, some great tasting fudge that I pigged out on for an entire week, for various crafty things and for some great popovers, that I didn't get a chance to try. I didn't manage to click too many pictures of it though unfortunately, we were tired after a long day of shopping, holding a ton of bags, and just too exhausted. But on the whole, the Market was absolutely amazing, and if it weren't for the damn exams, I'd have easily spent a whole day there, gaining tons of weight :)

With that thought, Happy New Year again!! This year, I've resolved to not make any weight loss resolutions :D

Chocolate Pecan Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:48:00 +0000

Hello there :) I can't believe how much I've stayed away from this blog. My exams are up in week, term 1 is already set to end. It's been surprisingly hectic, so much work. I literally have had no time to bake, but on the bright side, have been learning to cook pretty well. Seems I actually have the ability. Who would have thought? My day's schedule has become like - wake up, shower, hurry for class, do some group work, come back for dinner, then go back to the business school and study late into the night. Sleep isn't even considered. I'd be quite near burnout, if not for the fact that exams will be over in 10 days :D

Anyway, the other day I decided I needed a break, and also with the Secret Recipe Club's deadline looming, decided to do some baking. I spotted pecans at the grocery store long ago, and picked them up for snacking. I'd wanted to make a pie with them for thanksgiving, but since that didn't pan out, I zoomed in on Kim's Chocolate Pecan Pie. This month's blog assignment for me was a very nice one, I reallly wanted to try her red velvet cupcakes, and probably will, soon.

I made this pie at 5 am a few days ago, when I got back home. And I was so glad I did. It made the home smell amazing, my flatmates were so pleased :) And did I tell you how much I love the weather here? Making pie crust is so easy, there's absolutely no worry about the butter melting! The chocolate layer is nice and dense, with the pecans providing a wonderful texture, and the crust is a perfect complement. I used my standard pie crust, and made the filling from Kim's site.

Chocolate Pecan Pie.

For the pie crust -

Use half of my standard pie crust recipe.

For the filling

3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick [113 g] butter
2 large eggs
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a pie plate with a bottom crust.
Melt together the chocolate and butter and in a medium saucepan. Set aside to come to room temperature.
Whisk the eggs and add into the chocolate mixture.
Now add the flour, and vanilla, stirring until just combined.
Now stir in the pecan halves, and pour onto unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the filling looks set.
Serve along with cream or ice-cream for a decadent treat, or just as is .

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:14:00 +0000

This little breakfast cake represents the first thing I ever baked in my new home. It was kind of a hit and miss, with no scale [I'm just so used to it now], weird measuring cups, a new oven etc. But I was still quite happy with it. It tasted perfectly fine, and was a wonderful accompaniment to my breakfast.

I've started cooking ever since I came here, stuff other than pancakes and eggs atleast [though I tried the BEST pancakes the other day, I'll try and post them on here soon]. It's a slow process, but I'm realising that I actually quite like cooking. I'm not doing so too regularly, but when I do, I go all out, put in an hour of effort at the least. This blog has always been about baking, and I don't think I'm ready to change that, but I might just talk about some cooking experiences sometimes. Oh and also, I would love some recipe recommendations for a beginner cook!

Anyway, back to the cake. It's for the Secret Recipe Club, and this time I got Stacy from Every Little Thing. She has the cutest blog, and it had a ton of stuff I wanted to make. Unfortunately, since I'm still setting up, my options were quite limited by ingredient / tool unavailibility. I had a few options, of which I really loved the blueberry breakfast cake, especially since I had some blueberries in the fridge [P.S - Did I tell you how much I love that I can now just say a statement like that like it's no big deal. I love how easy it is to get things here :)]. The cake was also really easy to make, I actually just used a hand whisk, since I haven't even bought a mixer yet. The cake turned out really well, so soft, and barely sweet, so it went perfectly with my morning coffee.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Recipe from Eat, Live, Run via Every Little Thing

For the streusel -
1 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, melted

