Devil's Food Cake with Salted Caramel and Snicker Bits

This one was made ages ago but your there these times when your really stuck and words don't flow, the thoughts are just bumping around....basically feeling stuck! Well I have passed that phase I guess...
The Devils Food Cake is a Nigella Lawson Recipe, in her words "this cake is heavenly and the crumb is tender". I paired this up with a salted caramel slightly runny but then left it in the refrigerator to stiffen up and it did!!! The cake was made for my brother and we irony was we ended up going to this restaurant called "The Phobidden Fruit" - for those wanting where that is its located on 12th Main Indiranagar (Umm Bangalore). Overall a sinful affair with us family!!!

Ingredients:
For the Cake
50 grams best-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
100 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
250 ml boiling water
125 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
150 grams caster sugar
225 grams plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the bottoms of two 20cm / 8inch round sandwich tins with baking parchment and butter the sides.Put the cocoa and 100g / half cup dark muscovado sugar into a bowl with a bit of space to spare, and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix, then set aside. Cream the butter and caster sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy; I find this easiest with a freestanding mixer, but by hand wouldn’t kill you. While this is going on – or as soon as you stop if you’re mixing by hand – stir the flour, baking powder and bicarb together in another bowl, and set aside for a moment. Dribble the vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar – mixing
all the while – then drop in 1 egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of flour mixture, then the second egg. Keep mixing and incorporate the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake, then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping its bowl well with a spatula. Divide this fabulously chocolatey batter between the 2 prepared tins and put in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Take the tins out and leave them on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool.

Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Start with the frosting: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add salt. Allow to bubble for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency.


I then cut some snicker bars to add to the overall look because the birthday boy loves Snickers!

Truffle Cupcakes

These were made for my lovelies at my Friday Prayer Group to celebrate the day of love. Not only did we have the serious sharing of the Word and fantastic Worship. We ended it all with a Sweetheart Bible Quiz and a game called Sword in Hand. My group is is enthusiastic and a bunch that is earnest and ever friendly. So after all the bible discussion we tucked into these little sweet things for a sweet ending to our meeting!!!!

Ingredients:
For the Cake:
Plain Flour - 85 gms
Caster Sugar - 100 gms
Unsalted Butter - 50 gms
Cocoa Powder - 25 gms
Egg - 1
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp

For the Ganache:
Dark Chocolate - 100 gms
Cream - 100 ml

Into a small bowl pour 100ml of boiling water to the cocoa powder and whisk into a smooth paste and cool to room temperature. Cream the butter and sugar together until using an electric whisk or food processor. Add in the egg and then the flour, baking powder and soda together and then add in the cooled cocoa mixture. Put spoonfuls into 14 paper cases and bake for about 18-20 mins in a preheated oven of 180 C. Remove once baked and allow to cool.
In the meantime prepare the ganache by bringing the cream into a boil in a saucepan and pour over the chopped up chocolate and stir to dissolve. You should end up with a thick glossy creamy mixture. Drop a teaspoonful of the mixture onto each cupcake and sprinkle on chocolate sprinkles or shavings, dust icing sugar (optional) and serve.

The Football Cake for the Football Lover and Player ~ It's a Chocolate Cake

I'm not sure where to start because the last three to four months has been more than just a roller coaster ride for me. Well a midst the excitements I have had I know I have left my readers a bit in the lurch with my disappearance. Let me get back to were we stopped and do I have some interesting recipes to post. So stay tuned and I will try my best not to let you guys down again. This cake was done for my our dear friend Binny, I should have mentioned him in the past because he is a father of three adorable boys - they are triplets. It's simple gesture from all us friends appreciating him and his lovely family for the support, the encouragements, the counsel, more than ever the spiritual one-ness we share. So let me know continue babbling and lets get on with the simple recipe. 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients: 

[Recipe Source: Tana Ramsay's Family Kitchen - Pg. 245] 

Self Rising Flour - 125 gms

Caster Sugar - 150 gms

Unsalted Butter - 150 gms

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Cold Water - 2 tbs

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Eggs - 3

Cocoa Powder - 25 gms

Sieve together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Into it add the unsalted butter, vanilla extract, sugar followed by the eggs. Add in the cold water and mix until you get a dark, smooth, brown mixture. Divide the batter between two 18cm round, greased and lined cake tins. Knock the tins against a hard surface to get a smooth top on each. Bake the cakes for approximately 25-30 mins until the center of the cakes springs back on touch or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Place them on a wire rack to cool and then proceed to make the icing.

I used regular  vanilla butter cream icing for the cake to pipe out the football if not for butter cream then you can use chocolate ganache to cover the middle and top of the cake  and it doesn't matter if it runs down the sides of the cake  - looks more indulgent! 

