CAKES AND COOKIES | Saute Fry N Bake

Butter scotch cake

Preparation time : 35 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes + assembling and decorating 20-25 minutes
Serves : 10 members

Description

Birthday cake’s always bring in a splash of child like delight to all of us. I remember those by gone days of our local bakery birthday cakes with florescent coloured hard icing roses where the birthday celebrating person gets to choose their favourite rose first, with the rest of us just left to gaze. I always wanted those half bloomed roses but have never ever finished eating one. Then came the days of ordering 2 1/2 kg cake at boarding school and it always had to be a chocolate cake. The joy in cutting the cake to celebrate with friends and there after getting to manage the left over cakes was a big task. Umm.. Birthday’s are natures way of to telling us to eat more cake. After marriage birthdays were just another normal day until my beloved gal started to bake and decorate cakes. She made a lovely fondant cake with roses (yet again roses that took me back to those by gone days of hard icing roses) and after a long while we as a family were together to celebrate. seeing my gal bake and decorate cakes and helping her when ever I could made me want to give a try as well. I did with my baby steps of few cakes as a beginner but not to the extent of my gals perfection. Now it’s become a must at home to bake a cake for every ones birthday and when it is hubby dear’s birthday who was sick then.. It had to be the best as well to pep him up. Broke my head and came up with this butter scotch cake. Made it but could not taste it until it was cut. The cake was cut with just the two of us letting us know the reality of the future that’s ahead for our togetherness. Sick hubby dear loved the cake. I was blown away and could not stop with one big piece. Made sure to share the cake immediately with my in – laws, cousins and my friends not wanting to gulp in more calories. Took the remaining to my Zumba class and it was a celebration of cake eating that took all of us to the child like delight I mentioned before….. Well cakes are for life not just for birthdays.

Recipe source : taste of home .com

Ingredients for the cake

Ingredients	Quantity
Butter scotch chips	2/3 cup ( I used caramelised nuts in sugar balls instead which taste like chikki )
Water	1/4 cup
Butter	1/2 cup
Sugar	3/4 cup
Brown sugar	3/4 cup
Eggs	3
Flour	2 and 1/4 cups
Baking soda	3/4 teaspoon
Baking powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	1/2 teaspoon
Butter milk	1 cup

Ingredients for filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Sugar	1/2 cup
Corn flour	1 tablespoon
Condensed milk	1/2 cup
Water	1/3 cup
Egg yolk	1 lightly beaten
Butter scotch chips	1/3 cup ( I used caramelised nuts in sugar which taste like chikki )
Butter	2 tablespoons
Walnuts	1 cup chopped
Coconut flakes	1 cup ( I used fresh grated coconut )
Whipped cream	3 to 4 cups or more depending on the decoration done

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit. Line two 9 inch cake pans with butter paper and grease well.
Microwave the butter scotch chips and water for one minute. Mix in every interval of 20 seconds to smooth. Cool to room temperature.
With the help of an electric beater beat butter and sugar to fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Alternatively add flour mix, melted butter scotch mix and butter milk into the butter and beat well in three batches. Mix well to get a cake batter.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 375 degree Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes to done in the preheated oven. Remove and cool completely.

Filling method

Mix sugar, corn flour and milk together. Bring to boil over medium heat.
Remove the mix from heat and add the beaten egg yolk mixing vigorously making sure it blends into the milk with out getting split or cooked.
Place over low flame and keeping stirring for two minutes.
Remove from heat and add the butter scotch nuts, butter, coconut and milk maid. Mix well and Cool completely.
Add one cup of whipped cream to the cooled filling and keep aside in the refrigerator.

How to proceed

Cut both the cooled cakes horizontally into equal halves.
Sandwich them with the filling and stack then one over the other.
Frost the stacked cake with remaining whipped cream.
Decorate with butter scotch bits. Cake is ready.

Notes

Store the cake in the refrigerator if humid.