For the cake -
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Grease a 9x13 pan, or two smaller pans, which is what I had.
Combine all streusel ingredients. Toss well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, yogurt, and butter until well combined. Gradually sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined.
Now pour out about 3/4th of the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle blueberries on top. Pour the rest of the batter onto the blueberries. Now pat the streusel mixture on top.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until it feels springy to touch, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Happy Diwali to all my Indian readers! I just celebrated my first ever diwali away from home, and it was actually a lot of fun, though ofcourse I missed family and friends a lot! But unless I manage to get a job, I'm only here for about a year, so I figure I can manage that :)

I actually did get some baking done a few days ago, but that's for the Secret Recipe Club, so I can't post it yet. In the meantime, I'm gonna post these amazing cookies that I've been meaning to for months. All these years, I didn't like peanut butter straight out of the jar, and assumed I wouldn't if it's baked into anything either! So I never really bothered to even try. But then, a really close friend requested some peanut butter cookies, he was feeling nostalgic about them, and after he described them to me, I decided I'd just make some, and give them all to him. I scoured the net, and ultimately landed on my favourite site, should have just gone there directly. Deb's recommendations always work for me :)

I just made them very sceptically, didn't have any hopes for them, I was just gonna taste one to quality check, and then pack them all off to him. Yeah.. I don't even know what I was thinking! Peanut butter is gooood! Now I finally get what all you guys have been talking about. The soft cookies, with delicious chocolate chips, were just divine. I ate quite a few of them.. had some friends come over, and before I knew it, the entire batch was over. Just like that. To date, my friends rate these cookies as one of the best things I've ever made. You MUST try them :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook{India | UK} via Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips - I didn't have, absolutely fine without it
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tbsp sugar, regular or superfine

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter till fluffy. Add in the sugars, and beat till well incorporated.
Add in the eggs, milk, and vanilla, beating between each addition. Fold in the flour mixture. Add in the chips.
Lay the sprinkling sugar out on a plate. Roll one tablespoon sized balls of dough in the mixture, then place on the cookie sheet, leaving quite some space for expansion. Using the tines of a fork, make the traditional criss cross indents, and bake for 10-12 minutes. These cookies are meant to be chewy, do not overbake them.

Where I've been

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 13:23:00 +0000

Hello you all. I apologise for neglecting you and the blog so much. It's time to finally tell you what I've been upto.

I've moved to the UK!! I'm at the University of Warwick's Business School for my Masters here. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it, and then I was very busy prepping and packing and the like.

I've been here just under a week, I'm still setting up, and considering I don't even know how to cook, it's gonna be a task, for sure. But the University is very highly recommended, and its gorgeous here too. Culinary school has been put off, probably after 3-4 years.

I hope to have a post up soon, as soon as I can manage to buy all the pots and pans and ingredients. Please stick around, and wish me luck :)

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Hello :)

I've been super super busy with something, so I thank all of you that have still stuck around for my infrequent posts. Hopefully everything should be sorted out soon. Anyway, it's time for another SRC post. And what a post at that. These cupcakes are just dreamy good. On my top 10 list for sure. Which reminds me.. I should do a top 10 post, shoudn't I?

This time I was assigned a lovely blog too [I've been very lucky with my assignments uptil now], and I had some great choices. It's owned by Jaida, someone who's food choices I really like, just by seeing what she posted. I leaned towards these cupcakes, I've been wanting to make some chocolate chip ones since forever, and also needed to finish my Callebaut chocolate chips stash. Plus, they are from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, a book that I trust highly, they've all been winners for me. I chose a different frosting recipe, because I don't like the powdered sugar ones too much, and there's this other frosting from Martha, a cream cheese one, that I love, and make very frequently.

The cupcake went perfectly with the frosting, soft, dreamy moist cupcake, with a rich, buttery, high on chocolate frosting. What more could a girl ask for?

