– Helen Keller

Sincere Apologies for the long gap between posts.  It was unintentional, the summer months in Britain is our official holiday season! that means going to India.  It’s become a kind of ritual I have to go to India whatsoever! To visit my parents and family.  It’s like Popeye and his spinach.  It’s like the potion of love and I can somehow manage the whole year without seeing them.  It all comes back to heart down the lane, it’s that love which makes you do things and takes you places without which we do not survive.

“Love is not a matter of what happens in life it’s matter of how you are dealing with it” – Ken Keyes

Coming back from India I had to juggle with a lot of things, every year the same story repeats itself predominantly, things to sort out!  Kids going back to University and my lovely garden needed a lot of tending some tear and care as it was kind of abandoned with a ritual of unrealistic seasonal changes with sunny spells, sudden emotional downpours! And off course the ghastly wind how can I forgo it from my thoughts, remember those days one cold night in December the northern lights brought severe winds which would bring Santa down to earth but alas! It blew away my innocent greenhouse to my next door neighbour’s garden, knocking things around.  Poor Lady called me waking me up from my dreams to the reality to a shock of how she was trying to hold down the greenhouse not to fly away to visit another neighbour! who wouldn’t be happy at all!

With all the chaos I baked this cake, this cake brings me back a lot of wonderful memories.  My school days when I would wait for my daddy to bring this cake for us to munch on as after school snack, sometimes we would be treated with puffs, apple cake, Khara bun, palya Bun and Congress Kadalekai beeja (Indian Spiced peanuts) the list can go on and on, But, this cake was always my favourite.  A cake so delicious so moist with the sweetness of honey. A cake you wouldn’t say No!

This would be a perfect cake for any celebration be it a valentine’s Day or Birthday or just a keep it as a centre-piece! when baked it in a tray  it goes to say pick me up.  This cake can also be an inspiration for the Breast Cancer awareness #Pinktober 2016.

Everything to do with your heart, either way , A day to celebrate Love –

“Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love you.  I love thee, I love but thee with a love that shall not die.  Till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old”

– William Shakespeare.

Little did I know I would have to travel again which came as a surprise and I had to do this post, my holiday simply extended within a span of weeks now I am in Netherlands!  A country which I love coming back to! A country with Scenic beauty and a land of canals, anywhere and everywhere you turn around you are surrounded by water, you just can’t miss it.  Streaming down with lush greenery, swans, ducks and whatnots swimming and wading and an array of birds - chirping and chattering playfully on the trees, giving us a wake-up call.  The beautiful landscape has never ceased to amaze me.

It’s a love affair, it might be  a fellow human being or  nature it doesn’t matter and it has no criteria.   Love is a universal Language, it doesn’t know caste, creed, colour or religion.  Rich or poor alike, it is  just a given and give policy. So, here is how you make this cake, pouring lots of love to it…..

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Honey Cake (Iyengar Bakery style)

Recipe Author: Jayasri
Type : Indian
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time : 45-50minutes
Food type : Dessert
Servings : 6 to 8
Shelf- life: up to 1 week without refrigeration

Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
185 grams All-Purpose Flour
185 grams Sugar
150 grams Butter
50 grams Coconut Oil(any oil)
5 Eggs
½ tsp Baking Soda
¾ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Agar Agar powder or cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla essence
Ingredients for the topping
6 tbsp Jam
4 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp water
¼ to ⅓ cup Desiccated Coconut

