Tangerine's Kitchen

Crackers for the Daring Bakers!

2013-01-28T09:49:00.000+05:30

A more than thousand of us daring bakers would be posting our trials with lavash crackers.

Lavash crackers was picked by Shelly and Natalie for the month of September. The challenge was gluten free/Vegan. The recipe for Lavash Crackers is from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice (pp 178 - 180).

The challenge was to make lavash crackers and make a dip/spread or a salsa to go with it. I liked the freedom of choice in toppings and the dips, the only condition being it has to be vegan/gluten free.

What you need for 1 sheet pan of crackers
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tb agave syrup or sugar
1 Tb vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bread-Dough-Has-Been-Mixed-Long-Enough for a description of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.or2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors. or4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

A crisp, light cracker topped with cumin and chilli flakes. These were served with a sour cream dip... And yes it is a Vegan Sour Cream Dip. I had the option of a huge number of vegan dips, but I have this liking for Sour Cream and found a Vegan method to make it!

What you need for the Vegan Coriander-Jalapeno Sour Cream dip: (Adapted from theveggietable.com)

250g silken tofu
2 tbsp Lime Juice
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Vinegar
Salt as per taste
1/2 cup jalapeno (pickled), chopped finely
2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves minced finely

Process all the ingredients and refrigerate prior to use.

A fun challenge because
1. I have never cooked anything entirely Vegan
2. Freedom of choice of toppings and dips
3. Far lesser dishes to clean afterwards amongst all the DB challenges so far!

Chocolate Almond Nut Cake Baking Partners

2012-12-17T22:15:00.000+05:30

My home is gearing up for the season ... the tree is up, the gifts packed, the cakes and other goods being baked, packed and sent....Among the routine baking orders, here's what my daughter and I baked to take a break.. she from her exams and me from Rachel.

From this month onwards, I am baking with the Baking Partners Group and there were three recipes in keeping with the festive season. I chose to do a Brazilian Nut Cake inspite of Brazilian Nuts being unavailable in India. I chose to use Almonds instead. Am sure there will be a mighty difference in flavour between the two nuts... but trust me this cake was different and nice...

I halved the recipe. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups Brazilian nuts (about 7 oz) I used Almonds

6 OZ semisweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup Sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¾ cup (6 oz) unsalted butter slightly softened

6 eggs separated, room temperature

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Choolate Honey Frosting

½ cup whipping cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

6 tbs (3 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool

3 tbs+ 1 sp-honey

Garnish

¼ cup Brazil nuts (Almonds )chopped

Cake

Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Toast nuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer nuts into large strainer.Rub nuts against the strainer with a towel and remove most of the skin and keep aside.

Melt chocolate in double boiler or heatproof medium bowl over hot, not simmering, water over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, remove and set aside to cool.

Butter 9”x3” springform pan, line base with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides of the pan

Grind the nuts with 2 tbs sugar into a fine powder. Transfer into a bowl and sift flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.

Cream butter and 6 tbs of sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat till all 6 are blended and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate.

In another bowl beat egg white and cream of tartar in medium speed until it forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tbs of sugar and beat till white are stiff and shiny but not dry.

Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the chocolate flour mixture, repeat folding in batches until batter is blended.

Transfer batter into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Using a spatula go around the cake gently and invert onto a cake rack and allow cooling completely.

Frosting

Bring cream to a full boil in a small saucepan remove from heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Stir quickly till the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature. Hip this at high speed till it thickens and becomes pale.Cream butter in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, gradually add the chocolate mixture and honey and beat well

Using a long spatula spread frosting evenly on the side and top of the cake. Fill the center with flaked almonds

2012-11-26T20:53:00.002+05:30

Since I don't want to neglect this very dear space of mine... being a part of a group of homebakers will now be my motivation to keep this space alive. Here's a little something about the group:

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group
A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking. We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.

Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.

Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic the procedure if there are ways to improve, and to eat a delicious food.

Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by 16th of every month and the reveal date will be 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.

First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will able to learn more.

All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.

We will appreciate the use of logo or worded link that will help to spread the word. A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo

If you want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

Do join in... Am sure it will be a lot of fun....

2012-11-13T11:39:00.003+05:30

I know this sapce has been negelected for quite a while now.. Unforgiveable I know.. A huge thank you to all who wrote in enquiring whether I was ok.. made me feel I was missed! Here is what I have been upto!

A few months back two of my homemade desserts were chosen to be served at restaurants. A lemon blueberry yoghurt cake was served at Sandy's Fresca, Chennai and Lamingtons at Ox and Tomato, Chennai. That was a dream come true seriously and I did wish for something like this to have happened some day.. but this was lady luck truly! Gradually, as orders started trickling in, I have been baking now from home.
Last month, I was a part of the home bake sale at Crimson Chakra and it was a marathon baking of sorts. A good sale it was indeed and that was truly an encouragement from the visitors who came in. If you are keen on what I have been upto , visit my page here, TangerinesKitchen and you could also order for some of my home baked goodness. This and my work of designing sarees again displayed here at Rachel are what is taking up most of my time now. Enjoying all the work while it lasts...