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Makes 32

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

For the cupcakes -

3 ¼ cups plus 1 Tbsp sifted cake flour (not self-rising), divided use

4 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk

½ cup plus 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups sugar

5 large egg whites, room temperature

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.
In your mixer bowl, cream the butter until smooth, then add the sugar and beat until light ans fluffy. Reduce the speed. Now add 1/3rd of the flour mixture, beat till incorporated, and add half the milk mixture, again mixing just till incorporate. Repeat, finishing with the last third of the flour mixture, making sure not to overbeat.
In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Mix 1/3rd of the whites into the above batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest gently.
Toss the chocolate chips with the 1 tbsp of flour, and fold them in.
Fill muffins pans to 3/4th full, and bake for 20 mins, until tops feel springy.

For the chocolate frosting -

From Martha Stewart via Annie's Eats

[I halved and had more than enough, I put on as much as you can see in the pictures]

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

9 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions -

Melt the chocolate whichever way you feel comfortable. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese till light and fluffy. Sift the confectioner's sugar into the bowl, along with the cocoa powder and salt. Mix to combine.
Beat in the room temperature chocolate, and the sour cream. Frost immediately.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:16:00 +0000

The other day, I had some friends request some brownies, and after having made countless repetitions of countless versions, I decided it was time to try something new. I've also slowly been struggling to get through my million bookmarks {I'm sure you relate}, and I noticed these cookies posted by Katrina. They looked so sinful, I was sure they'd do.

I made them almost immediately, and they were super easy to make. I was happily chomping on them an hour later. They came out rather thin for me, I think that's because I added a little extra butter. But I loved them that way, the edges were nice and crunchy, with the inside soft and brownie-ish, exactly how I like them.. These cookies are meant to be soft, so you must not bake them to a crisp.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart via Baking and Boys

8 oz [226 g] semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tbsp [57 g / 1/2 stick] unsalted butter
2/3 cup [80 g] flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz [340 g] semi sweet chocolate chunks

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, or whatever method you prefer. Keep aside to cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the room temp chocolate mixture, mix to incorporate. Now add the flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Add in the chocolate chunks, and fold.
Drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the batter on cookie sheets, and bake for 12-15 mins, as mentioned above, you want them to be soft. Serve with a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Store in airtight containers so that they don't get too soft.

Strawberry Iced Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day to all my Indian readers :)

It's another month for the Secret Recipe Club, which now has it's own site, and a TON of new members, so many so, that posting has been divided into 3 different days. I feel like I've only been posting for the SRC, but it's been a crazy time for me, with joining and quitting a job, my brother getting married, and my preparing for something big in life [not food related], that I'm hoping will happen. Things are almost back to normal now, so I hope to be posting more regularly.

Anyway, this month I was assigned the blog Heavenly Treats and Treasures, which also had a ton of great options for me. I've been very lucky with the assignments, I must say. I loved her Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes, I really wanted to make those, but it didn't work out. With the sudden heat wave here, I was in no mood to turn on the oven, and I wanted something cool. Her Sweet Blackberry Tea seemed perfect. I love Iced Teas, had some frozen strawberries I needed to use up, and it'd be perfect for the weather.

And.. this is the first time I've ever made anything this easy. I was surprised when I was done and sipping the drink within 10 minutes of looking at the recipe. I really need to make more drinks, I always thought they'd be more involved. All you have to do is make a simple syrup [1:1 ratio of sugar and water], infuse with whatever flavor you want, and add to prepared tea! I know this might be fundamental to all of you, but I'm quite fascinated by the ease of it all.

Strawberry Iced Tea
Adapted from Heavenly Treats and Treasures

2 quarts prepared tea, green or black [I used green]
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
10 oz frozen fruit of your choice.

Instructions -

Allow the prepared tea to cool.
In a medium saucepan, combine together the sugar, water, and frozen fruit. I roughly chopped the fruit before adding, because I don't like pieces in my drink. Most will get mashed anyway with the heat and stirring.
Cook on high until sugar dissolves, and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Don't thicken it to a paste, it won't mix into the tea well. Allow to cool slightly
In a nice, tall glass, pour out the prepared tea about halfway to the top. Add about 1/4 cup of the strawberry syrup [adjust according to taste], stir,and add some crushed ice on top. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, some mint leaves, and serve.

