Fruit & Nut Cake

Fruit & Nut Cake

Its been a long long time that I have posted anything on my blog. I have just not been getting enough time, But Now I hope to do more and better this year....I am sharing a simple Fruit & Nut Cake here which is very easy to make and liked by everyone.... For this cake I have again used home made malai as I feel that  the  cake is more soft , moist and whiter  as compared to the butter cakes. We, at home still use full cream milk so getting  malai is no problem...but you can substitute it with butter....I am very bad at taking pictures , so U'll have to bear with me...

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour 
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 
1 cup Malai / Soft Butter 
1 cup Powdered Sugar 
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence 
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Tuitty Fruitty  ( keep aside a few for topping)
1/4 cup - Mixed Nuts ( Cashews & Almonds chopped) 
2 tbsp milk (optional)


Method

1. Sift the flour and baking powder togther and keep aside.
2. Cream malai/butter and powdered sugar together till it is very light and fluffy. The butter should have changed its colour at this point.
3. Add eggs one by one till the whole mixture is smooth.
4. Add Vanilla essence.
5. Fold in the flour with the mixture.
6. Add tuitty fruitty and nuts after dusting them properly in the flour. ( They r heavy and coated with sugar, so this is very important otherwise they will sink in the bottom).
7. At this point if the batter is too thick you can add 2 tbsp of milk.
7. Put them in a medium sized loaf tin and bake at 180 C for about 35-40 mins or ill the golden colour comes.

Eggless Carrot Cake

Eggless Carrot Cake 

I have been making Carrot Cake since a long time but somehow never tried making the eggless version. This was the first time I made this .It was quite easy to make. The results were pretty good...Made some quick and yummy frosting with butter & cheese spread...!! The pictures are not so good as they are mobile pics  taken at night.

Ingredients

Flour 3/4 cup
Grated carrots 1/2 cup
Condensed milk 1/2 cup 
Baking Powder 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Soft Butter 1/4 cup
Vanilla Essence 1 tsp
Walnuts & Raisins (optional)


Method

Eggless Baked Doughnuts

 We Knead to Bake #6

Baked Doughnuts..??????  This sounded interesting when I saw June's Month Challennge for We Knead to Bake hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen ...Though I had made doughnuts before but they were fried...& using eggs... I had to try these Baked Doughnuts....Though Last Month I was very busy with personal involvements, I tried these and they came out FANTASTIC......They were liked so much so that My son has already told his friends that his Mom would be making doughnuts for the whole class for his B'Day tom..and have been asking their favourite flavour.......!!

Eggless Baked Doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup castor sugar

1 cup warm milk 

3/4 tbsp instant yeast (or 1 tbsp active dry yeast)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour (or 1tbsp cornstarch + enough all-purpose flour to make up to 1 cup)

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

100gm cold butter, cut into 1 inch cubes

For the topping:

about 1/2 cup melted butter for brushing

1 cup castor sugar + 2 tbsp cinnamon (more or less, depending on your taste), mixed together

OR

Glaze of your choice

(I used dark & white chocolate and some sugar sprinkles)

Method:

1. Put the sugar, milk, yeast, salt and vanilla in the processor bowl and pulse to mix well. 

2. Add the cake flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour and process, adding a little more of the flour as necessary till the dough is thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Now add the butter pieces one at a time and process till there no large chunks of butter are left in the bottom of the bowl. 

4. Now add a little more flour until your have a soft, pliable and elastic dough that is most but not overly sticky.

 5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. 

6. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased large mixing bowl., turning it to coat well. Cover with a damp towel and let it rise till double in volume. This should take about an hour.

7. Punch down the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/2" thickness. Cut out doughnuts using a doughnut cutter or whatever you have on hand to cut out 3” diameter with 1” diameter holes. 

8. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more doughnuts. 

9. Let them rise for about 20 minutes or till almost double in size and then bake them at 200C (400F) for about 5 to 10 minutes till they’re done and golden brown. Do not over bake them.

