Chocolate swirled Banana Loaf as my first entry for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop

Chocolate and banana make one amazing combination and to die for. And when I got to know the theme for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop as Microwave cooking I knew I had to bake this cake which was on my to do list since long.Starting from this Monday I am a part of this talented group of food bloggers who have included me in their group and I am one of the privileged few.This is the 30th Foodie Monday Blog Hop and the theme is Microwave cooking which includes not only cooking in Microwave mode but in Grill, Convection and Combination mode too.

There is something genuinely very therapeutic about baking.Whenever I am feeling low I turn to baking and have always felt the erratic negative energy fade away. Basically it is constructive and helps to focus and it's impossible to describe the immense amount of satisfaction that I get seeing my own creations.

This Chocolate swirled Banana Loaf had been in my mind for ages since the time I saw it in At the corner of Happy and Harried .Just one look at the chocolate and banana treat is enough to say that it won't stay in the cake tin for long. Its a nice way to use the ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter. Its a lovely teatime cake and perfect for picnics too.

 This marbled chocolate banana loaf has zero butter and the addition of oil and buttermilk keeps it moist and soft and makes it comparatively healthy.I doubled the measurements to make some swirled cupcakes in addition to the loaf for my little one's lunch box.I am planning to pipe the cupcakes with ganache next time I bake these for my children's tea parties once the holidays set in.

Ingredients
1 3/4 C. All purpose flour
2  large Eggs
1/2 C Safflower ,Canola or any refined Oil
1/3 C Buttermilk
1 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1C  2-3 Mashed Bananas
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Method

• Turn on the microwave to Convection mode.Adjust the temperature to 170 deg C.Pre heat the oven to this temperature and grease a loaf pan and line with a parchment paper.
• Sift the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl and keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl beat the eggs,oil and buttermilk together till well mixed and creamy.
• Add the mashed bananas, brown sugar and vanilla and mix till combined.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter and mix till just combined.
• Remove 1/3 rd of the batter in a different bowl and mix the cocoa powder with it and mix well.
• Pour spoonfuls of both the batters alternately in a loaf pan and with the help of a skewer or knife make a few swirls along the batter making sure to go down till the base of the pan.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or till a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Am sending this delightful chocolate swirled banana loaf to the 30th Foodie Monday Blog Hop for the Microwave Cooking Theme.

And to Sarah of Maison Cup Cake and Helen of Casa Costello for their weekly event Bake Of the Week.

Perfect Snickers Brownies

One more year has passed away into history and how time flies just right by you. The last few years have been a blur, like a whirlwind ...moments have just rushed past.The beautiful moments in life always accelerate  and you want to grasp it and hold on to it as long as possible.

My kids are growing up so fast..the elder one has already shot past me and the younger one is growing out of my lap.Soon will be facing the empty nest syndrome and am already dreading it.If only we could have a time machine and we can go back to spend some precious times with our children.I know I will pay anything to have another day with my kids when they were babies.

And during one of those gloomy days,pondering over my thoughts I baked these gooey, chewy,moist,heavenly brownies layered with snickers for my babies.This was sitting in my drafts since a month and what better day than today...my first post of a brand new year, my favourite and the perfect chocolate brownie.My perfect brownie is chewy in the sides and fudgy in the middle.The added melted chocolate makes these brownies more dense ,rich and chocolatey.The addition of snickers to the batter takes it to a different level altogether.You can personalise it by adding candies,nuts or chocolate chips but the basic brownie recipe remains the same which gives a perfect
shiny,crackly top.

You Require
2/3 C all purpose Flour
1/3 C cocoa powder
10 tbsp butter,unsalted
4 oz chopped dark chocolate
02 Eggs
1 1/4 C ground sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
50g x2 snickers bar,chopped

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.Line a square 8x8 inch pan or a rectangular 13 x5 inch pan with a greased parchment paper for easy removal of the brownies.
• In a bowl whisk the flour and cocoa powder together.
• On a double boiler melt the butter,add the sugar and chopped chocolate and whisk till smooth.The mixture will be grainy.Remove from heat and let it cool till lukewarm .
• Add the eggs to the lukewarm chocolate mixture and beat with a hand mixer in medium speed for 1 minute,add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
• Add the whisked dry ingredients to the mixture and beat for 2-3 minutes in medium speed,this is necessary for the perfect brownie recipe.
• Add the chopped snickers to the batter and mix with a spatula.
• Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or till a toothpick comes out with little crumbs stuck to it.
• Cut into squares when cool and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy the dense,chewy,fudgy brownies with chunks of snickers in between.
These brownies are going to Helen of Casa Costello for her baking event Bake of the week.

Pumpkin spice Chocochip squares

And the pumpkin saga continues....the humble ,versatile pumpkin in a new avatar,  super moist pumpkin spice squares studded with chocochips. These squares are baked with white chocolate  and pumpkin pie spice.Pumpkin Pie spice is a blend of powdered cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves and ginger and sometimes all spice(Jamaican Pepper).

