Saffron Scented Yogurt Cream & Peach Tarts

Saffron Scented Yogurt Cream & Peach Tarts. Dairy products, fruit and vegetables are things I love to splurge on! I would rather have an excess of these in my refrigerator, than wait to cook or plan cooking after a hurried trip to the store. The milk is boiled and refrigerated the previous day, a few tetra-packs of them stashed away for emergencies. Lassi and buttermilk in tetra packs come in handy always. And how can we not have paneer , and no we don't ever get tired or bored of it ubiquitous though it undoubtedly is! I mostly make it at home with 3% milk, though I prefer the firmer packaged variety for grilling. 

We eat yogurt like there is no tomorrow and I set it every night. Its an integral part of our breakfast, lunch , dinner and snacks. Chilled low fat yogurt sweetened with a bit of sugar and vanilla, topped with nuts is often my guilty pleasure post lunch! Blitzed with fruit it's a refreshing drink in the kids' snack box. The hunger pangs born out of boredom can often be remedied with some yogurt sprinkled with chat masala! Sounds very dramatic, but yes, not a day goes without yogurt!  

     

I made these little tarts filled with saffron scented yogurt cream, pistachios and peaches. Hung curd, sweetened, whisked with some saffron infused cream can't be anything but good of course! A bit of texture with chopped pistachios makes it even better. Light and delicious, a simple, make ahead recipe for Mother Dairy's  Summer Of Happiness Challenge. 

To participate, submit a recipe using any of these Mother Dairy products. Mother Dairy Paneer, Chach, Curd, Blueberry Yogurt, Mango Lassi, Aam Doi and Mishti Doi. More details and recipes by Chef Vikas Khanna here. 

Saffron Scented Yogurt Cream & Peach Tarts (serves  6-8)

Delicately flavored yogurt cream and peaches in crisp buttery tart shells. 

Ingredients:

Short Crust Pastry (recipe below)

Mother Dairy Curd - Two 400 gram boxes to give about 1 1/2 cups hung yogurt.

Fresh cream, 25% fat (I have used Amul) - 1/2 cup / 120 ml

Saffron - 2 generous pinches

Powdered sugar - 4 tablespoons ( or more to taste)

Chopped pistachios - 1/4 cup

Fresh peaches (or mangoes), sliced for garnish

Method : 

For the tart shells: 

Flour : 175 grams

Butter : 113 grams, cubed and chilled till very cold

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Powdered sugar - 1/2 tablespoon

Ice cold water - 2 tablespoons (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)

Equipment : One Small and another large metal bench scraper. Chill these at least for 15 mins.  Alternatively you could use a food processor. 

A rolling pin.

Pie weights or kidney beans. Small squares of aluminum foil.

Cling film

Special instructions : Work in a cool kitchen.

Method : To make the pie crust : 

Mise en place.

Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt, transfer mixture onto your kitchen counter. 

Dump the cold butter on the flour. Toss the pieces in the flour so that the flour coats it. 

Using the bench scraper, briskly cut the butter into the flour till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. This will take a couple of minutes.

Make a well in the middle of the flour. Take 2 tablespoons cold water from the freezer and pour into the well. Gently gather the flour into the water using your fingertips. The dough will begin to come together. 

If you pinch some dough between your thumb and forefinger, it should hold together and not crumble apart. Though the mixture may look dry-ish at this stage, it will come together well. Add more of the chilled water just half a teaspoon at a time if the mixture doesn't hold when pinched. Remember, excess water will make the pastry tough. 

Once you have added the needed amount of water, divide the flour mixture into two portions.  Smear each portion gently once across the counter with the heel of your hand. Gather it back, the pastry will be smoother now. 

Flatten, wrap well in cling film and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Overnight is fine too.

When ready to bake : 

If the pastry is very firm, leave it (still wrapped) on the counter for 15-20 minutes or till firm but malleable enough.

Flour your counter very lightly. 

Gently roll out the pastry about 3-4 mm thick. Cut out circles . 

Slip them in gently into the tart molds, taking care not to stretch it or it will shrink later. (If I ever learn to do this neatly, will tell you how) Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour or overnight to suit your schedule. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with cling film and refrigerate. 

Pre-heat oven to 190 C/ 375 F. Remove cling film, place squares of foil inside the cups, put some kidney beans to weigh them down and bake for 18-20 minutes or till light golden and crisp. Store airtight till needed.