Pressure cooker dates cake with home made instant caramel sauce

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 35-40 minutes

Serves : 8 members

Description

Baking cakes is always a fancy thing but most of us are not comfortable with the technique it takes to bake it in an oven. There is always an ease when it’s done in our every day use pressure cooker that we feel more confident and sure. Like wise I had to make a dessert to be taken to my in – laws place for a feast where we had hubby dears NRI cousins visit all of us. I was pressed for time and opted to come up with some thing with the available ingredients at home. Checked the pantry and the refrigerator. My eyes went strait to the huge packet of dates in the refrigerator which are left overs from fasting time. Now it’s a sweet dish with dates being the main ingredient . A pudding.. Or may be a microwave cake.. Umm no no let me come up with some thing using a pressure cooker as its so much in now a days. I remember going through a pressure cooker cake that used cake crumbs to bake a cake. Keeping that in mind I substituted the cake crumbs with fresh bread crumbs and gave a try with fingers crossed. Pressure cooked for 3 whistles as I do for caramel pudding . Checked but the cake was not done so pressure cooked once again for another one whistle. The cake was cooked through . The cake was even better than my imagination but I felt I needed to serve it with a sauce. Chocolate ganache was the first option but my new fond love for caramel sauce opted for the caramel sauce. Made a quick instant version just before heading to the feast venue . Dessert time , served the cake drizzled with the caramel sauce to all . Waiting for results … Hubby dears niece Murshitha with her eyes popping out say’s chachi this is yum . When I mentioned saying its a pressure cooker cake. She immediately asked for the recipe , her elder sister sabura followed with a recipe please soon after . Passed the recipe and Murshitha did give a try with great results except that her caramel sauce didn’t get that golden colour . A few days back I received a message from mushidha’s hubby saying ” loved the cook book, even though I can’t read Tamil.. Certainly has improved the food in my house. Thank you ” what more do you need , I felt so humbled and touched that my recipes has brought in a bit of joy at their home.

Ingredients	Quantity
Fresh Bread crumbs	3 cups ( blitz bread slices in a food processor to a powder with out adding water to get crumbs )
Eggs	4
Sugar	3/4 cup powdered
Dates	1 cup seeds removed
Walnuts	1 cup coarsely crushed
Salt	a pinch
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon
Butter	to grease the mould

Method

Beat eggs and salt together. Gradually add the powdered sugar little by little and beat well to combine.
Add the fresh bread crumbs and mix well. Top with the dates ,nuts and vanilla essence. Mix well.
Grease a cake mould with butter generously. Pour the cake mix and cover with foil paper.
Double boil in a pressure cooker with two inches boiling water. Place a ring mould over the water, place the covered cake mould on top of the ring. Close the pressure cooker .
Place the whistle over the cooker lid and pressure cook for 4 whistles in medium heat . Remove from heat , Let the heat subside. open, remove the cake and cool completely.

Instant caramel sauce

Ingredients	Quantity
Sugar	3 cups
Butter	50 grams
Water	1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence	1/4 teaspoon
Cream	2 cups

Method

Heat sugar with water over a wide pan .Do not stir. Once the sugar melts and is caramelised to a light brown colour.
Add butter and mix well. Remove from heat adding a pinch of salt .
Add cream and vanilla essence. mix vigorously to combine to get a thick gooey caramel sauce. Taste and adjust sugar and salt .

How to serve

Run a dry sharp knife over the edges of the cooled cake. Turn over on to the serving plate .
Pour the caramel sauce over the cake and serve.
For individual servings, place a square cake piece into a bowl. Pour caramel sauce and serve.

Moist carrot cake

Preparation time : 30 minutes + another 30 minutes to assemble the cake
Cooking time : 45-50 minutes
Serves : 8-10 members
Recipe source : chow.com

Description
Mahmutha rabbani… My father-in-laws elder brothers wife. A lady I admire in all means and my main motivation to write my first cook book. To me if you admire some one, you should go ahead and tell them.Wanting to give a surprise to on her birthday by baking a cake and to bake a cake for an elderly person is a serious job to be done keeping in mind about the health issues. I googled a lot and settled down for a carrot cake from chow.com. I had to follow the recipe religiously as when it comes to baking a cake, you just can’t play with the ingredients or measurements as the more precise you are the better the results. I was very happy with the cake from its rise, texture, aroma to taste. Started assembling the cake and that’s when all the problem started. The cream cheese frosting started to get too loose as it was very humid here, had to shift to an air conditioned room and continue. When my job was done.. The cake looked like a leaning tower of Pisa.. Now what do I do about this.. some how managed and made the cake look decent enough. With my fingers crossed took the cake to her place and she insisted we cut it at her elder sons place. My tummy had more butterflies now as the cake started leaning again and was worried about it traveling around though to the next door. The cake was cut and we all enjoyed our piece of cake. Late in the night I get a call saying the cake was too good and hubby dears cousin brother gobbled up the entire lot. What more do you need.. This leaning tower of Pisa was in deed a blonder with a wonder…