Method
1. Keep all the Ingredients at room temperature
2. Take a 9’’ by 3’’ heart shaped cake tin or a square tin** prepare the tin by rubbing the butter and then sprinkling All-purpose Flour completely so it is well coated.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degree C/Gas Mark 4
4. In a mixing bowl take all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Using a sieve sift the dry ingredients at least 3 times so they are well combined. set it aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl take butter and whip it until it is light and fluffy, then add sugar ¼ cup at a time until everything is incorporated.
6. Now to this butter, mix add one egg at a time and beat well, If you find it curdling please do not  panic it’s just normal add 2 tbsp of the flour mix into it. Use all the eggs until well combined, add 2 tsp of vanilla essence when beating the eggs.
7. Now take the dry ingredients and combine carefully little at a time. Fold it in the butter & egg mixture without over mixing it.
8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for at least 45 to 50 minutes, mine took around 50-55 minutes. This depends completely on how your oven works.
9. Check the cake with a skewer or any other way by piercing it in the middle of the cake to make completely sure that the skewer comes out clean.
10. When it’s baking make the syrup / topping for the cake. Place a pan on a low flame to this add Honey and mixed fruit jam to loosen it up. Once it starts to combine well and a tbsp of water mix it thoroughly and keep it aside until needed.
11. Remove the cake once done onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
12. Taking a toothpick, prick holes all around the cake. If your cake tin is springform, it is easy to remove even after pouring the syrup. If not, it is better to remove the cake onto a serving plate, or onto a stand.
13. Place it on a board and pour the warm topping mixture onto to the cake completely spreading it all around. Don’t allow it to drizzle around. once the syrup is poured all over the cake. Leave it for a while 20 to 25 minutes.
14. Then sprinkle the desiccated coconut all over the cake and that’s it your cake is done.
15. Just bake it and enjoy it.
** In India this cake is usually baked in a square tin and cut into small squares and sold individually.

Print

Honey cake (#Iyengar Bakery style) #pinktober

Most delicious cake, Drizzled with the sweetness of honey and jam. It's definitely a honey cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the cake
• 185 grams All-Purpose Flour
• 185 grams Sugar
• 150 grams Butter
• 50 grams Coconut Oil
• 5 Eggs
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ¾ tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp Agar Agar powder or cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• Ingredients for the topping
• 6 tbsp Jam
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp water
• ¼ to ⅓ cup Desiccated Coconut

Instructions

• Keep all the Ingredients at room temperature
• Take a 9’’ by 3’’ heart shaped cake tin or a square tin** prepare the tin by rubbing the butter and then sprinkling All-purpose Flour completely so it is well coated.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degree C/Gas Mark 4
• In a mixing bowl take all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Using a sieve sift the dry ingredients at least 3 times so they are well combined. set it aside.
• In a large mixing bowl take butter and whip it until it is light and fluffy, then add sugar ¼ cup at a time until everything is incorporated.
• Now to this butter, mix add one egg at a time and beat well, If you find it curdling please do not panic it’s just normal add 2 tbsp of the flour mix into it. Use all the eggs until well combined, add 2 tsp of <g class="gr_ gr_238 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="238" data-gr-id="238">vanilla</g> essence when beating the eggs.
• Now take the dry ingredients and combine carefully little at a time. Fold it in the butter & egg mixture without over mixing it.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for at least 45 to 50 minutes, mine took around 50-55 minutes. This depends completely on how your oven works.
• Check the cake with a skewer or any other way by piercing it in the middle of the cake to make completely sure that the skewer comes out clean.
• When it’s baking make the syrup / topping for the cake. Place a pan on a low flame to this add Honey and mixed fruit jam to loosen it up. Once it starts to combine well and a tbsp of water mix it thoroughly and keep it aside until needed.
• Remove the cake once done onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Taking a toothpick, prick holes all around the cake. If your cake tin is springform, it is easy to remove even after pouring the syrup. If not, it is better to remove the cake onto a serving plate, or onto a stand.
• Place it on a board and pour the warm topping mixture onto to the cake completely spreading it all around. Don’t allow it to drizzle around. once the syrup is poured all over the cake. Leave it for a while 20 to 25 minutes.
• Then sprinkle the desiccated coconut all over the cake and that’s it your cake is done.
• Just bake it and enjoy it.
• ** In India this cake is usually baked in a square tin and cut into small squares and sold individually.

Notes

This cake is usually baked in a square tin, I have baked it in a medium sized heart shaped tin. You can bake it in a square tin and cut into a heart shape as I have done as shown.

