Rediscovering the joy of baking

‘You only need to see, feel and act from the heart. Let the heart guide you to your peaceful enlightenment’.   – (from the movie) Kung Fu Panda

Baking with sheer pleasure

It seems like ages ago, the time when I found absolute joy in baking. The idea of baking seemed so exciting, purely based on novelty, because back then baking still wasn’t a part of cooking the regular meals in most Indian households. Cakes, for celebrating occasions like birthdays, were only bought from stores. I loved being able to make a happy moment special by baking (a cake). As my hunger to learn more about this art thrived, I found myself reading several blogs, clipping recipes from magazines, buying cookbooks, all in an attempt to improve my baking skills, to learn other baking techniques and trying different things apart from cakes.

The smiles on the faces of loved ones as they walk into a room engulfed with the heady aroma wafting out of the oven. The happiness reflecting in their eyes, something that if it could be put into words it would express the gratitude they felt on realizing that I would take the trouble of going an extra mile, to give from the bottom of my heart and let them know they mean a lot to me. Baking was heartfelt. Like a personal handmade card, however imperfect, giving away signs of amateurish craftsmanship, but enveloped with immense love. That joy gave me a high.

Along the way, I discovered blogging. There were so many blogs that I was learning from, I wanted to share the lessons I learnt, as well. So that someone, somewhere may not make the mistakes I did, that they may be inspired to try something new, and partly for me to document my journey.

The Lull

But slowly, numbers occupied the thoughts which were once only reserved for ideas. Disappointment crept in when I felt ‘left behind’. Those that started after me were far ahead now. Inspiration for ideas turned into an ugly competition analysis. I was angry with myself for not doing enough when others posted every week. I consoled myself in the most pathetic manner of justifying that others had ‘benefits’ that I did not. Support, either to take pictures or style, while I am here all by myself, baking, writing, taking pictures, juggling a full time job and a social life. These thoughts were exhausting, it drained out all my enthusiasm which also led to not feeling motivated enough to even attempt anything new.

Moment of Epiphany

All this only reinstated how my blog just wasn’t where it was supposed to be. But where am I/ my blog supposed to be? For a person blogging with ‘x’ number of years, what does the growth chart look like? Monetizing the blog? Growing in number of followers? Expanding horizons to x, y, z other things related to baking?  Yes, but who defines all this for me? Why?

I respect bloggers, whose sheer hard work has helped them scale and achieve things for themselves. But I was wrong to compete or compare myself to them or try to walk in their path. To be well known/ established like other renowned bloggers is not the reason I started baking or blogging. We may be in the same genre of the blogging world but we are different, our vision and mission for our blogs are different, our ideas and circumstances are different. The only way to move forward is to leverage our strengths and stay true to our purpose, to ourselves.

I am where I am meant to be. I still have everything on my side, the advantages in fact even more than that I once had, in my happily baking and blogging phase. I have drowned out the noise that distracts me and zoned out of the things that don’t matter to me. I am no longer in a race to chase numbers or beat myself up for not making it to any awards list. I have decided to stay true to my purpose and let things fall in place. For me, rediscovering my passion is success. Getting myself together and blogging again is an achievement. Sharing a recipe worth inspiring you to bake/cook is an accomplishment.

Today, as I bake, I am happy to try out something new. I am happy to linger on in the moment with hands covered in flour. I feel the supple dough ready to be transformed. The house is filled with the aroma of bread again. My thoughts float towards thinking of his reaction when he returns home. I hope he likes it too.

I have written this to serve as a reminder to myself, lest I forget the joy of baking.

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P.S: I didn’t know ‘slow blogging’ was a thing until I found these articles. If you enjoy the thrill of being under constant pressure and do not agree with this, it’s ok. Maybe that’s what drives you. We need not all fall in the same category, right?
Slow blogging for creatives by Jen CarringtonSlow blogging for creatives by Jen Carrington
Slow blogging and Simple living by Dan Erickson

Mawa Cakelets (a tea cake recipe)

It’s a fascinating thing about memories. How even the most insignificant and ordinary part of our daily lives, gets etched on our minds. And all without a trace, till one fine day, something, by mere remote association makes you travel back in time, reminding fondly of the days gone by.

