Easiest Dark Chocolate Brownies - Easy Baking For Beginners

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Wish you a very happy new year! Hope this year brings some much needed harmony and peace to the world.  Progress, growth and everything else can come next.  Hope the worst is over and we get a better and safer world to live in.  Makes me think, it is now more important than ever to reinforce and instill values, tolerance, broad mindedness and humanity in our children.  And of course, live and love each day, count the blessings.  As these thoughts rule my mind today, I can't help but think how insignificant the next post or some bad pictures are while there are much bigger victories to be won!

Here are some easy, rich, creamy, moist and extremely chocolaty brownies with a truffle like texture.  This is no snack with a glass of milk nor are these for the faint hearted.  This is dessert best enjoyed with some coffee or orange whipped cream.  With barely any flour here, these brownies vaguely reminded me of the Chocolate Idiot Cake , only these are even more idiot proof!  Just the kind of thing you can throw together at the last minute for a weekend dessert or party.  This is the easiest recipe for chocolate brownies a beginner can attempt as there is no risk of scorching or seizing the chocolate.  Enough said,  why not let these be your first batch?  I promise, if you adore chocolate, you won't regret! 

If you are an absolute beginner, please do drop by here before you begin.

Helene's Brownies - Adapted from David Lebovitz. 

• 
  
• Ingredients : Please weigh all ingredients. 
• 
  
• Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped - 200 grams / 7 ounces 
• Water - 60 ml / 1/4 cup 
• Instant coffee - 1.5 teaspoons (optional, but recommended especially if  using local brands of chocolate)
• Soft unsalted butter, cut into small pieces - 115 grams / 4 oz
• Sugar, powdered - 150 grams  
• Flour/ Maida - 16 grams / 2 tablespoons
• Almond meal / ground almonds - 2 tablespoons 
• Eggs - 192 grams / 4 large
• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• 
  
• Method 
• 1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350ºF . Mise en place. 

• 2. Line an eight (8) inch square baking tin with baking parchment, leave an overhang.  (David uses a 9'' round spring form tin) 

3. Take the chocolate, water, coffee and butter in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Put it on low heat (on your gas stove is fine), stir constantly till the chocolate is melted and smooth. 

4. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the sugar.  Then the vanilla, almond flour and the flour.

5. Whisk in the eggs in 4 additions, making sure the egg is well combined each time. Remember you want to be gentle here, whisk just enough to combine. There is no need to work up a volume. The batter will be quite thin, almost pourable.

6 . Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18 - 20 minutes, until the center feels just about set. (this was at 20 minutes for me) . You won't see any wet batter on top and a toothpick inserted in the center must come out with a few moist crumbs attached to it. Let the pan remain in the oven as your check for doneness. Bake a minute or two more if the center looks wet.  The baking time depends on the pan size and your oven too. Err on the side of underbaked a little if you want a creamy center. 

5. Let cool completely, lift the brownies out of the tin (parchment and all) and cut into squares. 

Serve as is at room temperature or with a dollop of whipped cream. I liked these best the day I baked them. They turn more fudgy the next day, more like biting into a creamy bar of rich, buttery chocolate. 

Please Note :
Baking time : This probably will be the only slight glitch if you are a beginner.  As mentioned above, err on the side of under baking (by two minutes at the most), it may be gooey, but still good! Do note down the baking time so that you can adjust by a minute or two next time. 

David's note on Storage: The brownies can be frozen for up to two months, if well wrapped. Because they are quite moist, they’re somewhat fragile so pack them carefully if you freeze them.  If frozen, I would  prefer to simply bring them to room temperature rather than heating them in the microwave. 

I have not added nuts or chocolate chips as I wanted the texture smooth. Do add some if you wish.

Please do not go by the color you see in the pictures here, I am just plain terrible at taking pictures of anything chocolate. If you do try these, please take a moment to tell me how you liked them! 

Carrot Halwa / Gajar Ka Halwa

Carrot Halwa. One of Inida's most adored traditional desserts despite being fairly ubiquitous. An easy and versatile dessert made practically in every home and restaurant. Effortlessly goes from homey to rich and richer to suit individual preferences. But hardly ever fails to please! Not surprisingly, even mothers in our Bollywood movies make Gajar Ka Halwa so often. Its a favorite comfort dessert during winter, a convenient make ahead sweet dish for guests. Grated carrots slowly cooked in milk, sugar and ghee, garnished liberally with nuts, fragrant with cardamom and saffron. What's not to love?  

