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!

Whole Wheat Carrot & Pineapple Cake

A good carrot cake is meant to be eaten throughout the year, seasons are just an added excuse!  Or so thinks yours truly!

The last of the bits and pieces of Ottolenghi's Carrot Cake stashed away in the freezer were devoured long ago. Winter came and went, I almost could taste and smell the cake whenever I saw carrots. Coconut, nuts, carrots and spices, irresistible! But life has been a tad busy of late and I did not get a chance to bake that cake again. Thank God for fresh carrots all year round, I finally got some to bake a cake. Only this time around it had to be a healthier, easier version I could bake more often.
 

The 100% whole wheat carrot cake page in the King Arthur Whole Grain Book has been thumbed often enough, so I really wasn't searching for a recipe. And when the cake promises to be one which is hard to tell as whole wheat, I have no second thoughts! Delivering what it promises, it indeed is a delightful cake with a surprisingly tender crumb. Succulent pineapple bits make a lovely addition. Very soft and so good warm, I had to remind hubby and son that I still had to take some pictures. The advantage of baking a cake in a square tin, you can actually taste the cake before you take the mandatory pictures!  

What's even better is, it's a simple and easy cake to bake. I like these cakes plain, dress it up with cream cheese frosting if you wish!  

Watch the video! 

For best results, do not make any changes to the recipe. Use the right tools, pan size and ingredients. 

You can find some product suggestions on my Amazon Storefront here.

Ingredients :

Eggs - 2 large / 100 grams (without shell)

Vegetable oil - 3/4 cup / 180 ml

Grated orange zest - 1 teaspoon

Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Sugar - 3/4 cup / 150 grams, powdered (weigh and then process). Use 1/2 cup/100 grams for a just about sweet cake

Brown sugar - 1/4 cup / 50 grams

Whole wheat flour - 112 grams

Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon

Salt - a pinch

Ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

Ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon

Finely grated carrots - 1 1/4 cup approximately / 122 grams

Pecans or walnuts or cashew nuts, chopped and toasted - 1/2 cup (or more)

Unsweetened shredded coconut - 1/2 cup / 40 grams

Pineapple bits ( I used canned) - generous 1/2 to 1 cup

Cream cheese Frosting ( Optional )

Unsalted butter, at room temperature - 3 tablespoons /

Cream cheese, at room temperature - 4 oz 

Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon

Confectioner's sugar - 2 cups/ 225 grams, sifted

Chopped nuts - 1/2 cup, optional

Milk - 1-2 tablespoons

Method:

• Pre-heat  oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line an 8'' square tin with baking parchment, grease lightly. You could alternatively use a 9'' or 8'' round tin or a 9x13 pan for double the recipe. The baking time will vary.

• Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt. Set aside.

• In a medium sized bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs on the lowest speed for about 30 seconds. Add the oil, vanilla and orange zest, beat 30 seconds again.

• Tip in the sugar, beat again just to incorporate, about 30 seconds.  Add the flour, beat 30 seconds on low speed till smooth. Using a spatula, mix in the carrots, pineapple bits, coconut and nuts.

• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Cooling it for a few hours should give you neater slices. 
• 
  
• Dust with confectioner's sugar or frost with cream cheese, both entirely optional.

Cream cheese frosting

Combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat them together till light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. Stir in the nuts, then the milk, a little at a time, till the frosting is of a spreadable consistency. 

Please note: 

Spices : The recommended amount of spices is 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. I used lesser(above) and used cloves in place of the nutmeg. I may add about 1/8 teaspoon more cinnamon next time.

You can use 1 cup raisins in place of  half of 8 oz can pineapple bits, but the cake will not be as moist.

Baking time :  8'' round - 30-35 minutes

9'' round - 35-40 minutes

Sheet cake - 45-50 minutes.


This tasty cake, I know will be made regularly to feed the sweet tooth of the foodie son and the fruit-cake loving hubby.  Now, we can't really deprive the baker of her slice. Right?

Forgive me for me being irregular, hope to be around more often! So, what's baking in your home to feed the exam fervor?

