Bringing in the love with Red Velvet Cupcakes

Well what can I say. Love is in the air, its everywhere - Its in the over priced flowers and in the long wait times at restaurants on valentines. But that's the realist in me. The romantic in me of course wore RED to work, enjoyed a take out dinner and movie with my husband in the comfort of our home and finally tried my hand at the red velvet cake :)

When I first laid my eyes on this cake the color just shocked me enough to think that if it ain't brown it ain't no good. Of course that opinion was totally biased because of my love for chocolate. And then I tried it once at a friends place and kind of liked it. There is a light chocolate flavor to it...YIPPEE !!!!

This year I decided to be predictable and make something pink or red for the day, of course the first thing that came to my mind was that red velvet cake. Having browsed through endless recipes, the comments on the shocking amount of food color that goes into making this cake, and the opinions on cream cheese frosting versus regular whipped cream frosting, I decided to make cupcakes with a regular cream cheese frosting. I always have used regular frosting and wanted to try the cream cheese for a change.

Ended up that people were right. Its got a tang and requires a lot more sugar to make it sweet. I liked it but next time around I am going to stick to regular whipped cream frosting.

Ingredients: (makes about 10 cupcakes)

1 1/4cups all purpose flour
2 Tbs corn starch
1 Tbs cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbs liquid red food coloring
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
 
Direction:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree and line a muffin pan with paper liner.
In a large bowl beat the egg, sugar and butter at room temperature with a hand blender. Once its creamy add salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, corn starch and beat for a few seconds. Add the red food coloring and the mix well with a spatula. Be careful not to get the color on your counters or on yourself.

Once the color has been mixed well, add the flour and buttermilk in alternate batches and beat to mix well. Finally add the vinegar and beat for a few seconds scrapping down the sides of the bowl.

Fill the lined muffin pan with the cake batter adding a little more than half way through in each cup. I got enough batter to fill regular sized 10 cups. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick through the center comes out clean. Top with frosting and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Now add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 heavy chipping cream and beat with a hand blender. Start at a low speed and increase the speed until the mixture thickens. you might need to add a little more sugar and/or cream to get the right consistency and sweetness. So be sure to check in between.

bon appetit !!!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 

Having experimented with chocolate cakes, I was on a mission to find something different that satisfied my very picky palate. That's when I stumbled upon the pineapple upside down cake. It is simple enough to put together specially since there is no icing involved. It is best served warm and that makes it the perfect dessert for the winters and as it turns out for the dinner I had for a friend over the weekend.
The cake itself is very moist and the sweetness from the pineapple and the caramel kicked it up a notch. It has now found a place into one of my most favorite things to bake.

Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 can pineapple slices

Place the butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is caramelized. This should take less than a minute else the topping will harden. Remove from heat and pour it into a 9 inch greased cake pan. Arrange the pineapple slices on top of the sugar mixture. I was able to fit in about 7 slices. I also cut a pineapple slice into smaller pieces to fill in the gaps in the center of the the slices and in between. I wanted as much pineapple as I could fit in here :)

Cake Batter:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat the butter and sugar until it is creamy. Now add the egg yolks and beat further until it is light and fluffy. Now add the baking powder, salt, vanilla extract and beat until its mixed. Alternately add the flour and milk to this mixture while beating at a medium speed.
In a separate bowl whisk together the egg whites and the cream of tartar. Add this to the above cake batter and beat well until mixed. The batter will look like liquid silk by now..atleast that's how it seemed to me - smooth and silky :)

Pour the cake batter over the the pineapple slices and spread them evenly. Bake in the preheated oven ( 350 degree F ) for about 40 - 45 minutes. Once the top of the cake has browned check the cake to see if a toothpick through the center comes out clean. If it does then remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
Place a serving plate over the cake and carefully invert the cake. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note: top with cherries for added colour

bon appetit !!!


