EGGLESS VEGAN ORANGE CHOCOLATE NUT BROWNIES 

 

Chocolate and Oranges in a brownie is the most addictive dessert to Indulge, These are Vegan and Eggless as well! I love this combination and I keep using it always in my bakes!

Vegan why?

Because I love trying out baking Eggless and vegan, it’s like an adventure to me! But, to tell you the truth, being born in a vegetarian house hold we never had eggs. That’s the reason I try to bake eggless, when venturing into eggless baking I wanted to try if I could make it vegan!

I was not planning on baking these, when my thinking was loud  that I am thinking of baking something, immediately kids called out from upstairs Brownies please...., Kids..? Uhh.,  don't get confused they are teenage children, anytime every time they love brownies especially my twins.
My eldest doesn't care for chocolates (Just like me!), can you believe? I have completely stopped eating chocolates from past 2 months.  I never used to eat chocolates before, coming here I had kind of got addicted to it, and I was eating chocolates everyday like a tablet! Now I have come back to my normal phase, (senses I mean!)  my only favourite chocolate was snickers, yeah you know why ! Because I love nuts, I love to eat anything with nuts from chocolates, cakes  to Ice creams but everything in limits though.

 

The days are getting shorter, and its becoming colder, weather keeps changing all the time, sometimes I think cold is much better than rain,  the worst part is the daylight, it doesn't seem to wait for me at all.  Baking becomes an obsession especially in winter.

Here comes my recipe, a quick brownie which is eggless and delicious.

EGGLESS ORANGE CHOCOLATE NUT BROWNIES
Recipe : Jayasri

Prep time : 20 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes

In an other bowl take all the wet Ingredients and mix them well enough to this add the dry ingredients blend them all well together do not over mix.

Scrape this on to the prepared pan smooth it  and spread some nuts on top of it and bake it in the middle rack of the oven, until the skewer comes out clean for around 20 to 25 minutes.

The post Eggless Vegan Orange Chocolate Nut Brownies appeared first on My Veg Fare.

GREEN TEA MOUSSE

140 gms  Whipping cream
70 gms white chocolate
1 tbsp Green Tea Leaves
1 tbsp Dolce de Leche
1 tsp Agar powder
2 tbsp of warm water

CREAM-LESS STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
140 grms Strawberry Puree
140 grms Sugar
1 tsp Agar
3 tbsp Warm water

Whipping cream as required
Pistachio Nuts as required

METHOD
TO MAKE GREEN TEA MOUSSE
In a thick bowl heat cream and tea Leaves until boiling set aside for 30 minutes, strain the tea leaves from cream then whip to soft peak melt chocolate and mix into tea infused cream and set aside.

TO MAKE CREAM-LESS STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
Soak Agar powder in  warm water beat keep it aside for few minutes then beat again , Puree strawberry and sugar together heat them in a bowl, add this to the puree and boil for few minutes keep it aside.

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks are formed. chop pistachios and keep aside.

ASSEMBLE

In a glass bowl or any thing you wish to arrange, layer whipping cream, add chopped pistachios, then layer them with Strawberry mousse then layer it with Green tea Mousse then layer it with Whipping cream and pistachios again then top it with Green tea mousse and top it with pistachios again, leave it in the refrigerate an hour or two and serve it cold.
Recipe source from these two blogs with minimal changes from here and matchachocolate.com
It was very sweet said my kids, hope you like it...

The post Eggless Green Tea mousse with Pistachio and Strawberry Verrines appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Yup!, can't believe, can you ? I didn't too..., until it came out of the oven beautifully, Brownie that was what I was planning to bake, these pull apart breads, Aparna got us into We Knead to Bake..., made us Bread Bake-o-holics, bake more breads.., One of the Group member Niv was going on a baking spree just like me, the third bread she baked kept going on in my mind, I think the cinnamon kept going  on and on in my head ended me up baking this bread.
When I baked it and told my kids does anyone want to try out my bread they were making faces, My son went Amma (mum), Please do you think it will work.., and I said I think it has worked he threw his arms up in the air and made faces.  As it was late in the night and I wanted my bread to cool down I just left it at that, next day morning, I left a little note on the kitchen table your bread for lunch box is in the bread box, they were quite huge, I was wondering if my kids would take it in the their lunch box..., but to my surprise out of the six two were gone. So I knew 2 of them in their Lunch box, I couldn't resist, oh! did I tell you the brownie filling was left over which I had baked when the bread was in its second proving stage, Those two little brownies were sat their sadly, feeling bad I suppose that they couldn't go into the bread!!, well, I ate one of them and thought Mmm.., It is yummy..,  Fingers crossed I was waiting for them to come home, I really torture them when I bake, and ask them hundred things about the bake, they get so tired.  I thought of texting them, but decided no let me see their face then I would know the truth, as sometimes they do not want to hurt mum and say so-so and I know I should not post this :).

