Smiley Cookies

These limited numbers of smiley cookies were baked just to satisfy my (also my son) sweet tooth. But to my surprise, we both weren’t tempted to eat more than one per day! You’re probably wondering if the taste was awry. I assure you it wasn’t. It shows that we were completely out of a syndrome called “sugar craving” or no more addicted to sugar (devil)!  Thanks to HFLC. 

Ingredient’s :    2 cup of all purpose flour         ;      125 gms of butter       ;       1/2cup + 2 tbsp of sugar    ;      1 egg    ;       1 tsp of vanilla essence       ;      melted dark chocolate for dipping.

Add sugar and butter in a bowl and mix well. Add flour and egg mix well with the sugar mixer to form cookie dough. Cover the dough with cling wrap and keep it in fridge for 25-30 min. 

Roll the dough on the floured surface for about 1 cm thickness and cut the dough using the big 2’’ circle cookie cutter. 

In center of cookies with icing nozzle make two holes (dip the nozzle in the flour, will make life easy) for eyes and make a slit for mouth by using sharp knife.

Arrange the cookies in baking tray and keep it in fridge for 20 min and bake it in a 180°c pre-heated oven until the cookies are done. 

Allow them to cool completely and dip the cookies on the melted dark chocolate for hair and arrange it on baking paper to set.

Red velvet cupcake / Clock cup cake

I have been thinking for quite long to make a pull apart version of cake, apart from the fact that my son has been asking me a red velvet cake for a long so, I decided to give it a shot. Finally here it is, with a red velvet cake in pull apart style. I used cheese frosting to form the clock face and the dial was with chocolate glazing.  The original recipe source is from here. 

Red velvet cup cake ingredients:  6 tbsp of butter (soft)   ;    2/3  cup of sugar     ;    1 egg    ;     1 ¼ tbsp. of coco powder      ;      1 ½  tbsp of red liquid food color      ;      ½ tsp of vanilla essence      ;       ½ tsp of salt      ;       ¾ cup of milk       ;         1  5/8 cup of all-purpose flour     ;     ¾ tsp of baking soda     ;    ¾ tsp of apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for  Cheese frosting :     85 gms of cream cheese     ;      2 tbsp of butter ;     1/2 tsp of vanilla essence     ;      2 cup confectioner sugar 

 For Dial (chocolate glazing)  :   150 gms of melted dark chocolate 

Procedure :  In bowl add coco powder and all purpose flour, mix well  and keep aside.

In mixing bowl beat butter with sugar till it becomes smooth and creamy. Add egg and beat further. Add the food colour and continue to beat until the colour evenly mixed.

Continue to run the blender at med-speed and slowly add the flour mix and milk little by little, until all the ingredients are combined well and you got right cake batter consistency. 

Finally add baking soda into apple cider vinegar, quickly mix and add into flour mix.

Divide the batter evenly among the 19 mini cupcake tins about 2/3 filled and transfer to the 180°C pre heated oven and bake for about 20 min or until its done. (Toothpick technique will help) Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting. 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until it become smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and blend until it become very light and fluffy.

Ice Cream Cookie Cups

Most of the coffee shops offer Ice cream – Cookie combo. Either cookie crushed and mixed with ice cream or Ice cream served on the cookie (as a base). 

But here, I just made a cookie in cup where, the Ice cream is served. You will start with ice cream……and end with Cookie, in-between, both!  Hmm...it’s a divine combo.

Here, I tried with Walnut Caramel Ice Cream. However, you can try with any one of these……. Dates Choco Bar, Blackberry Yogurt Ice cream,  Blue Berry Ice Cream, Rabri

Ingredients  :    2 ½ cup of all purpose flour       ;        1 egg       ;      ½ cup sugar ;      1/2 cup of light brown sugar       ;        113 gms of soft butter            ;            1/2 cup chocolate chip         ;         1 tsp of vanilla essence 

In the bowl add cream, butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and blend with hand electric mixer at medium speed until it become smooth and creamy consistency. 

Reduce mixer speed into low and slowly add the flour and chocolate chips and blend well to get a cookie dough consistency. 

Using an ice cream scoop, to scoop the dough into a greased standard size muffin tin. Transfer the muffin tray into the 180°C pre-heated oven and bake for 15 - 16 minutes. Make sure the edges of each cookie cup should be golden brown.

Remove the muffin try from the oven, and gently press down the center of each cookie with a roller pin. Let the cookie cups cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then twist each one out and let it cool completely to room temperature.

Scoop the preferred ice cream and fill the cookie cups and serve. 