Pineapple Upsidedown Cake

Coconut Macaroons

The day called for something tropical and I couldn't think of anything better to try than baking up a batch of coconut macaroons to munch on. I have been meaning to try them out since I always buy them from the bakery down the road. This time around I simply stuck with the directions behind the package. The directions were simple and the results were even better. You could also try dipping a few of them in chocolate.

 

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) package sweetened coconut flakes

2/3 cup sugar

6 Tbs flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg whites, slightly beaten

1 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Mix the coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in the egg whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop about a tablespoon of the mixture on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until edges of cookies turn golden brown. Remove the baking sheet and cook completely before serving.

Tip: If you like chocolate, dip a few of the macaroons in thick melted chocolate and enjoy.

bon appetit !!!

Coconut Macaroons

Rubies -- for a hot summer's day

I live in Texas and HOT doesn't begin to describe it. It can get well over 100 degree F for several days and stay that way just like now....for those of you who are right now thinking that's so 'eewww' - let me tell you that it has its advantages. More sun means more time to spend outdoors and more reasons to have ice cream or hit the pool or buy lots of sun dresses :)  I totally love love love the weather and the openness that is all Texas. All that you need is  sunscreen and a bottle of water -  a hat also helps :)  I am leaving you with a wonderful drink for one such day.

About a month back or two, we went to check out 'Taste of Dallas' - for those unfamiliar with it, its a flavor filled 3 day festival that showcases Dallas' top chefs and restaurants. I have been to 'Taste of Chicago' once before and totally enjoyed it. I wasn't overly impressed with Dallas though but that's mostly because of the layout and how much one had to walk around in the wonderful weather we have out here. But once I got to the food stalls, it was a totally different story. I sampled a lot of cuisines but what stuck with me was this totally refreshing drink that I had - It was called "Rubies in Coconut" served by The Asian Mint.

Found out that the rubies were actually water chestnuts covered with tapioca and served in sweet coconut milk. You have got to try this one - Its definitely a keeper. The coconut milk is just sweet enough and you wont believe what the water chestnuts do to this drink. Its crunchy and borrows some sweetness from the coconut milk.

Before you give up on this drink cos its got water chestnuts, give it a try. You will be surprised.

Ingredients:

1 small can water chestnuts

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup sugar

red food coloring

1/4 cup coconut milk

Directions:

Chill the coconut milk in the refrigerator. Slice about 10-15 water chestnuts into cubes. Add about 6-7 drops of red food coloring and make sure the chestnuts are all covered. Drain the any excess water and coat them with tapioca starch. To get large rubies, spray the chestnuts with some water and roll them again in tapioca starch. You can repeat this process several times until you are satisfied with the size of the rubies. 

Boil a pot of water and drop the Rubies into it. Once they start floating up remove the Rubies using a strainer and place them in ice cold water in a bowl. 

combine 1/3 cup sugar with 1/4 water to make a syrup. you can either heat them up in a saucepan or just microwave it for about a minute in a bowl. Once the syrup has cooled down add it to the chilled coconut milk. Make sure the coconut milk is not too thick. Check for sweetness and accordingly add more or less of the sugar syrup. Drop the Rubies into the sweet coconut milk. Grab a good book or listen to some good music on the patio and step into paradise :)

This recipe yields about 2-4 servings.


bon appetit !!!

Cherry-Coconut Pudding

A while back I happened to chance upon a Filipino dessert that piqued my interest. Its called "Maja Blanca" and there are several different recipes and toppings out there for it. But its essentially a coconut pudding made with, well no prizes for guessing here...coconut milk. They also add corn kernels for added taste and texture. I was not too sure about how that would work, so I went looking for something that will give it an extra kick. It turned out to be my lucky day that I had fresh cherries sitting at home....don't you just love summers ??