It was late in the evening and I had just finished making Gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding). As I cleaned the kitchen counter, I quickly put away all the leftover ingredients in the fridge – a bit of mawa (milk solids) and some condensed milk. Too tired to even think of anything else, I resigned from my kitchen duties for the day. The following day, I was back in action to prepare our meals. I opened the fridge to get some things out. Another look and I made a mental note to use these leftovers.

Mawa/Khoya/ Milk solids

Leftovers…yes, strangely something like leftovers took me back in time. Grandmom grew up during the hard times. Probably, that’s why it was so very important to not throw away things that could be reused. Something she had learnt, something she taught us as well. Leftover food would get a new avatar the next day so that we would find it interesting enough to eat it again.

I find no shame in being frugal. It’s not like we cannot afford to go and buy a whole lot of stuff to cook whatever we want, whenever we want. It means we should respect the value for things and not be callous about it.

Don’t waste, I told myself, like my grandmom would tell me. But these ingredients would probably only be used for desserts and having made one just the previous night, I wasn’t too keen. What can I use mawa for?! Not that I did not already know, Mawa holds its royal kingship in most Indian desserts. But I wasn’t in a mood of anything really sweet. A little search online and I saw… Mawa cakes! Why didn’t I think of mawa cakes before! As a kid I had eaten plenty of mawa cupcakes. Subtly sweet, with the slightest lingering of cardamom that are perfect for tea time. While most recipes use sugar, I intended to use the leftover condensed milk instead. If you have some leftover condensed milk and want something light, here is the recipe for the Mawa cakelets.

Mawa Cakelets
(The quantities mentioned in this recipe makes around 8-10 regular sized cupcakes)

Ingredients:

Mawa 100 gms
Condensed milk 120 gms
Egg 1 medium
Butter 50 gms

Flour/Maida 160 gms
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Baking powder 1 tsp

Milk 6-7 tbsp

Almonds, slivered for garnish

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 175 degrees C for 10 mins.
• In a bowl, take mawa, condensed milk, egg and butter. Whisk till smooth and runny.
• In another bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Flour, cardamom powder and baking powder.
• Add half the dry ingredients to the smooth and runny batter and fold in till well combined.
• Add in the milk and mix well to incorporate. Fold in the remaining flour mix.
• Add the batter to a lined cake tin, top with slivered almonds and bake for 25-30 mins (time mentioned is for cakelets and for cupcakes, a loaf may take a while longer)
• To test the doneness, insert a skewer or a clean knife. If it comes out clean, its ready.

Note: The cake, although baked will look white. For a golden hue on top, increase the temperature and bake on top rack with top side heat for 3-5 mins. Condensed milk gives a slightly dense texture like a blondie. Because it is subtly sweet, it may not come through with the first bite itself, but the second bite onwards you will be assured of its sweetness.

Sweet Coconutty Hand-pies

I am now slowly reeling over the indulgent and gluttony-behaviour inducing Christmas celebrations. It has been a good year. When I look back, I am thankful for all the blessings. Crossed many milestones, traveled, made new friends. This year has been close to my heart. I will treasure the memories forever.

I did miss celebrating Christmas back home and with family. But Dubai has given me a new home, new family. And because the year has been so kind, I wanted to make Christmas special and culminate the year on a sweet note. We decided to make all the Christmas sweets at home. Just like the way we do it back in India.

For me it was the first time I made the sweets by myself, with the man being sous chef 😉 And in my attempt to make these treats, I stumbled upon  a lot of tricks and techniques. More on that, I will share with you later.

For this Christmas, I (or rather we) made and shared goodie boxes with all home-made sweets. We made a mix of modern and traditional christmas sweets. We made Christmas Cake, Marzipan, Tandlache ladoo (red rice ladoos), Date rolls, Shankarpala (or Tukdey), Kaliyo, Gingerbread cookies. And a special fusion item – Sweet Coconuty hand-pies.

I actually wanted to make the traditional Nevries, but like some magical influence, I was drawn towards baking. Well, it was no magic, I just didn’t want to deep-fry the cresent shaped treats and preferred baking instead. Et Voila!