10. Take them out of the oven and immediately brush them with the melted butter and then dip them into the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

11.  If glazing your doughnuts, let them cool completely and then dip one side of the doughnut in the glaze of your choice and let it set.

P.S. This recipe makes about 12 to 14 doughnuts and holes.

My Twisted Cookies

                                 

We Knead to Bake #4 : Torcettini di Saint Vincent
(Sugar twisted Cookies)





                                

This month Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen decided to make Yeasted cookies instead of bread. It was a welcome change for all of us in the group We Knead to Bake !! Though I was a liitle skeptical in the begining but when I tried them with family and friends..for their views.....to my delight everybody liked it!! My son even carried them in his tiifin for his friends....!!

The origin of these biscuits is believed to be from Grissini (breadsticks) which were made from the leftover scraps of bread dough. According to one story, a Grissini baker had some leftover butter which he needed to use up. Inspiration struck and he decided to add the butter to the last batch of his Grissini dough for the day. To be able to differentiate this lot of “breadsticks”, he rolled them in sugar and shaped them into loops, and the Torcetti was born. Torcetti/ Torchettini taste even better when they’re flavoured with lime/ lemon zest or anise.

These yeast-risen cookies are a cross between a bread stick and a caramelized puff pastry palmier. The cookies are crunchy – you can easily tell this by their look. 

Torcettini di Saint Vincent

(Adpated from A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri)

Ingredients

 1/2 cup warm water

 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 tsp instant yeast)

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder (if making chocolate torcettini)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lime/ lemon zest (replace with orange zest for the chocolate version)

 40gm unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

 about 1/3 cup sugar for rolling the cookies

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, in a small bowl and keep aside.

2  Cut cold butter into small pieces and combine them well with flour and salt. Then add the yeast mixture to form a ball. On a slightly floured surface, fold dough onto itself 3 or 4 times or until it is smooth and no longer sticky.

3.  If making chocolate Torcetti, remove 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and add the 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder mentioned in the recipe. Don’t add the lemon zest/ anise. Use orange zest and maybe add 1/ 2 tsp instant coffee powder with the flour.

4..Place dough in the buttered bowl, turning it over so that the top is buttered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, about an hour. When you pinch off a bit from the top you can see the interior looking a bit like honeycomb. Press down the dough and deflate it, wrap it in cling warp and refrigerate it for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. 

5. When ready to make the cookies, take the dough out and lightly roll it out into an approximately 6” square. If the dough feels sticky, scatter a little sugar on it. Using a pizza wheel cut the dough into four strips of equal width. Cut each strip into 6 equal pieces, by cutting across, making a total of 24 pieces. The measurements are not very critical in this part because this just makes it easier to have 24 equal sized  of dough, as compared to pinching of bits of the dough.

6. Roll a piece of dough on a sugared surface to make a pencil-thick strand of about 4 or 5-inches long, then cross one end over the other about 1-inch up from the ends. Place shaped cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1-inch apart.

                          

7. Let  twisted cookies rest at room temperature for about  15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat  oven to 180 C.

8. Bake until they are lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Best Ever Chocolate Mud Cake

Best Ever Chocolate Mud Cake

Everbody loves Chocolate  !! This Chocolate Mud Cake is a very simple and yet a delicious cake  that you would like to make it again and again.. ....With One bite you can taste the smoothness of Chocolate and with another bite the grainy texture of almonds hits your tongue !!....

Recipe adapted  from Taste .com

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup sugar
125 gms dark chocolate
125 gms butter
2/3 cup strong coffee( 2 tsp cofee powder mixed with hot water)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond flour *
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. In a Pan Heat butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee conoction.
2. Sieve Baking powder along with flour and cocoa powder. Add almond meal and mix  properly.
3. Beat eggs and yogurt . Add in vanilla essence.
4. Add in  the chocolate mixture and the flour mixture alternatively.
5. The mixture will be a very liquidy batter with no lumps.
6. Grease a  7" Springfoam pan with butter and pour the batter into it. 
7. Bake it at 180 o C for about 1 hr and 15 mins till a crust is formed outside. * *
8. You can cover it with the foil so as not to over brown it.+
9. Cool it and before serving Sprinkle some cocoa powder or icing sugar on top.

