Ovenderful – Page 2 – The Secret Ingredient

Baking

Italian Almond Biscotti | Twice Baked Almond Cookies

By anshu September 7, 2015

I remember first time I baked them I was in Mexico and we were making a trip to the State of Michoacan to the Butterfly Sanctuary to witness a spectacular Event. There are millions of Monarch Butterflies. You can see them flying around and almost obscuring the sky. You will hear the fascinating sound of their wings flapping. Its indeed the 8th wonder on Earth. Every fall, huge numbers of Monarch Butterflies gather in southern Canada to migrate. Some Monarch Butterflies travel over 3,100 kilometers to Mexico to reproduce and and then die.

The trip was a beautiful comfortable journey. These cookies kept our spirits high and energy boosted. Whenever I bake these I remember this memorable trip. Coming back to cookies, they are crunchy and so very almondy. The roasted almonds gives it an incredible texture and taste. You can dunk them in your coffee or chai and take a short trip to heaven. 🙂

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes on 180 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversion). In a baking tray spread the almonds in a single layer and toast them for 10 minutes. They will give out a golden colour and will crunch up.

2. Let them cool down a bit and roughly chop them using a sharp knife.

3. In a bowl combine All purpose flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

4. In a different bowl whisk Sugar and butter (Learn how to bring eggs and butter at room temperature) until it turns creamy.

5. Add in eggs and Vanilla Extract. Continue to whisk until its very creamy. Also add Almond Extract.

6. Add in the flour and mix thoroughly. It should resemble a sticky dough. Do not over mix, just till the flour is moistened.

7. Add in chopped toasted almonds and simply fold in using a spatula.

8. Sprinkle some flour on the counter slab and put the sticky dough on it.

9. Divide and shape the dough into four logs about 6 inches Long and 2 inches wide. Flatten the logs with your finger tips. You will need a lot of extra flour to do this. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Ensure there is 4 inch space between each logs as they will expand on baking. I baked two logs at a time.

10. Bake it in a peheated oven for 35-40 minutes on 190 degree C until they acquire a slight golden colour.

11. Let them cool down a bit, cool enough to handle. Place it on a chopping board. Slice it diagonally using a serrated knife and further cut them into 3/4 inch pieces.

12. Arrange these pieces on a lined baking sheet and return them to the oven. Bake them for 7 minutes on one side and then flip the side. Bake the other side also for 7 minutes.

13. Let them cool down for 5 minutes on the baking tray and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. The cookies will crisp up only after coming at room temperature. Dunk them in your coffee and enjoy these delicious twice baked Italian Biscotti.

Other Cookies you can try here : White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Chocolate Cookies

[whohit]Almond Biscotti[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’166′]

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Baking

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake | Eggless Chocolate Banana Cake with Flax Seeds

By anshu August 20, 2015

Who doesn’t like chocolate. And when this incredible flavour is infused with banana it becomes a divine combination. It doesn’t just end here..what if this combination is guilt free and vegan? Here’s new newest recipe of Chocolate Banana Cake which is eggless, butterless and also dairy free. I have used Flax seeds to make it rise and become fluffy. I had done another Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Melon Seeds earlier. But this recipe takes this bread to a new level of craziness.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake

The most enticing part of this bread was its texture. It was soft and gooey and almost melted in my mouth in its very first bite. The ripe unforgotten bananas were put to right use. My little one who is a picky eater devoured this greedily and barely allowed me to take photographs 🙂

Directions:

1. Soak Flax seed Powder in water and set aside (Learn here how to make Flax seed powder). The mixture should become like a gel in some time.

2. Grease a baking pan and set aside. I am using a medium size bundt pan for this. Preheat the oven on 180 degree Celcius for 10 minutes.

3. In another bowl sift All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Do you see the lumps in the baking powder? That is why we are sifting everything for a lump free airy flour.

4. This is how it looks after sieving.

5. Also sieve and add cocoa powder to the flour and gently combine. Set aside.

6. Mash overripe bananas with a fork and place in a mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil and combine.

7. Add the flax powder gel to the bananas.

8. Add brown sugar or jaggery powder and vanilla extract. Give everything a good mix.

9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with the spatula. Do not over mix simple moisten the flour.

10. Pour this in the greased pan and bake on a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes on 180 degree celcius (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions). The test of doneness is that the toothpick inserted will come out clean.

11. Let the cake cool down a little before taking it out of the pan. Invert the pan on a serving plate and gently tap to remove the cake. Slice and serve with your favourite cup of coffee or tea.

Other cake and bread recipes you can try here : Apple Raisin Streusel Bread, Persimmon Rum Cake, Surprise Heart Inside Cake, Pumpkin Cake Rolls, Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze, Eggless Orange cake with candied Orange Peel Filling, Wacky Vegan Chocolate Cake, Eggless Almond Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cakecak.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake

[yumprint-recipe id=’160′]

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Baking

Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

By anshu July 29, 2015

The story of this Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze begins here. My parents in law brought for us lemons from our lemon tree back in Faridabad. The tree is a special variety which bears seedless lemons and the fragrance of fresh lemons is to die for. They were in abundance and then the search began to put them to right use. Easy way would have been to make lemon pickle out of it. However, I had a lot pickle lying in the house sent by my mom earlier this year. I never wanted to hoard pickle while no one eats it. So I decided to this amazing cake which was on my to-do list for a very long time.

