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We Knead to Bake,of course we need to :) I have never tried cookies with yeast and this challenge taught me how to.One can get a lil skeptical when you see this cookie recipe where yeast is used unlike baking powder which is the norm......make to it believe it- it is simple and sweet.Adapated from A Baker’s Tour by Nick MalgieriIngredients: 1/2 cup warm water, about 1 1/4
I have been cooking and baking for a while now ,Cheesecake is something I never bothered to try at home. It is definitely a comfort food and I took comfort in buying a slice to please my taste buds. However, the Baking Partners challenge #9 changed all that and here's the result..................................This recipe is adapted from www.divinetaste.com the Mango Cheesecake su
This is my second Liebster Award. I humbly receive this award from Nayana who blogs at Nayanas Kitchen Kreations and has duly done her share of nominating me here. Thank You Nayana - happy you shared this with me.Formalities first - here are the rules of the Award :1. Write 11 facts about yourself.2. Answer 11 questions posed to me by Nayana.3. Prepare 11 questions to the bloggers you ch
I received this Liebster Award in complete surprise from a fellow blogger Archana who blogs at Tangy Minds!!!We met through the Baking Partners Group and we do share a chat sometime or the other....an amazing person and is ever willing to answer any doubts I have in baking or going about a recipe. Thank you Acchu ,Hugs !! &nb
It's been a fun experience making these soft & spongy bread, not just fun, it has just changed my views about store bought bread.Enjoyed this method though an entirely new concept to me - I loved making the rolls,braids,knots and plain bread too.This is part of the We Knead to Bake Challenge - March 2013 hosted by Aparna & I have used her adaptation of this bread -(Original Recip
I could never imagine making a loaf of bread. Never gave it a thought until Baking Partners challenge came along. When my first attempt turned success - the family now concludes that bread should be made not bought.....Swathi has adapted this recipe from Christine's Recipes who has used this Asian method of bread making with tangzhong on her blog and must admit the results are just amazi
Chicken and spice kinda go hand in hand ..........usually churning up a lovely dish in the end. This dish has gravy in it but it coats the wings pretty well and the honey garnish adds a glaze and cuts through the spice....How much spice and how much honey is a personal choice.....keep it subtle i shall say :)Ingredients:350 gms of chicken wings2 large onions finely sliced2 medium tomatoes finely c
I love signature dishes.The whole intrigue of the recipe is the person who has made it or makes it and the love and effort they put in it to make the family meal delightful and memorable.A simple no fuss prawn roast ,I call it Mom's style because it comes from a very loveable person Geetha aunty whose son Vijesh shared this recipe with me.Ingredients• Prawns 1 Kg (Cleaned & de veined)• Onion
Crisp flaky croissants are always a delight and when it is baked at home its double delight. I have picked this off the shelf at stores many a times over the years, and never thought of making it on my own until, the "We knead to bake " challenge came along. Here it is ...... Aparna Balasubramanian gave us this challenge for the month,who has adapted this recipe from Fine Cooking.However, I
To be honest here - my knowledge of world cuisines is poor..though its been a fun learning experience when I moved abroad. Hubby dear makes it a point to try everything edible from our regular home food when eating out. So, I have eaten this years ago in a restaurant that caters to Mexican cuisine. This effort is towards my participation in the Mexican cuisine event.......wow! Julie started
I once saw a TV show where a Pastry chef making these Cream Horns........and I watched the show with such wonder...perhaps at the revelation of how its made :) And here it is ... Ever since the quest began for the moulds. I remember seeing it but never figured out what it was for. Finally,when I found them .......I had to make it delightfully.It's a boon to get puff pastry dough straight o