 * Grind  almonds in a grinder and use that as almond flour.
** This batter will be very liquidy and hence will take more than one hour to bake.

Classic & Buttery Croissants

We Knead to Bake #2 : Classic Croissants

This month's challenge was to bake Croissants . Lovely, Buttery, Chocolaty.........Croissants. When I saw the text I felt I would not be able to do it. Though I have made Croissants before also ( a shortcut method) , this was the CLASSIC CROISSANTS.....But when I read the doc twice sent by our group leader, everyone's Fav ..  Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen, I knew that though its going to be a lengthy process, I'll be able to do it...... and I DIT IT !! Aparna has taken all the pain to write such a lenghty process in such a manner that everything is clear...with the help of her pics and the video it made simpler.....Hats Off to her for teaching us in such an easy way !!. I felt She was with me all the time guiding me.....After making these Lovely Croissants, I felt I have become a better Baker and a lot more confident..!!

I have followed the recipe as it was making no changes....I just halved the final dough made some 8 big croissants and a few small ones from the sides.....Kept the other half dough in the freezer for about a week... and made some more using chocolate and jam preserve for the filling this time..... They also tasted awesome though I was not able to take pics of those as something went wrong with the battery of my camera.....and they just vanished by some guests coming over who enjoyed then thoroughly.!!

 For the detailed recipe, pics and tips I think U should follow the link as I did.....

http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/2013/02/we-knead-to-bake-2-classic-croissants.html

and must try making these.........!!

Ready to go into the oven

Freshly Baked

My helping Hand

Buttery Croissants

Another useful resource which you can follow is by Fine Cooking.


Happy Baking !!

Mocha Strawberry Cake

Mocha Strawberry Cake

This cake was bookmarked quite a long time back but it was lost in hundreds of other bookmarked ' Must Try ' recipies. Recently I saw  fresh, red and beautiful strawberries on 'Chef At Large' posted by a member asking what we can make. That immediately brought me back to this cake which I had fallen in love no sooner than I saw it.  I knew that I had to make this cake now  with a cup full of fresh strawberries lying in my refrigerator. And believe me , it was so so Yum. .......The moment I took out the first piece, I just could not wait and take the pictures .....wanted to have a bite....and the first piece was gone....then took the second piece plating it for the pic.....hurriedly took the pic..as my son had come back from the school and wanted to have a bite too.......another piece gone......

/

It is perfect for the coming Valentine Week....with fresh aroma of coffee....and digging into strawberries in between....

(Recipe adapted from 'Joy The Baker')

Ingredients

For the strawberry pulp

1 cup sliced strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

For the cake

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large  eggs

1 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp instant coffee powder

100 gms thick yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping

3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Method

1. To make the strawberry mixture:

Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and strawberries are soft and somewhat broken down.  Set aside to cool.

2. To make the topping:

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Set aside.

3. To make the coffee cake:

•  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
•  Add the egg, beating well . Add vanilla extract, 
• Sift all the dry ingredients together.  
• Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter in 3 parts alternating with the yogurt in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until combined.
• Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.  
• Spread the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter.  
• Spoon the remaining batter onto the strawberries and spread evenly.  
• Top with streusel topping and bake in the at 200 o C for approx. 45 - 50 mins. or  until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Baked Cheese Cake with Ganache

Baked Cheese Cake with Ganache

This post again comes very late . I know I have been very lazy, not putting up any new post regularly but have been baking and trying out new recipies in my kitchen. I love browsing other peoples's blogs and their clicks but when it comes to myself , I take a back stage.

Tried this Cheese Cake which turned out to be super easy , quick and it was so delicious....So just wanted to share the recipe with everyone..Anyone who is making it for even for the first time will be easily able to make it..


