Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts

It's been a while I know. But over the last few months, I kind of became occupied with stuff and then made myself unoccupied and then all over again. Life has been transitional for a while and it shall be for a while more. The more I take cognizance of that fact and accept it, the easier it will be for me I guess. Besides, gobbling my way through Gochujang noodles on a regular basis does not make good blog features.

Meanwhile, Aebleskivers have been on my list of things to do for a while now. In October, when I pitched initially to contribute to a site, I actually wrote down Aebleskivers. It never saw the light of day till now though. Aebleskivers are traditional Danish Pancake Balls. (I'm still silly enough to giggle every time I write balls.. heeheee) Apparently made during Christmas and supposed to have apple in them I think? I butchered a recipe from Nordic Food & Living and kind of made it this Sunday morning for the kids. Not that the kids I know really appreciate anything their aunt slaves over the stove for them. They always and always go back to their Ammachi's pineapple jam & toast. Spoilsports!

The adults loved it though. Wait! before the adults came in, quite a few of these balls (heehee..) ended up in my tummy as well. Oh! who am I kidding? I tend to forget I belong to the adult category. Having the mental/emotional capability of an under-aged teen in an over-sized body doesn't really help anyone. Meh! on that.


I got my Unniappam Chatti out for this one. Not that I'd ever used it before. I got it a while ago thinking I'd make unniappams sometime and then forgot about it. But Aebleskivers seemed like a good way to inaugrate it. Unniappam Chatti = Paniyaram Chatti = Whatever other pans there are which have semi circular (hemispherical sounds better perhaps?)indentations on them. I could put up a pic here, but then that would make my blog too big and have too many pics and I'm just that bit unfriendly enough to not want to do that. (Pat on my back for being selfish.)

In reality, the recipe is actually that of a pancake, just that the treatment is different or rather the equipment used is different. the pan really helps give that 'Wohow' effect. If you'd rather make pancakes who am I to stop you. But these make nice snacks you can take on road trips, pack it up in a hamper for a picnic or even an after school snack for kids. Texturally mine were crispy on the outside and soft as clouds in the middle. It's better had warm or rather straight off the stove, but I really can't imagine anyone making this on order unless it were a restaurant!

I made them plain, some filled with chocolate chips, and some with homemade Strawberry Orange Jam. One word of caution, you always need more filling than you think! For those peevish about making their own jam, roll up your sleeves and get to it, cos strawberry season is getting over soon and you really want to bottle up all that goodness till next year right? Here's a link to help you out - DIY: Making Jam



 Makes approximately 24 teeny weeny balls

 Ingredients

2  eggs separated
11/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
60g butter melted and cooled
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/8 cup jam (optional)
2 tbsp icing sugar


 Method
  1. Whisk egg whites till stiff peaks form and set aside
  2. in a different bowl, dry whisk flour, soda, sugar and salt.
  3. Add yolks & buttermilk and mix till thoroughly combined. Used hand mixer if required
  4. Pour melted & cooled butter to the batter and mix it in.
  5. Using a wooden spoon/spatula fold in egg whites gently to the mix in three parts till you do not see white streaks. (Do not whack the shit out of it, you want the air from the egg whites to remain in the batter)
  6. Heat the aebleskiver pan, add butter to each of those indentations.
  7. Gently drop enough batter to fill 3/4 of the indent if making plain balls, else fill 1/4 of the indentation, add the topping and then cover till it reaches 3/4 of the indent.
  8. Flip the balls using a skewer when they are firm on one side.
  9. You're ready when both sides are golden and firm.
  10. Serve onto plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar. You're good to go!

Aebleskivers (Pancake Balls)


These cupcakes serve a purpose. I wouldn't ever say they are the best looking or the best tasting. They're fairly tasty, fairly moist (apparently this word makes most people go ugghhh) cupcakes which serve one purpose and one purpose only in this life. They assuage my craving for chocolate & sugar when I'm pms'ing. 

In a world where approximately 50% of the adult population undergo severe discomfort every month, we sure are hesitant to speak out aloud about it. Me included. You know that time when your boobs start feeling heavy, your tummy is bloated and you're just plain cranky and nothing will ever satisfy you? This is not the time for heavy lifting. You want something quick, easy, can be made even in the middle of the night and you can lick the batter clean without a hint of guilt. Welcome to my world.

These cupcakes take about 30 mins start to finish. If you want to be frosting these babies, making it while the cupcakes are in the oven would be a good idea. I'd just mix Hershey's and cream and be done with it. Except I don't even wait that long. The batter is good for me. I can have it now and maybe the cupcakes later.

While the original recipe from Food.com uses no eggs, I add one to mine cos I tried it without eggs and it just didn't feel right to me. So when I made it again I added the egg. Feels good. It's better and probably safer to eat the batter without raw eggs in it. But I'm not complaining. Really. 

And you know how I make the batter? I blitz it in the mixer. Nigella style. Punk!