Walnut Caramel Ice Cream

Most of the so called ice cream manufactures are selling Frozen Dessert under the Ice cream label. Yes, it’s a Chilling Truth!  

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, (even FDA also claims almost the same definition) the definition of an ice cream means that the product is obtained by freezing a pasteurized mix, prepared from milk and /or other products derived from milk with or without the addition of nutritive sweetening agents, fruit and fruit products, eggs, etc. 

You name any brand, and read the ingredients label. You will find these chemicals in it for sure.      // Water, sugar, milk solids, edible vegetable oil, liquid glucose, vegetable protein, emulsifier - 471, stabilizers - 410, 412, 407 Acidity regulator - 330. Contains permitted synthetic food colors and added flavors. Nature identical and artificial milk and strawberry flavoring substances//

Why they need to use so much of so called edible chemicals? Just to keep the price low and for creamy texture.  One liter of heavy or whipped cream and two litters of “ice cream” are priced almost at the same price. How is that possible?  Two litters of  frozen dessert (labeled as “ice cream”) contains a less than 100 ml of heavy or whipped cream as milk solids rest is vegetable oil and edible chemicals.

Here, I am posting a REAL Ice Cream as per the standards. Since, we are not using any edible chemicals and stabilizers; it cannot be served or consumed directly from freezer. It needs to be kept out (at room temperature) for about ten minutes before you serve to get the same creamy texture of Frozen Dessert.

Ingredient  :   1 ½  cup of heavy cream      ;      1 /2 cup of full fat milk      ;     1/2 cup of dark brown sugar       ;        60 gms of butter       ;    2 tbsp of cream    ;     a pinch of salt     ;     1/2 cup of  chopped walnut        ;      1 tsp of vanilla essence  

First let’s caramelize the brown sugar.  Heat the brown sugar and butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring with a spoon once sugar starts to dissolve, Add 2 tbsp of cream and stir further until the sugar completely dissolved. (if require add few tbsp of cream) Remove the pan from the heat and add chopped walnuts, salt and vanilla Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt and vanilla. Cool the caramel mixture in to room temperature.

In a separate bowl the boil the cream and milk and pour it into caramel mixture and whisk to combine. Transfer it to frozen canister and spin until it become thick and creamy consistency. (You may use hand mixer as well) 

Transfer the frozen canister (with closed lid) into the freezer.

Chocolate roll cake

Last Mothers day, my mother was here with me. But, this year she is in Chennai, so I want to treat her, visually with this rich and lavish cake as mother’s day special. (Needless to mention, she is also sweet toothed like me) 

This is my very first attempt to make a rolled cake & chocolate rose with nail piping. The rose piped, separately by using Ateco 127 rose tip and placed on the cake. (It’s not that bad, isn’t ?)  

Ingredient for Chocolate cake  :     3 eggs       ;        ½ cup of sugar      ;      1/2 cup of all purpose flour        ;       ¼ cup of coco powder        ;           1 tbsp of hot water

Ingredient for Whipped Cream Filling:      ½ cup of heavy cream       ;     2 tsp of icing sugar        ;        1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

Ingredient for Chocolate Ganache  :     150 gms of dark chocolate        ;          100ml heavy cream

Ingredient for chocolate leaves and procedure from here  

Ingredient for chocolate rose, as same as Chocolate Ganache (as above) and procedure from here

In a bowl mix all purpose flour with coco powder keep aside. Add the eggs and sugar large bowl and beat (using electric hand mixer) till it became pale in color. Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture and beat well to get right consistence of the batter. If required add hot water mix.

Transfer the batter into greased shallow baking pan and spread the batter evenly and bake in 180° pre heated oven for about 15 – 20 minutes or until it done.

Remove the pan from the oven and loosen edges with a sharp knife. Sift the icing sugar over the top of cake layer and cover the top with towel and let stand for about 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto the towel and gently roll the cake up in the towel while it’s still hot (Don’t worry about the layer breaks) it should hold together when rolled.) Leave it for about 30 - 40 min

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the Whipped Cream Filling. Beat the heavy cream with vanilla essence & icing sugar until it becomes soft peaks consistency.

Unroll the cake and spread the cream all over and leaving about one inch border all around the edges. Roll the cake again and keep it in the fridge for 30 min.

Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate Ganache. Microwaving the chocolate and cream until it melt and combine. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Finally, remove the cake from the fridge and pour the ganache on the cake and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, using offset spatula shape it to create the wooden log effect. Transfer to the fridge again and serve chill.

I dedicate this cake dessert to all, those who are celebrating their motherhood.