Dates Choco Bar

Scorching summer! Morning temperature itself is about 40°C. Ice creams are the most preferred choice of dessert in the summer. It’s the only way to beat the heat. This rich creamy Dates Choco bar will not disappoint your taste buds.

Ingredient’s   :   10 to 12 Dates       ;        2 cup of heavy cream        ;         150 gms of chocolate (60 % coco)      ;       1 tbsp of coconut oil

Procedure : Remove the seeds from dates and soak it in the water for 2 hours and then grind the dates  in to fine paste. On the thick bottom bowl, heat the heavy cream. Add the dates paste into the cream and stir well. Once, the cream date’s mixture started boiling remove from the heat and allows it to cool.  

Once the mixture it cooled to room temperature, pour it in an ice cream molds and keep it in the freezer for 5 to 6 hours.

Melt the chocolate in double boiler or in microwave then add coconut oil and mix well and then pour it in the wide mouthed mason jar. So that, it will be easy to dip the ice cream Popsicle into the melted chocolate. 

Once, the melted chocolate cooled just above to room temperature, Un-mold the ice cream Popsicle from the mold and dips it in the melted chocolate in one fast motion. Lay the Popsicle on parchment paper. The chocolate will harden almost immediately. Transfer the choco bars into freeze for an hour. 

Coconut Buns (Chinese or Cocktail Buns)

 

This month challenge at we knead to bake #38 was to bake bun called Coconut Buns (Chinese or Cocktail Buns). The specialty of this bun is the filling. Yes, it’s a sweet bun, filled with a buttery, milky sweet coconut paste. The recipe adapted from here.

The Coconut Buns are tuned out very soft, sponge, tasty and appealing texture. I just loved it. I am sure you will also.

Ingredients (for the Bun Dough) :    2/3 cup of warm milk    ;     1 egg     ;   ¼ cup of sugar        ;       2 cup of all purpose flour      ;       1 ½ tbsp. of corn –starch    ;      1 tsp of instant yeast        ;         3/4 tsp of salt

Ingredients (for filling) :  50 gm butter (soft)        ;        1 ½ tbsp. of sugar       ;         1 ½ tbsp. of all purpose flour          ;           1/8 cup of milk powder          ;       1/3 cup of fresh coconut 

Ingredients (for Topping) :  2 tbsp of all purpose flour        ;         25 gm butter (soft)        ;       2 tsp of sugar     ;       5 – 10 tsp of  milk         ;         1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling

Lets begin with bun dough, add all the dough ingredients in to the kitchen processor bowl (or knead by hand) and knead together until you have soft and smooth dough that is just short of sticky. If required add little more flour if the dough is very sticky.

Shape the dough it into a ball shape and coat with oil.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth and allow it to rise till double in volume. This may take about an hour or longer. (Depends on your room temperature)

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the filling and the topping. For the filling, mix all the filling ingredients together all the ingredients into a paste and keep aside. Similarly, mix all the topping ingredients (except sesame seeds) together into smooth paste. Transfer into to a piping bag.

Once the dough ready, Place it on the work surface and lightly sprinkle with flour. Knead the dough a few times to deflate it and then divide it into 6 equal portions.  Take the first portion of dough and flatten the dough out into a rough oval about 4” by 3”. Put about a tablespoon of the filling (1/6th portion) in the middle and then pinch together the two long edges of the oval over the filling and seal well, tucking the ends in to make a smooth oval shaped bun with rounded ends. 

Make sure the buns have been sealed well or the filling will leak out during baking. Similarly do the same with other portions of the dough as well.

Place the buns on a greased baking tray and cover loosely with a damp cloth for second rise. (may take about 40 minutes) Brush the buns with milk or egg wash.

Finally the topping the buns, using the piping bag with small hole nozzle pipe two lines of the topping across the length of the buns and sprinkle some of the sesame seeds on top of each bun.

Transfer the baking tray into 180°C pre heated oven and bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it become golden brown. Allow them cool on racks. Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea.

Gluten Free (Eggless) Cookies (Nankhatai)

 

Nankhatai is quite popular tea time cookie / biscuit in Indian subcontinent.  Nankhatai, falls under shortbread cookie category. The word Nankhatai is derived from Persian word Naan meaning bread and Khatai from an Afghan word meaning Biscuit.

Ingredient :   1 cup of besan ( chick flour)     ;     ¼ cup of almond powder or cashew powder      ;      ¼  cup of sugar (powdered)     ;     1/2 cup of semi solid ghee     ;      1 tsp of baking powder     ;     ½ tsp of baking soda     ;     1 tsp of yogurt    ;     2no’s of  cardamom     ;     chopped almond for topping 

In a mixer add 2tbsp of sugar and cardamom (without skin) grind it to powder. 

In mixing bowl, add ghee, powder sugar mix well with whisk until it combines well. In separate bowl add all dry ingredients like besan flour, almond powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom-sugar and mix well with whisk.

Slowly the add dry ingredient into ghee mixer and mix well. Add yogurt and combine well until it becomes soft dough. Make equal sized balls out of the dough and place them on the dusted working surface, Flatten slightly to form a cookie. Finally, add chopped almond on the top of the cookies and gently press. 

Arrange the cookies on the cookie tray and transfer into the 180°C pre–heated oven and bake for 30 - 35 min. allow it to cool and sever with hot tea (masala chai).