Carrot halwa is one of those 'safe' desserts which requires very little by way of technique nor needs you to spend a great deal of time. So even if you are a reluctant cook, you can easily win a thumbs up for your first attempt at it. Unless of course you burn it while you are busy WhatsApping or Instagramming about the halwa during its last few minutes on the stove! With the festival of lights around the corner, how about trying this simple dessert if you haven't  tried your hand at it yet? I like it less rich, not very sweet. If you do not approve, tweak it every possible way and we will still remain friends. 

So what we do is cook the carrots in a lot of milk till it is reduced and absorbed quite a bit to make a creamy halwa. You could cook the carrots in a pressure cooker or microwave but then it would not taste quite the same. If you ask me that is.

Carrot Halwa 

Ingredients - To make about 6 servings, half cup each

Grated carrots - 4 cups ( 1/2 kg approximately)

Ghee - 4 tablespoons or more as desired (divided use)

Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup, broken or halved

Whole milk (3.5%) - 4 cups / 1 liter (no low fat please!) 

Sugar - 6-7 tablespoons 

Saffron - a generous pinch

Crushed cardamom - 1/2 teaspoon

Method : Peel and wash the carrots. Grate them using a grater with medium sized holes, measure. Soak the saffron in a teaspoon of warm milk. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cashew nuts till golden, drain and keep aside. Add the carrots to the remaining ghee and saute for a couple of minutes on low heat. 

Add the milk and cook on medium heat. Stir occasionally. The carrots will soften and cook as the milk reduces slowly. Keep scraping back the milk solids which accumulate at the sides of the pan back into the halwa. This will give it more richness.

Cook about 20 minutes. When there is still about 1/4 cup of milk left, add the sugar. Start with 6 tablespoons, add more if needed. The mixture will turn more liquid. Continue to cook, stirring often till you don't see any more thin milk at the bottom of the pan. About 10-15 minutes. It will be homogeneous and will come together in a nice mass. You can either let it remain slightly pudding like or let the moisture evaporate some more. In the pictures here, the moisture has been absorbed quite a bit. No I wasn't Instagramming,  just another variation I did not quite relish. I like my halwa very moist and creamy.  

Stir in the soaked saffron, nuts, ghee and cardamom. Cook for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat. Best eaten warm.

Time to bring out the diyas, the fairy lights and candles.  Isn't it sheer joy just to behold the beauty of something as simple as light? Hope this Diwali brings you a lot of happiness, have a happy and safe one!

Orange Poppy Seed Financiers

For once, financiers I would like to talk about! Trust me, I wouldn't even mention yawn-inspiring folks in dreary grey business suits, but I must when the financiers here are delicious little French cookie-cakes. Apparently these were created by a pastry chef in France whose shop was near the Paris stock exchange. Rich, elegant cookie cakes made with ground almonds, egg whites and browned butter - just right for his wealthy discerning customers. Cakes made in small rectangular molds resembling bars of gold probably gave them the name financiers. These are similar to Australian friands which are normally baked in muffin tins or friand pans (they make pretty cakes!). These are made with melted butter and are often topped with fresh fruit. 

With some almond meal in the freezer threatening to go rancid, financiers had to happen! Decided on this recipe from David Lebovitz as it is less richer than most recipes I came across. A touch of baking powder here makes for lighter cakes. So with black poppy seeds and a generous amount of orange zest thrown in, Orange Poppy Seed Financiers were out of the oven in no time at all. I love recipes like this! Top them with fresh fruit or chocolate chips or drizzle some citrus glaze on the warm cakes, you will like them all! Crusty edges, moist nutty interiors, these tender cakes are delightful freshly baked. 

The batter is ridiculously easy to put together - a matter of whisking in melted butter and egg whites into flour, sugar and almonds. Conveniently, the batter  can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. 

Recipe from hereIngredients : To make about 12-15 mini cakes. Double the recipe if using a larger muffin tray. 

Ground almonds - 28 grams
Sugar - 50 grams ( I used powdered sugar, sifted)
All-purpose flour - 22 grams
Baking powder - 1/8 tsp
Black poppy seeds - 2 teaspoons
Orange zest - Freshly grated from one large orange, Microplane Zester* is the best tool for this.

Pure vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Egg whites -  62 grams
Unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (please read note) - 42 grams

Method: 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).  I used a black mini muffin tray, so baked at 180 C / 350 F.  Spray the tin with with baking spray or grease and flour lightly but thoroughly.  