A Yeasted Chocolate Banana Loaf

2012-02-07T08:19:00.001+05:30

What do I do when I see mushy bananas on the counter. Bake a banana bread. And to make it more exciting throw in some chocolate shavings. No exciting enough? Then get making this and am sure the aroma of chocolate and banana and a yeasty bread baking will sure get you all craving to cut into the loaf and serve yourself some.

The recipe is from "Bread" by Sara Lewis. Get this book if you haven't already. There's lots of good recipes in there and drool worthy pictures too! Every recipe comes with the method to follow if you have a bread machine. And yes, the best part of baking a bread for me is the kneading to get all the stress out and also to watch the dough rise. It is an awesome feeling to see the dough rise. Gives you a sense of feeling that all's well with the dough.

This recipe makes a large loaf.
300g/1+1/4 C bananas
2t Lemon Juice
500g/4+1/2 C All Purpose Flour (The recipe says strong white flour)
2 T White Milk Powder
1/2 t Salt
2 T caster Sugar
2 T Butter
1+1/2 t Fast action dried yeast
200 ml /1 C Water ( I didn't have to use water cos without water the dough came together)
175 g milk chocolate
icing sugar/cocoa powder to decorate

Peel the bananas and mash them. Work in the lemon juice. Into a bowl, add flour, milk powder, salt and sugar. Add butter and rub it in to get a breadcrumb like mixture. Stir in the yeast and mashed bananas. Mix in enough water to make a soft dough. There was no need for me to add water. It turned a soft dough otherwise. Knead for about 5 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rise.

Onto a lightly floured surface, tip the dough and knead well. Dice the chocolate and work it into the dough. Grease a loaf tin and put the dough into it. Leave for the second rise.

Remove and bake in a preheated oven (200 degree C/400 degree F) for 35 - 40 mins until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Do check if there is overbrowning. If so, then cover with foil and continue baking.

Once the bread is baked, transfer to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder and leave to cool.

As for me, no more just ordinary banana bread, but chocolate banana bread it is until I find another alternative.

This bread is yeastspotted.

Strawberry Icecream Pops

2012-01-31T08:42:00.000+05:30

Although it is unusually cooler this time of the year in my city, there's no reason to say a NO to icecream. And what better way to spend time at home making some with your child. And I did just that one morning. Her only want was that the icecream should be a pink hue. But as we mixed in our strawberries,she insisted that this wasn't the colour that she wanted. So in went a lil food colouring and she didn't complain. Am guessing this was the hue she wanted. The recipe is what I normally follow.

What you need are:

Milk-1 C
Cornflour-2T
Egg-1(yolk and white separated)
Fresh Cream-1 cup
Sugar-1 cup
Strawberries-100g (pureed and strained)

Mix cornflour, sugar and a pinch of salt in 1/4 cup of milk. Heat the remaining milk. Remove and stir in the cornflour mixture. Whisk the egg yolk over a pan of simmering water until thick and set aside to cool. Add the cooled egg yolk into the milk. Add the strawberries. Whip the egg white to stiff peaks and fold them into the milk. Whip the cream and fold it in as well. Pour in a container or molds and freeze. Beat once every two hours for the first 6 hours of freezing if freezing in a pan/container. Freeze until firm.

Book Review "Gujarati Kitchen''; Murghanu Shaak (Chicken Curry)

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000+05:30

Although this comes a lil late, here's wishing all my readers the best for the New Year. And I am back this New Year with yet another review. And the book reviewed is Gujarati Kitchen by Bhanu Hajratwala. I have had many a Gujarati friends and have had their typical Gujarati food from their lunchboxes. I always assumed all Gujaratis to be vegetarians until I scanned through this book which denoted otherwise.

The book starts off on a very interesting read about the author's culinary journey throughout the world, her inspirations and so on and also on cooking authentic Gujarati cuisine despite the limited availability of ingredients. Following her Introduction comes three very important section which is beneficial to any amateur cook. It explains preparing and washing of Dals, meat, seafood, vegetables and so on; equipments and utensils and their uses; different spices and their uses. She even has a separate section on the preparation of different spice masalas. So those of you who prefer making masalas from scratch, this is the book for you. Then comes the recipes that are sectioned from starters to mouth freshners to end the meal. Very neatly put together, they are easy to replicate. I expected better pictures but the illustrations are much appreciated.

The recipe that I chose to do is from the non vegetarian section. Marghanu Shaak / Chicken Curry was my choice.

The chicken curry on its own is very mild compared to the Chicken curries of Kerala that my palate is so accustomed to. This curry makes use of very little spices but this curry can make you lap up every last bit of its remanants on your plate.

What you need for the recipe are:
900 g Chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/3 C Oil
4x1" stick Cinnamon
8 Cardamoms
8 Curry Leaves or 4 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, Chopped
2 T Fresh Masala (For the recipe, find under fresh spice blends on pg 45 in the book. I made mine and have stored some in the refrigerator and also have freezed some)
1 t Chilli Powder
1 T Turmeric Powder
2 t Salt
1C Water
2 potatoes, quartered
1 tomato, diced
1 T Garam Masala
2T chopped Coriander Leaves
1T garlic greens, chopped

To hot oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, curry or bay leaves and brown lightly. Add onin to this and sauteuntil a light brown. Stir in the fresh masala, chilli and turmeric powders . Add chicken and cover and cook until the chicken turns colour. Add water and cook for a further 5 mins. Add potatoes, tomatoe and cook covered until the potatoes are tender. Stir in garam masala, coriander leaves and the garlic greens. Serve hot.