Well, the result, My daughter entered and I immediately asked her, how was your bread today..., she said it was so-so mum, I was totally dissappointed, then came my darling son, entered and as always first thing he tells me is how the bread was each and every time I bake a new one for his Lunch box, he is such a Mama's boy that's what my girls call him :)), they are so jealous.., well, whatever it is.., he said mum you bread really worked, the brownie bread was delicious.., down came my daughter screaming oh! R you are such a spoil sport I wanted to tease mum and keep it going for sometime, you spoiled everything, huh!*&%$..., and all said and done and both having argued, she told me, Mum you nailed it, It is really so delicious.., and even my Friend who dropped by too., loved it... Success.., I decided I am going to make it with more variations in future and turn it out much more interesting.., Oh! I know you are all curious to find out how I baked it right ? this is how... go read it and try it and tell me about it...

EGGLESS VEGAN BROWNIE PULL APART BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DOUGH
2 tbsp of warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Yeast
3 cups of Whole wheat White Bread flour ( nearly 375 gms (plus extra around 50 grms)
1 tsp salt
1/4 oil (butter if you prefer 50 grms)
50 grms sugar

1 and 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk**

VEGAN EGGLESS BROWNIE
100 grms Plain flour
1 tbsp Carob powder ( cocoa powder)
1/4 cup oil / 50 grms Margarine
200 grms soft brown sugar
75 grms chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Potato flour
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp water
pinch of salt

METHOD FOR MAKING THE BROWNIE BATTER
FOR FILLING IN THE BREAD
100 grms All purpose flour / Plain flour
2 tbsp Cocoa powder (Carob powder)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/8th tsp Baking soda
200 grms soft brown sugar
1/4 cup oil / butter / Margarine
2 tbsp water
75 grms white chocolate / dark choco chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tbsp Potato Flour
7 tbsp of warm water
1/4 cup fudge chips

METHOD FOR THE BROWNIE BATTER
In a bowl take the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt and cocoa powder, sift them all well together.
In an another large bowl take warm 7 tbsp of water dissolve potato starch in it completely and beat it well together, it becomes smooth and fluffy, ( I made this in a little bowl and then took it to the large bowl).  to this add sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter / Margarine / oil, blend them well together.
To this above liquid mixture, add the dry Ingredients incorporating all the flour well blended, if it is too dry add one or two tbsp of hot water and keep the batter ready, to this add chopped white chocolate / chips and fudge chips and keep it ready

METHOD:
FOR ASSEMBLING THE BROWNIE IN THE BREAD
In a large bowl take yeast and 2 tbsp of warm water with tsp of sugar and leave it in a warm place for few minutes, you can notice bubbles forming up this shows that the yeast is active.
To this add all the other Ingredients said above under the Dough, mix them well, use a food processor or your hand and make it into a pliable dough, make it into a chappati dough consistency.
Once the dough is ready, Knead the dough  for at least 10 minutes until it very pliable, smooth and soft, this helps in the gluten formation. Lightly oil the bowl and leave the dough covered for at least 1 and 1/2 hours or leave it until it is doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 5*
Make the Brownie batter when you keep the dough to raise after an hour.
Oil a tray and sprinkle some flour and tap it down so there is no extra flour on it or place a parchment paper in the tray.

Once the dough is proven deflate the dough dust the kitchen work surface with flour, flatten the dough into a square as shown and the filling can be made in  two ways.
1.  Spread the brownie  filling  on to the flattened dough and  cut it into 6 lengthwise strips and roll them into a circle, pull one of the bottom side and cover it completely and lay it on the baking pan, cake tin, or on what ever you are baking it in.
2. Or as I did,  once you have made it into a square, cut them into 6 equal parts, fill the brownie batter on each of the strip and roll them up as said above and cover one of the side by pulling dough and place it on the baking tin.
Once all the rolls are ready, place them with a few inch gap on the tin, cover it again with a tea towel or with a cling film for an hour or until it rises ( I usually do not allow it to rise too much as the first time round).
At this time for the second raise, I baked the remaining brownie batter in little cases, for 15 minutes.
Brush the top of the bread with milk and bake it in the middle rack for 30 to 40** minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour or check it with a skewer when it comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, release the bread from the loaf tin immediately after 10 minutes*** and leave it directly on the wiring rack to cool down completely.

NOTES
* As I have always said my oven temperature is very high so I bake them at Gas mark 3
** My bread got baked by 40 minutes
*** I remove my bread immediately after 10 minutes the bread will be still very warm because of this the bottom side becomes soggy if left in tin for a long time this is my experience so I always take it out and leave it on the the wiring rack this helps the bread cooling down without a soggy bottom, sometimes I turn out  the bread place it in the loaf pan again and bake it for 5 more minutes this makes my bread has a crusty bottom as well :)).
You can add Honey, Maple syrup, Jaggery instead of sugar too..
If you want to Make it with Eggs try substituting 2 Eggs for potato flour, but then give more gap between the rolls as it might raise too much.