2.   Sift together the sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and flour into a medium sized bowl.  Whisk in the poppy seeds. 

3.  Using a small whisk, whisk together the egg whites,  vanilla , zest and melted butter to incorporate well.  Whisk the whites mixture into the almond mixture in 2-3 additions.  Whisk gently but thoroughly.  This step is important as otherwise the butter may not get mixed properly making the cakes greasy.  The batter will be thinnish and of pouring consistency.  If not using the batter immediately, you can store it in the fridge for 3 days.

4.  Fill each cavity of the muffin tray 3/4 full.  Rap the muffin tin  on the counter once or twice to release any air pockets and level the batter.  

5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes  or until the financiers  feel firm when gently pressed with a finger (I did a tooth pick test too)  

6. Cool completely, then remove from the tin.  Please do eat some as soon as they cool.  Can be stored airtight for a couple of days, but the crusts will soften.

Please note :  I made 3 batches of these.  I used melted and cooled butter for one batch and melted and butter cooled slightly (about 125 F) for another batch wondering if that would make a difference.  I could not see a great deal of difference between the two . Either ways, the cakes taste great when really fresh. Only when they are kept for more than an hour or more, they taste a tiny bit too rich. Better to play safe, use butter cooled slightly,  serve the cakes fresh off the rack.

If you do have left over cakes, it may be a good idea to warm them for a 2-3 minutes at 180 C before serving. 

Variations : Omit the poppy seeds.  Use mini chocolate chips.  Do not stir the chips into the batter as they will sink and stick to the pan.  Top the batter with a few chips after you rap and bake.

Fresh fruit : If you like fresh fruit in your bakes, do absolutely use some. Most berries (not strawberries though), plums and cherries seem to work. 

Glaze : Make these plain with either orange or lime zest.  Drizzle some glaze over the cakes when they are still warm.

Am happy about this recipe as a start for me to get know these much loved cakes.  Looking forward to try more recipes and variations, fresh fruit, browned butter and more.  The things you need to do as a baker-blogger! 

Microplane Zester
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Jamie Oliver's Peach Clafoutis - Easy, Homey, Delish!

Its not everyday that you stumble upon a recipe which is super easy to make, does not have a load of fat, barely any flour, comes together in 10 minutes and bakes in 15.  A simple yet satisfying homey kind of dessert you want to eat when you crave something sweet. Made with the most basic pantry staples, this clafoutis is something I could easily fall into the habit of making. On a busy week day or on a lazy weekend, this is one of the easiest desserts you could bake. A scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream will make this good enough for company too! 

Ever since I baked Tartine's Clafoutis, I have been trying more recipes of this French dessert. That was a slightly more substantial one, but delicious nonetheless! The custard lover that I am, clafoutis with lesser flour is a welcome addition to the dessert repertoire.

I don't normally stock canned fruit, but now I think its not a bad idea to have a can or two to bake desserts like this on a whim. Store cupboard versions as Jamie calls them. Seasonal fruit like cherries, berries, plums or even apples should work good. I know you have heard this before  I would anytime prefer eating fruit fresh to those cooked to any degree. But since fruit does add appeal to dessert, I like baking in ramekins as it reduces the baking time drastically. You could bake the clafoutis in a large oven proof dish, but then the fruit will be quite mushy. You could even skip the fruit and make a plain version, so what if we can't then call it a clafoutis? 

Peach Clafoutis. Recipe here

Ingredients: To make about 8 half cup servings

Canned peaches, drained - 200 grams ( 1 small tin, I used Del Monte)

Salt - a tiny pinch

Eggs - 144 grams / 3 large

Whole milk - 450 ml (3.5 - 4% fat)
Caster Sugar - 100 grams 

Plain flour - 24 grams / 3 tablespoons

Butter - 50 grams  (I skipped this)

Confectioner's sugar - for dusting on top

Ice cream or whipped cream to serve (optional)

 Method 

• Pre heat oven to 220 C / 425 F.

• Lightly butter 8-10  half cup /120 ml capacity ramekins. Cut the peach halves into 3 pieces each. Arrange two of these pieces in each of the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large tray, spaced about an inch apart.

• Take the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk lightly to combine. We do not want to introduce air by vigorous whisking. Slowly whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time. If there are any tiny lumps, rub between your fingers to smoothen. (Eeks? Please tell me if you have a better way to do this!) 

