Mixed Chocolate Platter

Mixed Chocolate Platter would be an ideal choice to celebrate this festive season. Last year celebration was with mixed Cookies this year is with chocolates !  

The tray filled with three different kinds of chocolate , one for Vegans, one for True Chocolate lovers like me and the third one for kids.

First one, Chocolate truffles for the Vegans, strawberry filling covered with dark chocolate that melts in the mouth releasing the strawberry lava.  Second one for pure chocolate lovers that made with 100% coco powder perfect with coffee or as a dessert. The third one for kids, with 40% chocolate with five Swiss franc coin(s) impression embossed.

Ingredient for vegan strawberry truffles:  150 gms of  <60% Tempered dark chocolate       ;   10 strawberries        ;       1/8 cup of cashew paste (soaked and grinded)          ;        1 tsp of lemon juice      ;       1 tbsp of coconut oil       ;        3 tbsp of sugar    

  

In mixer, blend cashew paste, strawberry, sugar, coconut oil & lemon juice. In chocolate mold spread the tempered chocolate and keep it in the fridge to set well. Remove the mold from fridge and fill it with strawberry filling and transfer to fridge to set. Finally, cover the filling with tempered chocolate and once again to the fridge to set.

Now the healthy homemade chocolate……..

Ingredient –    ¼ cup of virgin coconut oil        ;       ¼ cup of 100% coco powder       ;   1/2 tsp vanilla essence     ;      3 tbsp of honey 

Melt coconut oil and mix well with honey, vanilla essence. Add coco powder and mix well until it becomes smooth consistency in order to pour it in the moulds. Transfer the mould in to fridge to set 

Finally the Chocolate Coins 

Ingredients :  150 gms of  <50% Tempered dark chocolate 150 gms  (to create coin impression, we need a coin, aluminum foil.

Cut the aluminum foils as square, slightly larger than your coin. Place the aluminum foil on the coin and press hard with your finger and make clockwise rotation all around the coin, to get an impression on the foil. Fold the foil all around the coin to get the mould. Remove the coin and pour the tempered chocolate in the foil and transfer to the fridge to set.

Lemon Drizzle Cake (Guest Post)

Often, I would bake cake for others. To my surprise, this Lemon Drizzle Cake was baked for me by a 14 year old girl Ms. Rhea Shah.

I know she is a good competitive swimmer and an artist. (In fact she won couple of medals last month, in CBSE swimming championship and her painting decorates my living room) But, never knew she could bake a pretty good cake! I like the moist texture, sponginess, lemon flavor, taste and the cake deserves to be post here.

When I asked about posting @ MCK, she happily agreed to do so. I am sure; you will also enjoy this strong lemon scented sugary cake! Now……. Over to Ms. Rhea Shah………..

What you will need -

3 large eggs      ;       1 cup of all purpose flour       ;       ¾ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature    ;       ¾ cup of caster sugar            ;        1 teaspoon of baking powder    ;               2 lemons           ;        2 tablespoons icing sugar

Directions – 

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Beat your butter and sugar together till it becomes a pale yellow color.

Zest both the lemons into the bowl and beat it together along with the flour, eggs and baking powder.

Pour the batter into a tin, and bake it for 30-45 minutes depending on the oven. Bake it till a skewer inserted comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, get started on the lemon drizzle.

Take 2 tablespoons of icing sugar in a bowl. And squeeze out lemon juice from one and a half lemons, the same lemons you got the zest from.

Mix both of it together.

Once your cake is out of the oven, take a knife and poke holes in the cake after that pour your lemon drizzle on the cake preferably while the cake is still hot.

That’s all, the cake is ready!  

Fusion Bread

Time to refill my pantry jars, I have been deferring to do so for the past one week due to various reasons. I wanted to bake fresh bread for weekend breakfast but, very limited supplies………..Hmm…what about fusion bread?