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour / maida	2 cups
Baking soda	2 teaspoons
Baking powder	2 teaspoons
Salt	1/2 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon	3 teaspoons ( might seem like a lot but I assure you it adds so much more flavour)
Nutmeg powder	1/2 teaspoon
Eggs	4
Vegetable oil	1 1/4 cup
Sugar	1 cup
Brown sugar	1 cup
Vanilla essence	2 teaspoons
Grated Carrots	3 cups
Chopped walnuts	pecans - 1 cup ( you can use cashews + almonds instead )
Raisins	1 cup ( I didn't use as I don't like it in my cake )

Cream cheese frosting ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Cream cheese	8 ounce softened
Butter	1/2 cup softened
Sugar powdered	2 cups
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon

Method for cake

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Prepare two nine inch greased cake pans with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder together.
In another bowl whisk together eggs, oil, both sugars and vanilla essence for a minute.
Add the mixed dry ingredients to the whisked wet ingredients and mix for two minutes. Add grated Carrots, nuts and raisins.
Pour the batter into prepared two cake tins equally and bake for 45-50 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a tooth pick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked through. Cool completely.

Method for frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat for a minut . Mix in vanilla essence and use to frost the cake.

How to proceed

Fill the frosting in between the two cooled cakes, all over and top evenly. Decorate to choice. Cut and serve.

Notes

The frosting tends to get too loose If placed out side at room temperature so place it in the refrigerator once mixed, until to be used over the cooled cakes.

No egg cornflakes cookies

Preparation time : 25 minutes

Cooking time : 10 -12 minutes

Serves : 4 members

Description

Cookies and biscuits have traveled with me from the start.. I can say. As a little one, I remember my entire aadhi clang (uncles, aunts, grand ma, cousins to all ) dunking in parle – G biscuits into hot tea as soon as we wake up sitting around the dining table starting our day with gossips and stories of else where from the daily news Papers read aloud . The joy of the dunked in soft, melt in the mouth biscuit brings to you is sure Devine and when the biscuit falls into the tea.. That moment of disappointment is a sure loss. The joy and loss of food in my little heart was itched for ever. The surprising element… Till date we all pack parle -G biscuits for my NRI nephews to enjoy as we did and they seriously are in love with the dunking part. Then came the daily routine of cookies at boarding school every morning at 10.30 which out tea break. This sure was an over dose and brought an aversion towards biscuits and cookies. Never have I dunked in cookies in school to keep up to the standards of elite around me. Now my boy loves his biscuits and cookies. The first grab when shopping from any counter is packets of biscuits and he hates to share it with others. So for his sake my journey with biscuits and cookies continue to treat him and mother him with a lot of love. These cookies were made to impress him on one of his holiday visits when home. As always, no sharing and the entire lot lined his tummy alone.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Cornflakes	2 cups crushed
Flour / maida	1 1/4 cup
Sugar powdered finely	3/4 cup
Butter	200 grams
Baking powder	1/8 spoon
Salt	a pinch
Cashew nuts	1/2 cup crushed
Vanilla essence	few drops

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence together.
Mix in all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, cornflakes and crushed cashew nuts. Knead to get a dough.
Form dough into walnut sized balls.
Place on cookie sheet and flatten with a spoon dipped in water. (I used a round cookie cutter to get equal sized round cookies)
Bake for 10- 12 minutes.
Cool on pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Store in air tight container for a week or so and enjoy when needed.