This review is a part of the http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank">Book Reviews Program at http://www.blogadda.com">BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Dinner Rolls

2011-12-10T15:04:00.000+05:30

Taste & Create Event was a regular event on this space of mine. Somehow along the way, the event was ona low and last month Min mailed me asking if I would want to join in again and sure I did. I was paired with a blog that is dear to me, The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. I was paired earlier too with the same blog and I had done her Nanny's cookies. This time around I chose her Dinner Rolls. Just like she proclaimed, the rolls were light and delicious.

I followed her exact recipe. The only changes I made were the generous sprinkling of sesame seeds.

2 T sugar
1 package active dry yeast (about 2-1/2 teaspoons)
2/3 cup warm water (100 - 110 degrees)
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1-3/4 all purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking spray
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 2/3 cup warm water in small bowl; let stand 3 minutes. Stir in butter.

Combine 1-1/2 cups flour and salt in a bowl. Add yeast and stir until a soft dough forms. Knead until smoth and elastic and add remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Place dough in a large bowl and cover and let rise . Punch dough down rest for 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal portions, shaping each into a ball. Place 1 dough ball in each of 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size. Using a sharp knife, cut across the surface and sprinkle sesame seeds.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the surface with egg yolk.Bake at 400 for 15 mins or until browned.

Thse rolls are easy to make and win handsdown when compared to storebought rolls.

Book Review,The Tuleeho! Book of Cocktails and three types of cocktail

2011-11-22T13:29:00.007+05:30

Blogadda sent me the Tuleeho! book of Cocktails for review. A book on cakes, bakes etc have been reviewed on this space but a book on alcohol is the first here for the sole reason that I don't drink. My husband on the other hand does. So this book was welcome because I now get to mix him a drink. I have always been fascinated by the mixing and the stirring of the drinks but never knew where or what to start with. This book is quite apt for a novice like me.

Three different types of cocktails were made as per what was available with the husband. So read below the talk that took place during the making. The recipes are included within the talk.

"Would you like to have a drink?" my wife asked as I got home last Saturday afternoon.

OMG, another fuse wire waiting to be lit. I pretend not to have heard it.

"I got to do a review on a book on cocktails".

All right, this looks relatively safe. "Sure"

"You will have to make it, I will give you the proportions", said my wife.

" Whisky 40 ml, Guava juice 100 ml, Tabasco 6 drops into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, strain into an old-fashioned glass with salt on rim and slit green chilli as garnish. After I take the photographs, you can drink it and tell me how it tastes".

OMG! I don't like Guava juice. Silence helps in maintaining the status-quo.

Got myself some Indian Whisky and found a tetra pack of Tropicana guava juice in the fridge and had the drink strained into the glass in less than 300 seconds. The wait for the photo session was painful.

"Is it good?" asked the wife.

"Hmmmm. By the way, what is it called?"

"Old School"

Is she pulling my leg?

"It is great".

The truth is that it is a fairly good drink before lunch. And it can be fixed real quick. It makes guava juice taste better. I would'nt mind another drink.

"Lunch is ready". she called out soon.

"So am I".

"After lunch, pick up some fresh cream for me"

"What for?"

"I want to make another cocktail in the evening".

God bless blogging and book review.

It has been raining in Chennai for the past two days and the evenings were quite chilly. An hour or so has passed since the sun has set and still no news of the cocktail.

"So what are we making tonight"

She pretends not to hear me.

"I am going to my friend's place for a drink".

"Brandy Alexander", she said.

The name sounds good.

"What all do you need"

"Brandy and Crème de Cacao", said the wife.

"I am ready"

"Into the ice filled shaker, pour 60 ml brandy, 30 ml fresh cream and 15 ml Crème de Cacao. Add a bit of nutmeg powder and shake well. Strain into a glass".

I am getting used to the photo session.

"How is it?"

"It's great".

The warmth of the brandy makes it a good drink for a chilly evening. The taste of the concoction does not justify the use of Courvoisier. Next time should try this with an Indian brandy. A definite ace in your hand for the Christmas season.

"What is the book called?"

"The Tulleeho! Book of Cocktails"

"Do we get to keep the book?"

"Yes".

"Good".

Sunday afternoon, she asks me, "Can you try a ladies cocktail?"

"Why not? I think a vodka based one would be a popular choice"

"Try Caipiroshka", she said.

"What!"

"It is the Russian counterpart of the famed Brazilian Caipirinha, using vodka instead of cachaca as the base spirit", she rattled out.

Can one book make an expert out of her?, I thought to myself,

"Ok. Shoot".

"I will make this one. If you want to know, here is how it is made", she said confidently.