Makes 6 fairly large cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup - All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp - Baking Soda
1/4 cup - Cocoa
Pinch of Salt

1/4 cup - Water
1 Egg
1/2 cup - Sugar
1/4 cup - Oil
1/2 tsp  - Vinegar

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Dry whisk in a bowl flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt and set aside
3. In a mixer, blitz water, sugar, egg, oil, vinegar till sugar granules have dissolved
4. Add the dry ingredients and blitz till combined. It's a thick batter.
5. Pour into individual cupcake liners/containers
6. Bake for approx 15-20 mins depending on size of cupcakes.
7. Lick the batter.
8. Sleep peacefully

PMS Cupcakes aka Quick Chocolate Cupcakes

Messy me, posing with a book just cos I got the aspect ratio right finally on my cam.

This summer seems to be whizzing past. Last summer, I struggled everyday. But this one, despite the heat, is going so far, so good. Of course, it has its moments of ups and downs, but which season doesn't. 

There have been moments when I thought I was actually seasoning my favourite beef curry with sweat which started dripping down my chin the moment I entered the kitchen. Moments of self doubt as to where I was heading, even moments where I wondered whether I should continue my vegetarian streak (that didn't hold for too long though) 

But, there have also been those wonderful moments when I got to work in a test kitchen for a desi sweet company, moments where I got to bake wonderful cakes for some lovely folks, moments where I got over my mistrust of mangoes and started incorporating them more in my desserts. You'll probably have a lot more of those coming in the next week before the rains actually start. Moments where I unpacked my dad's tripod and finally figured out how to use it. Moments when I went through my camera manual and figured out more than the standard settings, changing tone to what I wanted and that horrible elongated aspect ratio fixed. Moments of success and celebration. None of them really monetary but even then terribly rewarding.

This summer has taught me patience. That with time and effort you can actually fix your own stuff. While I was bludgeoning through life with all the finesse of a cave woman, I'd never put in the effort to make time to clear my thoughts, or get a smooth finish on a cake. This summer has given me that. I may still be floundering a bit but here's to more hope and more good days.

I actually baked pretty look cakes this summer. Some of which I'm extremely proud of. If you've been following this page, you know how I don't try and make things look super neat and clean. But this time, I actually made the effort and surprisingly it did turn out looking nice. I was actually really surprised when the white chocolate ganache spread so evenly on my Victoria Sponge with Boozy Plum Jam Cake

Victoria Sponge with Boozy Plum Jam & White Chocolate Ganache
I have to thank Ayesha for giving me free hand with her parents' cakes. Her only condition was one should be fluffy chocolatey and the other fruity with a little bit of booze. I tried and did both for both those cakes and since it was a special occasion tried to make it look a little pretty. I'm sure I could have done better, perhaps more flowers and other stuff on top, but somehow that ganache spread so clean on top I really didn't want to touch it. I could do with better frosting on the sides, so more practice there. A turntable might help, also better room temperature than one set at melt!

Chocolate Cake, Red Wine soak, Red Wine Chocolate Ganache
I tested this cake out four times before I made the final one. For those people who think I don't put in too much effort to anything, this probably comes as a little surprise. For those who think I am this little dummy who can't really get anything right. this again probably comes as a surprise. haha! I did! I made it four times. The first one I couldn't believe it was good. So I had to try it again with the egg whites whipped more, then again with the egg whites whipped less, and then once more till I felt the texture was the way I wanted it to be. I had two solid cakes sitting in my fridge, which I'd munch on once in a while, when I felt peckish. And everytime I took a bite, I'd go wow! this tastes soo good for a chocolate cake in summer. I'm not normally a fan of chocolate in summer. But this is light, airy, without being too heavy and feels just right. Which was when I felt more confident about giving it a soak and sending it off. Ayesha's parents loved it. And I'm glad they did. I'd have been terribly disappointed otherwise. 

Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ganache

And then there was this cake which started all my cake-scapades. My neighbour is having another baby and was headed home to Pune where her 2 year old daughter was waiting for her. She asked for a birthday cake on short notice. All she wanted was chocolate and nothing too hard for a 2 year old to chew. So basically a soft chocolate cake with a whipped chocolate ganache it was.

Mango Matcha Cake with a Coconut Frosting
This one I made for myself. Just to prove to myself, I could again do something different. That I needn't follow someone else's recipe. That sometimes I could make my own and be happy with it.
I would cut a slice every other time I opened the fridge, chop some more mangoes on top and savour it bit by bit, every forkful. With a slight aftertaste of matcha, more focus on the coconut frosting and freshness of sweet ripe mangoes, this one's a winner. But, as my brother says, we're biased. Anything with coconut really works for us.

Summer of 2015


It's the season to keep yourself warm. And warmth is best done with hot chocolate, warm broths and Christmas cards from friends far away. It was quite a surprise getting a card from Jenny. She'd asked me for my address a couple of weeks ago. I shared it, but didn't really check why she needed the address. My neighbour knocked on my door when I got back from my vacation and handed me the card. It isn't everyday I get a handwritten card from anyone. And the thought made me really happy. Thanks Jenny & Roy. My times with you guys in London were some of the best ever. Not to mention all the time we spent together in Bangalore.