Sweet Coconuty Hand-pies

Makes approx 8 medium hand-pies that serve well as dessert or snack for high tea.

For the filling:

• Jaggery grated 2-3 tbsps
• Fresh Coconut (grated) 1/2 cup
• Almonds, powdered 1 tbsp
• Semolina/ Rava 1 tbsp
• Nigella seeds/ Kalonji 1/2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds/ Til 1tbsp

1. In a pan, dry roast the sesame seeds, nigella seeds, semolina, almond powder till fragrant and keep it aside.
2. In the same pan, dry roast the grated coconut till fragrant and the oil is released a bit. While this is still hot, add the above mix to it. Add the grated jaggery. Use a spoon to stir and ensure the jaggery has melted and combined well with the rest of the mix.
3. Keep aside to cool.

For the hand-pie dough:

• Plain flour/ Maida 200 gms
• Butter 100 gms, cold and cut into cubes
• Icing sugar 2 tbsps
• Egg yolk 1
• Ice cold water (a few tbsps)

1. Take the flour and sugar in a bowl, add the cold butter and using your fingers keep cutting through the butter and flour, till the entire flour resembles grainy sand like texture.
2. Add the yolk and combine. Add a tbsp of cold water at a time, to bring the dough together. Stop, just till the dough comes together. You don’t need a well kneaded smooth dough, just need a lump come together.
3. Refrigerate it for 30 mins. This will help the butter to remain intact and not melt away while rolling.
4. After 30 mins, take it out and start rolling it between parchment sheets.
5. Cut into rectangular shapes and add little bit of the filling ( a tsp maybe).
6. To seal the edges, dip your finger in water and run through the edges. Fold the hand-pies and using a fork, crinkle them.
7. Poke a few holes on the top with a fork.
8. Bake at 175 degrees C for 10-12 mins.
9. Take it out of the oven and brush with egg wash for a golden hue on top.
10. Bake again with only top side heat for 5 mins.

 

Bottle gourd, clove and yoghurt tea cake

What would a cake be without the essence that uplifts it? The essence that renders a mellow yet significant depth of flavour. The essence that distinguishes bakes from merely being a lump of sugary/ floury substance. It is no wonder that vanilla forms an integral part of most bakes. Another powerful addition that renders it another dimension is that of spice.

Consider cinnamon, with its heady aroma, the woody sweet flavour and the sublime heat that it provides, makes it a favourite among most bakers. Or cardamom, that blends with bakes equally well to lend it another characteristic flavour profile. Or saffron, that enwraps any dessert with royalty. With such capabilities of making its presence felt even with the almost negligible quantity, the spice addition, I feel remains the unrecognized hero of the baked dish/desserts.

Recently, I was toying with the idea of using spice for baking. But I had the desire to explore more rather than just going by the universal favourite, cinnamon. I must tell you now, that of all spices, Cloves are my favourite. And aren’t the little dried flower like things a pretty sight as well? Cloves are slightly more pungent compared to cinnamon or cardamom and so I was curious to find out details, from what I could bake using cloves to the different possible flavour combinations. Did you know cloves pair up excellently with bananas and oranges?

I took a few cloves in my hand, inhaled the aroma, popped in my mouth and rolled it around, while doing my research. And that led me to design this recipe. I baked this beautiful tea cake, with bottle gourd (since I had it at hand, and also something I wanted to try baking with) and yoghurt.

This mildly sweet cake, soft and moist, with a gentle hint of spice can be presented as a perfect accompaniment with tea. Below is the recipe for my Bottle gourd, clove and yoghurt tea cake.

