Cranberry & Chocolate Chip Wholewheat Muffins

Cranberries are not grown in India. So all those gorgeous recipes with Cranberries in them were pushed to the back, because let’s face it – I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg to import them. Nor do I want to grab onto someone else’s arm or leg and beg them to get some from their trip abroad.

The dried version however IS available here and I recently happened to pick some up for the heck of it. Foodhall offeres two types – one that looks all red and juicy (which is what I would expect a cranberry to be) and the other which looks like a mini blueberry. Of course I gravitated to the more familiar one, only to be told that they were not whole cranberries and are treated to some extent, with sugar and color to make them pretty and sweeter. I took the bait and bought the more expensive but tart, Whole Cranberries.

The idea was to keep them at my work desk and have them as a snack, a-la-Oprah. But the recipe books beckoned and I caved. A whole wheat muffin that called for dried cranberries had my name written all over it! I improvised and added some chocolate chips in as well…Who knew they would hit it off? J

What does Masterchef Australia and The Whitefield Baking Company have in common? - Kate Bracks!!!

Masterchef Australia can be credited with starting a revolution that completely altered that way that anyone approaches food. It has within the span of three years turned the nation (and I mean India here) into a completely food obsessed one. Not that we were not connoisseurs of the good stuff already, but the appreciation and knowledge of a variety of cuisines and techniques definitely stems from there. The regular dal-chawal eating home was now attempting to get a perfect crust on their pie!  Dinner time (the holy thread that bonds us in an Indian family) was moved to an hour earlier, so that we could all sit down to watch Masterchef at 9:00 PM. Who ever heard of a food show being given a prime time slot?

Masterchef Australia Season 3 was one of my favorite seasons.  I don’t think I missed even one episode. I knew each and every contestant by name and followed their escapades in the kitchen closely.  And Kate Bracks - Dessert Queen and  mother of three, took home the title with a sweet flourish! For people like me who live and breathe food – these are our celebrities! So do you think I missed a chance to meet Kate when she came down to Bangalore – no freaking way!!

Chocolate Torte in Twenty (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

I know I’m a day late, but Merry Christmas nevertheless! I had planned to put up a Christmassy recipe, but after seeing the blogosphere jam packed with everything plum pudding-y and fruit cake-y and mince meat pie-y, I decided otherwise. I’m no expert in this area anyway, so why bother trying?! With my friend coming down to town, my mom’s birthday and finally Christmas - the past week had so many things happening all at once, that I’ve had an overdose of going out and partying (No, Seriously!).

All I wanted to do today was withdraw into my cocoon (curl up into a ball under my quilt) and read a book. A nice chocolate something for company, would be a bonus. I had two bars of glorious dark chocolate with cocoa nibs stashed away for just such an occasion. Of course slaving over the stove (or oven in this case) and curling up under the quilt seem like two diametrically opposite goals. But the Chocolate Torte is hardly a culinary taskmaster! So twenty minutes later, I’m curled up on the couch with a book in one hand, the fantastic torte in the other and my two cat babies (Muesli and Blanco) nestled against me. They look up sleepily and I hear a contended purr…oh wait, that was me!

Sweet Cinnamon Rolls and Savory Dill Rolls

Featured in Tastespotting.com - 14th Jan 2012

Now that I think I can bake bread, I have ventured further into this magical world of yeast. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but it’s becoming an addiction. Somehow knowing that this little growing organism holds the key to a perfectly turned out loaf, makes me feel completely ensnared by it. Like a little slave, I wait for the yeast to make its presence felt and grace my little loaf with the air and water it needs to grow. Amen. This week I made rolls. I used the basic bread roll recipe and decided to twist the dough around – literally. In the end I had these pretty looking swirls enclosing raisins and cinnamon for the sweet lovers and dill and onions for the savory tongues. If you are going to have someone over for tea, I suggest serving a couple of these. Very very fun and tasty. Or have them for a fantastic breakfast – beats the crap out of store cereal anyday!

