Avocado & Dates marble Cake

Both Avocado and Dates are Fruits of belongs to flowering family. But, Avocado is packed with mono saturated fat and Dates packed with Sugar. 
 

I thought this would be a perfect combination for a cake, because Avocado can give pretty close consistency of butter (once it blended with milk). Dates used as a sweetener. 

Here, I am not avoiding the butter and sugar. I am suing avocado and dates to enhance and create marble effect on the cake, without compromising the softness, texture and the taste.

Ingredient  :    ½ cup of all purpose flour      ;       ½ cup of wheat flour       ;      Half Avocado (scooped and blended with 1/4 cup of milk)       ;       110 gms of butter        ;        6 dates soaked in the water and blended with   1/8 cup of milk       ;          1/2 cup of sugar       ;         2 eggs       ;        3/4 tsp of baking powder         ;        1 tbsp of  coco powder         ;         1/2 tsp of vanilla essence      ;       a pinch of salt 

Procedure :  Mix the dry ingredient wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and keep aside.

In a bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence and then add the dry mixture to the butter mixture till fully cooperated.

Separate the above mixture into two equal half’s. 

Add the date’s paste & coco powder with one half and mix well.  Similarly, add the mashed avocado into another half and mix well.

In a grease loaf tin spread the avocado mixture then spread the dates mixture repeat the process and tap the mixture to make it level.

Transfer the loaf tin into a 180°c preheated oven and bake it till done or for about 35min.

Malthouse Bread with Almonds

I used to get my baking stuff from Doves Farm. The Malthouse Bread Flour is one of their product. This flour is the combination of wheat, Barley and rye flours with flaked malted grains for a wholesome crunchy texture. 

If you don’t find the Malthouse flour, you may try with following proportions  80% of wheat flour, 15% of  wheat flakes,  3% of Rye flour and 3% of barley malt flour 3% and ascorbic acid (it’s nothing but vit.C)

The bread with this combination gives a good aroma, texture and makes a really tasty loaf. The recipe source is also from Doves Farm site.

Ingredients – 4 cup of malthouse  flour    ;    1/2 tsp salt     ;    1tsp of instant yeast     ;      1 tsp of sugar      ;       1 ¼ cup of warm water      ;      1 tbsp olive oil     ;    1/4 cup of chopped almonds 

Procedure :  In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, yeast, sugar and chopped almonds and then add 1 ¼ cup  of warm water and roughly mix it into the flour.

While the dough is still lumpy add the oil and knead well until it feels smooth and pliable.

Leave the dough covered with damp cloth and leave it for about 60 minutes or until double in size and turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough firmly for couple of minutes.

Shape the dough and place it grease loaf tin and cover with damp cloth for second rise for about 45 minutes.

Transfers the Loaf into 200°C pre-heated the oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaves make a hollow sound when tapped. Transfer the bread on the wire rack and allow it to cool.

 

Serve the bread with lavish butter or cheese spread and toast……..imm…….Its Divine.

Cracked Wheat & Bran Bread

I was attracted by the Title of bread, while browsing karenskitchenstories.com (it’s one of my favorite too) and bookmarked it immediately.

Baking healthy, serving oven fresh bread to my family gives me a pleasure and satisfying feel.

The outcome of cracked wheat and bran bread is just amazing. I am happy to share here.

Cracked wheat produced from whole raw wheat kernels, which are crushed into smaller pieces. Initially, I was confused cracked wheat with Bulgur. Though, the bulgur also made from cracking wheat kernels. But, the wheat kernels are steamed and toasted before cracking. 

When the wheat processed for flour, the outer layer removed. (it is packed with nutrition) This outer layer is known as wheat bran.

Ingredients :  1 ¼ cups of boiling water       ;      ¼ cup +2 tbsp of cracked wheat   ;    1/4 cup of wheat bran       ;        1/4 cup of brown sugar       ;       1 tbsp of oil       ;   3/4 tsp of salt      ;        2 tsp of instant yeast       ;      1/2 cup of whole wheat flour    ;   2  1/3 cup of bread flour.