Saffron Scented Yogurt Cream

Drain the yogurt in a muslin lined sieve, placing a large bowl underneath to catch the whey. Place in the refrigerator for about 8-10 hours  to get very thick yogurt.

Warm the cream with the saffron very gently over low heat. Refrigerate. 

Whisk together 1 cup of the hung yogurt, sugar and 1/2 cup cream till light. (vary proportion to taste) Stir in the pistachios. 

Keep refrigerated till serving time.

Just before serving, spoon the yogurt cream into the tart shells, top with the fruit slices and more pistachios.  Serve immediately. 

Puff Pastry Tartlettes - With Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

I haven't been baking a lot of late nor been very active here. Apologies and thank you for still being around! Glad to have some home made rough puff pastry in my freezer, versatile and so convenient. Indulgent stuff like these Orange Curd filled Mille Feuille or with just some cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, you could churn out sweet some things without much effort.

Think savory and you could probably use just about anything you fancy or have on hand. Thaw the frozen pastry overnight in the fridge, roll and bake the next day. Some extra baked pastry I had dumped in the freezer was good too. Warm, flaky puffs in minutes literally, what's not to love?

My sister who ate home made puff pastry for the first time, was very pleased with the buttery flavor. It is rich of course, best eaten as an indulgence.  Not a bad idea really, you must have some of this pastry in your freezer. Makes me wish I had air-conditioning in my kitchen so I would never run out of puff pastry ever!

Made these tartlettes topped with sweet caramelized onions, tart roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. (This has to be one of the most common recipes you will find!) Simple, flavorful!

Ingredients : It is hard to specify exact quantities of both the pastry and the topping. Here is an approximate. Better to have more of the pastry and topping than less!

Home made rough puff pastry - 1/2 recipe here (please read note)
Cherry tomatoes, halved - 200 grams
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons (divided use)
Onions - 2 medium sized
Garlic pods - 6-8
Fresh basil leaves - a handful
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Method:

To bake the pastry

• Thaw the pastry (still wrapped) overnight in the fridge. Be sure you work in a cool kitchen, preferably cooler hours of the day. If making the rough puff pastry the ideal temperature should be around 18 C.
• If the pastry is still very firm, leave it in the wrap on the counter till it is fairly firm but pliable enough to roll without a lot of pressure. Excessive pressure may glue the layers together!
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Dust the counter lightly with flour. 
• Roll the pastry about 4 -5 mm thick. Using a pizza cutter and a ruler as a guide, cut into 2'' squares.
• Transfer to the baking sheet, cover the surface with cling film and chill again for an hour to firm up again. (Good time to get your topping ready)

• Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Bake the pastry for about 25-30 minutes (depending on the thickness) or till golden and crisp. Store air tight if not using immediately. I have refrigerated and also frozen the baked pastries at this point, worked well for me!

For the topping ( you could make this ahead and refrigerate)

• Slice the onions about 3-4 mm thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pan. Tip in the onions and cook on low heat stirring now and then, till the onions are soft but not mushy, golden and caramelized.  Add 1/2 tsp sugar and salt to taste. Please do check this link for caramelizing onions just right. 
• Lightly grease a large baking tin. Toss together the tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, top with the basil. Place tomatoes cut side up, bake in a 180 C preheated oven for about 30 minutes or till the tomatoes are done. Be careful not to over bake or they will turn chewy and dry.

• To serve. Top each tartlet with some of the caramelized onions and some roasted tomatoes. I liked it with lots of onion with the tomatoes as it helps balance the tartness. Warm in a 180 C oven for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.

Please note : These tartlettes were a result a new recipe in quest of easier pastry. It was fairly good of course, but Ieft a couple of questions in my mind. Can't wait to make it again! You could try this recipe above or use store bought puff pastry.

Which is your favorite recipe for rough puff pastry? Tell me how I can use the rest of the pastry in my freezer!

Cocoa Meringue Mushrooms - Welcome December!

December is the baker's favorite month of the year for very obvious reasons! Fruit mixing, fruit soaking and Christmas cake-bake-talk is terribly infectious, making me look forward to the season even more.  I normally tend to procrastinate forever about my Christmas baking, end up huffing and puffing to put up a post here before the season is finally over. This year however, I seem to be a tiny bit more organized as I find myself having more than one Christmas bake to post! 

