Chocolates & Dreams

Another month of deliciousness! The Secret Recipe Club is back again. The SRC as we love to call it, is a group of blogger who come together every Monday of the month to reveal delicious mouth-watering delicacies they have been making in their kitchens. So, you wonder, isn’t that what food bloggers do? But this is the interesting part; the delicacies come from the blog we are assigned every month. Interesting! Go HERE to know all about it.
This month’s assignment was Cyndi’s Recipes. A delicious blog, with an amazing collection of mouth watering delicacies. After going throw her blog for days, and choosing a new recipe every day, I finally found a soul soother. I choose to make the delicious Chocolate Lava Muffins http://cyndisrecipes.blogspot.in/2006/01/chocolate-lava-muffins.html.
But first a little about Cyndi. In her own words, “So many places to see. So many pieces to stitch. So many foods to eat. Never enough time.” Could anyone have described their passions better? And her passions come out through 9 different blogs that she manages. Wow! Hats Off to you! Go visit all her blogs from HERE.
And now back to chocolaty gooey goodness ….
Chocolate Lava Muffins : -
Recipe from : Cyndi’s Recipes
Notes :
•My first batch of muffins set all the way. I had baked them for almost 13 minutes.
•In the second round I baked the muffins for 10 minutes. At this point just the center is not set. Turn on the heat. The center will set in the next 10 seconds. Quickly take out the muffin and serve.
•Another thing that I noticed was that as soon as the muffin comes out of the oven it sink with a minute. So be ready to jump right in.
•WARNING : Don’t put the muffin into your mouth immediately. That will burn you. Just cut the muffin and enjoy the gooey goodness spill all over the plate. You can lick it off later. What fulfillment ….
Dark Chocolate 1 cup
Butter (softened) 60 grams
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Flour 1 ½ tbsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Brown Sugar ¼ cup
Eggs 2
•Preheat the oven at 190C for 10 minutes. Grease and line one 6 cup muffin tray.
•While the oven is preheating mix the dark chocolate, butter and vanilla essence in a microwave safe bowl and melt the mix. Just put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and give it a mix. Put it back and heat another 30 seconds.
•Add in the sugar, flour and salt. Mix well.
•Now mix 1 egg at a time.
•Pour the mix equally amongst the 6 cups and bake for 10 – 13 minutes.
•What worked best for me was to bake the muffins for the first 10 minutes and then watch them rise. As soon as the top is set take them out.
Makes : 6.
Enjoy ! ! !