• Warm the milk so its barely warm (think you are warming milk to set yogurt in summer), this was 106 F on my thermometer. Err on the side of the milk being less warm than it being hot as the eggs may curdle. 

• Whisk the warm milk gently into the egg mixture. Pour it over the peaches in the ramekins.  The ramekins will be 3/4 full. 

• Bake about 13-15 minutes or till the custard is set but has a slight wobble when you shake it. To test, check at 13 minutes. Let the ramekins remain in the oven. Shake one ramekin gently to see if looks set but has a slight wobble like jelly. If it looks runny, bake 2 minutes more. If in doubt, err on the side of under baking. The clafoutis will puff up a bit and then deflate. 

• Remove the tray from the oven. Carefully transfer the ramekins on to a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Though this is eaten warm with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, I like clafoutis best at room temperature. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or cream. 

Please note:

The original recipe uses 3 tablespoons sugar in the batter and 3 tablespoons dusted on top. I have used more and all in the batter.

You could use lesser sugar if using more fruit as that would make the dessert sweeter. Jamie uses a 400 gram can (almost double). I have used less fruit as I like it to be more of custard.

Do not use powdered sugar in the batter as it will clump. 

If baking the clafoutis without fruit, fill the ramekins 3/4 way up. Check at around 15 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on the size of the baking dish / ramekin.

Even if you have never baked custard before, this should be easy enough to try. Very little effort, safe and good as long as you do not over bake. From inspiration to the table in 30 minutes, don't you think this is worth a try?

Chantilly Crepes With Vanilla Stewed Plums And Ricotta

Its been raining plums thanks to the KitchenAid Contest, IFBM 2014 and the season of course! The team is keeping all participants on their toes dishing out recipes for various contests with attractive prizes. And  before I knew it, I was home with more plums. How can I be immune to the lure and charms of that sleek, gorgeous chopper! The plums soon found their way into some quick and easy, Chantilly Crepes filled with vanilla stewed plums, fresh ricotta and honey.

Being born and brought up in the south of India, the concept of crepes is not entirely new . But the kind I came across later were nothing like we the ones we grew up eating. Versatile and delicious, these were a revelation! The batter being mostly just eggs, flour, milk, butter and sugar whizzed in the blender, you can rustle up crepes in a jiffy. Conveniently, the batter can be made ahead and refrigerated. The crepes can be refrigerated or even frozen. Barely sweet, these lend themselves beautifully to sweet and savory fillings.

Drizzle them with honey or simply sprinkle some sugar on them for a light snack. Fill them with fresh or poached fruit , or cheese and vegetables as you wish for a substantial brunch. Filled with lightly whipped cream or mascarpone, dessert is served! 

Chantilly crepes from The Cake Bible are what I would call as dessert crepes. Made with cornstarch, these are tender, light and delicate, the perfect vehicle for indulgent dessert fillings. 

Chantilly Crepes With Vanilla Stewed Plums And Ricotta 

The quantity of the components of this dessert varies with the amount of filling you would like in them. Use honey and plum puree to taste. It doesn't hurt to have more of each on hand, you can always use leftovers to make more dessert!

You will need: 

Crepes - Recipe below.

Vanilla roasted plum puree - 1/2  cup

Fresh Ricotta - 1 cup 

Honey - 1/4 cup or to taste

Vanilla plums : To make about 1/2 cup

Plums - 10-12 , pitted and chopped

1/2 vanilla bean

Sugar - 2 tablespoons (more to taste)

Butter, soft - 2 teaspoons 

Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stirring occasionally, cook on low heat till the plums are soft and mushy, about 5 minutes.  Fish out the bean, just mash with a fork or puree the pulp. Strain if needed. Refrigerate. You can make this a day or two ahead.

Chantilly Crepes - to make about 21 - 24  6'' crepes, please read note

Ingredients 

Eggs - 150 grams / 3 large

Milk, at room temperature - 240 ml ( I used 3% fat)

Vanilla - 1 teaspoon

Unsalted butter - 43 grams, melted and cooled 

Grand mariner - 15 ml (I have used 15 ml more milk)
Cornstarch - 90 grams / 3/4 cup

Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Sugar - 1 tablespoon

Clarified butter / ghee - 1 tablespoon for brushing the pan

The recipe recommends using a 6'' crepe pan. I have used a larger non-stick frying pan.