The post Honey cake (#Iyengar Bakery style) #pinktober appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody how have you all been doing?  I am so happy Diwali has brought me a special gift in my blogging world!! Yup!  I am excited to share with you all are you interested in hearing? This is my first ever product review!  I never thought I would get a chance like this, when I was glancing through my mails on my iphone, I chanced upon an email from Indigo herbs saying products dispatched!  Excitedly I opened up my email to see what products they had sent I was jumping with joy in my heart  to see Organic Coconut flour, Organic Banana powder, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Raw white  Sesame Tahini paste, Organic Raw Black Sesame Tahini Paste.  Thank you Indigo Herbs for giving me an opportunity to create a recipe for you and so glad that I got a chance to try all these lovely products.

I have been quiet busy we had Diwali this week, did you all enjoy and had a safe Diwali.  I haven’t brought you what I made for Diwali but something different for a change, bake this for a thanksgiving celebration or for Christmas or for a birthday or just a weekend treat, well it’s so delicious you don’t need a reason to bake this cake.  My photos don’t make justice to this cake if you love coconut this is for you. I baked this cake a fortnight ago but, as I was prepping up for Diwali I couldn’t post it.

I am a bit of a health freak, I stopped baking regularly once I realised I was making my family eat too much unhealthy stuff, I started looking for things I could change to make it bit healthier say if not 100% at least to some extent, when I decided I started changing flours then how I could cut down on fat and refined sugar.  The thing which I still am unable to compensate is Sugar, my family have come to terms with flours and fat but not with sugar, they are fine with unrefined sugar but I am not allowed to reduce itJ.  So, I can’t do anything about it unfortunately.  When I shop I keep looking for different ingredients I can bake with one such product I had an eye for a long time was Coconut flour, I was always tempted to buy and try it out but somehow I kept postponing.  Probably I was waiting for a good Organic product as this one.

These days people have started thinking about their diet seriously, they are switching on to gluten free, dairy free, egg free, paleo diet etc.  So, here is your stop for Organic products to buy online which is worldwide shipped with a full postal guarantee.  I was so happy to receive emails telling me, its dispatched and when it will arriving then another email telling me when it will be delivered and who is delivering it, his name and what time!  Isn’t it fantastic?

Somerset is a county in South west England, and is known for its beautiful country side with rolling hills and is a beautiful country side.  Here in Somerset is Glastonbury is not just famous for a musical festival but also Indigo Herbs who are online suppliers of organically developed healthy/alternative life style products bringing about natural health products of the best quality as their website states.    They have brought about products for all kind of life style, organic blends which can be used as substitutes for different kinds of food diets.

As this was the first time I was using Coconut flour in my baking I had to do some research on how to use it, lots of people said it’s a very highly absorbent flour, some of them said you need to use a tried and tested recipe to get a perfect bake, it all scared me a bit, but as I had already decided to go with it.  I gave it a go, Coconut flour is a unique non-grain fibre rich protein highly absorbent flour.  Coconut flour is made from coconut milk when it is pressed the left over coconut bits that is the solid which is left over is dried over at low temperature and ground to produce a soft fine powder.  So we all know about coconut flour now let’s get baking with it.

Ingredients:
100grms Samai flour(little millet)
75 grms Sorghum flour ( Jowar)
40 grms Organic Coconut flour
145 grms Caster sugar
40 grms Organic Coconut sugar
150 grms Coconut milk
150 grms Pineapple puree
¼ Cup Organic extra virgin Coconut oil
¼  Cup Olive oil
1 ½ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Baking soda
3 Eggs
3 tbsp Pineapple Juice

For the Chocolate layer (Optional)
20 grms Coco powder
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp of Pineapple juice

For the Icing:
1 Cup Icing Sugar sifted
1 tbsp Pineapple juice
¼ cup desiccated coconut