Creamy Lemon Squares

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It's time for the Secret Recipe Club again. I'm the biggest procrastinator ever, and have never, ever been able to schedule a post. This group is slowly changing that in me!! This post, and last month's have both been scheduled. Can you believe it? Who knew blogging would bring about such life changes too, I've actually began doing things on time, instead of beginning a few hours after due date. Thank you, Amanda :) You should sign up too!

This time I was assigned Cara's blog, the Boys Made Me Do it. I was really happy with this assignment, she had a lot of great choices, and I was torn between these bars that she made from the Pioneer Woman, or Joy the Baker's super famous Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread. I finally chose the lemon bars, since the were so absolutely easy to make, and yeast is something I have yet to conquer. Plus, lemon is something I love baking with, but somehow I haven't done as much. Turns out it was the perfect pick, these bars, though easy and not true lemon bars, were absolutely delicious. The creaminess of the filling just went perfectly with the oat-sy crust, the and puckeriness of the lemons was just wonderful. This took like 10 minutes to prepare too, so there really shouldn't be anything stopping you from making these.

Creamy Lemon Squares

Adapted from the Boys Made Me Do It via the Pioneer Woman

1 1/2 cup [180g ] flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick [113 g] butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oats - I used quick cooking
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice - This can be varied according to taste
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Grease a 8 x 11 pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter and brown sugar. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter mixture, stir till incorporated. Now dump in the oats, and mix as best you can.
Line about 3/4th of this mixture at the bottom of your pan, and press it in using your fingers, or a measuring cup.
In a medium bowl, pour in the can of sweetened condensed milk. Add the lemon juice and zest. You can taste this mixture as you go, and vary lemon accordingly. It should be really quite puckery, the taste mutes a little because of the crust. Mix well, and pour over the layer of oats. Slightly level with a spatula.
Now sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the lemon layer, and lightly flatten with fingers, don't pack it in.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, till the crumb in golden brown. Cool for about 30 minutes, cut into bars, and serve.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Flour Frosting.. Turning 22!

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:57:00 +0000

I can't believe it's only been a week since I turned 22. Wait.. I can't even believe I'm 22, I still tell people I'm 21 :)

I had the most awesome birthday celebration, with a few select friends, and a whole lot of drama. These cupcakes were made before the day, since I never bake on my birthday, even though I love baking, my birthday is a day where I'm to be pampered :)

I also started working about 2 months ago, which is why I haven't been too regular with the posting, or browsing the blogs. I can't help but wonder how people are doing their own thing at work, having all the time in the world. I've had literally no time!

Anyway, I'd been seeing the flour frosting around the blogosphere a lot, and specially noticed it when Ree, the Pioneer Woman posted it as the best frosting she's ever tasted. It's called a million different names, the one I liked the best is heritage frosting. Reading up on it a bit, it sounded like something I would like, not too sweet, rich but not overbearingly slow, fluffy, and just a lot of fun. I can't stand the powdered sugar buttercreams, and I'm always looking for alternatives. This one was perfect. I loved it. My parents, the world's biggest frosting haters also ate these cupcakes, frosting and all. So it's a pure winner for me, and for anyone else who likes a not so sweet frosting. Usually sugar is the base, that gives stability to a buttercream, but here, the flour/cornstarch provides that required structure, allowing for a much more sophisticated end result.

Since I was experimenting with the frosting, I went with an old favorite recipe for the cupcake, Hershey's perfectly chocolate cake. It's one of the moistest cakes I've ever eaten. And you know what's amazing. I accidently left out the oil [I'm too scatter brained], and you would never know it looking at the cupcakes. I had happily gorged on a few, when I noticed the oil sitting on the counter. I haven't had the chance to try it again, so I can't recommend just leaving it out completely [maybe I made some other mistake too, because of which the cupcakes turned out well], but if you do try it, please let me know. It'd be so awesome to have a fat free cupcake!

