Julia Child's Crème Renversée au Caramel aka Caramel Custard

Did you just say this only suspiciously looks like Caramel Custard?? Aaww, you break my heart!! Crème Renversée au Caramel aka Caramel Custard it is!!  From Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking. I know you are wondering why the caramel looks like it has been using fairness cream. I don't remember making caramel before but thought no big deal about it -  till I made three attempts and did not get it perfectly right (I really don't want to admit it). Now what can be such a big deal about heating sugar and water together and then taking it off the heat at just the right nano second?  Take it off a few seconds too early and the caramel may not be that beautiful amber color.  A few seconds too late and it may burn or harden it or both. Somewhere in between and maybe something like in the pictures here will be the outcome.

So I (naturally) forgive and also laud myself (very naturally) for all the 3 attempts. And yes I have to mention the soak, wait and wash struggle to get the hardened caramel off the ramekins and the hopefully right sized tin. I should not go wrong with the custard as I have successfully made it a few times. Just go on, I tell myself. At last, salvation for my waiting weighed eggs and yolks. The color of the offending caramel is forgotten as I take a spoonful of the velvety smooth baked custard with some sweet caramel syrup for company. Mmm... Julia Child is not Julia Child for nothing ...

Caramel Custard is basically custard baked in caramel swirled ramekins or cake tin or charlotte molds. to give a topping of caramel liquid to the custard when inverted. Either as individual servings or a convenient large sized one, the dessert looks impressive (don't go by my pictures, you won't go wrong with the caramel I know!). Its even more convenient as you could make it ahead and allow it to chill. The dessert will taste just as good - even in the unlikely event that you mess up the caramel as I did. The dessert lends itself to variations like coffee, coconut, cardamom, orange to name a few.

As I learn, one of the most important things for making a good custard is whole milk and not skimping on the eggs or number of yolks in an attempt to lower the calories or make it smell less eggy. Tempering the eggs (heating the eggs by adding the hot milk very gradually) slowly without curdling the eggs and baking the custard for the right amount of time in a water-bath is important as over baked custards will be rubbery and you will miss out on one of the best wow factors, the silky texture.

The recipe is adapted from Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, she has adapted it from Le Cordon Bleu.  Recipe as found on The New York Times

Crème Renversée au Caramel (Caramel Custard)
For the caramel 
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup

For the custard
Sugar - 2/3 cup
Whole milk - 2 cups - 480 ml
Vanilla extract - 1 ½ teaspoons ( I used half a vanilla bean)
Eggs - 2, large - 98 grams
Egg yolks - 4, large - 72 grams

Lets get ready. A 4 cup charlotte pan is used in the original recipe. I have used 4 half cup ramekins and a 7'' round pan which gave me short custards. I think I will use a 7'' round tin next time I bake this. You will need a bigger deep pan in which you will be placing the tin with custard. The water needs to come to 2/3 the height of the pan. A kitchen towel to place inside the bigger tin, mittens, a good medium sized saucepan to make the caramel in. Have a large pot of water to heat to a gentle simmer ( you will be pouring this water around the tin, the water should stay at a low simmer at all times; do not let it boil or the custard will overcook). Have another pot full of tap water to immerse the bottom of the saucepan with the caramel. Have a fine meshed strainer suspended over a medium sized bowl to strain the custard into. 2 silicon spatulas to scrape the custard and caramel.

Procedure: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees. Place the kitchen towel in the bigger pan and spread it evenly.

To make the caramel : In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a light caramel color. It will boil furiously and you can see the edges change color. Remove the saucepan from the heat and dip the bottom into cold water to stop the cooking ( I did dip once and it was a beautiful color but hardened very quickly) Pour the caramel into a 4-cup charlotte mold, and tilt so that it covers the bottoms and sides. Let cool.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a boil.  In a heatproof bowl, (using a whisk) beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until blended. Remember, we are not whipping up a volume here, just blending. Whisking constantly, pour the hot milk very gradually, almost as a trickle into the egg mixture. Let rest for a few minutes, then strain ( I strained immediately).  Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold or pan or ramekins. (The custard will not rise so you could pour a little less than up to the rim)

Place the tin or ramekins in the larger pan. Add the gently simmering water to come about two-thirds up the sides of the mold. Using mittens, carefully transfer the pan to the oven, this is a tricky part as the pan will be very hot and have hot water in it.  Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes if baking in a charlotte mold. I baked till the custard had a slight wobble to it, think jelly. If you gently shake the tin the custard must have a slight wobble to it. Do not let the custards cook till completely firm. Keep the custard in the baking pan until the water cools. Remove from the pan to finish cooling. You could serve it at room temperature or chilled. I like it chilled. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours or better still overnight to chill. To serve, run the tip of a knife around the top of the custard to loosen it. Invert a serving platter over the mold and quickly turn it over again. Carefully remove the mold and serve.

This baked custard will surely be made again along with the other custard variations Creme Anglaise and  Chocolate Pots De Creme. If you would like to make a start with custards, Creme Anglaise or home made custard sauce would be a great start.

Read Julia Child's account of how she was asked to write down the recipe for Crème Renversée au Caramel as part of her exam at Le Cordon Bleu, but she could not, how she whips it up in a fury later... and eats!

Herbed Potato Rolls

As I continue to learn my way around my bread machine, here I come with some bad pictures of some nice Herbed Potato Rolls I tried. Used the dough setting of my bread machine to knead the dough. Just dump all the ingredients, set the dough cycle and then later just shape them into rolls, let them rise again and bake - what fun! Made this bread twice more, once in time for the kids to take them to school for the snack break. Once as a loaf with mint, coriander and cumin.  And all I had to do was set the dough cycle on the delay start timer to have the dough ready by 5.45 am. To have a machine do all the dirty work at your bidding to get some fresh home-made bread - am loving this! Freshly baked, the thyme specked rolls were quite moist and tender, smeared with some soft salted butter, they were yum!

These rolls have potato flakes in the dough which makes them tender without any perceptible taste of the potatoes. Apparently, potato flour adds starch to the bread, which will attract and hold water, making the bread moister, help keeping it fresh longer. You could also use potato flour which is dried ground potatoes. Very handy to have them in the pantry indeed! I normally don't like using potato flakes in my cooking, but I guess it will be a staple in my grocery list from now on. Milk powder in place of milk helps get the color, protein milk imparts without fear of milk going sour specially when you use the delay start timer or during long rise periods. The protein helps enhance the structure in high rising loaves. Source - KAF Book.