No butter Black Forest cake

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 8-10 members

Description

The first time I baked a Black Forest cake was years before following the same recipe. I didn’t read the recipe well with innocence of not knowing how precise baking a cake is required, resulting in a big mess. My cake was cracked on the top with the middle not cooked. I still remember cutting the cake into half with out checking if it’s cooked through. The cake batter all over both my hands. I was in tears but some how managed to cook them again in the microwave oven for a minute to done. Layered the cake and assembled it but when cutting the cake, it was rock hard. I came to a conclusion that baking and me are far apart from one another and never ever attempted to bake a cake ever again. I did bake a lot of savoury delights on the run and slowly to sweet tarts and cheese cakes. Yet again cake never coming to my mind. Then one fine day made up my mind to break the fear in me and baked a chocolate cake which again didn’t rise well. Not giving up this time made an orange almond cake the following week and there it was a perfect yum cake baked by me finally. There after on every occasion to celebrate I make sure to bake a cake just to let go off the fear from me for sure. Like wise this cake was baked for my in- laws wedding anniversary. A home made cake sure does spread in a lot of joy with its aroma from the time it starts to bake. This cake was a sure fire hit vanishing in seconds with me getting just a small bite. It was music on my tongue with perfect harmony of sweet goodness and taste that let temptation take over my senses. Well this cake is the kind of thing that you should eat quietly on your own enjoying it in your mind and body with a slice of excellence. I ended up with the cake in my mind through out the day and when going to bed too. Crazy breed me !!!

Ingredients for the cake

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour / maida	2 1/8 cups
Sugar	2 cups
Cocoa powder	3/4 cup
Baking powder	1 1/2 teaspoon
Baking soda	3/4 teaspoon
Salt	3/4 teaspoon
Eggs	3
Milk	1 cup
Vegetable Oil	1/2 cup
Vanilla essence	1 tablespoon

Method for the cake

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease and dust flour to two 9 inch round cake pan’s. Cover the bottom with parchment paper.
mix all the dry ingredients from flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Beat wet ingredients from eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence together separately in another bowl until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches mixing well to incorporate. Pour the batter equally into the two round pans.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes in the middle rack. Check with a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean it’s done or bake further for 5 more minutes.
Remove the cake tins from the oven and cool completely over a wire rack.

Ingredients for filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Pitted tinned cherries	20 ounce / 1 big tin
Sugar	1 cup
Cornflour	1/4 cup
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon
cherry juice	1/4 cup from the tinned cherries

Method for filling

Combine all the above mentioned ingredients together with no lumps. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly to get a gooey mass of filling. Remove and cool completely.

Other ingredients

ingredients	Quantity
Whipped cream	4 to 5 cups ( I used blue bird brand two packets )
Sugar powder	1/3 cup
Whole cherries	10 to decorate
Grated chocolate	2 bars or more to decorate

How to proceed

whip cream to packet instructions with powdered sugar to stiff peaks.
Cut each cake to equal half horizontally with the help of a sharp knife to get four layers of cake.
Place one cake layer, spread with 3/4 cup cherry mix. Top with one cup whipped cream. sprinkle grated chocolate over. ( I omitted this as I didn’t want my cake to be too sweet) Top with second layer of cake.
repeat the cherry mix, whipped cream layers and chocolate grated. (I used only two layers here) you could use up to three or four layers doing the same leaving the top most layer with just a cake.
frost sides and top evenly with the whipped cream with the help of a spreading spatula. Cover the sides with grated chocolate gently.
Fill the remaining whipped cream into a pipping bag with nozzle of choice. Decorate as you wish. Garnish the top with whole cherries.
Once the cake is done, place in a cool place or refrigerator until needed to be served.