Palada Pradhaman and Ethakka Pradhaman (Banana Pradhaman) for the Onam Sadya

I make it a point to cook the onam sadya I mean the whole thing alright... which are 1.Rice....2...Cherupayyar Parippu... 3...Sambhar 4... Kalan 5...Olan 6.... Errisery 7.... Pachhadi 8.... Kichhadi 9....Inji -Puliyyum 10....Palalada Payasam 11,,,, Ethakka Payasam 12.... Avial 13... Pappad 14...Uppe 15.......Upperi 16....Sharakkara Perittiyathu 17....Pickle 18.....Neiyye 19..... Pazham  and for the 20.....we had naadan beef olathu (kerala style beef ) yup a non vegetarian Onam for a change! So let's get on with the recipes for the Payasams.


Palada Pradhaman
Ingredients:
Instant Ada - 250 gms
Butter - 1 1/2 dsp
Milk - 8 cup
Condensed Milk - 1 tin
Sugar - 1 cup (you could decide to add more or less depending on the sweetness level)
Rice Flour - 1 dsp
Cashewnuts - 1/4 cup, sliced and fried in ghee
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Pressure cook the ada in about 6-8 cups of water till soft and done. Drain the ada and pour cold water over it and keep aside. Into a large pot, melt the butter and add the cooked ada. Stir on a low flame gently taking care the ada does not break. Add in all the milk leaving behind a cup to be mixed with the rice flour, condensed milk and sugar. Stir the remaining milk and rice flour together and add to the pot. Stir the mixture continuously and allow the mixture to simmer and thicken. Take off the stove and add in the fried cashews and the cardamom powder.

Ethakka Pradhaman

Ingredients:
Boiled and mashed Banana without seeds - 2 cups (The Kerala Banana)
Molasses - 400gms
Coconut Milk - 4 cups
Sago - 2 dsp
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Fried Cashewnuts - 1/4 cup

Mix in the molasses with a little water and bring to a boil until it turns into thick syrup, strain several times before use because of the impurities.
Next into a large heavy based pot, mix in the mashed bananas and the molasses together till well combined and mixed well. Add in the thin coconut milk little by little stirring constantly. Add the sago to the mixture. As the mixture starts to thicken, add in the thick coconut milk and lower the flame, stir until the payasam is warmed through. Add in the cardamom powder and take off the heat. Tip in the fried cashews and serve warm with pappad and pickle!

Oatmeal, Cranberry, Raisin and White Chocolate Cookies

Food Panda ~ Ordering in Your Food Online

I remember the days when I was a kid, my dad had this specific plastic folder with all the menu cards stashed of every possible restaurant that had on their front page written ' Home Delivery Available'. Im talking about the days when the internet still did not exist. And those days home delivered food was a joy to look forward too!!! But now we stand at an age, where we are a click away to anything and everything. And now with the complexities of our day to day schedules, take away dinners are regular amongst most city-dwellers. To make that task a lot more easier, go onto www.foodpanda.in and then order in for  your gourmet meal for the day!

Step 1 : On to your browser type in www.foodpanda.in

Step 2 : Enter Your City and then Enter Your Location

Step 3: Order Your Food 

Step 4: Pay Cash Online or Cash on Delivery

And it automatically lists down your options of  restaurants that will deliver within the radius of your locality. Since I didn't have much of an option for Banaswadi Area I typed in Kammanahalli instead and it listed down more. And I  then selected Pars Restaurant and clicked onto the Menu for options. Once that was done, it was all about selecting the dishes and on the right hand side a window with the confirmed orders as well as the amount is shown and then you proceed to the Check Out Box. Then all that is required is to input your address of delivery  for home delivery and or opt for picking it up from the restaurant at a specific time with the options of paying it online or even Cash on Delivery. 

It couldn't get any simpler, the entire ordeal hardly took me 7 minutes to do and what do you know, I get a call from the Restaurant as well as from Food Panda within minutes of my order. The food arrived piping hot and it just made one of our mundane evenings a delight. Not to mention the food we ordered were also flavorful and rightfully spiced. I did note that both the restaurant and Food Panda confirm on your order but they also ensure the said time limits are also promised which is most rewarding. I did use Food Panda on a different occasion from a different location to ensure the service I was provided with the first time is delivered the second time. And it worked for me twice! Well what do you know, a click away its all about logging in, and knowing what your palate is craving for the day too.

What's to notice about Food Panda is the ease with which the platform is created, and its rather comforting to know that consumers can get their favorite meals rather instantaneously without hassles. Foodpanda, is in cooperation with over 300 restaurants in and around Bangalore and with a wide range of great and unique culinary choices. So there is no way one could get disappointed. The next time your short of choices and set to order in from your home or even office so that you could pick up your grub on the way you know the where and how to get your favourite meal done...

For more information do log on http://www.foodpanda.in or http://www.foodpanda.in/restaurants

Garlic Rolls ~ The Eggless Way!!!

Vanilla Cake for Mum's Birthday!!!!

Beef Chopsuey

A classic chinese - american dish that we love as it is and goes great with some egg noodles!

Servings: 2

Ingredients

250 Grams  - Top Round Steak, Thinly Sliced

1⁄4 Teaspoon  - Black Pepper Powder

1⁄4 Teaspoon -  Salt

2 - Small Onions, Cut Into Wedges

1 - Celery Stick, Sliced

6 - Mushrooms, Mushrooms

1 - Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 - Teaspoon Molasses

1 - Cup Beef Stock

3⁄4 Cup - French Beans, Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces

1 Tablespoon - Cornflour

1⁄4 - Cup Water

1. Marinate the sliced beef with salt and pepper for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a non stick frying pan and fry the beef on high heat. Remove with slotted spoon onto a plate and keep aside.