Here goes the recipe adapted from the King Arthur Flour site. Rosemary and poatoes are supposed to be a match made in heaven, but  I have to admit, rosemary is just not my thing. I normally have dried thyme on hand and it invariably makes its way into my breads! I know you will hate me for writing the procedure and even the list of ingredients in bread machine order, but I guess I have a long way to go before I can give you both ways of making this and the last thing I want to do is write incorrect instructions, I hope you will bear with me and also correct me if I am wrong!

Ingredients

Water (at room temperature) - 1 1/4 cups / 10 oz/ 280 grams (Use lukewarm if making dough by hand)
Olive oil or vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
All purpose flour - 3 cups / 13 oz/ 365 grams
Non -fat Dry Milk powder  (I used Nandini skimmed milk powder) - 2 tablespoons
Potato flakes ( I used Vegit Aloo Mash) - 1/2 cup / 1 oz/ 28 grams OR Potato flour 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces), read note 
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Dried herbs, I used thyme - 1 teaspoon (alter to suit your taste)
Salt - 1 1/4 teaspoon
Instant yeast - 1 1/2 teaspoons (Use 2 teaspoons if making this by hand)

Procedure : Place all ingredients into the dough pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle and press Start.Check the dough consistency 7 minutes into the first kneading cycle. The dough must be soft and smooth, very slightly tacky. Add water or flour one tablespoon at a time to adjust the dough if needed ( I did not need to). When the cycle is complete, grease your hands, transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface. The dough will be slightly sticky. Fold the dough over a few times to expel any excess carbon dioxide. then divide dough into 12 equal pieces. You could let the dough relax for 10 minutes to help shape easily.

Grease your baking trays or tins . I used one 9'' round tin and another 10x6 tray. Shape the pieces of dough into rolls. Or roll each piece into a 10'' rope, coil each rope and tuck in the end so that it pokes up in the middle. Place the rolls 2 inches apart, place it in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes or till double.

Towards the end of the rise period, pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C / 375 F. You could brush the tops of the rolls with beaten egg (I did). Bake for 15-20 minutes or till golden brown. Mine took about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool completely before serving.

These rolls are being Yeast Spotted

Note: Potato flour can apparently be substituted with equal quantity of cornstarch or cornflour, do try that if you do not get potato flour/flakes.

Almost Fudge Gateau

Given that I adore chocolate, its really difficult to resist baking this French style chocolate cake which Dorie Greenspan describes as 'moist, dense and definitively chocolate, just the thing for all oven owners (and chocolate lovers)'! I have been devouring the book,  Baking - From My Home To Yours since days and it did not take long for me to zero in on this dessert cake. The recipe is from her Parisian friend, Hélène Samuel, owner of the restaurant Delicabar. When Hélène got an oven for her home, she would for the first few weeks, bake this cake everyday, watch the cake puff up sitting cross-legged in front of the oven, giving up watching television!

The cake is quite a quick and easy one, given you can whip egg whites, fold them in and have a spring form tin on hand. And of course a good deal of chocolate too, 250 grams / 9 ounces to be precise for this cake! Chocolate, butter, sugar and coffee are melted together, the little bit of flour folded in. Finally whipped egg whites go into the chocolate mixture and then baked. The cake puffs up as it bakes, cracks on the top. While you invert it and cool, it sinks quite a lot. I would say, if you have the patience, you must leave it overnight and by then the cake would have meta morphed into a dense, almost creamy, smooth one. Pour some glaze over it, allow it to set, slice and serve with some softly whipped cream. Its texture being very different from most chocolate cakes, its sure to please most chocolate loving, discerning palates.

Ingredients :

Eggs - 5, large, separated ( Yolk - 90 grams, Whites - 150 grams)
Bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped - 252 grams / 9 oz ( I used dark compound)
Sugar - 1 cup / 200 grams ( I used super fine)
Unsalted butter, cut into chunks - 5 tablespoons / 70 grams aprox
Coffee or water - 2 tablespoons ( I used 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water)
All purpose flour - 1/3 cup - 44 grams aprox
Pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon (my addition)

For the optional glaze - Dorie makes a glaze with chocolate, cream and corn syrup. I used ganache.

Procedure : Mise en place. Wash and dry the blades of your hand mixer and the bowl in which you will drop the whites in. If weighing ingredients, making sure your weighing bowl is squeaky clean and free of grease. Separate the eggs and weigh the whites first, next the yolks. Wash, dry the bowl, and weigh the rest. (I always like to have extra eggs on hand while separating, just in case, I do an oops!)

Center a rack and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 F. Grease a 9'' round spring form tin, line it with parchment, grease the parchment, flour the sides of the tin, tap lightly to shake off any excess flour. Place the pan on a baking sheet (or another bigger cake tin) lined with parchment or a silicone mat. I used an 8'' round tin as I do not have a 9'' round tin, used some of the batter to make 4 small cupcakes.

Place the chocolate, butter, sugar and coffee in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stir occasionally till the chocolate and butter are melted. If the sugar is still grainy, its fine (mine was). Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl and let it sit for 3 minutes. ( the mixture will cool) Stir in the yolks one by one, using a rubber spatula, add the vanilla. Fold in the flour.  Set aside.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer on medium high speed, beat the egg whites till they hold firm but glossy peaks. Make sure you do not over whip or let the whites dry out. Using the spatula, stir about a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the rest.  I used my slotted skimmer for this. (The batter was neither thin nor thick) Scrape the batter into the pan and jiggle the pan from side to side a couple of times to even the batter.

The cake will rise at the edges as well as the center too. The top will firm up, it may crack, mine cracked quite a bit. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cake has risen evenly, the top firms up and doesn't wobble when tapped. A cake tester or thin knife inserted int o the center should come out just slightly streaked with chocolate. I prefer my chocolate cakes slightly under baked to over-baked ones. Mine took about 40 minutes to bake. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack, let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Run a blunt knife ( like a butter knife) around the edges of the cake, and remove the sides of the pan. carefully turn the cake on to another rack. Remove the pan bottom and parchment paper (this will be hot as you handle, be careful) Invert the cake on the rack and cool to room temperature right side up. The cake may cool as it sinks ( mine did)

Place the completely cooled cake on a rack flat side up. Place the rack over a large piece of parchment or another clean plate to catch the delicious drips. Pour the glaze or ganache on the cake, tilt slightly and carefully, (use a thin spatula to just coax the glaze to the sides only if need ) to coat the cake completely. Allow the glaze to set ( I did not wait, was in a hurry to finish the pics before I went to the bus stop to pick up my daughter). Lift the cake carefully to the serving platter using a giant spatula. Decorate, slice into thin slices and serve with softly whipped cream or even ice cream or crème fraîche if you prefer.

