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

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.

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 .

Mmmmmm......Tiramisu !!!

I am so impressed by the photographs of my fellow bloggers and also want my photos to look like that so now I am in the process of learning how to take quality pics and the internet is the best place to learn . There are so many good tutorials out there .One thing I have learned is that natural light is the best light to shoot and for the past few weeks I have been running around the house like a mad woman ( my kids really think this ) with a camera around my neck to find the perfect spot in my house where natural light is best .Whenever I find a spot and set up my stuff to take a shot the light might have moved an inch left or right or there is no light at all . The only time natural light is best in my home is  at 7 in the morning , who in their right mind would cook then ( I am not that desperate ) .
Finally I found the perfect spot , Mr.Natural Light comes at that perfect spot at 2 - 2.30 in the afternoon , you can imagine my delight at it , I was so happy I called everyone and told them .
Ok , so  I found light and have the camera and now for some action ;) . I clicked away like crazy and found a few , very few ( 1 or 2) pics which I thought looked impressive by my standards so here they are.....please be kind , pretty please .....

This dessert didn't even take me half the time I took to take the photo , it's that easy and anyone can make it . This is my absolute favourite dessert , by now all of you got the hint that I am into desserts and this one ranks on top . It's easy to make , heavenly to look at and divine to eat it . It's that good , really trust me . This is an eggless, non-alcoholic version . It is very light and melts in your mouth . This is an old recipe I got from a magazine or I think from the nestle tin , have no idea coz I wrote it down a long while back . I am not boring you anymore ( for those who take the time to read this ) so here goes............

INGREDIENTS

250 ml Whipping cream
1 can nestle cream
250 gms mascarapone cheese
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup strong black coffee cooled
24 finger biscuits
cocoa powder to dust
chocolate shavings (optional)

METHOD

Whip the whipping cream till stiff and set aside
In a bowl beat the nestle cream , mascarapone cheese and sugar till well combined
Fold the whipped cream into this mix gently .
Line a loaf tin with plastic hanging out at the sides .
Dip the finger biscuits in the coffee and arrange a layer at the bottom .
Pour half of the cream mixture on top and dust the top with cocoa powder
Again repeat the same process finishing with a layer of dipped finger biscuits on top .
Leave it in the fridge to chill for about 6 hours .
Use the overhanging plastic to lift it out of the tin onto the serving platter.
Top it with chocolate shavings and slice , serve and enjoy : D .

P.S : it's 2 pm , off to take another pic ;).

Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake with Caramel and Mousse Filling

 Eid Mubarak to everyone !!!!!  What a fun and hectic week it was with all family and friends getting together , truly it was a week to remember .The best part was the food and that too lots and lots of it and everyting truly delicious .As usual I was in charge of the dessert and decided to go all out for it and I am not one to brag ;) ,  but the cake turned out superb and everyone loved it .I made a chocolate and vanilla layered cake with white chocolate and dark chocolate mousse filling and caramel so now you know why everyone loved it . It was just superb and above all very easy to make so here goes........

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe of Chocolate cake
1 recipe of Vanilla cake

for the dark chocolate mousse filling 

150 gm dark chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

for the white chocolate mousse 

150 white chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

1 tin nestle caramel treat

for the frosting

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
150 gms butter softened
11 oz dark chocolate chopped

METHOD

Make the cakes in two 8 inch sandwich tins according to the recipe .
To make the mousse filling , melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler till smooth .
Whip the cream till stiff and fold in the melted chocolate .
To make the frosting , In a saucepan add the water,  sugar and  butter and heat it till it melts .
Now turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and stir it till smooth .
It takes a while to set so make it first .
To assemble the cake cut each cake in half horizontally .
Place a layer of vanilla cake , spread 2 tbsp of caramel treat on it .
Now add 3 tbsp of  the dark chocolate mousse filling on top.
Place a layer of chocolate cake on top and then add the caramel treat again if you like and top it with the white chocolate mousse filling .
Now repeat the process till you run out of cakes : ) .
Now frost the entire cake with chocolate frosting and leave it to till .
Garnish the top with crushed peanuts if you like .
Serve and enjoy .

