All about baking

[dev]

Hi all,

This thread is exclusively to discuss about baking...recipes for cakes cookies,doubts abt baking etc etc... Sry to say,I don't have any good recipe or tip to post now ... But,I hope I will see contributions from fellow hubbers soon...

Though this contradicts my other thread(Healthy lifestyle) , I would love to learn the basics of baking & try to make it healthier...:D Anyway,cookies & cakes can be a 'once in a while food' ....So,Happy Baking... But remember, Sensible Eating... :lol:

[bhargavi.raj]

Hi ALL,
Let me post you one of my favourite recipes. I tried it once when there were some guests coming home and i had no idea what to make for dessert. It really came out very well and i make it regularly now.
and its healthy too dev!!

Apple crisps:
You will need,
Puff pastry sheets 1packet( this available in our regular grocery's freezer section, usually peppridgefarm's is the brand i use).
Apples 5 mix of 2 red delicous,1 granny smith and 2 gala /fuji apples. I recommend this mix because the apples have to be sweet and tart for this recipes. slice it thinly with the skins.
sugar 1cup
cinnamon powder 1tsp
or elaichi powder 1tsp
Method
Thaw thw puff pastry sheets according to instructions.
Mix the apples with sugar and the spices.
take the sheets and fill them with the apples and seal the edges with water or egg wash.
bake in the preheated oven @ 375 for about 35mins or until the puff pastry is crisp and flaky.
cut and serve it warm with a scoop of icecream.
Belive me this is very yummy.

[sarithasai5]

Hi bhargavi!
Thanku
But one Q
What is meant by "Thaw" the pastry sheet?
:)

[bhargavi.raj]

Hi Saritha,
The pastry sheet is usually frozen . Thatwhy u get it in freezer section. so before making the recipe,you need to thaw it or bring the pastry sheet to room temprature ,so that its flexible and you can work with it. Thawing is a procress where you naturally allow any frozen product to come back to its orginal temprature by removing it from the freezer about 4-5 hrs prior to cooking.

[kavithasenthil]

Hello Friends,
I am posting Snow Ball Cookie. It is very tasty and u will get good reviews from ppl and they will think u r so good in baking!

But not like stove top recipes...Baking requires exact measurement of items. Hope u all enjoy this recipe which has no Egg in it. And also my recipes are taken form the net. The only thing is i tested the recipe and got good results.


Snow Ball Cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted almonds(with out skin)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 cup Powdered sugar

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool.

Put the cooled nuts and 2 tablespoons of the 1 cup of confectioners sugar into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Finely grind the nuts and set aside.
Cream the butter and remaining confectioners sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 15 -20 minutes, or until lightly brown in color.
Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and while cookies are still warm, roll them in the powdered sugar. Place on a wire rack to cool. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar.
Store in an airtight container. Makes 3-4 dozen.


If u follow exactly the above procedure u will get good result. Happy Baking!

[Kz]

This is one of my fav cookies and easy to do at home.
Thumb print cookies:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter ; 1/4 cup shortening (can be margarine); 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 egg-separated; 1/2 tsp. vanilla; 1 cup flour; 1/4 tsp. salt; 3/4 cup chopped pecans; jelly or tinted frosting.

Method: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough by teaspoons into 1" balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet and press thumb deeply into center of each. Bake about 10 minutes or till light brown. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on racks. Fill thumbprints with jelly or frosting. Recipe is small; I always double it. you can try rolling in diff variety of nuts.

Kz

[Seethab]

Thanks Kavitha & Bhargavi!! very interesting!!! will try the recipes. I dont use eggs as my daughter is allergic.

[beans]

This tastes really yummy and is very easy to make. It tastes even better with a scoop of vanilla icecream :)

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE




1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. cold water

Sift together flour, sugar, salt, soda and cocoa. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 8"x8" pan. Bake at 325 to 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until baked.

[Kavitha Ravi]

Try this eggless cake


EGGLESS CAKE

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
125 grms of butter
1 tsp soda bicarbonate

2 cups self-rising flour
¼ cup of milk
1 cup grated carrot or mixed fruits
Or 1 cup of mashed banana with little lime juice

Method:
Boil water,sugar,and butter till butter melts.
Let it cool nicely,add 1 tsp of soda bicarbonate.
Slowly add in the flour, milk, and the carrot.
Add essence according to ingredients added.
Bake for 1 hour at 180 o C

[nutcr0cker]

Argh... seems like I clicked on new topic. Mods please delete the pav buns thread if possible.

