CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE PUDDING

This is a super duper recipe, always a hit with all types of guests. This is a long waiting recipe to be posted. The process is so simple to be executed if executed as given in the recipe.

I have specially shared an eggless sponge recipe with an intention to solve the problem we face when catering for veg and nonveg guests together.

I will be posting the step by step pictures very soon for a more clear idea of the process.

Recipe for Chocolate truffle pudding

Ingredients for Chocolate sponge cake

• 1 cups maida or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 6 tbsp oil
• 200 gms condensed milk
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ baking soda
• 1 cup milk (at room temperature)
• 1 ½ tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt

How to make

Add vinegar to milk and keep aside.

Sieve together maida, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.

Beat together oil and condensed milk in a mixing bowl.

Add vanilla essence, a pinch of salt and powdered sugar. Mix well.

Add half of the milk and beat till a smooth mixture is formed. Then add half of the sieved maida mixture.

Now add in rest of milk, beat and then add remaining maida mixture.

Beat till all the ingredients are mixed well.

Grease a 6x6 inches baking dish. Transfer the batter to the baking dish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 35 to 40 minutes.

Ingredients for Chocolate ganache

• 200gms dark chocolate compound (roughly chopped)
• 200gms whipping cream

 How to make

Take the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add cream to it.

Microwave for 30 seconds + 30 seconds.

Keep aside for 2 minutes. Mix well till smooth and shiny.

If required microwave for more 30 seconds.

Ingredients for Chocolate truffle pudding

• Chocolate sponge cake
• Chocolate ganache
• 200gms whipping cream
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup water

How to make

Beat the whipping cream till it doubles up in volume and stiff peaks form.

Dissolve the sugar in water. Keep aside.

Slice the cake with a thickness of half an inch.

Line the serving dish with the chocolate sponge cake.

Soak it with the sugar water.

Now layer with the beaten cream. Even the surface of the cream with a spatula.

Top it with chocolate ganache to cover the cream completely.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Finally, garnish with some more whipped cream.

Chill in the refrigerator for minimum of 6 hours before serving.

EGGLESS BROWNIE

Warm, soft, dense brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with hot chocolate sauce…… This classic combination never loses its charm.

 My friends were going to be home for our much awaited sleepover. We were meeting after years and this was going to be real fun. I had planned the snacks, drinks, main dishes but was stuck with the big question. What will be the dessert? Mainly because one of friend, Siddhee was a pure vegetarian.

This recipe is an example of the famous proverb “Necessity is the mother of invention”. I made some additions and deletions to my 'brownie with egg recipe' and came up with this easy to make eggless brownie recipe. My kids found the eggless brownie more softer and tastier.

I have tried to keep the measurements simple to remember. Ensure that the butter and yoghurt (curd) are at room temperature. It is essential to use thick or greek yoghurt for the soft texture.

Brownie is served in square pieces. Therefore it is a good idea to bake in a square or rectangle shape tin. For the given recipe we require a 9 inches square tin.

Recipe for Eggless brownie

Ingredients for Eggless brownie

• ½ cup maida or all-pupose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 100 gms butter
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup greek yoghurt

How to make

Cream butter, white and brown sugar until well blended. Beat until pale in colour.

Add greek yoghurt, beat again to get a smooth consistency. Do not over beat.

Sift in flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Fold in until well combined.

Grease a 9 inches for square baking tray and line with butter paper.

Transfer the batter to the tin. Even the surface with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 30 minutes.

APPLE PIE

Apple pie has been there since a long long time and it needs no introduction. This is a basic apple pie recipe with my own little improvisation. It requires firm apples, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon for filling. For the crust we need ice cold butter, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and water.

We will be using the apple marinade, fluid to make an apple pie sauce.

While making the pastry remember that the pastry dough should always be chilled and avoid getting it to room temperature or more. The given recipe makes two pastry sheets for the pie. We need a 9 inches pie dish. I have used a lose flan aluminium pie dish. A ceramic pie or oven proof dish also works fine.

I have thinly sliced the apples. If you wish you can go for smaller pieces (not very thick). Some recipes have nutmeg in them. Personally, I feel apple and cinnamon need no other spices.

Recipe for Apple pie 

Ingredients for Apple pie

For crust

• 2 ½ cups maida or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup or 225gms unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cup ice cold water (keep ¼ cup more water in reserve which may be required)

For filling

• 6 apples (peeled and thinly sliced)
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp maida or all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp melted butter (for brushing)
• 1 tsp sugar (for sprinkling)

How to make

In a mixing bowl take the flour, salt, sugar and butter.

Mix lightly with your finger tips.

Rub the mixture between the palms to form a coarse texture.

Add ¼ cup of ice cold water and mix well with fingers. Pinch some flour to check if it holds well.

If required add 2 tablespoons of water and bring together the dough (add 2 more tablespoons of water if required).

Divide the dough in two equal portions, wrap them in cling film. Keep in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Put the sliced apples, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Toss so that the sugar and cinnamon coats well on the apple slices.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of maida or all-purpose flour.

Keep aside for 10 minutes. Apple marinade juices will get collected at the bottom of the bowl.

Now remove one pastry dough from refrigerator and roll into a circle of 12 inches diameter. Roll it on the cling film only so that it is easy to handle the rolled pastry sheet.

Roll the dough to a size, an inch larger than the pie dish.

Gently transfer the pastry sheet to the pie dish. Trim off the extra dough.

Now spread in the apple cinnamon filling. Strain the apple pieces well while doing so. The juices will make the pastry soggy.