1. You can use Vegan butter
2. You can otherwise omit the chocolate chips, find daity free chips
3. In place of milk you can use Oats milk, Almond milk, soya milk or Just plain water

If you ever try these variations leave a note here so I would be delighted to know how it turned out. This bread goes to WKTB#1, of Aparna of My diverse Kitchen and it is also yeast spotted.

The post Eggless Brownie Pull apart Bread - Brownie in my Bread !! appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Of course it is not St.Patrick's day does it mean we should not make these cookies and eat it..,Well for something Green for St.Patrick's day she had made these, as she says you need not be an Irish to celebrate this day nor there is any excuse to celebrate festival days right ?. When I went searching in her blog for recipes, My eyes caught these cookies, I got hooked to these cookies as they had minty flavour and which I had never tried this before, I was a bit scared how my kids would like it, but they really liked it :)), I was a happy mother.  As you can see I did not use too much green colour in it. so you would definitely see the difference in our cookies..
Oh! I never told you why I posting this recipe, and about what I am talking about, This is our Secret Recipe Club Assignment, next is to whose blog I was assigned to right ?, Suzanne my hostess had assigned me to Adventures in all things food by Andrea, she is into so many things not only cooking, baking, Farming, products and Giveaways and crafting. Do check out her blog you will definitely try it out...
I have halved the recipe.
Here is the Recipe...

EGGLESS MINT FLAVOURED COOKIES - MARY LEPRACHAUN COOKIES
Recipe Source: Adventures in all things
Time  Required: 45 minutes
Made 15 cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/4 cup All purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
75 grms butter*
1/2 Cup Cane Sugar**
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Mint extract
1 tbsp Corn Flour
4 drops Green food colouring
1/4 cup Choco chips (dark Chocolate)

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree ***
Take all the dry Ingredients together and mix well except for sugar.
cream Butter and sugar together, add food colouring, extract, then add the dry Ingredients into it mix well with choco chips, Refrigerate the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, Make small balls flatten it a little bit and place them on a parchment paper and bake them for 20 minutes.
Remove them on to a cooling rack for 10 minutes and enjoy it..

NOTES:
I halved the recipe so I could just substitute for 1 Egg
*I have reduced the butter she uses 1 stick butter (around 125 grms)
**Increased sugar by 1/4 cup, I have used Demarara Natural Cane sugar
***I baked them in my oven at Gas Mark 3 as my oven has a very high temperature.

The post Eggless Mint flavoured cookies - Mary Leprachaun cookies appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Cauldron cake? In the first series of Harry Potter, these cauldron cakes were in the Hogwarts express! These cakes consist of devil's food cake cupcakes dipped into a rich chocolate glaze and filled to the brim with marshmallow filling.
A year has gone by cannot believe it at all, so I say every year, wondering how did it go? where did it go? what did I do ?.  Every Important day, Festivals etc.., I never come out to blog about it, nor write any post which should be something interesting to people who might come here to read about, that's just a thought though.  Every year I keep thinking I will write something that might be Interesting, catchy, cheeky, etc.., but dear God I am happy I am not so talented.
I decided eventually I will write and recollect all my 2012 posts the best ones or the worst ones.  Oh! no, I really don't have that much patience, reminiscing about the things of past year. Personally, I haven't done much,   Well, coming to the year 2012 has been had its own ups and downs.  I have been very happy with my kid's progress, only me I have been having a lot of ups and downs with my health. well, let me not get into my everyday moaning, This will be my last post of the year Hoping that this year will be really a Happy one, for each and everyone of you, bringing you all the joy and things which you wish for, Hope the world sees better things in future, Lots of things which has saddened lives of lot of people happened hoping that they never get repeated again.

Wishing you all a very Prosperous and a Very Happy New Year 

Coming to this recipe, this was our last post of this year's Baking eggless group challenge, Archana of  The Mad Scientist's Kitchen suggested that we make these Cauldron Cakes for this month's challenge.

I was enchanted by the beauty of these cakes. They looked awesome, the more interesting thing for me in that was the Marshmallow fluffs.  I was so interested in making them.  I just googled and googled and then I remembered that I had a photographic recipe of the marshmallow making in my phone!, well went and checked into that as well, and at last, I made my own Marshmallow fluff.  Honestly, I really don't know how good it is, neither it is anywhere near a fluff but anyway I am going to post it. Well, it was very sweet that much I know as they sticky, gooey and I kept licking and washing my hand few times.  My daughter said it was sweet, and she doesn't mind finishing off.  well, I have to update you about it tomorrow.  well, now you know that I made these cakes just today morning for New Year.  well, I got so tired of all the things, and I hadn't checked I had no more chocolates left and I couldn't make the handles for the cauldron. So here are my cakes without the handles :)), and I also got a bit lazy to do the exact way to fill up the fluff. Oh! no I was wrong I did it perfectly the way it had to be filled up, read in between the lines of the recipe.