"Put 6 lime chunks, 1 tsp brown sugar, 5 ml lime juice, 10 ml sugar syrup and muddle in a glass. I hope you know what that means", she asked nonchalantly;

"I do".
"Next pour 60 ml vodka, top glass with crushed ice and stir once"

"You have not crushed the ice".
"Do you want it or not?"
"It looks good. Can I taste it?"
"In a minute".

The photograph session got over even before I finished admiring the drink in the glass. The muddling and the brown sugar gives it a sinister look.

"To my personal bartender"

"How is it?"
"It's great".
It is really a great day drink for the ladies. A bitter taste stood out. It could be because of the quality of the lime or too much muddling.

And so ended the session :)

Coming back to the book itself, it is a very informational book. It contains everything regarding cocktails right from the different types of alcohol, barwares, glasswares, mixers, the types, techniques to tips and tricks. An impressive book but could have done with better pictures.

Linking this to Colours Dekor .

Tomato Rice...a trial

2011-10-22T08:43:00.004+05:30

I grew up in a home where there was no kind of variety rice made. We did have biriyanis and fried rice and the like made but never lemon rice, tomato rice and so on. Until I moved to a city from a hillstation was where I had my first taste of the array of variety rice at one specific lunch hour at junior school. My classmate or several of them would bring yellow coloured rice with potato fry. I knew not then that the yellow coloured rice was lemon rice. The classmates in turn were fond of my sandwiches and rice and vegetables and so on. So likewise that is how I got to taste all the variety rices. As I grew up I started asking for lemon rice to be made at home. Only lemon rice because that had become my favourite. But to tell you the truth I still miss the lunch box rices. They were all of a different taste.

Now when I visit vegetarian restaurants, I ensure I order variety rice and this rice is a result of of one such visit. A trial at tomato rice and this tastes almost like the restaurant one. It was pretty good. How else can you explain a picky eater when it comes to tomatoes asking for more. This was a trial and do correct me if this isn't how a tomato rice is made.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice: 1 C halfcooked and strained
Onions-1 chopped
Tomatoes-2 chopped
Green Chillies-4-Slit
Chilli Powder-1+1/2t
Turmeric Powder-1/2t
Coriander Leaves-a fistful chopped
Salt
Oil-2T

Saute onions in oil. Add green chillies. Add in the powders and once the raw smell leaves, add in the chopped tomatoes. Saute until it turns to a dry masala. Add in the rice and mix in slowly so that you don't break the rice. Season with salt. Cover and let it cook on a slow fire for a few minutes. Add some chopped corainder leaves and they are ready to be served. Served with raita this is an ideal one pot meal.

Nutella Swirl Cake

2011-09-20T15:02:00.006+05:30

It's been pretty quiet here for a while now. This cake could never go not being mentioned about. At the Cake Slice, since we are finished doing cakes from Lauren Chatteman's Cake Keeper Cakes book, this month we are baking any recipe that we choose to. Since I am a big fan of Nutella for its rich chocolatey gooness, this had to be the choice. The recipe require you to layer the bottom of the pan with cake batter. Follow by a layer of nutella. Follow by another layer of batter-nutella and batter to finish with. Give it a swirl. Post baking, I expected a rippled cake. It remained an expectation because the swirl I gave wasn't deep enough. Certain parts of nutella had hardened It tuened out to be a layered cake but a very moist cake with full of nutella goodness. The author suggests serving this with coffee icecream but I think that would be a little over the top.

Recipe For the Cake

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs (room temperature)
2 t pure vanilla extract
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup(s) sugar
1- 13-ounce jar Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

Vanilla cupcakes with a chocolate ganache frosting

2011-08-28T19:45:00.001+05:30

Given the choice between a a regular cake and cupcakes, I would prefer the latter. Probably because I'm very bad when it comes to sharing and also I love when pretty liners are used. I enjoy the plain vanilla ones to the array of flavours possible. Cupcakes are a regular at home but this was the first time I had made a huge batch for my daughter's birthday party. At first it seemed a daunting task but then as the d-day got closer, it went pretty fast. My daughter was ok with any flavour as long as they were served in bright liners.

Martha Stewart's recipes have never failed me to date and so it was her recipe for the cupcakes. There are about hundreds of recipes for vanilla cupcakes. The irony is that all the recipes have the same no. of ingredients. Only the quantity differs. The only change was instead of the fluffy vanilla frosting, I chose to dip the cakes in a chocolate ganache. And so 5 dozen cupcakes were made and a dozen remained of which I could get hold of only two to click pictures. The chocolate ganache gives you a glossy effect and hardens on refrigeration which is what you see in the pics. Moist and flavourful, it was a pleasant sight to see the young girls enjoying it. After all little girls cannot lie when it comes to food. They either like it or they don't!

For the cupcakes -makes 3 dozen, adjust as per the need (recipe from here)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar until pale.. Add eggs one by one. Add in the flour and milk. Spoon into the lined muffin tray and bake in a 180 degree C preheated oven for 20 mins or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

TGIF Value Offers

2011-08-27T14:17:00.006+05:30

Here are some great offers for my readers who reside in Indianapolis, Baltimore, Chicago or West Palm Beach. Wait no more, go indulge...

Attention Indianapolis area Friday's® fans! Head on over to your local Friday's® for a great offer of a Dinner and a Cold One for only $10.