Look how smooth and luscious :D

Chocolate cupcakes with Heritage Frosting

For the cupcakes -
Yield - about 28

2 cups [480 g] sugar
1 3/4 cups [210 g] flour
3/4 cup [70 g] cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup [260 g] milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Line two muffin pans with liners.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the sugar.
Add in the eggs, milk, oil and extract, beating for about 2 minutes on medium. Now pour in the boiling water. The batter will be very thin, don't worry.
Scoop into prepared pans, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.

For the Heritage frosting -

1 cup [260 g] milk
1 cup [240 g] sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup [2 sticks / 226 g] butter

Instructions -

In a medium saucepan, heat together 3/4 cup of the milk, the sugar and salt, until sugar is dissolved. Don't allow it to come to a boil, keep the heat on slow.
In a small bowl, combine together the remaining 1/4 cup of the milk and the cornstarch, to create a slurry/paste like mixture. Pour this slowly into the sugar mixture, and continue heating over medium heat, stirring gently. Do not stir too much, or you will break up the molecules that are forming, and thus ruin your base. Cook for about 1-2 mins, till it forms a thick paste. Do not allow it to come to a rolling boil.
Now pour this mixture into the waiting bowl of your mixer. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Once cool, cut butter into 1 tbsp chunks. With your mixer on medium low, using the whisk attachment, beat the cornstarch mixture. Begin adding the chunks of butter, one at a time, until each is mostly incorporated. Once all the butter is added, increase the spead to medium high, and whip for about 5 mins, until the frosting is fluffy looking. Use immediately.

Cherry Clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It's time for the Secret Recipe Club again :) This time I was assigned Shumaila's great blog. I was very happy with the assignment, coz she had a lot of great stuff to pick from. I had originally planned on making the black forest cake, something that's in every bakery here, but really bad quality, so an amped up, good quality ingredients black forest cake was just calling my name.

But life gets in the way, with some personal troubles going on, I just didn't feel like it, and opted to make a simple clafoutis instead, which I remember eating on my trip to Europe, and loving! I love custard-y stuff, so it was right up my alley. And having just eaten a slice before writing this post up, I can vouch for how lovely it is. It took me right back to my trip last year. It's warm, soft, sweet and just all over wonderful.

Cherry Clafoutis
Adapted from Classic Home Desserts via The Novice Housewife
Serves about 8

2 1/2 cups [about 1 pound) cherries
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup [60 g] sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract /cognac/kirsch
pinch salt
1/2 cup [60 g] sifted all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Grease a 9 inch tart pan. I couldn't find mine, so I used a springform
Clean, steam and pit the cherries in a bowl. Reserve the juices
In a large bowl, mix together the milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cherry juices. Now stir in the flour until barely combined, a few lumps are alright.
Lay out the cherries in a single layer on the bottom of your pan, and then pour the batter over it. I recommend putting the pan on a baking sheet, the batter is pretty liquid and some of it might just get out.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes clean. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar

DIY : How to make homemade marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:44:00 +0000

This is a new series I'm starting here on YB. It's born out of a lack of ingredient availability here in India. Also, homemade is always better, isn't it? So whether it's to make up for ingredient non-availabilty, or to healthy your home up and avoid preservatives, or simply bagging rights [I mean, homemade marshmallows! That's sure to get some oohs and aahhs], I hope you follow along, and use this series in your homes too. I will update as and when something comes up that I make, it may not be super regular, but that's me. I don't work well with deadlines :)

These marshmallows were simply ethereal. So fluffy and light. I think I'm going to have to make one slab, and use it as my pillow! Wouldn't that be awesome? An edible pillow! I'm rushing to patent my creation ;) They are made with egg whites, and so have a surreal level of fluffiness that can't be matched. They're one of Deb's recipes, who I trust beyond belief, so ofcourse they're amazing! They're actually also very easy to make, especially if you have the correct equipment.

On the downside though, these tend to melt a little easier than regular marshmallows, because of the egg whites. While they will still taste the same, they won't look as pretty, as you may have noticed on my cookies post a while ago. If you have a kitchen torch, then you're good to go, because they are infinitely better, or even if you don't have one, just try these, they're amazing as is!! And they're absolutely perfect for roasting for s'mores, the fact that they melt easier is actually a plus.

