Friday, January 31, 2014

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you live with a five year old you need to make cookies. I am making it sound like a punishment but it was so much fun. I made two different types of cookies and my niece helped me. I put a chair for her in the kitchen and she was standing on it through out. We had lots of fun. When you are doing something that the kids like they become very generous with kisses, hugs and what not. Do remember to take out time from all the cooking to take full advantage of the situation. ;)

I had made these cookies even before Christmas but getting a chance to post them now. These cookies fall into the category of soft, chewy and thick cookies. I don't know about you but I am the one who likes soft and chewy cookies. No other kind of cookies can please me. Maybe that's the reason the other chocolate filled cookies couldn't win my heart. They were not chewy, less softer than these and one could easily break them. I would put up the recipe for the chocolate filled cookies as well very soon.

I shaped the cookies differently this time. I made the cookies jagged head. The cookies had a rough and cranky surface which added to the texture and the looks. The softness and the texture of the cookie was enhanced by the melted butter, extra egg yolk and the brown sugar. I absolutely love the brown sugar texture in all the dessert. Be precise with the measurement and the shaping steps and these cookies will surely rock your world.
Lets hear out the recipe for these cookies and let them be their own judge.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 24 large cookies
Recipe Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
1. 300 grams all purpose flour
2. 1/2 tsp baking Soda
3. 1 1/2 stick butter or 170 grams butter
4. 200 grams dark brown sugar
5. 100 grams granulated white sugar
6. 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
7. 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 150 grams semi sweet chocolate chips

Steps:
1. Mix in the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, baking soda) together and keep aside.
2. Melt the butter and beat in the brown and the white sugar in it either by hand or an electric beater.
   I do it by hand and that's why I powder the white granulated sugar before putting it in the butter. 
   It takes much less time to blend in the powdered sugar in the butter.
3. Now add in the eggs and vanilla extract and blend well.
4. Add the dry ingredients to this mixture. Also add the chocolate chips.
5. Make a dough out of this mixture.
6. Pre heat oven to 165 degree celsius. Cover a baking tray with parchment paper.
7. Take about 50 grams of dough in your hand. Make a ball out of it and break the dough ball into half from the center. 
   Rotate both the halves by 90 degrees to bring the rough surface upwards. Join both the halves at the bottom by sticking them together
   and make them into a single ball. Make sure that you don't even out the surface while doing this.
8. Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes until they start to crisp out on the edges. They will be 
   golden brown in color, edges would have started to harden out and the centers would still feel soft.
9. Take the baking parchment out of the oven. Let them cool. If you try to take the cookies off the parchment paper
   when hot, the cookies would break. Take them off once cooled.
10. Serve with milk or just like that.








These are my most favorite cookies. I still remember their taste in my mouth. Make them and keep them in an air tight container. 

Have fun baking and eating :)


Friday, January 24, 2014

Wholewheat Pumpkin Walnut Almond Streusel Cake

Omg! It has been a long time since I have penned down here.

First of all a very happy new year to everyone. May this post and many more to come
find you all in good health and peace. Have a glorious year ahead filled with full of fun :)

As the name already speak out, I made a wholewheat pumpkin walnut almond streusel cake. I wanted to make something sweet and special.

I had my eyes upon this cake for sometime now. I had to start travelling the next day and I thought this would be a good treat for me on the train. Oh I just love the train journeys. They are so much fun. You are on the go, no one disturbs you, you witness marvelous views along the journey, meet new people and see different things happening around. I just love the whole experience. And you know what! This post has been written during the train journey.

Newer things are happening in life and new decisions are being taken. Maybe this cake is celebrating those or who knows maybe this cake is celebrating  just good food and good life around me. Believe me, this cake needs no reason. I am not happy with myself as I have not done justice with the photo. The photo does not do justice to the absolutely delicious cake.

But I promise I will do better next time.

Does it happen with you guys that you can't eat right after you cook. I mean I can, but I can't eat as much as I normally do. Or I can't eat the normal portions me and my sister usually eat. I enjoy it a bit later. Like I did in the train. I also offered it to the gentleman nearby and he was about to take it. But I suddenly remembered that he ordered vegetarian for dinner and I was not sure if he would eat egg. I asked him to have and as he was about to take some, I asked him if he would eat egg. He said no and I apologetically pulled back my hand. Then while watching a movie I had the whole big piece.

Oh my my! It was a beauty. The taste of the streusel made my taste buds dance. I am telling you, the photos are not doing justice. But I could not resist myself from posting this recipe. I wanted  everyone to have access to this beautiful cake.

I have blabbered a lot. Go and make this cake. You won't regret. One specific note: As mentioned do use the spring form cake pan and not the normal one. Or else the cake may break. Its a soft cake. I didn't had my spring form pan and used the normal one. Which explains why this post does not have a full picture of the cake ;)

And also one learning from all the baking I have done. Brown sugar works wonders with desserts. I love it. It brings out a strong molassey flavor. I can never forget the feel of the streusel in my mouth and neither will you.

Now enough of talking. Let me go straight away to the cake recipe.

Absolute bliss!

Almond Walnut Streusel Cake
Bake in a 9 inch springform cake pan
Recipe Adapted from : The White Ramekins

Ingredients:

For the streusel:
1. 40 grams (1/3 cup) Whole wheat flour
2. 100 grams (1/2 cup) dark brown sugar
3. 1 tsp cinnamon powder
4. 20 g Walnuts (original recipe uses just walnuts. I put in almonds too. I had whole walnuts and breaking them was a long and painful process. )
5. 50 grams almonds
6. 50 grams cold butter, cut in chunks
7. pinch of salt

For the cake:
1. 130 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour
2. 55 grams (1/2 cup) all purpose flour
3. 1 tsp ground ginger
4. 2 tsp cinnamon powder
5. 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 1/2 tsp baking soda
8. 100 grams butter
9. 2 eggs
10. 200 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
11. 60 grams (1/2 cup) pumpkin puree
12. 80 grams (slightly less than 1/2 cup) yogurt
13. pinch of salt

For the dripping:
1. 55 grams (1/2 cup) confectioner's sugar
2. 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. 1 tbsp milk


Steps for the streusel:
1. Warm up a non stick pan and lightly toss the chopped walnuts and chopped almonds.
2. While the nuts are being toasted, sift the flour, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar together.
3. Put in the chunks of butter in this mixture.
4. You have to make a crumby mixture now of the butter and the flour mix. You can do it by hand or by giving it a go in the mixture for a minute or two.
5. Now add the toasted walnuts and almonds into it.

Steps for the cake batter:
1. Mix the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, baking soda) together.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together till it forms a nice mix (alternatively melt the butter and mix in the sugar in it well enough)
3. Now add the eggs one by one while whisking the mixture properly.
4. Now add in the yogurt and the pumpkin puree and mix well.
5. Add this mix to the dry mixture.

Steps to make the drizzle:
1. Whisk the vanilla extract, milk and sugar together. Add milk to adjust the consistency
so that it is easy to drizzle.

To assemble:
1. Pre heat an oven at 175 degree celsius
2. Prepare a spring form pan by buttering it with butter
3. Pour in half of the batter, then place half of the streusel on it. Now pour over the rest of the batter and then layer the rest of the streusel on it.
4. Bake for around 25 minutes or till a tooth pick comes out clean.




After the cake cools down take it out of the spring form pan.

Pour over the drizzle and serve.

It is an amazing cake. Uses such a variety of ingredients and the flavor comes out together so well.
It is definitely a treat. :)