Enjoy some of Friday's® delicious entrees including a drink of choice:

Indulgent Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Jack Daniels Pulled Pork Sandwich

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Caesar

Mouth-watering Black Angus cheeseburger

This offer is available every night of the week! For the full menus being offered, please visit:

http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;244939996;55575682;l?http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/dinnerColdOne_everyday.aspx

Attention Baltimore area Friday's fans! Head on over to your local Friday's for a great offer of a Dinner and a Cold One for only $10.

Enjoy some of Friday's® delicious entrees including a drink of choice:

Indulgent Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Jack Daniels Pulled Pork Sandwich

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Caesar

Mouth-watering Black Angus cheeseburger

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Lemon Curd SRC

2011-08-15T23:20:00.001+05:30

It is Secret Club reveal day today. This time I was assigned to another lovely blog, Cook Lisa Cook.

Another space with interesting recipes, some of which I was familiar and some I have bookmarked for the future. Another month of a hard time choosing one to do. I love lemon curd and so long I have never tasted any similar tasting curds despite all the recipes having similar ingredients. And so Lisa's recipe for Lemon Curd it had to be.

I have other lemon curd recipes here and here but very different in their flavour. But both the recipes don't compromise on the flavour. So here's another awesome recipe that is equally flavoursome but a little different from the other two recipes featured on the blog.

I chose to serve the lemon curd in mini tart shells for that small sweet indulgence when the urge arises. The recipe is as per her exact recipe as follows

Lemon Curd

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Whisk the lemon juice, eggs and egg yolk. Strain this mixture. Add in the sugar and using the double boiler method, whisk the mixture to a thick consistency. Remove, add in butter and stir until it melts. Transfer to a bowl and use as per your need.

Another tried and tested prawn recipe

2011-08-15T23:18:00.001+05:30

Another simple yet a whole hearty recipe. Coming from my mother, this is a tried, tested and a very tasty dish. This has no recipe as such. It is all by instinct or by what appeals to ones palate. The best way is to do a taste test when you are done preparing the marinade. The marinade makes use of the simplest ingredients that I am sure will always be available in the pantry.

The marinade consists of ground ginger, ground garlic, lots of pepper and salt to season. Stir them to form a paste. Do a taste test at this stage and adjust as per your taste. Marinate the prawns and set aside for an hour or so. Ideally, when you have time on your hands, marinate the prawns and freeze or refrigerate for a later use. In doing so, the flavours seep in really well. All you have to do is shallow fry these prawns and you have a wholesome dish to enjoy. For a more classier touch, shallow fry them in coconut oil with a lot of curry leaves. I enjoy the aroma and the flavour of any food that is enriched with coconut oil and curry leaf. Which Keralite wouldn't?

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

2011-07-18T08:42:00.008+05:30

This space of mine has been neglected for a really long time. No excuses, just very lame ones. But I did try to do a post for the Secret Recipe Club, an exciting event created by Amanda. In this club, one is offered a blog to choose a recipe from and then post about it without the assigned blogger or anyone else know about it.

This time, I was assigned Dana's Food for Thought . A new blog and a very interesting one at that. I chose to do the Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken. The only changes that I made was to pan fry the chicken. I know it isn't healthy but we couldn't resist having fried chicken. The spices used here are similar to the ones used in our Indian cuisine. I always do a taste test when the marinade is done and this was little less on the heat. Dana says this is mildly spicy but to suit our palate I had to increase the spices. In the same pan in the leftover juices of the chicken, I fried some julienned onions. Served with the chicken, they made a complete meal.

My changes are in brackets. So here goes the recipe.

Moroccan Spiced Grilled (Pan fried) Chicken [Adapted from here]

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons (2 T) ground coriander
1 T(2T) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons (1T) paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon (1t) salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 T) freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Mix the marinade ingredients . Make deep cuts on the chicken breasts. Marinade and let it rest covered in the refrigerator atleast for four hours. I let them stay for over 12 hours. In a pan,
to 3 T oil, Fry the chicken pieces on both the sides until they are browned as required. Once the chicken is fried, there tend to leftover juices of the chicken. So add in some julienned onions or whatever you please.

A great recipe and a wholehearty meal!

A simple salad with a vibrant dressing

2011-06-19T20:20:00.000+05:30

A very simple salad that contains readily avaialable coponents and the very fact that this made its presence on the blog is for the dressing. For me a salad always needs a very good dressing. Without it, there isn't a flavour (my perspective).This dressing is very simple but does really enhance any salad.

You can use any vegetables for the salad. What I used here are green, red and yellow peppers, white onions (julienned) and green chillies (chopped).For the dressing, mix equal parts of vegetable oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, toss the salad in the dressing and the salad is ready. Tastes better when chilled in the refrigerator. During the resting time, the flavours of the vegetables and the dressing blend real well. Try it, this salad is really good for you.

Vanilla Pear Jam

2011-06-13T18:31:00.002+05:30

Being a part of the Secret Recipe Club was fun last month and this time around too. Every month one is assigned a blog and one has to cook from the assigned blog without revealing it to your partner until the posting day. Fun isn't it. Conceptualized by Amanda of Amanda's cooking, this is a fun way of getting to know more blogs and myriad recipes which could have been missed otherwise.