Homemade Marshmallows

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Yield - About 85 1 inch sized marshmallows

3/4 cup [98 g] confectioners’ sugar + 1/4 cup corn starch - Sifted together
3 1/2 envelopes [2 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp] unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups [480 g] granulated sugar
1/2 cup [150 g] light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla [you can play around with flavorings / colors]

Note : The marshmallow 'batter' is very sticky, it would be best to pre-oil or spray everything that is going to come into contact with it.. like the pan, spatulas, your fingers, etc. I've tried to list out step-by-step, every detail to make it as easy as possible.

Equipment needed -

Stand Mixer [highly recommended, though you technically can make it with a hand mixer]
Candy thermometer

Oil a 9x13 pan well, then dust with the confectioner's sugar mixture liberally. Tap excess out.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, pour in all the gelation. Now pour in 1/2 cup cold water over it, give it a quick stir, and let it sit to soften and bloom.
In a large, heavy saucepan, pour in the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and second 1/2 cup of water. Clip on your candy thermometer. Cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves. Now increase heat to medium, and let it boil, without stirring, until the temperate on the thermometer registers 240 F, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from heat, and immediately pour into the bowl of your stand mixer, stirring until the gelation dissolves.
Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high until it becomes white, fluffy, thick, and almost tripled in volume, about 6-8 minutes. Don't be afraid to let it beat, it should be quite thick.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Beat these whites into the above sugar mixture, also add whatever flavorings and colors you choose, just until combined.
Pour into prepared pan, and don't try to get it all out, it's an exercise in futility. Sift 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar mixture evenly over the top. Refrigerate uncovered until firm, atleast 3 hours, or up to one day.
Now run a thin knife along the edges of the pan, and invert it onto a large cutting board, on which some of the confectioners sugar mixture has already been sprinkled. Lift up one corner of the pan, and using your fingers, gently loosen the marshmallow slab, and ease on the board.
Using an oiled knife, [or an oiler pizza cutter works better], cut the marshmallow slab into 1 inch cubes. Sift all the remaining confectioners sugar mixture back into your empty pan, and now roll all the cut marshmallows in it, making sure all six sides are coated well. Tap out the excess from each [a quick toss in your hands, a few at a time works perfectly], and store in an airtight container, ready to use.
These were ok for about a week outside, after which I stored them in the refrigerator for about another week, and they were perfectly alright. However, I don't recommend storing them longer than that.

Uma's Orange Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Soo... How did everyone get through the Great Blogger Crash of 2011? Were you frustrated, or were you happy to stay away for a bit? I was pretty bugged about not being able to comment on blogs, and some not opening at all, but luckily, my blog got through unharmed, and I was away for the weekend to an awesome beach retreat, so I didn't feel too much of it.

It's Secret Recipe Club time again, and I got an awesome blog - Cooking Rookie. I was planning on making this last week, but her blog was down, atleast for me. So I kept waiting, and finally managed to make it on the last day, with the super helpful Amanda's help - she copied the entire post for me so I could bake the cake! I just got back like an hour ago, and am quickly typing this post up, I just hope I can finish it before my eyes shut and I crash.

The cake was gorgeously soft and fluffy, mildly flavored, and basically one that I can get away with at breakfast too :) The instructions on her blog weren't too clear, so I did it as I thought correct, came out wonderful.

Uma's Orange Cake

Adapted from Cooking Rookie

1 1/2 cups [180 g] flour
1/4 cup yogurt
1/3 stick [57 g] butter
1/2 cup orange juice
2/3 cup [160 g] sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg + 2 egg whites
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

For the glaze -
3 tsp icing sugar (45 cal)
1 tsp vanilla essence (5 cal)
2 tsp water

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Grease and line a 9 inch round pan.
Rub in the zest with the sugar for added flavor and fragrance.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the whole egg, and beat. Now pour in both the juices.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1/3rd of this flour mixture to the above butter mixture. Then add in half the yoghurt. In the same way, add the second 1/3rd of flour, the last bit of yoghurt, and the last bit of flour mixing between each addition, only till incorporated.
In a clean bowl, beat together the two whites till stiff peaks form. Fold them into the above mixture, and pour this batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 mins, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Mix together all the ingredients for the glaze, and pour it over the cake while it's still hot.