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever !!!

I have been so lazy since I had my vacation that I really needed to make something in chocolate to get me energized and what better thing to make than Nigella's Devil's Food Cake . I so LOVE Nigella , her recipes are so awesome , quick and delicious and also it always comes out just like it says . This is indeed Devil's cake coz this is so good that something this good is always bad for you . The cake is super moist and the frosting is to die for , you really have to try it to know . It's always better to make the frosting before the  cake coz the frosting takes time to set and also it does not set very hard but it is indeed the yummiest frosting that I have tasted  , it is light and not overly sweet , so here goes...........

INGREDIENTS

for the frosting 

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
150 gms unsalted butter
11 oz chocolate chopped coarsely

for the cake 

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
165 gms unsalted butter room temp
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

METHOD

In a saucepan , add the all the ingredients for the frosting except the chocolate and melt on low heat .
Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and stir it into a smooth mixture and set aside.
In a bowl mix the boiling water , cocoa powder and the brown sugar and set aside .
Cream the butter and the sugar till pale and fluffy .
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Add the vanilla in the creamed butter and sugar .
Add eggs one at a time alternating between the dry ingredients .
Add the cocoa mixture in the batter .
Grease and line two 8 inch sandwich tins and pour the batter in this .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 min or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean .
Sandwich the cooled cakes with frosting and spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake .
Enjoy to your heart's content .

OMG! It's Chocolate Heaven

Ok , I might be being a tad bit dramatic , but lemme tell you something , I went on a diet last week and boy , that was one week I will never get back , I was just miserable ,was having only fruits and vegetables and I had these terrible nightmares of a lettuce strangling me and a giant apple knocking me dead  ( naaah , just kidding ) but seriously  if I ever see one more lettuce or an apple I might just kill myself . More than me , my kids were behind my back to stop the diet coz they wanted cookies and I wouldn't make it for them until I was over with the diet . So finally my diet is over and my kids are happy and me too to an extent and made these cookies to celebrate my success ( or failure) . These are Nigella Lawson's double chocolate cookies and they are just so decadent , rich , chocolatey and I could go on and on about it , they are that good , they are just divine .

INGREDIENTS

125 gms dark chocolate melted
150 gms flour
30 gms cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
125 gms butter
75 gms light brown sugar
50 gms white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg cold
350 gms semi- sweet chocolate chips

METHOD

Cream the butter and the sugar till pale and fluffy
Add the vanilla and egg and beat again .
Add the melted chocolate
Mix together the dry ingredients and add them in the butter mix .
Stir in the chocolate chips .
Scoop out with a medium size ice-cream scoop and place on the baking tray about 3 inches apart .
Bake in a preheated 170 c oven for about 18 min .
Leave in the tin to cool and then transfer to the wire rack to cool and harden .
If you stay in a hot and humid country ( like me ) then chill the dough for a half hour so that the cookies will not flatten out like a disc .

P.S : The milk is skimmed ;)

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Blogging is real hardwork and it does take a lot of  patience and time . I am saying this because I had made a batch of this cookie dough and froze half of it and baked the other half . I was too lazy to take pics of the cookies and didn't bother with it as I had another batch left in the freezer . I have to tell you guys one thing , my hubby and my two kids are BIG TIME cookie lovers , they are all over by the time it is out of the oven . So the first batch was gone and I wanted to put this in the blog so I baked the next batch and left it out to cool and boy , what a mistake that was , it was all over by the time I came to take the pics and I saw my daughter having the last piece , I didnt think of anything else I just snatched it out of her mouth and finally got a pic , even though it is half eaten . By the way the cookies were wonderful , it was chewy and gooey so here goes ....