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You will be paying the same price as mentioned on the website, there will not be any variation here. This commission will help me with me costs of running the blog and channel and bring out more videos for you. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

My First Ever Video! How To Use A Convection Microwave - Courtesy Videogyan

This is my first ever video and am really excited to put it up on You Tube! Since ages, I had been wanting to make one on How To Use A Convection Microwave, the most popular post on my blog. So when Videogyan , one of the leading makers of kids animation videos in the world, gave me the much needed push and support, I had to make it! It all happened so quickly and we shot with barely any time to plan. I was a bundle of nerves as the video will tell you!  But it was great fun and I loved every moment of it. It also made me realize the kind of time and effort that goes into the making of videos. I look at movie makers with more respect now! 

My sincere thanks to Ranga Rao Tatti, Vishal Tatti and the rest of Team Videogyan for all the help and support. Hopefully this will pave the way to the beginning of a series. Fingers crossed as of now! I hope you will watch the video and let me know your thoughts on it. Despite the awkwardness and the cat-dragged-me-in look, I hope you will find the video helpful.  

Thanks to each of you for being part of my blogging journey, hope to continue to get the same love and support as always!

Separating Eggs, How To Whip Egg Whites

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In continuation of my previous post
Eggy Snippets, comes this post on separating eggs and whipping egg whites. As we know, egg whites whipped right (and folded in right) can make a great deal of  difference to the texture of bakes like chiffon cakes, angel food cakes, French macarons and meringue cookies. In order to whip egg whites properly, separating eggs neatly would be the first step.

Separating eggs means separating the yolks from the whites. When we separate eggs for whipping them, we need to be sure the whites do not have even a trace of yolk in them. Yolk is grease and it will prevent the whites from whipping up to their full volume and stiffness. 

Do not attempt beating egg whites on a humid day !

Cold eggs separate more easily.  If separating eggs for the first time, separate when cold. You can bring the whites to room temperature and then whip as they whip better at room temperature. If you are in a hurry, place the bowl of whites in a larger bowl of warm (not hot) water, careful not to get water into the whites. It is OK if the whites are warm.
 
Weight : One large egg white weighs 30 grams. If you recipe calls for 4 whites, have at least 6 - 8 eggs on hand. 

Getting ready to separate eggs : If this is for whipping egg whites, you need to be doubly sure that everything you use to store, weigh or scrape them with are free of grease. This includes your work surface, the weighing bowl, the spatula,  bowls, spoons, the blades of your hand mixer, your dish cloth, the bowl you will whip them in and of course your hands! A non-plastic bowl is good, copper is supposed to be the best, you could use glass too. I use steel. Wash all of the above obsessively and dry them well with a clean dish cloth. Washing them with vinegar is supposed to work well to help remove any traces of grease.

Have one smaller bowl to drop the yolks in. 2 more squeaky clean ones to drop the whites in. Spread a clean newspaper on the table or counter. 

Cracking the eggs neatly is the first step. If you insist on cracking them on the counter or any available surface, you may need to have omelets for the next meal. Hold the egg in one hand, use a spoon to gently crack the egg in the middle. Break it apart gently but decisively. Hopefully there should be a whole neat yolk sitting in one half of the shell.

Now drop the whites in the other half into a clean bowl. Cup your right hand, pour the egg yolk into it, let any whites flow down into the clean bowl. Gently drop the egg yolk into the designated bowl. Repeat. If you would be separating a large number of eggs, it would be a good idea to drop the whites of each egg into a bowl first, be sure its clear and then pour it into the rest of the whites. Otherwise even if one of the egg whites is muddled with some yolk, you will end up repeating the whole exercise with more eggs! Practice this when you make omelets!

How do I get rid of that bit of yolk? Use a piece of egg shell to remove that tiny bit of yolk in the otherwise clear whites. Once you have separated the approximate number of whites, weigh them and proceed.  

Cream of tartar : This whitish powder helps whip eggs to a good volume and helps avoid over whipping. The ideal proportion according to Rose Levy Beranbaum is 1/8 teaspoon for each white. If you do not have cream of tartar, try using fresh lime juice in the same quantity.

Tool for beating : A hand mixer is works well, but am sure a stand mixer will be even better. I have never attempted with a wire whisk, but it won't be as quick or easy for sure!