This time I was assigned Megan's Cooking which is a familiar blog. Being a fellow Daring Baker, Megan's blog has been on my reading list. Her blog is a collection of a wide array of recipes and it can be a very tough time singling out something to make. I love jam and a homemade jam is always better. She has quite a few recipes but I have never tried a pear jam using vanilla beans. So that was what I chose to do. I must say that while the pears are simmering in sugar and the vanilla bean scrapes, there is wonderful aroma that is tough to explain in words. A very soothing aroma it was to me. I followed the exact recipe except for adding in cinnamon and cloves which were removed later. Megan suggested not peeling the skin and so I did not. Although the pears I used had very thin skin they stayed solid without turning into a pulp. It did add a bite to the jam though. And yes I halved the recipe too. So here's the recipe. My changes are italicized.

8 cups chopped pears (or any smooth, thin-skinned pear. No need to peel.) I used 4 cups .
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped (1 vanilla bean)
4 cups sugar (2 C)
1 packet liquid pectin(I used a powdered
1" Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves

Cook chopped pears, sugar and vanilla beans, cinnamon and cloves over medium heat until the pears become soft.Mash them well or use an immersion blender. Remove the vanilla bean solids and the spices before doing it. Add pectin and boil for 5 mins to activate the pectin. Fill clean jars and ideally follow Megan's instructions-
Fill jars, wipe rims to remove any residual jam, apply lids (heat canning lids in a small pot over very low heat while you’re preparing the jam to ensure a good seal) and screw on the rims.Process the filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start the timer when the pot has returned to a boil).Remove jars from pot and place the jars on a towel-lined counter top. Let them cool undisturbed for two hours. During this time, the lids should seal.Check to ensure the jars have sealed by pushing down on the center of the lid. If it feels solid and doesn’t move, it is sealed.

Strawberry Mousse

2011-05-28T11:40:00.001+05:30

Chennai is always associated with being a hot city. And the heat is so unbearable now that nothing can give you a total respite from it. Work on the other hand has been exhausting my time.

Anyway to beat the heat and to keep me from not going insane,I made these little shots of mousse made of berries. The berry here being strawberry. A mousse is an easy dessert to make are very pretty when all done.A great dessert when entertaining your guests and equally neat for a small family. This chilled dessert makes use of buttermilk. The tartness that his lends to the creamy dessert is inexplicable.

Moussehoholics beware! This dessert can be very addictive. Any flavour can be substituted for the strawberries here. The original recipe is for a mango mousse. Since the strawberry season out here is coming to an end, this is what I did for my last dose of strawberries.

Recipe (Adapted from Petite Sweets: Bite-Size Desserts to Satisfy Every Sweet Tooth)
1T unflavoured gelatin
2T cold water
1C Whipping Cream
1/2 C half-and-half( I used 60 ml of light cream and 60 ml of whole milk)
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 Sugar
1/4 C strained strawberry pulp
1T Vanilla Extract
Strawberry slices for garnish

Since I was serving them in these shot glasses I did not grease them. You could also use ramekins that have been greased and turn them out on serving plates after the dessert is set well.

Sprinkle gelatin in cold water. Heat whipping cream, cream, milk, buttermilk, sugar and strawberry pulp in a saucepan and let it simmer. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the gelatin and the vanilla extract until well blended. Transfer to the glasses. Cover and chill for 5 hours. Top with garnish and serve for a lovely chilled dessert to cool you down. In my case, a respite from the heat!

Methi Malai Murgh/ Chicken Flavoured with Fenugreek and Cream

2011-05-23T10:56:00.002+05:30

My days fall into two categories. One where I wake up all happy and excited and the other being days where I wake up grumpy. The former being a result of no special reason though. The grumpy days want me doing nothing. Cooking, a daily experiment for me is a toil on such days. Those days are when I want to get the task done really quick and go back and curl up in bed.

However on the happy days are when I don't mind doing anything or everything that requires all my time and energy. One such happy day was when I made this chicken curry. Not that this recipe is an elaborate one. It has methi/fenugreek leaves in it. And I must mention I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time now and whenever I purchase these little bundles of greens, I have always woken up grumpy except for this very time! Owing to that reason, I resorted to growing these and there was someone or the other who delightfully plucked these off when these were ready not once but both the times. I am yet to catch the culprit. For now am I am done growing these for the pilfering hands :)

What you need for this Methi Malai Chicken are:
Recipe adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor. The only changes I made are of not using spring onions.

Chicken - 1kg (Cut with bones)
Yogurt-1 C
Fresh Cream-1/2 C
Onion-2 medium sized ones -Sliced /or 1C
Fenugreek Leaves- washed, drained and chopped-2 C
Green Chillies-4 chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste-2T
Coriander Powder-2T
Turmeric Powder-1t
Black Pepper Powder-1t
Garam Masala Powder-1t
Salt
Oil-5T
Water- 1 C

Make a marinade of yogurt, turmeric powder and salt. Marinate the chicken for an hour.Heat oil, add saute the onions and the green chillies.When the onions turn translucent add in the methi leaves. Cook this for about 5 minutes on medium heat and then add the chicken. Cook on high heat until they are half done. Lower the heat and add in the spice powders. Add in the water. Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is done. Stir in the garam masala powder. Just before taking it off the stove stir in the cream. Check the seasoning and serve it hot.

