The Compulsive Baker

Christmas Fruit Cake - Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

2012-12-26T02:55:00.003-08:00

Studded with rubies - Specks of red soaked fruit and nuts

Rich, cinnamony, moist, bursting with boozy fruits and smelling of rum and spice...but not too heavy...so that you can eat one piece after the other...I know my cake turned out lighter in colour than the classic dark brown but, I burnt three batches of caramel in order to get a dark caramel syrup and then I told myself whats in the colour...that which tastes as good as this cake...with any other colour would taste the same (Thank you.. Shakespeare).

Honestly, I wasn't very sure whether I should call this the Christmas rum cake or Christmas fruit cake..because there is as much rum as there is fruit.. Don't fret.. I cant eat cakes laden with rum either.. So I decided I shall use just as much as my sane self can withstand.

So I have never really baked a Christmas fruit cake before and I decided if I must I should follow traditions. And so the soaking of fruits happened a month or so ago. Ideally the fruits are soaked for a longer period of time, though I don't see how that might have altered the taste of my cake.. ( the cake turned out awesome..). So my vain self went shopping for the ingredients and I say vain because vanity is everything to do with what others think of me...which means that I went about the whole exercise with as much pompousness as I could muster...telling the whole world about it...even the uninterested shopkeeper...just made me feel like a pro who does this every year. So here is my list of fruits for the traditional soaking ( Brit, Austrian, French, German, American...all rolled into one )

100 gms Dark/Golden Raisins

100 gms Prunes

100 gms Candied Ginger

100 gms Mixed Peel

100 gms Dried Figs

100 gms Walnuts

100 gms Cashew

100 gms Almonds

1 Ltr of Dark Rum/Brandy/Red Wine/Whiskey (Use any one or a combination)

4 tbsp of mixed spice powder ( or make your own by dry roasting cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and grinding them into a fine powder. Alternatively, you can tie these whole spices in a piece of linen and drop it in with your fruits.

Chop the nuts and fruits coarsely, add the spices and pour the rum over so that they are covered with it. Stir so that everything is incorporated and within a couple of hours you will have to pour some more rum again. The fruits are going to soak it all up . Stir every 2-3 days and add more rum if required. So when I checked after a couple of days it still needed more liquid and since I had a bottle of red wine, I used that.. So in whole I used almost 1 Ltr of liquid (750 ml rum and 250 ml wine put together). If you are using any wine for soaking be sure to stir every two days because the wine might come on top and might ferment. Keep it airtight.

So all this was a month ago. Three days ago it was time to turn these into the perfect Christmas Fruit Cake. So I started with the caramel.. It is going to give your cake a deep dark colour. The darker you get without burning it, the better. My earlier experiments in caramel making haven't been too encouraging, and this time was no different.. got it right the fourth time and had loads dark and bitter caramel .. not to mention the pans to scrub and clean.

You can use brown sugar instead of white, but brown sugar is going to make the cake stickier and I personally do not like the texture of the cake with brown sugar... they are restricted to cookies and puddings in my kitchen. Also, brown sugar burns faster than white, so be careful.

Ingredients for the caramel:

2 cups white sugar (16 fl. oz)

1 cup of water ( 8 fl.oz)

Method:

Take the sugar in a heavy bottomed pan, and bring it up to a medium heat. Be patient. Do not stir. Around 4 mins later the sugar around the edges will start melting and changing colour. Be Patient. Do not be tempted to stir with a spoon. If at all, give the pan a swirl. Sugar will melt further. Again, do not be tempted to stir with a spoon, because that will crystallize the sugar and you will have lumps in your caramel. It takes around 8 mins or so for all the sugar the melt and change colour.

After three burnt batches patience was thrown out of the window and I started to stir with a spoon and there I had crystallized sugar, but never mind. all you have to do is strain it out of your caramel... So if you have the strong urge to stir with a spoon, go ahead ...and professionals will tell you that a little water will dissolve the crystals. don't bother..just strain it..its simpler.

Once the sugar melts, switch off the gas stove, wear kitchen gloves and pour the water into the pan and quickly move away. Once the splattering stops stir the water into the caramel. leave it to cool and it will thickens as it cools. If you do have lumps in the caramel, strain it while its still warm, because the thicker it gets the more difficult it is for it to come out of a strainer.

And so after all that trouble with the sugar, I did manage to make 1.5 cups (12 fl.oz) of golden coloured caramel and here is how it looked

So we have the fruits soaking, the caramel ready and now its time to make the batter.

Ingredients:

250 Gms butter, melted and at room temperature

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups whole wheat flour (16 fl.oz)

3 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar, powdered

2 tbsp of cinnamon powder

1 tsp of nutmeg powder

1 tsp powdered cloves

1 tbsp dry ginger powder

1/2 cup of orange marmalade (4 fl.oz) ( purely optional, but extremely desirable)

3 cups of soaked fruits without the rum (24 fl.oz)

1 cup of rum from the soaking fruits

Here are few of my observations :

I used whole wheat flour here but you can substitute with the same amount of maida/cake flour. Some might argue as to why make this dense cake denser by using whole wheat flour, but thats exactly my point...the cake is already dense so using a lighter flour is not going to change its texture considerably, so I will stick my good pal whole wheat.

I did not stick to the traditional creaming method for the batter because we are not aiming at a lighter cake. Dense is in vogue !!

Now since I live in tropical weather, the cake has to be finally stashed away in the fridge, otherwise it might get spoiled, so I was contemplating replacing butter with oil, so that the cake will be moist and soft even if it comes out of the fridge, but again I would have to thaw it to maximize the taste, so I decided to use butter so I can still have the buttery flavour in the cake.

Orange marmalade is an optional ingredient, but I baked one cake with it and another without it.. and there was a difference... the slight hint of orange. Yeps, I baked two cakes...One was for gifting away and the other is still resting in my cake box and getting better with each passing day. Its Christmas after all and the season for giving.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius. Grease and line a 20 cm x 20 cm cake pan with baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.

4. Use a hand blender and beat the melted butter and the powdered sugar. Add the eggs ( all at once or one at a time... its your choosing). and beat well till light and frothy. Add the caramel, orange marmalade, the powdered spices and beat well. Add the rum from the soaked fruits and beat well till all the wet ingredients are well combined.

5. Ad the dry and sifted ingredients slowly and beat just until incorporated.

6. Fold in the soaked fruits. You might want to dredge the fruits in flour to prevent sinking at the bottom, but in the first cake I did that and the second time around I did not and it made no difference at all.

7. Pour the batter into the cake batter and bake for 10 mins at 180 degree Celsius and then for 35 min at 160 degree Celsius.

8. If you feel the crust is getting darker, take the pan out carefully and cover with aluminium foil and put the pan back into the oven immediately and bake again.

9. The cake is done when a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean. Take the cake out and leave to cool completely. The cake will not dome or sink at the center so even of you don't need a bundt pan for the cake.

10. Ideally, all Christmas fruit cakes are brushed with the left over rum from the soaked fruits. Holes are poked over the cake with a skewer and rum is brushed or poured over the cake for it to absorb. Its called feeding the cake. But this is one step I skipped. The cakes are baked 10-15 days in advance and rum is poured 4-5 times into the cake till Christmas. Or a cheese cloth is soaked in the rum and the cake is wrapped in it.. And on Christmas, the cake is served with almond paste or marzipan or just like that.

So Merry Christmas and Happy Baking !!!

Raisin, Honey and Oatmeal Cookies - Finally the Real Breakfast Cookie !

2012-08-20T11:45:00.003-07:00

Giant cookies - Available in King and Queen Sizes

Two weeks of unlimited baking...Yet another of my Baking Workshops comes to an end...Whoa ! What fun! Imagine baking every single day for the last 15 days...and one of my favourites being the Raisin, Honey and Oatmeal Cookies...Large jumbo cookies...This one is essentially the cookie that you can grab when you are on the go...an then ..yummm.....you will make a mental note to grab two next time you are on the run !! Why it makes this one, the ultimate breakfast cookie, is because it is filled with Quick Rolled Oats, Whole Wheat, Dried fruits, Walnuts, Honey and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon...I am not going to start off on the nutritional facts, but this is definitely quite a power packed cookie, and with all that honey, raisins and cinnamon, this one tops the taste chart too.