Now to beat the egg whites : Please watch this video (after 4 minutes into the video) of Rose Beranbaum to get a better idea. Take the whites in a wide clean bowl. Start with your hand mixer on low speed. When it starts turning foamy, add the cream of tartar. If you add it beforehand, the whites will not foam. Once you add the cream of tartar or lemon juice, continue to beat gradually increasing the speed to medium high. When the beater marks show distinctly and soft peaks form, add the  sugar you have reserved (the quantity will be mentioned in the recipe). 

You could add the sugar beforehand, but whites whip faster to soft peaks without the sugar. Continue beating for a minute more till the whites form stiff peaks. To check, stop your mixer, slowly lift the beaters from the whites, you should be able to see peaks which stand straight. If they droop right away and fall back, you have to beat a little more. Be careful here, stop and check after a minute or so, as you do not want to beat the egg whites till they dry out. If they dry out, it will not easy to incorporate into the batter and your cake will not be light. Once the whites are whipped to the stage specified, use as directed in the recipe. 

Again, speeds on different blenders may vary, so go by what you see! 

  
Tools for folding in whites : Use a large silicon spatula or a slotted skimmer or a balloon whisk, whatever works best for you.

More bits : Some recipes direct you to add the sugar slowly, it is important to add it slowly taking the time specified. If you rush it, your meringue may not be as light.

In some recipes like meringue cookies, part of the sugar is meant to remain undissolved. So it is folded in towards the end. This apparently produces tender meringue as opposed to hard ones. In most recipes, the whipped whites are dumped on top of the rest of the batter and folded in.  If you did the other way round, the whites will deflate a lot more. While making French macarons, the dry ingredients (sugar and nut mixture) are dumped on top of the meringue. Please follow the recipe instructions. 

 Please do read the previous post to get a clearer picture. Whipped egg whites open up so many more possibilities in baking and desserts.  Have fun with meringue, try these Orange Glow Chiffon Cake, Queen Of Sheba, Flourless Coffee Almond Cookies .

Bele Chutney Pudi

If you live in Karnataka, you are no stranger to Chutney Pudi. Pudi means powder, so this is roughly, chutney in powder form for you. You will always find a big box of this on the kitchen shelves of every self-respecting Kannadiga, albeit different versions and different recipes. Most plates of steaming fluffy idlis and crispy dosas have a tiny heap of this powder along side the chutney (the wet kind) and sambhar. 

Some of us from the North of Karnataka will be miffed at the idea of eating avalakki vaggarane, mandakki vaggarane, and uppittu (upma) without chutney pudi. No actually, we eat chutney pudi with uppittu and avalakki. To the extent, my mother gets annoyed every time there is a holler for some more chutney pudi.  ''We need a person to manufacture only this pudi exclusively for this household!!''  you can often hear her grumble. Not that anyone ever sacrifices a second and third serving  to placate her! 

All wedding preparations start with the making of kilos of chutney pudi and menthyada hittu, another versatile, very flavorful but bland powder made with mixed lentils. Mention wedding preparations at home and you can bet your next dose of filter coffee, at least one person around will ask " Is the chutney pudi and menthyada hittu ready? These are packed in covers, small ones for guests, big ones for close family ; )  along with chakli, mandakki unde and other snacks to be given along with the tambula and the mandatory 'return gift'. Of course, there is invariably feedback, comments and ratings on these from folks who receive them! 

And then there is the small army of people you need to feed in a wedding household. Having chutney pudi and menthyada hittu around is a life saver as it fills up any empty spaces on the plantain leaf. Often after the first 'batch' of dinner is served, you can hear the kitchen in-charge for the evening (one of the elderly Aunts mostly) whispering about an unexpected shortage of rasam/sambar/ kootu . No panic! We will serve some chutney pudi! Hungry kids bawling for a snack or (more) visitors in the bedlam? There will be a huge box of chutney pudi avalakki (a dry snack made with rice flakes) and the usual snacks all ready. I am too lazy to grind chutney for the dosa / idli today? No worries, we will eat it with the pudi doused in oil or melted ghee. Oh did I mention, its also heavenly mixed with hot rice and a dollop of ghee! 