 Simple and delicious and the chocolate chips are the wow factor in this recipe.My kids loved the pumpkin part just because of the choco chips and the white chocolate in it takes it to a different level altogether....little sweet pockets against the dense ,spicy cake!

I boiled a huge batch of pumpkins and puréed them in the food processor and froze them in individual small zip locks so that can use them as and when needed.I substituted the butter part with oil to make the cake a little healthier and I prefer it that way.



You require

1C all purpose Flour
2/3 C brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1/2 C refined Oil
1/2 C pumpkin purée
2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 C white chocolate ,chopped
1/4 C choco chips
1/2 tsp salt

Method

• Grease a 9 inch square pan and preheat the oven to 180 deg C .
• Whisk together flour,baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl.
• With an electric mixer whisk the egg and then add sugar and whisk till it increases in volume and the sugar is incorporated,approximately for 3-4 mins.
• Now add the oil gradually whisking it simultaneously.
• Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée and mix.
• Now with the mixer speed in low mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Fold in the white chocolate chips or chopped chocolate with a spatula into the mix.
• Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 mins or till a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Take out from the oven when the cake is hot and spread the 1/4 C chocochips on the cake and press them gently on to the cake .
• Cool and cut into squares.

I am sending those pumpkin Chocochip squares as an entry for Helens Casa Costello event Bake of the week

A Zebra Cake for my little one

What is the best part about being a mom?The love I receive from my daughters, the hugs and kisses, watching them grow, the giggles and the ring of laughter in the house, the unconditional love, the I love yous and the list is endless.For me cooking their favourite dish or baking a cake for them gives me immense pleasure...seeing the twinkle in their eyes when they gorge on it makes me super happy and satisfied.

And this Zebra pattern cake was baked as a reward for my younger one. A surprise for her in the lunch box was my plan and so it was baked in the night after dinner, after tucking her into the bed.I felt that the swirls could have been more neat nevertheless the pattern in the baked cake was perfect, exactly how I wanted. A eye catching stripy cake and super easy once you know the trick.For this cake I used my marble cake recipe which I follow from Donna Hay ' s Cook Book.

You require

All purpose plain flour   2 1/4 C

Baking powder  2 1/4 tsp

Cocoa powder(sifted)  1/4 C

Castor (superfine) Sugar  1 1/4 C (2 tbsp extra)

Butter (unsalted)   250 g(8 oz)

Eggs  4

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Milk 1 C(8 fl oz)(1 tbsp extra)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170 deg C
• Place the butter ,sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.
• Gradually add the eggs one by one and beat well.Sift the flour and the baking powder over the butter mixture and fold through with the milk alternately.
• Divide the mixture into two and stir the cocoa powder,extra milk and sugar through one of the mixtures.Make sure both the mixtures consistency should be the same.
• Grease and line a 10 inch round baking tin with parchment paper  and drop alternate spoonfuls of both the mixtures and you will see concentric circles forming like this.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 mins or till a wooden skewer comes out clean.

This lovely, light, spongy,stripy cake disappeared from my cake platter within minutes and was a hit with my little one and her friends.Enjoyed watching my loved ones devour the labor of my love.

A peanut butter chocolate mousse pie and a comeback post!

  We all call him DD,the star of our school group.  One and a half years back we all school friends who were miles apart from each other are back together in a whatsapp group and the camaraderie and bonding we share with each other is incredible.Not a single day goes by when we all don't chat with each other sharing our joys and sorrows.Its like as if we all are back in the same old  classroom ...the faces which come to my mind are those teenage faces with the school uniform on...the classroom chatter goes on the whole day...and all credit goes to our star DD who took initiative of getting all the phone nos and binding us back into one crazy bunch after years of  staying apart and not knowing about each other's whereabouts. It's strange how we all manage to take out a little time for each other every single day from our fast paced lives sharing our work routine,spouse management,milestones of our next generation, jokes and some major leg pulling, the nitty gritties of everyday life and kitchen stories too. At the end of a tiring day just  two lines with them....it's like a stress-buster.

And when DD called up to announce his arrival in Goa with family,I took the opportunity to host a dinner for the star himself .It had to be special because DD is special  and every friend would vouch for it.Desserts are his weakness and I still remember the way his eyes lit up when he saw the platter.This decadent ,creamy,chocolaty pie was in my to do list since ages but the calorie measuring streak in me was not allowing me to make it.And this occasion was a perfect excuse to create the chocolate wonder. The pie crust is of chocolate biscuits, the second layer is peanut butter mousse, the third layer is chocolate mousse and finally a glaze of chocolate ganache.

This is a comeback post after a long hiatus ,enjoying the feeling of blogging again.Thanks to all who coaxed me back into the blogging world .

.For the chocolate pie crust:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Oreos, with the filling scraped out)
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For The Peanut Butter Mousse: 

• 2.5 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For the chocolate Mouse:

• 2.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz. milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp whole milk 
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For The Chocolate Glaze:

• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract  

To make the chocolate pie crust:   In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and the melted butter. Stir until well combined. Pat the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Refrigerate the crust while you make the peanut butter mousse. 