I have tried baking similar cookies with less butter, but they are no where near these...moist and chewy from all that honey and if you want it crisper, just bake a little longer at a lower temperature ( see method for temperature details) on the bottom rack and they turn crisp around the edges and still stay chewy inside and, better still...if you want it crisper all through to the center, it needs a little more persuasion...bake it just a lil longer...But which ever way you bake them, they turn a beautiful deep brown with the honey and sugar caramelized all around the edges. What I do, is, bake one batch this way and another batch that way, making sure I have the best of both , the chewy world and the crispy world !!

And if you are looking for something that can wean you off chocolate, this might just be the answer for you.... and if this cant do it, then you really are a faithful chocoholic !!

Ingredients:

1 cup honey ( 8 Fl.oz.)
1 cup Quick cooking Oats (like Quaker) ( 8 Fl.oz.)
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour ( 4 Fl.oz.)
2 large eggs
100 Gms Butter (Salted / Unsalted)
1/2 cup white sugar, powdered ( 4 Fl.oz.)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup raisins ( 8 Fl.oz.)
3 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder

You can reduce the cinnamon and nutmeg to 2 tbsp and 1/2 tbsp respectively, but I love the punch that these aromatic spices deliver and also colour the cookie a shade darker.

Also, you can reduce the white sugar to 1/4 cup ( 2 Fl.oz.), but again this extra sugar aides in caramelizing the honey.

This is a drop cookie, so the batter will have a drop consistency. This particular one is wetter than the others because of the honey which is runny (!! my attempt at humour) But don't worry. It will firm up beautifully once it has been refrigerated.

And no, this time I have no photos other than the finished product simply because I forgot. But next time I am baking a drop cookie, I am definitely taking some photographs for easy understanding.

Method:

All you need to make this cookie batter is a large mixing bowl and a wire whisk. The batter is made, covered and put into the fridge, all within 10 minutes.
Melt the butter and let it cool down.
In a large mixing bowl add the butter and the powdered sugar and whisk to mix it well.
Pour the honey and whisk again to mix well
Add both the eggs together and whisk vigorously so that all the wet ingredients are mixed well.
Next start adding all the dry ingredients, baking powder first, whole wheat flour next and the oats. Mix really well so that all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter.
Time to stir in the add-ons - the raisins. You can add dried fruits, dates, nuts, candied ginger and even choco-chips to this cookie....though I would really prefer to keep chocolate out of this one. You don't need to soak the raisins; they do not dry up during baking, on the contrary, they add to the chewy texture.
Next add the aromatic spices, cinnamon and the nutmeg. If you are adding candied ginger, you can also add dry ginger powder or ginger spice drops to accentuate the ginger flavour.
Mix all the ingredients really well with the whisk, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Better still leave it in the fridge overnight to firm up really well.
Preheat the oven to 250 Degree Celsius.
Take the cookie batter out of the fridge and drop spoonfuls (almost the size of a lemon) onto a baking tray. Space the cookie at least 3 inches apart because they are going to spread out and you don't want them all merging into one large family cookie.
Do not grease the baking tray with any butter/oil, if at all, line it with a baking sheet. The reason being that the butter on the tray will make the tray slippery and will make it easier for the cookies to slide into one another.
Sprinkle with cinnamon powder or coarse white sugar, if desired
Bake the cookies at 180 Degree Celsius for 18 - 20 minutes and then at 160 Degree Celsius for another 10 minutes. At this point the edges would have turned a golden brown and the centers would still remain soft but firm to touch. If you haven't reached this stage, bake at the same temperature for another 5 -10 minutes.
If you want it crisper, move the tray to the lower rack and bake for another 10 minutes at 120 Degree Celsius. Honey can cause the cookie to burn if you leave them unattended. Keep checking through the glass door to make sure they are not burning. Avoid opening the oven door very often.
Always remember that most kind of cookies need to be baked a tad softer than what you finally would want them to be, because they get crisper while they cool. So if you let them get really crispy in the oven while baking they might get way too hard and you might lose the flavours. But again, this cookie is an exception, because the honey does not let the cooled cookie become very hard.
Once they have baked to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let them cool on the tray for 3-4 minutes and then gently nudge them out with a flat spatula on a wire rack and cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

Happy Baking !!!

Butter Cookies - With Whole Wheat and Oats - Dunk them...Eat them

2012-04-23T23:39:00.003-07:00

Baked to a Golden Perfection

Summer is here and so are mangoes in bright hues and shades of yellow..Cant have enough of it ever... and summer also brings with it appetizing cold salads and fresh juices, smoothies and milk shakes. And when you want a dose of carbs with all these fruity treats, it has to be this crunchy, crispy and buttery Vanilla Cookies.

Believe me when I say that cookies are a comforting treat, whether just eaten on the go or dunked into a glass of warm milk....or coffee, as in my case...and you definitely can't stop at one...so thank heavens it comes with the goodness of Oats and Whole Wheat. And even though its whole wheat and oats and butter, this cookie is so light but at the same time filling.

Don't believe any of this?? Try it out for yourself and you will make sure your cookie jar never goes empty again.

This dough can be refrigerated and baked as and when you need. It can be frozen upto two months if sealed in an airtight container. Just remember to thaw the dough till you can work with it comfortably. So next time you have someone over for tea just take the dough out of the refrigerator and treat your guests with warm cookies right out of the oven.

Technically, these are molded cookies, where you would use a mold to give them shape or, instead, you can mold them into small balls or shapes with your hands and bake them and here's how...

Ingredients:

100 gms Butter, at room temperature ( Unsalted would do)
1 Egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup Whole Wheat (6 fl.oz.)
3/4 cup Quick Cooking Oats ( like Quaker) (6 fl.oz.)
3/4 cup white sugar (6 fl.oz.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder

Optional Ingredients:
1 tsp Cardamom Powder for a subtle flavor. My kids do not like Cardamom so its an absolute no-no in my house, but Cardamom gives a very Indian twist to the otherwise American Cookie !!

Method:

Beat the egg and the vanilla with a spoon. Don't beat air into it. Just mix with the spoon till the yellow and white and the black vanilla combines together.
In you electric blender, powder together the sugar and oats to a coarse powder, about 1 minute. Add the whole wheat and baking powder ( and cardamom, if using) and blend untill all the dry ingredients are mixed well, about 30 seconds.
So now you have a coarse mixture of all the dry ingredients.
Take the butter in a deep mixing bowl, add the dry mixture and work the butter into the dry ingredients. Use the dough attachment of your electric mixer , if required.
Add the egg-vanilla and knead it lightly into a dough. Do not over work teh dough, just bring it all together into a soft ball.
It will be very sticky and messy. Don't get disheartened, because it is a good sign. Thats the way the dough should be.
Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate, untill the dough firms up. It should take around one hour. You can make the dough in advance and put it in the refrigerator the previous night and bake it the next morning for breakfast...Perfect !!

9. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and make small balls ( lemon sized, not too big) and place them on the baking tray, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten them, they will flatten as they bake.

10. Also, do not grease the baking tray, line it with baking sheet if required.

11. Put the moulded cookie dough back into the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes for it to firm up again, because while you were handling the dough it might have lost its firmness.

12. Preheat the oven to 250 degree Celsius.

13. Bake the cookies at 180 degree Celsius for 12 -15 minutes or till the edges are golden brown and the center is still slightly soft to touch. (Soft, not uncooked).

14. Cookies must be taken out of the oven while they are still soft at the center, because they harden as they cool. Don't let them bake till they get crispy in the oven, then you will end up with rock hard frisbees !!

14. Turn them around with a flat spatula and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Handy Tip : Cookie dough is always refrigerated before baking, because the butter in the sticky dough (at room temperature) is in melted form. Refrigeration solidifies the butter and when its put in the hot oven for baking, the butter takes time to melt down and meanwhile the basic cookie structure forms. Once the structure is formed your cookie wont ever go flat.

Resist the temptation to eat straight out of the oven !!

Happy Baking !!!

Orange Marmalade Cake - Citrus Mania - One and only of its kind !!

2012-03-06T02:39:00.003-08:00

Whole Wheat and Oranges - Can't get better than this !

Get set for a fresh burst of orange in your mouth...its like drinking out of an orange deodorant or eating an orange scented candle...Baking this cake is just as easy as peeling an orange - no creaming , no folding and even though it is Whole Wheat, just like every other cake of mine, it is so soft and 'melt-in-your-mouth' that for a moment you might not want to believe me.

