Cakes & More

Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Sun, 23 May 2021 03:14:00 +0000

Birthdays and special days are synonymous to lots of desserts, we are no exception! The daughter turned 14 recently, so something chocolate it had to be!

Loved this creamy and smooth Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake, perfect for chocoholics like us. It is rich, but not too heavy on the palate, and I am definitely making it again! If you are looking for a super easy make ahead dessert, this is one you absolutely must try!

I had tried this Chocolate Idiot Cake, a very similar cake from David Lebovitz earlier, a great recipe but with a whole lot more butter. The below recipe is also from one of David's books, The Great Book Of Chocolate, which he has adapted from Nick Malgieri.

Without much ado, here is the simple recipe. As always, do remember, details make the difference. Weigh the ingredients and follow the instructions for best results.

The recipe uses a water bath, so if using it for the first time, you may find this video helpful.

Chocolate Mousse Cake (Flourless)

Ingredients

Water 1 cup / 240 ml

Sugar 100 grams (use caster sugar or powdered)

Unsalted butter, very soft, cut into pieces 100 grams

Bittersweet chocolate, chopped (70% cacao is recommended, check out Sihi) 285 grams

Eggs 6 large / 300 grams (without shell)

1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum ( I just used more water)

Instant coffee 1.5 teaspoons ( recipe uses orange zest and rum)

Method

Pre heat oven to 160 degree C. Grease an 8'' round tin, line the bottom with baking parchment.
Keep on hand a larger baking tin as the cake needs to be baked in a water bath.
Heat the water, coffee and sugar in a large saucepan. Once the sugar dissolves, take it off the heat, stir in the butter and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts completely.
Whisk the eggs to combine (add the rum if using). Whisk it into the chocolate mixture ensuring the eggs are incorporated well. No need to work up a volume.
Transfer the batter to the tin and set it in the larger tin. Place in the oven and pour hot water such that it reaches halfway up the sides.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the center feels just firm and no longer liquid.
Remove the cake from the water bath and cool on a wire rack.
Once it cools, run a sharp knife around the cake and invert on a serving plate. Peel the parchment away.
Cut into very slim slices and serve with ice cream / whipped cream or chilled coffee creme angalaise.
The cake can be stored for 3 days in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Warning : It will be difficult to keep your hands off the cake, so if you are scared, it may be a good idea to share some with your neighbors and friends!

Please note :

If using a chocolate which doesn't specify the cocoa percentage, you may have to reduce the sugar by 25 grams or so, or the cake may be too sweet. Adding coffee will help cut down the sweetness.

You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there will not be any variation here. This commission will help me with me costs of running the blog and channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

White Chocolate Custard With Strawberries. Dessert For Valentine's Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 03:16:00 +0000

Super creamy, smooth and amazingly good, also looks so pretty with some sliced strawberries for garnish. Ready in say about 45 minutes to an hour for you and your loved ones to savor. Need I say more to convince you to make this for Valentine's Day? Spoiler - I am not a believer in these days really, but it's a great excuse to make dessert and make use of those pretty strawberries this time of the year.

I love baked custards, I just can't get enough of the creamy smoothness! If white chocolate is not your thing, you can try these . It is a bit of effort baking these in a water bath, but it is absolutely worth it. If baking in a water bath for the first time, please watch my video here about preparing a water bath. It is an extremely simple but helpful technique in baking.

You can find more such videos on my channel! Click here to subscribe for more!

White Chocolate Custard With Strawberries.

Ingredients. Weigh ingredients for best results. I made half the recipe below, it gave me 4 small portions.

Full fat milk 3/4 cup / 180 ml

Cream 3/4 cup / 180 ml ( I used Amul 25%)

White Chocolate 115 grams, finely chopped (do not use compound chocolate)

Sugar 1/4 cup / 50 grams

Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons

Egg yolks, at room temperature. 4 large / 72 grams

Sliced fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)

Getting ready:

Assemble a heavy saucepan with a handle, plus another large bowl with a wide base, a large fine mesh strainer, a whisk, a spatula. You will need 8 small 80 ml capacity ramekins or oven proof bowls. If using ramekins of different capacity the baking time will vary. Small portions are better.

We need a baking tin with high sides. The tin has to fit the ramekins without crowding them in, but not too much empty space otherwise. This is particularly important if baking in a convection microwave as your ramekins will swim in the water as the turntable rotates.

Place a small kitchen towel to cover the bottom of the tin, then place the ramekins in the baking tin.

Have some very hot water on sim on your stove, better more than less. A tea kettle will be perfect! We need enough water to come halfway up the ramekins when we put them in the oven later.

Have on hand a pair of mittens or thick kitchen towels.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C / 320 degrees F.

Take the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and white chocolate in the saucepan.

In the wide based bowl, whisk the egg yolks and keep it ready. Do not leave it sitting for too long as a film will develop over the yolks.
Heat the milk mixture over low heat, keep stirring, we need the chocolate to melt. We do not need the mixture to boil, just hot.
Whisking constantly dribble the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Dribble all of it gradually. If you rush this process the eggs will curdle.

Strain the custard through the strainer back into the saucepan.

Pour the custard into the ramekins just a little below the rim. The custard doesn't rise, it just sets as it bakes.
Place the baking tin in the oven. Using the kettle, taking care not to splash the water into the ramekins, carefully pour the hot water in the baking tin so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake the custard in the water bath for about 25-30 minutes or until the center appears set, but jiggly when you gently shake the ramekins. The baking time depends on the size of your ramekins and your oven, so watch carefully from 25 minutes onwards. Do not over bake or your custard may turn rubbery. Err on the side of under baking as the custard will set further on refrigeration. I normally remove the ramekins from the water bath soon after as I do not want to risk the custard to cooking further in the hot water.
Cool the custards to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for best results. David Lebovitz suggests serving these slightly warm or at room temperature. We liked it chilled.
Please note : The baking time is very important for the best texture of the custards. The custard may appear to need more baking (but it should not be liquid or gooey) if you spoon out some when warm, but it will set well on refrigeration. So slight under-baking is better than over-baking.

If baking in a very small OTG (not microwave) there is a risk of uneven baking, a convection microwave works better here as your tin rotates while baking.
Watch a video clip of the texture of these custards and lots more on my Instagram stories soon!

Kaju Badam Granola (eggless) - The beginner's first bake!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:09:00 +0000

Granola is one of the easiest and simplest recipes in baking. I usually recommend this or granola bars for people who are baking for the first time. Cakes and brownies come later. The good thing about baking granola and granola bars is they are usually eggless, requiring almost nothing by way of technique, so it is hard to mess up. They usually don't have any leavening agents like baking powder or soda, so even if you remove it from the oven, check and put it back, there won't be any damage done. A little under or over baked and this will still taste decent enough. The only way you can mess it up is by burning it!

You can learn how to use your oven while you try these recipes. And yes, granola especially, can be made in small quantities so that you are not left with a lot of stuff on your hands in the name of learning baking!

If you are a beginner, I hope I have sold the idea of trying granola to you! Here is a very simple, basic kind of recipe you can try.

Watch my video here on my channel for beginners in baking https://bit.ly/2XSEn9g

More similar recipes you can try

Double Chocolate Granola

Peanut Butter Granola (tastes like Snickers!)

Kaju Badam Granola (makes a generous 1 cup)

Ingredients. Use the right ingredients and tools, weigh for best results. Measure carefully.(product suggestions in the links here)

Quick Cooking Oats - 75 grams / 3/4 cup approximately , weigh after sifting

I prefer this, you can also use thicker rolled oats if you prefer. I like to sieve the quick cooking oats first, so the powdery part is left behind.

Raw almonds - 25 grams, sliced

Raw cashew - 25 grams

Dried coconut , shredded - 10 grams

Honey - 20 ml

Neutral oil - 15 ml / 1 tablespoon

Caster Sugar (Powdered sugar will not dissolve well) - 1 tablespoon

Dates, chopped - 2 tablespoons

Raisins, chopped - 2 tablespoons (or any other dried fruit of your choice)

You can add some vanilla or cinnamon if u wish.

Method

Preheat oven to 130 C. Granola is always baked at low temperature, so the oats get well toasted and become crunchy without burning.
Line the tin with baking parchment. Take a tin with sides like this so it is easier to stir the granola while baking.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the oats, coconut, kaju and badam. we will add the dry fruit it later.
Take the oil, honey and sugar here and heat it for a few seconds. We need the sugar to dissolve, all the 3 ingredients need to get well combined. You can add some elaichi powder or cinnamon or some vanilla if you like. Take the honey mixture off heat
Using a silicone spatula, mix the wet and dry ingredients, make sure the honey mixture coats the oats and nuts well. This will be slightly moist but not wet.
Spread the mixture evenly in the baking tin in a thin layer.
Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the granola turns a nice golden brown. Stir the granola once after 15 minutes and redistribute making sure you take it from the corners.
Bake again for 5 -10 minutes. The baking time may vary depending on your oven.
The granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven. But it will become crisp after it cools. The baking time may vary depending on your oven. So watch carefully, we do not want to burn the granola.
Let the granola cool completely and then stir in the dried fruit. Store airtight. You can snack on this as it is or have it with some cold milk.

Strawberry Cream Danish Pastries - With Quick Danish Pastry!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Strawberry Cream Danish Pastries - buttery, delicious, soft and quite flaky!

Danish pastries, often simply called Danish, are buttery and flaky with a yeasty flavor. Think sort of croissants with different sweet fillings. The method for the classic version involves making a yeast dough which is laminated with blocks of cold butter. A rather lengthy process with numerous steps (with great results am sure!).

For those of us who don't feel up to the challenge here is a relatively easier method by Beatrice Ojakangas, the author of The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. I tried this recipe recently and was quite pleased with it. Since it is strawberry season, I filled them with strawberry pastry cream. You can simply use any kind of preserves or just make croissants with the dough.

That's the beauty of these building blocks, you can play around a lot! Don't let the quantity of butter here stop you. This makes a largish quantity of pastry, so you can divide it into 4 parts and freeze it for later use.

Be sure the yeast you are using is active and good. Here is my video about yeast types and activating yeast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcPLR59ZSuQ&t=1s

Recipe for Quick Danish Pastry. From the book Baking With Julia

Weigh ingredients for best results always.

Details make a difference, pay attention to the small details, follow recipe instructions correctly. If making something like this the first time, please check the notes below.

Ingredients

Warm water 60 ml / 1/4 cup

Instant Yeast 2 1/4 teaspoon

Milk, at room temperature - 120 ml / 1/2 cup

Egg - 1 / 50 grams without shell, at room temperature (read note)

Sugar - 50 grams / 1/4 cup

Salt 1 teaspoon

All-purpose flour / maida - 350 grams / 2.5 cups

Cold unsalted butter - 226 grams / 2 sticks, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water,yeast, milk, egg, sugar and salt. Set aside.

2. Take the flour in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Drop in the butter. Pulse in very short spurts, 6 to 8 times, until butter is cut into 1/2 inch pieces, no smaller. Check after 5 pulses and then continue if necessary. You should see 1/2 inch pieces of butter in the flour.

3. Empty the flour mixture into the yeast mixture. Using a silicon spatula, gently fold the two mixtures together just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Be gentle, the butter must remain in pieces so that you will produce a flaky pastry, not a bread dough or cookie. The dough will be quite soft but not really sticky or wet. If necessary add a bit of flour and mix gently, make sure the butter pieces remain intact.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days to suit your schedule).

4. Before you begin the rolling process, make sure you have enough space in the fridge to place the pastry. You will need lots of space on the counter (check the dimensions below), flour for rolling, a big rolling pin. Make sure there are no liquids on the counter. Have a large baking sheet ready to place the pastry in, a measuring tape. You need to work in a cool kitchen to keep the butter from softening too quickly. If necessary, rub a cold ice pack on the counter.

5. Lightly flour the work surface; turn dough out onto it, and dust dough with flour. Using the palms of your hands, pat dough into a rough square. Roll out to 16 inches on a side.

Fold dough into thirds, like a business letter and turn it so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Roll out again, into a long narrow rectangle, about 10 inches wide by 24 inches long.