Procedure :     In the kitchen aid bowl, Add boiling water, cracked wheat, bran, oil, salt, and mix well and cover the bowl for about 15 minutes.

Add the whole wheat flour to the mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Add the yeast and 1 cup of the bread flour. Mix well.

Place the bowl into the kitchen aid and attach the dough hook. Run the mixer in med-speed and slowly add the rest of the flour till it combine well and forms slightly sticky dough.

Remove the bowl from mixer and knead further for about 15 minutes.

Apply oil on the dough and cover the bowl with damp cloth to rise for about 90 minutes or until double in size. Gently deflate the dough and roll into a loaf and place loaf pan and cover with damp cloth for about 60 minutes. 

Transfer the loaf pan into a pre-heated oven and bake at 180°C for about 40 min ot till it done well. (Tent the loaf with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much)

Transfer the Bread loaf to the wire rack and allow it to cool.

Whole meal Bread (Tangzhong Version)

Last week, I paid a visit to one of my husband colleague who is of a Chinese origin. While having discussion with her about the food and culture, she introduced me a new Chinese technique in bread making called Tangzhong.

To be honest, I never heard of this term before. She explained me the technique and its advantages over the Normal bread m(B)aking. 

I was quite excited and want to know more about. Thanks to google…………….

Let me explain about Tangzhong…….in this method, a part of the flour (on the bread recipe) is pre-cooked with water and later added to the rest of the ingredients and undergoes fermentation process and then to Oven. 

Its bit lengthy process like the biga, Because, I was told that, the bread stays soft and fluffy even after a few days.  (Yet to test and validate***) 

So, prior to bread making, let’s prepare the Tangzhong and add it to the bread recipe.

Ingredients for Tangzang :  ½ cup of Water    ;   1/8 cup of All purpose flour.

Tangzhong Making procedure :  Mix flour in water well without any lumps and cook over medium-low heat, stir/whisk to prevent burning and sticking.

Once the mixture becomes thicker and thicker, you notice some “lines” appear in the mixture for every stir you do with the spoon. This is the indication the tangzhong is done. 

Remove from heat cover the dough with cling wrap to prevent drying. Let it cool. 

Ingredient for Bread :  1/2 cup  of  Milk     ;      1 Egg   ;  Tangzhong (as made above)    ;    2 tsp of Sugar     ;     5 gms of Salt    ;    1 cup pf  all purpose flour    ;   1 cup  + 4 tbsp of   wheat flour   ;      1 ½ tsp  instant yeast    ;     30 gms of butter (room temp) 

Procedure :  Mix milk, sugar, salt and yeast thoroughly then add egg and beat well. Now add Tangzhong mixture and combine. 

Add all purpose flour & wheat flour (in a small quantity at a time) to the Tangzhong mixture to make dough. Once all are well combined, add butter and start knead the dough till it become a soft & elastic.

Cover the dough with damp cloth and allow it to become double in volume. May take up to 60 – 90 minutes. 

Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. Deflate and divide into 3 equal portions. Knead into ball shapes and Cover with plastic wrap, let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin into an oval shape and roll it again in a tubular form and once again roll out about 30 cm in length and again roll into a cylinder shape. Similarly do the other portions too.

Now, arrange the rolled-up dough in a greased or non-stick loaf tin and cover with damp cloth for about an hour. 

Keep the loaf tin in a 180°C pre-heated oven and bake it for 30 min and brush it with butter and allow it to cool to slice.

It’s really amazing, the bread was extra soft and spongy. It was worth taking few extra steps to make a magic ingredient Tangzhong.  The loaf finished (even before cooling!) by my son and husband within 10 min. hence, I couldn’t check the bread softness after a day or two***.

Original recipe source from en.christinesrecipes.com