EGGLESS CAULDRON CAKE

Recipe source: The Pastry Affair

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKE

Makes 6 Cakes

Baking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Cake Flour and 1/4 cup All purpose flour

1/2  Cup Sugar**

1/2 Cup Cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/2  cup oil

1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp Instant coffee powder***

1/2 cup Milk

3/4th tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

2 tbsp Buttermilk

FOR THE GLAZE:

Bittersweet chocolate 250 gms

FILLING:
Eggless Marshmallow fluff Homemade
1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

FOR THE DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKE

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree. Take all the dry Ingredients and sift them well enough at least thrice., and In another bowl take all the liquid Ingredients together.  Make a well in the centre pour in the liquid Ingredients until everything is thoroughly incorporated, bake for 10 minutes on Gas Mark 4 then reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 3 and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and cool it on a wire rack.

TO MAKE YOUR GLAZE

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stir until smooth. remove from heat, with the help of piping bag, Pipe out handles for the cauldron draw another line on top of them once the first one gets dried out. so that the handles are stronger.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Beat together all of the Ingredients under the filling until light and fluffy.

TO ASSEMBLE CAULDRON CUPCAKES
Dip in the cupcakes in the chocolate glaze and place them upside down stick choco chips to make a stand for them until they dry up.
Core a whole in the centre of the cupcake and fill it with the Marshmallow Filling.
Then pipe a line around the filling and place the handles on top and serve it...

NOTES:  I changed a few things like I increased the oil, otherwise the muffin is very dry in texture.  ** I have marked star against sugar to tell you the cake was not sweet enough increase with another 1/4 cup for normal sweetness or increase by another 1/2 cup for a very delicious cake.
To my surprise the muffin rose so wonderfully high I was surprised, that is why I took the photo and posted it.

well, my cupcake misses its handles...
Enjoy....

** will post my recipe for marshmallow filling.
This is my last post for Bake-a-thon event by Champa and check out my friends priya, preethi, srivalli, veena and sumana.

The post Eggless Cauldron Cake appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Coming to the recipe here..

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON BREAD
minimally adapted from Gino D' Campo recipes

INGREDIENTS:
170  grms strong white flour
170 grms Whole meal flour
230 ml with warm water**
15 grms fresh yeast
40 grms Cocoa powder
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
50 grms Brown sugar
25 grms Butter
80 grms good quality Milk Chocolate

METHOD:
Melt the Fresh yeast into the water, in 1/4 cup water until it is completely dissolved and sprinkle a tsp of sugar on to it and leave it aside for few minutes it starts bubbling up.
Take a loaf pan brush butter and oil on to the loaf tin.
Meanwhile Sift both the flours, Cocoa powder, Cinnamon powder, salt and sugar mix them well until well combined.
work in the butter into the flour until well combined.
Make a well in the center pour the yeast solution and water ( add water accordingly ) and make it into a dough.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic at least for 10 minutes, oil the bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover with clingfilm, Leave it to rise in a warm place until they double in size.
Preheat the oven to Gas mark 7 / 220 degree Centigrade
Once the dough is doubled in size, punch the dough down and shape it into square dusting flour on the surface.

Chop milk chocolate into small pieces and spread it around the square leaving the sides, now roll it from the longer side and cover both the ends by pulling the dough together.
Then cover the long end nicely and place this seam side down on to the prepared loaf tin and leave it in a warm place by covering it with a cling film until it rises again.
Once it rises, brush it with milk and bake it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes lower the temperature to 180 degrees / Gas mark 5 and bake for a further 35 minutes.
Once well baked remove it from the oven and brush it with melted butter and leave it to to cool down for 7 to 8 minutes on a wire rack to cool.
Remove it from the loaf other wise underneath of the bread becomes soggy at the bottom because of the heat from the loaf tin, allow it cool removing from the tin completely.
Then slice up the loaf for breakfast, Lunch box or for snacking or for after Tea.

MY VERDICT: The bread was tasty only thing I found was the swirls very distinct when it came out from baking which you can see.

Sending this to Bake-a-thon series of Champa, do not forget her blog and my dear friends as well, Priya, Preethi, Srivalli and Sumana.

The post Double Chocolate & Cinnamon Bread appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, Oranges and me have a great connection I think you might have noticed I have loads of Orange recipes in my blog, Oranges as we all know is good source of vitamin C, and I think this time of the year we definitely need it, Consuming Vitamin C rich food keep the cold away.., This also helps in the absorbtion of Iron when you are eating Iron rich food as well,  keeps the Haemoglobin content well.
Coming back to this cake, This is suppose to be a  Greek Cake which I got from a cakes and bakes Magazine, People in Greek bake this often and they love and enjoy it.  I searched few websites for this cake but ended up making from this magazine, as I liked the Idea of it.  Hope you like the Idea and enjoy it too.. as my family and friends did...
My Children loved it, they said it was sweet and moist, I made few changes adapting it to my way of baking, I have used silken Tofu in my bakes, but not to this quantity,  I tried and was quite satisfied, This particular cake was more interesting to me as I had  fruit in it and later on I decided to use cocoa powder in it so I could send it to Kalyani's Monthy mingle Chocolate and fruits, which I am posting it a bit late.  Check my notes for the changes I have made in this cake.
This cake stays moist for at least 5 days, no need to refrigerate it either (well I am talking about this climate)