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas mark 4, Grease a Bundt cake with any of the gluten free flour about I mixed it with a bit of coconut flour as well.
In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients millet flour, sorghum flour, Baking powder and Baking soda sieve well and keep aside.
In another bowl mix the wet ingredients Coconut sugar, Caster sugar, coconut milk, Pineapple puree, coconut oil and olive oil blend them well together
In a bowl break one egg at a time and beat them well adding both the sugars until fluffy to this add the wet ingredients until smooth.
Completely incorporate the dry ingredients with the help of a spatula.
I made a Chocolate mixture using the ingredients above the chocolate layer heading.
Pour in the cake batter into the prepared Bundt tin in two parts layering the Chocolate mixture.
Bake this for about 55 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted near the tube of the tin.
Let it cool then release the cake around tap gently and unmold it from the pan onto a wire rack.
In a bowl combine the Icing sugar with the pineapple juice until it is thick and runny, pour this over the cooled cake allowing it to drip it down the sides of the cake then sprinkle some desiccated coconut over it to get a more coconut flavour if you prefer otherwise just leave it as it is.

Somethings to note:
Please check your oven as my oven very heated up I bake my cakes in Gas mark 3, I have mentioned above the usual cake baking temperature.  I baked my cake for 55 minutes.
I was just thinking I shouldn’t have used chocolate layer this way next time I would completely make it a chocolate cake or a marble swirl cake.
I have cut a circle in a cardboard using a Bundt pan and a hole in the middle and insert it into the tin, this helps the cake sliding on to the board nicely.
I have given 3 tbsp of pineapple juice don’t wonder why I have not said anything about it, as the batter had become slightly thicker than I wanted it to be I used it to thin it down.
I used Canned Pineapple and the juice from it, if you are going to use fresh pineapple just check if they are sweet otherwise you might end up with a sour cake and your sugar wouldn’t match it.
I have used canned coconut milk as well, buy the best product I did not use the water but the thick cream on top when you open it.
Hope you Enjoy baking this cake, My family and friends told me that it was very moist for a gluten free flour and they could never think it was a gluten free.  If you bake this cake do write to me and tell me how it turned out

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Gluten free, Dairy free, Coconut flour Pineapple cake

Gluten free, dairy free Coconut flour pineapple cake, rich and moist delicious cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine International

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 100 grms Samai flour little millet
• 75 grms Sorghum flour Jowar
• 40 grms Coconut flour
• 145 grms Caster sugar
• 40 grms Coconut sugar
• 150 grms Coconut milk
• 150 grms Pineapple puree
• ¼ Cup Coconut oil
• ¼ Cup Olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Baking soda
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tbsp Pineapple Juice
• For the Chocolate layer Optional
• 20 grms Coco powder
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp of Pineapple juice
• For the Icing:
• 1 Cup Icing Sugar sifted
• 1 tbsp Pineapple juice
• ¼ cup dessicated coconut

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas mark 4, Grease a Bundt cake with any of the gluten free flour about I mixed it with a bit of coconut flour as well.
• In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients millet flour, sorghum flour, Baking powder and Baking soda sieve well and keep aside.
• In another bowl mix the wet ingredients Coconut sugar, Caster sugar, coconut milk, Pineapple puree, coconut oil and olive oil blend them well together
• In a bowl break one egg at a time and beat them well adding both the sugars until fluffy to this add the wet ingredients until smooth.
• Completely incorporate the dry ingredients with the help of a spatula.
• I made a Chocolate mixture using the ingredients above the chocolate layer heading.
• Pour in the cake batter into the prepared Bundt tin in two parts layering the Chocolate mixture.
• Bake this for about 55 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted near the tube of the tin.
• Let it cool then release the cake around tap gently and unmould it from the pan onto a wire rack.
• In a bowl combine the Icing sugar with the pineapple juice until it is thick and runny, pour this over the cooled cake allowing it to drip it down the sides of the cake then sprinkle some desiccated coconut over it to get a more coconut flavour if you prefer otherwise just leave it as it is.

Notes

Please check your oven as my oven very heated up I bake my cakes in Gas mark 3, I have mentioned above the usual cake baking temperature. I baked my cake for 55 minutes.
I was just thinking I shouldn’t have used chocolate layer this way next time I would completely make it a chocolate cake or a marble swirl cake.
I have cut a circle in a cardboard using a Bundt pan and a hole in the middle and insert it into the tin, this helps the cake sliding on to the board nicely.
I have given 3 tbsp of pineapple juice don’t wonder why I have not said anything about it, as the batter had become slightly thicker than I wanted it to be I used it to thin it down.
I used Canned Pineapple and the juice from it, if you are going to use fresh pineapple just check if they are sweet otherwise you might end up with a sour cake and your sugar wouldn’t match it.
I have used canned coconut milk as well, buy the best product I did not use the water but the thick cream on top when you open it.