Ingredients

For the crust
10 - 12 Marie Biscuits
50 gms butter

For the Cheese Cake
2 small eggs
3/4 th cups castor sugar
200 gms cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For Ganache
150 gms whipped Cream
250 gms dark chocolate

Method

1. Crush the marie biscuits finely and add butter to it. Mix it properly with your fingertips.
2. Put them in a Loose Bottom Pan and press them with light hands to form a crust.
3. Beat eggs with sugar and then add cream cheese and vanilla essence to it.  Beat them properly.
4. Pour the batter over the biscuit crust and bake at about 170 o C for about 30 - 35 mins.
5. Heat the whipped Cream in a pan over low flame and put chocolate in it. Stir it till it forms a smooth ganache.
6. Pour over cooled cheese cake and refrigerate for about 2 hrs to set.

7. Enjoy !!

Best Banana Bread

Best Banana Bread


Baking Cakes is my passion. I always try to make my recipes simple and quick. Banana bread is a tea cake loved by all. You can use those left over ripe bananas which no body is ready to eat. This recipe is so easy , healthy and loved by all that I keep baking  it again and again. 


Ingredients


3-4 mashed bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup melted butter/ olive oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts


Method


1. Sift flour along with baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
2. Whisk egg and sugar together lightly.
3. Add butter/ olive oil and mix properly.
4. Add flour mixture and again mix till everything is mixed properly. U can add 1-2 tsp of    milk if the batter is very thick.
5. Add mashed bananas.
6. Put the batter in a medium size loaf tin. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top and bake for about 40 minutes at 180 o C or till golden in colour.

Easy Doughnuts

Easy Doughnuts


Doughnuts are usually a round piece of sweet dough which is fried ( can be sometimes baked also) and then can be glazed with sugar or chocolate. I always use to think that making doughnuts was a long and tiring thing but when I came across this recipe and tried them, I found them to be quick, easy and super delicious. This recipe is for all my friends who think that making doughnuts is a tedious job, but these  doughnuts are not only quick and easy to make but at the same time does not require much of physical work. 


In this recipe I am using baking powder for raising the dough as not everybody has got yeast at home, but still I think yeast is a better option if available. Kids love to eat doughnuts and please keep me updated when you try these at your home.




Ingredients


 2  1/2 cups Flour
!/2  cup melted butter 
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
3/4  cup powdered sugar
1 egg beaten
1/4  tsp vanilla essence
1/2  tsp cinnamon powder
oil for frying
Castor sugar, chocolate for decoration




Method


1. Sift Flour, baking powder and sugar.
2. Add beaten egg into the flour and mix in the melted butter, milk and essence to make a soft dough.

3. Cling wrap the dough and keep it at room temperature for about half an hour.
4. Roll the dough to 1/4 " thickness.

5. Cut with a doughnut cutter.

6. Deep fry on a medium flame till golden brown.

7. Mix together cinnamon powder and castor sugar. Roll the doughnuts for sugar coated ones.
8. Melt some chocolate and dip the doughnuts for chocolate doughnuts. Sprinkle some decorations for extra touch.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes


Valentine's week is here ...Love is in the air....Everywhere u r seeing chocolates...cards...flowers....and lots of gift... I also thought this is the best time to make some red velvet cakes for family and friends....




(Recipe adapted from a very popular blog http://purplefoodie.com )

Ingredients
(will make about 8-9 medium cupcakes)


1 1/4 cup All purpose flour
60 gms butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 ttsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp red food colour
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda


Method 


1. Sieve flour, baking soda and salt together and keep it aside.
2. In another  bowl beat softened butter and powdered sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and mix properly.
4.  In a small bowl mix cocoa powder, red color and vanilla essence.
5.  Add to butter  mixture and mix with light hands.
6. Now add flour and buttermilk alternately spoon by spoon till everything is blended thoroughly.
7. Spoon into cupcake moulds.
8. Bake at 180 o C for about 20-25 mins.

9. Top it up with some cream cheese frosting and some sprinklers.
10. Serve them with lots of love.