I have been baking this cake for a very long time now. Earlier I used the electric mixer and just blended all the ingredients and baked it. All mixing and preparation over within 10 minutes. But after all these years of baking, I guess using some technique while baking is justified. But feel free to go back to the prehistoric era and use the ancient method..:-))

I have also baked these into mini muffins...power packed with the goodness of oranges and Whole Wheat. I am sometimes tempted to mash a banana into this batter, because, one - banana keeps the cake moist even after a few days of baking these, and, two - I love the merger of these two flavors. But I restrain myself because I think the Orange is the king here and should be allowed to rule the Kingdom of Flavours in this cake.

Handy Tip - If you don't have Orange Marmalade, use 1 cup ( 8 fl. oz.) of freshly squeezed orange juice with the pulp and the rind. So you will have only one cup of wet ingredients as opposed to 1 and a 1/2 as in the original recipe.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour (12 fl. oz.)

100 gms butter ( Salted or Unsalted ), at room temperature

3/4 cup Sugar (6 fl. oz.)

4 large eggs

1 cup Orange Marmalade, (8 fl. oz), melted and at room temperature

1/2 cup Fresh Orange Juice, (4 fl. oz), with the pulp (Use out of a carton if you don't have fresh oranges)

2 tsp Baking Powder

Rind of One orange, optional

1/2 tsp Cinnamon, optional

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Method

Grease and line a baking pan ( I used 8" x 6"). I prefer lining my pan with a baking sheet for any fruit or vegetable cake for ease of unmoulding.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix it evenly with a fork or with hand.
Add the butter and mix thoroughly ( with an electric blender or manually) so that it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Doesn't take too long to do this manually, just a couple of minutes.

Coarse sand like Texture

4. Grate the rind of an orange into the mixture.

Orange rind lends a very citrus flavor to the cake

5. From this point onwards, take out your electric blender with the paddle attachment or use the wire whisk for mixing the batter manually.
6. Combine vanilla, melted and cooled orange marmalade and orange juice. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix.Make sure there are no lumps.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition.
8. Keep scrapping the sides while mixing and blend till all the ingredients are well combined, no more. That should take anywhere between 5-7 minutes if done manually or even lesser if you use a machine.
9. Pour into the prepared an and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 35 minutes or till a tooth pick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
10. Unmould as soon as you can and cool on a wire rack. If you have used a baking sheet to line your pan, then you can unmould the cake faster ( within 5 minutes of taking out of the oven). Otherwise wait for the cake to loosen from the bottom and unmould.
11. Cool and slice. Serve warm right out of the oven.

12. For more orangy flavor melt some orange marmalade and pour over the cooled cake. Or make an Orange glaze - Mix 1 part of orange juice with 1/4 past of sugar and simmer over a low flame till it thickens or reduces to 3/4 the original quantity.

Happy Baking !!

Cinnamon Crumb Cake with Cinnamom Filling - Casting a magic spell inside the cake

2012-02-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

Crumbly Streusel Topping interspersed with a sticky cinnamon filling...

Hibernating?? ..No....that would be for a much longer period of time....but yes its been quite some time now since I last visited my virtual world. Been vacationing much more than my usual share and yes, also been busier than usual with family and friends to take care of and with the usual routine stuff.....but, for me, what makes it interesting is that each of these mundane sounding everyday jobs revolves around lifestyles, people that we meet from different strata, friends, my family, my two children who are helping me evolve everyday and my dear husband who has made my life come alive. I am not trying to make it sound like an acknowledgements coloumn nor am I trying to sound too repetitive, but I guess all of this together makes every second worth living.

And then there is Food...put in simple words, it sustains life and a lot of times also sustains the soul....could be a lavish festive spread or a calorie sensitive health platter or a quick grab-a-bite fast food or just your simple home food ...you will surely agree with me that there is nothing more heartening than your favorite food at the table. So here is one of my very favorite Crumb Cake which everyone likes...haven't come across any exceptions.

This a beautiful Golden Crumb Cake with a lovely Streusel Topping and hiding in between the cake is the cinnamon filling. The cake itself is so soft and moist , it is just waiting to melt into your mouth...believe me, I am not exaggerating...that's the way it really is...those who have tasted it can vouch for it.

Very cinnamony, but you'll be surprised to know that it is just the topping and the filling that have the cinnamon..the cake itself is a lovely golden vanilla cake. I came across this recipe long ago, accidentally, on www.nigella.com, when I was searching for Apple Strudel. Not that I was keen on baking the strudel, but just curious enough to know why it is one of the favorite things. The original recipe called for a lot of sugar in the topping, the cake and the filling. I can do with very less sugar all the time....So I have cut down the amount of sugar in my version.

Make room for some leisure time for yourself in the kitchen before you start off on this one. It calls for some extra preparation time than any other normal cake because you need to keep the topping and the filling ready before you start mixing the cake batter. So get set going for a pleasurable baking experience, the results of which are so rewarding that you will find excuses to bake this one again...

Ingredients

The Streusel Topping

3/4 cup Sugar (6 fl oz)
3/4 cup Quick rolled Oats (like Quaker) (6 fl oz) (Can use ordinary flour instead)
1.5 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1/3 cup melted butter (3 fl oz) (Either Salted or Unsalted)
1/2 cup Coarsely ground Almonds , optional

You can use this Streusel topping for any other cake or any fruit crumble.

The Filling

3/4 cup Brown Sugar (6 fl oz.)
1.5 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tsp Cocoa Powder, for a deeper colour, optional

The Cake

3/4 cup soft butter (6 fl oz) (Either Salted or Unsalted)
1 and 1/2 cup of sugar, powdered (12 fl oz)
2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 cup curd/yoghurt (6 fl oz) (the original recipe used sour cream, I have substituted it with home made curd)
1 and 1/4 cup milk (10 fl oz)
2 cups Atta (Whole Wheat flour) (16 fl oz)

Method

For the topping

Mix together all the dry ingredients with a fork. Add the melted butter and mix well till well combined. Set aside.
For the Filling

Mix together all the ingredients together and set aside.

To make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree Celsius.
You will need at least a10" x 12" x 3" pan for this cake. This cake is definitely for a large gathering or as in most cases a "store in the fridge cake" which gets better with every passing day.
Sieve Atta and baking powder and set aside.
Mix the curd and milk and whisk with a fork till it mixes well. You don't need to whisk out all the lumps. It takes care of itself while baking.
Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition ( beat till the egg is completely mixed into the batter).
Add a tsp of Atta in between each addition of egg to prevent curdling.
Add half the Atta and mix into the flour. This ensures that most of the flour is covered in fat before the liquid is added and yields a lighter cake with maximum volume.
Add the remaining Atta and milk-curd mixture alternatively and beat well to ensure a smooth batter.
Beat only till all the ingredients are mixed well. Do not overbeat otherwise you will end up with a dense cake.
Now comes the assembling part.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan spreading all the way up to the edges. You might want to use a wooden spoon for this.
Sprinkle the filling evenly on top of the batter. Make sure you cover the whole surface.
Pour the remaining batter on top of the filling and spread it evenly.
If required, you can take a knife and gently swirl the filling into the batter like in a marbled cake.. Again, don't combine it thoroughly otherwise the filling will mix with the batter.
Sprinkle the topping on top of the cake and cover the whole surface evenly.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 55 to 60 minutes. The topping would have turned into a golden brown sheet and a toothpick should come out clean from the center of the pan.
Cool the cake for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm right put of the pan. Cover with a cling film and refrigerate.

Instead of a one large cake pan you can use two smaller pans and make two of these cakes for giveaways.


The golden brown Streusel right out of the oven

A closer look

Happy Baking !!

GingerBread Man - Eat his legs first so he can't run !!!

2011-11-25T10:11:00.001-08:00

Run run as fast as you can..You can't catch me ...I am the Gingerbread Man !!

My kids love Gingerbread Man...And every time I have to bake a whole army of Gingerbread Men...because my boys like to have Gingerbread Man battles...it is such a pleasure to watch them play with this makeshift toy.

These are really fragrant cookies from all the honey, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Lots of spices and flavours but all of them come together into this really delicious cookie.

The first time I made these, I thought it was going to be a disaster after I mixed the dough and if you think the same, don't lose heart even though the dough would seem so sticky...you'll wonder how you would ever roll these out...but once chilled these are the easiest cookies to roll out....