Recipe: Bottle gourd, clove and yoghurt tea cake
Serves 4 (I used a loaf mould – 8″x 4″)

Ingredients:
125 gms plain flour (maida)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp powdered clove
100 gms butter
75 gms castor sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
75 gms plain yoghurt
100 gms bottle gourd (measured after grating)

Method:

1. Beat butter & sugar

2. Add an egg

3. Add vanilla

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and clove powder

5. Fold in the flour mixture as mentioned in the recipe

6. Add yoghurt as directed in the recipe

7. Mix in the grated bottle gourd

8. Fill the mould & bake

9. Fresh out of the oven

1. Peel, de-seed and grate the bottle gourd.
Very very important note: On grating the bottle gourd, it secretes a brown bitter juice that discolours the grated bottle gourd and alters its taste. Ensure you rinse the grated bottle gourd 2-3 times under running water to wash the bitter juices away. Squeeze out any excess water and leave it to drain in a strainer/ colander.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and powdered clove in a bowl and keep it aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar till light and creamy.
4. Add the egg and beat to incorporate. Add the vanilla essence and mix again.
5. Add the flour mixture and yoghurt alternately, folding it gently into the batter till incorporated. Starting and ending with flour; F-Y-F-Y-F.
6. Gently fold in the grated bottle gourd and add the batter in a baking mould/container lined with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, you can grease the baking mould with butter and dust some flour on it. This is to avoid the cake from sticking to the container.
7. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 25-30 mins.
8. Once done, allow the cake to cool for 5 min and remove it from the baking mould on a cooling rack. Leaving it in the mould longer will make the cake soggy from the condensed steam.
9. Dust with some icing sugar and powdered clove. Cut and serve.

You might also want to check another modern Indian/fusion recipe: Pasta in spinach sauce

Baking a Potato Bread

Baking bread requires heart. Baking bread requires muscle. Baking bread teaches you patience. Baking bread teaches you to have faith and surrender to the unknown. And that’s what I learnt by baking bread.

When it comes to baking, I have always lingered around the safer side of cakes and cookies. They never let me down. I did venture out with some advanced patisserie stuff that didn’t go quite right. But the zeal to learn something new still exists and to take it a notch higher in 2015, I wanted to try out breads.

I checked out some recipes I wanted to try from a book that has been resting on my shelf for the last 2 years! *sigh* The Bread Baker’s Apprentice was a birthday present that my friend Manisha had gifted me. Maybe she believed in my baking abilities more than I did. Thank you Manisha 🙂

As a flipped a few pages, again like some unseen universal magnetic force was drawing me towards looking for a simple recipe. Of course the book says ‘Mastering the art of Extraordinary Bread’ and I don’t know why I was even searching for a simple recipe, in the book of extraordinary bread.

So I gave in to a recipe that intrigued me most, because it uses mashed potatoes. Yes, you read that right, potatoes! The book mentions, the potato starch softens the dough giving the bread a pleasing tenderness, and I vouch for it. This was also the first time I used a pre-ferment (Biga).

Biga

Throughout the entire process I had my doubts, Was the flour enough? Have I added more water? Will the dough rise? But I took a leap of faith and stuck to the recipe (only reducing the quantity by half) keeping my fingers crossed and hoping everything would turn out just right. And boy did I bake some extraordinary bread! And just like that I started believing that baking a good bread at home is possible.

This bread has a hard crust (more like a kadak paav) and is soft and pillowy on the inside. It is perfect for soups and dishes that have some gravy.

Here I have put down the recipe that I used, which is same as mentioned in the book, the only change being that the quantity has been reduced by half and I skipped adding optional ingredients -rosemary and garlic. The below recipe will provide around 10-12 buns.

Proofing the dough for the Potato Bread

Biga/ Preferment (I made this the previous day and used a part of it to bake the bread. You can store the remaining in the freezer for about 3 months)
Flour 1 ¼ cup
Instant yeast ¼ tsp
Water ½ cup

• Stir the flour and yeast and keep adding water till the dough comes together.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter and knead for 4-6 minutes.
• Lightly coat the dough with oil and let it rest in a bowl at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly and place it back in the bowl covering with cling film.
• Store it in the fridge if using it the next day or just wrap it in cling and store in the freezer.

Second proofing after shaping the dough.