Fold into thirds again. Roll out to make a 20-inch square. Fold square into thirds again to make a long, narrow rectangle. Then again, fold into thirds to make a square. (If at any point in this procedure the dough gets very soft, cover and chill it for 30 minutes or so.)

Cover and chill the dough before final shaping. You can store the dough in the refrigerator for 4 days or wrap it air tight and keep it frozen for 1 month; thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.

I chilled the dough overnight. The next morning, I cut it into 4 equal parts, wrapped 3 of them individually in plastic wrap and put in the freezer.

I rolled the remaining piece into a 10'' square and cut it into 6 squares.

To shape the spandauers.

Place a pastry square on a parchment lined baking sheet with one of the points facing you. Put a teaspoon of the pastry cream in the center.

Brush a little of the beaten egg white on the left and right hand corners, fold the sides such that the points overlap.

Press down gently but firmly to seal, create a rectangular or square packet.

Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.

Bake at 200C for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Let them cool slightly on a rack before you glaze.

To prepare the glaze, whisk together 1/2 cup icing sugar and a tablespoon milk. Be very careful when you add the milk or you will have to add more sugar to adjust the consistency.

Using a spoon or piping bag, pipe the glaze on the pastries. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the strawberry pastry cream.

Milk 120 ml / 1/2 cup

Cream 120 ml / 1/2 cup

Cornflour 1.5 tablespoons / 10 grams

Sugar 30 grams / 2 tablespoons

Egg yolk - 1 / 18 grams ( save the white for shaping the pastries)

Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

Strawberry puree 2-3 tablespoons

In a flat bottomed bowl, whisk together the yolk and vanilla.

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar and cornflour ensuring there are no lumps. Cook on medium heat, whisking until it thickens slightly.

Slowly, pour it into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan, cook on low heat, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and starts bubbling.

Push the pastry cream through a strainer, press cling wrap on the surface. Once it comes to room temperature, whisk in the strawberry puree.

This can be made ahead and chilled. You can store this for 3 days in the fridge. This makes a lovely dessert on its own, can be used as a filling for cakes and tarts etc.

Tips

1. Weigh and cut the butter, chill several hours. The size of the pieces is important especially if using a food processor. You want them to remain as 1/2 inch pieces after you cut it into the flour, helps make the pastry flaky. I made this first time using a food processor and felt I should have processed less than I have.

2. If you do not have a food processor, use a metal dough scraper to cut the cold butter into the flour.( as we do for pie crusts)

3. If at any point of time, the pastry becomes too soft or the butter starts oozing out, put it in the fridge until it firms up again before continuing the process

4. I have used egg in the dough. You can try replacing it with cream (such as Amul), I haven't tried it, but should work well. Tell me if you try.

5. I baked some scraps of the pastry and it was very crisp and flaky. Next time, I will use an almond filling or something less liquid. I guess the liquidy filling softens the pastry as it creates more steam.

6. I will be making this again, and will post updates.

7. To make the strawberry puree, take chopped berries and some sugar in a saucepan, cook until the berries are mushy. Mash or process in the mixer for a smooth puree. Cool and use as needed.

Follow me on Instagram for more!

Watch Beatrice making Danish Pastry here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKZcJacAqJM&t=617s

Panforte Nero - No Eggs, No Butter, No Oil, No Alcohol Christmas Treat!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:15:00 +0000

It's almost Christmas and it's raining giveaways and contests on my YouTube channel! I am doing a series of live streams where I bake simple recipes and give away prizes to 5 winners every week. All winners also get a free baking session with me on Zoom. If you have not participated yet, please do check this out. It's very easy and will take hardly 5 minutes of your time to enter.

Last week's was a giveaway of delicious 100% chemical free chocolate and cocoa hamper from Sihi Chocolaterie. This week, 5 lucky winners get electronic kitchen scales from Atom and a gift hamper of coconut sugar, coconut candy from Farmmade Foods.

Watch this video for details, have also given contest details at the end of the post below.

So today's recipe is a very easy eggless confection of Italian origin called Panforte Nero. It is loaded with nuts and dry fruit, there is no butter or oil or alcohol. It's very delicious and extremely addictive, the best thing is it can be stored for a very long time. So if you want to send this to someone in another city or country, it will still be fine as it keeps for months. I have not tested that as this gets over fast in my house. If you bake commercially, then this is a recipe you absolutely must have in your repertoire.

Panforte Nero recipe by Alice Medrich

Preheat the oven to 150C. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch round tin with baking parchment, grease it very well. This is extremely important.

Ingredients: Weigh ingredients, measure accurately for best results. If you do not have weighing scales, here is a chance to win it in my contest!

Whole almonds - roasted until crunchy and cooled - 235 grams
Dried figs, chopped - 225 grams
Flour - 85 grams, read note below.
Cocoa powder ( I used Sihi) - 10 grams
Ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
Ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon
Ground ginger powder 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Zest of one large fresh orange
Caster sugar - 135 grams
Honey - 160 ml / 2/3 cup

Method :

Line up all ingredients, tools etc on the counter before you begin heating the honey and sugar. Working quickly is very important in this recipe.
Take the almonds, figs, flour, cocoa powder, spices and orange zest in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Keep aside.
In a large saucepan, take the honey and sugar. Bring it to a rolling boil and then let it boil for 15 seconds. Take it off the heat.
Stir in the flour mixture into the honey mixture, work quickly to mix it well. Immediately transfer it to the baking tin and smooth the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until you see bubbles all over the surface. The center will still be soft and may look light in color. It will darken and firm up on cooling.
Do not overbake or the panforte will turn hard and very chewy.
Cool completely on a cooling rack. Invert the panforte on a plate and remove the pan, peel the parchment. Turn it right side up, dust powdered sugar if desired.
Cut into thin wedges using a sharp knife. The taste improves the next day.
Wrap well and store, keeps for months apparently!

Note : It is on the sweeter side, so I may increase the cocoa by 5 grams next time, and reduce flour by 5 grams. And also maybe increase the nuts by another 25 grams.

Contest rules

Subscribe to my channel
Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cakesandmor...
Please fill this form with your details, so that I can contact you when you win https://forms.gle/rCKisSmH4pvvqYVz5
Share the link to my giveaway video https://bit.ly/34IxF9w on your Facebook profile with the sentence Win awesome products on Suma Rowjee's YouTube channel for beginners in baking. Participate to get a chance to win in just 4 simple steps! #cakesandmorecontest.

Orange Almond Syrup Bundt Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 08:04:00 +0000

I can never get enough of oranges! Orange zest is a wonder I discovered as part of my baking journey. The aroma is heady, the flavor it imparts just can't match any essence or oil. If only I grew oranges in a pot, that's one of the things I have always wanted to do. Just as well, or I would go crazy thinking about all the things I could use the zest in! Candied orange peel was another revelation. So if you are planning to soak your fruits for Christmas you absolutely must make our own candied orange peel, you will never buy it from a store again!

I recently baked these flavorful, buttery syrup cakes made with ground almonds and lots of orange zest. They turned out amazing, though I would have enjoyed them better with less butter. I halved the recipe and baked 6 of these cakes in my favorite Nordicware heritage bundt pan. I prefer to bake small cakes if I have to brush syrup as they absorb it better and more evenly.

Do drop by my Amazon Storefront to see my recommendations for baking products, books and more!

Related links to my videos you may want to check

How To Grind Almonds

How to zest oranges

How to unmold a cake

Make your own candied orange peel

Orange and Almond Syrup Cakes. By Yotam Ottolenghi, from David Lebovitz's blog

Ingredients

Unsalted butter - 200 grams, at room temperature
Caster sugar - 300 grams plus more for the syrup.
Fresh oranges - 4
Ground almonds - 240 grams ( I used ready almond meal)
Free-range eggs, beaten - 4
Maida - 110 grams
1/8 tsp salt
Chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (optional)

For the syrup

Orange juice - 180 ml

Sugar - 80 grams

Dark chocolate, chopped, 100 grams (optional)

Method

Mise en place.
Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of a 9'' spring form tin with baking parchment. I have used my bundt pan, each cup holds 150ml liquid. If using a bundt pan, spray well with baking spray, ensure every nook and cranny is greased well. A silicone brush helps do a good job of this.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Whisk together the almond meal, flour and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl, take the butter and sugar. Zest the oranges directly on this. Reserve the juice for the syrup.
Beat the butter, sugar and zest until well combined. Do not beat too much as you do not want to incorporate too much air into the mixture.
Add half the ground almonds and fold it into the butter mixture
Add in the eggs one by one, scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.
Fold in the remaining almond mixture and the chocolate chips if using.
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, level it. I have filled them half in the bundt pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes for 9'' round tin, 15-18 minutes for the bundt pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out a little moist. Please note, the baking time may vary depending on your oven.
Towards the end of the baking time, heat the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan, you need the sugar to dissolve completely.
Once the cakes come out of the oven, place the tin on a cooling rack. Poke holes in the cake and brush the syrup generously all over.
Let the cakes cool completely in the pan.
Run a knife around the cake and invert it on the cooling rack. Brush any remaining syrup on the bottom of the cake.
You can pour some ganache or melted chocolate over the cake, it tastes divine. You don't have to do this if you have already added chocolate chips in the batter.
Serve immediately with some vanilla ice cream for an awesome dessert!

Try this cake for a special occasion, enjoy baking!

Participant Feedback For Online Sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 06:25:00 +0000

Happy to share feedback from the participants of my online baking sessions for beginners.I am planning to do more intensive ones soon. Please email me for more details. suma.rowjee@gmail.com

It was a great session. That was something I was looking for. There are people conducting baking workshops but it all starts with a recipe. I hadn’t seen or worked with baking tools and ingredients before and it was a hindrance to me in giving a try. For many households in India ovens and baking is a 21st century thing and so it doesn’t come to us naturally. I have been following your blogs and videos and I must say they are detailed with the perspective of a beginner. Keep rocking!! If you are a beginner and want to get your basics right, you need to take her session. It’s more than just recipes that you would need, to be able to bake well. You will learn how to get started with baking, try and improvise recipes to bake delicious cakes and much more. Pratima Bose

Your baking sessions were a wonderful start for me that I needed from a very long time. I used to bake but without having knowledge on basics and few tips which are very crucial. Now after attending your sessions and information that you have shared has helped me a lot to learn more. This is has given me good start with my baking journey.

Thank you so much for getting opportunity to attend your sessions which were really good. I like the way you have shared every possible information a beginner expects from experts. Looking forward for future sessions on advanced level baking session. It was my pleasure to get to know you. Thank you so much. Sneha Nayana

The sessions were really good and fruitful. I have had an oven for years and it's only now that I know I will be able to bake proper cakes. Thanks for all your practical inputs and insights! Charul Sharma

'Thank you so much for making my basics very strong. Just because of your both sessions I learnt so much and could bake two 6 inch bake and decorate it very nicely. And another thing I can tell you is you are making time to listen to our questions and answering them...it is the best thing you are doing...please continue doing this. Really thank you so much!'' Ashritha Vaddiraj

First of all I would like to thank Suma for making me understand the basics of baking as it definitely clears your fundamentals and sets the stage for baking. She took through all the baking instruments in detail and also helped share the usage. The recipes that she shared were quite simple and yet delicious. So, thank you Suma for making the baking humanly possible which I used to think as impossible. Padmalaya Patnaik

Very informative! If you want to bake as a hobby or wish to become a home baker, contact her, I assure you, she is damn good! Richa Gupta

It was a pleasure to learn from you about baking. Thank you for today's session, got to know where I was wrong in baking. The way you explain is very easy to understand. Truly appreciate your time and patience in responding to all our questions. Attached are the pics of the cookies and muffins. Tried them as you suggested and they came out really good. Thanks much again and I look forward to learning more from you soon. Sanghamitra Mishra

Thank you for your classes and it is really a great motivation for baking.Today I have baked eggless chocolate cake. It came out superb.its the first time I could bake this much perfect cake, it was amazing. Once again thank you. I could realize that after attending your class my confidence for baking increased. Anima C

I baked a cake today. Your class and recipes really helped me, thank u so much. Looking forward to more of your workshops - Smita Kulkarni

I tried the eggless cocoa cake today. Made it in a tin because I did not have the cupcake tray. It looks beautiful and is soft. Have not tasted it yet. I was so eager to inform you about my achievement. Thank u so much. Now that I have the confidence, I will keep trying the cakes from your blog and YouTube channel. Jisha Ravi

Dear Suma, It was a wonderful session today .I learnt so many small-small things which I was ignoring while baking . Rajbala Singh

That was a very informative session. As a beginner, I have always had doubts about the tools and oven. I shall buy the tools you have suggested and try again. Keerthi Kurnool

Thanks for the amazing workshop and helping me with the basics of baking Madhumita

Garlic and Chili Focaccia

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:59:00 +0000

It's amazing that bread is made with the same four basic ingredients - yeast, flour, water and salt, but there are a hundred of ways of baking it. The results vary with different methods used and impress you every now and then!