Here come some Cocoa Meringue Mushrooms I baked a few days ago. I will have to confess I made these more for the festive feel, as otherwise I find meringue too sweet, but fun nevertheless ! Crisp and sweet, these cookies make a charming addition to your Christmas cookie platter or to decorate your Yule Log. The bonus, these can be made way ahead and stored airtight for a few weeks.

This recipe for Crisp French Meringue comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible. She had baked a batch of meringue shells when a French pastry chef visiting her remarks that they are heavy. Torn between insult and curiosity, she learns from him that using superfine sugar and some powdered sugar makes for lighter meringue. She experiments to bake the lightest meringues! 

Ingredients: Halve the recipe unless you have an oven large enough. Remember to halve the ingredients as you follow the procedure.

Egg whites - 4 large - 120 grams 

Cream of tartar  - 1/2 teaspoon

Superfine sugar - 115 grams (please read note) 
Powdered sugar - 115 grams 
Cocoa powder : 2 tablespoons (optional)
Extra cocoa for dusting on top. 

Method : 

• Pre-heat oven to 100 C / 200 F. 
• Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. 
• Sift the powdered sugar with the 2 tablespoons cocoa until uniformly blended, keep aside. 
• Keep a teaspoon of cocoa in a small strainer ready for sifting over the piped meringue. 
• Fit a pastry bag with number 3 round decorating tube. ( I have used my 1.5 cm plain nozzle) Poise it over a tall glass so it is easier to fill in the meringue. 
• Make sure the bowl, the mixer blades, the cups, spatula, the weighing bowl and just about anything you use here is really clean, free of grease and dry. 
• On low speed, beat the whites till frothy, then add the cream of tartar. Beat on medium speed while gradually adding 2 tablespoons superfine sugar. Do not rush adding the sugar. 
• When soft peaks form when the beater is raised, add 1 tablespoon superfine sugar and increase speed to high. 
• When stiff peaks are formed when the beater is raised slowly, gradually beat in remaining superfine sugar, beat until stiff and glossy. This reads like it will take a lot of but happens fast. So please do watch carefully as you beat. 
• Sift powdered sugar over the meringue, fold in using a slotted skimmer or a rubber large spatula. Fill the meringue into the bag. 
• Pipe domes in one tray and 'stems' in another. They don't need to look uniform or perfect (yay!). Smoothen any pointy tips with a wet finger or these may burn. 
• Sift the cocoa lightly over the caps. 
• Bake about an hour till dry and crisp rotating the pans halfway. I baked about 15 minutes more.  Do not open the oven door the first 3 quarters of the baking time to prevent cracking.
• The most reliable way to test doneness says Rose, is to dig out a small amount of meringue from the center with a sharp knife. If only slightly sticky, it will continue to dry at room temperature. 
• If not assembling the mushrooms right away, store them airtight. Can be stored 3 weeks at least. 

To assemble : Alice Medrich's way. Melt some dark chocolate (about 100 grams). Use a sharp knife to cut the tip of each 'stem' to create a flat surface. Place the caps flat side up on  a baking tray. Spread some melted chocolate, attach the stems. Allow the chocolate to harden and then store the meringue mushrooms airtight immediately. 

    

Please note : To make superfine sugar I have just processed granulated sugar till very slightly coarse. 

For making mushrooms and other figurines, Rose recommends using all superfine sugar ( 226 grams for the entire recipe) as it makes less fragile ones. I have used powdered sugar as mentioned above.

Do bake these if you love meringue or just for the fun of it!These indeed were light, but the meringue amateur that I am, can't say if they were light enough.

White meringue mushrooms look quite real in their imperfection. I took way more liberty and baked some really imperfect, rather unreal looking ones with cocoa! Just as I was about to begin, I realized the regular plug point I use wasn't working . With the bowl and my mixer finding just enough space between my wet grinder and the water filter, I was walking on egg shells as I went! Forgive me for not jotting down more details, but these should work fine even if they are not absolutely perfect. They will still be fairly light and festive of course.

So what are you planning to bake this season? Please do share your favorite Christmas recipes with me! 

Kiwi Quark Mousse - With Zespri Kiwifruit!

