Simple Chocolate cake

       

          Oh man.... how did I end up being so busy??? I don't work full time, I have some help at home and yet I hardly find any time for activities other than routine. This cake was my second baking experiment and 1st chocolate cake ( I made it in November 2013 and I am posting it now at the end of Feb 2014). Although I am a beginner at baking, this turned out very good. I am casual with my measurements. By that I mean that I usually go by unmeasured ingredients while cooking, and also while baking I tend to divert a little from exact measurements. Hence if my cake turns out well, I believe anyone can bake :-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:

All-purpose flour/ Maida: 1 3/4 cups

Cocoa powder(I used Cadbury's): 3/4 cup

Sugar (granulated): 1 1/2 cups

Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda: 1 1/2 tsp

Salt: a pinch

Eggs: 2  

Black coffee:1 cup 

Milk: 1 cup 

Vegetable oil:1/2 cup 

Vanilla Extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Apply butter and dust flour on the cake pan. 

2. In a bowl whisk together  all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).

3. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients(eggs, black coffee, milk, oil, and vanilla extract). 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk, until combined. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

5.Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

82. Homemade Chocolate

Final Outcome: Should have called it a barfi :-)

        It was very good if called a barfi, but I cannot get myself to call it a smooth delicious chocolate. It was tasty nevertheless. Source for this is my mom's old recipe book.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Milk Powder: 1 cup
Coco powder: 1/4th cup
Butter: ~ 1/4th cup
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Water: 2/3rd cup
Chopped dry fruits: 1/4th cup

Method:
1.Mix water and sugar and bring it to a boil. Boil until it reaches 1 string consistency. 
2. Sieve coco and milk powder together and set aside.
3. Add butter to sugar syrup and mix till butter melts.
4. Gradually add Milk powder mixture to the sugar syrup and mix well. Add dry fruits when the mixture thick.
5.  In a greased pan pour the mixture and pat till it flattens. Let it set for ~20 mins and then cut into desired shape.

68. Avocado Chocolate pudding

Final Outcome: Only for the adventurous!

        When I first heard of this recipe, I could not imagine its taste. Weird combination of ingredients, never heard of dish and one very enthusiastic family....Result: a deadly recipe. A word of caution:"Try at your own risk"! :-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Avocado: 1 peeled and pitted
Coco powder: 2-3 tbsp
Banana: 1 large or 2 small
Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Add Avocado and banana to a mixer/Blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add coco powder and vanilla essence and give a whirl again.
3. Refrigerate and serve after about an hour.

53. Menthe Kadbu

Final Outcome: Its so good that I cannot describe it!

  
        This is not a dessert, nor a curry. Its neither sweet, nor spicy. Its taste is as unique and strange as its name and ingredients. But here is a warning 'not everyone may like it'. Many guests over the years were served this dish. Some loved it and some hated it. So it is a 'Black or White ' dish, no shades of grey.
        Many years ago (about 20 yrs ago) one of our very sweet neighbour passed on this recipe to my mom. Our family loved it. We kids were eager to help out our mom in any possible way to cook this:-). Hence continuing our family tradition my daughter helped us too. And she loved the final outcome!

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Methi leaves: 1.5 cups finely chopped
Milk: 500 ml
Atta/ Wheat flour: Refer Step 1
Garlic cloves: 8 crushed
Sugar: 5-6 tsp
Salt: ~2tsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Take about 1/2 cup atta and add a pinch of salt, a little oil and a little water. Kneed dough just like for regular roti. Take dry flour in a plate. Using index finger and thumb form small balls (about twice the size of a watermelon seed). Roll these balls into dry flour , press them with your fingers (to flatten) and set aside. We will need 1 cup of such small flattened balls.

                I dont know why I could not crop this image:-(
2. Boil about 3 cups of water in a pan. Once the water comes to a boil, add the flour balls to it. Stir occasionally. In about5-7 mins the tiny balls begin to float ( not all the balls will float). Take them off heat. Pour them into a colander to drain out all the water. Set aside.
3. Heat ghee in a pan. Add crushed garlic cloves. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC CLOVES. In a few seconds add chopped methi leaves. Cook stirring occasionally until done.
4. Add cooked flour balls from step 2. Add salt and stir.
5. After about 1-2 mins, add Milk. Keep on low heat and stir occasionally. Cook till milk begins to reduce. Add Sugar and stir. Cook until it begins to thicken.
This dish can be served hot, warm or cold. I prefer it warm.