Procedure : Place the ingredients in the given order in the medium or large sized jar of your blender. Blend at high speed for 10 seconds.

Heat the crepe pan on medium high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Brush lightly with the clarified butter and pour a scant 2 tablespoons of batter into the center.  Ladle scant 2 tablespoons of batter in the center of the pan. Immediately tilt the pan to the left and then down and around to the right  so that the batter moves in a  counter-clockwise direction, covering the entire pan. 

Cook until the top starts to dull and the edges begin to brown. about 15- 20 seconds. Rose recommends using a sharp metal spatula to lift the edge to see the color. Flip carefully as the crepes are quite delicate. Cook for another 10 seconds or until lightly browned. Invert the pan over a plate. 
 
Turning out perfect lacy crepes am sure is an art in itself and I hope to get there some day. If these are good, I can imagine the perfect ones can only be even better!

Storing : Refrigerate the crepes for upto 2 days, freeze upto 3 months. If using the crepes on the same day, its fine to stack them. If refrigerating or freezing them, use parchment pieces to separate them. 

• Please note : If making crepes for the first time, try using a pan of the recommended size. I must get myself a smaller pan! 
• Take 2 tablespoons plus a little more of batter in a small cup so that you can pour the batter all at once. Hold back the extra batter and use only if needed to fill any gaps.
• The amount of batter and the size of the pan will make your crepes thinner or thicker. 
• Easy and right heat control should help make softer crepes. Cooking them longer will make them dry and kind of crisp, especially if the batter is less spread thin. 
• Cornstarch : You can use upto 120 grams / 1 cup cornstarch if you want the crepes thicker. If using, 1 cup cornflour you will get more crepes. 
• Crepe batter made with all purpose flour normally is refrigerated for a while after mixing. This batter can be used immediately.

      Assemble :

   Place the crepes on a large plate, attractive side down. Spoon some ricotta, then honey and some plum puree.    Roll it up. Serve with more honey and plum puree on the side.

 

Milk Chocolate Brownies

Milk chocolate brownies??!! Did I hear you say that? Promise I won't be surprised or take offense that you frowned at these! That's the expected reaction from dark chocolate loving palates. No, I haven't shifted loyalties to milk chocolate, though Cadbury and Campco will always hold a special place in my heart.

Nostalgia! It was a special treat back then, when dark chocolate had not made an appearance yet, at least where we lived. It made the perfect dessert for my school picnics and other smaller special occasions. I remember eating just one piece of  my Cadbury bar at a time or it would get over too soon!  And the time we had forgotten a couple of bars near the window in summer to find that the chocolate had completely melted. Had cried as we could not eat the chocolate, though no amount of admonishing could stop us from licking the chocolate!

Though dark chocolate remains my guilty pleasure, I do enjoy stealing a bite of milk chocolate now and then. A little sweet, but still good! I had a couple of bars of milk chocolate a friend had given. I  did not really know what to do with them, and then I remembered these brownies on Deeba's blog. I had the perfect excuse to bake these for the kids to take on a holiday. A good make-ahead dessert on the move!

These brownies are very rich, chocolaty, fudgy and yes, just a tiny bit on the sweeter side.  Just the thing for your little ones this Valentine's Day? Or simply as a break from the usual dark chocolate brownies to bring back some childhood memories ?

Adapted from Passionate About Baking, the recipe here.  These are from the book 'Baking With Friends' by Kathleen Kings, owner of Tate's Bakeshop, New York. Recipe on the site here.

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter, cubed, soft - 113 grams / 1/2 cup
• Milk chocolate - finely chopped, 250 grams / 9oz
• Sugar - 85 grams / scant 1/2 cup (weigh and powder fine unless using caster sugar)
  
• Eggs -  96 grams / 2 large, room temperature
• Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Plain flour - 98 grams / 3/4 cup
• Cocoa powder  - 1 tbsp - 5 grams (just measure with your measuring spoon)
• pinch salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350 F. Mise en place. Line and lightly grease a 9'' square tin with aluminum foil or baking parchment  leaving an overhang. You could use an 8'' tin for taller brownies, but you baking time will be a few minutes more.
   