KEIK PORTOKALI - ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE - EGGLESS
Minimally adapted from Cake & Bake Magazine

INGREDIENTS: 
FOR THE CAKE
2 Medium Organic Oranges well Scrubbed
1/2 cup Olive oil
1and 1/2 Cup soft brown sugar
200 grms fine Semolina
1 Cup + 3 tbsp Mori Nu Silken Tofu ( around 300 gms )
50 grms Almond meal ( Powder )
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp milk

FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 tbsp Butter / vegan Butter
1/2 cup Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1 tbsp of Milk / soy milk
1 tsp of Orange Blossom water
1 tsp of Orange juice

METHOD:
In a very hot water add two oranges in intervals of 5 minutes for 4 to 5 times keep changing the water that is after every 5 minutes throw away the water, use fresh hot water again and do the same way at least 4 times, this will remove the sourness of the orange skin. (even though not completely )
In a thick bowl boil the whole oranges in plenty of water until softened, almost about 1 hour in a low flame, with a closed lid which had a little hole in it. keep checking that they are well covered and keep adding hot water as needed.
Once it is cooked take out the Oranges, once they are cool, Quarter the oranges to ensure that there are no pips and seeds,  Puree the oranges skin and all in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth orange puree.
Grease a Bundt pan and coat it with flour and set aside.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree**.
Take all the dry Ingredients and sift them well together except cocoa powder and keep it ready.
Meanwhile Blend Tofu**  in a blender or Mixer until smooth with 2 tbsp of milk (see notes)
In a large bowl, pour this Orange puree into it, to this add oil, sugar and well blended Tofu puree also into it.
blend them all well together.

To this Blended Liquid mixture add the dry Ingredients until well incorporated.
Divide this mixture equally into two bowls to one of this bowl blend cocoa powder to this set aside.
Take your Bundt pan pour one spoonful of the white (not exactly) batter next the cocoa next to it then the white batter and next the cocoa batter on the next step alternate each batter on top of it as the batter is not very stiff but bit liquidy it spreads.
Once all the batter is used up.
Place it on the middle rack and bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes**.
Once done remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack, after 10 minutes, remove it from the tin and allow it to cool.
Then I made the Glazing and poured it on to the top of the cake and leave it cool down.
Slice and enjoy the cake...

NOTES:
Blend Tofu in a blender or a mixer without any lumps, then add 2 tbsp of milk blend again so it is smooth and silky.
I always bake my cakes and other baked products in Gas Mark 3 as my oven has very high temperature, even though I have given the universal cake baking temperature.
You bake with your oven temperature and also check the timings as well.

ORIGINAL RECIPE IF YOU WANT TO TRY OUT:
Original Recipe calls for 5 eggs, 185 ml Olive oil, 140 gms caster sugar, 250 grms fine semolina, 80 grms almonds chopped and few chopped almonds for decoration.
This recipe also uses syrup to pour on to the cake after it is baked. for this syrup 125 grms caster sugar, juice of 1/4 lemon and 1 tsp orange blossom water

This recipe goes to my Bake-a-thon event by Champa and check out Priya, Suman, srivalli and Preethi

Sending this also to Kalyani's Magic Mingle - Chocolate and fruits 

The post Orange Semolina Cake - Keik Portokali - Revani (reh-vah-NEE) - Eggless appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, Looking through the window truly gloomed, weather wet and the sky making you feel to tuck yourself under the duvet and do nothing.  But, Go out into the streets and the shopping complexes you will feel the festive spirit every where, makes you feel happy and doesn't depress you any more.  That is Christmas, looking around you even though I don't have Christmas I enjoy it so much.
Buying gifts, writing cards to friends is such an enjoying thing, My kids especially my second one enjoys it so much, she has bought gifts for her friends and packed with such care., I really enjoy seeing her excitement.  This post had to be up yesterday, suddenly things happened so had to post pone it for today.  Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen asked us to Bake one of the three different cakes two suggested by Suja of Kitchen Corner try it and the other one by Archana of Tangy minds.
I chose this Chocolate Brazil nut cake immediately after I got to read the doc sent by swathi, do you know why, because for one I love nuts and Brazil nuts too..., kids love chocolate.., what else can you ask for...
Long back, when I came here my Husband used to get me so many things which I wouldn't have seen tasted or seen in India.  One of them was these Brazil nuts, I did not like them at all when he bought, after few months one day when I was sitting with my friend she was having some nuts to eat and and offered me few of them I started eating one of it, and it tasted really nice, that was when I asked which nut was this and she said it was Brazil nuts, I was surprised that it tasted so nice and then my thoughts went to my H and felt sad that I had not even bothered to taste it but said I didn't like it 🙁 .
These Brazil nuts have  very buttery taste and delicious to eat, I started eating them often and one day I read that they are high in calories but cholesterol free.., any-ways I thought whatever I am eating I will eat it in limited quantities.  Sometimes you won't realize this when you like  something very much right ?.
Ok, let's get back to this recipe..,
This cake recipe was from Faye Levy , Chocolate Sensations, HP Books Inc, USA, 1986, p 22-23. for the original recipe.  as I tweaked it a bit for making it eggless.
I Changed the quantity of the flour as this basic recipe calls for 6 eggs, replacing 6 eggs is not easy, the volume of the cake and sponginess of the cake is because of the eggs, the quantity of the flour used in the recipe is just 1/4 cup with lots of butter, If I am to keep the quantity of butter I need to change the quantity of flour by increasing it to get the cake consistency. so I made some changes I increased the flour, lessened the butter because Brazil nuts have their own oil content in it.  Let me stop this here and  tell you how I made this cake....