Thank you Indigo Herbs for sending me these products. All the opinions is my own and are under no influence.

The post Gluten free, Dairy free, Coconut flour Pineapple cake appeared first on My Veg Fare.

EGGLESS LEMON AND HONEY POUND MUFFINS

Recipe source: minimally adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 6 Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Golden Brown Soft sugar
1/4 cup Honey
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice* (see notes)
1/4 cup Yogurt/Hung curds
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/4 + 2tbsp Ground Oats* (see notes)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 to 3 tbsp of Sweetened Coconut

To Glaze*:
1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp of Lemon Juice.

METHOD:
Keep all the ingredients ready and measured.
Line your Muffin tins ( 6 Muffin cases)
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190 degree Celsius ( Just 6 to 7 minutes before baking)
Sift all the Dry ingredients together (flours, BP, BS, salt) and keep aside.
In a large bowl take melted butter, sugar and honey, cream them together to this add vanilla extract then Fresh lemon juice and Hung Curds/Yogurt give a swift mix.
Immediately start incorporating the well sieved flour in parts so it is well combined.
Do not Over Mix the batter, as it is Eggless baking mix it swiftly in an even circular and cut motion quickly
Scoop in the batter into the Muffin cases and top them with sweetened coconut, give them a little press and bake them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

FOR GLAZING*: You can glaze the muffins by mixing the ingredients in the glaze until smooth and nice and pipe them over the muffins and serve them ...

MY VERDICT:
* Actually I added 2 tbsp of Lemon Juice thinking that I will more lemony taste in it, was my little mistake I think, the muffins did not rise very well, as I always get my muffins well raised!, that was a bit of disappointment, but still it tasted great with that lemony taste in it, and I felt it was more sweeter..., If you have a sweet tooth you will love this...
*As I am using my new oven (GAS), I am a bit confused about the tempratures, the temperatures indicated in a recipe seems to be too much for my Gas oven, The actual recipe asks for you to bake at Gas Mark 6, I did not bake it at that temperature as all my baked turn golden brown quickly so I have little concern, so please do check your oven temperature while baking....
*The Oats which I have used in this recipe is porridge oats, I just simply Grind them to powder and use it in my baking.
* I did not glaze my muffins, I just skipped it as the Muffin itself was quite lemony, you can use some cream cheese frosting or butter cream or what ever you like to eat it with....
* The cake was delicious, there was this sweetness and tanginess in it, it wasn't too moist, when it was baking my daughter called out to me and said Mum it seems to go like a cookie, it is spreading out than going on top, that was when I thought I have used more Lemon Juice, so next time I will try it with just One tbsp if you try this please write to me and tell me how it turned out.
* As it was not too moist I thought you could increase the fat content a bit more, or I thought next time I will use 1 tbsp of Flax seed powder with 3 tbsp of hot water which will compensate on the fat content for the muffins.

LEMON AND HONEY MUFFINS WITH EGG and HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE

Wow that looks Gorgeous isn't it ?
Once I made the Eggless once, I had to make these again, As I always cook or bake only in the night and I had only made 6 of them, I had a bit of a situation.., My friend who stayed with me over the weekend, who never likes eating anything sweet at all gave me a big surprise, I just gave a teneey weeney bit of my Eggless muffins to taste, ate the whole muffin instead and a few minutes later asked me If she can have an other one!, I was totally taken aback (she is pregnant, I thought may be that is the reason), as she doesn't like to eat eggs was very happy with my Eggless ones so the four left was eaten by my family. That's it all gone so I decided on baking more muffins this time with Eggs though, so here is my Muffins with Eggs, this time I shared with my neighbours..