This one was made with a batter that's impossible to knead as it is soupy, you actually pour the batter into the tin. The bread is surprisingly light and moist. The taste of the bread was great with just the flavor of extra virgin olive oil which I had used to grease the pan. I usually prefer toasting my bread but this one baked in a cast iron pan, was perfect straight out of the pan!

This recipe for Rosemary Focaccia is from Rose Levy Beranbaum's book, The Bread Bible. One notable thing about this recipe is the dough consistency and the way it is 'kneaded' using a stand mixer. Of course there are plenty of high hydration recipes for foccaccia and ciabattas, but they mostly involve the stretch and fold method and a longer rise. But this one is simply kneaded for 20 minutes in the stand mixer and it is amazing to see how the batter goes from soupy to melted mozzarella kind of stage! (will post the pictures and videos soon )I don't think you can work with this kind of dough as effortlessly and as efficiently without a sturdy hand mixer. I use a Kitchen Aid 5 quart one . If you have a stand mixer, do give this a try!

If you are new to baking, try my online classes for beginners. For more details, click here!

Rosemary Foccacia (adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Beranbaum)

Maida 390 grams

Instant yeast 3/8 teaspoon

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons water / 442 grams , at room temperature
1.5 teaspoon salt ( the original recipe uses 3/4 teaspoon in the dough plus more as topping)
3/4 tsp sugar

Extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (divided use)

Fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons

Sea salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Method

In the bowl of the stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on low speed, combine the flour and the yeast.
With the mixer running, gradually add in the water, mix just until the dough comes together. It will be very soupy now.
Increase the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and beat until the dough turns into a smooth, shiny ball , this may take about 20 minutes. (the stand mixer is sturdy enough to go on for this duration!) In fact, I was engrossed in writing something and forgot to turn off the mixer, so this step was more than 25 minutes for me.
Add the sugar and salt and beat until well incorporated, about 3 minutes.
Using an oiled spatula, scrape the dough into a well greased dough rising container. The dough now will look like melted mozzarella indeed as Rose says!
Cover and let rise for about 4 hours or at least until double. Mine took 1.5 hours to double.
Grease a sheet pan ( ideally 12x17 inches) very generously with around 2 tablespoons of the oil. This is super super important or your bread will stick to the pan (like mine in the pic below) I used one 12x14 pan and another small cast iron pan.
Pour the dough into the sheet pan. Grease your hands well and spread the dough as thin as possible without tearing it. If the dough resists, let it relax for 10 minutes and spread it again. Try to maintain the bubbles in the dough as much as possible.
Cover the pan with a large box . Let the dough rise until it doubles, about 1-1.5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 250C 1 hour before baking.
Once it doubles, drizzle the remaining oil on the dough. Oil your fingers and dimple the dough deeply. Sprinkle the salt and rosemary (if using) on top. I used some garlic and chopped fresh red chilies.
Bake around 20 minutes or until the top is a deep golden color. The baking time may vary depending on your oven. Be careful not to burn the bread as it is spread thin and the oven is super hot.
Remove from the oven and drizzle more olive oil on top and serve immediately!

Enjoy the delicious, crisp bread with a moist and chewy crumb! The remaining bread in the cast iron pan (picture below) had an even more beautiful crust, it was amazing!

Online class Announcement - Baking for Beginners.

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 07:54:00 +0000

BASICS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED IN BAKING!

Are you ready to explore the exciting world of baking? Get ready in time to bake your own Christmas cakes? Check out these workshops coming soon! Please let me know your thoughts and if you would like to register. I will fix the dates based on the response.

Day 1 - What you need to know even before you think of baking! 2 hours

1. Introduction to baking - Knowing these things will save you a lot of trouble and disappointment!

2. Ovens - an overview, your options.
3. Baking tins. What you really need to get when you start - The beginners set.
4. Baking tools. The simple, but most important tools for best results.
5. Ingredients - know your ingredients, use the right things, the right way.

This session will empower you with basic knowledge - super important to avoid tears and frustration!

Day 2 - Delicious, Easy Recipes! 2.5 hours

1. General recipe tips - things you absolutely should know about baking recipes.
2. How to weigh and measure your ingredients.
3. Granola and variations (eggless) - your first bake
4. Eggless Chocolate Cake (pre-recorded)
5. Eggless Chocolate Chip cookies (pre-recorded)
6. You will learn how to read a recipe, how to prepare for it and then bake. Learn how attention to small details will make a big difference to your baking!

Pre-recorded videos will allow me to help you better, pause and take your questions, rewind if needed! An interactive & no-holds barred session of clearing all questions and doubts.

Takeaway

1. Build your basic baking set up.
2. Basics of baking to help you start the right way and get fabulous results!
3. A confident you ready to try more recipes, you won't have to guess if you will fail or succeed every time! Avoid disappointment, recreate the same magic every time!
4. Recipes and notes from session and all handy information in printable format via email.
Plus - A surprise bonus recipe
5. Product recommendations and helpful links
6. Email support for the next 1 month to help you bake and learn.

Fee Rs.2,000 (for Day 1 plus Day 2)

Additional fee Rs.500 if you would like to bake one recipe of your choice when I am online (1 hour) to support and troubleshoot as you go! This will be done a week after the above sessions when you are ready with your set up. There will be a maximum of 6 people in this extra session so that I can give personal attention to each participant.

Registration details will follow, limited seats per batch, first come first serve basis. Looking forward to your response!

Please let me know which of these dates you prefer by filling this form

https://forms.gle/gobdnDjZ4PKEJYNJA

Read what workshop participants feedback here https://bit.ly/3ilwkJZ

Leave your email ID in the comments below if you would like more information. Or write to me suma.rowjee@gmail.com

Looking forward to your response!

What Keeps Me Going!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Sat, 30 May 2020 11:02:00 +0000

I started blogging in 2010 and uploaded my first video on YouTube (My YouTube Channel Cakes And More - Baking For Beginners!) in 2015. Since I thought blogging itself was effort, I was in for a big surprise! Making videos is humongous time and effort, being on YouTube is tough! Good content and video production per se is just one small part of it, the rest requires resilience, patience, both hard and smart work on a different level altogether. OK, so I did make some 100 odd videos, crawled my way to 1.25 Lakh subs. which is a huge thing in itself considering what it took the camera shy me to just stand in front of the camera and talk!

I have learned a couple of lessons along the way, and probably would do things very differently if I had to start today. The path has undoubtedly been arduous, but what has really kept me going is the feedback and comments I get from my readers and viewers. This is what I will cherish, for years to come. And it will always bring a smile on my face, gladden the heart and yes, make me (more than a bit) misty eyed too!

Here is a compilation of some comments I have received on the blog and channel. These priceless medals of honor are more than anything I could ask or wish for. Below are some compiled from emails, messages, blog, channel comments and Facebook comments from fellow bloggers and readers. Am not sure if I deserve these though! Thanks all the same for these comments and for taking time to leave them for me.

A BIG THANK-YOU!

"Excellent informative video. You have a flair for teaching. There is a dearth of information on practical issues, such as chosen and elaborated by yourself. Electronic companies should learn from you. Good job Suma. "

Most straight forward answer on can I substitute ghee for butter. Tried Google, Reddit and Quora to no avail. Also learnt a couple of things as bonus as well. Most fruitful 9 mins I have spent today. Thank you

"Amazing presentation. Learned a lot in a short amount of time. My favorite type of YouTube videos. "

"Best introductory video on baking!"

"Thank you for this tutorial. It's so easy to understand even for a newbie like me. Absolutely marvelous and you've brought me to a whole new world with my oven. Thank you so much. "

"Excellent info! Exactly what I wanted to know. Your videos are very informative. Thanks :) "

Thank you sooooo.... Much.... After almost 3 years... I now know how my oven can be preheated.... All other videos never gave such detailed info and this type of demonstration.... Thank you -

U r here feels me my search stops to what i wanted

Great video! This is the first time seeing a wide skillet used as a double boiler so intuitive and resourceful. I won't have to waste more money on kitchenware :D

Beautifully explained, very informative, genuinely appreciated, thank you so much for making this video!

Thank you for this. I always thought that you had to have a tempered glass bowl and sit it over the saucepan to act as a double boiler. This method is very easy and convenient! Thank you!

I love her! She's a great teacher very detailed and easy to understand!

Thanks for your easy,clear voice and narration,all steps are easily understandable.regards

You are savior and I deeply appreciate the details in which you have gone to explain the tiny bit nuances of the microwave, baking. Thank you. KP

Thank u Suma. u really explain very well..n u make it easy to understand every single detail. that's great

Mam your videos are really helpful I was just beginning with baking and i was confused that what materials should i have your video helped me a lot thank u very much👍

Thank you so much for this! You have no idea how important this video had been to me. I recently started oven baking, and the tins, measurements and all have been so confusing. I feel a little relieved and confident now.

That was genuinely helpful, wasn't easy to find proper use case differences. Thanks a lot!

Hi Suma, your series of videos about beginner tips are really motivating. I had a series of mishaps and I gave up baking for quite some time now. I came back searching for how to pre-heat a convection microwave and I saw your video. I realized what I did wrong. I have seen almost all your beginner videos now and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to making my next baking attempt

Thank you, very useful information, no-nonsense , comprehensive and simple!

Very useful I can just imagine how much homework n effort u put n to bring this type research videos Thank u sooooooomuch mam keep up d good work God bless u. Mona Pinky

Way to go Suma Rowjee. Really happy for you. And you totally deserve it for the kind of knowledge you share with your readers. Those are not just recipes with ingredients and instructions, but a conversation with a baker. Personally I love your style of writing. Your posts are not about the recipe, it's a theory class on baking. And no overkill of pictures. This doesn't distract the reader from focusing on the main stuff. Keep up the great job of sharing knowledge than mere ingredients and method. Kudos fellow blogger! Cheryl Rajkumar, Blogger@ Kitchen Kemistry.

Suma is one of those excellent bakers whose recipes never go wrong. Her knowledge of baking can be seen in her blog. Love going back to her blog again and again. Sayantani Mahapatra, Blogger @ A Homemakers Diary

I'm quite overwhelmed seeing your dedication to details, you painstakingly explaining each step in words and pictures . This kind of dedication is something else and I felt I had to write to you to tell you what I felt. I'm always anti-cream cakes, a. too many calories and b. too much effort, but i promise you, if I ever want to make one, I shall make one of your recipes, because your writing gives me the confidence that I shall get it right Nandita Iyer. Food Writer, Nutritionist. Blogger @ Saffron Trail

I adore your work and your blog. You help budding bakers so much. Way to go! Nisha Sarda, Blogger@ Spusht

The reason I gained confidence to fall in love with baking is you Suma Rowjee...have always loved to read your blog and follow it Amrita Gill, Food Blogger @ Sweet And Savory.