I had hardly gotten over the sadness of missing out on making the delicious Povitica in the last month’s challenge when the November challenge was announced.
The simple reason why I look forward to every Daring Bakers Challenge is that it gets better with every passing month. Like old wine, this challenge matures and presents us bakers with amazing surprises & unique desserts.
This month Catherine of Munchie Musing challenged us to make Sans Rival. Born to a Philipina mother & British father she is in the process of getting closer to Philippine culture cooking. What could have been a better way to sharing her experiences and experiments than to challenge us to something deliciously Philippine.
The meaning of the word Sans Rival simply means “Without Rival”. The dessert is Philippine but has its origins in France. This delicious cake is full of the goodness of cashews that are incorporated into a meringue base which forms a Dacquiose. It is then baked dry until the base is crisp and then iced with a rich & delicious French butter cream.
This delicious Sans Rival is unique & different from anything that I have tasted before and is truly “Without Rival”.
To see all the other amazing creations go HERE.
Sans Rival :-
Notes :
•It is very important that you brush the parchment paper with oil. It is really helpful when you peel it off the Dacquiose.
•Don’t grind the nuts to fine flour. They taste much better when they are grainy. They add to the crunch of the cake.
•Remove the Dacquiose from the oven once done & immediately remove the parchment paper. It is almost impossible to take it off when cold.
•Ensure that you bake the Dacquiose to a nice crisp layer or else it will stick to the parchment paper. Every over bakes differently so keep the time as a bench mark but do bake a little more if it seems soft in the centre.
•Once cool the layers become crispier.
•If you have a small oven and will be baking the layers one at time I would suggest mixing the batter in two rounds. The meringue looses all it air if left out for too long. That is what happened in my case. But the time I was ready to bake the 4th layer the meringue was a watery mess. My last layer was a complete waste.
•I have halved the recipe from the original so it can be doubled easily.
Large egg whites, room temperature 5
White sugar ½ cup
Cream of tartar/White vinegar/Lemon juice ½ tsp (I used vinegar)
Cocoa 1/8 cup (optional and not traditional)
Chopped, toasted cashews 120 grams
•Preheat oven to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3.
•Line the baking dish base with parchment paper and butter and flour the sides really well.
•In a large, clean & dry glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cream of tartar/vinegar/lemon juice. Sprinkling this helps to build in more air into the egg whites and makes them fluffier.
•Gradually add in the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Continue to beat at a high speed until stiff shiny peaks form, about 7-10 minutes.
•Once done fold in the cashew flour slowly. Make sure that you set aside some of the cashews for decoration.
•Now divide the Dacquiose into four equal portions. Bake each for at least 30 minutes or till it turns a beautiful golden brown.
•Remove and quickly take out of the baking dish & remove the parchment paper. Let the baking dish cool completely if reusing.
French Butter Cream :-
Notes:
•Thread Stage: Drops of sugar syrup when dropped into a bowl of cold water form thin threads, this is the thread stage. When using a candy thermometer the temperature should reach 235F/112C.
•It is best to make the butter cream while the layers of cake are baking as it needs setting time before it is spreadable.
Large egg yolks, room temperature 3
White sugar ¼ - ½ cup
Water 1/8 cup
Butter, room temperature 80 grams
Optional Flavorings:
Unsweetened chocolate, melted 50 grams
OR Almond essence ¾ tsp
OR Vanilla essence ¾ tsp
•Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat at high speed until the yolks have doubled in volume and are lemon yellow in colour.
•Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring the sides down until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup has reached the thread stage. (See notes above)
•With the mixer on high, very slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl, until all of it has been incorporated. Be very careful as the syrup is hot and could burn you if it splashes from the beater.
•Continue beating on high until the mixture reaches ROOM TEMPERATURE, about 15 minutes.
•Beating on high, add in the soft, room temperature butter a tablespoon at a time till all of it is incorporated.
•Add the flavoring after you beat in the butter.
•Refrigerate the butter cream for at least an hour, and whip it smooth just before you use it.
Assembling :-
Place the 1st layer of cake and cover with butter cream, repeat the same till all the layers are done and then ice and decorate the cake with the remaining butter cream & reserved cashews.
Serves : 8.

Enjoy ! ! !

After a chocolate filled challenge last month the Daring Bakers presented an equally alluring challenge in September. Sarah challenged us to make Croissants this month. Buttery, flaky & filled with sweet or savory treats Daring Bakers gets better with every passing month.
Sourced from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 by Julia Child and Simone Beck this recipe was a dream come true for me. I had always dreamt of making croissants at home but had never had the motivation or the courage to give it a try, after having said that I have already made 2 batches this month & there is more to come.
The only challenge is that these take a very long time to make. The hand on time is limited to less than 2 hours but the resting is time consuming & necessary. This can be made over a period of 12 hours, 2 days or even 3 days. So give it your time & patience once and the second time will be like a breeze.You can go HERE to see all the beautiful creations this month. Here is a small but helpful chart of the minimum time required as given to us by Sarah.
Preparation time: In total, 12 hours.
Making dough, 10 minutes
First rise, 3 hours
Kneading and folding, 10 minutes
Second rise, 1.5 hours (or overnight in the fridge)
Rolling in the butter (turns one and two), 25 minutes
First rest, 2 hours
Turns three and four, 20 minutes
Second rest, 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge)
Forming croissants, 30 minutes
Final rise, 1 hour (or longer in the fridge)
Baking, 15 minutes 