Potato Bread:
Biga 100 gms
Flour 1 ½ cup
Salt ¾ tsp
Black pepper ¼ tsp
Instant Yeast 20 gms
Mashed Potatoes ½ cup
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Water ½ cup
Flour for dusting
Olive oil for brushing on top

• Remove the Biga from the fridge (an hour before you start mixing the dough for the bread) and divide it into small pieces. Let it thaw at room temperature.
• Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and yeast.
• Add the biga pieces, mashed potatoes, oil and water and start kneading the dough till it comes together. On kneading the dough might get a bit sticky, and that’s ok unless its very liquidy sticky then add more flour.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter and start kneading. You might have to keep sprinkling flour on the surface as the dough keeps getting sticky on kneading. But just sprinkle enough so that it avoids sticking but do not add too much of flour. You will have to keep kneading the dough for 10-15 minutes.
• Lightly oil a bowl and keep the dough in it. Cover the bowl with cling film. Set aside at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Remove the dough, knock it a bit. Divide the dough into smaller portions and shape them into balls.
• Place them on a lined baking tray and set aside for 2 hours. Mist the dough and lightly cover with a cloth.
• The dough should double in size.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C and bake for 35-40 minutes. Rotate the tray after the first 20 minutes for even baking.
• Once done, allow to cool to room temperature (for atleast 20 minutes). The buns should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
• Tastes best when consumed immediately.

Notes:
• You can use leftover mashed potatoes
• Optional ingredients – add 1 tbsp rosemary and 2 tbsps chopped garlic to the mashed potatoes.
• I stuffed some herbed cheese in a portion of the dough and it tasted just as good. Perfect for a snack in itself.

Quiche, Tart, Pie or Flan: Do you know the difference?

Sometimes you start to think that now you know it all, only to be bewildered by a question that arises out of the blue. Thankfully for me, it is not someone else asking, but my own curiosity.

I was only basking in the glory of being able to roll out and bake a perfect quiche when it suddenly occurred to me – Is it a Quiche or Is it a Pie? And what’s the difference between the two? So I decided to find out more, only to realize about some more variations – the Tart and Flan. It was only getting even more confusing, and embarrassing because although I was well acquainted with baking a quiche, a pie and a tart, I didn’t know the difference between them! Too much #facepalm, I know.

Have you ever wondered about this? I thought it might just be a case where people from different parts referred to the same dish with different names. And to a certain extent this is true, but it is only out of confusion, that people call a quiche, a tart.

After a little research, I found that there are 4 factors that form the basis of differentiation – Depth, crust, serving temperature and filling.

Dish	Depth	Crust	Serving Temperature	Filler
Quiche	Shallow	Single – Bottom only	Warm	Custard Topping (Egg and cream)
Tart	Shallow	Single – Bottom only	Cold/Room temp	May have custard based filling, not always
Pie	Deep	Double – Top & Bottom	Hot/Warm	No custard based filling
Flan	Deep/Shallow	May not have a crust	Cold/ Room temp	Custard

While figuring out the difference, I also stumbled on many interesting recipes for all of them. I even tried to develop a recipe, here it is – Chocolate & Kiwi Tart. Would love to hear your feedback on this, do leave a comment 🙂 (you will find a link at the top of this post, just below the title)

Chocolate and Kiwi Tart  (Serves approx 8)
Recipe adapted from Rose pistachio tartlets by Pooja Dhingra

Ingredients:
For the tart shell pastry
flour 180 gms
cocoa powder 20 gms
chilled butter 135 gms, cut into cubes
icing sugar 65 gms
egg yolk 1
For the filling
white chocolate 200 gms
cream 100 gms
whipping cream 75 gms
kiwi 1 (finely chopped)
Garnish
kiwi 1 sliced

Method:
1. Add all the ingredients for the tart shell in a bowl. Mix by cutting the butter using your fingers with the rest of the ingredients. You can use a blender instead. Mix the butter has fairly formed smaller parts and the dough comes together to form a ball. Once done refrigerate for 15-20 mins (do not keep it refrigerated longer, the dough will harden more than required.
2. Roll out the pastry between sheets of parchment paper. Place it over the tart moulds and trim off the excess. Blind bake at 165 degrees C for 10-12 mins.
3. Allow the tart shells to cool to room temperature.
4. For the filling, grate the white chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Put the cream in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. When it starts boiling, turn off the heat and pour the cream over the grated chocolate. Whisk gently to form a smooth paste. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
6. Whisk the whipping cream till you get soft peaks. Add chopped kiwi and fold in with the cooled white chocolate mix.
7. Add the above mixture to the baked tart shells and refrigerate.
8. Garnish with kiwi slices just before serving. (Else the kiwi tends to go mush and changes colour slightly)

7 Tips for a Perfect Pavlova

After watching all those MasterChef series, I too wished to be a part of such cook-offs. The thrill of using your creativity and cooking knowledge to wow the judges, and all that in a limited time frame is just too exciting. As a culinary enthusiast, I love taking up a cooking challenge to learn something new. I found a perfect opportunity when Beacon Holidays organized the #TasteNewZealand cook off challenge.

