Whole Wheat Eggless Walnut Brownies

My hubby loves sizzling brownies, also had to think of a dessert for a lunch so gave a try to Wheat Brownies, yes they are egg less and awesome. They turned out to be pretty soft and chewy.

Every bite had crunchy walnut bumping in my mouth which made the taste more interesting.

I am slowly trying to adapt some of my recipes to make them healthier by using more of wheat flour, using less butter .. etc

And to motivate me Madhuram always has a ongoing event !! here is another one for you Madhuram for the Whole grain eggless baking event.

Whole Wheat Eggless walnut Brownies

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup water

1/3rd cup butter

21/2 Tbs coco powder

2cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

2tsp baking pwd

3/4th cup w walnuts

1/4th tsp salt.

Mix water with 1/3rd cup flour and heat in a nonstick n low heat until a smooth paste.

Let the mix cool. Along side mix butter with coco pwd and heat to a smooth paste on low low flame.

Add sugar to the cooled flour-water mix and add rest of the flour, vanilla essence , salt, baking powder,Mix it along with butter and coco mix. Blend all of in a blender until smooth.

Mix in your nuts and pour into a greased tin. Bake at 180deg for about 30 min.

You can make variations by adding almonds, choco-chips etc etc :)Server hot along with cold ice-cream!!

BakeWell Tarts

Well ive been wanting to live in London...the UK ... since i was a kid, and still dream to be settled there . :) But guess ive not done my research well enough, well i did it now :) The Bakewell tart is a traditional English baked cake native to the town of Bakwell. The tart consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, covered in jam and covered with a sponge style filling enriched with ground almonds. This is known as Frangipane. Traditionally the cakes are also covered with nuts such as almonds and peanuts. Normally eggs are a must have in this recipe but chucking them out from recipe's is my mission :) So here is another month of challenge from the Daring Bakers for me! BAKE WELL TARTS :)

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England

3 Major elements of a Bake well tart are- Tart, Jam & Frangipane.

Tart Crust(short crust pastry):
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
To make the pastry: combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the pastry. Pour ice water into the well and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. .Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly; press the edges into the sides of the pan. Shave off the excess hanging dough with a knife. Put the tart in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to relax. Preheat the oven to 180 C .Line the tart with aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans to keep the sides of the tart from buckling. Bake for 30 minutes, and then remove the foil and weights.Remember the tart will be cooked again with the filling.,so it should be baked until lightly golden. the second bake. Set aside to cool

For the Jam i used a store bought Strawberry Jam.

Frangipane: This vegetarian recipe is inspired from here.
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar (you could add more if u like it more sweet)
1 cup strawberry puree (just crush fresh strawberries in ur blender)
2 tbs Cornflour
1/2cup all purpose flour
1/4th cup almond flakes
Few drops of lemon juice
Few drops vanilla essence
Mix butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the strawberry puree and mix well, add rest of the ingredients except flour and almonds, and mix till smooth. Add the flour and blend till mixed well, lastly add the almond flakes and mix it gradually. Pour in the filling in your jam spread ed tart base and bake for about and hour in a pre-heated oven at 180deg.
This might feel like a little shaky even after baking for an hour. But will set after its cool. The best way to know is inserting a knife/toothpick and check if it comes out clean or not.

My Verdict to this months challenge is... shown in the pics below... my 2 yr old daughter 'Kaira' could not wait until the pics were being clicked... she literally had her mouth open as i was clicking... so if the pics dint turn out well.. its cuz she could not resist eating it :)

My next variation for Bakewell Tart is going to be with Nutella filling :0 Flaky pastry crust + Cream Nutellla chocolate +Crumbly soft cake like Fragipane . YUMMMMM!!

Candied Orange Zest!! I loved em! light bittery taste mingling so well with the sweet refreshing citrus flavour! :) I had tried making these for my cheese cake recipe. A quick and tasty flavouring for your desserts. While you cook these the aroma that spreads in your house is just to die for :)

So here's the recipe-

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 orange

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add zest of 1 orange peeled into strips, simmer and let it cook until zest is tender. Drain, and transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle some sugar crystals or powdered sugar.

Choco'range Cheesecake.

Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake says
Hedy Lamarr . Well in my case even if i was near a bakery i could not eat a cheesecake as i would not get a vegetarian one!, So the only option for me is to make one.
Well cheesecake was in my cook list since the past 10 years, ya!! u read right 10 years! A aunt of mine had made this yum strawberry cheesecake about 10 years back and i always thought id make it, somehow it never happened until the Daring Bakers challenged :)
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I always get hesitant when i have to use tofu as a egg substitute, i m worried about the tofu taste being dominant. So had to make sure i choose strong flavours to cut down tofu's taste.
I went a lil safe, by using the same choco-orange combo as i had done before. The crust was oreo's mixed with choco-almond digestive biscuits, made some candied orange Peel's for the orange flavour.
Trust me it just was heavenly. All my friends who got a bite worth size to taste , loved it!! I m sure to make it soon again but next time try the unbaked version.
I loveeeeeeeeeee cheesecake!!!!
I have to sincerely thank Noveleats for providing the recipe. Thanks a million for sharing such a lovely recipe with us. :)
I followed her recipe mostly, except for changing the flavours:)
Here;s my version of ..

CHOCO'RANGE CHEESECAKE.
200gms Silk Tofu
200gms Cream cheese (i used Philadelphia)
3/4th cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2tsp vanilla essence
2tbs lemon juice
4-5 tbs candied orange peel's (chopped)
3tbs Cornstarch
1 Bar of milk chocolate
1 Bar of bitter chocolate
*Melt the chocolate on a double boiler and keep aside.

For the crust-
One pack oreo biscuits.
One pack Choco-almond digestive biscuits.
* You can use your choice of crust in accordance to your taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain the tofu, Add the tofu, Cream cheese and blend till smooth. Then add rest of the ingredients except for Lemon juice, chocolate and orange peels.
Blend till smooth paste. Divide the mix into two parts. Add the melted chocolate in one and add the orange peels with lemon juice in the other mix.
Prepare the crust by crushing the biscuits and layering it on a greased cake tin. I used a regular rolling pin and a ziploc to crush my biscuits.
As far as the cake tin is concerned its always better to use a springform. I used a regular one as i dint have a springform.
The verdict to this tofu-cheese cake is DOUBLE thumb's-up!! As i read all the post;s i now feel i could have tried the water bath which i dint. Next time id know the difference if it actually makes it more creamier or not. Also one thing i really enjoyed was the pieces of candied orange zest bumping in with the vanilla -sour cheese flavour, it was some what like the classic meets the hip-hop!
One thing is for sure, Its sinful in every term!!

Tuiles

The new year is here, wish u all a very Happy New Year. Cant believe that the year has passed, so much of hustle bustle this year. oh!! i mean last year. Well now i m in my country visiting family for 2 months and its all the more hectic with my little one. I thought that i would not participate for this month's as well as the Feb challenge but, somehow could not resist. Also i know i cannot participate in the Feb challenge and so dint want to skip Jan.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

The name 'tuile' is a french word meaning 'tile,' and when presented in rows are supposed to resemble the curved tiles on the tops of buildings. In their traditional form, a tuile is a flat cookie which has been set over a curved surface while freshly baked and allowed to cool, giving its characteristic curved-tile shape.

And a Nougat is actually a darker candy, made of caramel syrup and nuts. This is rolled into thin sheets and formed into cups or bowls to serve as a vessel for other candy or fruit.

Well this was another experience , not so difficult and time consuming like the last one. It was fun, I wanted to try the nut version as well as the Savoury ones, so i decided to use the Chocolate nut recipe for the sweet one and for the savoury ones, i altered Vegan yum yum's recipe a bit. I simply love her blog, her presentations are simply amazing.

My mom is a amazing cook so i got a lot of help from her to finish my challenge. My sister, cousin , brother.. love eating so i did have some handy Ginnie pigs to test my cooking skills on. :) Trust me they were glad to do it. But it was a lil disastrous and panachey for me, cuz firstly i was not in my cooking space and had to ask mom for each and everything as to where it was kept, then kids running around, etc etc in that havoc i forgot to measure my butter, while i just chopped it and kept aside to get it to room temp and in a rush mixed my flour to it, so basically it was all by eyeball after that. Once i put the tuiles in the oven the lights went off .. yes!! that too for 4 hours! so i was holding my head with terrible panic attack, and could do nothing by wait. Finally the lights came and i popped a batch of savoury tuiles. I decided to serve them with a dollop of cucumber curd dip topped with a olive, and some salad on the side. The sweet ones dint need much as i love the mingle of almond with chocolate. Its just the best combination ever according to me. My little hearts were topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a slice of fresh strawberry and a drop of apple jam! Trust me the combination tasted heavenly.