The Cake has an interesting lemony flavour (what else you expect!! Silly me :p). If you have a hang of lemon cakes and have tasted lemon tarts and muffins then decide to do this cake. This could be a little overpowering for those who are expecting this to be an ordinary cake with a spec of lemon here and there.. umm no! It has a distinct tartness which I love!!

Directions:

1. Wash your lemons and pat them dry. Now remove the green skin from the lemons known as zest. You can use a zester or simply grater for lemons. Do not use the yellow skin inside for that is known as rind and can be bitter in taste. Do not throw the zested lemons away.

2. Cut the lemons into half and squeeze out its juice.

3. Grease or Butter, or spray with a non stick cooking spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper.

4. In a bowl add butter, at room temperature and add castor sugar. Cream them together till sugar and butter become creamy.

5. Add Vanilla extract and crack in some eggs* (for eggless see tip below in notes). Whisk them together using a strong hand or electric whisk until it become frothy.

6. Add the lemon zest and combine. Set aside.

7. In a separate bowl add the All purpose Flour, salt and Baking powder.

8. Give them all a gentle mix and add little by little to the wet ingredients and mix.

9. Add lemon juice and combine. Do not over mix, just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

10. Pour the batter in the greased baking pan and slightly flatten the top surface with a spatula.

11. Bake it in a preheated oven for 40-50 minute on 180 degree celsius or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 15 minutes on a wire rack then remove it from the pan.

12. In the meanwhile sieve icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar in a bowl.

12. Add lemon juice to it until it has reached pourable consistency.

13. Let the cake cool down completely Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

14. Let the frosting dry before covering and storing. This cake will keep for several days in an airtight container.

You can try other cakes Wacky Vegan Chocolate Cake, Persimmon Rum Cake. Apple Raisin Streusel Bread, Pumpkin Cake Rolls, Surprise Heart Inside Cake, Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake.

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Baking

White Sandwich Bread

By anshu July 9, 2015

Its been more than a year that I have bought a store made commercial bread. Its my husband who loves home made breads and detests those commercial ones. This started when I perfected the art of making this gorgeous bread. I have posted so many bread recipes before, but I wonder why I didn’t post my regular white bread recipe. Anyways better late than never.
I recently posted an article about yeast ” All you ever wanted to know about yeast“. Often I found people asking me why their yeast would not proof. This article talks about basics of yeast. I am sure you will get a good insight into it.

This is the most moist soft bread I have ever baked. Its my go to recipe for all types of sandwiches. Most of the time I dunk a slice in my Chai and eat! Dont Judge me 😛

Directions:

1. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Grease your bread pan with oil and dust with some flour.

10. Roll the dough into a circle using a roller pin.

11. Take one end and roll it together . Fold in the sides and pinch the seam.

12. Place the rolled dough in the baking pan with seem side down.

13. Cover the dough loosely with a towel or cling wrap and let it rest again for 30 minutes till it rises again. Pre heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.

14. If you wish you can score the bread with a sharp knife.

15. Brush the top gently with glaze.

16. Sprinkle the top with flax seeds or seeds of your choice.

17. Bake it in the centre rack of your preheated oven for 35-40 minute. Change sides half way for even cooking. If you feel your bread is browning too fast tent it with aluminium foil and continue to bake.

Other bread recipes you can try : Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks.

[whohit]WhiteBread[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’146′]

Sending this Bread to YeastSpotting

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Baking

Bubliki | Russian Bagels with Poppy and Sesame Seeds

By anshu May 17, 2015

Bublici_Russian Bagels
Some time back I had posted recipe of Classic Russian Borsch on my blog. I had also mentioned how my husband was fond of Bubliki, a Russian style Bagel during his early years in Russia. I wanted to make this bagel bread for him to unite him to his favourite childhood snack.

Bublici_Russian Bagels
I looked for recipes over the net and found that there is largely no basic difference between Bubliki and American Bagel. They are both made with boiled dough. Just that the Bubliki has much larger holes than bagels. Mine also ended up looking like American Bagels. Bubliki are also considered to be more denser and much chewier than bagels. But my husband enjoyed them to the fullest. I do not claim this to be an authentic recipe. But its much closer to the real one 😉

Directions:

1. Take All Purpose Flour in a bowl and make well in the center.

2. Add Sugar and Instant yeast.

3. Pour Milk in the well.

4. Close the well by flicking flour on the surface of the milk. Let it sit for one hour.

5. After an hour of resting add salt and butter.

6. Combine everything and knead into a soft dough. It should take good 15 minutes. The softness of bagels depends on this.

7. Cover the kneaded dough with a cling wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.

8. After two hours bring the dough on a non- floured surface and deflate. Knead again for 5 minutes.

9. Divide the dough into 10 equal size using a pastry scrapper or sharp knife.

10. Roll each part into seam less balls. Cover these balls under a lint free kitchen towel.

11. Poke a hole in each piece by pinching it through the middle with your thumb and first finger and then poke your finger through the hole and gently stretch out each piece from the center so that it is a circle.