The cake when wrapped airtight, will keep for about 3 days at room temperature or for 2 months when frozen. I have not tried refrigerating the cake and will not do so too as it may change the texture. It tasted better as it sat at room temperature.

The cake was rich, chocolaty, smooth and creamy, mousse-like sort of, with whipped cream and the glaze, its definitely dessert!

A Simple Bread - Saying 'Hello' To My Bread Machine!

I have been waiting to show (off ) my bread machine!  Westbend HiRise with dual blades. Ever since I got it recently, I have been waiting to bake a decent enough bread and tell you all about it. Of course it took time, beginning from getting a step-up converter to figuring out how the machine works and what recipes work best. And some more time as I made the big mistake of ignoring instructions and thinking that baking bread in a machine (after baking bread by hand all along) is going to be a breeze ( to the extent that I kept planning for the next post to be that bread) until the first one turned out to be a brick (Oh No!!!) and the next couple of them just about OK.

Problem with assuming that bread machine baking is exactly the same as baking bread by hand and trying to compare it with the rules or fundas you are used to for hand made bread. Then ending up thoroughly confused, bewildering people around you by obsessively talking about it and baking more breads..till you bake a decent one. Hope rekindled in this wonder gadget so many people successfully use - in different ways. Hope - the desperate bread baker's bread!



To me, a bread machine is a really really new gadget, having read about it first on Champa' s blog. A machine in which I can just dump in the bread ingredients in a certain order, select a cycle, the color of the crust I want, the size of the loaf and then press start. Then get on with my business till the machine sounds a beep to signal that the bread is baked and ready. As simple as that. This is the Basic cycle, takes 3.20 minutes in my machine. Or use the machine to just do the dirty work of kneading the dough, allow it to rise, punch down, knead again (this second knead truly shocked me, but it works!) and let it rise again, sound a beep when done. This is the dough cycle, takes 1.50 minutes in my machine. All you then need to do is shape the dough into loaves or rolls or sticks or pizza or whatever you fancy and bake. No mess. Home-baked bread with minimal effort and time.

There is also a feature called as a delay start timer. Allows you to set a basic cycle or dough cycle among others so that you can just dump in the ingredients in the order and command the genie to either fully bake your bread or just knead the dough (till its ready to shape) by a specific time. Really cool. No perishable ingredients on the delay start cycle of course. There is also a Rapid cycle which bakes your bread in about 2 hours, but with more yeast (no thanks!). And yes, another cycle called as home-made which is for seasoned bread-machine users. Allows you to customize each of the knead, rise and bake settings. I think this will be great.

As I gather, a lot of bakers prefer only the kneading to be done in the machine, the shaping, final rise and baking done in the oven.  As bread baking veterans say, baking entirely in the bread machine gives an odd shaped loaf, less of taste, less moist breads as compared to bread baked in the oven. Taste and texture is better when baked the latter way. And its not very surprising if you aren't highly impressed with breads baked within the machine. Think a little better than your typical packaged bread. But of course, you could make it in varying flavors, sans a load of preservatives. So if you buy bread regularly and have no time to bake breads at home, then baking in the bread machine is good enough. If you don't want the hassle of kneading but can spend time on shaping and baking, the dough cycle is of great help. I baked 3-4 breads quite successfully, one of them baked in my oven. And yes, the one baked outside tastes much better!

Well, I did read the manual, but completely ignored the recipes in it, as I always do, who ever reads or follows them? But obviously bread machine recipes are an exception. And then I wrote a distress mail to Champa and she suggested that I try a recipe from the manual so that I can get the hang of it. It worked!! I baked one when I was almost asleep, the success shook off the sleep! I wanted to bake another one, and since it was already midnight, I set the machine on delay start and went to bed. Of course, the bread was waiting when I woke up lazily at 7.30 on a Saturday morning!

Here is the recipe from the manual, which I baked on the basic cycle, meaning bread dough kneaded and baked in the machine itself. A recipe which worked for me, the texture was quite good, the flavor could have been better. That I guess can be remedied to a certain extent by adding herbs and spices.

Ingredients :

Milk - 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons  (80 degree F, which is almost room temperature)
All purpose flour - 3 1/3 cups / 434 grams
Vital wheat gluten - 3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 1/2 tablespoon
Butter - 2 tablespoons
Instant yeast - 1 1/2 teaspoons

Procedure: Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order specified by the manufacturer. Liquid first, then dry ingredients. Level the dry ingredients, quarter the butter and add to the corners. Make an impression the the center of the dry ingredients and add the yeast. Close the lid, bake on the Basic cycle. This made a 1.5 pound loaf, I selected a medium color crust which sets the temperature at 199 degree C /390 degree F.

Thanks to Champa for her post on bread machines, it helped me pick out one for myself. I hope to bake lots of  breads like her some day and without the sweat! Here is another useful blog which tells you why a bread machine is better for baking yeast breads. So as I continue to experiment with my machine, find answers to my questions, more breads will appear here, hopefully better ones. The bread machine also comes with a learning curve and I hope to learn my way with the machine better over a period of time, discover good recipes and learn techniques which work better. If you use a bread machine, please do share your most helpful tips and tricks.

Hayagreeva - For My Santa In June!

 June has been a much awaited month for more reasons than one! Very obvious one, school re-opened after a particularly difficult ( for me, not the kids) summer break. If you wondered what that blast of warm air was that hit you on 4th of June, it was just me heaving a sigh of relief! My sister-in-law arrived soon after from the US, lugging along my much-awaited bread machine and lots of other baking goodies, yaaay! According to her, when I saw all my goodies, I looked like someone who got her Christmas and Diwali gifts all at once! Well, it certainly felt like it! Thank God she keeps picking up stuff for me or I can't imagine how tough my baking life would be!

