Decadent Chocolate Loaf

Before the world ends I though that I would get in a post ;) . This has one of my favourite ingredient Chocolate . This is a very rich , decadent , moist , intense chocolate cake . It will just melt in your mouth . Seasons Greetings to all of you out there and here goes...............

INGREDIENTS

200 gms butter ( room temp )
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
100 gms dark chocolate melted
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee
1 cup chocolate chips ( optional)


METHOD

Cream the butter and sugars till pale and fluffy .
Add in the egg one at a time and beat well .
Add in the vanilla .
Sift all the dry ingredients together .
Mix the coffee and the dry ingredients alternately ending with the dry .
Grease or line a medium loaf tin .
Pour the batter in the tin and add the chocolate chips if using any on top and bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 40-45 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .
Cool on a wire rack .
Top it with ganache if you like an make it more chocolatey :D

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie

The hubby and the kids are big cookie lovers , their fav is chocolate chip , but I was bored of making them so I thought of putting in a bit of Nutella into the batter ( more of it went into me ;p ), I love... love.... love Nutella , I simply cannot  resist them so I only bought a  small bottle of it to use it for the cookie . I gotta tell you the cookie dough was more delicious than the cookie itself . The hubby and kids gave it a big thumbs up so here goes..........

INGREDIENTS 

200 gms butter room temp 

1/2 cup caster sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs 

2 and 1/2 cups of all- purpose flour 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/3 cup Nutella

1 cup or more chocolate chips 

METHOD 

Cream the butter , sugars and vanilla essence till light and fluffy .

Add in the eggs one at a time and beat well 

Sift the dry ingredients together and fold it in .

Fold in the nutella  and the chocolate chips .

Chill the mix in the fridge for an hour .

Roll the dough into medium sized balls and place it 2-3 inches apart in the a lined baking sheet .

Bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-23 min .

Pistachio Cupcakes with Rose Cream Frosting

So many festivals are around the corner this month so what better way to celebrate with a cupcake . I had made these weeks back but didn't have time to put this up . These are really delicious , exotic cupcakes perfect for any occasion . The cake is very buttery and crumbly and the cream is just to die for . I would be happy to just eat the cream ;). Eid Mubarak and Happy Diwali to all , here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

150 gms butter (room temp)

1 and 1/4 cup caster sugar 

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla 

1 tsp almond essence 

1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup whole pistachios ground to fine powder

1 and 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup milk 

a few drops of green coloring ( optional)

for the syrup 

1 and 1/2 cup water 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 cardamom pods crushed 

1 tbsp rose water

for the frosting 

250 ml whipping cream 

1/4 cup icing sugar 

1 tbsp rose water 

A few rose petals for garnish 

METHOD 

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .

Add in the eggs and beat well .

Add in the vanilla and almond .

Meanwhile sift all the dry ingredients together .

Mix the green food coloring if using in the milk .

Now add the wet and dry mixture alternately to the batter ending with the dry ingredient.

Line a 10 pc muffin pan and pour the batter into it . 

Bake in  a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-25 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .

Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack .

Now for the syrup , mix all the ingredients and bring it to boil till the sugar dissolves completely .

Now spoon this syrup over the cupcakes and chill it . 

For the frosting , add all the ingredients and whip it till stiff peak forms .

Swirl the cream onto the cupcake .

Garnish with rose petals and enjoy :D.

Mom's Tea Cake

OMG!!! how time flies , it's been more than a month since I last posted . There is so much to do in so little time . I have neglected my blog for too long now but not anymore ( I hope ). This is something my mom used to make when we were little . It is just the most aromatic , fluffy , buttery cake . She used to  make it most of the time and the best part was the aroma that wafted around the house . Its got very few ingredients so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

200 gms butter  ( room temp )
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar well till pale and fluffy .
Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat really well.
Sift the dry ingredients together and add itin two parts and mix well .
Bake in a medium loaf tin in a preheated 180 c oven for about 45 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .
Cool out on a wire rack .