Kiwifruit aka Chinese gooseberry.  Familiar, but not quite.  But fascinating it has always been!  The egg shaped, far from attractive fuzzy exterior, reveals a pretty seed flecked interior in an intriguing shade of green.  And now a gorgeous yellow too I discover, thanks to this event by Zespri International at ITC Gardenia last month.  I know this post comes late, blame it on the festive season, the inevitable sweets and savories galore.  And then some!

At ITC Gardenia, Chef Yogen Datta and team demonstrated a few recipes to showcase the versatility of the fruit which can be used in everyday dishes as well as exotic ones.  Kiwi Cheesecake, Carpaccio of Kiwi with Silken Tofu,  Rucola, Kiwi & Rosemary Salsa,  Sushi with a Kiwi twist,  Kiwi Caprioska and Kiwi Sangria were among those demonstrated to us. 

Zespri International is owned by over 2,500 kiwifruit growers of New Zealand.  They claim that the fruit they grow comes with the highest assurance of quality.  Along with the conventionally grown fruit, they also sell organic kiwifruit, both green and yellow.  The fruit always comes with a Zespri sticker, so be sure your fruit has it if you are looking for those grown by them. 

Zespri Green Kiwifruit  are tart-sweet, sweeter when ripe.  The yellow ones, Sun Gold Kiwifruit are sweeter with a tropical flavor.  The green ones sometimes may need to be stored for sometime before they are ripe enough, whereas the yellow ones are always ready to eat. 

Choosing and storing : Look for plump fruit with a smooth skin and no bruises.  If you are looking for ripe ones, choose those which yield to gentle pressure.  Those not ripe yet can be left on the counter for a couple of days to ripen.  If you want to hasten the ripening process, put the kiwi in a paper bag with a banana or apple. When it is ripe enough and you  don't want it to ripen further, store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.  I gather, the fruit is enjoy best chilled and is ripe enough, but not mushy! Mushy ones can probably be used in smoothies.

To eat the ripe fruit, just cut it into half, scoop the flesh out and dig in!  The flesh of the Kiwi fruit is very soft and you could cook it into mush in a matter of seconds.  I prefer to eat it as is or as a topping or in a salad or just pureed to use in a dessert.  

Nutrition : Nutrition dense kiwi fruit is supposed to be very rich in calcium,  potassium and fiber.  It has a very low glycemic index too, perfect for the health conscious!

Here is what I made with the fruit.  As I mentioned earlier, the kiwis got my attention a bit late! A simple yet refreshing Quark Mousse topped with Kiwi Fruit.  I have been dreaming of this as a filling in my cake since the time I made this mousse. 

Kiwi Quark Mousse : Inspired By Deeba Rajpal. 

Serves 6.

Ingredients: 

Homemade Quark, well drained : 1 Cup

Whipping cream - 1 cup to get 2 cups whipped cream ( I have used sweetened non-dairy)

Sugar - 2 tablespoons or more to taste (read note)

Pure Vanilla extract : 1 teaspoon

Kiwi fruit puree - 1/2 cup

Sliced Kiwis and fresh mint for garnish.

Method : Whisk together the quark, sugar, vanilla and kiwi fruit puree.  Whip the cream to soft peaks.  Gently, fold it into the quark.  Spoon into dessert glasses. Cover with cling film and chill for 4-5 hours.  Garnish with fresh kiwi slices and fresh mint leaves just before serving. 

Please note : If using unsweetened cream, add more sugar as needed.  You may also need to stabilize the mousse with agar agar or gelatin. In the picture above is with Amul cream which did not hold up very well. It works very well with non-dairy cream though. 

Add a touch of wholesome green or yellow to perk up your salad or dessert with some kiwifruit for a change!  For more information on Zespri Kiwifruit, please do check their website.

Creamed Corn In Savory Choux Puffs

When I registered for the Indian Food Bloggers Meet, little did I expect this excitement and anticipation!  Apart from the all the events planned at the meet, there are contests with tempting prizes to be won.  Team IFBM first gave us  'plum assignments' as some of my fellow bloggers put it, and then one with corn.  Now, you can't be a food blogger and not lust after every little thing which has potential to be a prop.  Especially if it is cheerful looking colorful bake ware!

Freedom Tree, Latika Khosla's niche design studio specializes in furniture, fabrics, lamps, rugs, kitchenware, bake ware among other things.  Not hard to guess that the prize for the Freedom Tree Contest is a special hamper of bake ware!  Being true to my community, eying that hamper from that vibrant collection, here comes my baked savory dish with fresh corn as one of the main ingredients.