I tried capturing a few expressions of my family:)

Lets get to the recipe:

CHOCOLATE TUILES

Michel Roux’s Finest Desserts.

Makes 30 Preparation time: 15 minutes!

9 oz/250 grams dark or white couverture or best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup/75 gr slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

Temper the couverture, and stir in the toasted almonds. Place the template on a sheet of rodoïde (or use a clean sheet of sturdy plastic such as a folder) and fill with about 1 tbs of the mixture. Repeat the process a little distance away from the first one. As soon as you have 5 tuiles fit, slide them onto a mold or rolling pin (side of a glass) to curve. Let cool completely, lift tuiles off the plastic only after the chocolate has set and just before serving, so that they keep their shine.This has a nice crunch of toasted almonds to it. And a beautiful feel of creamy chocolate.

Here's the recipe for SAVOURY TUILES:

Source-Veganyumyum

1/2 Cup Butter/margarine, softened

2 Tbs Flax Egg*

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp chili flakes

*Flax Egg 1 Tbs Flax Seed +1/4 Cup Water

Grind the flax seed to a powder in a spice grinder. Whisk with water and set aside. Use 2 Tbs of this mixture for the tuile cookies. Preheat oven to 375°F. Whip the butter till soft.Mix the herbs, flakes and salt with the butter and whisk them well. Add the flax eggs and Butter. Add the flour to this mix and knead it till soft, add little milk to this mix to make a paste like texture.

U can buy tuile moulds and templates or else just use a cardboard to cut ur own template.Put your template on a parchment paper and put a spoonful of your batter on it. spread it evenly using a spatula, remove the excess. Remove the template and put them for baking until golden brown.As soon as you remove them from the oven, shape them on a greased rolling pin. ( i wanted them to be flat so i did not put them on the rolling pin.)You can then serve them with desired dips, salads. I used cucumber dip and salad on the side.

It was a great challenge, i honestly enjoyed making these and will try diff variations soon.:)

A French Yule Log.

Phew!!!!!! At last i did it :) Never heard before or say Never thought would make something of this sought ever!!
Yes THE DARING BAKERS "actually" "literally" means u need to DARE to do stuff!

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

When i first saw the recipe that long i knew so that i will have to skip this month;s challenge, though i just dint want to quit. So on a one fine noon i put my daughter to a nap and started with the first thing the Dacquoise Biscuit, then determined that i would go alongside the Oder of the recipe given and try to finish all the elements in that day and yes i did it :) i completed all my elements by evening and started to assemble by night. I let the buche freeze and then the next day noon iced it :) I felt a sense of achievement, trust me.

ŏn'trə-mā', -mĕ' (entremets ) is a french word which means dishes served in addition to the main course of a meal ; especially desserts. Or it could also mean a specific dessert in this case.

The best part about this recipe is the medley of Smooth creamy mousse along with the praline crisps, the creaminess of brule, all of them combined to a perfect Bite.

I decided on a all chocolate Log except for the Brule , well i know its sinful but someone has rightly said "I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter. " and i firmly believe in this quote.

So lets start with the recipe: (i have had to change a few things because of me being vegetarian)

The six elements needed to make this log are :
1) Dacquoise Biscuit
2) Mousse
3) Ganache Insert
4) Praline (Crisp) Insert
5) Creme Brule Insert
6) Icing

Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible. Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups white self-raising flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 tbsp fat-free yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond essence

1/4 cup almond meal

Preheat the oven to 170C, Line your baking dish with a parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, Sift the flour and baking powder into another bowl. Mix the yogurt and the milk together. Add 1/3 of the flour mix to the creamed butter and beat in thoroughly. Then pour a third of the milk mixture and beat it in. Finish up the remaining flour and milk mix the same way till you get a fairly thick batter. Make sure you beat well after each addition now stir in the almond essence and almond meal .Pour this batter into piping bag and pipe an even layer on your baking dish. Bake until golden brown.