Summer was a busy time at work, daughter refusing to go to a summer camp adding to my woes :(.  With my son's swimming and cricket camps, going in and out, getting on with routine, effectively put a dampener on my baking / blogging plans.  Life will continue to be on the fast track for some more time with some amount of shopping and outings with the visiting family (did I mention, my sister is visiting too!) Maybe this will explain the lull in the posts here, hopefully I shall bounce back soon, while I make use of my new baking toys!

Now to Hayagreeva ,one of my sister-in-law's favorite sweet dishes we made as part of the welcome-home meal along with another of her favorites Menthya Bele Huli. (Not that jet lag is the best state for folk to relish food). Its basically cooked Chana Dal simmered with jaggery, some poppy seeds thrown in along with grated dry coconut.  Lord Hayagreeva or Hayavadana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was fed this dish everyday by the great saint and composer, Sree Vadhiraja.

If you like the taste of jaggery and dal, this is a very simple, easy and tasty dish to make, the taste akin to the filling of some kinds of obbattus.. Here goes the simple recipe

Ingredients :
Chana dal (uncooked) - 1 cup
Jaggery, crushed - 1cup or more (depending on the sweetness of jaggery and taste, less may make the sweet taste bland)
Poppy seeds -  1 1/2 teaspoons
Grated Dry coconut - 2 -3 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cashew nuts - a few
Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Procedure : Wash the dal thoroughly. Cook in a pressure cooker with enough water and a pinch of turmeric, add a tiny pinch of cooking soda if you wish. Cook for about 3 whistles. When the pressure drops, drain the liquid, reserve it for another use. The dal must be soft and cooked, but not mushy. The dish must have some texture when you are done cooking it. Place the jaggery in a heavy bottomed vessel, cover it with about 1/4 cup of water and place it on the stove on low heat. Let the jaggery dissolve. Add the cooked dal and stir. Let cook on low heat till it turns a nice homogenous consistency. Mash some of the dal with a masher as it helps it come together. Cook till most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring frequently. (You could of course let more or less liquid remain, depending on the consistency you prefer.) The presence of water helps the dal and jaggery cook together for some time till the dal takes on a bit of the sweetness, without getting a burnt taste. In the meantime, lightly toast the poppy seeds. ( My mother doesn't toast, adds them as is in the beginning). Add the poppy seeds and the coconut. Cook for about 10 minutes, add the cardamom. Heat the ghee and fry the cashews. Tip it in, mix. (Imagine some in the pictures, will you, they are conspicuous by their absence I know!) Take off the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

An Introduction To Baking - For New Wanna Be Bakers!

Watch my video! Please follow my page on Facebook for updates on new videos , every Monday! Click here to subscribe to my You Tube Channel, Cakes And More -Baking For Beginners . Subscribe for free, click here!

There are somethings I find tremendously inspiring and I wish I could learn them. Photography and gardening for example. But as I read articles or blogs about them, I end up feeling quite confused. For the very obvious reasons that I don't know the most basic of basics or where to make a start as a complete newbie.

The amazing world of baking beckons so many, but an intimidating thought for most of us as beginners. Ovens, ingredients, baking tools, tins, and pans. All those recipes for cakes, cookies, bread and hundreds of inspiring things we see every day! It can be so confusing and overwhelming. 

You so want to start baking but have no idea where to begin. Especially in the absence of any prior exposure to baking, an introduction to baking may help. 

Baking is a science : In my opinion, cooking is more of an art, we don't need to follow precise measurements or stick to lot of rules to create something tasty. But baking is a science, where different ingredients come together in certain proportions or measures, following certain methods of baking, resulting in chemical reactions in order to get a certain end product.

The product needs to have the right texture along with taste. For example, we want cookies crisp and crunchy, cakes soft and airy, caramel custard creamy and smooth. So how do we get there?

We have to play by the rules, stick to measures and methods recommended to get the best results. This applies even if you are excellent at cooking! You may be surprised to know that even the best of pastry chefs measure, weigh and bake. 

Accurate measurements :  Accurate measurements among other things, are critical to the success of any recipe in baking. Of course, it is not disastrous to add a bit more or less sugar, nuts or spices in your cake. But less of baking powder may not give your cake enough rise and the texture you are looking for, more yeast may make your bread smell funny, a little too much cocoa may make your brownies taste bitter. So, absolutely no eyeballing here please!

Measuring cups and spoons: Cups and spoons, mentioned in baking recipes, always refer to standard measuring cups and spoons. Most certainly, these are not the tea cups we drink from or the spoons we eat out of. One teaspoon is 5 ml, one tablespoon is 15 ml, one cup is 240 ml and so on. It is really, seriously important that you get yourself these before you begin. Use one cup to measure a cup, 1/2 cup to measure half a cup and so on.  Use a liquid measuring cup for measuring liquids.

Unless otherwise specified  one measure of anything, for example, one teaspoon of baking powder, always means a level teaspoon. A scant teaspoon means a 'little less than' a heaping teaspoon means a 'little more than' of that particular ingredient. Unless otherwise specified in the recipe as warm, hot or cold, all ingredients must be at room temperature.

Measuring methods : The best and the most accurate way to measure ingredients is to weigh them using kitchen scales, I prefer digital ones to analog. You can get reasonably priced, simple digital ones from a nearby departmental store or order one online. 

Measuring using cups, with special importance to flour could be either by the spoon and level method or dip and scoop method.  When following a recipe where ingredients are not mentioned in weight, it may help to know what method is followed by the author or book. 

Watch my video on measuring flour here 

Appropriate pans : Baking tins meant for baking, in the size recommended in the recipe are a must. A pan too big and your cake may be overcooked, hard and shorter. A pan too small and your cake may not be well cooked or the batter could over-flow from the pan! If you use a pan of a different size, the baking time will change too. 

A cake meant to be baked in an 8'' square tin will bake faster in a 9'' square tin and vice versa. So you should be able to tell when the cake is done. Best to stick to whatever the recipe recommends when you start baking.

To start with, invest in good quality standard size tins such as 8 and 9'' round and square tins, a regular muffin tray, a couple of cookie sheets. Heavy-duty aluminum is best, you could also use silicone or oven-safe glassware (for both OTG and convection microwave) whatever works best for you.

BASIC BAKING TOOLS: Using the right tools even as simple as a spatula can make a difference. To start with, you don't need to have more than weighing scales, whisks, silicone spatulas, measuring cups and spoons, liquid measuring cup, baking parchment and other small things. Hand mixers, stand mixers and the rest can come in a little later.