Anyways my version of "Maja Blanca" is made with coconut milk, corn starch, sugar, corn kernels and fresh cherries. It was an interesting dish. I wouldn't say that I fell in love with it but at the same time..It kinda grows on you. I was glad that I added fresh cherries cos it gave it a tangy taste and the crunch factor. The pudding itself is very 'coconuty', smooth and very light. So the cherries inside the pudding and over it added a lot of flavor combined with toasted coconut on top. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons fresh sweet corn kernels
2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

1/4 fresh chopped cherries 

Directions:

Butter two 4 inch baking bowls, and set aside. Mix 1/4 cup of water along with the cornstarch and mix until smooth. Combine the coconut milk, remaining water, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, and mix until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the corn kernel and then add cornstarch mix and keep stirring. The coconut mixture will start to thicken. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. 

Once fully thickened - (you will know this as it will get relatively harder to stir the mixture), take it off the stove. Drop the chopped cherries into the mix - do not over mix it. Pour the coconut mix into the prepared bowls and set aside. Once cooled, set in the refrigerator until serving. Serve garnished with toasted coconut flakes and cherries.

This recipe makes about 4 servings, each serving about the size as in the last picture up here.


bon appetit !!!

Cherry Clafoutis

I went browsing the web for some much needed inspiration and landed up on my friend Asha's blog, which by the way is amazing - she has some absolutely mouth watering recipes and wonderful photography, be sure to check it out. 

Browsing through her recipes I saw one for 'Cherry Clafoutis' - I had just got a bag of cherries and the recipe looked very appealing. Since I did not have all the ingredients that she used and was in mood to drive to the nearest store, I made some changes keeping with a recipe from Julia Child. It definitely looks a lot different from what my friend made but I totally loved the taste. It was light and airy and not too sweet. Its definitely a keeper :)
Thanks Asha

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
5/8 cup milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbs unsalted melted butter
pinch of salt
handful of cherries, pitted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, egg, vanilla, salt and flour.
Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish or individual ramekins, and pour a 1/2-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Place the pitted cherries over the batter. Make sure that the batter does not cover the cherries completely. The batter will rise, so make sure to place the pan or ramekins on a baking tray and place into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the clafouti is puffed, browned and a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean. Top with powdered sugar and enjoy as a quick dessert.

bon appetit !!!

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Vanilla Crust

I had a lot of vanilla wafers left over from another recipe. While I was wondering what to do with those, along came the big, bright and juicy strawberries of the season. What more do you need to bake a pie ???  
30 minutes later I am back home from the store with a big box of .....yes, you guessed it right - Strawberries :)

The pie turned out pretty good - its a very soft pie since I used crushed vanilla wafers for my crust and a strawberry glaze over fresh cut berries. It wasn't very heavy and since my wafers were the reduced fat kind, It made it easier to believe that I wouldn't have to spend extra hours at the gym - not that it helps in any case :)

Pie Crust:

Ingredients:

vanilla wafers - about 50

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter - melted

2 Tbs sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Crush the wafers in a food processor until its coarse. Add the sugar and the melted butter and mix well.  Press the wafer mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and press down and along the sides of the pan. Bake it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly brown and set.

Remove the the baked crust from the oven and set aside. Let it cool completely before filing.

Filing:

Ingredients:

6-8 cups strawberries washed
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
2 Tbs butter
 
Directions:
 
Combine the sugar and corn starch in a sauce pan. Mash or grind about 2 cups of strawberries to make a thick paste - It doesn't have to be smooth. Add the strawberry mixture to the sugar and corn starch mix and cook over medium heat. Keep stirring until the strawberry mixture thickens. Once its done, remove from heat and add the butter and mix well.
 
Slice the remaining strawberries and place them in the cooled crust. You could also arrange whole strawberries but personally I think that sliced strawberries are easier to eat. Once the strawberries are arranged in the pie crust, pour the strawberry glaze over them to cover completely. Chill for 2-4 hours and serve with whipped cream.
 
bon appetit !!!