And its fun to cut and decorate with the kids. Get your kids to cut them and give them some chocolate to decorate...its a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Make stars, triangles and half moon Gingerbread cookie and use them to decorate your Christmas tree. Make a small hole with a straw on one corner of your cookie when you roll them out and hang them with the help of a rope and get your children to jump and catch them lest they run away.....

Traditionally Gingerbread man is decorated with royal icing but chocolate is good for me adn more importantly. my children.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Butter (6 fl oz)
1 cup Honey (8 fl oz)
5 fl oz Sugar, powdered
2 cups whole wheat flour (16 fl oz)
1 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tbsp Ground ginger/ 2 tsp Ginger Spice drop
1/2 tsp cloves powder
1 large egg
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (only if using unsalted butter)

For the icing:

1 cup finely chopped Dark Chocolate.

Melt the chocolate on a double boiler and let it cool into a smooth paste.
use a toothpick to make the eyes, buttons etc for the cookie or just dunk them in chocolate to make a Chocolate Gingerbread man. Use small candy to make their eyes and buttons.
You can use raisins or nuts as eyes and buttons. Just stick them in the cookie before baking them.

Method:

In a thick bottomed saucepan, over a low flame, heat the butter, sugar and honey. Stir in the spices. Remove from fire once the butter has melted and sugar and honey have dissolved.
Transfer into a deep mixing bowl and let it cool down till lukewarm.
Beat in the egg.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together. If using unsalted butter, then sieve together the salt also.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and with a flat spoon make a dough. Use the hook/dough attachment of your blender for convenience.
The dough will seem very sticky.
Bring the dough together and wrap in a cling film. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes till very firm to touch.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
On a well floured surface, roll out the dough. The thickness can vary depending on your taste. If you want crisper cookies then 2-3 mm thick. Otherwise if you like chewy-soft-on- the-inside cookies then 5 mm thick.
Before cutting with the cutter remember to brush off the excess flour used for rolling with a pastry brush.
Cut using cookie cutter and place them on the baking tray.
Chill the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 15 min to firm up the butter and relax the gluten.
Take the baking tray out of the refrigerator and bake them at 180 for 15 - 18 min till the edges are firm and brown. A cookie cooks further while it cools, so you need to take it out once the edges have set and the center is almost set (90%), not completely set.
If you have rolled out the cookie thinner then reduce the baking time by 3-4 min.
Take them out of the oven and turn them out with a flat spatula onto a wire rack to cool.
Take them out very slowly because at this point they are still very delicate and may break if you are not too careful.
Once cooled ice them just the way you want...This is the best part...so enjoy..

Just before getting baked

Caponata Vegetable Quiche - With the Best and Healthy and Homemade Pie Crust !!

2011-11-12T02:01:00.001-08:00

Can't keep people away from this one, so the photo was taken in a hurry

How to make the perfect pie crust without using vegetable shortening like margarine...which obviously make the pie crust flaky but also bring along with them loads of trans fat.

The answer is simple....use butter and an egg to make the pie crust delicate, crispy yet tender and flavourful...You can skip the egg completely and replace it with ice cold milk or water and still get a beautiful pie crust with a slightly different texture.

Long life vs. Flaky Pie Crust...the winner is obvious...

Baking a Pie Crust is really not so difficult and once you do it you will be tempted to try it out again...and it is all about following the instructions to the tee. Go by the rules and you will get what you desire...So here is how...

Ingredients:

Very simple...

100 gms butter
10 and 1/2 fl oz Whole wheat flour (Atta)
1 large egg
1 tsp salt

You can add spices to give it more flavor like chilli flakes, pepper or pizza seasoning.

Interestingly, on two earlier occasions, I tried to make the dough with Maida (Cake flour/bleached flour) I could not roll it out...so I went back to my good old healthy Atta ..:-)

Method:

Till some time ago ( and even in a few of my cooking classes) I have not given any importance to chilling the butter before making the dough, I did not think it made any difference...but actually it does make a lot of difference. So chilling your butter and egg( or liquid) is an absolute must. Chilled butter makes sure that the butter does not get creamed into the mixture. We don't want a fluffy crust.

This dough will need a pie dish 10 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches in height.
Cut the chilled butter into small cubes and put it along with the flour and other dry ingredients like salt, spices) in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour, meaning that press the butter into the flour using all your fingers, till it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. It will take anything between 8- 10 minutes.
This can also be done in a food processor or using the hook attachment in an electric blender.
Beat the egg briefly, just to blend the white into the yellow. Remove a tsp of this and keep it aside.
Add the remaining egg to the butter-flour mixture little by little and bring it together to form a dough. The dough should not be too sticky and neither too dry, either ways you cannot roll it out. You should be able to press a finger into the dough and not form any cracks and also not have more than a few bits of dough sticking to your finger.
Cover the dough in a cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
This dough can be refrigerated for about a month, wrapped in cling film and stored in an airtight container.
Pull out the dough from the refrigerator.
Flatten the dough first and then start rolling out on a very well floured surface. Dust the dough with flour when ever it sticks to the rolling pin.
Keep turning the dough 90 degrees or as much as you think is required to get an even crust. you don't want it thick on one side and thin on the other. try to roll it out uniformly.
The thickness of the rolled dough can be customized as per your taste, depending on whether you want a thin crust or slightly thicker crust. It can vary from anything between 4mm to 8mm.
The size of the rolled out dough should be more than your pie dish so that you can cover the sides(walls) of the dish as well. Take the rolled dough carefully and place it on your pie dish. Press the dough against the walls so that the crust gets the shape of the pie dish after being baked.
Place the rolled out pie crust in the fridge for 30 min, so that the dough can firm up and the gluten can relax. Gluten is the protein in the flour. When you overwork your dough, gluten (protein bonds) is formed making the finished product more elastic. that is why certain breads require kneading, resting and re-kneading.
Also, chilling the dough before baking makes sure there is no or very little shrinkage of the pie crust.

This one has chilli flakes in it..just mix in with the dry ingredients.

Now comes the baking part...
You would need to Blind Bake the pie. This means that you bake the pie crust without the filling. And that would be done when the filling requires no baking time or very little baking time compared to the crust.
Blind Baking can be done by piercing the rolled out dough with a fork or by placing pie weights...or cover the crust with cling wrap and place beans ( any beans / raw rice) in it. Roll up the cling wrap and use it as a pie weight. I have always re-used the beans...though some recipes do claim that these beans cannot be re-used.
But, by far the best way to Blind Bake is to use a fork like in the image shown below.

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Bake the crust for 18 min at 180 degree Celsius.
Take it out and brush it with the remaining egg. This gives a crisper crust and prevents the filling from seeping into the crust.
Put it back in the oven and bake at 160 degree Celsius for 3- 5 minutes till the surface browns and the crust is crisp to touch.

And this is what you do with the left over dough. Make mini Quiches, fill it up with anything that comes handy and your kids will love it.

Bake them for slightly lesser duration (around 5 min lesser) than the large Pie crust takes in your oven

Now the Caponata Style vegetables.

This is a Sicilian(Italian) style of cooking aubergines. It can also be served as an accompaniment to a main course.

Ingredients:

2 Large Aubergines
2 Medium Sized Tomatoes
1/2 cup Raisins ( soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours)
1/2 cup capers ( Optional, but capers are a part of authentic Caponata Vegetables)
1 Small sized Green Capsicum
1 Small Red Bell Pepper
1 Large Onion
1/2 cup Green Stuffed Olives (4 fl oz.)
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
5 tbsp oil to shallow fry aubergines
2 tsp Red Chilli flakes
1 tsp Dry oregano + 1 tsp while assembling
1 tsp pizza seasoning (optional)
Splash of Tabasco

Method:

Thinly slice aubergines. sprinkle salt over them and leave it aside for 10 min. This is called Sweating.
Chop onions, bell pepper and capsicum into cubes.
Roast the Tomato on a low flame till charred and set aside
Peel off the skin from the tomatoes once it cools and chop coarsely into cubes.
Take the aubergines and wipe them with a kitchen towel to wipe out excess moisture.
Sprinkle Pizza seasoning on them and shallow fry them.Keep aside.
Heat oil in a skillet. Add cooking oil.
Add onions and saute for a min on high flame till the onions start to turn translucent.
Drain the water from the raisins and add them to the onions.
Add capsicum and red bell pepper. Saute for 2-3 min on a high flame.
Add tomatoes, capers, olives and saute for another 3-5 min on a medium flame.
Capers and olives might be salty because they are stored in Brine/Vinegar in Jars. So adjust the salt accordingly.
Add oregano, chilli flakes and salt to taste.
Turn off the gas stove and do not cover while still hot.

