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.

Strawberry Jam Crumb Cup Cake

My son reminded me that, I didn’t post any cake recipe for a long. The last one was a Zebra cake on women’s day.

To meet his demand, I decided to bake Strawberry Jam Crumb Cup Cake. I adopted this recipe from myrecipes.com.

I like this cake because, it’s just not a plain sponge cake at the same time, there is no Rich cream or Butter toppings. Instead, the crispy Crumbs are sprinkled on the top and strawberry jam as a middle layer. Sounds good ?

My husband always says, Cakes are meant for special occasions. But, I make an occasion every week by baking cakes.

To make the Crispy Crumbs topping, we need the following Ingredients :   1/4  cup  all-purpose flour     ;      1/4  cup  packed brown sugar    ;  1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon    ;    2  tablespoons  chilled butter.

To bake a cake we need :    1 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour    ;    1/2  teaspoon  baking powder    ;    1/4  teaspoon  baking soda     ;   1/8  teaspoon  salt    ;   2/3  cup  powdered sugar    ;    1/4  cup  butter, softened       ;    1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract      ;  1  large egg  ;   6  tablespoons  fat-free milk    ;     2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice    ;    1/4  cup  semi sweetened  strawberry jam

First, let’s prepare crumb topping.   Combine  1/4 cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. And add 2 tablespoons butter and blend until the mixture is coarse meal. - set aside.

For the cake preparation, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. This is called flour mixture

Combine powdered sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a bowl blend well with your kitchen aid at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg to the mixture and again blend about 2 minutes. Now, add milk and juice and blend further about 2 minutes. This is called sugar mixture.

Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; stir until smooth. Add remaining flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan (just half the volume of the muffin pan), spreading evenly. And add strawberry jam on top of the batter and spread evenly. Again Spoon the batter over strawberry layer, (now the muffin pan is completely filled to the top) spreading evenly.

Sprinkle the crumbs as a topping on the batter. (Top of muffins)

Bake at 350°C for 15 minutes on the Preheat oven.  Or until a wooden tooth pick comes out clean, if inserted at the center.  Allow it to cool about 10 minutes in the muffin pan and transfer to the wire rack for further cooling.

I like to eat the cupcake with Tea (Masala  Chai) . What about you ?