Awesome Suma. This is so detailed, well thought and penned down and shows the amount of effort you have put in to bring together the basics of baking. The fact is a lot of us are just regular home bakers and many recipes fail due to oversight, over confidence, at times negligence. I loved the way you emphasize minute points here Mallika Sibal, Blogger @ Veg Bowl

These Wednesday posts are a must read for all the newbies who really want to learn to bake. You will not get such a dedicated teacher and who wholeheartedly believes in spreading knowledge. Though am not new to baking cant help but follow your posts. So much information! Vijayanthi Nayak

You do know you're an amateur baker's angel, right? Your recipes are awesome and your tips help a lot! Archana Ravishankar

Hi Suma, what an amazing way of sharing, teaching...so organized and systematic...you don't take things for granted! You start from the beginning...thumbs up! Vivien D'Gama Rose

I would say this every week that you post. I totally appreciate your generousity in sharing. Kudos Sujatha Narasimhan

Thank you Suma for this awesome write up ...have tried quite a few recipes from your blog and all have turned out as I expected!! Divya Silviston

Suma u are a superhero. Azad R Naaz

I owe you so much Suma, u don't even know! Its literally helped me every step of the way! Katherene Deborah Abel @ Ms.K Cupcakes

Yours was the first blog I stumbled upon when I hit a google search couple of years back and I have ever since dutifully gone back to your blog plenty a times. Love the detailed analysis of each recipe at your blog. Vidya Lohith

Suma Rowjee, I just love your blog! I started my first steps in baking following your blog! Indu Muthu

Wonderfully written!!! many a times when in distress, your recipes have bailed me out!! Bless u agaian and again and thanks a million from the bottom of our hearts from the entire HBGIEES . Annie Thomas

Wow, what a beautiful blog you have there, Suma!! I am so impressed by your blog. I wish to learn to bake. I am a complete newbie and I think I have found the perfect blog to get started. Rujuta Vaishampayan

Stumbled on your blog accidentally. Was totally impressed by everything esp the way you have simplified baking bread. The rare time when i have read, really read a blog from end to end over two days:) Kalyani Kal

You are a boon to the baking world esp beginners! That's a fab job u r doing! Had come across your blog long back while I was looking for baking supplies and read your posts about the basic baking. Very informative esp where a lay person in baking is concerned! Let someone else here refute the fact! Rajashri Manoj @ All Thats Baked

What I love about your write up is that your primary focus is to share knowledge than to exhibit any other skills. This can only come from your confidence in what you know. Being a self-taught baker myself, I understand this is a wealth of information gathered from painstaking research. And to share it so freely... Smriti Rajesh

Thank you so much!! You have unravelled many mysteries for me Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For us trial and error bakers with no formal training, your post comes as a Godsend ! God bless you! Reshma Nooh

Very well written start to the basics. Clear, Concise and informative. As I regularly conduct baking classes for beginners. I, too, say some of these things to them during the class. But having them all written down is great. Will share your blog and these tips with my students too. It definitely helps to get your ABCs right. Thanks Suma, the way you are writing the posts with so much detail and emphasis on getting the basics right is fantastic. Just by attending your Wednesday class I think a lot of basic problems and queries will be answered. Shivangi Daga @ Sweet Nothings

Thank you so much..Your style of writing is so good..Its as if we are having a conversation with you Shyamala Shivshankar

Suma, this is brilliant. Beautifully compiled and well explained, a fantastic source of learning. Thank you, again, for doing this for us on the Guild - KP Balakumar, Founder, The Home Bakers Guild

Suma, love love love your blog for this. Your posts may be long, but simple and easy to understand. Stella Verghese

Lovely post with so much intricate details... The very same reason why I love your blog. Thanks a lot suma. Anitta Venkatesh

Suma, your posts and blogs are written keeping in mind a novice.... this is so helpful. Thanks and keep on blogging. Saraswathy Natarajan

Suma, you are doing a fantastic job with your blog. It is so informative. When I started the baking saga,your blog has helped me a lot! Lakshmi Menon

Am a follower of your blog and have tried out many breads from there. The family loved them. Your write-ups are the best and give great insight on why we do what we do. Thanks for that. Akila Ramachandran

Congratulations Suma. You have been reaching out and inspiring lot of people through your wonderful blog...If I remember right I have been following your blog for over 2 years now and have been truly enjoying reading your posts. Thanks for a very informative blog Madhur Rao @Deliciaso

I've always loved to go thru your blog with the splendid write up & your passion for baking comes thru...You are doing a amazing job! I never miss any of your blog post...Keep the good work going. Jayashree Srinivas

This blog is Bible for wannabe bakers like me. It has so much of useful information. You make your writings interesting and also u 'dust' it with your latent wit! May you keep writing more and more about cakes! We all love you! Latha Mohan

Great work Suma. It shows in your blog as to how much you love to bake and you are so nice about detailing it to the readers too. Oogandhavalli Srinivas

Thank you for sharing priceless information otherwise acquired by endless trial and error , reading several blogs and books and sometimes snooping into in house baking expert's secret informations who refuse to share their tips. Biby Tresa Philips

I have attended many classes for baking but still i guess i didnt know proper basics but now I am damn clear what is baking, What ought to be done and what not to be done. Thank you very much. Sundari Dhana

Well written recipes with clear step-by-step instructions, preparations/mise en place, without any ambiguity! Reading them will make you feel the same joy as trying them out Thanks Suma and keep up the good work! Janani Lakshminarayan.

Whatever you want to bake, you'll find an easy, tested recipe at Suma's blog. Along with all the tips and tricks that you're gonna need. Ruchira Ramanujam, blogger @Tadka Pasta.

This (An Introduction to baking) is by far the most basic and much needed gyan / learning for the newbies and others. Really well-written with self-experimented experiences and the tiny things that you've detailed, Suma Rowjee your just great. I understand you have a family to run but taking that pain to help the readers, is just awesome. I have read this in your blog before, but read it again to reinforce somethings into my mind. Hugs! Radhika Radhakrishnan

Instructions down to super micro level.. wow.. Thanks so much Suma! Monisha Sharma.

Excellent work, thanks a lot, you inspire the beginners. Anuradha Rajkumar

Thank you for making it sound a little less intimidating for beginners like me. Thank you. Veena Appaiah

Suma I have always admired you for your knowledge and sharing and it grows deeper!! Vibha Ganesan

Have tried quite a few recipes from your blog....never failed ..Thanks Sagarina Datta

What a beautiful post. So much of information. Really appreciate your effort and the willingness to share Jyothi Venkatesh

It was wonderful to read your blog. I aspire to bake professionally some day, but i am unable to find a proper guide or a mentor from whom i could learn these skills.I struggle for basic knowledge of how to bake in a microwave. After reading your article "An introduction to Baking- For new wanna be bakers", I am truly delighted. Now,I atleast know what things are required and something that i could refer to learn gradually. It was practical and not theoretical like cook books. Ansha Tare

One thing I like the most about your blog is you really thought about beginners and made every thing go step by step. A BIG thanks for starting a blog Ami Shah!

You will make a fabulous instructor. Its really nice how much you get into details. Archana Kalyanpur Kumar. Blogger@ The Yum Factor

Excellent Suma Rowjee! It's not only the recipe and the write-up, but also the pointers you've considered discussing. It would make anyone understand the recipe and the hows and whys of it. Lathadevi Sivakumar

Your blog is a treasure trove of baking info! So much to learn and so selflessly shared with the world! Thanks much and here's to more blogging and baking! Shobha Ramanathan Ravi

HELPFUL to the last letter!!! Gitanjali kaul

Ur a Wikipedia on baking! Rinku Datta

You are super good at whatever you do. Ashwini Surya

Thanks again and please do stay connected. Your comments and hearing from you keeps me motivated, makes the effort so worthwhile!

Much Love,

Suma Rowjee

Moist Apple Spice Cake (With Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 07:45:00 +0000

I honestly wasn't so much of a fan of fruit in baking as the thought of cooked fruit would put me off. But now I actually love some fruit based bakes as long as the fruit is not done to death, doesn't turn very sour upon baking. I loved this French Apple Cake and have baked it several times now. It is buttery, with a very dense custardy texture. It is definitely dessert! Now recently I tried this cake from David Lebovitz and it turned out great as well.

This cake is more of a snack cake. Well, nothing to stop you from topping it with a scoop of ice cream and some dulce de leche and enjoy it as dessert though! It is a lighter cake made with oil, warm spices and lots of nuts. Just the kind you would want to savor on a cold winter day.

David Lebovitz makes double the below recipe in a 9'' springform tin. I have baked it in an 8'' square tin. He adds Calvados to the cake, I have used milk instead (am sure he won't be happy with this swap!) Please go ahead and use apple juice/ calvados/ whisky / rum if you like, either way you will enjoy the cake.

Watch my video here

Check my live sessions for beginners click here

Check out my Interactive sessions on Zoom / Google classrooms for beginners in baking! I will help you build your basic baking kit and take you through 2 simple recipes step by step!

email me to register suma.rowjee@gmail.com

Here is how to make it

Ingredients

Maida 227 grams

Ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon

Ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon

Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

Salt 1/4 teaspoon

Sugar 200 grams / 1 Cup

Eggs, at room temperature 75 grams(whisk 2 eggs, then weigh) / 1.5 eggs

Vegetable oil or sunflower oil 3/4 cup / 180 ml

Milk or apple juice 2 tbsp / 30 ml

Walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup

Apples - peeled and chopped - 250 grams (weigh after peeling and coring)

Read note below

Grease and line an 8'' square tin with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F
Sift together the flour, the spices, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.
In a large bow, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined.
Whisking constantly, pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream. This will help it emulsify well. Whisk in the milk or rum.
Whisk in the flour mixture until most of the flour is combined.
Using a spatula, fold in the apples and the nuts. The mixture will be thick.
Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and invert on the rack so that it cools with the top side facing up.
Cool completely and slice. The cake is more moist a few hours after baking.
Serve as is or with some whipped cream or ice cream.
The cake can be stored airtight at room temperature for 2 days. Do not freeze the cake.
Please note: Wash, dry, peel and cut the apples. Do not wash the apples after you cut as there will be more moisture which may ruin the cake.
The baking time will vary depending on your oven. If using an 8'' square tin check after 30 minutes. You can also halve this recipe and bake the cake in a muffin tray, the baking time will be less. Use good quality fresh spices.
You can try using ground flax seeds instead of egg ( I haven't tried yet but should work). Mix 1 tablespoon flax seed powder with 3 tablespoons warm water and keep aside for 10 minutes until very sticky (like egg) . This replaces 1 egg. The recipe uses 1.5 eggs, so calculate accordingly and use.

DISCLAIMER:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products which I have used and found good or those I would consider buying myself. You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there will not be any variation here. This commission will help me with me costs of running the channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Motichoor Kesar Pudding. Diwali Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:11:00 +0000

Motichoor Kesar Pudding An embarrassingly simple pudding you can make in just 10 minutes! Using store bought laddoos of course. A simple but delicious saffron and elaichi infused pudding on top of crushed motichoor laddoos garnished with toasted almonds and pistachios. Aren't these just the kind of recipes you need when you have a zillion things to do? Diwali cleaning, shopping, planning those parties, potlucks, regular cooking, home, kids, work - its never ending! But then what's Diwali without homemade sweets and desserts?

For me it also makes sense to make small servings of desserts light on the palate(if not in calories) when there will be multiple things on the menu. So here comes this super simple dessert. You can of course serve just the pudding and skip the laddoos or even fill the chilled pudding in crisp tart shells if you are feeling upto it. What are you planning to make this Diwali? Do tell me!

Below is my clumsy attempt at video editing, I hope I will eventually get there! :)

Ingredients

Motichoor Kesar Pudding(serves 4-6). Fresh Motichoor Laddoo - 4 Cold Full Fat Milk - 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Kesar - 1 big pinch Freshly crushed elaichi - 1/2 teaspoon Cream(I use Amul 25%) 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Sugar - 3 tablespoons (or more to taste) Cornflour 4 teaspoons (or more for a thicker pudding) Soft unsalted butter - 1 teaspoon(optional), Mix after taking pudding off the heat. Toasted almonds and pistachios for garnish

Method:

1. Take some of the milk and soak the saffron and crushed elaichi. Let sit for a couple of hours or even overnight in the fridge.

