Thursday, January 21, 2010

Eggless,Protein Rich Banana Muffins





My blog is becoming more of  a baking blog nowadays:)Thanx to my baking obsession!!

I was really tired of baking the same old banana and walnut muffins.So was trying to get adventurous and planned to bake some healthy muffins.Though the muffins did not look pretty,they tasted really good.

Since my kid does not like to eat whole nuts,I often tend to include nuts in disguise.

Ive substituted a part of allpurpose flour with almond meal.Chopped walnuts are added too.So it provides a double dose of protein.

How to make almond meal?

Preheat the oven to 350def F.Spread  half cup of unblanched almonds in a cookie sheet.

Roast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes till the nuts become slightly brown and you can smell the almonds.

Allow the almonds to cool down to room temperature.

Pulse them in little intervals in a blender.Take care not to over grind them or it  will become almond butter.If it is too hard,a teaspoon of sugar can be added while grinding.

Ingredients:

Allpurpose flour - 1 cup

Almond meal - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1tsp

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Light brown sugar - 1/3 cup

Medium bananas - 2

Apple sauce - 1/4 cup

Unsalted Melted butter - 1/3 cup

Chopped Walnuts - 1/2 cup Reserve a few for sprinkling on top.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350degF.Line muffin pan with muffin liners.

Sift together allpurpose flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt.Mix in the almond meal.

Mash bananas with a fork.Add the sugar,melted butter and applesauce.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slightly mix till they incorporate well.

Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Fill the muffin liners till three-fourths.Sprinkle a few on top of each muffin.




Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Chocolate and white chocolate chip cookies






Iam on a baking spree nowadays.I made this batch of chocolate with white chocolate chip cookies during the winter break of my son.
Ive always loved eating white chocolate over the normal  dark chocolate because it is creamier and  the taste is somewhat intense..But its is a pity that white chocolate are not officially chocolates since they do not contain chocolate liquor.They are  made up of cocoa butter and sugar.
Recipe courtesy : JoyofBaking

Ingredients:

Allpurpose Flour -  1 cup

Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Large egg - 1

Unsalted Butter softened at room temperature - 1/2 cup(1 stick)

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Light brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

White chocolate chunks or chips - 1 1/2 cup


Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. First sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the the chocolate chips.
Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons , place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.



Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until the the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges.



Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 24 - 3 inch round cookies.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Pongal Wishes!!

Wishing all the readers a very happy Pongal!!We celebrated Bhogi yesterday and relished all the goodies.

Here is a picture of the yummy food.Recipes will follow later.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Eggless chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting




Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous Newyear!!I baked this cake for Newyear.

This is my first attempt in frosting.Though it was shabbily frosted :(I loved the taste of the cake with ganache.
Its been a year since I bookamrked this recipe on Joy of baking website.I was really apprehensive in making the frosting from scratch.But this recipe is so easy to follow that even an amateur baker like me was able to manage.
There are too many good things in this recipe.First of all it is eggless and the next thing is it uses only one pan.Yeah!!We mix all the ingredients in the cake pan itself and pop it into the oven.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups

Sugar - 1 cup

1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed), sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (240 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream (35% butterfat)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature


Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

In an ungreased 8 inch (20 cm) square cake pan, stir together the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. With a fork, mix all the ingredients together until well blended.

Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.


Frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let the ganache sit at room temperature until slightly firm (about one hour) and then beat the ganache until creamy smooth and light. With an offset spatula or knife spread the ganache over the cooled cake.