12. The holes have to be made 4 cm in diameter because they have a tendency to stretch back and close. Therefore, they need to be stretched and placed on a slightly floured kitchen towel for 30 minutes before proceeding further. Do not forget to cover them from top.

13. In the meanwhile preheat your oven to 220 Degree C. (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions). Line a baking sheet with Oddy Uniwraps parchment paper. Also boil water in a large wide vessel. Place the bagels in water for thirty seconds. Do not over crowd the vessel.

14. Remove them with slotted spoon on a wire rack to drip off extra water. I placed them directly on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and they got stuck on baking. I don’t want you to commit the same mistake.

15. Once the extra water is dripped off, place them on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and glaze them with eggwash and sprinkle them with poppy seeds and Sesame seeds. I made two batches one with either one of them.

16. Bake them in oven for 25-30 minutes or until you see them golden brown in colour. Cool them completely before indulging. Apply some butter and enjoy with your favourite cup of coffee or tea.

Other Russian Recipe you can try is Borsch, Russian Beetroot Soup.

Bublici_Russian Bagels

[yumprint-recipe id=’128′]

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Baking

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe

By anshu December 14, 2014

wholewheatsandwichbread_featured1

I tried my hands numerous times to bake a perfect bread. After a lot of hit and trial I finally figured out what goes into that perfect loaf of bread. Since then I have been experimenting with new recipes and have stopped buying bread from market. Its been half a year now and I oo don’t miss eating that crappy bread.

A lot of people say that they just cant get the bread right, the dough never rises. Its because the yeast is either expired or the temperature of water is not perfect for yeast to rise. Always check the colour of your yeast it should be whitish and not brown in colour. If its brown it means it is of no use, simply throw it in the bin. If you want to under yeast better you must read “All you ever wanted to know about yeast“. I have started using instant yeast which can be mixed with the dry flour and kneaded into a dough, leaving no room for any error. You can buy Instant yeast from our online store The Gourmet Shop.

wholewheatsandwichbread_featured3

I had earlier posted a recipe of White Sandwich bread which come out beautiful. But lately, I have tried to cut All Purpose Flour from my daily life, therefore eating Whole Wheat bread is always a better open. But to make a whole wheat bread is a little different. If you are using whole wheat flour or atta the bread comes out dense and bulky. The reason being that unlike All Purpose Flour Whole wheat flour doesn’t have that much gluten which is essential for making a airy light bread. Therefore, if you add additional gluten to the flour while kneading the bread will come out just amazing.

Directions:

1. In a bowl add wheat flour and salt.

2. Also add milk powder, Gluten and oil. If you dont know what vital gluten looks like, its just like any other flour. You can always buy at our Online store.

4. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it. The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it. Along with yeast add some sugar.

5. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

6. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together. You dont have to knead at this stage. Just mix it with hands or even a wooden spatula. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes. This is known as autolyze.

7. After 10-15 minutes dust your counter with some flour and place your dough on it and start to stretch and knead. This kneading is different than kneading a dough for roti. You have to knead for 10-15 minutes in order to gluten to develop. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

8. How would you know if you have kneaded the dough properly. Give it a finger test. Make a ball of dough and slightly poke with your finger if you see it bounces back it means its ready to be proofed. Remember the bounce will be very slight and if it doesn’t happen you need more kneading time. Start again and check with your finger.

9. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Turn the dough upside bowl so that it is also coated with a layer of oil. The size of the bowl should be big because on proofing the dough will become double in size and there should be ample room for it in the bowl. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size. The time of proofing depends on the temperature of the kitchen. If the weather is cold it might take longer and if its hot the dough will rise quickly so time it accordingly.

10. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes. Divide the dough into two.

11. Grease two bread pan with oil and dust with some flour. I have used two 8 inch rectangular bread mould

12. Roll half dough into a circle using a roller pin.

13. Take one end and roll it together . Fold in the sides and pinch the seam.

14. Place the rolled dough in the baking pans with seam side down. Cover the dough loosely with a towel or cling wrap and let it rest again for 30 minutes or till it rises again. The dough will reach the lip of the pan that’s when you have to bake it. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions)

15. If you wish you can score the bread with a sharp knife. You can choose to brush the top gently with milk wash or egg wash. This time I chose to just dust it with flour for a rustic look.

16. Bake it in the center rack of your preheated oven for 35-40 minute. Change sides half way for even cooking. If you feel your bread is browning too fast tent it with aluminium foil and continue to bake.

17. Remove from the tin after 5 minutes you have removed them from the oven or else the bottom with become soggy. Let the bread cool down completely on a wire wrack before slicing it.

18. Smear some butter and enjoy the delicious home made whole wheat bread.

You can also try Honey Oats Bread, Rosemary Garlic Foccacia Bread, Domino’s style Garlic Breadsticks, Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme.

Sending this Bread to YeastSpotting

[whohit]WholeWheatBread[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’86’]

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