Lemon Yoghurt Cake with Lemon Basil Syrup

Every time  a new year begins , I always wonder whether that year will be happy or crappy .Well so far, its been a teeny bit of happy and a bucket load of crappy and at the rate it's going it seems the bucket is going to overflow . The only way I find my worries melting is by baking cakes , which I haven't done lately .So to make up for my happy , I decided to make one .This is a simple lemon yoghurt cake with lemon basil syrup .It's a very moist and zest cake and I hope you guys like it , so here goes..............

INGREDIENTS

150 gms butter room temp
1 and 1/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 and 3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup milk
zest and juice of a lemon

for the syrup 

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
zest and juice of a lemon
a handful of basil chopped

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well .
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Mix the yoghurt and milk .
Now add the wet and dry ingredients to the batter ending with the dry .
Stir in the zest and juice of a lemon .
Grease and flour a bundt pan and add the batter in it .
Bake in a prehated 180 c oven for about 30-35 min .
For the syrup add all the ingrdients except for the basil in a saucepan and bring it to boil .
turn off the heat and add the basil .
Cool the cake and pour syurp over it and garnish with extra basil leaves .
Serve and enjoy .

Cheesy Potato Bites

Hey all , it's been one  hectic and busy month with house guest , chores , chores and more chores , didn't have time to post anything . It was fun though and for all my well wishers out there I want to let you guys know that I have lost a teeny bit , well something is better than nothing right ( I am a positive person ;p) . The recipe I am posting today is something my kids love and I am sure most of the kids love . It's really easy to make so her goes..........

INGREDIENTS 

2 large potatoes 

1 tbsp plain flour

2 -3 tbsp milk 

2 tbsp butter 

salt and pepper to taste 

100 gms of mature cheddar cheese cubed 

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp dried mixed herbs 

salt to taste 

1 egg mixed with a little water to make eggwash 

oil for frying 

METHOD

Microwave the potatoes on high for 5 min and then turn the potatoes and microwave on high for 5 min.
Now remove the skin and mash the potatoes and add the butter , milk , 1 tbsp flour and seasoning .
Now make small balls of the mashed potatoes , flatten it in your palm , add the cubed cheese and roll it into a small ball .
In a bowl , combine the flour , mixed herbs and salt .
Dip the potato balls in the flour mix , dust off excess , dip it in the egg wash and then the panko breadcrumbs .
You can make 12 - 18 pieces .
Now pop it in the fridge for half hour .
Deep fry it in hot oil and serve and enjoy .

Strawberries and Cream Cupcake

 Why can't 'fat' be the new 'fit' , why can't 'shape' zero be the new 'size' zero , why god .....why ......These are the rantings of a mad fat woman , that is ME . I have a wedding to get to in a couple of months and need to lose a few pounds ,well more actually but I can settle for a few now ( if that is possible) . So for the time being  I thought of sealing my lips shut from all the gorgeous treats out there of my fellow bloggers ( keeping my fingers crossed ) and also I apologize for not visiting and commenting on your blogs coz I am trying to lose some fat , which seems to have fallen in love with me , fat and I are BFF's , we are that close ;p . This might be my last post for sometime on sweet treats . These are moist , soft , full of strawberry flavour cupcakes topped with sweet whipping cream and fresh strawberries ( OMG !!! that was quite hard ) . Here goes enjoy ................

INGREDIENTS

100 gms butter softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup frozen strawberries thawed and mashed through a sieve
1/2 cup milk approx
1 and 1/2 cup all- purpose flour
1 and 3/4 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt

for the frosting

250 ml whipping cream
2-3 tbsp or more if you like icing sugar

fresh strawberries for topping

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .
Add the eggs and the vanilla essence and beat well .
Meanwhile mix all the dry ingredients together .
When you mash the strawberries through the sieve , you get 1/2 cup of strawberry puree approx and then add in enough milk to make it one cup .
Now add the dry and wet ingredients alternately ending with the dry ingredients .
Grease or line a 12 hole muffin pan .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-25 min .
Cool on a wire rack before frosting .
Whip the cream with the icing sugar till stiff peaks form .
Swirl onto cupcakes and top it with fresh strawberries and enjoy .