cake truffles

Preparation Time : 30 minutes + 1 hour setting time in the refrigerator

Cooking Time : 2-4 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

Having a big bowl full of carrot cake that I made for my mother- in- laws (my father- in- laws elder brothers wife) birthday. I didn’t want to repeat the same as I do always by making a trifle pudding. Remembered the lovely Apple cake balls that my aunt (mom’s last sister) would bring on her every visit while holidays from a shop called mec rennit (and the black halwa from buhari restaurant.. My am drooling in buckets here as Typing) in chennai. The cake balls are dipped into colored sugar glaze. Wanting to do some thing similar to that . Just mixed up the left over cake, cream cheese frosting that I used for frosting the birthday cake and left over whipped cream that was used to make a mousse. Now a big confusion as I have never ever made a sugar glaze before so decided to just dip it into melted chocolate as it has been in my refrigerator for quite some time. Went ahead and it worked wonders more than I did expect. The cake truffles were moist on the inside and the chocolate covering was melt in the mouth with a soothing effect. I drizzled more chocolate over the set truffles and served them in small cup cake holders. Wolla… All done with me getting to know yet another dish added to my list of easy yet eye pooping recipes to impress and share as gifts well.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Cake crumbled	2 cups ( cake of choice - here I have used spiced carrot cake )
Cream cheese	3 ounce
Softened Butter	1 teaspoon at room temperature
Dark Chocolate	1 cup chopped ( I used morde dark compound chocolate )
White chocolate	1 cup chopped ( I used morde white compound chocolate)

Method

Mix together the cake crumbs, cream cheese and butter. Mix well. Taste and add powdered sugar if needed ( it’s optional ). Mix well to get a slightly wet mixture which is easy enough to roll into a ball.
Make big goose burry size even balls out of the cake mix. And place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Place the chopped white and dark chocolates in separate microwave safe bowls that are not wet and greasy but clean.
Microwave each bowl separately for a minute. Remove and mix well with a dry spoon after 30 seconds to get a runny flowing consistency chocolate with no lumps. In case the chocolate is still hard with lumps.
Microwave for another 30 seconds and mix well. Drop a cake ball into the liquid chocolate bowl. Toss well gently making sure not to break the cake ball and to coat the chocolate over the ball all around with the help of a spoon.
Do the same to all the balls alternatively in both white and dark chocolate with separate spoons. Remove and place them 1/4 inch apart from one another on a flat tray lined with foil.
Place in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes or more. Once set, drizzle white chocolate over the dark chocolate truffles and drizzle dark chocolate over white chocolate truffles to add more glamour.
Place in the refrigerator until needed to be served. Place these chocolate truffles over a small cup cake holder. serve and enjoy.

Eggless cashew nut cookies

Preparation Time : 1 hour 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 – 20 minutes

Serving : 6-8 members

Description

My first vivid memory of cookies around this very day several years ago, when I was in primary school…. Trays of cookies were distributed to all the students during mid tea break by eleven every morning. We called our every day cookies” DOG BISCUITS ” not sure why?? On hungry days I would grab two and eat them looking at the ooty lake and the pine trees around. Most of the days, I would ask the early birds who are returning from tea about what cookies? If the answer was dog biscuits, immediately a u- turn was taken heading back to the class rooms. Once in a blue moon we were served Ginger cookies and it sure will be the talk of school. Now coming to this cookie. The first bite, you hear the cracking sound of the cookie, reaching the softness deliciously dissolving in your mouth. This took me straight back to the dog biscuits in school as this is what I have been experiencing for days and years together. Only after I started baking did I get to know the art and what a bakers nightmare is until perfected with practice. I ( it’s we – all my fellow school mates ) did take things for granted with all the spoon feeding done to us in boarding school. It was so easy for us to nick name a cookie as dog biscuit with out knowing how much heard work, practice and multiple techniques involves in making a cookie. Crazy breed me…. Getting to realize this nearly after a decade. Umm, better late than never isn’t it ??

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Cashew nuts	2 cups
Flour / maida	1 1/4 cup
Salt	a pinch
Powdered sugar	1 cup
Butter	1/2 cup
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon
Milk	1/4 cup

Method

Chop half of the measured cashew nuts and powder the remaining by blitzing in a food processor with out water to a dry powder.
mix powdered sugar, salt and butter with an electric egg beater in low speed.
Do not over mix. add vanilla essence, flour and powdered cashew . Knead gently to form a dough. Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate for one hour in the refrigerator. preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Roll small lime sized balls out of the dough and flatten. ( I rolled out the dough evenly and used my round cookie cutter to get even sized cookies ) Dip the flat side of the cookie into milk.
Stick chopped cashew nuts on top. bake for 15-20 minutes to a light golden colour in the middle rack of the oven.
Remove and cool completely as cookies tend to crumble when hot. store in air tight containers at room temperature and serve.