French macaron...who doesn't love it? When you make them there are only two ways to it. You either get it right or you don't. There's nothing in between..the pic here is the result of my fifth attempt !! It is a great sense of accomplishment because I have been trying this since Jan 2011..Swathi and me decided on the French Macarons for the Baking Partners Challenge 7. The choice
Pull Apart Bread Loaf is kinda cute name and the bread is just as its same suggests. Some pics truly inspires you to cook and couldn't resist myself when I saw one such post from a friend Reshmi Mahesh who blogs at Easy Cook.This apparently is a baking initiative pioneered by Aparna with a group called " We Knead to Bake " How cool is that??? She has discussed it here -
A busy month kinda coming to an end in a week. Kids finish their exams today and though it is a reason to celebrate, a surprise chicken curry is always adds delight.Hence,the Spicy Red Chicken Curry ...Ingredients for the marinade500 gms Chicken medium sized pieces to marinated in a paste of -1 tsp turmeric2 tsps red chilly powder1/2 tsp Black pepper powder.salt as ap
It was my day to empty my refrigerator, the way hidden stuff comes out ,gets used or makes its way to the bin. However, this dish is just an innovation of my leftovers with very basic ingredients, which now has become an instant filler when nothing crosses your mind. All you need is : 4 cups approx left over rice ( Basmati is best ,however the ponni rice works just fine)1 Cup carrot chop
Do bananas sitting over the counter stir the baker's rush?? Perhaps it does for me. There should always be 2 leftover bananas that should smile back at me from a bunch - and all I can think of at that moment is a banana cake - I guess I should start thinking out of the box.. and here I begin with a Chocolate banana cake.Ingredients:2 cups All purpose flour1.5 cups granulated sugarHalf a cup - coco
Cooking is fun ...so it is to tempt people around you. Smart phones have made life much easier and that means more scope to spread the temptation thro pics .. do not be surprised that I might get killed one day for this ...This recipe came up from one such conversation on Whatsapp Messenger... don't we all love this app??Vijesh Ram Mohan ,thank you bro for adding such a lovely dish to my kitty.Wai
I have tried savory pies but never the sweet ones. This is what Baking Partners helps you do...try the unusual and .....the challenge for January - "PIES"............. here is the Apple Pie...cooling off .Recipe Source : Apple Pie suggested by GayathriIngredients:1 3/4 cups (260g) plain flour1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour185g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces1/3 cup (75g) ca
This is a very delayed post, part of the Baking Partners challenge for December. Been busy and travel schedules popped up though I managed to complete it ahead of time. Ingredients1 cup cake flour(not self raising) ( Tip : measure one cup of all purpose flour ,remove 2 tbsps from it and replace it with the same amount of corn starch)½ cup ground almonds1 tsp baking powder¼ tsp salt8 egg white
UAE celebrates its 41st National Day, Schools closed since friday.........we have a long weekend and it is festive all around. And here I celebrate my son's 12th birthday....time sure flies.....he has grown..........no demands - happy with the new PS3 game he got as gift.No birthday goes by without a cake and here is what I baked for him - Topping with Ferrero Rocher Chocolates was his idea , so t
I have always admired people who can do the Swiss Rolls. Even at the class my tutor did it with ease and I thought its wiser to leave it to experts.The bakers rush took me over yesterday and I decided to give it a shot. First, sponge cracked up as I had over baked it, which now has been stowed away for trifle someday soon. Made another sponge, waited by the oven and got it right !! The ingred
The Baking Partners challenge no.4 came into my mail..........and it happened to be Shaped Dinner Rolls...I was very hesitant to do this because I have had two failed experiences behind me. Still the fun part of learning and the bakers rush pushed to me try and here is what I got...The choice of recipe was amazing - very simple and ideal for learners..........Ingredients:? &
Chocolate chip muffins are nothing new ....as the name goes, the surprise element here is the pumpkin in it...heres the Baking Partners Challenge no.3...Yummy !!Ingredients :1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