2. Sift the flour and cocoa. Keep aside.
3. In a medium sized heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate gently over low heat (on your stove-top) until just melted says the original recipe. Stir gently to mix evenly, then leave to cool slightly. Please read note. Scrape the mixture into a medium sized bowl.
4. Add the sugar, gently whisk to incorporate. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla gently. Add the flour mixture and stir in till well incorporated. Spread evenly into the prepared tin. 
5. Bake for about 15 -16 minutes or till the center is very slightly gooey when a toothpick is inserted in the center. ( I like them this way!) Do not over-bake, err on the side of under baking rather than over baking them.
6. Leave tin on cooling rack to cool completely. 
7. Gently lift the brownies from the pan (along with the foil) and cut into 16 squares.
8. Store airtight to retain the moisture in the brownies. I loved them fresh and warm from the tin! These tasted best the day they were baked, though they still remain moist and good later.

    
         Please note :

• Make sure your chocolate is chopped fine. If the chocolate is not properly and completely melted, your brownies will not have a good texture. Given that milk chocolate is more sensitive, it can be tricky.
• I was a little apprehensive about melting milk chocolate along with the butter. I have melted the butter (on the stove top) till it almost melted, took off the heat, added the chocolate and stirred . With heart in my mouth, very briefly put back on very low heat  as the chocolate did not seem to start melting fast enough.  Later I had to press my spatula here and there to melt some pieces, but all was still well in the end. Could have done a better job,  try your preferred method of melting chocolate, a double boiler may be the safest bet. Tell me how you did this if you try these.
  

• I may try substituting a tablespoon of the flour with cocoa to cut down on the sweetness, but the amount of sugar will be the same. Add some toasted walnuts or almonds to the batter if you like.
• Too much of heating of butter may make your brownies greasy. 
• Goes without saying that good quality milk chocolate will give you better tasting brownies. 

Make these once for a change and don't shy away from admitting that you did enjoy milk chocolate brownies!

Cafe Au Lait Pots De Crème

For someone who believes in coffee smelling like freshly ground heaven, the new year can't begin with an  aroma better than that from Cafe Au Lait Pots De Crème! An easy, quick yet impressive make ahead dessert that can't fail to please coffee lovers. Smooth and creamy with a pleasant caffeine kick, what's not to love? 

I so wanted to bake a cake for my husband's birthday on Saturday, but could not with the vacations and the kids' exams approaching. Makes me feel guilty to spend time in my baking kitchen. Oh yes, along with being a joy, having a separate baking space has its pitfalls too!

A meal out to celebrate not withstanding, a birthday must have at least a home-made dessert if not a cake. Saturday morning saw me wake up early, sip my huge mug of coffee and rush to buy some whole milk and eggs for the baked custards. And before the rest of the family woke up, I had these little pots of coffee cream cooling on the table. Oh joy! Wish every day of mine could begin with baking! 

Making a simple egg based custard or Creme Anglaise, Cream Patissière and then baked custards like Chocolate Pots De Creme and Caramel Custard  is something that absolutely must be tried and learnt. You can make quite a few desserts once you get comfortable with the basics, the versatility of custard is truly amazing! Don't even think you could do a custard powder something in an attempt to replicate these, if you ask me, egg based custard is the way to go!

Melissa d' Arabian's recipe from Food Network here.

New to baking? Check out my workshops for beginners, click here! 

Ingredients:

• Whole milk - 180 ml / 3/4 cup 
• Heavy cream - 120 ml / 1/2 cup ( I used Amul, 25% fat)
• Sugar, granulated - 50 grams / 4 tablespoons / 1/4 cup
• Instant coffee - 1 tablespoon
• Pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Egg - 1 whole / 48 grams 
• Egg yolks - 36 grams / 2 yolks

Procedure: Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C / 325 F. First let's get ready

• Assemble a medium sized, thick bottomed saucepan with a handle, 2 large heat proof vessels (one to whisk the eggs and temper the mixture in, another to strain the mixture into) a fine meshed strainer. A couple of spoons, a spatula. Small oven proof bowls (I used 125 ml capacity ramekins) . Do keep the serving size small as its a rich dessert.

• Have some very hot water on sim on your stove, better more than less. A tea kettle will be perfect! The water has to come halfway up the ramekins when you keep them in the baking tin.  
• Suspend the strainer over one of the large bowls (You should be able to easily pour the custard from this into the ramekins). 

• A baking tin, I used a 10'' by 7'' tin to keep 5 ramekins. A 9'' square tin should work too. Place a small kitchen towel to cover the bottom of the tin,  then place the ramekins in the baking tin. Use a tin which will 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.  Have on hand a pair of mittens or thick kitchen towels and a ladle.