A wholesome and rich gravy flavoured beautifully with fenugreek and cream.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-16T16:30:00.006+05:30

The secret recipe club is my motivation for this post Every month a partner is assigned and you make a recipe from their space without letting them know. Read about this club at Amanda's. I was assigned an amazing blog, Barbara Bakes. The fact that it was a baking blog was even more interesting.

This blog soon became my tea time companion. I was spending most of my time at tea reading her archives. With lovely pictures, recipes and text, it sure is a pleasure to read. Among a dozen recipes I wanted to try, the thick chewy chocolate chip cookies was the chosen one.

Therecipe itself was an easy one to put together in less than 20 minutes. I like my chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy rather than the harder ones.It requires you to bake them at 400 degrees. I was apprehensive that it would result in burning them. I am glad she mentioned that chewy cookies were a result of high temp. and not baking at a low temp. She had attempted it at both temps .She had adapted the recipe from the Sunset Magazine. I halved the recipe and followed her exact recipe. The batter however was very thick and I added 1/4 C of milk for a smoother batter. The cookies were baked for 8 minutes and they do remain soft in the centre but do take them out and let them stay on the tray because they would continue to bake on the pan. The cookies did not spread, were chewy and perfect but mine would rather suit a title chunky chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Ajwain Potatoes for Arusuvai Friendship Chain II

2011-04-13T09:28:00.002+05:30

I am embarrassed for three reasons. a) I received a package on two months back to be precise from Nisa as part of the Arusuvai Friendship Chain. b) I did not know what the ingredient was. I had to ask her for it. I have an excuse, I have heard about Ajwain, never seen or used them until now. Fair enough? c) Although I made something a month ago with the so -called ingredient, it took this long for me to do a post! Sad isn't it.

Nisa also sent me some wonderful homemade chocolates which were devoured the very same day. That is how good they were.

The revival of the ever popular Arusuvai by Sayantani am sure is a tremendous task at hand. The chain initiated by Latha, Bharathy and Srivalli, was fun then and it was nice of Sayantani to invite me to the second edition. I enjoyed being a part of the chain then and now as well. Read all about arusuvai here

All my trials regarding a particular ingredient are done on potatoes. Somehow they all work together. I could never say no to a dish of potatoes with a novel ingredient because when they are fried the taste, no matter good or bad is masked by the spud. In this case, the novel ingredient to me was the use of Ajwain.

Ajwain paratha is something that I wanted to try but considering how bad I am when it comes to making rotis and their counterparts, it was best left at that. Ajwain as a herb brings along with it several benefits. It is known to be effective in treating stomach disorders.

The method I followed for these are the usual favoured recipe of mine. The only difference being the addition of Ajwain. I did read that Ajwain when used in its raw form can overpower the dish. Hence I roasted a teaspoon of the herb in ghee before adding them in. The herb did work for me in this form and will definitely be used in my cooking.

Filled Meringue Cake-3 versions Daring Bakers

2011-03-27T15:03:00.002+05:30

It is the last week of March and time sure flies. And the end of a month is Daring Bakers time. This is my 32nd month with the group and I have learnt and tried several many techniques and recipes , most of them having moulded me a better baker.

Coming back to this month's challenge, the hostesses this month are Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. And the challenge was to to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. And yes it does not contain coffee, at leastI didn't use the flavour although it could be a possibility soon.

Coming to the recipe, the dough was easy to work with. It rose well. I would say the best dough I have worked with so far. The recipe called for meringue and that was a hesitant factor considering I wanted to do a savoury version as well. The meringue melted beautifully into the dough probably resulting in the great texture of the cake/bread.

There was so much one could do with fillings when it comes to this and I decided to work beyond my boundaries in this unknown territory of an yeasted cake. I made a medium sized wreath, a crescent and a large wreath. Two sweet versions and a savoury. The meringue was divided into two. One was beaten with sugar and vanilla and the meringue for the savoury had no sugar in it.

The large wreath has a layer of unsweetened meringue. Chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies were sauteed in olive oil . With dried herb seasoning, salt and pepper they followed the meringue layer. Pickled jalapenos followed next. The dough was then rolled, snipped and baked for a nice warm meal.

The medium sized wreath contains a sweet meringue layer topped by semi-chocolate chips, cinnamon, and praline. I had a tough time rolling the dough and pinching the seams well to get a beautiful wreath. This however didn;t work but the resultant coffee cake was purely divine.With the chocolaty gooeyness and the hint of cinnamon, this was a very distant relative to the above savoury one.

What you see above was a crescent filled with meringue, cream cheese and chocolate chips. I'd say this was better in flavour compared to the former owing to the presence of both the sweetness of the chocolate chips and the sweet yet slight tanginess of the cream cheese. This was my favourite among the three.

And yes I am a huge fan of yeasted cakes now. And this recipe cannot fail you like so many have to me.