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE - BRAZIL NUT CAKE

Do not look at my photos nor my frosting :).., still trying out sort out my photo problems..

Eggless Chocolate Brazil Nut Cake

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CAKE
1 & 1/2 Cup (7 oz / 198 grms ) Brazil nuts
6 oz (170 grms ) Semi Sweet Chocolate Chopped ( I used Hershey's Chocolate)
1 Cup soft Brown Sugar
1 & 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
100 grms Butter
233 grms Apple ( peeled skin & seeds discarded)
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cream of Tartar

or substitute Apple sauce instead of apples and vinegar

CHOCOLATE HONEY FROSTING
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
6 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate very finely chopped
6 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp Honey
1/4 cup Brazil nuts chopped to Garnish ( I omitted)
I used few cherries for Garnishing

METHOD
Line a 9'' cake tin with parchment paper, and butter the sides and flour them and set aside until needed.
Toast Brazil Nuts in oven for 10 minutes and rub against each other to remove skin as much as possible.
Using 2 tbsp of sugar grind Brazil nuts to powder in intervals, if you continuously grind it, the oil in it makes it very greasy.
Now to this powdered nuts add All purpose flour mix them well together and with the help of a sieve,  running your hands or spoon in it get a good perfect powder and keep aside the larger nuts which doesn't go through the filter.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degrees...
To this powder add Baking powder, Baking soda & cream of tartar and set aside.
Meanwhile peel the skin and core of 3 Apples chop them into fine pieces, grind them into a smooth batter with 1/4 cup of milk and set aside. Do not keep it for too long as it turns dark in colour.
In a double boiler melt chocolate, in a simmering bowl of hot water, to this add butter and mix well until you get a smooth consistency and to this batter, add the apple smoothie to it and cook for few minutes. ( 2 to 3 minutes) , switch off the stove, allow it to cool,  to this add apple cider vinegar.
In a large bowl take the dry Ingredients and Sugar, mix well together,  make a well add the liquid batter and fold it in until well incorporated.
Pour this batter into the prepared tin and bake until well done, a skewer inserted should come out clean
I baked this cake in Gas Mark 3 as my oven temperature becomes too hot at Gas Mark 4 so check out your oven for suitable baking temperatures. I baked my cake for 50 minutes.
REMEMBER : Check out temperature and timing to bake your cake according to your oven, as ovens vary..
Take it out of the oven on to a cooling rack after 10 minutes remove it from the tin
WL
FOR FROSTING:
In a bowl bring cream to boil, remove it from the stove and immediately add  the chocolate pieces let it melt and until smooth, to this add butter, Honey and beat it until it forms peaks.  Apply this frosting to the completely cooled down cake.
I did not garnish it with Brazil nuts but just topped it with cherries..,

You will have to wait for the tasting sensation..., I am waiting for my kids to tell me how it tasted..., tune in tomorrow check out this space for an other piece of information., I thought it tasted too much of nuts, when I pulled out a little piece from it.., will eat a bigger piece and tell you how it tasted.... ok... until then c you soon with an other recipe tomorrow...
take care....

I am sending this Kalyani's event Monthly Mingle Chocolate and fruits..

