Chocolate Log

Chocolate Log

Recipe source : bbcgoodfood.com

It might not be Christmas time but then there is never a wrong time to do a right thing. The Chocolate Log is a very Christmas-y dessert but I simply felt like making it in these summer months.

The ganache is decadent. The cream filling is soft and complements the crackle of the ganache perfectly. And after all I am sure there is snow somewhere in the Southern hemisphere at this time.

Ingredients

For the cake

3 eggs

85 gm castor sugar

85 gm - 2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

For the filling and icing

50 gm butter

140 gm dark chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp golden syrup

300 ml whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a 23x32 cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper.

Beat the eggs and sugar till they are thick and creamy.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Fold it into the egg mix. 

Pour into the baking tine and spread the batter evenly. Bake for 10 minutes.

 Spread a big sheet of baking paper on the working surface of your kitchen. When the cake is a little cool then turn the cake tin upside down on the baking sheet. Tap gently so that the cake comes out. 

Peel off the baking sheet sticking to the cake. 

Now using the fresh baking sheet roll up the cake into a tight roll.  Leave it for some time.

Meanwhile make the ganache.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Add the golden syrup and 5 tbsp cream. Let it cool a little and your ganache is ready.

Beat the whipping cream till peaks start forming.

Unroll the cake. Spread the cream on top and then roll it up again.

Spread the ganache on top. Keep in the fridge for a few minutes till it starts to harden. Take it out and make cuts on the ganache with the help of a fork. This will make it look like the bark of a tree. 

Garnish with dusted icing sugar.

Cashew Brownies

Eggless Cashew Brownies

I firmly believe that you can never have enough brownies. Brownies are traditionally made with walnuts but cashews taste as good. For me brownies have to deliciously chocolaty and so I prefer using melted chocolate rather than cocoa powder. Chocolate makes the brownies denser and tastier.

I have to bake everyday because my son wants to take cake with him for tiffin. For him it has to be chocolate all the time. And it makes me happy to see his face light up every time I bake a chocolate cake. He is my muse and my inspiration.

Ingredients

1 12 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped chocolate

3 tbsp butter

½ cup curd

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup castor sugar

½ cup chopped cashews

½ cup butter, softened

3 tbsp milk

Line and grease a 8”cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Put the chopped chocolate and 3 tbsp butter on a double boiler and melt the chocolate. 

Whip it well and keep aside to cool. 

Beat the sugar and ½ cup butter till pale and frothy. 

Add the milk and beat some more. 

Add the melted chocolate and mix well. 

Add the baking soda to the curd and once it froths then add to the batter. 

Sieve the flour and baking powder and fold into the batter. Pour into the baking tin. Sprinkle the chopped cashews on the batter. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes. If you feel the cashews start burning then place a foil on top after 20 minutes. 

Dundee Cake

Dundee Cake

Recipe source : bbcgoodfood

I have often seen pictures of the Dundee Cake and I just love the way the golden brown almonds are arranged on top. So I looked it up and here is what Wikipedia baba has to say about the Dundee Cake. 

This cake originated in 19^th century Scotland and was originally mass produced by a marmalade company. The almonds were added because Mary, Queen of Scots didn’t like glace cherries on her cake.

I used to think it must be really difficult to make this cake but then I decided to take the plunge. The cake took some effort but it was worth it. Never be afraid to try out new things. The worst that can happen is that you will fail once and learn what not to do the next time.

Ingredients

100 gms blanched almonds

100 gms ground almonds

180 gms butter

18 gms light muscavado sugar

225 gms plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp apricot jam or marmalade

2 tbsp milk

3 large eggs

420 gms mixed dry fruits ( I used cashews, raisins, tutti frutti and candied peels)

Grease and line a springform tin. 

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

For the blanched almonds put the almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then the skin will peel off easily. Skin the almonds and keep them whole.

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy. Add the apricot jam/marmalade and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time. Sieve the flour and baking powder and slowly fold into the batter. Now add the ground almonds and fold in.

 Add the mixed dry fruits and fold. 

Pour the batter in the cake tin. Level the top with a spatula. Now arrange the almonds on the cake.

Bake at 170 degrees for 45 minutes. Then lower the temperature and bake for another 50-60 minutes. I prefer putting a foil over the cake after some time. So after the first half an hour of baking was done I put a foil on top.

Caramel Jam Cake

Caramel Jam Cake

Few days ago I baked the OMG cake. It was OMG because that was my reaction when I was cutting the cake. It was unbelievably soft. I think adding orange juice and pineapple jam/marmalade made the cake so moist. 

So this inspired me to try out more cakes with jam in them. Jam or marmalade not only makes the cake soft but it also gives an unusual flavour to the same old cake.

This time it is a caramel cake with mixed fruit jam in it. Why mixed fruit? Because that was the jam sitting in my pantry at that moment. I am sure any other jam would work as well.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

¼  cup butter

½  cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ cup milk

¼ tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp mixed fruit jam

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed. Add oil and blend well. Add eggs one at a time. Add the jam and mix well. 

Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mix alternately with the milk. Add vanilla essence. 

Bake at 170 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if the cake is done.  

Lauki Halwa

Lauki Halwa

I have a very peculiar problem with the place I am staying in. At almost 11,000 feet there are many things that I find strange here. 

Cooking is a big chore because mundane things like onions and potatoes don’t get cooked easily. It takes me three hours to cook potatoes in a pan. It takes about 10 whistles to cook masoor ki dal. 

And all this is because of the altitude which changes the boiling point of ingredients. So anything that takes about 20 minutes to cook down in the plains takes about 2 hours to cook here.

My nemesis, among other things, is the bottle gourd or the lauki. It simply will not cook. And it is a very common summer vegetable. Also it is very good for health. What to do?? The only option for me was to make Lauki halwa. Once pressure cooked it becomes eatable. And if made well it is a delicious dish!

Ingredients

1 large lauki

1 cup mawa/khoya

1 cup sugar ( you can adjust depending on how sweet you want it)

1 cup assorted dry fruits, chopped ( I have used cashews and chuara)

2 litres milk

2 tbsp ghee

First skin the lauki and then grate it. Put the grated lauki along with 1 ½ cups of water in a cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Take the lauki out of the cooker and put in a colander to drain away the excess water. 

Meanwhile put the milk to boil. After it boils for 15 minutes add the grated and cooked lauki in the milk. 

Now cook till the milk evaporates and the mixture thickens. Add the sugar, mava and dry fruits. Keep cooking till the halwa is dry. Add the ghee and cook some more.