Recipe:

FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE
Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter
The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake
Ingredients
For the yeast coffee cake dough:
4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature
10 strands saffron for Ria’s version (Saffron might be hard to find and it’s expensive, so you can substitute with ½ - 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom or ground nutmeg. Or simply leave it plain like Jamie’s version)
For the meringue:
3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar
For the filling:
Jamie’s version:
1 cup (110 g / 4 oz.) chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Tablespoons (30 g / 1 oz.) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (170 g / 6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
Ria’s version:
1 cup (130 g / 5 oz.) chopped cashew nuts
2 Tablespoons (30 g / 1 oz.) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon garam masala (You can make it at home – recipe below - or buy from any Asian/Indian grocery store)
1 cup (170g / 6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips ( I used Ghirardelli)
Egg wash: 1 beaten egg
Cocoa powder (optional) and confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar) for dusting cakes
**Garam (means “hot”) masala (means “mixture”) is a blend of ground spices and is used in most Indian savory dishes. It is used in limited quantities while cooking vegetables, meats & eggs. There is no “one” recipe for it as every household has a recipe of their own. Below, I am going to share the recipe which I follow.
4 or 5 sticks (25 g) Cinnamon Sticks (break a stick and open the scroll)
3 ½ tablespoons (25 g / less than an ounce) Cloves, whole
100 g. (3.5 oz.) Fennel seeds
4 tablespoons (25 g / less than an ounce) Cumin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons (10 g / less than half an ounce) Peppercorns
25 g (less than half an ounce) Green Cardamom pods
In a small pan on medium heat, roast each spice individually (it hardly takes a minute) until you get a nice aroma. Make sure you stir it throughout so that it doesn’t burn. As soon as each spice is roasted, transfer it to a bowl to cool slightly. Once they are all roasted, grind into a fine powder by using a coffee grinder, or pestle & mortar. Store in an airtight container and use as needed.
Directions:
Prepare the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.
Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.
Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.
Assemble the Coffee Cakes:
Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).
Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.
Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.
Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.
Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.
The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

2011-03-20T18:11:00.001+05:30

The choice of the Cake Slice Bakers from the book, Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman is a Chocolate Cream Pound Cake. I do not really like pound cakes unless it contains either chocolate or citrus. Plain and rich buttery cakes do not work with me. However the recipe does not call for a pound of ingredients as a normal pound cake recipe would ask for.

The cake was rich in terms of flavour and colour owing to the use of Dutch processed cocoa. I love the intense brown colour further enhancing the presence of chocolate in a cake.The crumb was neither too dry nor was it too soft but sufficiently moist. Overall there is nothing great or nothing bad about this cake.

Chocolate Cream Pound cake

(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bow once or twice as necessary. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until smooth.
With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Meanwhile, do take a look at the other Cake Slice Bakers' take on this cake.

Buttered and Baked Potatoes and a Book Review

2011-03-16T21:10:00.002+05:30

Vegetable markets to me are a delight. There is so much that you can find in a market rather than what is displayed on the shelves of any supermarket. At most times, when I buy the packaged vegetables off the shelves, I am in a surprise when I cut the package open. Under all that good looking vegetables that are made to line the exterior of the package, they have decaying ones on the inside. This is so with all vegetables and fruits , especially with boxed strawberries. Plump red ones stand on the top and when you look on the underside, they box is covered with leaves. I always fall for the berries only to come home and find minuscule and decaying berries underneath. And the price I end up paying for them, let's not even go that way.

Anyways, I had planned to grill chicken for last night's dinner and there was a request for potatoes as a side dish for it. Of late ever since I received a review copy from Sellers Publishers, the Big Book has been helping me with such requests. Talking about the book, it contains about 125 recipes all categorized under salads, pasta, vegetables, fruits etc. The author, Rick Browne, the host of Barbecue America presents recipes that he had tasted on his pilgrimage across the American heartlands and also some of his mom's cooking notes. He also encourages us to try his recipes but adapt it to our taste. And that is what I did with these baked potatoes. The only downside about this book would be the absence of photographs which would have been a treat if present of those lovely recipes.

What you see is a bowl of buttered and baked potatoes. A very simple recipe but a flavour that would liven up any meal. Fresh rosemary sprigs is what the recipe asks for, but since I wanted to adapt it to our palate, I added crushed garlic and lots of black pepper. When these are baked, they can be sinfully delicious.And now I can figure why this starchy spud still continues to be our favourite.

Buttered and Baked Potato (From the big book of barbecue side dishes)

Serves 4

1/2 a kg of small potatoes ( I halved each for the flavours to seep in better)
3 T butter (Do not substitute)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic- 5 cloves, crushed

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F
Scrub the potatoes under water. Use them whole or halve them or cut them too.
Place thes in a casserole in one layer.
Toss in the crushed garlic.
In another bowl, mix butter, rosemary sprigs as the author used and salt. Pour this over the potatoes. Bake until tender.
Remove, season with pepper, remove the rosemary sprigs if using and serve. Note that the potatoes nned to be browned. The skin would crinkle. Butter and the slow cooking lend these spuds a flavour good enough to experience.

And yes, get this book if you can because it has a lot to offer.