The challenge: To cook a New Zealand dish with atleast one of these ingredients – Lamb chops, Lamb mince and Kiwis. As soon as I read about the challenge, my baking instincts took over and I decided to bake a Kiwi Pavlova.

Now I have made pavlova just twice and although a fairly simple dessert to whip up, the trick lies in getting the meringue right. So here is the recipe I used and a few tips to help you bake a perfect pavlova.

Serves 4-5 people
Prep time: 15-20 mins
Baking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 cup whipping cream/double cream
2 ripe kiwis
2 tbsp white chocolate ganache (optional)
milk chocolate for piping (optional)

Method:

1. Separate the eggs whites from the yolks and whip on high speed.
2. When soft peaks form, add sugar 1 tbsp at a time.
3. Once stiff peaks form, add vanilla essence, cornflour and vinegar. Fold in till combined.
4. Spread out on a lined baking tray. Bake at 140 degrees C for an 55-60 mins.
5. Allow to cool completely. Almost an hour.
6. Whip the cream till soft peaks are formed, add in white chocolate ganache, and half a kiwi, finely chopped – almost mashed to puree. (for the ganache, chop a tbsp white chocolate and add a tsp of really hot milk, stir till it melts completely)
7. Spread this mix on the cooled pavlova. Top it with kiwi slices and pipe on some milk chocolate.

Image credit: Shanti Padukone

7 Tips for a Perfect Pavlova:

1. Egg whites…and just eggs whites! Not even a dot of yolk. Start with a clean bowl and separate the egg white one at a time. I use a different bowl to separate the eggs whites from the yolk and then transfer the egg whites one at a time. This is a very very crucial step because if you don’t get this right, the egg whites won’t whip up to the desired consistency.

2. Consistency: Stiff Peaks. Whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer on high speed. Initially, it will just froth up and you will be able to see bubbles and the runny liquid. Be patient, give it some time. After about 5-10 minutes, it will start getting white and gradually soft peak will form. Soft peaks is when the hand mixer moves you can see it leaving a trail of its movement. Start adding the sugar when you see the soft peaks. Once all the sugar has been added, the meringue will look glossy. Keep whipping it till stiff peaks are formed. Stiff peaks: when you lift the hand mixer out a stiff peak will be formed at the tip.

Another famous test is holding the bowl inverted above your head. When you tilt the bowl, if the meringue slides, its not ready yet.

3. Once it has baked, allow it to cool in the oven itself, keeping the over door slightly ajar. After a while you can keep it out to rest, but allow it to cool completely. Even though the surface seems cold, the inside takes a while to cool. It is important to let it cool completely else the whipped cream that you are going to top it with, will melt completely.

4. For mini pavlovas, when you hold it and gently knock on the base, will sound hollow. For a larger pavlova you might not be able to test with this method, but an hour in the oven should be just right for the pavlova to bake completely.

5. Avoid trying to transfer it while it is hot. It will fall apart into pieces. After its cold, you can gently lift it or just slide the parchment itself on the serving plate. Because of the weight of the cream and fruits, it is best to put on the toppings after you have transferred it to the serving plate.

6. Crack are normal. A proper pavlova will have cracks so don’t worry. You can cover it with whipped and fresh fruits.

7. Bake the pavlova in advance, top it with whipped cream and fruits just before serving.

Here is my prize from the cook off, a bottle of New Zealand wine, Sauvignon Blanc 🙂 Thank you Beacon Holidays!