INGREDIENTS

200 gms butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 egg
50 gms dark chocolate melted
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 cup of peanut and chocolate swirled chips


METHOD

Cream the butter and the sugars till light and fluffy
Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat well
Add the melted chocolate and the peanut butter
Sift the dry ingredients and add them in .
Now stir in the chips .
Chill the dough in the fridge for about 15-20 min.
Roll the dough into discs and bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-24 min
Cool on wire rack if there is any left to cool ;) .

Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cookies with Cream Filling

Whoa!!!! Now that name is a mouthful and so are the cookies . These cookies are just divine , they are soft and chewy cookies and the filling is a bit tangy from the sour cream which provides the perfect balance to the sweet nutella on top . One of them is enough to fill you up so here goes enjoy ...............

INGREDIENTS

150 gm chocolate
50 gms butter
1 egg
1/2 cup caster sugar
65 gms flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp hazelnut powder or almond powder

for the filling

100 gms sour cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
50 gm cream

100 gms nutella
1 tbsp of oil

METHOD

Melt the chocolate and butter
Cream the eggs and sugar till pale and fluffy
Add in the melted chocolate and stir it to mix .
Mix the dry ingredients together and fold in the chocolate mix
Chill it in the fridge for about 2 hours if it seems very loose
Now roll them into small balls and flatten it a little .
Bake them in an 180 c oven for about 10-15 min .
Cool on wire rack .
Mix the sugar with the sour cream till the sugar has dissolved completely .
Whip the cream till stiff and fold into the sour cream .
Place teaspoonful on the cookies and chill
Add the oil to the nutella and microwave it for a few sec just enough to melt it
Spread this on top of the cream and serve .

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Since I have started blogging I have piled on a couple of pounds ,nope not a couple, about 10 pounds or so . Oh please god why does all the yummy tasting stuff have to be the most fattening , why,why, WHY?
Whewww!!! Now that is off my chest I will get back to the recipe I am posting .These brownies are rich , decadent and moist and above all very good for your diet , that is if you are looking to put on a few pounds.For today I will enjoy this , tommorrow is another day maybe then :).

INGREDIENTS

225 gms plain chocolate chopped
75 gms butter
4 eggs
350 gms caster sugar
115 gms plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup walnuts chopped

for the cheesecake batter

50 gms butter
175 gms cream cheese
115 gms caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave on power 30 for about 5 -6 min .
Meanwhile beat the eggs until light and fluffy .
Gradually add the sugar and continue beating till blended.
Sift over the dry ingredients and fold in the mixture.
Stir in the chocolate and walnuts . Set aside 2 cups of this mix.
To make the plain batter , cream the butter and the cream cheese .
Add the sugar and continue beating till well blended.
Beat in the eggs , flour and vanilla essence.
Line and grease a 13/9 inch tin .
Spread the unmeasured chocolate mix  into the tin.
Pour over the cheesecake mixture .
Drop spoonfuls of the reserved chocolate mix on top.
With a metal spatula ,swirl the mixtures to marble.Don't blend completely .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 35-40 min or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean .
Unmould when cool and cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Souffle

They are decadent , they are light , they are fluffy and they make you want to hum a little tune .Who needs a man when you can have chocolate souffle ( hope my hubby never sees this ). This dessert is to die for , ok maybe I am over reacting but this souffle literally melts in your mouth so here goes , enjoy .....

INGREDIENTS

60 gms chocolate
50 gms butter softened
3 eggs seperated
50 gms powdered sugar
1 tbsp flour
icing sugar for dusting
METHOD

Melt the chocolate in a microwave on power 30 for 5 min.
In the meantime beat the egg yolks and half the sugar till it turns pale .
Add the softenend butter in the chocolate and mix it up well .
Now stir in the chocolate into the egg yolk mix.
Now beat the whites with sugar till stiff .
Add the egg white mix on top of the egg yolk mix and sprinkle the flour.
Now slowly fold them to mix it all up taking care not to take the air out.
Butter and flour 3 small ramekins .
Pour the mix into the ramekins and bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 15-20 min.
Serve hot with a dusting of icing sugar .