Just, add whatever you left with and bake. Not bad at all……..got a very pretty, soft and tasty loaf.

 

Ingredient   -    1/2 cup of oats       ;      1 cup of all purpose flour       ;    1/2 cup whole wheat flour      ;       1/4 cup of flax seed powder         ;      3/4 cup of crushed weetabrix      ;     1 cup of milk       ;      1 /4 cup of water        ;    1 tbsp of instant yeast        ;       1/4 cup of honey        ;        1 /8 cup of melted butter     ;       1/2 tbsp of salt   

 Procedure : cook the oats and keep aside let it cool.  In a mixing bowl add warm milk, honey and yeast mix well. Add salt, melted butter, oats, flax seed powder, weetabrix, whole wheat flour and mix with hand. Add all purpose flour little by little and knead until it is smooth and elastic dough but, not sticky.

 

Shape it into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth for about 1 1/2 hours or 2 hours or till it become double in volume. Gently deflate the dough and shape the dough into a greased loaf tin and cover the loaf with damp cloth for about an hour or it raise almost at the edges of your loaf tin. Sprinkle the chopped almond & walnuts on the top.(its an option)

Transfer the loaf into 180°C pre-heated oven and bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or till the bread is nice brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. 

 

Hot loaf with kefir spread in a cold morning………..it’s divine!

Tapioca Chips

The most awaited winter is back. I really enjoy the weather from November to February.  These months are perfect for evening coffee with brownies / Fudge or Chai (Tea) with chips.

Since I was away for about ten days, my pantry left with nothing for brownies or fudge. So, I go with option two…..i.e. chai with chips.

I was left with one piece of tapioca which was bought for cutlet but, I decided to make chips.  It’s quick, easy, crispy, spicy and perfect with chai. 

Ingredients’:        Tapioca       ;        5 Tsp of Olive Oil      ;        Chili powder and Salt   (to sprinkle)

Procedure: Peal the skin of tapioca by scraper. Using the sharp knife, slice them into round shape or straight cuts like finger chips. Make sure its thin enough. Otherwise, it won’t be crispy.

In a baking tray place the cut / sliced tapioca and toss with oil and sprinkle the salt and chili powder and spread them evenly.

Transfer the baking tray in to a 180°C Preheat the oven and bake for about 20 minutes and turn around the chips bake for another 10 minutes.

chai, chips, with chill breeze around staring the early sunset thru wide opened window………..Divine !

Gluten Free Cookies

Gluten is nothing but a kind of two proteins present in cereal grains like wheat, rye, barley etc.  Gluten acting as glue that helps holds food together also gives the elastic texture of dough.

Gluten is not bad. but, some people are gluten-intolerant. i.e  the body's inability to digest or break down the gluten protein this condition is known as celiac disease. In general, if you can avoid cereal gains and it’s by products, it’s become Gluten free.

These cookies were specially baked for a three year old boy, who is a gluten-intolerant. So, thought of doing some decorations, to attract.

Ingredient :   ¾ cup of almond meal          ;         1/4 +1 tbsp cup of  coconut flour (coco flour)      ;       2 egg        ;       2 tbsp of flax seed powder       ;        1 tbsp of coco powder     ;      1 tsp of vanilla essence      ;        1 /4 cup of sugar ;        1 /4 cup of clarified butter (ghee)        ;        1/4 cup of chocolate chip cookies      (For decoration – white chocolate chips & melted chocolate for eyes) 

In a bowl add almond meal, coconut flour, flax and coco powder, keep aside.  In a bowl beat the egg, sugar and vanilla essence.

Now add the dry ingredient mixture into egg mixture and blend at the end add the chocolate chips in it.

Divide the mixture into equal size balls and place them on the prepared baking trays with good space between each and slightly flatten them down.

Transfer the tray into 180°C per-heated oven and bake for about 10 -12 minutes. Allow them to cool. That’s it for a crispy gluten free cookie.