Variations on the Almond Dacquoise listed above:
Hazelnut Dacquoise :Substitute the same amount of hazelnut meal for the almond meal.
Chocolate Dacquoise :Add 3 tablespoons of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder into the almond meal/caster sugar mix in Step #1 of the Almond Dacquoise.
Lemon Dacquoise: Add the zest of 1 Lemon after the flour in Step #2 of the Almond Dacquoise.
Coconut Dacquoise: Substitute ¼ cup of almond meal and add 2/3 cup shredded coconut in Step #1 of the Almond Dacquoise

Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse

Preparation time: 20mn

Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula

Ingredients:

1 + 1/4 tsp powdered agar-agar

1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar

0.5 oz (15g) water

6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

Soak the agar agar in water for about 1 hour and then dissolve it in about 3/4th cup of boiling water.). In a double boiler or equivalent, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.Whip the remainder of the cream until stiff.Pour the melted chocolate over the agar agar mixing it well . Let the mix cool slightly and then stir in the whipped cream.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate Mousse

White Chocolate Mousse :Substitute the same quantity of white chocolate for the dark chocolate in the mousse recipe listed above.

Milk Chocolate Whipped Cream (Chantilly):(Can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight) 2/3 cup (160g) heavy cream 35% fat7.8 oz (220g) milk chocolate 2 1/3 tsp (15g) glucose or thick corn syrup1 1/3 cup (320g) heavy cream 35% fat .

Vanilla Mousse

Mango Mousse

Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache

Preparation time: 10mn

Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have plunging mixer (a vertical hand mixer used to make soups and other liquids), it comes in handy.

Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge). While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate Ganache :

White Chocolate Ganache Insert

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

5 oz (135g) white chocolate, finely chopped

4.5 oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small sauce pan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge). While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.

Dark-Milk Ganache Insert

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate

3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Cinnamon-Milk Ganache Insert

4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream

A pinch of cinnamon

2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate, finely chopped

3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).Heat the cream with the cinnamon (use the quantity of cinnamon you want to infuse the cream, a pinch is the smallest amount suggested) until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the milk and dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or I use an empty bottle of olive oil).

Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. Special note: If you use one of the substitutes for the gavottes, you should halve the quantity stated, as in use 1oz of any of these cereals instead of 2.1oz.

Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete:

3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter

2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline

2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Variations on the Praline Feuillete (Crisp) :

Chocolate Crisp Insert

3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter

2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline

1 oz. (25g) lace crepes or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Coconut Crisp Insert

3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate

1 oz (1/3 cup/25g) shredded coconut

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter

2.1 oz (60g) lace crepes or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375°F (190°C) to toast (a different temperature might work better for you with your own oven). 2. Melt the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and add the toasted coconut. 3. Add the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:

lb. silken tofu

4 tablespoon milk

3/4 cup sugar plus 2tablespoon sugar (reserved)

2 tablespoon cornstarch

dash Kosher salt or sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 375. Press tofu until a little water leaches out Put tofu and all other ingredients (except reserved sugar) into a blender and blend until a smooth, creamy texture has been created. Pour into custard cups or a pie tin and bake in a water bath until the tofu mixture browns a little and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove mixture from water bath spread sugar on top and place under a hot broiler until the sugar melts and browns and begins to harden.

Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

Note: Because the icing gelifies quickly, you should make it at the last minute.For other gelatin equivalencies or gelatin to agar-agar equivalencies, look at the notes for the mousse component

Ingredients:

4g / ½ Tbsp powdered agar agar

¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)

2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (50g) water

1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Soften agar agar by soaking and boiling it in water, once dissolved ,Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling. Add agar agar to the chocolate mixture. Mix well. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate :

Milk Chocolate Icing

3g / 1/2Tbsp powdered agar agar

4.2 oz (120g) milk chocolate

2 Tbsp (30g) butter

¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)

1 2/3 Tbsp (30g) glucose or thick corn syrup

Soften the agar agar . Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together. Bring the cream and glucose syrup to a boil. Add agar agar . Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

White Chocolate Icing

.3g / 1/2Tbsp powdered agar agar
4.2 oz (120g) white chocolate
2 Tbsp (30g) butter
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
1 2/3 Tbsp (30g) glucose or thick corn syrup
Soften the agar agar . Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together. Bring the cream and glucose syrup to a boil. Add agar agar . Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble your French Yule Log

Depending on whether your mold is going to hold the assembly upside down until you unmold it or right side up, this order will be different. THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP. You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop after each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR plastic film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.