The Perfect Cheesecake !!!

I finally made Lizzy's cheesecake and boy , what a cheesecake it was . Creamy , tangy , sweet , delicious and above all very ...very easy to make . This was so easy to put together and so delicious that I am gonna make it again .( Btw , all her recipes are just so simple and perfect ) It baked beautifully and perfectly and it was so pretty to look  at so here goes ..................

You can get the recipe here
I halved the recipe and made it coz I just cannot trust myself around cheesecake . 

Quick and Easy Prawn and Egg Fried Rice

This is something I make when I am short on time , this is very quick to put together and tastes really fantastic . It only has quite a few ingredients , you can make it with leftover plain rice so here goes................

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups of cooked Basmati rice
2-3 spring onions chopped
3-4 garlic finely chopped
1 inch pc of ginger finely chopped
1 cup of chopped french beans
1 carrot chopped
10 prawns washed and deveined
2 eggs beaten
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cube chicken stock
2 tbsp of oil

METHOD

In a saucepan or wok , heat a tbsp of oil and add the white part of the spring onions , garlic and ginger .
Add the prawns and cook it till done stirring it frequently .
Now add in the remaining vegetables and the chicken stock cube and stir fry it for about 5 min .
Add the cooked rice in batches along with the soy sauce , salt and pepper .
Toss everything together till it is all mixed well .
Now add in the beaten egg and the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and mix it all well .
By doing this the rice will be coated with egg .
Garnish with spring onion and serve hot .

NOTE

You can use frozen mixed vegetables . Also for more flavour cook the rice in chicken stock if you wish .

Avril Lavigne Cake

So many things to do in so little time  , really how fast is it going . When I looked at my last post , I realized more than 10 days have gone since I posted so here I am . I was busy making cakes for the past couple of weeks and the one I am posting today was made for my niece who is a huge Avril Lavigne fan . The cake is Chocolate caramel cake with whipped cream and cream cheese frosting . The cake is covered in marshmallow fondant so here goes ...................

Pinacolada Cupcakes

Whewww!!!! What a hectic week I had  , I  wanted to make Lizzy's cheesecake but did not get time to do it , I am still salivating over her cheesecake , hopefully this week I can try it out , but in the meanwhile , I was browsing through my food photos and found out that this recipe was not posted . these are soft , moist coconut cupcakes with bits of pineapple topped with a delicious coconut whipped cream and pineapple pieces coated with toasted coconut . These were an instant hit in my house so here goes...........................

INGREDIENTS

100 gms butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup of light coconut milk
1/4 cup of syrup from the canned pineapple
1/2 cup of chopped pineapple

for the frosting 

350 ml whipping cream
2 tbsp coconut milk powder
5 tbsp or more icing sugar
pineapple pieces dipped in toasted coconut for garnish ( optional )

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy .
Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat again .
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Mix the coconut milk and the syrup .
Now add in the wet and dry mixture alternately in the batter ending with the dry ingredient.
Fold in the chopped pineapple .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-25 min or till the tops are springy to the touch .
Now for the frosting , whip the cream , icing sugar sugar and coconut milk powder till stiff .
Pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes and top it with the pineapple pieces .

Pizza From My Garden

I am really proud of this dish not that this is something  fancy ,but because all the ingredients I have used here are from my small veggie garden . The place I moved to recently has a little space to do my vegetable gardening . I was not very fond of gardening , but now I am so excited to do it , every morning when I wake up the first thing I do is go and have a look at what has grown . Except for the cheese and olive oil everything on here is home made . I know you guys can't see me but I am beaming with pride ear to ear : D . so here goes....................

INGREDIENTS

for the base 

1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 and 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp yeast

for the topping

1 cup of cherry tomatoes
a handful of mint, basil, rosemary, thyme and parsley
2 tbsp olive oil ( good quality )
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese


METHOD

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and set aside in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap to rise for about 1 hour . Knock back the dough again and leave to rise for about 30 min. If you have a bread machine , then add the ingredients in the order given and set it on dough cycle.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and add it in a bowl .
To this add the oil , salt and pepper and the herbs and set it aside for half hour .
Divide the dough in half , you can save it in the fridge .
Use one half and roll the dough into any shape you want . Stretch it as thinly as possible , it will be much crisper.
Spread the tomato mixture evenly on top .
Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle it all over .
Top with the parmesan cheese .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15 min .