The thought of making a mousse cake is always a little tedious but when you get down to work, its a cake walk.....and the restless me .......finally put it up together like this ...I started off with a Basic chocolate sponge cake for the base.Beat 3 eggs with 4 tablespoons of sugar on high speed until they are creamy and airy as well. Sieve 7 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of coco
Missing in action for one long month......reasons reasons reasons are in plenty......Very happy that I managed to get back my computer just in time to post these Cornflakes Cookies as part of the Baking Partners theme for the month which is Cookies.Swathi sent us 3 recipes - of which the easiest I chose were the Cornflakes cookies, contributed to the challenge by Priya who ada
Chocolate &almonds are a wonderful combo and when its laced with rum/coffee it makes all the more heavenly. The Baking Partners choice of recipe for the month is Julia Child's Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Icing. Swathi promptly sent us the recipe - well researched with detailed instructions to guide a first time baker.When I started blogging a friend of mine suggested I read the
Here comes an idea from a small group of passionate bakers inviting other bakers to join them in this baking journey..... Let me introduce the bakers ..1. Reeni2. Tina3. Priya4. Suja5. Swathi6. Pratibha7. Rashmi8. JulieI heard about this from Julie on her blog. Swathi is co ordinating the group members and I mailed her to be added into the group. And
Mangoes are almost going off the shelves at the markets......and when we got our small basket, we relished our share of this King of fruits. The last three mangoes stayed wrinkled and I though the best way is to make a mousse and finish the season.A Vanilla Sponge was made in advance. What you need is :-3 Eggs, 4.5 tbsps of Sugar, 9 Tbsps of All purpose flour and Half a teaspoon of Vanilla s
I wake up from a short nap ... & here I have my son waiting with a request for Chicken Pie. While I made a mental note of ingredients available to execute his request..........he rolls out what exactly what should go into the Pie. Hmmm......on that nice thought we made this.I didn't make this pie from the scratch....I have used a lot of shortcuts like ready made stuff ......sometimes they are
I love Zucchini...........for many reasons, primarily the name sounds so classy :)) then its so easy to cook or bake and it tastes so good as well. And a stir fry for lunch is not just great but could be prepared in a wink.......its that easy...I have used the variety of zucchini we get here ......wash and clean them thoroughly and cut off the ends.Cut them up into even slices and thin
Am happy to be back with a Choco - Almond cake. Summer holidays and the kids got nothing much to do..........that's when they wanted a frosted cake. I haven't been baking in a while and I guess they were missing it. The idea to include Maltesers on the cake came from them......and this is the outcome.....Ingredients:1 Cup All Purpose Flour1/4 Cup Corn flour1/2 Cup Cocoa powder1/2 Cup Granulated Su
It's been a while that I blogged, though have been cooking all along. A break is good but when it gets too long ,it is all the more harder to get back......so here I am...with Achappams!This is a very traditional snack and am sure is a favorite in most households............ It is usually made out to be or I imagined rather....as a tough nut to crack......... So, I conveniently pick a pack off the
17th May 2012……………We moved out of the flat we lived for 5 years to another apartment within the city.The decision to move was taken in a week’s time, so I barely had the time to sort or to pack. To suit my convenience I called in the movers who did the job for me. I watched in silence as the men picked each of our belongings to cartons………..and I made mental notes as to what should stay and w
Friday the weekend came with just one plan - lunch with my friend Sheena...........she was hosting a lunch to celebrate her hubby's birthday ( 11th May). I offered to bring the cake. So, here it is....It had been hectic week - lots of things happening and so I baked this simple coffee cake and managed to do this in a short span of time....which included the swiss meringue butter cream.......
