The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Having heard so much about Tiramisu, you would think I would have had it like ages ago wouldn’t you? Thought wrong! The very first time I had it was exactly 3 months ago! While I was amazed at the mind blowing texture and creaminess of the dessert (for not being a dessert lover, I liked it a lot!) but one thing that put me off completely was the liquor! Too much alcohol that my husband made fun of me when at the end of it, it seemed I looked a little drunk! The kidder in the house – everyone! I decided then and there that I would try to recreate this famous Italian dessert at home but without alcohol.

The beginning of the month saw me finalize on a recipe (which looked close enough to the taste I enjoyed) and the next day I bought home some Mascarpone cheese. I needed to go to a different store to get me ladyfingers when just minutes before leaving, I remembered that I did not check this months Daring Baker’s challenge. I was sure I would need to buy something from the store for the challenge and Whoa!! What was the title I see? Tiramisu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was like shocked for few seconds!  With goosepimples, I informed Aparna and Deeps what a coincidence it was! And what more – we had to make everything from scratch!!

The best part I liked about making it all on our own was the Mascarpone cheese! I was like – what? Really? Me? I never knew getting pasteurized anything would be so hard to get! All I found was Ultra pasteurized stuff but whole foods saved me! At the end of making the cheese, the most amazing thing was the taste test which I put my better half through. I first gave him a small spoonful of the store bought Mascarpone cheese (remember the one I bought before I knew about the challenge?). Then I went and fed him another spoon of the home made Mascarpone Cheese. His quip, “Hey! What’s the idea of feeding me the same thing again and again? I thought you wanted me to do some taste test? What is the other thing?” – was the best thing I ever heard!!!!! Home made cheese which tastes like the shop bought ones – I mean what could be better than this?:)

As for the Tiramisu – we loved it! Me, especially since this did not have the overpowering (...)
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Post tags: cake flour, cocoa powder, eggs, espresso, heavy cream, lemon, milk, vanilla extract

I do not usually bake as and when desire strikes fancy! Its usually planned out. I have this list of to-do bakes for every month with specific ones planned for each week. I have to do it to accommodate my time and schedule not to mention the availability of ingredients in my pantry! Another thing, I try to generally avoid blogging/blogging based activities like drafting, researching, photos, cooking etc. during weekends. For a good reason of course! The reason – ‘my better half’.

If I don’t like to cook when he is around, he doesn’t like me to do blogging while he is around! Works fantastic . Another thing I don’t do is to take photos at night! I like a healthy dose of light around esp. since I do not own those fancy photography lights/ studio. That so called white light in my kitchen makes all my food look yellow which I hate! With so many “no-no’s”, this chocolate bread is sure a first timer. Yesterday, while I was watering my plants, I heard this sudden wail from the other side of the fence. The kid was crying its heart out and after straining my ears to eavesdrop after few minutes, I heard the mother’s voice shouting at the kid “NO MORE NUTELLA! You finished half the bottle already”! I don’t know why, but after hearing that I had this sudden craving for chocolate and nuts. I do not have nutella at home (OK don’t look shocked! I don’t like chocolate that much remember?)(...)
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Post tags: almond extract, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, eggs, hazelnuts, semi sweet chocolate, vanilla extract, yogurt

I now have 6 requests for Vanilla cake (with 5 of them for it being an eggless version!). Never figured out that Vanilla cake has such a special place in so many people’s hearts. I have had some beautiful conversations with all these readers where each of them wanted the recipe for their own reasons. But the underlying fact was that it should be simple without any complicated ingredients that they can easily get at the stores.

Anand (name changed for privacy reasons) told me that he wanted to appreciate his wife who was so supportive and hence felt that this Valentine’s cooking something special for her would be a great way to thank her. Of course its a surprise(...)
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Post tags: baking powder, baking soda, condensed milk, vanilla extract

Recently when one of my Facebook readers – Pauline Heart asked me for Marble Cheesecake recipe for the upcoming Chinese New Year, I was reminded of this low calorie recipe from Cooking Light magazine which I had been meaning to try for a long time. Of course, it was not a microwave version which was what Pauline asked for. But I read through several online sources and they all seem pretty straightforward to make using a microwave. Of course my version is Oven based but I have given a small note at the end of each of the steps which may help when you are making in a microwave instead of Oven.

Disclaimer : These microwave notes are meant to be used as a guidance since I haven’t personally followed this method. These notes have been included from various sources on the net with the intention of helping you to make the cheesecake in your microwave if you don’t have the oven.