51. Mango Ice cream

Final Outcome: Creamy, sweet treat!

        This is a very simple ice cream without any unnatural additives. In few of my previous posts I have not written anything regarding what I have been up to. I am on a vacation for the last 15 days. From this recipe onward a few of my posts will be from my mom's kitchen.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Milk: 1 cup
Milk Powder: 1 cup ( we used Nestle milk powder)
Mango pulp (ras): 1 cup (freshly squeezed mango, preferably Alphonso mango)
Cream: 1 cup. We used fresh cream but Amul cream will also work
Sugar: 3/4 cup

Method:
1. Thoroughly mix milk powder into milk.
2. Add rest of the ingredients ( Mango pulp, cream and sugar) to the above. Mix it using a hand mixer or a regular mixer for 3-4 mins. Transfer the contents to a freezer safe bowl. 
3. Set freezer temperature to 4.  Allow the ice cream to set for 4-5 hours.

40. Gajrela

Final Outcome: Excellent!!!

        I made this for Holi. Custom dictates 'Pooran Poli' for holi but I ...... well good food is what matters right?

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Carrots: 2 small grated
Milk: 1 litre
Rice: soaked and coarsely ground.
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts roughly chopped: 8-10
Raisins: 8-10
Sugar: 1/4th cup
Khova/condensed milk: 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:
1. Heat Ghee in a pan. add Cashews and raisins. Fry till they turn golden brown.
2. Add Grated carrot and let it cook for a couple of mins. Then add milk. Let it cook for about 15 mins stirring continuously.
3. Add sugar, cardamom powder and ground rice.
4. Stir continuously for about 10 mins until it thickens.

It is thicker than it looks in the picture.

36. Chocolate Pudding

Source: Sister in law (Shweta). She bakes amazing cakes.
Final Outcome: Can anyone resist such chocolaty, smooth, sweet temptation????

     I prefer recipes which require easily available ingredients. Shweta knows this so she gave me this recipe. Its amazing!!!!

Recipe:(I made half a measure of this. I have put a picture at the end to show how much pudding was made)

Ingredients

1/4 cup (30gms) cornstarch (Yes corn flour and corn starch are the same . I looked it up)

1/2 cup(100gms) sugar
1/8 tsp salt

3 cups (705ml) milk

6 ounces (170 gms) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped(Chocolate chips will work, I used Bournville dark chocolate)

1 tsp(5ml) pure vanilla extract(I did not have this but it did not make any difference)

Method:
1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler(for people like me how to make a  'Double boiler': heat water in a broad pan (about half filled). Hold another pan over it with the ingredients). Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re a slacker like me) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a spout and pour into individual serving dishes.

3. Refrigerate covered for about 30 mins.

         Thank you Shweta for this amazing recipe! This is totally different than anything I have ever tried.

        I had mentioned in one of the previous post that I plan on another resolution to go with this one. Here it is:I plan to start running (at least 4 days a week). But the plan has not materialized yet as I keep switching off my alarm! Why is the nap after hitting snooze so sound :-) . Now that I have declared my resolution, I hope it will motivate me. I just realized isn't it funny I speak about workout after such high calorie temptation posted above?

29. Coffee Cake Pudding

Source: self
Final Outcome: Yummy!!!

           This is my first dessert! This is one of the simplest recipes I have made.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Sponge Cake cut into slices: 250 gms
Fresh cream(Amul): 200 ml
Instant coffee powder (Nescafe): 4-5 spoons
Milk warm: 1 cup
Powdered sugar: 2-3 spoons
Chocolate chips chopped: 3-4 spoons

Method:
1. Mix  a spoon of coffee into warm milk. Place about 4-5 sponge cake slices in a container and pour half the milk on it. Let it soak for a few minutes.
2. Add about 3 spoons of coffee and a spoon of sugar into the fresh cream. Mix it gently. Pour half of this mixture on the soaked sponge cake.
3. Prepare another layer by repeating step 1 & 2.
4. Top it with chopped chocolate chips. Refrigerate for about 30 mins before serving.

        Dear 'Silence' where are you??? I miss you so much. I cannot write a single sentence without the chaos around me:-(. I would just love a short vacation from everything. Let me correct myself: I need a long.... very long.... never ending vacation:-(