2. Crush the laddoos into the dessert glasses, leaving space for the pudding.

3. Take the cold milk,saffron milk, cornflour, cream, sugar in a heavy saucepan. Whisk well so that no lumps remain.

4. Whisking constantly, cook on low heat for a few minutes until the pudding thickens and comes to a gentle boil. Cook for a minute more.

5.The pudding will leave a trail when you run a finger on the back of a spoon.

6.Take it off the heat, (add butter now and mix if using) strain. Pour into the glasses.

7. Let cool completely, wrap cling film and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

8. Top with toasted almonds and pistachios just before serving.

Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Cake (video recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 07:22:00 +0000

Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Cake. It's hard not to get tempted to bake one of those pumpkin things raining all around! May I suggest you give in to the temptation,indulge in a slice of this moist cake fragrant with warm spices? If you have never baked with pumpkin before,let me assure you, it is almost tasteless. It only makes your bake moist and adds some nutrition to it. So you can get those picky eaters to enjoy it as well! Isn't that a win-win?

Homemade pumpkin puree, read recipe click here

If you would be making fresh pumpkin puree for the first time, please do check my post and video above. It is a very useful and versatile thing, can be used in both sweet and savory. And I actually liked it better than the canned stuff I tried once.

This recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Cake is from Rose Beranbaum's The Cake Bible. She calls it Pumpkin Walnut ring. She uses a combination of walnut and safflower oil as it complements the flavor of the walnuts in the cake. The recipe is very simple - simply mixing wet and dry ingredients together. If you have your pumpkin puree ready,your cake will be in the oven in no time.

Another good thing,this cake keeps well and tastes better as it sits,so great for the holiday season. Without further ado, here is the recipe. Watch me make the cake here. Do not forget to subscribe for more easy recipes and tips!

Please subscribe to my channel to watch a new video every Monday! Click here to subscribe!

Ingredients(at room temperature). Use 6 cup bundt pan, sprayed with baking spray.
Maida - 105 grams plus 20 grams cornflour OR 125 grams cake flour
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
Salt 1/4 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon(make sure you use best quality, fresh spices)
Ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon
Ground ginger (optional) - 1/4 teaspoon
Eggs - 2 large / 100 grams (weighed without shell) OR 3 large egg whites (90 grams)
Brown sugar - 150 grams
Oil - 108 grams
Fresh pumpkin puree - 1 cup / 240 ml
Toasted walnuts, chopped - 1/2 cup

Variation: Skip the spices, add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and stir in 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate with the walnuts.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C /350F. Generously coat your 6-cup bundt pan with baking spray. Alternatively you can use some ghee and a light but thorough dusting of flour.
Sift together the flour, cornflour, spices, salt and baking soda twice. Set aside .
In a large bowl,whisk together the sugar, eggs,vanilla and oil (if using). Whisk in the pumpkin puree.
Gently whisk in the flour mixture.
When most of the flour is mixed, stir in the walnuts.
Transfer the batter to the cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool on the rack for 10 minutes. Invert and cool completely on the rack.
Wrap the cake with clingfilm and let it sit overnight before serving. The flavors meld better that way. Serve at room temperature.
Store airtight at room temperature for 2 days,in the fridge for 5 days. You can also wrap in cling film and freeze in an airtight container for 3 months.

Dulce De Leche again - the safe and easy pressure cooker method!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 02:36:00 +0000

So we are all hooked to that dreamy, sticky gooey wonder-Dulce de leche! I have made it several times in the pressure cooker, immersing the sealed can in water and cooking it. Realized that it is not safe as these cans typically have BPA lining which can get ingested into the condensed milk. Ouch! That takes the fun out of enjoying this irresistible candy. I started hesitating recommending and sharing my blog post and video for making it. I eventually took the video down too.

But dulce de leche is too good to say good bye to without putting up and good fight and umpteen trials. It is super versatile, amazing as it is and then your creativity is the only limit. Use in mithai, cakes,puddings, desserts and everything you can think of.

I tried making it in the oven. Found it too cumbersome to get the pan in and out of the water bath without burning my fingers. And then it was not as smooth. The microwave method gave me a really chewy and hardish dulce de leche - what's the fun?. But then I found my answer again in the humble pressure cooker!

It is so simple, you will laugh. And then feel happy that, that is all there is to making the irresistible candy. I wonder what took me so long to look at the obvious solution staring at me since so long!

Let me spare you the long story, here is what worked for me. You can watch the video here.

You will need a can of condensed milk.I used a 400 gm can of Amul Mithaimate.

A stainless steel can with a tight screw lid. Remember those days when our grandmothers would use it to take milk, curd etc for journeys? You can get it at a departmental store nearby.

A pressure cooker. I use my Hawkins 5 liter cooker.

Method

Transfer the condensed milk to the steel can, turn the lid such that it is very tight. We do not want water getting into the can.
On the outside of the can,mark the approximate level of condensed milk in the can.
Take clean drinking water in the pressure cooker (just in case water gets in the can). We need the water level to be up to or above the level of condensed milk in the can. That is we need the condensed milk to be surrounded by hot water during the process. No need to immerse the can in water.
Keep a heavy weight on the can ( I use a heavy marble piece). You can use anything suitable and heavy you have at home. This weight helps make sure the can doesn't tilt and fall into the water during all that rattling.
Put on the cooker lid. Put the cooker on the gas stove on high heat. Once the steam starts appearing,put the weight on. Lower the heat to medium.
Cook for 3 whistles and turn off the cooker. The entire process from start to finish takes 25-30 minutes in my cooker. The time may vary in yours depending on your cooker, the water level , the amount of condensed milk in the can etc. In case you do not get a whistle (or get fewer whistles) in 25-30 minutes, switch off the cooker. The dulce de leche should be done.
You can try cooking it for 5-10 minutes longer if you want a more intense flavor and darker color. But do not cook for too long or the dulce de leche will not taste good.
Let the pressure drop completely. Let the can remain in the hot water until the water cools off. This will help cook the dulce de leche further.In case you think you have already overcooked the dulce de leche, remove it from the hot water when the pressure drops.
Once the can cools completely,open it. If the dulce de leche is not very smooth, whisk it or run it in the mixer jar.
Whatever the texture and color, the taste will be great,no worries on that count. Make it once or twice,you will get an idea.
The dulce de leche can be stored in the refrigerator airtight for at least a week.
If you are constantly making this whenever you see a can of condensed milk, and get hopelessly addicted to it, don't blame me.

No Yeast Quick Pizza - In 15 Minutes!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 05:27:00 +0000

A quick and easy pizza without yeast, ready in just 15 minutes! If you have tried home made pizza using yeast you will surely agree that it is something truly amazing. If you have not tried making it yet, you absolutely must! Here is the easiest no-knead pizza No Knead Pizza , (video at the bottom of the post) and my favorite Peter Reinhart's Pizza.The latter is so flavorful that the crust takes the center stage and the toppings just add charm.

But then there are times when you don't have the time or energy to make a yeast pizza from scratch. It sure is handy to have a recipe you can whip up even before the kids fight and decide what to order. This no-yeast recipe comes together in a jiffy, gives you a simple crust which is fairly crisp.

You can watch me making the pizza here. Please do subscribe to my channel for more easy baking videos.

Details make the difference,so read carefully. You can use your favorite pizza sauce recipe or try this one here. Please avoid sauce from a bottle as I think it just ruins the whole thing.

Please weigh ingredients for best results.

Ingredients (to make 2 8'' inch crusts)

For the crust

All purpose flour / maida 130 grams / 1 cup

Baking powder 1.5 teaspoons (preferably aluminum free baking powder )

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Powdered sugar - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons / 30 ml

Thin buttermilk (Use slightly sour buttermilk if you like the flavor) - 6 tablespoons(1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

Thick Homemade Pizza Sauce - 1/3 cup (make sure it is not hot or the crust will turn soggy. If the sauce is watery also it will turn soggy)

Grated mozzarella cheese - 200 grams or as needed

( I have used Milky Mist )

Fresh basil leaves

Method

Grease two aluminum pizza pans or normal aluminum plates like the ones I have used in the video. It is important to use enough oil so that the crust comes out crisp and doesn't stick to the pan.
Preheat oven to 250C or the maximum temperature in your oven.
Whisk together the flour, the salt, sugar and baking powder. Ensure they are well combined.
In another medium sized bowl, whisk together the oil and buttermilk
Add the flour mixture. Using a spatula or with your hands, mix gently to make a soft dough. Knead very gently once or twice if needed.The dough should not be sticky. This is important. If the dough is sticky, your crust will not be as crisp.
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Using as little flour as possible, roll each portion to a circle 8'' in diameter. If you roll it too thin, it will be more of a cracker than a pizza.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Be careful as we are baking at a very high temperature and the crust may burn if you bake too long.
Spread some pizza sauce on the crust. Too much will make it soggy. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly. Top with basil
Bake at 250C for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Do not bake too long or the cheese will turn tough.
Cut into slices using a pair of scissors or a pizza cutter. Serve immediately.
Repeat with the other portion of the dough.

Please do try this and let me know how you liked it. And do not forget to try yeast pizza at leisure!

Emergency Chocolate Sauce Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 05:35:00 +0000

A quick and easy emergency chocolate sauce for those times when you need a really a good sauce in a flash! No long list of ingredients, you can make it the way you want with what you have at home, make it light or rich. Sounds good? Do read on!

My emergencies are usually when I have a bad dessert craving but don't really want much work. Happens usually post dinner(bad, I know!). Of course those times when kids unexpectedly land up with friends and they want you to make dessert at moment's notice. And yes when I need a chocolate sauce for a picture for the blog or channel. I don't know about you, but having an emergency sauce is very important for me.

Usually chocolate sauce recipes call for a whole list of ingredients. Alice Medrich, the queen of all things chocolate steps in as the savior. Her super simple sauce is almost a general guide, gives you all the liberty to play around and still end up with a good sauce! One more reason to love the lady! You can use milk or milk plus butter or cream or half milk and half cream. Alice Medrich sauce she uses only milk and no butter for the most intense taste.

You can use the sauce to drizzle over ice cream or desserts or pancakes, waffles or you know just eat it by the spoonful when no one is looking. I also love pouring some of this sauce over ice cream, top with toasted crushed peanuts. Something similar goes by the name Hot Fudge in Corner House outlets here in Bangalore. You could also add crumbled brownies if you have some lying in the freezer.

I would suggest you stick to the proportions below for the best results. Start with 1/2 cup liquid and use more if needed. You may need more liquid especially if using chocolate with a higher percentage. Try a small quantity first and see what works best for you.

Ingredients. Chocolate (Bittersweet, Semisweet or Dark) - 280 grams / 28 oz Use one of the below with the chocolate Full fat Milk - 1/2 to 3/4 cup as needed (120ml to 180 ml) Full fat Milk - 1/2 to 3/4 cup (120ml to 180 ml) + 30 grams soft unsalted butter Cream ( I use Amul 25% fat) - 1/2 to 3/4 cup (120ml to 180 ml) Half cream and half milk - Whisk together 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk and 1/4 cup cream to begin with. Add 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk and 2 tbsp (30 ml) cream combined as needed.

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

Method:

Take 1/2 cup milk or cream or half and half in a heavy saucepan. Add the chocolate (and butter if using). Place it directly in a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth. If the sauce looks too thick or curdled, add more liquid. Take it off the heat, stir in the vanilla if using.

You can also 'test' the sauce by pouring it over ice cream. If it hardens too much, add some more liquid.

You can also make this in the microwave at 50% power. You will need to microwave for 2-3 minutes. The time will vary depending on the wattage of the microwave and the quantity of ingredients you would be using.

You can refrigerate the sauce for a few days or even freeze it. Rewarm it briefly before using.

How To Make Fresh Pumpkin Puree At Home. Oven, Microwave and Pressure Cooker Methods

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 06:06:00 +0000

Come fall season and it will literally start raining pumpkin recipes - pumpkin cakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, puddings - you name it ! Who can resist warm spiced desserts on a cool evening? You can actually smell the aromas of cinnamon and cloves wafting through those inviting pictures,. Its hard trying to resist the urge to get into the kitchen and fire your own oven and start baking one of those. But again,why resist at all?