I have hardly come across anyone who does not like cheesecake (with of course, the exception of Yours truly and her husband – Really, from which planet did we both land up here, I wouldn’t know!). Recently a friend of mine got herself a job here after trying for 2 long years and so she was ecstatic! So was I! She is a cheesecake fanatic (...)
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Post tags: cream cheese, eggs, graham cracker, semi sweet chocolate, vanilla extract

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

OMG!!!!!!! In the name of sweet lord Jesus! Ok before regular readers get a culture shock hearing this from me, hear me out! I was given a fair warning by my dear fellow dbers. They told me this was a rich dessert. I was neglectful and blase about it – I mean I am not a chocoholic! In fact I don’t like chocolates

( Don’t gasp! Who ever said I was your average woman? – Have thus been rightfully chucked out of all women’s club! )

- hence did not think that this so called rich dessert could suck up to my taste buds! But guess what? – I am GLAD to say I have been smacked left, right and center!

Me, who sniffed at the person who came up with the word ‘food porn’, has to warn all of you – the minute you take a bite of these bars, the sound coming out of you will ape the ones you usually hear from a Porn site! Bliss! Please try it – its not hard at all! Special thanks to Lauren from Celiac Teen who introduced these to me. Yay to you

Lets start with the top layer. See all that beautiful chocolate layer below? It had such a caramel’ish taste to it ( may be cos I almost burnt it?? Oh well who cares as long as it tastes so good….) It was not too sweet at all – the one thing I relied greatly on to stop me from eating it..since it was not, well you are right – I did end up indulging!!:(

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Post tags: almonds, baking soda, brown sugar, cocoa powder, coconut, custard powder, eggs, glutinous rice flour, heavy cream, honey, milk, powdered sugar, semi sweet chocolate, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, vanilla extract

This month’s ICC-Challenge posed us with another interesting dish – esp. for me since I have never attempted to make it before. For a good reason, since I have no takers for sweets in my house. I knew about Moong Dal Halwa (Sweet Yellow Lentil Pudding) – the rich and creamy pudding recipe which is enjoyed and cherished throughout Rajasthan where it is believed to be made during the Winter due to the fact that this dessert keeps the body warm. Not only that, it also forms part of auspicious occasions be it festivals like Holi, Diwali etc but also during happy ceremonies like Weddings. I have heard that it is also famous in Pakistan.

Yes, agreed that it takes hell lot of patience (at least for a person as lazy as me!). The dal (lentil) has to be sauteed slowly in low heat for a long time – try to think of even the word ‘multitasking’ – you will have Madam ‘Burn’s visiting your kitchen. If you are anti-calorie in your house – then forgive me for posting this and tempting you…Ghee is revered in this dish and shines (and I mean it literally!) through this dish. If you know how velvet feels, then you will know how the texture of this halvah should be. Velvety smooth with a creamy texture where one spoonful simply vanishes in your mouth before you even realize whats happening. Yes! Its like magic! Coming from a sweet hater, you gotta accept the fact that I indeed must be serious and must have given it a long thought to write this one down…yes I did indeed!It could make even me slowly turn my loyalties to sweets (my weighing machine will never forgive me…)

Guess, now that you get what I am trying to put across (you did better, unless you want me chewing off your ears…No wait..shouldn’t it be virtually chafing your eyes with all this reading..!! #@!#$ When did I become a deviant????!!!!!!), lets go to the recipe now shall we?

We were given 2 methodologies to follow, out of which we could choose one. The one with Khoya was obviously not used by me…(you ask why?? I couldn’t get my lazy bum to travel all the way to the Indian stores!!! Isn’t that obvious if you know me?). So the other one used ingredients which were waiting to be used in my pantry…so 2nd method it was…I added few additional stuff to the recipe.

Love Indian Sweets? Then check these out : Gulab Jamun, Badam Halwa (Almond Fudge), Rava Ladoo, Pink Diamonds (agar agar dessert), Puran Poli (Obattu), Sakkarai Pongal, Hyderabadi Double Ka Meeta, Pal Kova, Besan Ladoo, Kheer (Pal Payasam), Gajar Halwa(...)
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Post tags: cardamom, cashews, ghee, milk, raisins, saffron, sugar, yellow lentil

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

WARNING: If you are an ardent food blogger whose back side has an constant itch until the prepared food has been satisfactorily photographed, then remember NOT to make this when you have anyone around you while making this – Men, Women least of all kids! Pets?? Oh well may be – I don’t know what effect these cannoli have on them, I don’t have any pets. But keep a look out, will you? I made this huge mistake of making them for the first time with few family/friends visiting and the cannoli’s kept disappearing the minute I set them at the kitchen counter! I had to specifically become an unruly host and whisk away few to photograph them – I had to post them today!!!