Time to assemble the Quiche...

Preheat the oven to 200 Degree Celsuis.
Add the prepared filling to the baked pie crust.
Arrange the aubergines on top of the filling in a circular manner.
Top off with grated Parmesan.
Sprinkle oregano and splash some Tabasco over the cheese.
Grill the Quiche for around 5 minutes or till the Parmesan starts to melt and bubble away.
Serve hot..very hot...

Soft Dinner Rolls - Baking with yeast finally made easy !!

2011-10-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, Light and Delicate

Baking itself can be quite intimidating for beginners, and baking with yeast is surely a put off even for experienced and amateur bakers, more because the whole process is very lengthy involving proofing, mixing, kneading, rising and then kneading again and then rising again and finally the baking. Oh! and not to forget shaping the dough into beautiful rolls which I failed at miserably. So though my rolls look like my four year old's attempts at drawing an elephant (!!) , they taste better than any store bought roll, crisp on the outside, soft and mellow inside with great flavor and texture.

We all agree that baking is very therapeutic, but baking with yeast is joie de vivre all in itself. It is so thrilling to watch your dough rise, its like magic believe me, it will pull you out of any slumpy mood. It does requires time, from start to finish, but once in a while its good to engage yourself in a relaxed kitchen activity which is not a daily routine.

My earlier experiments with yeasts and bread making were not very satisfactory. The reason being, lack of experience and expertise in working with fresh/active yeast. Well, all that is passe now !! Thanks to Rachana, a dear friend who got me this awesome Dry Instant Yeast from Bangalore. The Instant yeast brands which I found in Vizag were again not very good, the results were very dampening ( literally !!). I read somewhere that instant yeast is like baking powder, just add it to your flour and the results are just like you used the old fashioned fresh yeast.

These rolls are best had when they are still warm. If you want to make the dough in advance, seal the dough with cling wrap after the first rise, Take them out and shape them into rolls, they will thaw while they rise again and are ready to bake !!

I have added an egg to this recipe. Most recipes for diner rolls do not include eggs but the first time around I wanted to try it with the egg. Next time I am going to skip the egg and increase the milk to 1 cup (8 fl. oz).

Check this link for tips with pictures on how to shape the rolls. http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/SO93_Dinnerrolls.pdf

What is Yeast and how it works , all about that later, right now lets get down to the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp Dry Instant Yeast
1 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour (14 fl. oz)
3/4 cup lukewarm milk (6 fl. oz) (can substitute with half water and half milk)
1 egg
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature,(3 fl. oz)
Oil for greasing
1/2 tsp pepper

Add herbs like oregano/thyme/basil/mint to add flavor and customize your rolls.

For the glaze:

1 tsp milk
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Prepared dough resting in a greased bowl.


Large holes after the yeast has done its work, doubling the bulk of the dough

Put all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, using the dough attachment, blend for 3-4 minutes till you get a coarse breadcrumb like texture.
Add the wet ingredients and mix for 5-7 minutes till you get a smooth and elastic dough. The dough should almost leave the sides of the bowl sticking just barely. Too sticky, you might want to add some more flour, but don't change the measurements completely.
You can knead the dough by hand, rest it for 5 minutes in between kneading and knead again to a smooth and elastic dough.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough and allow to rise at room temperature, for 1 hour or till the dough has risen to double its original volume. rising might take longer if kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to rise.
Don't let it stand for too long after rising, because that will make the bread sour.
Once its risen, knock it down and deflate it. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead the dough into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Use the heel of your hand and push the dough away from you and then bring it back together. Do not over knead. It will springs back to your touch.
Divide into equal portions, the size of a lemon, and shape them the way you want . Or just leave them as it is in a baking tray. Place them an inch apart so they have place to rise again.
Cover with a kitchen towel or greased cling wrap and leave them to rise once more, say half an hour or just about, or till they become puffy.
Preheat the oven.
Brush lightly with the butter and milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 180 Degree Celsius or till the top is deep golden brown and sides are lighter.
Brush with some more melted butter once out of the oven when they are still hot, for that beautiful buttery crust, that is only if you want to.
Once the rolls are out of the oven, wait for 2-3 minutes and gently transfer them to a wire rack. they will be hot and delicate, so be careful. Serve warm or at room temperature.


My pinwheel and twist and Double Knot !!

Puffed up rolls waiting to be baked

The Spirit of Diwali

2011-10-21T01:56:00.000-07:00

Diwali, is one of my favorite festivals, in fact, my most favorite. Indian mythology suggests many stories that speak of the origin of this festival, but the underlying moral of every story is always the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance. Its the time of the year to connect (the right terminology in the cyber era!!) with all our friends and relatives...rejoice and reach out. Every street, shopping arcade, stalls, wear a festive look...candles, earthen diyas, fancy and designer diyas, paper lamps, electric lights, everything bright and shiny adorn every shop...its after all the festival of lights.... wide variety of Diwali hampers and gift parcels are all over the place. Its the gifting and splurging time of the year...after all Diwali is one of the widely celebrated festivals of India. All houses go through spring cleaning to welcome - Laksmhi - the Goddess of wealth and Prosperity. Lakshmi Pooja is performed in the evening and card parties are held in many houses. Every house is illuminated with lights...that is why it is called Diwali - "Rows of Lamps".

As kids, Diwali meant lots and lots of sweets and savories, which my mother would start preparing days in advance and by the time the D-day arrived it was time for her to make a fresh batch. Taking that tradition ahead, I love to make all my Diwali mithais at home. I am not preaching here and saying that you spend all your time in kitchen making mithais for Diwali when the same is so readily available in innumerable shops, but Diwali is all about the sweet smell of ghee and sugar wafting through the house for days together when each batch gets consumed before the next one can make it through; the pleasure of having made something all by yourself and sharing it with friends... It reflects love and warmth that represents the very essence of any festive celebration. And spreading the same love and cheer...making it memorable for everyone around you. And so, its time to pull out those extra hours out of our hectic schedules and get that gas stove working overtime. And dont forget to share your home made goodies with your friends and see that glint in their eyes when they eat it and the satisfaction in your heart...

Fireworks have been an integral part of Diwali, though my encounters with firecrackers were limited to flower pots and sparklers, more because I was scared of crackers and the other noisy and fiery ones didn't really interest me as much as these; much to the disappointment of my father. But the neighborhood would be resplendent with the blasting noises and smoke from the firecrackers(pun intended). Know that there are more than 1000 units in Sivakasi (Small town in TamilNadu which supplies most or all of the crackers for Diwali), employing more that 40000 children in hazardous conditions all through the year to produce the amount of crackers that the whole country blows up in a couple of days during Diwali. I am not saying that we should shun away from crackers but limiting them to the bare minimum just to keep the festivities going is good idea. Or simply attend any community fire works show to get into the festive mood.

Celebrations definitely means a lot of new clothes and Diwali is the time to flaunt all your best clothes and accessories, who wouldn't want to....sigh!! And its time to deck up my house too...with diyas and rangolis made with flowers and the traditional Iyer Kolams with Rice flour and border it with the beautiful earthy red Kaavi (Geru) and decorate the rangolis all over with oil lamps of all sizes and shapes.

Down south, in TamilNadu, Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura. Diwali starts early in the morning, before sunrise. The day before, the hearth is cleaned and decorated with traditional Kolams and getting it ready to heat up water for the auspicious oil bath. New clothes, fire crackers, sesame oil infused with pepper and beetle nut leaf, all sweets and savories, sandalwood paste and Kumkum are beautifully arranged. Oil bath is taken early in the morning, before sunrise. It is believed that River Ganga visits every house before sunrise thus facilitating the Ganga Snanam".

For me, childhood memories of Diwali are all about early morning oil maasage and bath, new clothes, crackers, loads of sweets, visiting the temple, hot idli sambar and chutney for breakfast and a long afternoon siesta before we light diyas in the evening to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.

Wishing you all a very happy and Prosperous Diwali !!!

Chocolate Burst Banana Muffins - Muffins with an edge

2011-10-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

Looking Good...aren't they ??

Perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee, instant mid morning energy provider, mid night snacking right out of the fridge...answer to all of the above is my spiced Banana Muffins with a Chocolate Burst Filling.

If you like bananas then you are going to love these Banana Muffins ...and if you don't like bananas, well, then you are going to love this version of bananas. Need I tell you all over again how healthy bananas are for us..all the potassium and the iron and of course the instant energy boost. And what better way than having it all packed in a muffin. Best thing about bananas in any cake/cupcake is that they keep the cake very moist and super soft, even when you take it out of the refrigerator...no need to warm it up in the microwave.

Coming to the Chocolate filling...I have come across quite a few muffin recipes with cream cheese fillings, but because where I live, it is very difficult (almost impossible and it is an effort to make smooth cream cheese at home) to get cream cheese, I am ready to settle down with a chocolate filling (Not that my kids are complaining).

Actually the combination of banana and chocolate is, in fact, quite dramatic ....the chocolate filling oozing out of the moist banana cup cake...Appealing to the eyes...and your palate too.

Feel free to use any other filling...Or you can entirely skip the filling and just have the muffins, which is the way I prefer it.

Ingredients:

For the muffins

1 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 8 fl oz)

1/3 cup oil (3 fl oz)

3/4 cup sugar, powdered (6 fl oz)

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup mashed bananas, that is about 2-3 medium sized bananas (about 8 fl oz)

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp grated nutmeg, (can replace with cinnamon)

1 tsp dry ginger powder or 1/2 tsp ginger spice drops,

1 tsp sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

For the Chocolate Filling

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh cream

1 tsp sugar, optional, if you want it sweeter

Melt all of the above in a double boiler and let it cool. Once it cools, it will be slightly thick in consistency, like a chocolate paste, if its too runny add some more cooking chocolate to thicken it. You can also add nuts to this chocolate filling.

Method:

The method is pretty much simple, no sieving, no creaming...just mixing everything together.

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Beat the eggs and sugar till light and frothy.
Add nutmeg and ginger. Add mashed bananas and the oil.
Beat well till all the banana is mixed thoroughly. Don't worry if the batter is a slightly lumpy. That is because of the banana. It will even out while baking.
Now, add milk, the baking powder and then the atta and beat just till combined.
Half fill the muffin moulds with the batter. Dollop a table spoon of the chocolate filling and fill up the rest of the mould with the batter.Give the tray a gentle tap before it goes into the oven to remove air bubbles.
Optionally, sprinkle some coarse white sugar on top of the batter before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back when you slightly press them on the top and the edges start to brown. remove them from the oven and unmould as soon as you are able to, which should be within 2-3 minutes. If you leave it in the moulds, the bottoms start to steam from the heat and become soggy. Cool on a wire rack, but if patience is not one of your virtues, then eat it right out of the oven..digging into the hot chocolate inside....

The chocolate gushing out...aptly called Chocolate Burst Banana Muffin

Happy Baking !!

Chocolate Excess Cake with Ganache Icing - Inspired Baking

2011-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mmmm.....Choco Fantasy

Well, here is yet another reason to bake....I just saw an episode of Masterchef Australia - Season 3 and guess whom I saw....Nigella Lawson sitting there tasting that Chocolate Devils Food Cake...Ah! How I wish I was there, treating her to one of my lovely cakes and bowl her over with my very special Chocolate Excess Cake covered with Ganache Icing. Well, I am not sure if she would approve of my downsizing the amount of butter, but I think this cake is just as tender, fudgy and infinitely chocolatey with a beautiful deep brown crust which is going to go under a blanket of cream and dark chocolate icing - the Ganache.

This cake is a cross between my Chocolate Sponge ( where I use Cocoa and in lesser amounts) and the Chocolate Devil's Food Cake which uses boiling hot water to get its texture and density. My version of Excessive Chocolate... Nigella, you will definitely endorse this cake !!!

Shining Crowning Glory !!

Ingredients:

1 cup atta/whole wheat flour ( 8 fl oz) ( Can substitute same amount of maida/cake flour)

1/4 cup soft butter ( 2 fl oz) ( Salted Butter is fine)

3/4 cup powdered sugar (6 fl oz)

1/2 cup finely chopped dark chocolate ( 4 fl oz)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp Vegetable oil

3/4 cup boiling water (6 fl oz)

1/2 cup dark Chocochips (4 fl oz)

Method:

Just like any other cake, start by sieving the dry ingredients (atta, baking powder).
Add vanilla, the oil and the finely chopped dark chocolate to the boiling water and let it melt.
Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Cream and butter and the sugar till light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat till the batter is smooth.
Add the atta and baking powder. Beat again
Add all the chocolate water and beat till well incorporated.
Stir in the Chocochips.
The batter will be slightly runny, but not too runny.
Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or till a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
Unmould the cake and let it cool on a wire rack.
Once the cake cools down completely, poke the with a toothpick and make holes all over the cake and pour the Ganache over the cake till it covers the crust all the sides. The holes will let the Ganache trickle down into the cake.
For this Ganache I have used 6 fl oz ( 3/4 cup) of Amul Fresh Cream and 6 fl oz (3/4 cup) of Dark Cooking Chocolate.

Happy Baking !!

Ganache - Magical Silken accompaniment

2011-09-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Rich, Creamy and Chocolatey

Glamorize your deserts with Ganache - Create magic with just two basic ingredients - Chocolate and Cream ( Heavy cream/ Whipping Cream/ Double Cream/ Fresh Cream like Amul Fresh Cream)

First of all, I want to thank Viju, my brother, who introduced me to Ganache and its amazing uses, so much so that I always serve my chocolate desserts with Ganache in some form. It makes every dessert look appealing to the eyes and delicious to your taste buds.

Ganache is a essentially a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, used as a glaze over cakes or to make truffles or as light pastry/cake fillings. The texture, consistency and use of Ganache depends on the ratio of cream to chocolate. Ganache can be flavoured with vanilla, espresso or any liqueur of you choice like coffee/chocolate/cream/nut liqueur.

To make a glaze or coating: use one part cream to three parts chocolate. Pour over a cake or torte for a shiny and smooth glaze.

2 fl oz of cream and 6 fl oz of cooking chocolate + a dollop of unsalted butter

To make a truffle: use one part cream to two parts chocolate. Once it cools down roll into balls and coat in a coating of your choice eg., chocolate vermicelli, chocochips, icing sugar, desiccated coconut etc.

4 fl oz of cream and 8 fl oz of cooking chocolate

To make a light filling: use one part cream to one part chocolate. Once it cools, the filling can be used as it is or whipped for softer and lighter fillings for cakes and tortes.

8 fl oz of cream and 8 fl oz of cooking chocolate

Method:

Ganache is made by bringing the cream to a boil , just under boiling point.
Pour the hot cream over finely chopped chocolate.Allow to sit for one minute and let the chocolate soften.
Add any flavourings that you want to at this point.
Stir the mixture chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is entirely melted and incorporated.
What you now have is called the Ganache - Smooth and Creamy.

Do not cover Ganache when storing in the refrigerator. Always remember when melting chocolate, do not let chocolate come in contact with moisture otherwise your chocolate will seize and will not be suitable to use anymore.

The Lemon Pound Cake - Take a break from Chocolate !!

2011-09-15T04:28:00.000-07:00

I don't really need an excuse to bake...grab my eggs and butter and flour and ready to beat and mix and pour...

And what better occasion than my own birthday....bake my cake and eat it too....purrrfect

I have been hanging on to this recipe for very long now...never tried it out because I felt it had too much butter ..ouch !! the butter!! But I have been wanting to try something different and that something had to be this lemon cake.And what a cake it turned out to be. Extremely soft, tangy and with a little spice its just the perfect combination with the crust that was beautifully golden brown. I skipped the rind of the lemon because I was sure my kids would not like that, but do use the rind to enhance the lemony flavor. Next time I am going to replace the milk with some thick yoghurt/curd and use the juice of another lemon, I want some more lemony flavor into the cake. Those who have easy access to cream cheese must try that as well. I have reduced the amount of butter and added some milk instead.

The Classic Pound Cake recipe is a pound of everything - butter and eggs and around 9-10 eggs. That will take me a year at the gym to knock off!!! So this version, though does have enough butter to keep me going at the treadmill, is surely the healthier indulgence.