Vanilla cookies

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 15- 20 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Biscuits and cookies don’t fancy me much but it’s just the vies – ver -sa with my boy. I used to give both my kids just two biscuits at a time when they were little. My gal being a fussy eater would take them with no complaints but my smart fellow would roll on the ground , cry out loud and do a lot more drama just to get the entire packet of biscuits from me. Being the cliche mumma… I would end up giving him the entire packet as boys are always mummas sweet hearts right ?? My boy would have finished the whole packet in a few minutes where my gal would have finished just half a biscuit of the two given to her. My boy would grab the remaining one and half biscuit as well from her. This was a regular scene at home back then. Now that my boy is back home with me for a long break after he’s finished his under graduation. I did bake a huge batch of vanilla cookies for him. He did relish a few and the rest were stored in an air tight container for later. The next day, having guests drop in for evening tea, I opened the cookie container and found it to be empty ??? I immediately knew this cleanly wiped out job was done none other than my darling smart fellow. With a motherly heart full of joy .. I did think … Some habits are born to stay for ever and ever.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour / maida	2 cups
Butter	1/2 cup
Sugar	1/2 cup
Baking powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	a pinch
Vanilla essence	8-10 drops

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2.mix butter, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and vanilla essence together.
3. Knead to a soft dough . Roll the dough to a one inch thick rectangle of even thickness all over.
4.Cut into desired shape with a cookie cutter . ( I used a moon shape cookie cutter and pressed with a fork on top to get the lined pattern )
5. place the cut cookies at a gap of one inch distance each over a greased butter paper / foil paper lined baking tray.
6.bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until done.
7. Remove from the oven and cool over a wire rack. Serve after one hour so that the cookies get a bit crisp and crumbly.
8. store in an air tight container at room temperature. Keeps well for a week.

Notes

1. make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
2.Let your imagination rule and experiment with the Desing of the cookies .
3. I cut the cookies to rounds and stick jems color cookies , or cut to a flower shape with a cookie cutter and stick one jems in the middle and press with a fork to get the flower petals to look good .

Chocolate Ferrero rocher cake

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 minutes to cook the cake + 20 minutes to cool + 20 minutes to assemble and decorate .

Serving : 10-12 members

Description

There’s no better choice than a pairing of chocolate with hazelnuts . The first time I got to taste this awesome combo was back in my boarding school where my best buddy Sindhu Krishna used to bring loads of lindth Swiss flavoured chocolates . Back then in India we didn’t have much choice than the limited few chocolate flavours of Cadbury company . I was not mature enough to even know that my favourite swatted creamy chocolate had a rich goodness of hazelnut’s in them . My craving for those chocolates that Sindhu used to get remained as a craving dream . Then once my cousin from Dubai got me a big box of Ferrero rocher chocolates . My taste buds did tinkle to the long lost craving of Sindhus lindth chocolate flavour . Even then I was so very confused about the name of this new found chocolate and the exact pronunciation . The shy me would write down the chocolates name in a piece of paper and show it to shop keepers to get a packet . Once during my kids holidays , all my kids cousins were playing some sort of game where each one had to tell a chocolate name with me supervising them . Hubby dear’s niece Faiza who was only 10 years then shouted out saying “FERRERO ROCHER ” and all the kids were like – there’s no such chocolate , she’s out , she’s out . She explained to everyone about the chocolate and dum me just hanged on to the ten year olds Convent accent asking her to say the name again and again , revising the exact pronunciation in my mind . From then on any thing about Ferrero rocher chocolates reminds me of Faiza . Now coming to this cake . This cake was a joint experiment by my girl Anisha and myself for my son- in -laws birthday . I am sure you all will go MMM as you flip through the recipe . The cake was a sweet assassin that no one could stop with one piece for sure . Well the proof of a good cake is in it’s eating ,right ?