Raspberry Mousse

Fridays are always the best. Its the end of the work week which means a lot of people walk in late and walk out early than other days. Its also the day where most of us have the luxury of a long lunch hour or surprising treats at the office cafeteria.
On one such Friday, I walked to the cafeteria to get my weekly dose of fish and guess whats on the menu....about 3 different kinds of mousse for dessert in shot glasses...oh my...getting generous are we ?

The closest thing we normally get to a dessert is a yogurt parfait. So, you can imagine what my next step was...oh by the way...did I mention that I love love love mousse. Since I settled on a chocolate-vanilla mousse that day, the following weekend, I decided to whip up a raspberry mousse. It turned out pretty good though a tad sweeter than I d like. So if your berries are high on the sweet quotient, go easy on the sugar.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 egg white
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbs unflavored gelatin


Directions:
Add the gelatin to 2 Tbs of warm water and set aside. Grind the raspberries along with the sugar and some water to get a thick syrup. Pass the raspberry mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add gelatin to the raspberry mixture.
Beat the egg white until stiff and add to the raspberry mixture. At this point, you could add more sugar. I find that the sweetness of the berries are sufficient though. Beat the whipping cream on high until its creamy, light and fluffy. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream little at a time.
Refrigerate the mousse and garnish with raspberries or chocolate chips when ready to serve.
bon appetit !!!

Coconut Cream Pie

'Coconut', 'Cream' and 'Pie' -- there is something irresistable about those 3 words. Coming from the 'land of Kera' which means coconut, It is almost impossible to stay away from it. Its a lifelong addiction to coconuts :)
I also love homemade custard - so here is the end result of it.

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell
2 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the egg whites
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups toasted coconut
1 Tbs butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake the pie shell as per the instructions that came along with it and let it cool while you proceed to make the custard filling.

In a saucepan, whisk together 2 cups of milk and 3/4 cup sugar and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks together and temper the hot milk into the egg yolks. Add the egg mixture into the hot milk. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk, and then add this to the hot milk mixture. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the filling is thick

Fold in the vanilla, toasted coconut, and butter. Mix well. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and cool the pie completely. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg white to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar and whip the egg white to stiff peaks. Spread the egg whites over the top of the pie. Place the pie in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.

Tips: If you are not a big fan of egg whites you could use a whipped cream topping. Also I kept my custard plain. You could always add any flavors you like to it to suit your taste.

bon appetit !!!

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Chocolate Frosting

I have finally found a reason to bake a cake from scratch. I have always used the store bought cake mix and icing, but not this time. This time around its going to be some hard 'sweet' work. And what better time to make it than my husband's Bday.

The recipe that I have chosen is one by Ina Garten (Food Network). Its her Beattys chocolate cake. I have changed the measurements/methods some to suit my taste/style.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee powder mixed with 1 cup hot water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease 2 (9 or 8 inch pans) - I used a 9 inch.
Using a hanld held mixer mix all the ingredients adding one at a time at a low speed.

I generarlly start with the liquid ingredients and then add the dry ones ending with the flour. I added the coffee right at the end - the only reason I do this is cos then there s less dishes to clean and the cake tasted jsut fine :)

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 30 minutes and then cool completely on a rack.

Place 1 layer flat side up and using a spatula spread the frosting evenly. Place the second layer on top and cover the entire cake with frosting. The decorating part would depend on how skilled you are.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbs instant coffee powder

Chop and melt the chocolate and cool it to room temperature. (I made my husband do this. You have got to walk the walk to eat the cake :) )Beat the butter until it is creamy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue beating.
Now add the sugar in parts and beat it on a low speed until smooth and creamy.
Mix the coffee powder in 2 tsp of hot water. On low speed add the coffee and chocolate to the butter mixture until well mixed. Spread it on the cooled cake.

Tips: chilling the mixing bowl beforehand helps. Also helps to turn on the air conditioner :)We totally enjoyed the cake and I shall not use a store bought cake mix ever again.

bon appetit !!!