So all those Chocoholics...take a break from your chocolate habit and indulge in pure lemony pleasure...

Ingredients:

200 gms butter ( Salted would do, so would unsalted)

1.5 cups sugar, powdered (12 fl oz)

2 cups (16 fl oz) Atta/whole wheat flour ( Catch me baking with maida and I owe you a cake !!)

1 cup milk ( (8 fl oz)

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp baking powder

Juice of 1 big lemon ( about 2 tbsp)

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (optional)

1 tsp dry ginger powder (optional)
1 tsp Vanilla , Optional

Method:


No Curdling of Batter..Perfect

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree Celsius.
Sieve the atta, baking powder, dry ginger and nutmeg powder.Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a tbsp of sieved ingredients in between each addition to prevent curdling.
Add the dry ingredients ( atta etc.) alternating with the milk,starting and ending with the atta.Add the lemon juice and rind.Beat until all the ingredients are just incorporated into the batter.
The batter will have a dropping consistency and not ribbon like.
Spoon the batter into baking pan lined with a baking sheet. Smoothen the top with a spatula.
Bake at 180 Degree Celsius for 50 minutes or till a tooth pick comes out clean.
Unmould the cake while warm and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Happy Baking !!

Chocolate Cup Cakes...Rise and Shine

2011-09-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

Ready for some fun baking?

These Cupcakes will bring a smile to your face because one - they are so cute to look at, two - they are all fiber and no refined flour (maida) and (wait there is more coming) there is very little butter. And all you health freaks out there...substitute with olive oil. As for the sugar...do not use an electric blender...burn the calories and replenish later.

Life cant get better than this...so wishing you all a guilt free snacking.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 6 fl oz)

1/4 cup cocoa powder ( 2 fl oz)

1/2 cup sugar, finely powdered (4 fl oz)

1 tsp Baking powder

3/4 cup milk ( 6 fl oz)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp melted butter

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp rum , optional

chocochips, optional

You can use the same amount of Maida in the recipe if you want to.

To make Vanilla cup cakes, just skip the cocoa, 1 tsp of butter and 1 tsp of rum. Optionally add a 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg for flavorsome Vanilla Cup Cakes.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sieve together the atta, baking powder and the cocoa powder. In a deep bowl, beat the egg along with the sugar and vanilla till light and frothy. Add the melted butter and beat again till the butter combines well into the batter.Do not overbeat.Add the sieved ingredients and the milk alternatively and beat til all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter. Again, do not overbeat. Pour into greased muffin tray or line muffin tray with cupcake liners. Since I am using Whole wheat flour, I filled the moulds till the brim, if using Maida fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with chocochips and bake at 180 degree celsius for 12-13 min or till an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool sightly and unmould while still warm.Let them cool on a wire rack if you want to store them, Otherwise serve warm with a drizle of Hot Chocolate Sauce or with an icing of your choice.

There have been times when I am in a hurry and I just blitz all the ingredients in a blender and the results are just as good.

Cocoa can make your cake go dry. So when ever you add cocoa, remember to add extra butter or rum to balance out the dryness. Rum goes very well with chocolate...Just a tiny splash of rum would do.Any alcohol losses its alcoholic potency once cooked/baked (basically after being heated).

The Brownie Factory

2011-08-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Best had with a generous drizzle of Hot Chocolate Sauce and if you can manage some vanilla ice cream then heavenly bliss is yours !!

Brownies are by far the easiest of desserts that I have made and made them so many times my oven has become something like a little Brownie Factory....churning out moist , gooey and soft brownies with all that sophisticated dark chocolate. And though I am not a Chocolate fan...but these brownies have won my heart...cant stop by to pick up a piece out of that rumble tumble pyramid of brownies.

When I am visiting someone, am never without some of my yummylicious baked goodies...and most of the time, they are the Chocolate Walnut Brownies...the effort much lesser and the results far superior...and statistics reveal that most people would eat a brownie rather than a piece of cake !!!

Brownies have a parched drought like surface and beneath that cracked light brown exterior lies the magic potion and here is how you make it...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Maida (Cake Flour) (12 fl oz)

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup soft unsalted butter (8 fl oz)

1 cup white sugar, powdered (8 fl oz)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped dark chcocolate (12 fl oz)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

Optional Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (8 fl oz)

3/4 cup Dark/Milk/White Choco Chips (6 fl oz)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius

Melt the butter and the chocolate in a heavy bottomed pan.

Sieve the maida and the baking powder and set aside.

While the chocolate mixture cools, line a 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with baking paper.

Beat the eggs, sugar and the vanilla till light and frothy.

Gradually add the cooled, but not yet solidified chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs.

Beat well till combined using a hald blender or if doing by hand use a wire whisk/flat spatula.

Add the sieved dry ingredients and blend till combined. Do not over beat

Keep scraping the sides while mixing.

Add the nuts and chocochips.

Pour into the lined cake tin and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 20-22 minutes.

An inserted toothpick at the center can be sticky but not uncooked. Meaning that the toothpick can come out sticky but not with the batter.

Do not overbake the brownies, otherwise you will end up with a cake like brownie.

The brownie cooks while it cools.

Let the pan cool down. Unmould and cut into pieces.

Serve hot with Hot Chocolate Sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Happy Baking !!!

Hot Chocolate Sauce

2011-08-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Melt 3 parts of cream (fresh cream or single cream or half and half 1 part cream and 1 part milk) with 1 part of dark chocolate in a pan. Remove from flame once the cream and chocolate combine.

Optionally, add a tbsp of vanilla or Rum or a liqueur of your choice (like Kahlua).

Toasted cashew nut or walnuts can also be added.

Simple Vanilla Cake...Made with Atta ( Wheat Flour )

2011-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Light and full of flavour

Best thing about all my cakes is that I bake them using wheat flour (Atta). I substitute the same amount of Maida ( Cake Flour), sometimes when I am using this cake as a base for some icing.

So presenting before you...The Classic vanilla Cake...Simple, yet elegant...

Ingredients:

1 Cup Atta ( Substitute with the same amount of Maida, if desired) (8 fl oz)

1/4 cup Butter, softened (2 fl oz)

3/4 cup sugar, powdered (6 fl oz)

2 eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup milk, at room temperature (6 fl oz)

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla (Essence or Extract)

Optional Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Cinnamon Powder / Nutmeg Powder ( Sieve it along with the flour for some extra flavour)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.

Grease and Dust a 6 inch Cake Pan. Alternatively line with baking paper.

Sieve the Atta and the baking powder 2-3 times and set aside. Sieve the Cinnamon/nutmeg along, if using.

Cream the Butter and Sugar till light and fluffy.Click on the link and follow instructions on the Creaming Method.

Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, making sure that the each egg is fully incorporated before adding another egg. Basically, what is formed is a fat - liquid emulsion. If the egg is not beaten well into the batter, the batter will curdle and all air bubbles created during the Creaming Method will be lost. Addition of one tsp of sieved flour in between the addition of eggs will prevent the batter from curdling. After all the eggs have been added, you must have a creamy batter which will hold the air bubbles in.

Add the milk and the sieved flour mixture alternatively. Do not add all the flour together, otherwise you will end up with lumps in the batter and moreover, the idea is to coat most of the flour particles in fat. The more the flour comes in contact with liquid more gluten is formed resulting in a hard and tough cake.

Do not over beat the batter otherwise you will end up forming more gluten...blend till all the ingredients have just been incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Unmould while still warm. Cut and serve.

Happy Baking !!

The Creaming Method

2011-08-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

A number of cake and cookies recipe call for Creaming the butter and sugar together. This is called the Creaming Method which involves the butter and the cream to be beaten together, either by an electric mixer or by hand, till light and fluffy. Creaming is the first step in many baking recipes and also the most important step, so it is a good idea to understand what it means and to do it right way. If you have creamed your butter and your sugar well, then your baked product will have more volume and also if its a cake then it will be lighter and fluffier and will rise higher.

Any cake which follows the Creaming Method is always lighter, fluffier and softer, than a cake which follows any other method like The Combination method or the Separation Method.

Creaming Method incorporates air bubbles, when the sugar crystals rub with the butter while beating them together. These air bubbles help in making the cake light and soft in texture. Later during the process, when the baking powder or baking soda is added (which are technically also called Leaveners), they help in enlarging these air bubbles, thus giving volume to the cake. Baking powder/soda release carbon dioxide, which expand the tiny air bubbles already formed during the creaming process.