You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.

3A) Pipe one third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.

4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

5A) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight eidge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.

Freeze until the next day.

OR

2B)Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.

3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

4B) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

9B) Close with the Dacquoise.

Freeze until the next day.

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is:

1) Dacquoise

2) Mousse

3) Creme Brulee Insert

4) Mousse

5) Praline/Crisp Insert

6)Mousse

7) Ganache Insert

8) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is
1) Mousse

2) Creme Brulee Insert

3) Mousse

4) Praline/Crisp Insert

5) Mousse

6) Ganache Insert

7) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly RIGHT SIDE UP in a springform pan the order is:

1) Dacquoise

2) Ganache Insert

3) Mousse

4) Praline/Crisp Insert

5) Mousse

6) Creme Brulee Insert

7) Mousse

8) OPTIONAL Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY..

Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.Cover the cake with the icing.Let set. Return to the freezer. You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

I chose to decorate it with Dessert Cherries which my friend gifted me. The sides were sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles and to add a little glitter as it is festive season i sprinkled some silver sprinklers, i absolutely love the combination of brown, red and silver :)

I am absolutely sure to make this again with new variations next time.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

This is my first daring bakers challenge, and i really enjoyed being in one.

I first attempted on making the candies because they sounded so yum!

Altough This months challenge is a signature Caramel Cake courtesy Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater. Our hosts this month are Dolores @ Culinary Cusiosity, Alex, ie Brownie of the duo @ Blondie & Brownie , & Jenny of Foray into Food.

There was a lot happening with my life lately and thought i would actually miss this challenge but somehow dint want to. Managed to do it in nick of time but did not manage to get right pictures cause the weather was so dull that hardly got daylight for proper pictures.

My cake was a veg version and so was dense. I used silken tofu to substitute eggs. Otherwise the recipe was the same. I don't have much of a sweet tooth , and this cake is immensely sweet , so honestly i don't know if i would bake this cake again.

Well here is my version of:

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
Recipe Source: Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater, as published on Bay Area Bites

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/4 Cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)

1/2 Cup silken tofu pureed

splash vanilla extract

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add your pureed tofu and vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.Sift flour and baking powder.Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

For the CARAMEL SYRUP

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelizing process)

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted

4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons caramel syrupKosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

GOLDEN VANILLA BEAN CARAMELS-

I absolutely love these buttery heavens, I added a little coffee powder to it and i belive it made it more intense.

also instead of cutting them into pieces i poured them in silicon moulds :)

I know for sure that i m going to make these buttery toffees soon with many other variations :)

makes eighty-one 1-inch caramels -

Ingredients

1 cup golden syrup

2 cups sugar

3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened

1/2teaspoon of instant coffee powder

Equipment:

A 9-inch square baking pan( i used silicon moulds)

Candy thermometer

Procedure:

Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar,coffee powder, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot. When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°f for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F; for firmer chewy caramels. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm. Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.

Zesty Lemon Bars

OK! now this is my first ever Blog event that i m participating in and trust me i m just so excited about it. I did have to rack my brain but the best part is It turned out YUM!! :) well that's the result one always wants and gets often if you do it with all your heart :)

Coming to the challenge, this event is hosted by Madhuram

You can find more details here

Well the recipe that you have to create should be using egg and u have to replace egg with silken tofu.

Honestly Ive read a lot of recipes using tofu which are sweet and i never read the recipe further after seeing tofu being used in it :) i could never imagine tofu being used in a dessert, so this one was a big apprehension for me.

I never have eaten eggs or used eggs so i have no clue that how would my recipe taste with eggs, all i know is i have seen this being baked on a Japanese channel with eggs , Also not knowing the language well i could make out just a few obvious ingredients in it one of which was egg, but it looked so tempting that i had to try it and i thank Madhuram for giving me this opportunity, so here is my version of Zesty Lemon Bars using silken tofu :)

It was fun baking this and the best thing i love about these bars is the "tangyness" of it .

