Recipe #27 Chocolate Balls

This Christmas season gift your loved ones these easy to make chocolate balls! Very less prep work (mis en place) needed and a really pretty one bowl dessert!

Time taken: 40 minutes (Including mis en place)

Makes- 25

Ingredients

-120 grms biscuits (I used multigrain biscuits, you can use any biscuits of your choice)- powdered
- 55 grms Powdered sugar
- 12 grms cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 12 ml of corn syrup
- 60 ml liquid (Water+instant coffee+ 1 tsp powdered sugar- cook it and cool it/ rum/rum+water)
-140 grms almonds- crushed
- 55 grams powdered sugar + 2 tblsp cocoa powder (For coating)

Method

-In a bowl, add the biscuits, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, corn syrup, liquid, almonds and mix these ingredients  with a spatula until well incorporated. The mixture will taste and look like a chocolate fudge
-Now make small balls out of the mixture
-Now in a plate, take sugar and cocoa powder mix and roll the chocolate balls in it and dust out the excess
-Serve as it is!!


Happy Baking!

Recipe #26 Almond Rocks

Almond rocks can be a great form of gifting option this festive season. It is easy to make, it uses only 2 ingredients and very less preparation time!!

Ingredients

• 100 gms Dark chocolate (Cooking- I use Morde chocolate)
• 10 Almonds (whole)
• 1/2 litre water

Picture source : 1600 × 1087 - thedaintydomestress.com

Method

- Take a flat pan, dry roast the almonds until the skin of the almonds change colour and become golden brown. Use a spoon to continuously sauté it on the pan

-Boil 1/2 litre of water and using the double boiling technique, keep a larger pan (with chopped chocolate in it) on the boiling water pan

-Let the chocolate melt completely, stirring it at regular intervals

-Leave the melted chocolate for a minute and then dip 1 almond at a time in the melted chocolate. Using a spoon, coat the chocolate properly and remove the excess chocolate. Keep a thick layer of chocolate coat on the roasted almonds.

-Transfer each of the dipped almonds on a silver foil paper and keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes 

-Pack these amazing almonds in individual silver foils or just eat it !!

-Happy Baking!!

Recipe #25 Coffee Creme Brûlée

     

 Crème Brûlée is Custard, which is topped with caster sugar, using a blow torch (check out the second post) you melt (Brûlée which means burnt) the caster sugar giving the custard a contrasting texture of creaminess and crunch.

        You will need very little prep work (mis en place). It’s a classic dessert to be served at dinner parties, I’m sure your friends and family will just say, “That’s so yummy!!”

Serves: 3

Ingredients 

·      ½ cup granulated sugar

·      ½ cup powdered sugar

·      3 tsp caster sugar (for the Brûlée)

·      5 whole eggs

·      1/4tsp salt

·      3 cups milk

·      1 and ½ tsp coffee essence

·      1 cup boiling water

       

Method

-Grease 3 ramekin moulds

-In a small pan over medium heat, melt ½ cup granulated sugar slowly by stirring slightly so that it does not catch on the bottom of the pan. Let the sugar turn into a light gold colour syrup (caramel). Now pour it in the ramekins and keep it aside 

-Preheat the oven at 300 deg c

-In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and ½ cup of powdered sugar with an electric beater, beat it until it turns lemon colour

-Gradually beat in the milk and coffee essence at a very slow speed of the beater

-Pour this mixture in the cups, leaving 3cm on the top

-Take a big oven proof deep pan, pour in the boiling water (This helps in cooking the custard evenly), place the ramekin moulds and bake at 180 deg c for ½ an hour or until the top turns golden brown and when you insert a toothpick in the custard, it comes out clean. 

-Cool it to room temperature or if you want to serve it cold then put in the refrigerator. Remove it from the refrigerator 5 minutes before serving. 

-Now for Brûlée, do this at the last minute when you are ready to serve it, you can do the Brûlée in front of the guests as well to create a little theatrical effect!! Sprinkle 1 tsp of caster sugar on each ramekin and the blow torch should be on a slow speed, slightly melt the sugar evenly to give it a golden colour

and serve it to your guests!!

-If you do not have a blow torch, then 5 minutes before serving, using your fingers, gently loosen the custard and put a serving plate on top of the mould and invert it, the caramel sauce will ooze out on the top of the custard making it caramel custard!!

Happy Baking!!

Recipe #24 Baked Mango Cheesecake

 Cooking Time- 50 to 60 minutes

Preparation Time- 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

·      125 gms digestive biscuits (crushed)

·      50 gms of unsalted butter (melted- room temperature)

·      80 gms Castor sugar (Powdered Sugar)

·      250 gms Cream Cheese (Room Temperature- I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese)

·      ½ cup mango pulp (1 alphonso mango)

·      ½ cup diced 1-centimeter cubes mango (1 alphonso mango)

Method

-Preheat the oven at 180 deg c. Take the crushed biscuits in a bowl, add melted butter and mix it with a spoon.

-Take a spring bottom tin and grease the pan with butter. Add the biscuit mixture to the pan and press it gently and evenly with the back of a spoon. Keep the tin in the refrigerator until the cheesecake batter is ready to be poured

Break all the 3 eggs in a bowl, using an electric beater beat the eggs and gradually one spoon at a time add sugar. Beat the mixture until its fluffy and lemony in colour

-Take cream cheese in another bowl, add he mango pulp and mix it with electric beater until well incorporated

-Add eggs to the cream cheese mix and fold (cut and fold method) until well incorporated

-Now take diced mango pieces and mix it with the cream cheese mixture.