2. In the same pan, saute the onion, slice celery and mushrooms for a minute, without losing the crispness. Add the soy sauce, molasses and stock and bring to a rapid boil until the stock has reduced to half. Finally add in the french beans and cook till al-dente.

3. Mix the cornflour and water and add to the pan, stirring constantly until thickened. Return the beef to the pan and stir well.

Pecan Treacle Tart

Tip: If you're not a fan of pecans, you could substitute it with wlanus

Chicken Shaslik

Tarragon Chicken ~ One of Nigella Lawson's Best

Do any of those recipes you know, sort of reach out to you? I was watching my share of Nigella Express on television in the afternoon, and she wooed with me with this simplistic recipe. The sort of recipe that involves hardly an effort and yet so elegant to charm your friends for an informal dinner.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast- 4

Shallots - 12  (roughly chopped)

White Wine - 700ml\

Olive oil

Butter

Salt - to taste

Pepper - a generous pinch

Flour

Fresh Tarragon - chopped or torn

Creme Fraiche - 6 tbs

Cream - 2 tbs

Lime Juiced - 1 lime

Preheat oven to 180 C Season the flour.Coat the chicken pieces in the flour.Heat the olive oil in a heavy cast iron casserole, brown the chicken until golden brown. Remove chicken to a plate. Add shallots to the pan, add a knob of butter.Turn the heat down low and soften shallots. Return chicken to pan. Slosh in the wine and reduce slightly. Add tarragon and creme fraiche. Cook in the oven for 45 mins.Remove and taste for seasoning. Add lemon juice and a dash of cream. Return to oven for a further 15 minutes.Garnish with some finely chopped tarragon, serve with basmati rice.

Coq Au Vin

It was one of those days when the rains were heavy, the skies were obviously dark and grey and the air had the chill associated with the rains. And while enjoying my evening mug of good coffee, my door bell rings and I receive a bottle of Four Season's Red Wine - Merlot. I knew I had to review this bottle of wine as per the email exchanges in the last two weeks. It couldn't have come on a better day, because I had stocked my pantry and fridge with some stuff that I knew would come in handy and boy! it did!
Merlot is Ruby Red in colour with a hint of garnet, vinified with delicious ripe black fruits and plums. The wine has a medium body with a soft tanin and a pleasant lasting finish.So the plan was to come up with a charming rustic french classic the Coq Au Vin. I had been dying to make it and not that I'm some confident cook with the wines but I decided to experiment with the bottle that I got. Coq Au Vin is a kind of slow cooked stew that is cooked with chicken in red wine with braised small onions, mushrooms and lardons of bacon. All this combined makes it a satisfying meal for a company with some freshly baked loaf bread and boiled potatoes as a side dish.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1 large cut into 6-8 pieces, with the skin
Olive Oil - 2 tbsps
Butter - 2 tbsps
Bacon - 1 packet (250 gms) chopped
Brandy - 1/2 cup
Merlot - 750ml (or any dry red wine)
Fresh Herbs pf celery, parsley, bay ;eaf and thyme - ½ cup, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, crushed
Mushrooms - 1 packet (250 gms), cleaned, whole
Shallots - 12 whole, skinned
Flour  - 2 tbsps
Salt and pepper to season

Melt the oil and butter and fry the bacon and the onions. Add the chicken pieces. Brown on all sides. Coat with the flour. Set the brandy alight over a flame and pour over the chicken.
Add all the other ingredients to the pan, except the mushrooms. The wine should cover the chicken. Cover with a lid and cook for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the chicken pieces when done. Add the mushrooms and boil until the sauce thickens. Pour over the chicken pieces and serve with boiled potatoes or crusty bread.

Tip: You could go easy on the wine by replacing some of the wine with chicken stock

Banana Chocolate and Pistachio Loaf Cake

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Watermelon Popsicles

So I was in Kuwait last October and in my usual visit to IKEA, while my eyes scout for stuff I don't have, there in a big metal bin lie these gorgeous blue and green, yellow and pink Popsicle molds. I mean without even a flicker of doubt on whether I need them? will I use them?! didn't even arise, they went straight for billing... lest I changed my mind you know later maybe......
So during the summer hols me and my lil one put them to use by making some watermelon popsicles. Ooh!!! I tell you there is no limit to the joy in licking on a popsicle and giving them all the attention - you know childish fun!!







Ingredients:
[Yields 12 popsicles[
Watermelon - 2 cups, de-seeded and diced
Sugar - only if required about 2-3tbs
Lemon Juice - 2tbs

Blitz everything into a blender and pour into the molds. Freeze them overnight and they are ready.

Jam Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Pepper and Garlic Pork Stir Fry

Karimeen Moily ~ Pearl Spot in Spicy Coconut Milk

White Chocolate and Pistachio Buns