Cinnamon Rolls and Dill Rolls

Prep time: 15 mins

Sitting time: 2+2 hrs

Baking time: 10-15 mins

Makes: 8-10 rolls

What you need:

1 Basic Bread Dough recipe (Click here)

If making Cinnamon Rolls:

50 gms Butter, softened

2 tsps Cinnamon Powder

2 Tbsps Brown sugar

Some raisins to sprinkle in between

If making Dill Rolls:

¾th Tbsp Oil

1 Onion, sliced

2 Green Chili, chopped

1 bunch Dill leaves, chopped

¼ tsp Salt

What to do:

In the basic bread dough recipe, when you reach the stage of shaping the dough into rolls, follow the below instructions. Divide the dough into 8-10 balls. Now roll out the ball into a 10” rope. Lay it on the table top and flatten it out to 1” width and 1/2” thickness.

For the Cinnamon rolls: Spread some softened butter onto the flattened rope. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Toss in a few raisins. Now start folding the flattened dough to make a spiral.

For the Dill rolls: Heat oil and fry the onion and chilli. Add dill and fry for 2 mins. Seasn with salt. Cool. Spread the cooled mixture onto the flattened dough rope and then fold into a spiral.

Now place the dough rolls on a baking tray and loosely cover with cling film (to keep the moisture in). The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours. Just before baking, glaze with a eggwash for the dill roll or a milkwash for the cinnamon roll. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-15 mins. Once done, overturn the rolls in the baking tray to avoid the bottom getting soggy. Serve Warm.

Note: If you’re oven is small, you can still bake this in 2 batches. Ensure space between the rolls after shaping, as they double in size. Also if you plan to make both the rolls – don’t bake the cinnamon ones with the dill. They both have very strong smells and the resultant intermingling is strange. Two batches – one for each type should be ideal.

The rolls are at their glorious peak when hot. Serve at tea time or devour for brekkie!!

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com



Baking Bread - In all shapes and sizes

The warm yeasty smell, the soft fluffy touch, the chewy satisfying taste, the golden yellow sheen – it can only be Bread!! I love bread. I love it so much that I want to sleep on a pillow of freshly baked bread… Sweet dreams for sure. Of course no one really bothers to try to bake bread – not without a bread machine. It’s too cumbersome, when you can just run out to the bakery that’s been making it for generations and pretty much knows how to earn their dough from it! But everyone wants to ‘try’ to bake bread. This attempt was one to scale my personal Everest of the year. Yes, some climb mountains; I make mountains of a mole hill challenge! Anyway I was mighty impressed with the results. *Patting myself on the back*. Just thought I’ll gloat to you guys as well J

Basic Bread Recipe

Prep time: 15 mins

Sitting time: 2+2 hrs

Baking time: 30 mins for loaves; 15 mins for buns/ rolls

Makes: 2 loaves or several fun shapes

 

What you need:

3 ½ cups Refined Flour/ Maida

100ml + 100ml Water

50 ml Milk

2 tsp Yeast (granules)

4 tbsp Sugar (Powdered/ Castor)

1 tsp Sugar (Granulated)

1 ½ tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Oil (refined sunflower/ neutral tasting oils)

What to do:

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water (100ml) with the granulated sugar and keep aside for ten minutes. If the mixture starts bubbling and yeast starts rising to the surface you know the yeast is activated.

Sieve the flour, add salt and sugar. Mix in the remaining water. Then add the yeast, milk and oil and knead to a soft and smooth dough. Use the base of your palm to knead the dough by pushing the dough away from you and then gathering it again. 10 mins of this labour of love should do it. Keep the dough covered with cling wrap for 2 hours. It should have doubled in size. Now unwrap and punch the dough down. Go on release all that pent up energy. We do this to remove all the trapped air.

If making a loaf of bread: Put it into a loaf tin and keep it covered with cling film. The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours.

If making buns/ rolls: Mould the dough into the desired shape. Place on a baking tray, loosely cover with cling film (to keep the moisture in). The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 mins if making bread/ 15 mins for buns. Enjoy the smell of heaven!!

 

The dough rising slowly.

You can use an eggwash (beat an egg and use it to brush the surface of the bun before baking) to give the buns a nice glaze!