P.S : I forgot this , it tasted super !!!!!!!!!!!! ;P

Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Whewww!!!!!! That is one long name for a little thing and I am tired from typing it ;) . These cupcakes are soft , moist , chocolatey , caramely ...... I could go on and on and on describing it coz it's just that good and the frosting is just yummy . It's just chocolate ganache whipped up to give a nice fluffy smooth frosting , it's just too good so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup canola oil or any flavorless vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup nestle caramel treat or caramel topping

for the frosting

200 gms dark chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

METHOD

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl .
Mix all the wet ingredients together except for the caramel topping .
Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix it well till you get a smooth mixture .
Now fold in  the caramel topping into the batter . Don't over mix it .
Grease or line the cupcake tin.
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15-20 min or till the tops are springy to the touch .
Meanwhile make the ganache by heating the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 min .
Add the chopped chocolate in the hot cream and stir it till you get a smooth mixture.
Now keep it aside to cool.
When the ganache is cooled whip it using a beater till stiff .
Pipe the whipped ganache onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy :D.

Chicken Manchurian

I know I have been MIA for a while now , but lemme tell you something , I finally unpacked my stuff ( yay me !). I actually wanted to bake a cake to celebrate but I am just too tired from all the unpacking so went through my photos and found one that I hadn't posted . This is a very easy and tasty recipe which I make all the time . It's very flavourful and spicy , I like it very spicy but if you want it mild , you can decrease the amount of chillies used  , so here goes....................

INGREDIENTS


500 gms boneless chicken cut into cubes

for the marinade

1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 egg
salt to taste

for the sauce

2 tbsp garlic minced
2 tbsp spring onion chopped
6-8 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp celery chopped
1 tbsp ginger minced
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp water
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken cubes in it and set it aside for half hour.
Fry the chicken pieces till they are crisp and done .
In a saucepan , heat a couple of tbsp of oil and add the ginger , garlic , spring onions and celery and saute it for a few min.
Now add the rest of the ingredients except for the cornflour and bring it to a boil .
Reduce the heat and add the cornflour and stir it till it thickens .
Now add the fried chicken cubes and mix it up .
Turn off the heat , garnish with chopped spring onions and corinader leaves if you like .
Serve hot .

Crispy Calamari

Who doesn't like crispy calamari , I haven't met anyone who does not like it . This is a family favourite , it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside but  frying this is a big nightmare (it splatters all over ) , you have to be really careful , we should really make a suit out of the oven mitts to do this , trust me it's that bad but it is so worth it so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

1 kg calamari / squid cut into rings
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
1 egg with a little water to make egg wash
1 cup or more of panko breadcrumbs

METHOD

In a plastic bag , add the flour and the spices and shake it up to mix well .
Then add in the calamari and shkae it till it flour mix coats .
Shake off the excess flour and dip the rings in the egg wash and then the bread crumbs .
Deep fry it till crispy and golden in medium to hot oil .
Serve it with chilli sauce or Mayo tahini dip.

NOTES

You can use normal breadcrumbs but panko really gives you that crunch .

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Fool Filling

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes. Remember my last post where I said I was taking a break for a couple of days from all the unpacking , well I am still on it . Never got back to unpacking , just dumped everything in the garage and waiting for some magic where the cartons will unpack by itself ( still crossing my fingers and hoping for it ).
While I am waiting for a genie to grant my wish , I thought I would sneak in a post fit for this month  .Sweet and moist lemony cupcakes with a tangy and tart raspberry fool filling , so here goes..............