It's been a while that I blogged - being busy is an absurd excuse. Who isn't busy anyways?Sometimes there are so many things that take away your attention and knowingly or unknowingly you just move with the flow..........No more ranting ..........:)The weather has been warn all day& a lot cloudy.............the gloom is hard to handle ( I say gloom because am a lil messed up in the mind all da
I made this cake and ate it too on 15th Feb 2012........lol :)) I have baked and decorated a lot of cakes for birthdays and other occasions.But , when it came to bake and decorate a cake for myself...that too for my birthday .....I was kinda feeling funny.Daughters are a boon I must say.....they make it a point to remind us that we are as special:) ........So this cake also came from the
Feb 2012 - Valentines day - am posting this at the tail end of the day....Not been well today ,and when my lil one insisted that I should bake a cake - this coffee cake is something I made in a hurry.Seriously, I do not recall the source of this recipe,but I have this scribbled on a piece of paper tucked in my books. Without much ado ....over to the recipe.......Ingredients :1 Cup flour1 Cup Sugar
I've been a little to held up with too many things last week..........most of wall the parents visit - but when they are short term visitors ............every moment is precious:)This post has been in my drafts since last week..........Raji at Vegetarian Tastebuds posted a lovely pic on her facebook page and she so willingly shared the recipe with me. I have followed it to the tee.....an
Some days happen just once in our lifetime and it stays.Feb 3rd 2003 I had my baby girl.She jumped out 23 days earlier than scheduled and surprised us all.The thrill was having a girl baby after my son......She turned 9 two days ago.....time surely flies:)For a change the demand for the cake didn't be Mermaid or Bratz or Hanna Montana......She said she was ok for a Doll cake.The base is a ri
Swiss Meringue Butter Cream ( SMBC) - I have heard this many times over , watched the related videos and the thing with me is that I get the urge to try when am really under pressure. The results were fantastic and now there is no looking back...........wonder what stopped me from trying this before:PThe ingredients are simple - the key is the ratio....No matter what the measures - maintain the ra
23rd January 2012 - so to say our 12th Wedding Anniversary -The journey continues...............we didn't do much ...........as my son was ill and we both got busy attending him , doc,tablets,food .....etc. He has been ill since morning............so it was a disturbing day for me.Hubby comes home with a chocolate hamper and a gift voucher...............he always makes it memorable with
The week begins and all of us get back to maintain the schedules for the week.And I make Prawns Masala for lunch .......and wow ..........here it is...........Clean,de-vein & wash the prawns,set aside.Heat oil in a pan and fry sliced onions in it.Add a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and fry well. Add tomato paste and fry all of these until brown.Grind together a cup of fresh coconut,tur
Banana Stem - This a miracle stem is loaded with many medicinal properties.Many claim to substantiate this fact that it lowers cholesterol, helps in kidney ailments, aids in a good detox , treatment of stomach ulcers so on and so forth.I include this in our diet mainly because it is very tasty. I do not give the family any choice as it might help us with some of its medicinal properties.This
After a horribly windy day...........am enjoying the calm from my kitchen window.I have Cream Dory Fillet with me and thought of this tangy curry for lunch on this winter afternoon.Cut the fillet into small pieces, coat them with some turmeric,chilly and pepper powder and salt. Let it marinate for about 15- 20 minutes as in the pic on the left. Shallow fry them in a pan and set aside as in the pic
I wish I had an option to make life easier - if someone could just chart out a menu for me ............thinking what to do - choosing who likes what - even when the family is small ................is not an easy experience for me. I do manage with a lot of shortcuts...........and here is one such Butter chicken - spicy but tasty. I do not vouch for processed foods to be part of regular
Mutton seems to have dominated our table this week, its been a long time and so after the Spicy Mutton Fry, I made the curry with some potato cubes in it..........Boil the mutton pieces( about 300 gms approx) with some turmeric, pepper powder and salt. Set aside. Similarly , cut a medium sized potato into cubes, cook in the microwave and set aside.Dry roast 4 tablespoons of coconut, a pinch
Red meat do not usually make it to our kitchen esp., due to diet restrictions. Therefore an occasional portion of lamb is what I cook just when the family expresses the need for it.The options are plenty to roast, to fry, to bake to grill so on and so forth..........however, I chose to have it cooked dry.Somehow - this is how I like it for 2 reasons: One, the masala coats the meat quite
The Sweet Punch baking adventure continues.... what I like most is the fact that we participate and bake a recipe which we would have always wanted to do , yet would put it off for another day. These Sweet punch recipes creates an initiative to bake.At the same time when we look at the round up its a whole new learning experience,not to miss the comments which is truly encouraging for a baker !Hap
Cream containing 30% or more butter fat is usually whipped with a whisk,or a stand mixer or hand mixer resulting in a thick cream - but not too stiff. First place the bowl and the blades in the freezer for 15 minutes.Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin in a bowl containing 1 tablespoon of water. Place the bowl into a bigger bowl with boiling water as in a water bath. Leave it untouched
2011 passed by and here we are in 2012 a brand new year !!! Wishing all my friends and family across the globe a very happy new year ! May the new year bring you good health, love, joy and peace...God Bless !With all the preparations ahead , we welcomed the new year with this Choco Vanilla Gateau.To assemble this gateau the Vanilla Sponge and the French Butter Cream