        Method:

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C / 325 degrees F. In one of the bowls, whisk the egg yolks and the egg. Set aside (do not leave it sitting for too long as a film will develop over the yolks). 
• Heat the milk,  cream, vanilla, the coffee and sugar until just boiling. Taste. Add more coffee or sugar to your preference. Remember that the sweetness will be just a bit lesser later with the inclusion of egg and then the chilling. 
• Very gradually, little by little, using the ladle, dribble in the hot coffee mixture into the egg, whisk constantly. Do not hurry this process or the eggs may curdle. 
• Strain the custard through the strainer into the other bowl. This helps remove any bits of uncooked egg giving you a smoother custard.
• Pour the custard into the ramekins a little below the line under the rim, the custard doesn't rise, just sets . Pour the hot water very carefully in the baking tin such that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.(You are supposed to first place the baking tin the oven and then pour the hot water, but this is not possible in my small oven or even the microwave, the rack may tilt in the process). Get that tea kettle out if you have one! 
• Open the oven door. Now place the tray carefully in the oven. Bake the custard in the water bath for about 20-25 minutes or until the sides are set but the center is jiggly (like jelly) when you shake the ramekins gently).  Check around 20 minutes. The time varies depending on the ramekin size.
• Do not over bake or your custard may turn rubbery or 'weep'. (please read note below). Err on the side of under baking rather than over baking. 
• Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature. The recipe directs to place the ramekins after baking in cold water, must try next time! Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and 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. 

Chill for at least 3-4 hours or even better overnight or even a day! This will allow the custard to set well and the flavors mature.

I baked these in my small 14 liter OTG as my microwave sits in my baking kitchen. Two of the custards had a bit of liquid on top after refrigeration, suspect this is the 'weeping'. The other 3 had no liquid on top. Blame the uneven temperature in the tiny oven. Otherwise even the weeping ones were perfectly smooth and creamy, no complaints at all, so I guess I could live with it!

We enjoyed the dessert, my daughter who normally does't like anything with coffee, licked her ramekin clean! Cafe Au Lait Pots De Creme,  you have won over a six year old too!

Carrot Cake Macaroons. Flavorful Little Bites!

Carrot is not just for cake, says Alice Medrich. And I nod in total agreement. I love her book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Cookies for constantly reassuring me that there are heaps, heaps more of these delightful little things to be baked. An alluring variety of textures and taste, its so easy yield to the temptation and bake from the book over and over again! Having tremendously enjoyed her Bittersweet Decadence Cookies , Bittersweet Brownies, Cocoa Brownies, Mock Puff Pastry, Cocoa Tuiles, Citrus Tuiles , Coconut Wafers and Coffee Walnut Cookies I can safely say, if you enjoy your cookies, this is one book you may want to own.

Spicy Carrot Masala Macaroons. Wait! How did this one escape my eye! Desserts with a touch of heat - no, not really my thing. But I could surely imagine little chewy macaroons with carrots, almonds, and coconut, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest. They turned out to be chewy, delicious little bites indeed! Watch the recipe video! Have you subscribed yet?

If you haven't tried macaroons yet, they have a crispy outer crust when just out of the oven, the interiors moist and chewy, think the ever popular South Indian Coconut Fudge. Unlike the famous French cookies macarons which are notorious for being tricky, these are really easy, quick and forgiving. Best the day they are baked, they soften the next day, but delicious nevertheless!

Ingredients:

• Whole almonds (with or without skin) - 105 grams / 3.75 oz / 3/4 cup
• Egg whites - 60 grams / 2, large
• Sugar - 200 grams / 7 oz/ 1 cup ( I have weighed and powdered it, you could use fine grained)
• Ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon (or garam masala or pumpkin pie spice)
• Ground cloves - 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon (will add this next time, just a suggestion)
• Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• Carrots, medium - finely shredded - 158 grams / 5.625 oz/ 1 plus 1/3 cup lightly packed
• Unsweetened dried shredded coconut, NOT dessicated coconut - 63 grams / 2.25 oz / 3/4 cup
• Orange zest - 1/2 teaspoon (the recipe has much lesser lemon zest, please read note)

Procedure:

• Line your cookie sheets with baking parchment. Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C / 325 degree F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

• Place the almonds in a zip lock bag and bash with a rolling pin till its mostly in smallish pieces. This helps in grinding it without making it oily or pasty before getting them to the texture you need. 
• Grind them to an uneven meal in the smallest jar of your mixer (or pulse in the food processor). The texture should range from mostly fine to finely chopped. Set aside.