Makes 6 Muffins:
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Sugar (soft Golden brown sugar)
1/4 cup Honey
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Medium Egg
1/4 cup warm Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4th Cup  + 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour/Maida
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 to 3 tbsp of Hershey's Chocolate broken into little pieces

METHOD:
Same as above method, Added one Egg with the liquid Ingredients gave a brisk whisk then added the Lemon Juice and Milk. Just added broken bits of Hershey's chocolate pieces and then Incorporated the flour into the wet mixture, poured them into the cups and baked them at the same oven temperature for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

The Muffins were soft and delicious.., My kids loved it, waiting for my neighbours verdict will update when received..., till then... take care....

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.
Check out her blog for Many more variations and mouthwatering Muffins from my fellow blogger friends....

The post Egg and Eggless Lemon and Honey Pound Muffins appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Biscotti is an Italian cuisine : the Wiki gives you a detailed information on this....check out...

Biscotti (pronounced /bɪˈskɒti/, Italian pronunciation: [bisˈkɔtti]) more correctly known as biscotti di Prato (English: biscuits of Prato), also known as cantuccini(English: corners), are a twice-baked cake originating in the Italian city of Prato. The cakes are large almond biscuits, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven.


This is my first time with sweet punch and the september theme was ''Chocolate Almond Biscotti'' from Joy of baking, I had already made a biscotti with different flavours and eggless, I was into this as I love Joy of baking and my kids like these crunchy cakes and eat them as snacks when they come back from school. It's been quite sometime I made anything with egg, so I thought why not 🙂

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI

INGREDIENTS: 
makes about 16 pieces
110 gms (3/4th Cup)  Blanched whole  Almonds
135 gms (2/3 cup) Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
100 gms Plain flour
60 gms whole grain Rye flour
65 gms Oat flour ( Morn flake powdered in mixie)
100 gms Semi sweet chocolate

(Original recipe calls for 225gms/ 1 3/4th cup Plain flour)



My daughter clicked this close up from iphone!

METHOD:
As I had no ready made toasted almonds, I soaked almonds in hot water for 10 minutes, then peeled the skin off and spread it on a baking sheet set the oven to 180 degrees/Gas mark 5 and toasted it for 8-10 minutes until light golden and fragrant, and set aside. Once cool chop them into pieces
Take a baking sheet and line the parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/Gas mark 5/350 d F
In a bowl I took all the flours, salt and Baking powder and combined them well together and then sieved them twice, just to make sure they are well mixed.
In a large bowl, I whisked 2 Eggs and sugar until thick fluffy, the batter from the beater should fall in ribbons, at this point beat in vanilla extract.
Now add the flours, combine well then fold in chopped almonds and chocolate.
Transfer this dough on to the parchment lined baking sheet and form into a log, about 12'' long and 3 1/2'' wide, as you can see in my photo, I just dumped on to the sheet and with wet hands I pressed them down into that shape (that's what happens when you don't plan and bake late in the night!).
You have to dampen your hands to form a log as the dough is quite sticky!!
Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch, then remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile Reduce your oven temperature to 165 degrees/Gas Mark 3/325 d F, Cut the baked log into 3/4'' slices on the diagonal.  Place these biscotti cut side down, on the baking sheet and bake further for about 10 minutes then turn them over again and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow it cool and store it an air tight container

These are all the clicks my daughter took, I couldn't bin them as I told until you take photos no eating, she was so upset with me, she couldn't resist broke some pieces though, the smell was making them want to taste it :),  they had no fat at all, such a guilt free recipe.
I had made a Biscotti long back, an eggless one, I will definitely post it soon check out...

