– 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, 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.

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.

EGGLESS MOCHA MUFFINS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND PECANS

adapted from Bon Appe'tit with minimal changes

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp Hot water
1/2 tbsp Instant espresso powder
1/4 Cup butter milk
1/4 Cup vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 Cup All Purpose flour
1/4 + 2 tbsp Barley flour
1/4 Cup packed Golden Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1 and 1/2 tbsp Unsweetned cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100 gms Milk Chocolate Chips
100 gms coarsely chopped pecans toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees/Gas Mark 6.
Line 6 Muffin cups with Paper Liners
Sieve both the flours with Cocoa powder, Baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Stir 2 tbsp of hot water and expresso powder in a medium bowl until the powder dissolves.
In a large bowl add buttermilk, oil, Sugar, Agave Nectar and vanilla, whisk  well until well blended.
In parts incorporate the flour into the Liquid mixture until well combined, Mix in chocolate chips and pecans.
Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cases.

I baked my muffins 15 minutes in Gas Mark 6 then reduced it to Gas Mark 5, they got baked within 20 minutes.Bake Until the tester or tooth pick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean.
Transfer muffins to rack and cool.

My Verdict: Here I have Halved the recipe.  So, if you want to make 12 Muffins just double the recipe and I would say if you are baking it Eggless then I would suggest you to add 1 tbsp of Flaxseed powder with 3 tbsp of very warm water and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then blend them with other Liquid ingredients.
Even if you are baking 6 Muffins use 1/2 tbsp of Flaxseed powder, it gives a moist texture to the muffins and helps in replacing the fat content in the baking process, as the muffins were not too moist, they were soft though.

If you are planning to bake it in Vegan Version you can substitute buttermilk with soya milk and Cocoa powder with Carob powder and vegan Chocolate chips
These muffins are not too sweet if you have a sweet tooth, substitute Agave Nectar with Sugar, they are perfect for Breakfast with Tea or as an evening snack with Tea or coffee.
If you want to make it with Eggs then for the above recipe just add 1 Large Egg, you will get your Mocha Muffins perfectly, If doubled add 2 Large eggs!!

See you next week with an other muffin recipe....., check out her blog for the MM team members and their Lovely Muffins. Thanks Anu for these beautiful muffins which my family enjoyed.

I am send this to vardhini's Bake fest and co-hosted by Anusha's Tomato blues

The post Eggless Mocha Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Pecans appeared first on My Veg Fare.

QUINOA DINNER ROLLS

Do not ask me why I have a photo like this, first time I made a egg wash and this was how it turned out! very shiny!! :))
coming back to the recipe..

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups water
3 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tbsp Active dried yeast
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey + 1 tbsp
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 Egg whites
2 Cups whole wheat flour
4 Cups Bread flour ( I used 2 cups bread flour and 2 cups Oats flour)

METHOD:

Here is how I made them.....

First of all cook the Quinoa seed with 2 cups of water, and drain the water if remaining and keep the cooked Quinoa aside.
Next in a bowl take the active yeast and a 2 tbsp of warm water, mix well, and leave it in a warm place, I usually keep it in my MW for 10 -15 min with the light on you can see the yeast bubbling up, this tells me that the yeast is still active and is in good condition, then I start mixing all the ingredients to it.
So, once the yeast is working its way, I added honey, oil, egg whites salt a tsp of sugar and mixed well with a whisk with 1 cup of warm water . until well combined.
Then I added 2 cups of wheat flour, mixed it well then added cooked quinoa and well combined, then I added 2 cups of Bread flour and 2 cups of oats flour.
I had to use all the flour (not adding the last cup of flour as needed instructed by DK),  I do not know why my  dough was quite sticky, and I had a hard time to handle it, but I did not use any extra flour, I dipped my hand in oil once and in the flour once (that is I just floured my fingers but did not take any extra flour to knead) and tried to handle  the dough and knead it until it was quite smooth and soft, then covered it with a cling film oiling the dough and left it to raise, Once it rose, punched it down again and handling carefully gave it a slight flowery knead to it and shaped them into 11 balls as you can see in the picture and allowed it to raise again.
My dinner rolls were not small as you can see!
I gave the rolls an egg wash, I did not add any quinoa on top as DK did.., just left it to bake.
Meanwhile I had preheated the oven to 425 degrees and pushed the tray into bake for 10 to 15 minutes then lowered the temperature to 375 degrees and left it to bake for an other 10 minutes.

As you can see the rolls were well done, they had a soft interior and a fine crust on the exterior, they had a sweetness to taste, My little girl enjoyed it with Mixed fruit jam and said it was really good. The other ten rolls were consumed by all of us with our soup.
Thanks to Priya, DK, Zlamushka and Lakshmi for this lovely event.., which I do really enjoy....
soon I will post my Tried and tasted from Alka of sindhi Rasoi, which all of us enjoyed in our family.....

The post Quinoa Dinner Rolls - Pancitos de Quinoa appeared first on My Veg Fare.