Roll the other sheet into a circle of 12 inches. Cover the pie.

Tuck in the extra pastry as shown in the picture.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle sugar over it.

Make incisions which will help the steam to escape.

Sprinkle some sugar over the pie. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes at 200 degree Celsius.

Simmer the marinade juices on low heat until it thickens. Stir continuously. Apple cinnamon sauce is ready to be drizzled on the apple pie.

Serve the apple pie with vanilla ice cream and apple cinnamon sauce.

CASHEW ATTA/ WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR BISCUITS

I love my tea with biscuits. Whenever shopping for groceries I always make an effort to choose a healthier option in biscuits. My couple of trails with wheat flour have not been so good until I got this recipe. My biggest critics- my kids have approved it. So very proudly, I share my version of cashew atta biscuits, not very sweet with right amount of crispiness. 

I have tried to keep the measurements as simple as possible. These atta or whole wheat flour biscuits are simple to make with assured results.

Few things to be taken care of like avoid over kneading the dough, always preheat your oven before baking and baking duration can vary with different ovens. All the ingredients should be taken at room temperature.

Cashew atta biscuits can be prepared in idli cooker or pressure cooker with similar results. Layer the bottom of your cooker with salt or sand to ensure even baking.

Recipe for Cashew Atta Biscuits

Ingredients for Cashew Atta Biscuits

• 100gms butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup atta or whole wheat flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 8 to 10 cashews (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp milk
• milk for brushing

How to make

Cream the butter and powdered sugar for two minutes or until pale yellow in colour.

Add vanilla essence. Mix well.

Sift together atta, baking powder and baking soda. Add the bran left in the sieve back to the flour.

Fold in sifted flour mixture and cashews.

 Add milk one tablespoon at a time and bring together the dough with light hand. Do not over knead the dough.

Cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 Roll the dough on a dusted surface to a thickness of 5mm. Cut out round biscuits with a cookie cutter. I have used a steel glass.

Place the biscuits one inch apart on a baking tray.

Brush the biscuits with milk.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20 minutes.

Completely cool the biscuits before storing them in an air tight jar.

Enjoy these guilt free whole wheat flour biscuits with milk or tea.

EGGLESS PLUM CAKE

I have tried this particular recipe for my friends who do not prefer the egg cakes. On my last Christmas I was glad to gift plum cakes to my vegetarian friends.  It took me few trials to come to this perfect recipe. This cake comes out moist and tasty. And in no way it can be considered less than the original plum cake.

The dry fruits should be soaked in rum for minimum two days. I soak them for a week. The myth that eggless cakes are not very tasty can be easily denied. Try it to believe it!

Recipe for Eggless Plum Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dry fruits (raisins, sultanas, cashews, almonds, walnuts, plum), orange peel, candied ginger
• 3 tbsp caramel syrup
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
• ½ cup dermerara sugar or cane sugar
• 2/3 cup oil or melted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ tbsp cider vinegar or synthetic vinegar
• 1 tbsp rum (optional)

How to make Caramel Syrup

In a saucepan heat 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of water on low heat. Initially avoid stirring.

When the sugar changes its colour from golden to amber add 1 ½ tbsp of boiling water and stir to get a shiny syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.

How to make the plum cake

Chop the dry fruits roughly.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C. Grease and line a baking tin (7”x 7”) with butter paper.

Beat the melted butter or oil, sugar, vanilla essence and caramel syrup to get a smooth, shiny, dark coloured  mixture.

In a separate bowl sift all the dry ingredients accept baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients dry fruits, peels and candied fruits to the butter mixture and fold gently till combined well.

Add vinegar to the milk. Also add baking soda to this mixture. Stir gently and add this frothy mixture to the cake batter.

Fold the batter till you get a light, homogeneous mixture. This step should be done quickly to avoid any loss of air from the batter.

Transfer the batter to a greased baking tin. Bake at 180 degree C for 35 minutes.

Let the cake cool for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the warm cake with 2 tablespoon of rum (optional).

Enjoy your eggless plum cake with a hot mug of coffee.

Tips

• If you want to avoid rum add rum essence.
• Soya milk can be used in place of dairy milk.
• The amount of sugar is enough to make it just sweet. If you like it more sweet add ¼ cup sugar.

DELICIOUS MELTING MOMENTS COOKIES (EGGLESS)

Recipe for Melting Moments cookies

 

This recipe has been adapted from a famous chef. I have made minor changes to it.

Recently I prepared these cookies when my daughter wanted to gift her dear friend with some homemade cookies on her birthday.

As the name suggests these cookies melt in the mouth. The procedure is simple without any complications. No sifting is required.

 Ingredients

•  100 gms yellow butter (softened),       
•  200 gms plain flour,
•  75 gms vanilla custard powder,
•  80 gms icing sugar,
•  1 cup white butter (softened),
•  1 ½ tsp baking powder,
•  1 tsp vanilla essence.

 

How to make

Soften both the yellow and white butter in a mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar and essence. Mix well.

Add all the other ingredients one by one and bring them together with a light hand. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Lightly dust the baking tray. Make 30 to 36 small balls and keep them in the baking tray (not very close to each other as they will rise when baked).

I have baked these cookies in a 32 litres microwave in convection mode. As I couldn’t fit all the cookies in one tray I used my small cup cake moulds for each cookie.

Mark the cookies with a fork. Bake in a preheated oven at 180^oC for 20 minutes.

Let them cool. Store in an airtight container.

Tips

• Handle the dough with light hands.
  

  
  
• Do not knead the dough.