New York Style Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:19:00 +0000

This sure has been a week straight out of a Disney fairytale, hasn't it? The prince got his princess, the bad guy died. And while I can't celebrate the death of a person, it does give me a sense of peace to know that he can't do any more harm.

I made this cake to gorge on while watching the Royal wedding, and loved it so much, I'm made it again, just so I could share with you guys. Its from the guys at my most loved bakery ever, Baked NYC's Baked Explorations. I blindly trust every recipe they put out. This one was no different. It was truly delicious. Even while preparing the batter, I knew it would be awesome, it was one of the silkiest-smoothest batters ever! I may have eaten quite a few spoonfuls of it ;)

The cake when baked, was so fluffy and moist, this is going high up on my sure-fire winners list. The crumb was a little too much for me, even though I love it, I'd suggest you reduce it to 3/4th.

If you're ever sad, and watching something like the Royal wedding happen, bake this cake, sit down with a fork, and I ensure you, you will cheer up. That said, I wasn't really sad, I'm all about Harry :)

New York Style Coffee Cake

Adapted from Baked Explorations [India]

For the crumb topping:

1 cup [240 g] firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup [110 g] granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 sticks [226 g] melted butter
2 1/2 cups [300 g] all-purpose flour

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups [330 g] all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks [170 g] butter
1 1/2 cups [330 g] granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups [290 g] sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions -

Preheat oven to 350 F [180 C]. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass 9×13 pan. You can use a metal pan, but the edges may get a bit crispy.
To make the crumb topping - mix both sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed. Spread out a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter and spread this mixture out on the parchment paper to dry while you make the cake mixture.
To make the cake - Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter until it is smooth, and ribbonlike with a mixer. Add the sugar, and beat till fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Now add in the sour cream and vanilla, and beat till incorporated. Pour in the flour mixture in about 3 parts, beating just until incorporated. Once the batter looks silky smooth, it is ready :)
Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Using your hands, scoop up a handful of the crumb topping, make a fist so that it holds together, then break off in chunks and drop over the cake. Repeat until all the topping is used up. [I didn't do it this time around, so my topping will look a little different from yours. It's not a step I recommend skipping, the topping might be too crumbly otherwise]. You will have a thick layer of topping.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire rack, and serve alongside some coffee or tea.
The cake will last for 3 days, covered at room temperature. It's been one day since I made it, and there's only a tiny bit left.

Mississippi Mud Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:53:00 +0000

I made homemade marshmallows the other day, and ate my first s'more. Oh my. There goes the diet! I loved them soo much, I ate like 5 of them, and they were huge!

I've also joined this new blogging group, the secret recipe club, headed by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin. We're allotted a different blog each month, which is kept a secret till posting date, I got Amanda's blog itself :) Its a lot of fun, go to her blog if you want to register.

So anyway, I was looking for a recipe in her blog, plus I wanted to make something with the marshmallows. And I found this cookie! It was perfect, and it looked gorgeous! It tastes gorgeous too, the almost brownie-ish cookie, with the stringy, gooey marshmallows. Ah yum! Do try them, its a very easy recipe, came together in like 10 minutes!

Mississippi Mud Cookies

Recipe by Amanda via Megan
Makes about 24

1 12-oz bag semisweet chocolate chips, separated
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows

Instructions -

Melt 1 cup [170 g / 6 oz] of the chocolate chips, set aside to come to room temp.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, beating between each addition. Stir in the cooled chocolate till well incorporated.
Now add in the flour, mix just until incorporated. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips, refigerate dough for an hour.
To bake, preheat oven to 350 F [180 C], and drop tablespoon sized heaps on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Dot the top with mini marshmallows, and bake for about 12 minutes, till edges feel done. Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes, then move to cookie rack.