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

This cookie is just chocolate heaven ,yummmm!!!!!!! When you bite into this cookie , it is so rich and the chocolate chips just melts into your mouth .This cookie is perfect for all those chocoholics out there because you get a double dose of chocolate. My kids absolutely love them and it is super easy to make . You can freeze the dough for later use too. It tastes absolutely heavenly right out of the oven , so here goes ............

INGREDIENTS

200 gm butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
50 gm melted dark chocolate
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 cup chocolate chips

METHOD

Mix the flour , cocoa powder,salt and baking soda and set aside.
In a large bowl  cream the butter and the sugars till light and fluffy .
Add in the egg , the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate.
Add in the flour mix a little at a time .
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Put the dough in the fridge for a few minutes .
Roll the dough into 2 inch balls and place them apart in a baking sheet .
Bake in a preheated oven 180 c for 22 min for a softer cookie and 25 min for a crispier one .

NOTES

To make the cookies more decadent you can add 1 tsp of grated orange zest and add chopped almonds or pecans .For another variation you can add a tsp of espresso powder.
Before baking the cookies just stick the dough in the fridge for a few min .

Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake

 There is nothing more satisfying then having a slice of rich , gooey  melt in your mouth chocolate cake and this recipe exactly delivers it .It is so easy to make and there is absolutely no work involved at all , no beating , sifting or whisking , just mix up all the ingredients together and bake it, so here goes.........

    

INGREDIENTS

1and1/2cups  all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips .
2 tsp vanilla extract


METHOD

Mix all the dry ingredients together and just stir it with a whisk to break the lumps ,it's much more easier than sifting it .
Mix all the wet ingredients together and pour it in the dry ingredients and mix it well .
Transfer the contents in a baking dish .
Add the chocolate chips on top of the cake mix and bake it in a preheated oven at 170-180 c for 30-40 min. or till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Top the cooled cake with the chocolate ganache and leave it to set .

For the gananche .
250 ml whipping cream or single cream
250 gm dark cooking chocolate grated.

Heat the cream in a pan and add the grated chocolate and stir it till the chocolate melts and you get a nice shiny smooth gananche .

NOTES

Oven temprature might vary due to some size or model . If you have a fan enforced oven then you have to lower the temperature because it gets too hot .

                                                                                                            

Chocolate Ice cream with Pralines

Yummmmmmm!!!!!! Icecreams, who doesn't like them and that too chocolate .  I had recently invested in an ice cream maker and have tried making various types of chocolate ice cream but this recipe turned out the best , it is a very rich , creamy , chocolatey , smooth ice cream and the best part is if you don't have an ice cream maker you can just freeze it and  whisk it once in the process of freezing and that too turns out great , so here goes

INGREDIENTS

6 egg yolks
120gm caster sugar
300 ml milk
300 ml single cream or whipping cream
225 gm dark chocolate grated
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar till the mixture becomes pale .
Whisk in the milk followed by the cream
Cook this mixture in a heavy saucepan over a low heat stirring constantly until it is thick enough too coat the back of a wooden spoon .
Remove it from the heat .
Stir in the chocolate into the hot custard and add the vanilla .
Cover and set the custard aside to cool .
Freeze in an ice cream maker ,following the manufacturer's instructions or freeze it in a flat bottomed container and whisk it once during the process of freezing .

For the pralines .

55 gm blanched almonds
100 gm caster sugar
4 tbsp water

Toast the almonds until they are lightly browned. Spread them on a lightly oiled surface.
Heat the sugar with the water until it dissolves , then boil it to deep golden brown .
Pour immediately over the nuts and leave until cold before crushing them in an electric coffee grinder or  with a pestle and mortar.You can store this mix in an airtight container .