BAKING INGREDIENTS: Always, use good quality, fresh ingredients. Baking powder, baking soda, and yeast must be always properly stored in order to give the best results. The best brands of yeast or baking powder will be no use if they are old or improperly stored. Buy small boxes of baking powder and soda if you do not bake very often. Store in a cool, dry place (not in the refrigerator) Buy from stores which sell stuff faster. If in doubt, test your baking powder and soda for effectiveness.

To test the effectiveness of baking powder, mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water The mixture should bubble immediately. To test the effectiveness of baking soda, mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons vinegar, the mixture should bubble immediately. If not, discard and get fresh packs.

Baking temperature : This may be given in Celsius or Fahrenheit or both. Ovens in India come with temperature readings in Celsius. Set your oven temperature accordingly. Use an oven thermometer to cross check if it is heating properly, particularly if using an OTG. This is mentioned in Celsius or Fahrenheit or both. Here is a conversion chart

What gadget do I choose : You could bake in a convection microwave or an OTG, according to me, both work fine. Choose an oven to suit your needs. You could bake in a convection microwave or an OTG, according to me, both work fine. You can try baking in a pressure cooker, yes, but if you really want to try baking everything that you possibly can, invest in an OTG or convection microwave. Please refer this post for more details. 

Should I always pre-heat the oven? Yes! Irrespective of whether you bake in an OTG or in a convection microwave, you must always pre-heat the oven. Place the cake or cookie tray in the oven only after is pre-heated ( after it reaches the desired temperature). About 20 minutes for an OTG and till you hear the beep go off if baking in a microwave.

One exception I have come across is a cold oven cream cheese pound cake, which needs the oven to be turned on after placing the batter in the oven. Interesting! When baking in an OTG, place the cake tin on the lower rack, in a convection microwave, place the cake tin or cookie sheet on the lower of the 2 round racks provided. This post tells you how to use your convection microwave. 

ATTENTION TO DETAIL: The small things in a recipe make more difference than you would imagine! As they say, God is in the details. Taking an egg based custard off the heat just at the right moment, folding in those egg whites just right etc. You will appreciate this as you continue to bake.

WHAT RECIPES ARE BEST TO START WITH Simplest and best would be granola, cakes and brownies. Choose cakes which need simple mixing of ingredients rather than creaming of butter, or whipping and folding in eggs or egg whites, heating eggs using indirect heat etc. Try recipes which use simple methods rather than those which need more technique, you can try these later! I would not suggest making a start with yeast breads as the variables for success are more here. 

Tasting success with your initial bakes will thrill you and keep you going. Bake small quantities of recipes wherever possible so you get to bake more often.

Reading recipes: I know we can't wait to get to the fun part of baking, but  please do read recipes fully, notes if any, not once but twice before you start. Plan ahead, gather your ingredients, paraphernalia and then bake.

FOLLOWING RECIPES: Please choose recipes from well known, reliable sources, be it books, blogs or websites. And yes, please do follow the recipe. Every ingredient, every step has a role to play here. Try not to knock off ingredients or substitute (especially eggs) too many unless of course, you know what you are doing!

Baking at home gives you innumerable options to customize your baked goods, but within limits. I promise, you can have fun and play around later. Weigh and line up your ingredients on the counter before you start mixing.

Mise en place : Its most important to weigh or measure all your ingredients, line them up before you begin.

Noting down. As you bake and measure out ingredients, note down any changes you have made, the time you baked them for, your observations about the taste or texture. This will help you create the same result again or improvise to your taste the next time you bake.

Practice, practice! Learning baking requires some amount of patience, perseverance and practice! No amount of watching videos or reading up equals hands-on experience. You will get the hang of it if you practice enough with your heart in it. So where are your guinea pigs? :)

Is baking unhealthy? Egg less baking and Savory baking : Contrary to popular belief, baking is not always unhealthy as there are loads of healthy stuff you can bake. In fact, home baked 'junk' is far healthier than store-bought 'healthy' bake! There is plenty of healthy, lower fat and whole grain baking you could do.

Please do not compare homemade bakes with the ones we buy. They are loaded with preservatives and other things which may make them stay soft etc, but harmful to health.

Baking is not always about cakes, cookies and brownies.  If savory is your thing, you could bake a whole lot of breads, crackers, tarts, puffs,  muffins, appetizers etc to tickle your taste buds.

If you do not consume eggs, check https://gayathriscookspot.com/, Eggless Cooking, Versatile Kitchen and Divine Taste for some egg less recipes you could try. What you can bake at home, can't be bought at any store ( most of the times at least!). Most importantly, bake for the high you will get out of it. 

Home-baking allows you to bake to your taste and need, tastes much fresher than store bought and is infinitely rewarding and satisfying. So get your paraphernalia, don your aprons and have fun!

Pioneer Woman's Potato Parcels / Potato Bundles (Video Recipe)

You can also subscribe to my channel on YouTube. Click below to receive updates on new videos!

 OK!  I will give up on saying something very nice, just look sheepish and admit that I am one of those people who can't resist trying taters when it comes to appetizers /side dishes. Can't help it as potatoes are so versatile and I don't normally need to rush out to buy them. This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Cyndi's blog . I almost baked her coconut tart and chocolate cobbler but then I saw these delicious and easy Potato Bundles, Pioneer Woman's recipe. Yes!! Too simple for words and an easy guess, these are cubes of par-boiled potato tossed in herbs and seasoning, butter and cream ( yet another indulgent recipe from Ree Drummond!), wrapped in pieces of aluminum foil and baked in the oven till tender. Served steaming hot right in the foil, makes for an interesting appetizer / snack as well. See it as a nice fuss free accompaniment to your simple week-day meal or a delicious after school treat for your kids or for entertaining. These taste great warm and good even cold. So this could go in the school snack-box as well!

 Me and kids went on a short trip to our home-town recently and I baked these potatoes on a whim late in the evening. For those travel hunger pangs which are triggered by the sight of food stalls on the platforms at the railway station, not to mention the sight of co-passengers who eat their meal in the train. Predictably, my just-fed kids were 'starving' the moment the train started to move. Since I did not want to delay their sleep time, I had to give them the snack. How I would have loved to wait for folk to open their tall dabbas filled with all sorts of delicacies before I opened my little snack. Kind of revenge you see - just to see if their noses twitch at the aroma of oregano, garlic, potatoes and butter.  In case you are interested to know, I had no co-passengers with dabbas that day :(. But my kids enjoyed the potatoes thoroughly...now, who wouldn't unless its someone who hates potatoes?