Here is my take on it. Tried the recipe with sheer intuition Smile

3 cup bread flour ( not the all purpose)
2.5 tsp(1 sachet) active dry yeast
1cup +3tbsp @110 F water
1 .5 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk powder
2.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar

Mix all the dry ingrediants first. addin water till it forms a nice dough ( breadmachine mixes up excellent dough) Make 16 round balls out of the dough and leave it on a baking sheet adjestant to each other for about an hour. preheat the oven @ 350 F bake the buns for about 15 minutes till lightly brown.

Optional: Make glaze by beating together water and egg white in a small dish. Brush rolls with glaze before baking.

[nutcr0cker]

Any one has the recipe + method of making the ultrasoft black forest cake available in Indian bakeries.

[sarithasai5]

Hi Bhargavi!
Thank u for the explaination of "Thaw"
I did not know the name of the process to be "Thaw".
Thank u once again :)
Hey Tried Aloo Paratha,Raddish paratha today!
They came our tasty!
:) Will try Dhabha Recipes soon!
and let u know!

[napolims445]

Hai
I have a lot of self raising flour and allpurpose flour with me(my friend gave it to me when they left usa for good and went to india)
Can anyone please suggest something using these flours..


Also I was interested in toaster oven recipes. does anybody have toaster oven recipes. still better if its using the S.R. Flour and A.P.Flour.

Thanks in advance

[Minni]

Guys,
I am very happy that you started this thread. I guess we are long due for one like this.

I am enthusiast for baking several different breads, cakes, now cookies, and other stuff as well.

Will post my recipes one at a time.

Minni

[Minni]

Guys,

I've made lot of mistakes during my numerous experiments intially while baking breads and cakes. So, I learnt a few important things to keep in mind about measuring and mixing ingredients.

So, I thought it would be helpful to post them here for the new enthusiasts, so that they avoid atleast some of the mistakes.

Well, either for baking breads or cakes or cookies, the ideal way to post measurements would be by weight rather than volume.
Let me explain you why.
1 cup of packed flour is not equivalanet to a cup of scooped flour and again is not equal to a cup into which the flour is spooned in is not equivalent to a cup filled by sifting flour into it.
Does that make sense?

Okay, good!

[Minni]

To avoid finger pain, I am cut pasting my collected material about various different flours.

Source: Wikipedia.org

An ingredient used in many foods, flour is a fine powder made from grain or other starchy food sources. It is most commonly made from wheat, but also maize (aka corn), rye, barley and rice, amongst many other grasses and non-grain plants (including many Australian species of acacia).

Flour is always based on the presence of starches, which are complex carbohydrates.

Usually, the word "flour" used alone refers to wheat flour, which is one of the most important foods in European and American culture. Wheat flour is the main ingredient in most types of breads and pastries. Wheat is so widely used because of an important property: when wheat flour is mixed with water, a complex protein called gluten develops. The gluten development is what gives wheat dough an elastic structure that allows it to be worked in a variety of ways, and which allows the retention of gas bubbles in an intact structure, resulting in a sponge-like texture to the final product. This is highly desired for breads, cakes and other baked products.

A coarser preparation, somewhat granular rather than a fine dust, is often called meal.

Types of Flour

* The vast majority of today's flour consumption is wheat flour.

Wheat varieties are typically known as "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content, and "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low. Hard flour, or "bread" flour, is high in gluten and so forms a certain toughness which holds its shape well once baked. Soft flour is comparatively low in gluten and so results in a finer texture. Soft flour is usually divided into "cake" flour, which is the lowest in gluten, and "pastry" flour, which has slightly more gluten than cake flour.

All-purpose flour is a blended wheat flour with an intermediate gluten level which is marketed as an acceptable compromise for most household baking needs.

In terms of the parts of the grain (the grass seed) used in flour -- the endosperm or starchy part, the germ or protein part, and the bran or fiber part -- there are three general types of flour. "White" flour is made from the endosperm only. "Whole grain" flour is made from the entire grain. A "germ" flour may also be made from the endosperm and germ, excluding the bran.