Croissants :-
Notes :
•Be very particular about the kind of yeast that you use. It is best to buy fresh yeast as it makes a lot of difference to the dough.
•While rolling you will need to keep using flour, do not hesitate, it is important to keep the butter inside the layers and for that you will need flour.
•Sarah highly recommended that the recipe be made as it is once. I completely agree with her. The buttery, flaky croissant can be had plain with a cup of tea or coffee. The flavours are perfect and what I would suggest for fun is to use flavoured butter.
•Go wild with your filling. Sweet or savory, the choice is yours & the options are limitless.
•Baked Croissants are best eaten the day they are made. They will survive till the next day in a sealed container. If they seem a little stale, quickly refreshed by warming them in the oven.
•Unbaked Croissants should be frozen after shaped and before the last rise. Shape them, put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze. Once frozen, you can put them into a freezer Ziplock bag or other freezer container. When you want to bake them, take them out, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow them to thaw completely and proof one more time – meaning, don’t bake them when they hit room temp., wait until they have risen again before baking. Bake them as you would normally.

Fresh yeast 1 ¾ tsp or Dry-active yeast 1 ¼ tsp (I used dry-active)
Warm water 3 tbsp (10 seconds in the microwave)
Sugar 1tsp
Flour 1 ¾ cup (I used maida)
Sugar 2 tsp
Salt 1 ½ tsp
Milk ½ cup
Refined oil 2 tbsp
Butter, chilled 100 grams
Egg 1 + 1 tsp water (for egg wash)
•Mix the yeast, warm water, and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for the yeast and sugar to dissolve and the yeast to foam up a little. I usually put it back in the microwave for the warmth.
•Heat the milk until lukewarm, and dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar.
•Place the flour in a large bowl.
•Add the oil, yeast mixture, and milk mixture to the flour. Using a rubber spatula mix just until all the flour is incorporated.
•Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and let it rest a minute.
•Knead the dough eight to ten times only. The best way is as Julia Child does it in the video.
•Place the dough back in the bowl, and place the bowl in the plastic bag.

•Leave the bowl at approximately 75°F/24°C for three hours, or until the dough has tripled in size. 

• After the dough has tripled in size, remove it gently from the bowl, place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to press it out into a rectangle about 8"X12".

•Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter, pull the top third down, and then the bottom third up.
•Place the dough letter back in the bowl, and the bowl back in the plastic bag and leave it to rise for 1 ½ hours or until it has doubled in size. This second rise can be done overnight in the fridge.

•Place the double-risen dough onto a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the plate in the fridge while you prepare the butter. This is where I forgot all about the pictures and got engrossed in making the dough. These pictures I will add the next time I make croissants.
•Once the dough has doubled, incorporate the butter. Place the block of chilled butter on a plain surface. Using the rolling pin beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. The butter should stay cool, but spread easily.
•Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for a minute or two. Spread the dough using your hands into a rectangle about 14”X8”. Remove the butter from the board and spread the butter all across the top 2/3 of the dough rectangle, keep a ¼” distance from the edges.
•Fold the top third of the dough down, and the bottom third of the dough up as earlier.
•Turn the dough 90 degrees. Roll out the dough gently so you do not push out the butter until it is again about 14”X8”.
•Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up.  
•Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
•After 2 hours, take the dough out and place on a lightly floured surface.  Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it a little and let it rest for 10 minutes.
•Now roll the dough out to 14”X8” again and fold in three as before.
•Turn 90 degrees, and roll out again to 14”X8”. Fold in three for the last time, wrap in plastic, and return the dough to the fridge for 2 hours. This rise can also be done over night, and in that case place something heavy on top of the dough to stop it from rising.
•Now cut the dough and shape the croissants.
•First, lightly butter your baking sheet so that it is ready.
•Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

•Roll the dough out to 20”X5” rectangle. Cut it into half creating two rectangles each of 10”X5”.
•Place one of the rectangles in the fridge, to keep the butter cold.
•Roll the second rectangle out until it is 15”X5”. Now cut it into 3 equal pieces of 5”X5” each.
•Place 2 of the squares in the fridge. The remaining square may have shrunk up a little bit. Roll it out again till it is a rectangle. Cut the rectangle diagonally into two triangles.
 

•Stretch 2 sides of the triangle out a little, so that it is more of an isosceles.
•Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle towards the point, and curve into a crescent shape. At this point add in any filling that you desire. I used sausages, chocolate, brown sugar & cinnamon and mushrooms & onions sauteed in salt and pepper as filling. When adding filling be certain to seal the ends while forming the crescent. Place the croissant on the baking sheet.
 