Pumpkin puree is often used in baking and desserts. Don't worry about getting canned pumpkin, I tried using it once, can't say I loved it. Thankfully, it is so easy to make your own puree at home. The humble vegetable adds moisture, nutrition and texture to dishes,baked or otherwise.Since it doesn't have an assertive taste or smell, it can be so easily disguised in both sweet and savory food, parathas,kheer, soup and more . A mother's dream come true if you ask me!

You can bake pumpkin in the oven, cook it in the microwave or even steam it in the pressure cooker. I personally prefer baking it as I find that it cooks most evenly. Please do try all three methods and stick to whatever works best for u. I use this variety pumpkin though sugar pumpkins are most commonly used.

For all three methods, we need to remove the stem. Apparently the stem gives off a terrible odor and then we can't risk the stem burning in the oven or the microwave. Wash ,dry and slice the pumpkin into wedges, scoop out the seeds and the fibrous parts. One wedge this size gives me about 1/2 cup pumpkin puree. To bake it in the oven (OTG or convection mode in microwave) Preheat the oven to 190 C. Wrap the wedge(s) in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender. Cool completely,scoop out the flesh using a spoon. Process until very smooth. Do not add water while processing unless absolutely necessary. Add only a teaspoon if needed. Press the puree through a strainer to get rid of any fibres . Microwave method: Place the wedge in a glass bowl and cover with a microwave safe plate. Microwave on HIGH for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender. The cooking time depends on the wattage of your microwave Be very careful as even one extra minute can make the pumpkin dry and rubbery, unusable. Sometimes I find that parts of the pumpkin are not cooked well enough, so need to be discarded. In this case, better to microwave more pumpkin than you think is needed. So I prefer not to cook in the microwave unless I am in a real hurry.

Pressure cooker method Place the pumpkin wedge in a vessel. Do not add any water in the vessel. Cook for about 2 whistles or until the pumpkin is soft. Cool, scoop out the flesh and process. if the pumpkin has left any juices, do not add it to the puree. It will make the consistency thinner. I find that pressure cooked pumpkin is a bit more watery than the oven baked thing. Should work fine for kheer, stove-top puddings, parathas etc. But for baking I would prefer the thick oven baked puree.

You can refrigerate the puree for a couple of days or freeze it small portions. So make your own pumpkin puree, get ready for fall baking!

Eggless Dates And Oats Bars Recipe (With Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 05:45:00 +0000

We may disagree on what these should be called, but am sure we all nod in agreement when I say - nothing really beats homemade stuff, especially when it comes to granola, granola bars etc. They put the store bought stuff to shame , are super easy to make and you can customize them to your taste.Try these today if you haven't baked your own yet. I am sure you will wonder why you did not make these earlier,I promise you will never buy these again!

We love Granola Bars, Double Chocolate Granola, these 3 Ingredient Orange Flapjacks and this Peanut Butter Granola. But who can resist trying out new recipes? I recently tried these Date Bars from Yotam Ottolenghi, choc-a-bloc with seeds and nuts with that Mediterranean touch you find in his recipes. I know you don't mess around with recipes like these, but I reduced the sugar and butter to suit our preference. They are still quite indulgent and gift-worthy, so keep these in mind during Christmas and Diwali. You can change it to your taste, have fun with it!

Here is what I did. Watch me make these simple bars.Please do not forget to subscribe to my channel for new videos - baking basics, tips and simple recipes for beginners.

Please subscribe to my channel to watch a new video every Monday! Click here to subscribe!

Ingredients

Instant oats (you can use rolled oats if you prefer) 120 grams
Oats, processed coarsely - 80 grams
Pinch of salt
Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Almonds,toasted and roughly chopped - 50 grams
Sunflower seeds,toasted - 35 grams
Pumpkin Seeds , toasted 35 grams
Raw cashews, roughly copped 50 grams
Raw sesame seeds 10 grams
Soft pitted dates , chopped 80 grams ( recipe uses 120g)
Date syrup - 1/4 cup / 60 ml ( recipe uses 75 grams golden syrup)
Caster Sugar -100 grams / 1/2 cup ( recipe uses 180 grams brown sugar)
Soft unsalted butter 100 grams ( the recipes uses 200 grams)
Zest of one fresh orange
Freshly squeezed orange juice - 2 teaspoons.

Pre heat oven to 170C. Line an 8'' square tin with baking parchment,leaving an overhang.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, the processed oats, salt cinnamon. Add in the nuts and seeds, mix well to combine.
Toss in the dates, separate them if they clump up.
In a large saucepan, heat together the butter,date syrup and sugar. We just need t to melt and combine well, no need to boil or heat too much. Grate the zest of the orange and stir in the orange juice,mix well.
Dump in the oats and nuts mixture. Mix with a spatula,making sure all the ingredients are well moistened. The mixture will be crumbly.
Press it firmly into the tin. If you do not press firmly the bars will be crumbly.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top turns a light golden brown. Check at 15 minutes, be very careful to not over-bake or the bars will burn.
They will be soft when you remove them from the oven, will firm up as they cool. Let the bars cool in the tin over a cooling rack.
Cut them into squares when they are still soft. Once the bars cool completely, separate the bars and store airtight.

Looking for something even simpler? Try these 3 ingredient Orange & Chocolate Flapjacks!

Easy Anzac Biscuits. Eggless Oats & Coconut Cookies(With video)

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 09:52:00 +0000

Cookies with coconut make me nostalgic. No no, my mother or grandmother never baked in their lives! I loved those cookies we would buy at a nearby store. Thick, sweet and satisfying. And then later Anzac cookies made an appearance. Those rugged looking oats and coconut cookies popular in New Zealand and Australia.

These apparently were sent to soldiers by their families during World War One as they were quite sturdy and kept well for days. Thankfully we don't have to suffer ' super sturdy' Anzacs anymore. We can have some really good crunchy and light ones which happen to keep well and travel well too, thanks to Alice Medrich, one of my top favorite authors!

The ingredients are not hard to source, the dough comes together in no time. She gives the option of using either golden syrup or honey making it sound absolutely fine to use the latter,not a second choice. I love golden syrup,but not easy to find it always,so honey it was!

As in a lot of her recipes for cookies, you will need to be patient and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight. And then you will be rewarded with some really flavorful cookies. If you bake regularly, you probably have most ingredients at home, so do absolutely try these cookies,you will be glad you did!

Ingredients.

Quick Cooking Oats or Rolled Oats( I use quick cooking, Quaker) - 98 grams
Unsalted butter,very soft - 113 grams
Sugar - 150 grams
Water - 1 tablespoon / 15 ml
Honey or golden syrup - 2 tablespoons / 30 ml
Maida /All purpose flour - 126 grams
Cream of tartar 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon
Unsweetened dried shredded coconut - 85 gram / 1 cup

Method

1. Pulse the oats in the smallest jar of your processor for a few seconds.You want them coarsely ground but not powdered.

2. Sift together the flour,baking soda and cream of tartar. Whisk in the coconut and oats.Keep aside.

3. Take the butter, honey or golden syrup,sugar and water in a saucepan. Warm on low heat until the butter melts. Take it off the heat.

4. Stir in the flour mixture,mix until well incorporated. This will make a soft dough. Put it on cling film and form two 8''x 2'' logs.

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

6. When ready to bake, line your cookie sheet with baking parchment.Preheat oven to 160C.

7.Slice the dough into 1/4'' thick slices.Place the cookies at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until a light golden brown all over.

8. Lift the parchment with the cookies on to the cooling rack. Then transfer the cookies to the rack,cool completely and store air tight. These keep well for at least 2 weeks says Alice.

Make these soon,am sure you will love baking and sending them to family and friends!\\

Please subscribe to my channel to watch a new video every Monday! Click here to subscribe!

Easy Eggless Butter Cookies with 50% Atta!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 14 May 2018 06:27:00 +0000

Egg-free, buttery, easy, 50% whole wheat and adaptable! What's not to love about these tender-crisp delicious cookies? The dough for these cookies is made in just 2 minutes in the KItchenAid stand mixer!

I absolutely adore Alice Medrich's recipes and and have had success with so many. Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt in Your Mouth Cookies* is one of her books I use ever so often! With this book, you can fill your cookie jar with different cookies every time.

This recipe is from the section for melt-in-your-mouth cookies. One of the surprising revelations here is her method of making butter cookies. While most recipes call for creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy, she tells you not to! So what according to her does it take to produce good cookies?

Alice recommends mixing the butter and sugar only until it is smooth and creamy as this will make the cookies crisp and tender. We do not want to beat the sugar and butter until fluffy as she says the cookies may turn out dry and coarse. Don't I love her even more as this makes the job easier for the baker!

This recipe for French butter cookies is from Alice Medrich, they are called Sable cookies or Sables as they have a delicate sandy texture.

This is an extremely simple recipe with just 3 ingredients, butter,sugar and flour. If you don’t count the salt and vanilla that is. In recipes like this,it is all the more important to use fresh good quality ingredients for best results. Again, details make all the difference,so please watch the video carefully.

Check out my online baking sessions for beginners here

Please weigh the ingredients carefully and line them up on the counter before beginning the mixing process.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour / Atta - 112 grams

Plain flour / Maida - 126 grams

Unsalted butter, at room temperature - 198 grams

Caster Sugar - 100 grams / 1/2 cup

Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Fit your stand mixer* with the paddle attachment.
Whisk together the whole wheat flour and plain flour thoroughly. Set aside.
Take the butter, salt , sugar and vanilla in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat them until smooth and creamy(not light and fluffy)You can also do this with a wooden spoon but making it in the stand mixer is easier and effortless. I mix on speed 4 for about a minute.
Add in the flours and mix just until incorporated. This is very important as over mixing will make the cookies tough instead of tender.
Scrape the dough on the counter, bring it together. If necessary knead lightly to make sure the flour is completely incorporated.
Divide the dough into 2 parts,place on cling film and form into logs.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or even better overnight. This rest is very important as the dough absorbs the moisture and flavors better. Do not skip this step.
The dough will firm up quite a bit after overnight refrigeration,it will be easier to slice.
When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil, dull side facing up. Do not grease.
Using a sharp knife, cut the cold dough into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Place the cookies at least 1.5 inches apart.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden brown.(If using an OTG, rotate trays half-way through)
Once done, lift the foil(with the cookies) and place on a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before storing airtight.

I love these cookies when they have just cooled. Alice says you can store the cookies for a month.

Variations:

You can try different flavors, but I loved the plain vanilla ones the best!

Add 1/3 cup(1.33 oz) roasted cacao nibs with or without 1 cup chopped raw or toasted nuts to the creamed butter and sugar
Add 1 teaspoon crushed saffron strands or powder and 1/2 teaspoon crushed cardamom, 1 cup toasted and chopped pistachios.
Get imaginative with the combinations of nuts,hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew,pecans,sesame seeds with your fav spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, anything!

Do absolutely try these cookies, this will be a great basic butter cookie dough to have in your repertoire!

DISCLAIMER:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products which I have used and found good or products I would consider for myself based on recommendations from my trusted baker friends. There will not be any extra cost to you. This commission will help me with me costs of running the channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Gougères / French Cheese Puffs - KitchenAid Stand Mixer Series

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Fri, 11 May 2018 09:44:00 +0000

Gougères or less fancily put, French Cheese Puffs are delicious little bites you could serve warm on their own or with wine. You could also split them and sandwich with your favorite filling. Either way, if cheesy, eggy is your kind of thing, you will love these! All the more, if you make these in the Kitchen Aid stand mixer as it takes care of the hard work for you!