Here is the very simple recipe, play around with the herbs, fresh or dried, use your choice of spices to make variations. You can find Cyndi's recipe here and Ree's recipe here  I have generally adapted the recipe, so the quantities Ree uses may be different. I guess these will taste good anyway as long as the potatoes are well cooked with enough seasoning and you do not skimp too much on the butter, so feel free to alter the quantities of the ingredients. A bit too much cream and longer baking time may make the potatoes a bit too soft, but they will certainly taste good! The quantities below worked well for me and I shall be using the same again. I have omitted the onion, par-boiled the potatoes briefly and then carried on with the rest of the procedure.

Ingredients: to make 4 modest servings
Potatoes - 300 grams, peeled and cubed ( about 2 cm cubes)
Grated fresh garlic - 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh cream - 2 tablespoons ( I used Amul)
Butter, softened - 2 tablespoons
Oregano seasoning or any dried herbs - 3/4 teaspoon
(If using fresh herbs you will need more)
Chilli flakes  and OR freshly ground pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C / 375 degrees F. Boil the potatoes for about 3-4 minutes on high heat. Your potatoes will be fork tender, but not cooked. Drain. Cool. In a large bowl, mix together the cream, butter, garlic and the seasoning. Mix in the potatoes ensuring they are evenly coated with the cream-butter mixture. Cut pieces of aluminum foil. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the middle of the foil pieces, wrap very well (with an overlap of foil on the top), secure the ends well to make parcels. Bake for 45 minutes or till very tender. Serve in the foil. Open after about 5 minutes as there will be steam inside.

The potatoes were tender, light golden at the bottom and very tasty! Thanks to Ree Drummond and to Cyndi, this will be a recipe I shall be making again and again!

Chocolate Truffles - From The Truffle Lady!

                                          
                                     Forget love - I would rather fall in chocolate!

Chocolatier, author and pastry chef  Alice Medrich is today world famous. Do you know she actually began her career with a hand-written recipe for cocoa dusted truffles given to her by her landlady in Paris, Madame Lestelle? She says, it was pure intense bittersweet pleasure which left her momentarily speechless.  Back in Berkeley, CA, USA, she introduced truffles, even as she continued her post graduate studies. She made French cakes and truffles at home and sold them at Pig-by-the-Tail Charcuterie. When her business grew too big for her home kitchen, she went on to open her own chocolate dessert shop, Cocolat., which eventually became a chain of 10 stores! Alice is credited with introducing truffles to America, creating a sensation, delighting her customers with the tiny chocolate dessert.

The original Cocolat recipe contains raw egg, but here is Alice's recipe for her favorite truffles. The egg here is heated adequately to prevent any risks associated with raw eggs. Just what I love - the richness eggs bring, but perfectly safe, not to mention delicious! I have tried the egg less ganache-like versions with chocolate and cream a few times, but I must admit, I found these truffles a fantastic and luxurious way of enjoying some bittersweet pleasure!

Do you know truffles are made mis-shaped to simulate real truffle fungus? The cocoa powder the truffles are rolled in are to simulate the dirt in which real truffles grow in. ( Not the most appealing of comparisons I would say!). However, truffles are also rolled in nuts, coconut or tempered chocolate. The flavoring used could be vanilla, espresso, herbs, spices... limited only to your imagination.

The recipe is fairly simple and quick, but an instant read thermometer is necessary equipment. A little bit of careful handling and your truffle mixture will be chilling in your fridge before you know!  I have made half the recipe given below.

Ingredients:( To get about 30 bite sized truffles)

Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped - 225 grams / 8 oz/ (read note)
Unsalted butter - 6 tablespoons / 3/4 stick / 84 grams aprox
Egg yolk, at room temperature - 1 / 18 grams
Boiling water - 1/4 cup
Pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Cocoa for dusting - 1/3 cup, preferably Dutch process
A note about the chocolate : You could use any domestic bittersweet or semisweet chocolate that does not have a percentage on the label (Thankfully!) or any brand marked 50-62%. If using chocolate marked 64-66%, use 6 0z chocolate. If using chocolate marked 70% , use 5 1/3 oz, dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in the hot water before adding it.

Procedure: Mise en place. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl (if using a microwave to melt the chocolate). Place the egg yolk in a small heat-proof cup ( I used a tallish steel tumbler). Make sure the water level comes halfway to the cup you would be placing in the skillet. At the same time, the cup should not be low enough for any hot water in the skillet to get in accidentally. Measure 1/4 cup of water and keep it ready on the stove to boil when needed. Do not try to add directly (as you measure at the same time) to the yolk as stopping stirring in between caused the egg to curdle when I made this the first time. Ouch!). Have a fine strainer suspended over a clean bowl. ( You will be refrigerating the truffle mixture in this bowl). Have a pair of tongs ready to hold the cup in place as you whisk. A fork to stir the egg, a spatula. Of course, your instant read thermometer.

Place the skillet of water on the stove, bring it to a gentle simmer, leave it on the lowest heat. Melt the chocolate and butter till smooth in the microwave or in the skillet of simmering water. Set aside. Slowly and gradually, stirring constantly, add the measured boiling water to the egg yolk in the cup. Set the cup in the skillet, stir constantly with the fork till the mixture thickens slightly  to the consistency of light cream. About a minute. Your instant read thermometer should register between 160 F and 165 F. Remove from the heat immediately and scrape the yolk over the chocolate.( which will be almost room temperature by now). Add the vanilla extract. Stir gently, without whisking or beating, just until the egg is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Pour through the strainer. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until firm - 2 hours or more.

To form the truffles, take a melon scooper or spoon, dip in hot water, wipe dry and scrape across the mixture or scoop out the mixture and form small 1'' balls. ( My mixture was not very hard, so scooping was fine, not sure if it had to chill more. If the mixture is very hard, keep it out room temperature till it softens a little) They must not be perfectly round. Take the cocoa in a large shallow bowl, drop the shaped truffles in them and shake to coat the truffles. Store the truffles tightly refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.

 Again, am not sure if the truffles I made were as firm as they are meant to be, but they sure were yumm and had a very nice mouth feel, almost disappearing quickly on the tongue! I am going to be making more of these and try more variations.