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe lemon cupcakes

for the filling

3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup or more icing sugar
1 cup liquid whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar for sprinkling

METHOD

Make the lemon cupcakes according to the recipe given  and leave it to cool .
Using a fondant heart cutter , cut out in the middle .
Now for the filling , mash the raspberries and icing sugar with a fork .
Whip the cream till stiff .
Fold in the mashed raspberries .
Fill the cupcakes with the raspberry cream and sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy.

Kerala Style Baked Fish

Whewww!!! Its been one hectic couple of weeks , with my moving and all , still settling in  almost there but I decided to take a break and post a dish I had made a while back . This is a typical dish you can find anywhere in Kerala , here the fish is coated with a subtly spiced coconut mix and then baked covered in banana leaves . The aroma is itself mouthwatering so here goes..............................

INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium sized white  pomfret or red snapper
1 inch pc ginger
4-6 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup shallots peeled
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste
4 tsp coconut oil

for the garnish

2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp curry leaves roasted
1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

METHOD

Clean the fish and make large slits on both sides
Roast the seeds and grind it .
Grind the coconut , shallots , ginger, garlic , green chillies into a paste.
Add the roast and ground powder to it and salt to taste .
Smear the fish with this paste and set aside.
Grease the banana leaves with the coconut oil and line it in the baking dish .
Now place the fish on the banana leaves and pour vinegar all over it and cover it with the banana leaves and bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 -35 min or till done .
Now transfer the fish to a serving dish and garnish it by sprinkling the coconut oil , roasted curry leaves and coriander leaves .

Nigella's Chocolate Banana Muffins

By now , you all must know that I am a huge Nigella fan , I just love.....love.....love her recipes , they all turn out so well , never has it not worked for me . I have so many things going on right now that I have absolutely no time to think or create some new flavours and recipes . I am in the middle of moving house and the kids have their hands full with their exams and stuff that it is an absolute mess around here . I thought I better get at least one new post in before I move because who knows when I will get the net connection and also get settled in .
I had a couple of bananas rotting here and was bored of making the stuff I know so I thought why not give this recipe a try , it sounds simple and delicious and as usual Nigella does not disappoint , these muffins were just too good , they were so moist and delish so here goes ................

INGREDIENTS

3 very ripe bananas
125 ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
100 gms light brown sugar
225 gms plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda

METHOD

Mash the bananas well .
Add the oil and mash it and then add the eggs and sugar and mix it well
Sift the dry ingredients together and then add them to the wet mixture and mix it up .
Grease and line the muffin pan and spoon the mixture into the muffin moulds till 3/4 full .
Bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 15 - 20 min or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean .
Makes nice round and shiny 12 muffins .

Spicy Tuna Rolls

It's been a while since I posted anything , frankly was not in the mood for it . The end of the year and the beginning was an emotional roller coaster ride , so many things were happening all around that I was completely lost but now I am back and have to be back because making food and blogging about it is really therapeutic for me .
These rolls are really soft and pillowy to the touch , I got this recipe from Elisabeth from the blog food & thrifts , I make them all the time and decided to give it another twist to it . The basic roll recipe is quite easy and the rolls come out perfect , sweet and soft , so I decided to go with a spicy filling , which seems to work well . It is super easy to make so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS 

for the rolls 

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
olive oil 2-3 tbsp

for the filling 

2 tins canned tuna fish drained
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 onion finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
3-4 tbsp or more tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or goats cheese

1 egg and 3 tbsp water beaten
Melted butter (optional)

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and leave it to rise for an hour and a half .
Meanwhile make the filling , in a pan heat the oil and add the tuna and the spices and fry it till the raw smell of the spice disappears .
Add the onions to it and cook it till done . Season it with salt .
After the dough has doubled in size , roll it into a large rectangle .
Spread the ketchup on top and then add sprinkle with the dried spices .
Now add the fried tuna and spread it evenly .
Add the mozzarella and sprinkle the crumbled feta or goats cheese .
Roll it from the longer end like you would roll a swiss roll .
Now cut them into 12 equal pieces .
Arrange them in a baking dish filling side up and leave it to rise for about half hour .
Brush the rolls with the egg wash or butter .
Bake them in a preheated oven for about 25-30 min.
Serve them hot and enjoy .