Choux pastry is one of those amazing versatile things you can play around with, sweet or savory like these Cream Puffs and Creamed Corn In Savory Choux Puffs. The baked puffs are best eaten fresh and warm from the oven, but you can re-crisp them if needed. You can also pipe the dough and then bake later when needed( I have not tried that yet)

It is not really difficult to make choux pastry, but yes, needs to done carefully for best results. You can read a few pointers in my post for cream puffs. Though I have made choux pastry a few times,I would shy away from baking them as you need some muscle strength for it. But now, it is hardly any effort with my KitchenAid Stand Mixer*

If you have been considering buying a stand mixer or have just got one, please do watch my video which includes a brief about various models you can buy and using KitchenAid Tilt Head Stand Mixer* stand mixer. You can also read my post here.

This recipe is from one of my absolute favorite authors, David Lebovitz. I found this recipe more forgiving than the others I have tried. What's more, David also reassures that deflated puffs are fine too! I would say, go for it! Puffed up or deflated, you will forget all about the shape once you pop one warm puff in your mouth!

Gougères. Recipe from David Lebovitz

Yield: 30 bite-sized puffs

Time needed: 40 minutes, including baking time

Equipment needed

Baking sheet lined with parchment

Heavy saucepan with handle

Strong Wooden spoon

Silicone spatula

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with paddle attachment

Pastry bag fitted with a wide plain round tip

Ingredients.

Please weigh ingredients for best results, measure carefully.

Water – ½ cup / 120 ml

Very soft unsalted butter, cut into pieces – 40 grams

Salt – heaping ¼ teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper – ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Onion powder - ½ teaspoon

Flour – 70 grams

Eggs – 2 large / 100 grams (without shell)

plus more if needed

Extra beaten egg, 2 -3 tablespoons, keep this separately

4 sprigs of fresh thyme, minced

Sharp cheddar or Gruyère, grated – 75 grams plus 25 grams for sprinkling on top

Method

·Preheat oven to 220C/425F.
·Mise en place, this is very important.
Line your baking tray(s) with baking parchment. Alternatively, use a silicone mat.
On medium heat, heat the butter, salt, pepper and water in a heavy saucepan. Let the butter melt.
When the water comes to a boil, tip in all the flour and onion powder at once. You do not want the water to keep boiling or the liquid will be lost by evaporation.
· Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan and forms a smooth ball.
· Take the pan off the heat, transfer the dough to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment

Let it cool for a couple of minutes. Do not add the eggs when the dough is hot or the eggs may ‘cook’.
Starting the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time and then increase the speed to 2. The dough will appear lumpy at first, but it will soon become smooth, this may take a couple of minutes. (You will appreciate the stand mixer more, if you have ever tried doing this by hand, it is quite a workout!)
Add a tablespoon or two of the extra beaten egg if needed. At the right consistency, the dough is supposed to stay on the spatula and then fall in a thick ribbon. I used almost 120 grams of egg.
Be careful as you add the egg, too much will cause the puffs to deflate (which is still fine, says the author, they will still taste good)
Remove the bowl and stir in the cheese and thyme.
Scrape the mixture into the pastry bag. Pipe into small mounds (about a large cherry tomato) spaced about an inch apart. Alternatively, use 2 spoons to drop the mixture. Top each puff with a little of the remaining cheese.
Bake at 220C for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to 190C and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until golden brown all over. This is important to avoid deflated puffs, cautions David.
For extra crisp puffs, 5 minutes before they are done, poke each puff at the side with a sharp knife. That will release the steam.Bake them until crisp.

These taste best served warm. If necessary, the baked puffs can be re-warmed in a low oven for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

DISCLAIMER:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products which I have used and found good or products I would consider for myself based on recommendations from my trusted baker friends. There will not be any extra cost to you. This commission will help me with me costs of running the channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Eggless Jaggery Cake Recipe / Jaggery Cake Without Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Mon, 07 May 2018 04:32:00 +0000

Jaggery coconut and cardamom cakes which will remind you of Indian sweets. A super easyand quick vegan cake recipe you will find very handy!

Vegan, super moist and very flavorful, these little cakes come together in a jiffy and bake in a flash! You can try the crispy crumb topping which is made very easily in the KitcenAid
stand mixer. If you have just got your KitchenAid stand mixer, this is the perfect recipe for you to warm up to the machine. The quick and easy cakes allow you to experiment and try out variations. Please note: You can also try making these cakes using or hand mixer

If you have been meaning to buy a stand mixer or just got a new KitchenAid stand mixer, do check out my previous post How To Use A KitchenAid stand mixer. You can also watch my
video here.

The recipe for Jaggery, Coconut and Cardamom Cakes is based on Rose Beranbaum’s recipe for Molasses Crumb Cakelets from her Baking Bible. Since molasses is not so commonly available to us here and is also pretty expensive, I tried these with jaggery liquid and loved the results! You can find jaggery liquid at most organic food stores. But if you are lucky enough to find light molasses(Grandmas’s is the recommended brand), you absolutely must try. Do not forget to leave your comment for me!

Here is the recipe. Rose’s recipe makes 48 cakes baked in 4 mini muffin trays, I have halved the recipe. Try it once and double the recipe if you wish as the cakes keep well. You can also watch my video here.

Ingredients

All purpose flour / maida 130 grams /1 cup

Caster sugar (the crumb topping will not work well with powdered sugar) 100 grams/1/2 cup

Cardamom powder, freshly ground - 1 teaspoon

Salt - a pinch

Fresh grated coconut 1/4 cup

Vegetable oil 60 ml/ 1/4 cup

Jaggery liquid or light molasses 60 ml / 1/4 cup

Boiling water 120 ml /1/2 cup

Baking soda 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

Please note: I have used the stand mixer for making these. You can try making these using a pastry cutter or dough scraper(for step 5) and then use a hand mixer for the next steps.

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350 F

2. Grease two 12-cavity mini muffin tins with baking spray.

3. Fit the Kitchen Aid with the paddle/flat beater attachment.

4. In the mixing bowl, take the all-purpose flour, sugar, cardamom powder,salt and the oil.

5. Mix on low speed (speed 2) until the mixture is crumbly. This happens effortlessly in the stand mixer!

6. Weigh and reserve 40 grams of this crumbly mixture for the topping. Crumble it with your fingers and set aside.

7. Now add the coconut, the boiling water and soda and mix on low speed for about a minute. The mixture will be smooth and quite thin. Run a spatula around the mixing bowl to be sure the ingredients are well mixed.

8. Take the mixture in a liquid measuring cup and fill the batter about 3/4 full in each cavity. You could also use a spoon, but pouring from the cup is easier and faster.

9. Sprinkle the crumb topping very lightly over the cakes. I find that the crumbs crisp up in my oven when the mixture is fine and sprinkled in a very thin layer. Read note below

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

11. Place the tins on a cooling rack and cool the cakes for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and place them on the cooling rack top side facing up. Cool completely before storing.

12. The cakes can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days (for a week if not for the coconut).You could also refrigerate them for a longer shelf life or freeze.

Please note: I find that the crumb topping crisps up in my oven only if it is really fine and sprinkled very lightly over the cakes. The topping will remain crisp for a while. But I loved the cakes even without the topping, in fact I prefer the cakes without the crumb topping. Do try and see what works best for you.

Do absolutely try these cakes, am sure you will love them!

DISCLAIMER:*This video contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products which I have used and found good or products I would consider for myself based on recommendations from my trusted baker friends. There will not be any extra cost to you. This commission will help me with me costs of running the channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

How To Use KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer | A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 05:20:00 +0000

KitchenAid is an extremely well-known brand internationally when it comes to stand mixers and other kitchen appliances. Almost a century old name, it is used and preferred by most pastry chefs and bakers across the world. KitchenAid sent me the Artisan 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer* am sharing my experience using it and few more bits of information. You may find it helpful if you are a new proud owner or are considering /deliberating buying a stand mixer.

Do not forget to check the special discount offer exclusively for my readers at the end of the post! You can also watch my video How to Use A Kitchen Aid stand mixer here.

Broadly speaking, KitchenAid stand mixers come in Tilt-head and Bowl-lift models. Made in the USA, these are made entirely of die cast metal, so extremely sturdy and durable. You can choose these from a wide range of more than 15 colors.The stand mixers come with a 5 year warranty on domestic use and 1-year warranty on commercial use. Do refer the warranty document on the KitchenAid website for more details.

The Artisan 5 Quart tilt head model* is 300 watts power, comes with a 4.8 L bowl. The Artisan Mini model* comes with a 3.3L bowl with 250 watts power. There is a professional 315 watt 4.8L Bowl Lift Model* you could check. Please do read the manual for more technical specifications.The 500 Watt Bowl Lift Model* with 1.3 HP motor is more powerful, comes with a bigger 6.9 L mixing bowl.

There is also a 1.3 HP motor Professional model* which apparently is 60% more powerful,handles small and large amounts of batter just as easily. It has more stability on the counter, comes with a wire guard for increased safety and stability in a commercial environment. These models are for handling heavy loads. Please do read the manual for more technical specifications.

The stainless steel bowl of the 5 Quart has a handle (some bowls don't), which makes it easy to shift, move it around, hold when you transfer the batter or heat the eggs for a genoise. You could also go in for a glass mixing bowl which is available in 3 different glass textures. If you bake extensively, it would make life a lot easier to have an extra mixing bowl and whisk.

In the tilt head models, as the name suggests, you can tilt the motor head back and forth. This makes fixing the attachments easier and gives better access to the mixing bowl.

The Artisan 5 Quart stand mixer comes with three attachments. A paddle or flat beater, dough hook, these are both nylon coated. The stainless steel wire whip has 6 wires.

The wire whip of the professional model has 11 wires (wow!), the hook and paddle are all steel.

You can also check the paddle which comes with a flexible silicone scraper (above)as an additional accessory. While mixing batter or creaming,you will need to stop the stand mixer in between to scrape down the sides. The Flexi-edge beater helps here,so no need to scrape down in between.

Some of the accessories may be different for different models, so be sure you get the right one for your mixer.

The dough hook, paddle and whip rotate in the mixing bowl with a 59 point planetary mixing action, helping ingredients mix thoroughly.

The pouring shield can be fitted on the bowl, helps pour in ingredients and mix without any mess, prevents any dry ingredients flying into your face as you start mixing. This again is an additional accessory for some models.

The lever on the side of the motor head helps you tilt and lock or release it. There is the speed control lever with speed levels going from 1 to 10.

The attachment hub fits more than 10 optional attachments such as the pasta maker, ice cream maker, spiralizer,food processor,grain mill and others. So apart from baking, you can use the stand mixer for a whole lot of everyday cooking too. Please check the KitchenAid website for more details.

Ideally, the dough hook, paddle and whip should not hit the bottom or sides of the bowl when you run the mixer or they will wear out. It should not be too far away from the bowl either. This is called as beater to bowl clearance. There is this screw is for adjusting the height of the beater if necessary.

To fit one of the attachments (paddle, hook, whip),you first need to slide the locking lever to the unlock position, hold it in the unlock position and tilt the motor head. Makes it easy to fit the attachment. When you tilt the head, the lever goes to the lock position automatically, so the head stays tilted. Similarly, to lower the motor head, again unlock and gently lower it. The locking lever will automatically go into locked position. Please remember, the mixer needs to be in locked position when you use it.

Once the motor head is tilted back, we can slip the attachment on the beater shaft, push it up and turn it right to hook it over the pin , much like you would fix a light bulb. To unlock, press the attachment upward and turn left. Then pull it away.

Then the bowl. Place it on the plate, gently turn it clockwise to lock it into position. Turn counter clockwise to unlock.

Now the stand mixer is ready to use. It is recommended to start the mixer on the low speed and then gradually move to higher speed levels. Usually, low speed is used for stirring and mixing, folding in ingredients. Medium speed for kneading, high speed for whipping eggs, cream etc. But please follow recipe instructions always. Always stop the mixer if you have to scrape the batter down at any point of time.

About the attachments, the dough hook is basically used for kneading dough, for bread, pizza and even atta for making rotis, naan,samosa patti. There may be exceptions though. So follow recipe instructions always.

According to Rose Levy Beranbaum, for dough that is medium stiff, the 5 Quart mixer can handle up to 6 cups of flour to make about 2 loaves of bread without straining the motor.