To Make The Peanut Butter Mousse:   In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Add the peanut butter and salt and mix until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Set bowl aside while whipping the cream.

In a large clean bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold 1/2 cup of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until almost blended. Fold in another 3/4 cup of the whipped cream until completely blended and no white streaks appear. 

Scrape the peanut butter mousse into the prepared pie pan and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate while you make the chocolate mousse. Cover the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate ready to use. 

To Make The Chocolate Mousse: Place both chocolates in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Leave the chocolate in the food processor. 

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. With the food processor running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube, and process until the chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, and process until well blended. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/4 of the reserved whipped cream into the mousse. Fold in the remaining cream until completely blended. Scrape the mousse onto the peanut butter mousse layer and smooth the top using an offset spatula. Refrigerate the pie while making the chocolate glaze

To Make The Chocolate Glaze: Place finely chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.  Pour cream over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Add the vanilla, then gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. Do not over mix or you'll incorporate air bubbles. Let the mixture cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. 

Pour the cooled glaze over the chocolate mousse layer. Using a small metal spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with peanuts if desired, for garnish, before the glaze sets. 

Chill the pie for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Loosely cover pie and store any leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This recipe has been adapted from the book Lick the bowl good by Monica Holland.

Chocolate Sesame Cookies

The heat,the humidity,the holidays are playing havoc with my senses now.Oh ! how I love the Russian summers now.In Moscow I used to crave for Indian food ,the weather ,the people and suddenly here I am missing the colourful and pleasant  moscow summers.After nine months of bone breaking winters the russians love the bright and lovely summer and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather to the fullest.There is a buzz of activity everywhere, people everywhere....sunbathing, cycling, rollerskating, boating, just chilling out with some russian Kvass (a russian drink made from rye bread)and soaking in the summer sunshine.I used to feel energised and lively during the summers there,here in goa the humid and hot weather makes us feel dehydrated with a lethargic feeling all day long.

But then with the holidays starting Mishti plans a tea party every second day for her friends,thank god she atleast has the courtesy to ask me before inviting them,otherwise I would have gone bonkers by now.Thanks to Mishti my baking books are out from the closet now.Last week I baked some nice ,chewy chocolate cookies with sesame seeds sprinkled on it and it was a hit with the children.The recipe is adapted from Nita Mehta's Bakes and Cakes.

You Need

Plain Flour  -60 gm

Cocoa          -30 gm

Butter (softened)-75 gm

Powdered Sugar -60 gm

Vanilla extract    -1tsp

Sesame seeds(white til)-2tsp

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add Vanilla extract and beat again.
3. Sift flour and cocoa together.
4. Add flour to butter and mix gently to form a soft dough.
5. Form into balls,flatten them and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 13- 15 mins( my oven took 20 mins)on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

P.S- If the dough feels too soft to form balls,keep it in the fridge but do not add any extra flour.

I am sending these cookies as my entry for Bangalore Bakers' this week's Bake-Off event.

These are some pics of our Moscow stay clicked by us during the summers.

The onset of autumn, end of summers,Monorail with the Ostankino Tv tower

A church near the Ostankino lake near our Apartment

Flowers in full bloom,kuzminki

Roadside landscaping with flowers,opposite kievski vakzal

Mississippi Mud Cake

When Mishti heard the name of the cake she didn't find it appetizing and  refused to touch it...she thought Mama dear used the messy mud to bake the cake...but when she saw all of us gobbling down the sinful chocolate glazed pieces she forgot all her inhibitions about it and gorged on the cake.

The name reminded me of the novel" Uncle Tom's Cabin"in which the river Mississippi featured and which was our syllabus english book in std 6 .I was so fond of the book that I had read and reread the book numerous times.The character had evoked so much of sadness and sympathy for him in me that I would cry thinking about the agonies,the pain and the suffering that he and the other slaves had gone through.The humiliation and the torture faced by them  was too much for a young reader to handle,may be that's why the story is etched in my memory till date.

Do not judge a recipe solely on its title:).The cake was rich, dark and moist ,the taste was awesome which made us crave for more and more!I made the recipe  a bit healthy by adding oil instead of butter and cream.The topping had less dark chocolate than what the recipe asked for as I had run out of cooking chocolate.So me thinks the cake would have been mercilessly tasty if I would not have omitted the above ingredients.So go ahead with this recipe and let me know how it turned out to be.

You need  :

185 g(6oz)  butter ,softened(I used 4 oz vegetable oil)

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup cold black coffee

4 eggs

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup cocoa pwdr

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking pwdr

a pinch salt

1 tsp Vanilla extract

100 g block cooking chocolate,grated

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients except chocolate into the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed for 1 minute,scraping down the sides of bowl while beating.
2. Pour into a greased lamington or slab tin(i used a round one) and bake in a moderate(180 deg C) oven for 40-45 mins or until done when tested.
3. Carefully remove from tin onto a wire cake cooler,sprinkle the grated chocolate over the hot cake.Leave for 1 min and then using a spatula or knife,spread the softened chocolate over.Leave until cold and sprinkle some chocolate sprinklers before cutting.

Enjoy!