Fresh and juicy corn on the cob is a treat in itself.  In a creamy herbed sauce, it makes a delicious dip or topping.  Here comes creamed corn filled in the custardy  interiors of savory choux puffs.  

Creamed Corn Filling 

Ingredients

Fresh corn - 1 1/3 cups, boiled with a pinch of salt till tender and drained
Butter - 2 teaspoons
Garlic - 2 pods, grated
Fresh cream ( I use Amul)  -  1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Onion powder - 2 teaspoons

Flour - 2 tablespoons
Dried thyme - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Fresh ground pepper - to taste (be generous)

Grated cheddar - 1/4 cup (optional)

Method: In a bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, onion powder and flour.  Set aside.  In a medium sized pan, on low heat, heat the butter with the grated garlic.  Do not let it brown. Pour the cream mixture and stir constantly till fairly thick and very creamy.  Stir in the corn, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Variation : You could also try stirring in some basil pesto or mashed roasted red peppers into the corn filling. 

Choux Puffs 

Michel Roux's recipe from Finla's blog .  Please do watch this video here if making choux pastry for the first time.

  

Ingredients - I made about 12 small buns with half the recipe below.

Water - 125 ml
Milk - 125 ml
Unsalted butter - 100 grams, very soft and cut into pieces
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Flour - 150 grams
Onion powder - 2 teaspoons
Eggs - 192 grams / 4 eggs

Extra egg for egg wash

For the garlic and herb butter

Salted butter, soft - 2 tablespoons 
Garlic grated, 1 or 2 cloves
Dried herbs - 1/4 teaspoon

Mix all ingredients. 

Getting ready : 

• Line your baking tray(s) with baking parchment. 

• If piping the pastry, have a pastry bag fitted with a plain nozzle or just a coupler, folded and poised over a glass to spoon the pastry in.  You could also just spoon the dough using 2 spoons.
• You will need a spatula, a wooden spoon, a heavy saucepan, another medium sized bowl to beat the pastry in.  A hand mixer or a stand mixer. You could also beat by hand. A stand mixer makes it very easy. 
• A pastry brush to glaze the tops. 

          Method : Mise en place.  Pre heat oven to 200 C / 400 F.

• Sift the flour with the onion powder.  Keep it in a bowl near the stove. 
• Take the butter, water, milk, sugar and salt in the saucepan.
• Over low heat, bring the water to a rolling boil.  The butter should melt before the water starts boiling.
• Take the saucepan off the heat, dump all the flour at once into the boiling water.
• Stir rapidly with the spatula or wooden spoon till the mixture is smooth and starts coming away from the sides of the pan.
• Put it back on the stove, over medium heat. Vigorously stir the flour mixture  without stopping.
• Keep beating till it forms a thick smooth ball, a slight crust at the bottom.  This may take a couple of minutes or longer.
• Quickly, transfer it to the waiting bowl (or the bowl of the stand mixer*).
• With the hand mixer at low speed in the bowl, slowly  start adding the whisked egg little by little (one by one) to the hot dough.   I half expected scrambled eggs! 
• Increase speed to 3.  Make sure the egg you have added is fully incorporated into the mixture before adding more egg.
• At first you will see the mixture break up and look curdled.  Then it will gradually come together. 
• Keep adding the whisked egg, checking the dough for consistency when about 2 tablespoons of egg is left.
• Using the spatula, drop some of the mixture into the bowl.  If it falls in a thick ribbon/ curtain, you are there .  Do watch the video.  If the dough doesn't drop or is very thick , add the remaining egg, beat again till fully incorporated.  Check again. I had to add about 1 tablespoon more for HALF the recipe.  If the dough kind of just flows down, you know you have added more egg than you need to.
• Transfer the mixture into the pastry bag (not sure if you could keep the dough waiting). Pipe about 12 mounds of pastry spaced 2 inches apart. Brush with the beaten egg. 
• Bake at 200 C for 15 -20 minutes.  The baking time depends on the size of the buns
• The pastry must be puffed, golden on top, dry and crisp.  To test, bake 20 minutes, take one out of the oven (still on), break open.  If the insides are wet, score the shells and bake for 5 minutes more.  Its fine if the insides are moist.  These taste good warm too!
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C / 350 F.  Cut the buns into half, pull out any moist centers.  Brush the outer part very lightly with the garlic butter.  Bake for about 5-10 minutes or till crisp. 
• Cool about 5 minutes, fill with the creamed corn and serve immediately.
  If not using the puffs immediately, cool them after baking the first 20 minutes, store them in an airtight container.  Bake the second time just before serving.
• You can freeze the baked puffs.  Defrost the puffs and then reheat in a 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until crisp.