But unruliness was forgiven when I hesitantly gave them the plate..I had no idea how they photographed. I had no time to beautifully pipe in the stuffing in the cannoli, no time to make a wonderful presentation to do justice to these mind boggling fried goodies. Leaving everything to the photography angel, I watched all my cannoli vanish into thin air (uh! into wide open dark tunnels which we call as mouth to be precise!) Keeping the Italian theme in mind, I wanted to two fillings – one savory and one sweet. The men gobbled up savory like it was going extinct and the women enjoyed the sweet version like it was going out of fashion! The kids wanted it all – they enjoyed both the sweet and savory version. We could choose our own fillings and this challenge also paved way for alcohol free version. Since I had kids coming in, I used fruit juice. Before going to the recipe,

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Post tags: bittersweet chocolate, cannellini beans, cocoa powder, heavy cream, onions, pomegranate, rice vinegar, Ricotta, sugar

How do you describe the sensation when something just melts in your mouth and while it travels down your windpipe, it leaves a feeling of warmth and coziness as if you are the most special person in this world? How do write or even portray that soft fluffiness of the jamuns oozing with that delicious sweetness? Being a food blogger, these Gulab jamuns became a downright writer’s block for me. And what more – it made a frantic and hopeless photographer out of me too. B’cos try as I might, I couldn’t think of the right words to explain how I felt and also failed to capture that velvety smoothness of these famous Jamuns having prominence in the “Most Wanted” list of Indian desserts.

I have hammered the point enough in this blog about my lack of craziness for sweets. Very select few escape into my liking, with the Baklava being a recent addition. But Gulab Jamun was the King (or is it queen?) and almost the only participant in this list for a long time. My mother knew that Gulab Jamuns were the only sweets that I would have no control over and hence made it rarely. She, being an owner of sweet tooth ( should say teeth!), they were quite common in my household. I would never touch even one small piece of it. But the day she makes Gulab Jamuns, they would inevitable disappear the same day. She feared those moments cos the next few weeks, she would have to hear my laments of gaining weight, over poor wardrobe and other inexplicable tantrums.
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© DK for Chef In You, 2009. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking soda, cardamom, ghee, milk, rose water, saffron, sugar

This recipe is in my drafts for like ages. To be precise 8 months!. But after getting repeated recipe requests for Baklava, I had to do “open sesame” and post this now. Why the hesitation? This Baklava is the Best one I have ever tasted, it just was the photo. It simply does not do justice to the heavenly sensation that it creates in your mouth and down your throat. I was waiting for the moment, when I would make this sinful indulgence again, but well it just did not arise.

Anyways, I personally think that we should ban Baklava. yes, you heard right. Its worse than drugs – makes you a die hard addict. I mean see it this way – I, don’t love sweets. Period. I am among the 0 .00000001% of women who DON’T go gaga over chocolate. In fact I run the other way. Sugar syrup makes me hurl and even the smell of desserts in general does not give that velvety esthesis which it usually induces in average humans. Inspite of all this – I did a complete U-Turn and all but finished a huge plate of Baklava all by myself. I simply couldn’t stop myself from reaching the fridge like 10 times a day to fork a mouthful!
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© DK for Chef In You, 2009. | Permalink | 35 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: almonds, caster sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon, walnuts

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

For a person who has never heard of Macaroons before (leave alone a french one at that), is completely lousy at making pastry/meringue based desserts, who laughed at the term ‘feet’ when talking about cookies, I really had this coming – thanks to this months Daring Baker’s Challenge. You would think that with such a handicap I would have started the challenge the first thing in the month? Nah! I am never going to prosper – last minute yet again it was and this time it punished me severely! 8 BATCHES of Macaroons are lying in a zip lock bag in my kitchen right now – looking like anything but Macaroons – Utter failure! And when I finished off all the aged egg whites, almond flour and the powdered sugar – I see a little light at the end of the tunnel.
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© DK for Chef In You, 2009. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: almonds, Chocolate, corn syrup, eggs, heavy cream