If you would be mixing dough which is very stiff, then you can mix up to 1.5 pounds of dough at a time. The Kitchen Aid Professional 6 quart she says can handle 12 cups of flour for medium stiff dough. So choose the type of mixer depending on your need.

The temperature of yeast dough rises as it is mixed, so if you bake a lot with sticky dough such as focaccia, you may want to check the ice water jacket attachment useful, it helps to keep the dough at the optimal temperature.

The paddle attachment is normally used to make cake batter and cookie dough. You can also make really good flaky pastry. Stay tuned for these recipes coming up soon!

Sometimes, the paddle attachment is also used for mixing bread dough with a high proportion of liquid(like that amazing flatbread above). Also, if mixing small amounts of dough in the stand mixer, the paddle attachment works better as it reaches closer to the bottom of the bowl. Experiment and stick to whatever works best for you.

The whisk is used when you want to incorporate air, when you whip eggs, egg whites and cream. I have used a hand mixer for a very long time and I can tell you that the volume to which the eggs can be whipped in the stand mixer is something you can’t really achieve with a hand mixer. Not to mention the time and ease with which you can do it.

That volume helps make your cakes and bakes lighter. So making larger batches of meringue, macarons, buttercream, and genoise is a whole lot less time and effort, the end product better when you use a stand mixer.

Mixing speed levels and number in KitchenAid stand mixer as given in Rose's Beranbaum's Baking Bible

Low - Number 2
Medium Low- Number 3
Medium - Number 4
Medium-high - Numbers 6-8
High - Number 10

However, if the volume of ingredients is small in proportion to the mixer bowl, you may need to use higher speeds than indicated in the recipe.

The motor head will feel warm or even hot when you use it for heavy loads or prolong the mixing time. This is normal, not to worry. The machine is very sturdy, easy to use and maintain. It is a real workhorse.

The stand mixer makes the baking process so much easier as the machine takes care of the hard work. As you go, you will find it a joy because you can move on to getting your other ingredients ready, the stand mixer leaves you totally hands-free. But when you mix stiff dough, the stand mixer may walk on the counter, so do not walk away from the machine.

But of course there will be the learning curve and you will need to figure out what works best for you for various recipes. You can call the KA helpline for any queries and help.

KitchenAid currently has its service center only in Delhi. Do check with the service center for more details on this.

If you are planning to buy the KitchenAid 5 Quart Tilt Head,do definitely check their current offer of the ice cream maker attachment worth Rs.6,500 free on purchase of the stand mixer!

DISCLAIMER:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I only recommend products which I have used and found good or those I would buy for myself.

You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there will not be any variation here. This commission will help me with me costs of running the blog and channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

More videos and recipes using the KitchenAid stand mixer coming up next, stay tuned!

How To Zest Citrus Fruits,Tools & Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 06:56:00 +0000

Using orange, lemon or lime zest in your desserts and bakes gives them that zesty kick and aroma which can't really be compared! Once you get hooked to this, you will not even want to touch synthetic essence with a 10 foot pole! Here are a few tips for zesting citrus fruit, tools you can use.

I absolutely love using zest, orange zest in particular. It is not rocket science of course, but it may help to remember a couple of things when you zest citrus fruits. Zest is the outer colored part of citrus fruits. The natural oils in the skin gives that amazingly fresh aroma.

Lemons have this thicker skin which gives you a generous lot of zest. Use lemons if you can find them as these limes can be stingy. You could also try using sweet limes. I like using Malta variety oranges as the skin is thicker. Of course as much as possible, try to use whatever is recommended or complements the recipe.

Remember to use really fresh fruits for the best aroma. The sad looking one from the bottom of the fridge will not work for sure. Try to use organic oranges, unsprayed ones as we will be using the skin here. It is important to wash these well and wipe them dry. Wash with warm water, in case you suspect the fruit is waxed.

Watch the video How To Zest Citrus Fruits

The best and my favorite tool for this is my Microplane zester. Gives finely grated zest, with minimal effort, really fast! I would hate if I had to spend unnecessary time and effort for the simple task. You can order this online here in India or in the USA if someone can carry it for you.(usually much lower in price in the USA, be sure to compare)

If your recipe needs you to use both juice and the zest, zest the orange first and then squeeze the juice. If you do it the other way, it will be more pain than pleasure!

So we hold the zester at an angle and go back and forth, try not to use too much pressure as you do this. We need to scrape out just the colored part, not the white bitter pith here. Keep rotating the fruit as you go.

As much as possible, try to grate it directly above the batter or eggs, where ever you want to use the zest. If you touch this with your hands, you may lose some of the oils here. You will hands will smell gorgeous though! If you grate directly without measuring with a spoon, you would just have to take an educated guess. Use more rather than less, doesn't really hurt! Always use grated zest immediately.

I like to whisk the zest with a small whisk into a small part of liquid in the recipe so that it is evenly distributed. A clump of it would taste terrible.

If you do not have a zester, you can take a really sharp peeler or knife and peel out only the colored part. Then grind it with some sugar in the smallest jar of your processor till the zest is really fine. Remember, this sugar must be part of the recipe ingredients.

Then we have these other kinds of citrus zesters. One which gives fine zest is good as otherwise you may get strands of it in your mouth unless you strain the batter. Not always pleasant.

Then this is something you could use to grate out thin longish zest, appropriate for using as a garnish or your cakes and desserts. Check these out here and here. Do note these strands dry in minutes, so best limited to blog and Instagram purposes!

I am not sure if a regular box type cheese grater would work well, it would be difficult to use, the zest not as fine, plus you may injure your fingers.

Then you could also make your citrus zest powder. I came across powdered lemon zest in Rose Beranbaum's Baking Bible. Take super fine sugar and rub into the zest. Spread it on a plate in a thin layer. and let it feels dry to the touch Let it dry at room temperature for about 12 hours.

Grind it using a mortar and pestle, strain it using a fine meshed strainer, grind and powder again. Store airtight, you can freeze this airtight for 2 months. She suggests using this as a garnish.

Once you start using freshly grated zest, you will never look at oranges or the peel to be precise, the same way again!

Please note:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products which I have used and found good. You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there will not be any variation here. This commission will help me with me costs of running the blog and channel. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

10 Great Baking Books I Own, More I Wish For!

noreply@blogger.com (Suma Rowjee) — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 06:29:00 +0000

Baking books from well known authors are something you must absolutely own if you are

seriously interested in baking. You can, of course, find thousands of recipes on the internet,

but having these books on your shelf and baking from them is something else. Here are a few books I own and some on my wish list, hope it helps you get an idea and start your collection. You will cherish these books for years. You can get these online here in India or from the USA if someone can carry them for you. (Depends on where you live and the prices too) am giving links to buying in both countries below.

Do watch the video here for some stunning photographs from some of the books.

I am often asked to suggest books for beginners in baking. Am not really aware of books specifically meant for beginners. Most books mostly have both easy and involved recipes.
Most of the books will have recipes using eggs,I haven't really bought any books on eggless baking, so it would be hard to tell.

Let me start with one of my all time favorite books.

1.The Cake Bible By Rose Levy Beranbaum. As the name suggests, the book is a whole lot of

cake recipes, from pound cakes, sponge cakes, showcase cakes, special occasion cakes

and even wedding cakes (all with eggs). There are recipes for cake icings or frostings, different types of

buttercreams and ganache, recipes for making your own fondant, marzipan and other

embellishments. There are also fruit preserves, purees you can use.

There is a special section for professionals, baking, storing and transporting wedding cakes.You can find extensive tips on cake decoration. Detailed information on baking Ingredients, baking equipment and a lot of science behind cakes if you want to get into it, this book is

truly a bible. Each recipe has serving suggestions, storage and serving instructions, and

pointers for success This book is a must for every home baker, especially if you aspire to
bake commercially.

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

2. Chewy gooey crispy crunchy melt in the mouth cookies by Alice Medrich.

An amazing

and extensive collection of cookie recipes with different textures from chewy, gooey, crispy ,crunchy, melt in the mouth kinds as the title suggests. This book goes beyond the

ubiquitous chocolate chip cookies and butter cookies. Delicate tuiles, biscotti, macaroons,

brownies, cookies with puff pastry and filo pastry and so much more. With this book, you

will never really run of out a new recipe for cookies.

Buy in India *
Buy in the USA*

3.Baking With Julia

This book is based on the very popular PBS series hosted by Julia Child,the author is Dorie Greenspan. The recipes in this book are from 27 well known bakers and chefs.The book has some basic but super versatile recipes such as puff pastry, pie crusts,

brioche, choux pastry,Danish pastry and such. If you learn these building blocks as they call, you can do a whole lot. There are breads,, morning pastries, cakes, pastries and stunning desserts. You can follow recipes as they are or try putting together different components. That is the fun of baking at home!

Buy in India*

Buy in the USA*

4.Ready for dessert

One of my favorite favorite authors, there can never be a dull moment with David Lebovitz, the American author who lives in Paris. He has a great sense of humor,it is always entertaining to read his blog and books. Most importantly, his recipes work so

well for me! Baking , desserts, custards, cookies and candies, basic sauces and preserves, ice creams, sorbets and lots more in this book.

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

5. Chocolate holidays :'

We can never get enough of chocolate can we? Not surprisingly,

there are books for chocolate based recipes exclusively. This book by Alice Medrich has

recipes categorized according to seasons summer, winter, spring and fall and occasions If

you love chocolate, here is a good one to start with. Her recipes gives detailed instructions which are easy to follow.

Buy in USA*

Buy in India*

6. Baking Bible

This again is by Rose Beranbaum. If you want a book which covers a good

range of categories cakes, cookies, breads, pies and tarts, cheesecakes, cookies and candy this is a great book to start with. Each section has Rose’s golden rules for baking, special tips and

troubleshooting. The recipes again are extremely detailed with explanations at various stepsThe kind of research and dedication which goes into Rose's books always gives me the goosebumps! You will always learn a lot from Rose,keep referring her books, definitely worth buying.

Buy in India*

Buy in the USA*

7. King Arthur flour Whole grain baking book :

You must have come across their website

and blog . They also retail a lot of products like flours, ingredients, kitchen tools, baking pans and stuff. They also have a helpline (yes!)for bakers. Though all recipes are not 100% whole grain, All recipes in this book

contain whole grains such as wheat, barley, oats. Every day baking like pancakes, muffins, cupcakes, a whole lot of breads, pizzas, puff pastry, Danish pastry, puddings etc . The book is packed with useful information, illustrations and tips, extremely educative. I love this book!

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA.*

8.The Bread Bible:

A book dedicated to breads, the author none other than Rose Beranbaum. It starts with an
extensive and extremely informative chapter on Essential steps to baking breads with lots of illustrations. Then there quick breads, muffins, biscuits,sourdough breads, flat breads and so much more!

Buy in the USA*
Buy in India*

9. Rose's Christmas Cookies:

Christmas is synonymous with cookies and Rose gives us this collection of them for the season (and all year round too).I just got this book ( luckily at a good price, hey today its even less!) and the recipes seem to be simpler than her usual involved ones. Of course I am not going to wait until Christmas to bake some cookies which have been calling out to me!

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

10. Baking Chez Moi Dorie Greenspan

Having lived in France for nearly 20 years, Dorie shares recipes from all over France with us in this book. Written in her trademark style, she keeps reassuring that you are doing it right!

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

Here are a few on my wish list

11. Baking - From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Buy in India*

Buy in USA*

12. Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Beranbaum

Buy in India*

Buy In USA*

13. Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Beranbaum

Buy in India*

Buy in the USA*

14. The Bread Bakers's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

15. Room For Dessert by David Lebovitz
Buy in India*

16. Ripe For Dessert by David Lebovitz

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

17. Bittersweet by Alice Medrich

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

18. The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz

Buy in India*
Buy in the USA*

Phew! And there actually are a few more!

There is no dearth of recipes on the internet, but books are books and they are for a lifetime.Do start collecting your books, have fun baking!

Please note:*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and buy through the link, I will earn a tiny commission on the same. I recommend products and things which I have used and found good.You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there won't be an extra cost here. This commission will help me bear costs of running the blog and channel. Your support will be greatly appreciated!