"Whole-wheat" flour is also referred to as "graham" flour in the USA, and is the basis of true graham crackers. Many graham crackers on the market are actually imitation grahams because they contain no whole-wheat flour. Strictly speaking, a true graham flour is a coarse grind of wheat.

Self-rising or self-raising flour is "white" wheat flour that is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents. Typical ratios are
U.S. customary: one cup flour : 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder : a pinch to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Metric: 1 kg flour : 30 g baking powder : 10 g or less salt

* Maize flour is very popular in the southern United States and in Mexico. In the US, "white" corn (maize) flour is usually referred to as cornstarch; in the UK it is known as cornflour. "Whole-grain" corn flour is usually referred to as corn meal. Corn meal which has been leached with lye is called masa harina and is used to make tortillas and tamales in Mexican cooking.

* 100% Rye flour is used to bake the traditional sourdough breads of Germany and Scandinavia. Most rye breads use a mix of rye and wheat flours because rye has a low gluten content. Pumpernickel bread is usually made exclusively of rye, and contains a mixture of rye flour and rye meal.

* Rice flour is of great importance in Southeast Asian cuisine. Also edible rice paper can be made from it. Most rice flour is made from white rice, thus is essentially a pure starch, but whole-grain brown rice flour is commercially available.

* Chestnut flour is popular in Corsica, the Périgord and Lunigiana. In Corsica, it is used to cook the local variety of polenta. In Italy, it is mainly used for desserts.

* Chickpea flour (besan) is of great importance in Indian cuisine, and in Italy, where it is used for the Ligurian farinata.

* Flour can also be made from soy beans, arrowroot, potatoes, taro, cattail and other non-grain foodstuffs.

[Minni]

OKAY, OKAY, I know its boring to read all that material. Now lets get to that interesting flour most widely used for baking:

Wheat flour

To understand what flour is used to make what ....here is the relevant information.

Whole wheat flour is a powdery substance derived by grinding or mashing the entire wheat berry. It is used in baking but typically mixed with other "white" flours to add nutrition, texture, fiber, and body to the finished product. Usually, whole wheat flour is not the main ingredients of baked goods due to its quality to add texture and a certain "heaviness" to baked goods which prevents them from rising as well as white flours. This adds to the cost of the baked item as it requires more flour to obtain the same volume due to the fewer and smaller air pockets trapped in the raised goods.

The word "whole" refers to the fact that all of the berry is used and nothing is lost in the process of making the flour, rather than referring to the complete berry in its natural grown state. Because the flour contains the remains of all of the berry it has a textured, brownish appearance.

"Brown" bread made from whole wheat flour is more nutritious than "white" bread made from white, refined, flour even though nutrients are added back to the white flour. Thus, brown bread is more natural than white because it is less refined and retains more of the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. This is important to nutrition because while we have identified many of the vitamins and minerals occurring naturally in foods, there remain doubts that we have identified them all. Much less confidence attends our understanding of minimum daily requirements of these vitamins and minerals and any such published numbers can only be used as guidelines.

Protien Content in Flours:

All-purpose flour has a 10-12% protein content and is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat flours. It can be bleached or unbleached which are interchangeable. However, Southern brands of bleached all-purpose flour have a lower protein content (8%) as they are made from a soft winter wheat. All-purpose flour can vary in its protein content not only by brand but also regionally. The same brand can have different protein contents depending on what area of the country in the United States you are buying it. Good for making cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries.

Cake flour has a 6-8% protein content and is made from soft wheat flour. It is chlorinated to further break down the strength of the gluten and is smooth and velvety in texture. Good for making cakes (especially white cakes and biscuits) and cookies where a tender and delicate texture is desired. To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour. Make your own - one cup sifted cake flour can be substituted with 3/4 cup (84 grams) sifted bleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch.

Pastry flour is similar to cake flour, although it has not been chlorinated, with an 8-10% protein content and is made from soft wheat flour. It is soft and ivory in color. Can find it in health food stores or through mail order catalogs. To make two cups of pastry flour, combine 1 1/3 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup (90 grams) cake flour. Good for making pastry, pies and cookies.