If chocolate is your pleasure, you must make these truffles!

Saffron Mango Kulfi - With Saffron Extract ( A Product Review)

Mangoes are perhaps the most loved and awaited fruit, at least in this country. And much before they start appearing, we are ready with a list of desserts to be tried during the season. From the very common but beloved aamras and puris to exotic, layered, set desserts, from the luxurious mango mascarpone cakes to the diet friendly froyos we want to try them all. Oh, why did this so very delicious fruit have to be seasonal? Perhaps, nature's way of helping us keep our (over)weight in check? :) The surprise but very welcome showers here are a great relief from the heat, but when did rains ever take the pleasure out of enjoying  ice creams and cold desserts?

Saffron is worth its weight in gold, pretty much a rich man's pantry ingredient, this luxury spice has been traditionally used in Indian cuisine since ages . Probably one of the few spices sold in packs of as less as a gram, saffron gives a wonderful aroma and rich color to food. I would have loved to use more of this and more often if not for the prohibitive price. Come to think of it, good quality saffron is not very commonly available either. So when Maitreyee Ghosh of VAV Sciences  sent me an email asking if I would like to try their saffron extract (something really new to me), could I really refuse?

As per the information provided on the VAV site, saffron extract is food grade extract of saffron where it is treated to enhance the natural flavor. You would need less of this liquid extract as compared to dry saffron strands to impart the same amount of flavor, hence making it relatively economical. Saffron extract can be stored for up to 24 months without loss of flavor. As this flavoring is in liquid form, its easier to measure as compared to saffron strands. As the saffron is in liquid form you could use it directly without having to soak in any liquid. I have tried using it in a cake too and it gave a lovely flavor, I would have loved to post a cake here and would have done so if I were not unhappy with the texture.

Kulfi is an all time favorite, being the easiest, fuss free and quickest in the ice-cream category. With the mangoes in season and with the saffron extract waiting to be used, it had to be Saffron Mango kulfi of course! With a half used tin of condensed milk and a bit of fresh cream to be quickly finished, this recipe seemed to be the one to try! The kulfi turned out to be creamy and dense and delicious of course, making this a recipe to be tried again.

                        
               

Recipe adapted from Tarla Dalal . I have used fresh cream in place of milk powder and reduced the sugar. In the original recipe, all ingredients (except the mango pulp) are combined and simmered for 10 minutes, then the pulp is whisked in, cooled. I have simmered and reduced the mixture, then carried on with the recipe.

Ingredients ( to make about 6 kulfis)

Milk - 500 ml / 2 cups plus 4 teaspoons to be precise!
Fresh cream - 1/4 cup ( I have used 25%, Amul)
Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup / 120 ml
Unsweetened thick mango pulp - 1 cup ( I used fresh)
Powdered sugar - 2 to 4 tablespoons ( vary to taste and sweetness of mangoes)
Saffron extract - scant 1/2 teaspoon ( please read note)
Toasted sliced almonds - 1/4 cup (optional)

Procedure: Take the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and boil on low heat till it is reduced to 1 1/2 cups. (Approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the heat given). Whisk in the condensed milk and cream. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Take off the heat. Cool completely. Whisk in the saffron extract and the mango pulp.  Taste and add powdered sugar if needed, remember  kulfi will taste slightly less sweeter when frozen. Whisk till it is homogenous. I whizzed it in the mixer for half a minute just to make sure the pulp is mixed well. Stir in the nuts if using. Pour into moulds and freeze till set and firm. Mine took about 5 hours.

To serve, dip a kitchen towel in hot water and wipe the mould with it for a few seconds. Invert and tap it sharply on the plate. Let stand for about 5 minutes if you like your kulfi slightly creamy when you dig in!

Please note: Hubby felt that the saffron flavor was a wee bit more, probably because of this, the mango flavor was relatively less. I will add less of saffron next time. Make sure you use good quality ripe mangoes for maximum flavor. Use cardamom and / or saffron for flavoring or omit the saffron and cardamom altogether. You could also add 2-3 tablespoons of unsweetened khoya/mawa when you simmer the milk mixture if you wish.

For more details on the saffron extract please get in touch with Maitreyee Ghosh at logistics at vav dot in

How To Tell At A Glance If My Bread Dough Has Doubled / How Do I know if My Dough Has Risen Enough

How To Tell At A Glance If My Bread Dough Has Doubled / How Do I know if My Dough Has Risen Enough. Watch my video!

Making your own dough rising bucket - big deal, hardly the greatest thing since the wheel! But I 'made' my dough bucket and thought its a very nice, if not really necessary thing to have. If you are new to baking yeast breads, yeast dough needs to be proofed till it has doubled, almost doubled etc. Since I am not a veteran bread baker (if you are one, please don't laugh!), what I normally do is place the dough in a container, stick a scale inside near the wall of the container, read the level. Then mark the level up to where it has to rise in order to double, proof till it reaches the mark. Works fine for me.

But when I saw dough rising buckets on some bakeware sites, I wishfully thought it would be really nice to have one. Then, made my own, one of those uber simple things which make you wonder why you did not do this before. Nothing very ingenious, but again, if you bake yeast breads, here is a nice, inexpensive but useful thing to have. Transparent food grade containers with lids, a permanent water-proof marker which works on plastic surfaces and a scale is all you need. And uh, maybe broad transparent adhesive tape to cover what you write, just in case the permanent marker turns out to be a temporary one.

So we first go to the nearby departmental store, buy a couple of suitable boxes. Maybe 2-3 sizes, for varying amounts of dough. I got 2. Naw, am lying, I got 3. I was scared I would probably draw a slanting line on the box and I would not be able to erase the 'permanent' mark. But my fears were completely unfounded. Nope, I did not draw a perfect straight line! I was able to easily erase the slanting line :(. So much for the permanent marker I got! Alright, slow me got another marker which read as water-proof, suitable for plastic, glass metal blah blah. The small ones for 1 1/2 cups of flour dough kind and a bigger one for more. Need enough space for dough to rise till double and still have more space left.

So wash and dry the containers. In the worst case and the poorest marker, we can use the markings at least once when we take pictures. And re-write with a better marker later! And cover with tape. Just to be sure.