The post Eggless Chocolate - Brazil nut Cake appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, it's been a long time since I blogged, I thought I could never blog again with lots of things going on, needless to say, everything seems to get alright now, with this I won't go straight to my recipe you have to wait, I have to say a few things which are very important to me.
Today is my Thanksgiving day..... I have to thank few people who have been with me, encouraged me and helped me through my blogging adventure.
Blogging has not only brought happiness to me as a passionate foodie but wonderful readers who even though I haven't posted for some time who still like my blog and some readers who still write to me asking queries which makes my day, and also my dear friends and family who have always encouraged me on this and insist I should not stop blogging.
Let me start with few of my blogger friends Swathi, Gayatri, Suzanne and Kalyani who stood with me when I was in trouble, and encouraged me to post when I could.  Thank you very much dears.
I would also like to thank Nisha, Swathi, Shabs Cp, Swasthi Blank and Meena Bhatia for helping me to get back to blogging, From Last 1 and 1/2 weeks I was trying to post my recipes and my blog was not allowing to upload any images I was so stressed out and I did know what was going on and just 2 days back I realised that I don't have any space in my Picasa Web album.  When I placed this problem in FB all these ladies helped me out and here I am blogging again.  Thanks to all of you.
I have been baking a lot these days, My bread seems to disappear quickly so I have to definitely bake bread twice at least in a week.   This bread was basically for my daughter who loves to eat her bread only with Jam, she is not like the other to eat bread with cheese, pickles and leaves.  I was planning to make cinnamon rolls, that was when I saw this month's MM#12 Kalyani announced Fruits and chocolate as the Magic Mingle Ingredients.  So, I changed the filling with fruits it turned out really tasty and smelled great.

PEAR, NUTS AND DRIED FRUITS IN SWIRL ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE ROLLS
150 gms Whole meal Strong bread flour
150 grms White Bread flour
25 grms Wheat Bran
25 grms Water Roux
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 tbsp Yeast
2/3 + 2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt

FILLING:
1 Large Pear
4 tbsp of soft Brown sugar
4 tbsp chopped dried fruits ( Papaya, Mango, pineapple)
3  tbsp chopped Nuts ( Almond, cashew, pista, walnut )
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 Cadbury flake
1/8th tsp Cinnamon powder and Nutmeg powder

METHOD
Sieve together flours and bran, In a large bowl take yeast with 2 tbsp water and Honey and leave it for few minutes you can see small bubbles forming up that means our yeast is active now to this add all the remaining Ingredients under the Rolls add water as required, My flour needed 2/3 cup of water.
Just remember If you have prepared the Roux just then the flour might need more water, But if you had made it earlier like a day before and if it was stored in the fridge, add water little by little as you might not require the same amount of water and make it into a soft dough.
Knead dough for at least 10 minutes oil the dough and leave it to raise or double in size for at least 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours in a warm place
Meanwhile, make your filling.
Peel and chop pear into small pieces.  In a thick bottomed bowl take 4 tbsp of sugar, Honey and chopped pear and cook on a low flame with a lid closed after some time the pear becomes nicely cooked to this add the other Ingredients this helps in most of the liquid to get evaporated.  (do not add any water honey, sugar and the water in the pear helps it to get cooked ). It will be of semi-solid consistency, leave it to cool down.
Once the dough is raised punch it down and bring them all together, sprinkle some flour on to the surface and flatten the dough into a rectangle spread the cooled down filling on to it and roll down it from the long end.
Cut it down into 7 pieces, In each one of the pieces close one end of the filling by bringing together the dough together and place them on to the baking tray, line the tray with a parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree
Leave the rolls for another 1/2 hour covered with a cling film the rolls rise again in a warm place. Once they raise.
Bake these rolls in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 4 / 180 degrees for around 25 minutes ( Check your oven temperatures ) until well done.
Take it out and leave it on a cooling rack.
Once it a bit cool enjoy these rolls...
Hope you like it...
stay tuned for more recipes to come soon......

This recipe goes to Magic Mingle #12 and also to Bake-a-thon.

Thanks to Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen who hosts Bake-a-thon every year, Last year I was planning to participate and before it began my computer busted and I just had to leave the group.  This year they had already started which I noticed today and wrote to her.  She and the other bloggers agreed to include me in their month-long baking marathon only this year it's going to be only for 3 days in a week and here I am with my first bake for this event.  The other bloggers who are with  Bake-a-thon are Preethi, Srivalli, Priya, Veena and sumana Deepak.

This recipe is also Yeast spotted.
Seniding this to Kriti's event, Brown sugar - know your sweetness, started by Jagruti

The post Pear, Nuts and dried Fruits in swirl rolls appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Queen of Sheba and King Soloman were two characters glued to my mind from my childhood, I always loved reading story books, comics and especially books like Akbar and Birbal, Chanakya, Tenali,  were mesmerizing characters, writing about these books are bringing back lot of childhood memories and loads of books I miss and wouldn't mind reading them all over again.
So, the next question  is ? Queen of sheba and Julia Child, what is the connection between these two. Julia child is an other character I was so loved, when I think back, I never knew who Julia Child was, blogging has brought me to a new world to know about not just recipes but most of the time particularly with International cuisine, why was this recipe named so, what's is the uniqueness of this recipe, who was behind it ?, why did they call it so ?, which place and why has its origin from here etc.., etc.., right ? you too agree with me right ?.