Self-Rising flour has 8-9% protein and contains flour plus baking powder and salt. I do not use this type of flour because I prefer to add my own baking powder and salt. Also, if the flour is stored too long the baking powder will lose some of its strength and your baked goods will not rise properly. If you want to make your own add 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder and ½ teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt per cup (140 grams) of all-purpose flour.

Bread flour has a 12-14% protein content and is made from hard wheat flour. The high gluten content causes the bread to rise and gives it shape and structure. Comes in white, whole wheat, organic, bleached and unbleached. Good for making breads and some pastries.

Store your flour in a cool dry well-ventilated place for up to six months. To prevent insects you can store flour in the refrigerator or freezer making sure the flour is defrosted before using.

Flour is sometimes labeled pre-sifted. This means that the flour was sifted before packaging but it compacts during shipping and handling and therefore is no longer sifted by the time you get it home. So if your recipe calls for sifted flour make sure you sift it again. (If your recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour this means you sift the flour before measuring. However, if the recipe calls for 1 cup flour, sifted this means you sift the flour after measuring.) Sifting flour removes lumps and aerates it so that when liquid is added the dry ingredients will be fully moistened.

Proper measuring of your flour is important, as too much flour will result in a tough and/or heavy baked good. When measuring flour spoon your flour into a measuring cup and then level off the cup with a knife. Do not pack it down. As stated above, flour gets compacted in the bag during shipping, so scooping your flour right out of the bag using your measuring cup will result in too much flour.

Flour, when packaged, has about a 14% moisture content. When stored, however, its moisture content will vary. In general, the longer flour is stored the more moisture it loses. This is why on a dry day using old flour your pastry will require more water than on a wet day using new flour.

Flour

All-Purpose Flour:

1 cup = 140 grams

1 cup sifted = 115 grams

Cake Flour:

1 cup = 130 grams

1 cup sifted = 100 grams

Bread Flour:

1 cup = 160 grams

1 cup sifted = 120 grams

[Minni]

Substitutions:



1 cup All Purpose Flour:
Can be substituted with

(a)1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

(b)1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)

(c)7/8 cup rice flour (starch) (do not replace all of the flour with the rice flour)

(d)1/2 cup white cake flour plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup Bread Flour
Can be substituted with

(a)1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup Cake Flour
Can be substituted with

(a) 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups Pastry Flour
Can be substituted with

(a) 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour plus 2/3 cup cake flour

1 cup Self-Rising Flour
Can be substituted with

(a) 1 cup similar grade flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
Can be substituted with

(a) 7/8 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoon wheat germ

(b)1 cup graham flour

[Minni]

Measuring:

Baking is an exact science or can term it 'Precise' science. Hence measurements as well as the way we take them are very IMPORTANT.
As I mentioned earlier, by weight is ideal measurement, but for this we need a $30-$40 DIGITAL SCALE. And also, unfortunately, most recipes give the measurements by volume rather than by weight.
So, we need to know a few things about Volume measurements.

I know, we buy a set of four measuring cups(1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup), and may be some 4 measuring spoons(1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 tsp, 1/4 tsp)

But there are recipes where you encounter 1/8th cup, 7/8th cup, or 1/3 tbsp. Then what do you do?

You need to know the following equivalents so that you can make up for that required quantity with your existing set of spoons and cups.


A few grains/pinch/dash, etc. (dry) = Less than 1/8 tsp
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
1/2 tablespoon = 1-1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounces
5-1/3 tablespoons = 5 tbsp+1 tsp = 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
8 tablespoons = 4 fluid ounces
10-2/3 tablespoons = 10 tbsp + 2 tsp = 2/3 cup
12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup
16 tablespoons = 1 cup

Another way you can see the same is

1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounces
1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons

More about Liquid measures:

A dash (liquid) = A few drops
16 tablespoons = 8 fluid ounces = 1 cup
1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounces
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces

1 cup = 1/2 pint
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts (liquid) = 1 gallon
8 quarts (dry) = 1 peck

I hope this helps.