I know by now, it is all coming out of your ears. But this is one tongue tickling spicy pudi we all love to have around. Handy, spicy, versatile, lip-smacking. Time consuming yes, but keeps well. If your mother or mother-in-law or 'expert' Aunt doesn't pack pouches of this for you, and you don't already have that family heirloom recipe, here is how my mother makes it. 

Bele Chutney Pudi

This version is called Bele Chutney Pudi  as it is made with a larger proportion of lentils, making it a healthier, protein rich one. This is a rough guide (OK Amma  eye balled and I measured it, hence the odd measures),  do go by your taste,  please refer the note below.

Ingredients (makes a generous 5- 6 cups or more) 

Chana dal -  2.75 cups

Urad Dal - 1.5 cups

Peanuts - 1 cup

Dry coconut - 1 large, grated

Red chilli powder - 1/2 heaping cup (or more)

Peanut or vegetable oil - 8-10 tablespoons

Hing - 1.5 teaspoons

Jeera - 2 tablespoons

Coriander seeds  - 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves, washed and dried. - 1 cup loosely packed

Tamarind - 1 large lemon sized ball

Jaggery roughly bashed and measured - 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method : Measure and set aside all ingredients separately. In a heavy pan, dry roast each ingredient on low heat separately till light golden and aromatic. Cool on separate plates. Grind the chana dal, urad dal, coriander, jeera and peanuts one by one till slightly coarse. Dump in a large vessel. Toast the coconut till light golden, curry leaves till crisp. Warm the tamarind till it is slightly crisp. 

Take a small portion (about a cup) of the ground lentils, add the tamarind, curry leaves and process till fine. Then add the coconut and process very briefly till it is done, do not over do or it will turn oily. 

Roughly mix together all of the above ground ingredients, add the jaggery and grind again very briefly just to combine. 

Heat the oil, switch off once hot, reserve 2 tablespoons of it. When it is just barely warm, add the chilli powder and hing.  Mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients with your hands adding salt to taste. The powder should not be very dry. Add the reserved oil if needed. Store airtight.

Please  note : Too much urad dal will make the pudi smell odd, the proportion of chana dal needs to be almost double this. You can use more of peanuts and coconut, but then you may need less oil later. Be sure the hing is strong and of good quality. Do not shy away from using enough chilli  powder and the spices, or your pudi may taste bland.

Strawberry Quark Cream Cake

                                Birthdays are nature's way of saying eat more cake! 

So it was hubby's birthday last week and of course there had to be cake! With the pretty blush of strawberries dotting the carts and supermarket aisles all around,  a strawberry cake was waiting to happen. Baking layered cakes is fun but involves time and effort.  Nothing that can't be planned ahead and spread over a couple of days to make it easier though. If you want homemade quark in the filling, pre-planning is absolutely necessary. I made the quark first (you will need at least 40 plus hours for this!), baked the sponges later,  struggled to get neat layers (and failed), made and filled the strawberry filling the next day. Let it sit in the fridge a good 16 hours and decorated it on the birthday.  Turned out to be a light and moist, slightly tangy, relatively low fat Strawberry Quark Cream Cake we enjoyed.

This sponge has been a favorite,  one I have been using since ages.  About time I stopped just saying and actually tried a new recipe ! Finally tried a slightly more substantial fat less sponge from Deeba's blog.  The eggs are warmed over simmering water and then beaten,  a touch of baking powder lightens the cake.  Love these sponges as nothing soaks and holds up syrup better. If you are yet to try one of these, please do! I like having pieces of this cake in my freezer for trifles and would probably store whole ones too if I had a freezer big enough!  

Strawberry Quark Cream Cake

Ingredients:

For the sponge from here: ( You will need 2 of these if you want a large 6 layered cake)

• Eggs - 4 large / 192 grams 
• Sugar  - 100 grams, I used powdered, Deeba uses granulated
• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Plain flour - 100 grams
• Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon
• pinch salt

For the Strawberry Puree

Fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped roughly - 12-15 

Butter - 1 teaspoon

Sugar - 3-4 tablespoons (adjust depending on the tartness of strawberries)

Vanilla bean - 1/2 scraped

Strawberry Quark Cream (You may need all of this baking a 6 a layered cake, better more than less)

Strawberry puree - 1/2 cup

Homemade Quark- 2 cups (from about 1 liter milk) 

Sweetened Whipping cream ( I use non-dairy) - 2 cups (to make 4 cups of whipped cream)

Powdered sugar - about 1/3 to 1/2 cup as needed depending on the proportion of quark to cream

Vanilla extract - 2 teaspoons
Pink Gel color - a couple of streaks (optional)

Simple syrup 

Water (1 1/2 cups) and sugar ( 3/4 cup) heated together. Cool and stir in a bit of vanilla. Make more if needed.