So now you know why baking is science, huh?? But its fun and really easy when you actually get to do it and here is how it is done...

Take a deep mixing bowl and use the Paddle attachment in your electric blender/mixer. if doing it by hand use a whisk or a flat spatula.
Make sure Butter is soft, not meted.
If using crystalline sugar, grind the sugar to a coarse powder otherwise use castor sugar . Do not use very superfine sugar because then the sugar does not cut very deep into the butter and produces very less air bubbles...the whole purpose of creaming is lost.
Start beating the butter at the lowest speed for about 30-40 seconds.
Add the sugar little by little ( one tablespoon at a time) and continue beating. Do not increase the blender speed. Keep it at minimum, because a higher speed will break all the air bubbles that would have formed.
Sugar is best added in small quantities, but if you don't have the time, which most of us are running short of, add all the sugar together, which is what I do all the time.
Keep scrapping the sides of the bowl so that all the sugar combines with the butter.
How do you know when to stop...simple... when the butter increases in volume, the colour of the mixture pales and the mixture is sticky to touch (and not sandy or granular). Stop and get on with the addition of eggs. Do not overbeat as this will break the air bubbles.
Do not leave the creamed mixture unused. If you must then cover and refrigerate.

Use creaming method for all your baked products, unless the recipe calls for some other technique and you will realize it can make all that difference to your baked goodies...

Happy Baking !!

Vella Aval/Sweet Poha/Sweet Beaten Rice

2011-08-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Valle Aval or the Sweet Beaten Rice is signifies pure friendship between The Lord and his Devotee...Sudama and Lord Krishna...a humble offering made on Gokulashtami..

Sumptuousness guaranteed !!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Beaten Rice

3/4 cup Jaggery

1 tsp cardamom Powder

2 Tbsp Ghee

1/2 cup grated coconut

5-6 pieces Cashewnuts for garnish

Method:

Was and drain the beaten rice and keep aside. If the rice flakes are thick then soak them in water for 15 min and then drain to soften them. In a pan dissolve the jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Once it thickens slightly ( about 4-5 min) add the beaten rice flakes and cook for 10 min till the liquid is absorbed. Add cardamom powder. fry the cashew nuts in ghee and add to the vella aval. Garnish with grated coconut. Sumptuousness guaranteed !!!

ThenKhuzhal

2011-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Crunch, crunch and Munch away anytime...Thenkhuzal literally means honey tubes, meaning that these zigzag tubes have an inner tube through which you can blow air...

Ingredients:

3 Cups Raw Rice

1 cup Urad Dal (Black Gram Dal)

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp Asefoetida (Hing)

1 tsp Jeera

1 Whole Red Chilli (optional, only if you want to add a little spice, conventionally not added)

Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast the Urad Dal to a light brown colour. Dry roast the chilli.

Grind the rice, dal and chilli in a flour mill to a fine powder.

This mix can be made using larger proportions and stored for a month in an airtight container.So its ready to use whenever required.

Melt the butter. Pour the warm melted butter into the flour and make a dough of the flour along with the Jeera and asefoetida. Use just enough water to get a smooth and soft dough. Once the wet dough is made, dont leave it for a long time, make the thenkhuzal as soon as you can.

Heat oil in the pan/kadai for frying. Make round balls of the dough and press into thenkhuzal moulds (Chakli Moulds). Press into the hot oil. The moment the dough goes into the oil, it starts bubbling up. Once the bubbles settle down, turn the thenkhuzal over with a ladle. Remove from pan once golden brown in colour and strain on a kitchen towel. Once it cools down store in an airtight container.

Nei Appam / Fried Pancakes

2011-08-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

Beautiful round, golden brown bunnies...Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside....just cant wait to pop them into my mouth and let the jaggery, ghee and rice melt in unison.

You can make these soft rice and jaggery balls in an Appakaral or a regular frying pan. Appakaral is a broad frying pan with holes/deppresions in it to fry the appams.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice

1 tbsp wheat flour

1 cup crumbled jaggery ( if jaggery is darker/deep in colour is use only 3/4 cup)

1 tsp cardomom powder

Ghee/Oil for frying

Method:

Clean and soak the rice for 2-3 hours in water.

Grind the rice to a smooth paste.

Do not add too much water. Grind to a smooth and thick paste.

Add Wheat flour, cardomom powder, and all the jaggery. and blend again into a smooth paster.
The batter should not be too runny and should not be too thick. The jaggery also releases water while blending along with the rice.
Pour Ghee/Oil into the little depressions of the appakaral till half full.
Once the oil is hot pou the batter and fry till a brown crust is formed at the corners.
Flip it over with a skewer or knife and fry the other side till golden brown and crispy.

The Appams after flipping over.

Remove and drain the oil on a kitchen towel.
Serve Hot.

Gokulashtami

2011-08-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Gokulashtami, also known as Janmashtami or Krishna Jayanthi is the celebration of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, according to Hindu Mythology. It is usually celebrated over two days, as Krishna was born at midnight. As a child, Gokulashtami always meant lots and lots to eat. But of course we had to share the work load with amma.... roll out the uppu cheedai urundais and kodubele..and they all had to be similar in size, that was the challenge :-). and my favorite ...draw chinna chinna padangal...divine footsteps...tiny little feet for Little Krishna, made with rice flour all over the house starting at the entrance of the house...signifying the beginning of all good things just like most religious practices do...it was very childishly satisfying to actually believe that a a little boy is going to step into our house at midnight, so I would make sure that the footsteps I made were perfect..I still love to make those footsteps, make them every year for Gokulashtami. And now I have two little Divine Krishnas of my own who make their own footsteps with the Kolum-Mavu.

Nei Appam, Uppu Cheedai, Vella Cheedai, Murrukku, ThenKhuzhal, Kodubelai and Kuchelar's Aval(Sudama's Beaten Rice)....Well, cant make all of these things this time....just the Nei Appam, ThenKhuzhal and the Aval....So Happy Gokulashtami to all of you...God Bless!! and the recipes will follow....in just a few hours more when my delicacies are ready to be for Naivedyam...offerings to God and then to be gorged upon by my little angels, not to forget the older one !!!!

Baking Workshops

2011-08-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

Just finished another of my Basic baking Workshop. What I love about these sessions is that I get to talk a lot about baking and more baking, lots of tips and techniques which help not just with my recipes but with any other recipe that you follow. The highlight was definitely the Chocolate Walnut Brownies...Chewy Gooey and very very chocolatey. I will be posting all my recipes ...maybe in the next few months.Next week will be busier with The Pastries Session and of course look out for my Janmashthami special titbits.

Tricolour Hungama - Spinach and Lentil Soup

2011-08-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

Finally the Green Coloured Spinach soup in the tricolour triology. Spicy and Tangy... Dal helps to bind the soup together... thanks Gijju, I learnt this recipe from you. Just like I have learnt so many other things and I don't mean just culinary skills.

Ingredients:

One medium bunch spinach

One medium sized green chilli

1 inch piece Ginger

4 garlic pods

1/2 cup moong dal ( green gram dal )

1 tsp Jeera
I tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the dal for 15-20 min in minimum water, just enough to cover it. Peel the garlic pods, Peel and chop the ginger roughly. Wash and clean the spinach. In a pressure cooker, put all the ingredients except the jeera and pressure cook till one whistle. Cool and blend to a smooth puree. Dilute with water to get the soup consistency, if it is too thick. Add salt to taste. Dry roast the jeera and grind with a pestle and mortar. Add teh jeera powder and lemon juice before serving. A wholesome meal in itself....

Tricolour Hungama - Almond Soup

2011-08-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

Second in the Tricolour triology...Almond Soup...Rich, white and creamy, Yet again no cream, just the creamy texture.....

Ingredients:

1 Cup Almonds

3-4 sprigs of spring onions

3 garlic pods, peeled

2 mace

3-4 Cloves
salt and pepper to taste

pomogranate pearls for garnish (optional)
mint leaves for garnish

Method:

Soak the almonds for 30 minutes in water. Peel and keep aside. Do not throw the water. Chop the onions into cubes. In a sauce pan take all the ingredients along with the water in which almonds were soaked and Bring to a boil. Simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes. Cool, remove the whole spices and blend into a smooth mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with pomogranate pearls or mint leaves. Pure, white and wholesome....Indulge