Ingredients for cake

Ingredients	Quantity
cake flour	3 1/2 cups ( see the bottom for cake flour recipe )
cocoa powder	1/2 cup
salt	1 1/2 teaspoon
softened butter	2 cups
sugar -	2 1/4 cups
eggs	4
vanilla essence	1 1/2 teaspoon
buttermilk	1 1/4 cup
baking soda	2 teaspoon
white vinegar	2 1/2 teaspoon

Ingredients for Milk chocolate & Ferrero rocher filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Ferrero rochers	15 crushed
milk chocolate	200 grams finely chopped ( I used morde brand )
cocoa powder	1 tablespoon
Hazel nuts	1/4 cup crushed
heavy cream	2/3 cup ( I used milky mist brand )

Ingredients for Nutella ganache

Ingredients	Quantity
nutella	1 cup
heavy cream	1 cup

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius . Line two round 22cm-diameter layer cake pans with a bakingsheet or aluminium foil.( I used two heart shaped cake tins )
Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt together in a bowl.
Place butter and sugar in a bowl . Beat with an electric egg beater at medium speed until well blended.Beat in eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla essence . Add flour mixture alternately with butter milk in two batches. scrape down and beat just long enough to combine.
Place baking soda in a small bowl, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. beat for 10 seconds.
Divide batter among the two pans,place in the oven and bake until a cake tester / tooth prick comes out clean . Takes about 20-25 minutes.Let it cool in the pans for 20 minutes.then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment, and cool completely .
Meanwhile, start on the milk chocolate and Ferrero Rocher filling. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl with the sifted cocoa powder and crushed hazel nuts . In a small saucepan bring the cream to a boil.
Once it starts bubbling, pour the hot cream over the the chocolate and gently whisk until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool, add the crushed Ferrero Rochers.
Next, start on the Nutella ganache. Melt the Nutella and cream over low heat, stirring constantly, until smoothly blended.Let it cool.
Spread the milk chocolate and Ferrero Rocher filling over one layer of the cooled cake . Then place the other layer on top. Frost the top and sides with the Nutella ganache . Decorate with whole Ferrero rocher balls and piping whipped cream all over the edges and enjoy this sinful delight .

Cake flour recipe

Measure out the all-purpose flour that you’ll need for your recipe.
For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin. Throw the cup of flour (minus the two tablespoons) into a sifter set over a bowl.
Replace the two tablespoons of flour that your removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Sift the flour and cornstarch together. Sift it again, and again and again.
The cornstarch and flour need to be well incorporated and the flour aerated. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture about five times. Cake flour is ready .

Strawberries blondies

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes + one hour in fridge to form up in the refrigerator .

Serving : 4 members

Description

The first time I got to know about blondies were on the telly watching chef Gordon Ramsay rustle up a blondies saying brownies are every where so let’s make blondies instead . I was awe stuck with his idea and loved the sneak peak of red coloured raspberries in between each blondie he baked , fair and square . The following week I came across a similar recipe in good food magazine . Usually I like to tweak recipes according to my comfort zone but when it comes to desserts and cakes , I make sure to follow the recipe religiously to the core as you need to be precise when baking .A slight change of measurements or ingredients will collapse the entire dish . Now the problem is I just can’t remember to whom this recipe belongs to . So it’s either Gordon Ramsay’s or good food magazines . I didn’t have raspberries in hand so used strawberry preserve instead . These blondies were gooey in the middle , melt in the mouth with a cracked crust that gives way to a fudgy slab of indulgences . The strawberry marble effect hight lighting it as a few notches higher than the regular that’s perfect for a high tea party . Trendy and delicious too which packs in quite a few calories , but all of us can do with an occasional treat , can’t we ???

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
strawberries	60 grams
caster sugar	1/2 cup
unsalted butter, chopped	150 grams
white chocolate	250 grams chopped ( I used morde brand )
eggs	3
plain flour	1 2/3 cups ( 250 grams )
baking powder	1 teaspoon

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius . Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm pan with baking paper.
Combine strawberries , 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to a mini food processor or blender and whiz until a puree. Set aside.
Place butter and 200 grams white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), stirring until smooth. Cool.
Whisk eggs and remaining sugar until combined. Sift in flour and baking powder and stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate mixture and remaining 50 grams white chocolate until combined. Spoon into the pan.
Drizzle over the strawberries puree, using a skewer to lightly swirl it into the surface. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (not sticky batter). Cool completely in the pan.
Cut into squares and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up before serving.

Notes

Can be stored in air tight containers in room temperature for 3-4 days .
Feel free to use berries of the season .