[Minni]

One last posting before some recipes:

Now about measuring various ingredients:

Eggs (large)

* 1 = 1/4 cup
* 4 to 5 = 1 cup
* 9 = l lb
* 7 to 9 whites = 1 cup
* 12 to 15 yolks = 1 cup

Figs l lb = 3 cups chopped
Flour

* All purpose 1 lb = 4 cups sifted
* Cake flour 1 lb = 4-1/2 cups sifted
* Graham flour l lb = 3-1/2 cups
* Whole wheat l lb = 3-1/2 cups

Milk, canned

* Evaporated 5 oz can = 2/3 cup; 14-1/2 oz can = 1-2/3 cups
* Sweetened Condensed 14 oz can = 1-1/4 cup

Sugar

* Granulated 1 lb = 2 cups
* Brown 1 lb = 2-1/4 cups
* Confectioners' lb = 3-1/2 cups sifted
* Cubes 1 lb = 96 to 160 cubes

[Minni]

Okay, after all the reading, time to try out some recipes:

I shall now post the recipes for

a simple pound cake
a white bread and
for more enthusiasts
An egg bread

All my favourites, so feel free to ask for any clarifications.

Minni

[sarithasai5]

Hi Minni!
That was a very clear explaination abt all the flours and measurements.
Thanks :)
Saritha

[Minni]

I assume you know, for making cakes,

Flour is sifted into the cup if stated " X sifted cups" and levelled using the straight edge of a knife.
Flour is measured and then sifted if stated "X cups; Sifted"

Q. Why sifting.
For cakes, the texture is supposed to be crumbly, and light.
Mixing of flour into the liquid mixture is a very careful process. It should be as short as possible. Just enough to wet the flour with the liquid ingredients. So, by sifting, you are encorporating air between flour particles and mixing it carefully, you are retaining the same in the batter. Does that explain ?
Good.

Butter is at room temperature, i.e., left out on the counter overnight or approximately 6-8 hours.

Q.Why at room temperature?
It makes mixing in other words creaming with sugar a LOT LOT LOT easier to work with. Trust me on this!
Q. What if you do not have the time?
Grate the butter into a plate and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Smaller the volume, lesser time it takes to get to room temperature, right ?

Excellent, now what do they mean by 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick butter etc...
Butter in the US is sold in sticks. Each Stick is 1/2 cup = 4 oz = 1/4 lb.
So how many sticks is 1 cup butter ?
2 sticks!
2 sticks = 1/2 lb also.
Okay another important point. Butter is sold "Salted", "unsalted".
Even for regular use, I recommend buying "unsalted" variety.
Why?
Two reasons: As you all know, salt is a preservative, so "unsalted" butter is likely to be fresher than the "salted" variety on the dairy aisle. Secondly, you control the salt that is going into a recipe. And for Cakes, the amount of salt added is very minute(yes, salt has flavour enhancing capability as well, hence adding it in desserts brings out the flavours more predominantly than without).
Unless otherwise stated, Butter referred to is UNSALTED

Eggs, also are easier to work with when at room temperature.
Two things worth mentioning.
1. To empty an egg easily from its shell, run it under hot water for a few seconds before breaking it.
2. Always advisable to crack it into a small bowl before transfering it to the mixing bowl, this helps discard any bad eggs without spoiling the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Sugar, as you all know...white sugar is being referred to.

Milk, temperature of this hasn't mattered much. So can directly use it from the refrigerator.

[Minni]

Simple pound cake
Originally, pound cake is a pound butter, pound eggs, pound sugar and a pound milk. How simple to remember ?
But who wants to make so much cake ? So, people started using the following recipe most famously called "1-2-3-4 cake" for manageable portion sizes. No harm in halving the recipe. I usually make it for half the proportions, unless I am expecting a huge gathering.
There are variations to it also, which are very interesting too. I shall however post them at a later date.

1-2-3-4 Cake

You cannot go wrong with this recipe. Appreciated by one and all I've made it for, till date.

The name explains it all...yes...the name indicates its proporions.

Ingredients:

1 c Room Temperature Unsalted butter, ie., 2 sticks
2 c Regular White Sugar
3 c Sifted Cake flour
4 Eggs
1 c Milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 tbsp Extra flour for dusting

Note: If cake flour is not available, using the substitutions that I suggested in the previous posts...you can use the appropriate flours.