The post Chocolate Almond Biscotti - Healthy way ! appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Well, well, well this was a difficult situation I was in and few more like me who are vegetarians and vegans, as Suet is made from meat!!, Even though here they sell a vegetable suet by Atora, I had never tried it and really did not know how it works, May be someday I might give it a try!!, But then Esther, was a wonderful host who wanted all of us to participate and was she flexible, yes!!, she was very !!!, she wrote that she wanted all of us to bake I mean Steam away or Bake or however you know how to make a pudding!!, and yes here we go we all had free reins so we could just make whatever we wanted!!
If you are interested on how the suet is made check out in Esther's blog or visit the main Kitchen where loads of our Daring bakers have contributed to stuning puddings to feast your eyes!!
I just wanted it to be atleast in something realtively near so I really wanted to Steam and see how the pudding tastes and looks!!, I was so surprised that it turned out very well..., Here is my pudding recipe...
This recipe after searching so many books I found this one, which attracted me for two reasons one by the look of it and the other was it had dates in it!! The most loved dry fruit by me....!!!,This book is a collection of Desserts and doesn't have an author.., whoever found this one won my heart and of course my family and friends who enjoyed it, especially my H who said, it was simply Gorgeous and had a generous second helping !!! as it was quite sweet...
Sorry once again I have to apologise the not-too-tempting-clicks!!, But they were really too yummy!!, you all must give it a try.

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND DATES PUDDING

 INGREDIENTS:
100 gms Golden Caster Sugar
2-3 Seedless Oranges
200gms Unsalted butter, softened
200 gms Dark Muscovado sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed Oranges ( I used 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp of fine-cut Orange Marmalade ( I used home-made Marmalade from my previous recipe)
3 Eggs beaten
1 tbsp Orange-Flower water (Optional)
150 gms Plain Flour (I used 100 gms Plain flour + 50 gms Quinoa Flour)
50 gms Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 tsp of Baking Powder
150 gms ready-to-eat dates, chopped

Served 7 !!

METHOD:

First make a sugar syrup, pour 150 ml water into a small sauce pan and add the caster sugar. Cook over gentle heat until dissolved.

Slice each Orange thinly into about 6 neat slices. Submerge them in the sugar syrup. set a disc of  non-stick grease proof paper on top and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Lift the Oranges out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Boil the syrup until reduced by half.

Line the base of the pudding basin with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Place the best Orange slice on top of the disc, and use the rest of the slices to line the sides of the basin.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, muscovado sugar and orange zest using an elctric whisk, until light and fluffy.

Beat in the marmalade, then gradually beat in the eggs and orange-flower water, if using, mixing well between each addition. Sift the floour, cocoa and baking powder into the egg mixture and fold in.  Finally fold in the dates.

Spoon the mixture into the basin, It should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides.  Smoot the surface and cover with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper.  Take a large sheet of aluminium foil and fold it in half.  Make a pleat in the centre.  Press the foil over the side of the basin with the pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin, tie around the top with string and trim away any excess foil.

The pleat will open out and allow the pudding to expand during cooking.

Stand the basin on a trivet in a large, deep pan and add enoough water to come at least 5 cm up the sides. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up the water level from time to time.

Remove the foil and disc and insert a skewer into the centre of the pudding.  If it doesn't come out clean, re-cover and steam for a little longer.  Run a knife around the sides, turn out onto a dish and brush with syrup. Serve with what ever you enjoy!!!!.

VERDICT: I just loved Steaming this pudding as I had never done this before, Every one loved it!!, I used my pressure cooker to steam this pudding, I did not have a pudding bowl, so I steamed it in a pyrex bowl!!

I served with my Home made Mascarpone cheese, which I had learnt it in previous Tiramisu (which I did not make !!, just made the cheese) Daring Baker's challenge.

Home Made Mascarpone cheese cre'me:

50 gms Mascarpone cheese

150 ml Double cream

50 gms Icing sugar

I softened the cheese, mixed it with Icing sugar and added the creame and thoroughly beat into a soft sweet cream.

Here are some more clicks of my lovely chocolatey, orangy dates pudding....

My kids were saying it just tasted like the Orange chocolates sold exclusive only in UK, which is just like the orange segments, as if you are peeling an  Orange, So if you ever come to UK, do not forget to buy these Orangy chocolates.., as I heard from lot of people that you can get it nowhere!!
Enjoy!!!

The post Chocolate, Orange and Dates pudding for Daring Baker's challenge-April 2010 appeared first on My Veg Fare.