• In a medium sized, thick bottomed steel saucepan with a handle (helps you hold it in place as you stir), whisk the egg whites with a fork till frothy. Whisk in the zest, ensuring there are no lumps. 
• Stir in the sugar, spices and salt. Add the grated carrot, coconut and almonds. Stir until all the ingredients are moistened. Set aside for 10 minutes to dissolve the sugar and hydrate the coconut.  
• Bring a large wide skillet of water to a very low simmer; place bowl in skillet. cook 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture is very hot and the liquid turns from opaque to translucent, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom.
• Drop heaping teaspoons 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Or form tall beehives with your fingers. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till the tips of the carrot shreds begin to color and the bottoms of the cookies are deep golden brown. This again may vary depending on your oven. 
• I think I like these a tad underdone as they taste so moist and good! I have baked for about 20 minutes as mine were really small. Bake a small test batch (err on the side of under-baking rather than over bake), cool and taste. If they are too hard or jaw-achingly chewy or dry (don't ask me how I know), reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes. 
• Rotate pans halfway to ensure even baking.
• Set the pan on the rack, cool cookies completely before storing.
• In case, you find it difficult to remove them from the parchment, hold one cookie at a time, gently peel the parchment away.
  
• The cookies keep for 3-4 days loosely covered to prevent sogginess, rather than airtight.

Note: If you use more zest, it may overpower the cinnamon. Use lesser zest to play up the cinnamon, or omit altogether. But I had used the zest of almost one whole orange, it was very, very zesty, but paired amazingly well with the carrot and almonds.

Ottolenghi's Olive Oil Crackers

 

 

Wincing, grouchy, irritable, bored beyond belief - that was me last week. Terrible pain in my back and neck put me completely out of action for a couple of days. Followed by the very much dreaded dictum of rest and restricted movement by the orthopedic surgeon. Rest is anathema to me, just beyond me!  Hubby and kids home over the long weekend, ensured enough and more of it. Good in more ways than one, or boredom would have driven me to the kitchen!  Knowing me as a bad patient for 'rest' hubby said, 'Yes, you can't bake, don't even think about it for a few days'!  Sigh! Self pity!

Better this week, the baker and blogger in me kicks back into action! Thank God for crackers and the kind, low fat and exactly what I need to quickly come out of oven and hopefully on to the blog! 

 

Yotam Ottolenghi's Olive oil crackers from Deeba's had to happen sooner, but as they say, better late than never! Crisp and golden crackers with just about a splash of extra virgin olive oil, these are good! With enough spices to tickle your palate they will be good on their own, milder ones would be good too but with a dip.

Just be sure you do not use excessive flour for rolling as they may taste flour-y. Watch them very carefully as they bake, they bake really fast, burn really fast!  The baking time varies depending on how thin you roll the crackers, so a test batch for tasting is absolutely essential. 

 

 

The really simple recipe goes like this.
 

Olive Oil Crackers
200gms plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50gms whole wheat flour / 50 grams more plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
115ml water
25ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 teaspoon salt (vary to taste, a bit less if using salt as topping)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 cloves of garlic, grated

 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Topping suggestions : Maldon flaky salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, minced garlic etc for sprinkling/topping

Method:
Sift all dry ingredients, except the sea salt  into a medium sized bowl. Add the oil and water. Bring it together, and then turn onto a work surface and knead briefly until smooth. This makes a fairly soft but stiff dough. Wrap in cling film and leave it to rest for an hour in the fridge.

Line 2-3 trays with baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 430 F . On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll a quarter of the dough at a time, as thin as possible. {or you can divide the dough into 25 pieces and roll out thin tongues as described by Ottolenghi.}

Use enough flour to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the surface. Brush the top generously with olive oil, then sprinkle on the sea salt, or topping of your choice. Cut into shapes, circles or squares or rectangles with a pastry cutter. Squares and rectangles will save you some re-rolling and consequently less light  crackers.

Place the crackers on the prepared tray. Bake for 5 minutes or less, until crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool, taste the test batch to help identify the baking time for the rest of the crackers. Store in an airtight container. 

 

 

 

We loved these and I will be making more of these soon! A word of caution though, the above recipe makes a whole lot of crackers, try halving the recipe if like me, patience is not among your virtues!