Happy PS  : I think I am making progress with choux pastry!  I like these buns still soft and warm from the oven.  They should taste good filled and eaten when soft and fresh (not cold and soggy!).  Vary the amount of filling as you please. 

Expect more choux pastry based recipes here!

These puffs are my entry to the IFBM and Freedom Tree Baking Contest. 

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.

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.

 

Peanut Butter And Chocolate Chip Granola (Video Recipe)

Let me guess! With zillions of granola recipes out there, you can't really believe that I come back with another granola recipe with chocolate! If you could see me I look suitably sheepish agreeing that the other two here are Chocolate And Coconut Granola and Double Chocolate Granola. Please don't look at me like that, this one has peanut butter too! With raving fans of the spread around, I thought  David Lebovitz's  Peanut Butter And Chocolate Granola.will be a good one to have in the jar.

Though you will never catch me devouring spoonfuls of peanut butter, I am not really averse to the taste of it, especially with chocolate. The other three in my family can be annoyingly interested in that jar on the kitchen shelf. Kids slather it on toast and chapatis apart from digging into it with a spoon now and then. That's when I grow horns and refuse to replace the empty jar - till I want to :D

Like when I want to make peanut Butter Granola. I sneak out and buy some peanut butter and pretend it was there all along, somehow went unnoticed. I like having some granola around to feed the incorrigibly sweet -toothed me. Not to forget my forever hungry pre-teen who keeps combing through the kitchen for a 'small sweet something'.

Sweetish, slightly salty, with chocolate and peanuts in each spoonful, it's a peanut butter lover's healthy treat!

This makes a small batch of granola of about 1 1/4 cups you could bake in the 12'' round tin of your microwave. Can be easily doubled or tripled to make more.if using a much larger tray.

Ingredients: To make about 1 1/4 cup of granola

Oats - 75 grams - 3/4 cup, I use Quaker (please read note) 

Peanuts, salted or unsalted - 50 grams. Toasted and coarsely chopped

Bittersweet or dark chocolate chips - 3 tablespoons

Salt - less than 1/8 teaspoon (or to taste)

Smooth peanut butter - 2 tablespoons

Honey or maple syrup - 2 tablespoons

Brown sugar - 1 tablespoon

Water - 1/2 tablespoon

Vanilla - 1/4 teaspoon (or cinnamon)

     Method : Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C / 325 F.  Line your baking tray with parchment. I have used 11 '' round tin.

• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chocolate chips and the peanuts.

• Take the peanut butter, honey, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, to warm the mixture. Do not let it get too hot or start boiling. 

• Scrape the peanut butter mixture on the oats mixture. Mix well with a spatula. You will have a slightly wet but crumbly mixture.

• Transfer to the baking sheet, spread evenly in a thin single layer.

• Bake for about 15 minutes. Stir to redistribute  (don't forget to stir from the edges cautions David). Bake again for 5-8 minutes. The baking time varies depending on your oven and the thickness of the granola spread in the pan. Be careful. If in doubt, bake less. You can always bake more if needed.

• If the chocolate chips melt, your granola will be kind of muddy looking like mine, so hard to judge by the color.

• It will still feel soft but will turn crunchy as it cools. If you want it crunchier, bake 2-3 minutes more. Be careful not to over-bake as it will start smelling burnt. Don't know about you, but I would prefer my granola a little less crunchy to slightly burnt.

Once completely cool, store airtight. Keeps for a month or more - only if you make a considerably mega batch!

Please note:

Oats : I sieve the oats in a colander to get only the largish flakes and use them for the granola. Reserve the powdery part for another use.

Peanuts : I have used ready shelled, roasted and salted peanuts. You may want to omit or reduce salt according to the kind of nuts you use.

Chocolate chips : I have used the kind used for baking. But it started to melt when mixed with the warm peanut butter. Not that I have any complaints with the taste, but if you want the chips intact, you could try waiting for the PB mixture to cool a bit before adding it to the oats mixture.