•Repeat the process with the remaining squares of dough, creating 12 croissants.
.Leave the tray of croissants, covered lightly with plastic wrap, to rise for 1 hour, the final rise.
•Preheat the oven to 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.
•Mix the egg with a teaspoon of water. Spread the egg wash across the tops of the croissants.
•Put the croissants in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are browned nicely.
•Take the croissants out of the oven, and place them on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes : 12 croissants.
Here are a few more interesting links that Sarah provided:
Vegan Croissants
Gluten-free Croissants 

The little bundle of Joy is 1 year old.

Kuhu and Koel.

Today is a special day. It is my niece Koel’s 1^st birthday. It is further made special by the fact that from last year onwards 15^th June has become a day of double celebrations. My brother & niece share their birthday. For the rest of their lives daddy and baby will celebrate this special day together. How adorable is that.

The 15^th of every month is also the day of the ICC reveal. The ICC (Indian Cooking Challenge) is hosted by Srivalli of Spicing Your Life. This month’s challenge got me all excited because we were baking biscuits/cookies this month. My experiments began very early. The first batch I made was the exact recipe that Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen had given. My cookies in the first trial came out crisp and tasty. In the second round I substituted half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and used oregano and paprika for the spices and honey as the sweetener. These cookies I rolled out a little thicker and they were soft and delicious. In the third round I used ¼ all purpose flour and ¾ whole wheat flour, used oregano and paprika and rolled the cookies really thin, cut them into long strips, sprinkled salt over them and baked them for just 5 minutes.

I am happiest with the third result. My first thought on tasting these cookies was how perfect they would be as starters with a salsa or chutney.  Further I wanted to make healthy enough for daily consumption. The whole wheat flour complements the flavours perfectly and the curd is the magic ingredient in this recipe.

Overall, this was a great challenge and now I have a recipe that I will be using regularly. A huge thanks to Champa for introducing us to these delicious cookies and to Srivalli for all her efforts in making this challenge diverse and a learning experience every time.

Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuit :

The Original Recipe -

All purpose flour 250 grams    

Butter 5 tbsp  

Sugar 4 tsp  

Salt 1 tsp                                                                          Green chilies 3 (chopped finely)                                   

Corrinader/Cilantro 3 tbsp (chopped finely)                              

Yogurt 4 tbsp(start with 2 TBSP)

My Version -

All purpose flour 100 grams   

Multi-grain flour 150 grams (I used Ashirwaad multi-grain flour)         

Butter 5 tbsp (softened)

Sugar/Honey 4 tsp (powdered)

Salt 1 tsp 

Oregano 2 tbsp

Paprika 1 tbsp

Salt for sprinkling (it would be better to use kosher salt but I used the normal variety)

Yogurt 4 tbsp (start with 2 tbsp)

• Preheat the oven at 160C for 10 minutes. Grease and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together all purpose flour, multi-grain flour, oregano, paprika and salt and set aside.
• In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar till creamy. This is best done with a whisk. Add 2 tbsp yogurt and continue to beat. The final texture will be nice and creamy. This mix can also be used as bread spread. It tastes quite yummy at this point so try not to lick it all up.
• Add in the dry ingredients in 4 parts mixing well before every addition. By the end of the 3^rd addition the mix will be soft and the last addition will have to be done by hand. At this stage you can also add in 1 tbsp of curd. This will help form a soft dough.
• The dough at this point may be a little crumbly. I further added 1 tbsp of curd to make it soft and give it dough like consistency.
•  Now roll the dough really thin and cut into whatever shape you like. Make small cuts on the cookies with the knife, this will help release trapped air while baking. You can also roll these a little thick if you want.
• If rolled thin just bake for 5 minutes. This gave me a few crisp and brown and a few soft and white cookies so adjust the timing according to your oven. If you roll the cookies thick just bake for 10 – 15 minutes. 10 minutes of baking gave me soft cookies and 15 minutes made them crisp. So do whatever you like.
• Enjoy these with a cup of hot tea or coffee or serve them with a salsa or chutney as a starter. Both ways these are really addictive and no one will be able to stop at one, so bake a huge batch and enjoy.

Enjoy ! ! !