I like to read the dough level in centimeters, so have marked accordingly, 1/2 a centimeter and 1 centimeter readings. Suit yourself. A straight line first.  My Math teacher will be proud of me (hopefully) - I start marking from where the scale reads 0 centimeters, then go on till the rim of the container. Allow it to dry, resist from testing the quality of the marker. Pictures first. Hardly a life-threatening situation, but take the risk later.

In goes my dough, press down gently to make it flat. Reads 4 cm. Either mark level (unbelievably, people like me actually tend to forget simple single digit numbers like 4!) with colored insulated tape kind of thing or make a note somewhere (avoid scribbling on your palm), preferably in a nice place like your baking book or recipe print-out.  And yeah, cover the lid. Keep in a warm place.

Now, when my dough reaches 8, yeah, 4+ 4 its time to put it in the pan! You could actually laze on the couch and ask your kids to tell you the reading. For all the holiday stress, this this the least they can do for you ;-). Its such a pleasure to not be in doubt whether the dough has doubled!

Please note : Let the dough proof covered with the lid closed slightly ajar, keep the bucket in a warm spot or in the refrigerator as specified in the recipe. Note down the time your dough takes to double. After you shape the bread, your dough will take approximately the same time to double again, sometimes a bit earlier too. If you press your fingertip into the dough and the indentation remains, you know it has doubled. Always follow recipe instructions. 

Now that I have shared my hi-tech bucket idea with you, could you please tell me fool-proof ways or things to permanently mark plastic with? Indelible ink? May be next time I go to cast my vote, I should bribe someone there to give me just 10 ml of that ink? How about black nail polish? Tell me!

Granola Bars (Eggless) - With Video

Sweet and nutty being just our kind of thing, granola  is always a welcome snack. The sweeter version of granola, granola bars can only be more welcome as a delicious, on-the-go snack .But of course, I must be vain and tell you that I don't care much for the ready sugar-loaded 'health' bars with a dis-proportionate amount of rice krispies, almost no nuts, sometimes slathered with milk chocolate.

There are imported brands which are good but burn a hole in the pocket? Honestly, I haven't cared enough to search or splurge on these. Like a lot of us, I would rather make my own. Even if just the nuts burn a small hole in my pocket. We love nuts, so please don't even tell me you have a recipe for granola bars without nuts, I would not enjoy that as much. But I do wish baking 16 bars of nutritious bars don't feel like  luxury! Oh yes! just when you thought you have heard all my pet-peeves - power cuts, small ovens, elusive baking ingredients and impish kids, I am now cribbing about how expensive baking nut-loaded goodies I find. Specially when the goodies are easy to bake and don't last very long!

 I have baked these chewy granola bars from Deeba's PAB a couple of times, once with less nuts, more of oats. Once by mistake added double the amount of oatmeal specified in the recipe. And once almost the same recipe proportions. And each time, the texture was different, but they were always tasty! The bars with more of oatmeal gave me slightly crunchy bars, the bars with the original amount of oatmeal were soft and chewy, think the texture of coconut fudge ( traditionally made on the stove-top).

Lending itself to a lot of variations, these bars are great to play around with. I have used more of nuts, less of dried fruit (chopped dates) and some unsweetened coconut flakes. I prefer less of dried fruit as I wanted the bars just about sweet without tweaking the amount of other sweeteners. I had once used raisins in my granola and granola bars, but did not like the way they tasted after they were baked.  I shall be trying the bars with chocolate chips on popular demand (from  the kids of course!). But I shall then leave out any dried fruit to maintain the same level of sweetness.

Chewy Granola Bars, adapted from PAB , recipe from SK original recipe from KAF .Whew, but three of my fav sites in one post!

I have halved the original recipe as I wanted thinner bars, used less of dried fruit. The rest of the recipe proportions are the same as Deeba's, except for the omission of peanut butter. The texture and taste again being a matter of personal taste and preference, you may need to experiment a bit to find out what you like best.

Ingredients:

Oats ( I have used Quaker quick cooking oats, read note) - (1/2 + 1/3 cup)  70 grams
Ground oats - 15 grams (aprox 2 tablespoons)
Chopped nuts - 90 grams
Chopped dates - 50 grams
Unsweetened coconut flakes - 40 grams / 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar -  50 grams
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Corn syrup - 1 tablespoon (or use 1 tbsp more honey, skip the corn syrup)
Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 1/2 tablespoon

Procedure: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and line a 8'' square tin with baking parchment leaving an overhang. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together all the wet ingredients in another. (Measure the oil first, then honey and corn syrup for ease) Combine the two, mix with a spatula. The mixture may appear to be dry when you begin to mix, but will gradually come together. It will be wet but still crumbly (If you use peanut butter, it may be less crumbly).

Transfer the mixture to the baking tin, move the mixture to cover the pan, press down firmly with the spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes, till the edges turn golden brown and the top slightly golden. The center and a bit of area around the center will feel soft and you may think its undercooked, but the bars will set as they cool. If using PB, and if using butter in place in place of oil the baking time could be more. Goes without saying, if doubling the recipe and baking in an 8'' square pan, your baking time will be more (30-35 mins) and the bars thicker.

Cool the bars in the pan on a rack for about 5 minutes. Cut the bars when they are still warm as they will be difficult to cut when they cool, set and harden slightly. Use a dough scraper to help cut easily. Cool the bars completely on the rack, store. You could store them wrapped individually or in a single layer in a box. If storing in layers, use parchment in between. The bars are best stored in the fridge in humid weather, these freeze very well.

My notes:
Nuts: I have used different combinations of cashew, pistachios, walnuts and almonds (I just put them all in a a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin) sunflower seeds, melon seeds. More suggestions as given in the original recipe are chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries or apples, or even chocolate chips.
  
Oats: I like to put the oats in a colander and shake off the almost floury part and then weigh/measure.

Corn syrup - I have used light corn syrup, you could try getting this at Nilgiris, the Brigade Road outlet had this. Or try substituting with liquid glucose (available at GFA) . The recipe on the KAF site uses sticky bun sugar, the suggested close substitute is a mixture of sugar, corn syrup and melted butter, Deeba has changed the recipe accordingly.

Thanks Deeba for this recipe, my oats-disliking daughter loves these bars, son keeps hinting that he can eat something  'healthy, quick and delicious' before he goes to plays cricket! My mother loved these as they remind her of Antina Unde (Gaund Ke Laddoo) .. may be the combination of coconut, nuts and dates at work?