-Pour the mixture in the biscuit tin till now kept in the fridge and bake it for 40 mins or until its set. To check whether it’s cooked, insert a toothpick in the centre of the baked cheesecake

- Refrigerate the cooked cheesecake for 1 hour before removing it from the tin.

-Using a hot knife, loosen the edges of the cake and demould it and decorate it with either mango jelly or with mango pieces

Happy Baking!

Recipe #23 Lemon Tart

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For the Tart

120 grams flour

40 grams powdered sugar

60 grams of cold butter, cut into small pieces

2 tblsp of cold water

For Lemon Curd

10 tblsp of Lemon Juice

4 large eggs

320 grams castor sugar

220 grams unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 tblsp cornstarch

Few drops of lemon extract

Few drops of yellow liquid food colour

Method

For Tart

-Sift the flour and sugar, mix and add to a bowl. Add cold butter and with your fingertips crumb the mixture. It should come to a breadcrumb-like consistency

-Now gradually add water little at a time to combine the mixture in dough like consistency. Knead it until it does not stick to the bowl. Flatten the dough and wrap it with cling film. Refrigerate for 15 mins

-After 15 mins, place the dough on a floured surface and using a rolling pin, start rolling from the centre. Rotate the disc slightly after every rolling to avoid the edges from cracking. Roll the dough to a 1/8’ thickness (2 coins width)

-Take a pie dish or individual tart shells and cut circles 2 inch wider than the mould and place it in the dish/ shells

-Refrigerate the mould for 15 mins

-Preheat the oven at 180deg c

-Now, remove the tart shells/ pie dish and using a fork poke the bottom as well as the sides to avoid fluffing during baking process

-Bake at 180deg c for 20 mins or until the tarts become golden brown

-After 20 mins, remove it from the oven and let it cool on the racks

For Lemon Curd

- In a saucepan, add whole eggs and whisk lightly with a whisker. Add castor sugar, butter into it.

- In a small cup, take the lemon juice and add corn starch to it and mix it well till there are no lumps in it and pour this mix into the egg saucepan

- Place the saucepan on medium heat and whisk continuously for 7 to 9 until all the ingredients melt and get incorporated. Whisk until the mixture gets thickened. Once thickened, lower the heat and whisk for 1 minute. (Don’t let the mixture come to a boil. If by chance the mixture shows cooked egg bits then just strain the mixture in a sieve while its hot)

- Now add the yellow food colour and lemon extract and whisk

- Pour the lemon curd into the cooked tart moulds and refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving

Happy Baking!

Recipe #22 Éclairs

Éclairs are basically choux pastry, which is piped in long strips and glazed with different types of icing like chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, etc.

Choux pastries are hollow pastries which when baked; the air has to escape from the pastry, it doesn’t get the space to escape, hence it puffs up the pastry making it hollow!

Makes: 8

Ingredients

For Choux Pastry

·      65 ml water

·      65 ml of milk (gives moisture to the recipe)

·      55 gms of unsalted butter (room temperature)

·      4 gms sugar (any form)

·      100 gms All-purpose flour (Maida)

·      4 whole eggs (room temperature)

·      Pinch of salt

For Chocolate Icing

·      200 gms whipped cream

·      50 grms of melted chocolate

For Glaze Icing

·      200 gms Icing Sugar

·      25 gms cocoa powder

·      1-2 tblsp boiling water

Topping

·      Chopped hazelnuts

Method

Choux pastry

- In a heavy bottomed pan, put water, milk, butter and sugar. At medium heat, keep stirring until the butter melts and then bring the mixture to a boil.

-Add sifted all-purpose flour to the heavy bottomed pan and stir it with a wooden spoon. Let the mixture cook and keep stirring at small intervals. The mixture is ready when it does not stick to the bottom of the pan

-Preheat the oven a

-Now using an electric hand mixer beat the mixture until it is completely cool and gradually add 4 eggs, 1 at a time and beating in intervals until 1 egg is well incorporated, do not overbeat

-Pour the mixture in the piping bag and pipe long vertical eclairs on well greased oven proof tray and if you want equal sizes of the eclairs, then make start and end dots to help you pipe the mixture well. The mixture shouldn’t be very loose; it should be thick like a cake batter

-Bake at 180deg c for 30 to 35 mins until golden brown and feel hollow when you tap at the bottom, it feels very hollow. Let them cool on the wire rack

For Chocolate Icing

-Mix Whipped cream and melted dark chocolate with a spatula until well incorporated

Assembly

-Make 2 incisions in every choux pastry with a knife to add the filling. Using a round nozzle fill in the chocolate icing

Glaze Icing

-Add cocoa powder and sifted icing sugar in a bowl. Add boiling water a little at a time; add a little more water if the icing is too dry. It should be spreadable and not watery

-Dip the top of the choux pastry immediately into the glaze and if the icing dries out in the bowl, then add a little more boiling water and then use it

-Garnish it with chopped hazelnuts immediately when the icing is wet or plain glaze will be perfect

Happy Baking!