Hot Chocolate


When my sister asked me for a Chocolate Fondant recipe, I told her, "it should be simple right? After all, you and I have been baking since forever. And it doesn't seem to difficult."
Wrong. I've been sadly proven wrong. Somehow I've got this bee in my bonnet I'd make anything but a fruit cake this year and hence a lot of other things make their way out of my oven. Chocolate fondant has been going on the past couple of days. My colleagues at work have been quite pleased that I'm so keen on fondant cos I take all my disappointments boxed up to work.

Chocolate Fondant


Some days, some weeks, some months, you space out. You worry about your place in life, in this world, in this universe. Nothing seems to make much sense for a while. A little chocolate, a few berries, toasty bread soaked in a custard base seems to just hit the spot for those moments of just forgetting everything. Forget the extra inches, the jiggle that never lets go, the jeans that's become a tad too stretchy. Embrace the butter, the sugar, the egg and just let go.


Strawberry Chocolate Bread Pudding

They say if you make three significant changes to a recipe it becomes your own. I haven't gone the stretch, but its still significant enough for me to call it my own I think,



For a while there after the 'Liqueured Peach Cake' I stopped baking. In fact I stopped going into the kitchen other than for warming up stuff, opening takeaway Chinese, and whipping up some awesome milk shakes with super tasty milk from Sarda Farms, more on that later.

Deep Chocolate Orange Marmalade Cake

Hello Decadence, I'm in love with you.





I'm a big big fan of David L. I don't own a single book of his but follow his blog like a religion. When 'My Paris Kitchen' came out, I read up on all the articles about the book, including the one he'd written in his blog about how he wrote the book. The best part about scouring all those articles online - free recipes from the book!!! I was in 7th heaven when recipes started popping up here and there. This one seemed so simple to make and yet so decadent.


Salted Butter Caramel Chocolate Mousse (David Lebovitz)

I shouldn't be having a blog. People who don't have much to say shouldn't have a blog where they actually have to wax lyrical about everything. Hence, I wont. Going to back to being my normal, practical self where I think, speak and write in bullet points :-)



Roasted Strawberries are amazing
They bring an extra pop to these babies
Not the mention an accentuation of the flavours
En Papillote, in a cover, its even better, cos it cooks in its own steam, in its own juices, mingling, intermingling like... oh I have some funny words I shouldn't use here. Why are food blogs so polite by the way? Why does nobody ever use cuss words? Chefs are not known for their polite language.

Roasted Strawberries / Strawberries en Papillote



I'm in love with the green stuff. Yes, the one that actually grows on trees. But having it might make your pocket seem a lot lighter. We're talking pistachios here! Its been making an appearance in almost everything I make these days. I try and use it sparingly, but I just can't resist it.

Double Chocolate Pistachio Cookies



This one's for my friend Anjali.
If I had to write a story about this cake, I'd stay it started with a box of dates Mum had on the kitchen table. I could have made a Date & Walnut cake which Mama (my aunt) is renowned for. But then, why try to better the best eh? So I googled for date cakes and came across this really crazy sounding recipe on 'The Wednesday Chef' (Someday I'll figure out how to change the links back to blue, but for now please click on texts which look black and not grey.. yeah weird).

Crazy Yummy Date Cake



Confession - I've never been to Magnolia & I've not seen more than two episodes of 'Sex and the City'. Then how come Red Velvet Cupcakes you might ask.

Year 2010, my friend decided she had enough of me huddling my baking skills and sharing it with only friends and family and that it was time I did something more. She asked me to bake a cake for her engagement party. Well... the party didn't take place, but two of my best friends did get married. Yayy! So anyway when we were discussing the cake and discussing options, we came up with the idea for a pretty little red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and cute little things piped all over. Simple, yet decadent.

Red Velvet Cupcakes



When all you want to do is swim around in chocolate, this cake hits the right spot!

For reasons unknown, my mother has decided to give up chocolate. It happened a year ago. Don't ask me why. But she says she was eating too much chocolate and she got tired of it. Well.. actually that could be true. There hasn't been a time in my life when Mum's fridge hasn't had chocolates and we weren't having it a bit at a time after lunch. It's a little surprising though when someone like that ups and gives chocolate all of a sudden.
Anyway, one day she and I were watching Donna Hay on TLC and suddenly she went.. "that looks gooood!" Mum never goes like that for anything chocolatey now. So I made my folks the 'Ultimate One Bowl Chocolate Dessert Cake' for their anniversary.

The recipe calls for almonds. I like almonds. But let's be honest - they're a little too expensive for me at the moment. Besides I've always been one for using whatevers around the house. Unless of course I'm making something where I absolutely need that 'Special' ingredient. Cashews were my choice of nuts for this one. This cake is incredibly easy to make... and like she says just one bowl! How lucky are we bakers! Use your best chocolate for this one, because obviously the main ingredient is chocolate and its taste will shine through


'Ultimate' Chocolate Dessert Cake

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