You can view the entire photo album of the cook off here – http://tinyurl.com/ounzxy2

Baking Workshop at The Lil Flea

I’m happy to be a part of The Lil Flea, where I will be conducting a workshop.

The Lil Flea market is being built as Mumbai’s happiest Flea Market with over 100 curated pop-up shops, live music, short film screenings, cool workshops and a first of its kind pop-up cafe with 20 kinds of foods to choose from and drool over!

At the workshop, I will be teaching how to bake cookies, share the recipes & you also get to taste them.

See you there!

Lessons on Baking Red Velvet

Baking is a lot more than following a recipe to the T. To me, Baking is so much more about learning through experience. Each time I bake, there is something new I learn.

Earlier this month, I baked over two dozen red velvet cupcakes (regular and mini). Now, this is not the first time I have baked Red Velvets. I have baked Red Velvet cupcakes before and it turned out ok. Yes, just ok, because what turned out good back then seems less compared to the cupcakes I bake now. I have improved 🙂 I have learnt a lot more.

Here are a few things, I’d like to share about Red Velvets.

1) Although the batter looks reddish, Red Velvets sometimes turn out brown! Yes, its true and others have faced this problem too, you can google. The main culprit here is the quality of colour used.
Always use liquid color, not the powdered form. I have used Tomato Red, Cochineal and Raspberry Red. Of the three, I am quite pleased with the colour that Raspberry Red gives.

2) Most recipes call for a lot of cocoa powder, making the cupcake taste chocolatey. I use just a tsp and half of cocoa powder for 12 cupcakes.

3) Using beaten curd instead of buttermilk, provides a nice soft texture.

4) Prepare a mixture of Red colour, beaten curd, cocoa powder. Use this mixture alternately while adding the flour.

5) Add the flour in 3 parts, mixing it completely after each addition. This ensures that there are no lumps formed while adding flour.

6) F – RM – F – RM – F (F= Flour, RM = Red mixture)

7) For the frosting, in case you find yourself in a hurry and decide to add icing sugar, butter and cream cheese together and then mix, you are doing it wrong and here is what your frosting will look like (a lumpy, runny batter)

Always beat the butter and icing sugar to a smooth mixture. Even if you over beat at this stage, it doesn’t matter. Once you have a smooth mixture, add the cream cheese and just beat it till the cream cheese has mixed evenly (see pic below). Over beating will again make the batter runny.

8) Refrigerate the frosting for a while before you pipe it out, to get firm swirls.

Hope these pointers will help you make better Red Velvets.
Happy Baking 🙂

Baking for Charity…and Cookies for Sale!

We often go about our busy lives not realizing how fortunate we are. Not ungrateful, just to busy to notice.
But then there are people blessed differently. When you see them, you realize that you have far more even though you were just complaining about life sometime back.

When I got to know that a few Good Samaritans are trying to raise funds for charity, I decided to join them. I cannot do something all on my own, but I can definitely help for a good cause, in my own little way. I can bake, baking is how I can contribute to society. Hence, I decided to join other home bakers for the Bake Sale.

Cowgirl cookies

I made three different types of cookies for the Bake Sale. Made one regular, one healthy and one eggless so that everyone finds something they like 🙂

The Cowgirl cookies/Sunshine cookies
Recipe source
Here, I just skipped pecans. Used Cadbury’s gems instead of M&M’s

Sunshine cookies

Healthy Honey-Oat-Sesame cookies
Recipe source
*I used all purpose flour.

Healthy Honey-Oat-Sesame Cookies

Eggless Chocolate Thumb-print cookies
Recipe source
Given the temperate in the recipe, I found the cookies were browning a bit too much too quickly. So I just baked them at 150 degrees C for 15 mins.

Eggless Chocolate Thumb-print cookies

Baking is always something I enjoy. Packaging, Labeling and preparing for the sale was a whole different experience altogether. I do not have an established business, baking is just my hobby. So no printed cards/labels or ready packaging. But that should’nt stop me right? So with a little creativity, I made labels at home with decorative ribbons and coloured paper.

The Bake sale was a success. I learnt a lot about selling. Made a new friend – Jumana, she bakes and also takes cooking classes at home. Check out her venture on FB – Khana and Klicks.