Crust:

2 cups +2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs Sugar
1/3 cup margarine or unsalted butter

Filling:
2 Tbs Silken Tofu
3/4th cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice

2Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs rind grated
1/2 tsp baking powder

In a bowl mix in flour, butter and sugar, mix well with both hands to form a crumbly texture.

Once mixed well press it into a greased and dusted baking tin, bake in a pre-heated oven for about 20 min or until light golden brown.

This recipe can fit well into a 8inch tin well.

For the filling :

In small bowl mix in all the filling ingredients and using ur comfortable device mix well. I put all the ingredients in a blender and blended until i got a smooth paste like texture. Once blended well pour the mixture into the crust and bake for about 30 min or until light golden. Cool and cut into squares/bars.

Ive used orange along with lemon to balance out the sourness and bitterness of lemon's. It gives a more intense taste along with a mild sweetness :)

Me being my impatient self i could not wait to taste so i de-moulded it white hot, and ended up with creased top.

To conclude with my understanding of tofu as a egg re-placer is AMAZING. Some issues come along with it like it leaves the end result a little moist and soggy, while a egg would make it more fluffy and light. While beating the mix with tofu it does not emulsify like a egg would.Well for people like me tofu as a replacement is a Boon! :)

Sukhadi

A rich Sweet made in a jiffy :)

I love this sweet. I know of a restaurant in ahmedabad where Ive eaten it a million times n would love it eat it more. They serve it hot in a brass plate the traditional way... i can never get that taste! never!! Yet i keep making it cuz i love it, my family loves it. The best part about this sweet is that it can be stored for a long long time say more than a month. Ideal filler to carry when travelling, healthy too.

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup ghee/ clarified butter

1 cup jaggery/Molasses - shredded (u could make it a little less if u want it less sweet)

Pinch of cardamon powder

Firstly shred Molasses and keep it aside.

Place a thick bottomed pan to heat and add ghee in it, once melted add flour and cardamon powder, Keep stirring for about 10-15 minutes till you get a pleasant/cooked aroma and it turns nice golden brown. Turn off the gas and Add crushed Molasses to it and stir until it melts and mixes well with the flour. Pour it in a greased tin and let it cool.

CHOCOLATE TART

CHOCOLATE TART

Yes yet another sinful treat. Just cant resist this one. NOTHING but chocolate again. This dessert is pretty simple. No pre preps required. The trick to the taste is using the best quality chocolate for a more intense taste.

Crust:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup powder sugar

Mix the above ingredients, n knead the dough. the butter will warm up when in contact with your hands and will allow you to form the dough . Wrap in plastic and refrigerate
while you prepare the ganache.

Ganache filling:
1 cup dark chocolate (chopped finely or u could choco chips)
1/2 cup cream.

Heat the cream over low heat and wen hot remove from the stove and add in the chocolates, let stand then Stir to incorporate the chocolate and cream and let it stand in the
room temperature.
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it gently. Fit the dough into the tart or pie molds, prick with a fork and bake until light gold in colour at about 170 deg. Let the shells cool completely. De mold and fill with the ganache. Refrigerate until the ganache is completely set.it ideally takes about 3-4 hours. i.e if u could resist :)
U could decorate it with fresh fruits like strawberries and kiwi.. or caramel. :)

FRUITY ALMOND HEART's

FRUITY ALMOND HEART'S

The Aphrodisiac food... "chocolate" Hardly know anyone who does not relish the taste of chocolate. I always have to have something nice in my fridge... so this quick n easy fudge is a blessing to me :) I love fruity flavours so i experimented this fudge with 2 diff juices, you could add the juice of your choice or not. Also traditionally fudge;s have walnuts in them.. but i love the combination of almond and chocolate :) so here;s my fruity fudge:)

2 cups bitter chocolate pieces
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon mango juice
1/2 roasted chopped almonds.
1 teaspoon vanilla essence.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate pieces, sweetened condensed milk, and juices.
Microwave high for 1 minute and stir well. If the chocolate pcs have not melted micro again for about 30 seconds. Add in the chopped almonds.
Pour this mix in greased moulds or a pan. Refrigerate it for about 1 hour or more :)
Sprinkle with powdered sugar to decorate.