I came to know about why Julia child especially called this cake Rene de saba ( Queen of sheba ), from our beloved Google that when she made this cake she thought this cake is delicious it is fit for a queen and named it after her.
Queen Sheba like King Soloman was famous for her wisdom and also for her beauty and wealth, she is spoken about in Ethiopian history, the Bible and the Qua'ran.
Coming back to this recipe, this recipe is in her book ''Mastering The Art of french cooking'' by Julia Child,  I came to know that this is the last recipe in her book. As I had already made this cake for the Book club by Simran.  I contacted Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen 
who is the brain child for this Baking Partner group and told her about it, and said may be I will try a Eggless version of this cake, and she was delighted and said go ahead and bake it.
I actually should have remembered something before I baked this cake Eggless.  Do you know why ? actually long back I had baked something like this for a brownie. well, was it not a good introduction  that the cake I baked it for the first time was a disaster. The cake was delicious but just collapsed in the middle!! :)), No problem, I had some Ice cream asked my kids to enjoy it, actually they liked it as it tasted like a brownie, anyway that was done and dusted, I went to work, but kept thinking about it, I was really upset that I couldn't achieve it.
Came back home in the night, asked my daughter to measure the ingredients again and set about baking the cake, that was then I was telling her we will reduce the butter content and choco content in it and see what happens, the best thing was she was the one who helped me with the baking ingredients for the first time, just because of  that I think she remembered the measurements and told me mum, I think the butter and chocolate are of almost equal quantities, what do you want me to do ?, I was quite surprised at her memory as she was not too keen on helping me with the cake baking, so we both decided that we will reduce chocolate and butter to the same quantity  and see what happens.
so, this is how I made it...,

EGGLESS RENE DE SABA AVEC GLACAGE AU CHOCOLAT
For an 8'' pan
Baking time: 25 - 30 minutes

Ingredients:
65 grms ( around 2/3 cup) Plain flour*
74 grms ( around 3/4 cup) Ground Almonds
35 gms butter
35 grms Semi sweet chocolate**
2 tbsp of Coffee powder
1/4 cup Granulated sugar
3 tbsp Condensed milk
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4th tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Corn starch
2 tbsp hot water

FOR CHOCOLATE ICING:
56.7 Grams / 2 Ounces semi sweet baking chocolate**
2 tbsp coffee
5 to 6 tbsp unsalted butter

** I have used Dark chocolate
If you like to check out the Original recipe for the cake which swathi gave us do please check out her blog here.
*She uses Cake flour, If substituting for cake flour: Take 1 tbsp of Corn starch in the cup and then fill the rest of the cup with plain flour but I changed it as I have mentioned above.

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3.
In a double boiler method, In a bowl  boil water and bring it to simmering then place a small sauce pan over the bowl melt chocolate, In 2tbsp hot water dissolve coffee powder and then add it to the melting chocolate.allow it to melt switch off the stove.
Line the cake tin with Baking parchment, Measure Almond meal, All Purpose Flour, Baking powder, Baking soda and corn starch and combine well together, and sieve them well together and keep aside.
In a food processor or an Indian Mixie blend together condensed milk, yogurt, melted chocolate with melted butter to a nice and creamy consistency.
In a large bowl take this creamy blend add sugar mix well then add Baking powder and Baking soda, combine them well together, within a few seconds you will start noticing bubbles forming up.
To this blend immediately fold in the dry ingredients delicately with the help of a rubber spatula, until everything is well incorporated.
Turn the batter into the cake tin and bake it in the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cake starts to puffs up around the circumference,  plunge a tester / skewer into that area of the cake when it comes out clean then you would know it is done.
The center might be a bit shaky if a toothpick inserted comes out a bit oily and comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Take out the cake when it is done, Allow the cake to cool it on a wiring rack, after 5 minutes run the knife through the edge of the pan and turn it on to the cooling rack.
Allow it to cool for at least for at least an hour, if you plan to do Icing, you need to cool it completely.

FOR THE ICING:
Place chocolate and coffee in a small sauce pan, and set it in a larger pan with almost simmering water away from heat allow it to melt with butter beat it together until smooth and shiny.  Immediately spread it over the cake.

I used my pastry brush to make strokes on it and decorated it with flaked almonds in the middle and I had some home grown strawberries which I placed it on top just to make it look nice.  Hope you like it.

If you want to see more beautiful cakes and the challenge done with care, love and especially with perfection here are my friends from Baking partners... check out their blog and enjoy the visual view.

As I had already told you that I had baked this cake long bake for a book club I wanted to show you a click of that as well which I baked using eggs

Here is the link to that post : https://www.myvegfare.com/?p=242 and here is a picture of it.

Seniding this to
cook eat delicious - desserts - Chocolate, started by cook eat delicious hosted by Riddhima of culinary vibes
Sending this to JCO - Super foods - Super Power
Bon Viviant #7, by symee's culinary
Bake Fest by Foodmania, started by Vardhini

The post Eggless Rene de saba avec Glacage au Chocolat appeared first on My Veg Fare.