Method to make the sponge :  

It would help to remember that it is most important to whip the eggs to the specified stage and so is folding in the flour right. The baking powder helps make the sponge lighter, a saving grace! I need more practice, it petrifies me each time! Watch this and this video of Rose Levy Beranbaum if you will baking this kind of sponge for the first time. 

• Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 9'' (Deeba uses 8'' loose bottomed tins) round baking tin with parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides, dust sides lightly with flour.
• Make 1 sponge at a time 
• Sift the baking powder, salt and flour together. Set aside.
• Place the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a large steel bowl. The bowl should sit snugly in a preferably heavy, sturdy bowl with a handle. I used my pressure cooker.  The bowl with the eggs should not touch the hot water in the bowl below. 
• Whisking constantly, heat until the eggs are slightly warm to the touch (it was about 102 F on my instant read thermometer)
• Take off the heat. Using a hand mixer on highest speed, beat the eggs until they have tripled in volume, and become very thick and mousse like, 5-8 minutes. 
• Sift 1/3 of the flour over the eggs, fold in with a large spatula or slotted skimmer gently till you see most of the flour disappear. Repeat with 1/3 more of the flour. Add the remaining flour and fold in making sure all flour is mixed thoroughly with no lumps. Please do watch Rose's videos for this technique. 
• Turn batter into the tin (do NOT rap the tin) and bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly colored and a tester comes out clean. If in doubt, err on the side of over baking slightly.
• Run a sharp knife around the sides to release the cake, immediately invert it on a rack, then re-invert so that the cake cools top crust up. When completely cool, trim the top and bottom crusts, cut the cake into 2 or 3 layers as needed. If you do not trim the crust, the syrup won't be absorbed well. 

For the fresh  strawberry puree / compote - To make a generous half cup

Put all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes till the mixture is thick and syrupy. Be sure this is not watery as it will thin your cream. Mash roughly with a fork to keep it chunky or puree in a blender for a smoother puree. 

Strawberry Quark Cream 

Whisk the quark, vanilla and powdered sugar till well blended. Fold in the strawberry puree. Mix in half cup of whipped cream to lighten the mixture.  Gently fold in the whipped cream in the proportion you desire. ( Try with a tablespoon of quark, sugar, 2 tablespoons whipped cream and some puree to get an idea about the proportion you will prefer. More quark makes the cream tangier as the puree will be tangy too. Use sugar as needed)

To assemble :

Place one layer of the sponge on a platter, brush the simple syrup over it, making sure it is thoroughly moistened or the cake will be dry. Dollop some cream in the center, spread evenly using an offset spatula. ( I will never learn this in a 100 years!!) Repeat with two more layers. Frost the top and sides. There are always chocolate collars to the rescue! Chill at least overnight or even up to a day to let the flavors meld. Decorate as you wish. Serve chilled. 

Please note : If making this sponge first time, it s a good idea to use the extra layer of cake to test how much syrup it will absorb. Brush and chill, top with some cream, chill for an hour or so, then check the taste and texture.  Alter the amount of sugar in the syrup if needed. The sponge will be moist but not soggy or pasty. One of the layers here is very similar sponge from Roland Mesnier. Deeba's is easier and faster. 

The fresh strawberry puree lent a nice but subtle flavor and tang to the filling. If strawberries aren't quite your thing, just wait for the mangoes to arrive or use chopped ripe sweet kiwi fruit instead (do not cook either fruit). That should be delicious too!  

Adore strawberries and love tangy sweet ? Try this cake before the season is over! I liked the sponge too, a Tres Leches next perhaps?

Easiest Dark Chocolate Brownies - Easy Baking For Beginners

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

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

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

Helene's Brownies - Adapted from David Lebovitz. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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