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......

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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.

Herbed Bread with Caramalised Onions

Herbed Bread with Caramalised Onions

This bread was quick to make and very delicious to eat.  The herbs inside it filled the whole house with its magnetic aroma (.as  soon as it started baking in the oven.) ..and every one just couldn't wait to taste it...  Bread making is very infectious.  As you start baking some home made breads you want to try out more. I hope you all would also try out these easy and simple recipies....

Ingredients

For the Dough

Flour/ Maida 3 cups

Wholw Wheat flour 1/4 cup

Dry  yeast  1 tbsp

Salt  1½ tsp

Sugar 3 tsp

Olive oil 2 ½ tbsp

Mixed herbs 1 tsp

Chili flakes 1 tsp

To caramelize onions

2 medium sized onions (thinly sliced)

1½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

Method

1    1.   Mix dry yeast with warm water and sugar. Keep it for 5 - 10 mins.
2.    Sieve both the flours and salt together. Keep them aside.
3.    Make a dough using all the ingredients.
4.    Keep the dough covered with a cling wrap for about ½ an hour.
5.    Roll  the dough into a rectangle of about 9" by 6".
6.     Spread the caranalized onions on the top.
7.   Roll the dough in the shape of a loaf.
8.   Place it into a well greased laof tin of 9" X 4".
9.   Keep it again for about an hour and a half.
10. Brush it with egg wash or milk wash.
11.  Bake it in a preheated oven for about 35-40 mins at 200 o C.
12.  Rub some butter on the whole loaf as soon as you take it out from the oven.
13.  Cut into slices and serve with some hot soup.


To carmalize onions, Take a pan and put 2 tsp of oil and saute onions for a few minutes. Add sugar to give it a deep brown colour and then add salt . Keep aside to cool down.

Herb & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

Herb & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

The moment I saw   Aparna 's invitation on the facebook for bread baking every month, I knew I had to do this. Though a baking enthusiast, otherwise being a lazy person, the list of bookmarked recipes ( to be tried )go on piling. This was the best opportunity for me to come out of my shell and bake with others. Making  Herb & Cheese Pull-apart Loaf  was so much fun. I absolutely enjoyed it. Though I have baked quite a few breads earlier also, but this was differrent. 

The recipe was quite easy to follow and I used Food processor to knead the dough for the bread first time. It was not sticky and came out very well. I followed it the recipe making very few changes. The most important thing everybody at home loved it too.

Herb & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

 Ingredients

For the Dough:

1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
25gm butter, soft at room temperature
3/4 to 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 
3/4 cup milk (+ a couple of tbsp to brush over the bread)

For the Filling

15 - 20gm melted butter
2 tsp dried mixed herbs/Oregano
Crushed black pepper/ red chilli flakes 
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 

Method:

1.Dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm milk. Keep it aside for about 5 -10 minutes till the yeast mixture bubbles up.

2. In the food processor  bowl, Put 2 3/4 cup of flour, salt, softened butter, and chopped garlic  in the food processor bowl (or a large bowl) and pulse a couple of times to mix. 

3. Add the yeast mixture and the 3/4 cup of milk and knead till you have a soft, smooth and elastic/ pliable dough which is not sticky. Add a little extra flour if your dough is sticking, but only just as much as is necessary.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it completely with oil. Cover and let it rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until almost double in volume.

5. Dust your work surface lightly with flour. Punch  the dough, shape it into a square and roll the dough out into a larger square that is about 12’ by 12”. Brush the surface of the square with the melted butter. 

6.Sprinkle the herbs, pepper/ chilli flakes and then the grated cheese. Use a rolling pin to  lightly press the topping into the dough so that the topping doesn’t fall off. 

7. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough from top to bottom into 6 long and even strips. Lay each strip on top of the next, with the topping facing upwards, until you have a stack of the strips.

8. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through the stack dividing it into 6 equal pieces (6 square stacks).

9. Grease and lightly flour a 9” by 4” (or 5”) loaf tin. Layer the square slices, cut sides down into the loaf tin. 

10. Cover the loaf tin dough with a cling and allow the dough to rise for an hour or so. You can put a little grated cheese at this stage if you want it to be more cheesy kind. Lightly brush some milk or egg wash over the top of the loaf.

11. Bake the dough at 180 C (350F) for about 30 to 40 minutes until it is done and the top is golden brown. 

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 !!

Multi Grain Loaf

Multi Grain Loaf

After all the Diwali sweets and festive tiredness. one just want to relax and do nothing. A cup of coffee , a slice of freshly baked home made Multi Grain Bread and a nice book feels heavenly. So this simple and quick recipe just for you who love baking breads at home........

Ingredients

For the Dough

Flour/ Maida 125 gms/ 1cup

Wheat flour ½ cup

Oat flour ½ cup

Luke warm milk ½ - ¾ cup

Fresh yeast 2 tbsp / dry yeast 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

Honey 1-1/2  1tsp

Oil 1 tsp

Egg 1  (beaten)

Bread Improver 1 tsp

Gluten ½ tsp

Method

1. Mix fresh yeast with 1 tsp of warm milk and 1 tsp of honey. Keep it aside for a few minutes.

2. Sieve maida , mix in  bread improver, gluten, salt, sugar, egg and 1 cup of luke warm milk & yeast mixture & knead to a smooth dough.

3. Apply some oil on the dough ,cling wrap and keep it for proving (fermenting) for about 45 mins to 1 hr. till it doubles in size. (Increase this time to 2-3 hours in winters).

4. Knock down the dough & knead to a smooth ball.

5. Roll the dough into the shape of loaf.

6. Seal by pinching the sides.

8. Place in a greased loaf tin for 20- 30- mins.

9. Apply some egg wash.( use milk to substitute egg).

10. Sprinkle some rolled Oats, flax, poppy &  sesame seeds on top.

11. Bake at 220 o C for 35- 40 mins.or till golden in colour.