Method:
Measure all the ingredients and get organized before you begin to make the batter. The butter should be soft.
Sift the cake flour, scoop into a measuring cup, scrape a knife across the top of the cup to level it, and measure 3 cups in a separate bowl. Measure the salt and add to the flour. Mix together. Butter the insides of two 8- or 9-inch cake pans.
With an extra tablespoon or so of flour in the pan and turn it all around so the pan is completely dusted with flour. Turn the pan upside down, and tap the edge on the table to let the extra flour fall out.
Turn on the oven to 350 degrees F.
Now everything is ready to make the batter. Beat the butter with a wooden spoon or in a mixer until light and fluffy(3 minutes). Add the sugar and beat again until very fluffy and light yellow(approximately 6 to 8 minutes). This is what it means to cream the butter and sugar.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition(30 seconds).
Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
*********
IMPORTANT: The more you make cakes the experience you get about handling this phase more graciously. The entire texture of cake depends on this phase of mixing flour and milk into the mixture of eggs, sugar and butter.
The way you mix flour into the batter is called folding into. That is it is done as gently as possible and with as less number of strokes as possible, i.e., mixing till the flour just gets wet. The more the number of strokes you use to mix, the more gluten- (i.e, elasticity like in roti dough) that you are developing and the breadier the cake turns out. A little experience makes you get there. So, if its your first time...just do not bother about it.
*****
Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake.
Depending on your oven and size of the pan used bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until done.
When is it done?
Open the oven door, insert a tooth pick in each pan at the center, and remove it. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done. If not, continue baking closing the oven door for another 5 minutes and check again.
Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely. Frosting is optional. I like mine without frosting. So if you want you can spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a layered cake.

Let me know your experiences.

Minni

[deepali128]

Dear Minni,

thanx for the thoughtful explaination. it seems u are a veteran. keep it up for ur good work. i will try ur cake.

[Seethab]

Minni:

can you let me know the easiest substitution for eggs?

[g's mom]

My husband has stopped eating eggs and I love to bake..... I am now caught in a dilemma as to how to bake eggless products but get the same kind of results as with egg... I used fruit puree/ ener-g egg replacer but the cake hadent risen properly as it normally does with egg I used store bought cake mix( duncan hanes pineapple supreme to be more specific ) I would appreciate any suggestions

[sarithasai5]

Hi Minni!

As Seethab said, is there any best substitute for egg..? as I am a pure vegetarian

[Minni]

Guys,

Thats very true. Easy substitution for eggs need not always give the exact same result. But again, it still produces a result that is not often distinguishable when practised a little bit.

But these are the substitutions I would suggest:

Add the quantities of Eggs(in liquid measure as given in my previous posting) and milk with equal parts of evaporated milk.

Or you can eliminate sugar, and substitute by parts of volume of (eggs+milk) with sweetened condensed milk.

In both the cases, you need to rely on "(approx 4tsp) baking Powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda" for leavening of your cake.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please adjust your evaporated milk/condensed milk quantities after couple of experiments. As sometimes in some recipes the liquid quantities might make the cake very moist...i.e., more than desired.

I haven't tried with ener G. I've heard good things about it. But am yet to experiment. Those of you who had success using it...please enlighten us as to how and where it can be substituted for eggs.

Another interesting substitute is tofu....But I haven't tried it myself.

Here is an extract from IVU.org's FAQ

What can be substituted for eggs?

A company called Ener-G makes a powdered egg-substitute that they claim is a suitable replacement for eggs in cooking. It costs about $5.00 (U.S.) for the equivalent of 9 or 10 dozen eggs, and it contains no animal products. It is make from potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening agents (calcium lactate (vegan), calcium carbonate, and citric acid) and a gum derived from cottonseed. It's primarily intended to replace the leavening/binding characteristics of eggs in baking, but it can be used for nonbaked foods and quiches.

Alternative replacements (quantity per egg substituted for) 2 oz of soft tofu can be blended with some water and substituted for an egg to add consistency. Or try the same quantity of: mashed beans, mashed potatoes, or nut butters.

1/2 mashed banana

1/4 cup applesauce or pureed fruit

One Tbsp flax seeds (found in natural food stores) with 3 Tbsp water can be blended for 2 to 3 minutes, or boiled for 10 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved to substitute for one egg.

1 tsp. soy flour plus 1 Tbsp. water to substitute for one egg.


Hope that helps.

Minni

[Minni]

I shall now present information as to how baking soda differs from baking powder. It is an often confused nuance that needs some clarification.

Okay...here is the information that explains this topic more scientifically:
Source: Curly Sue's home page(Sue@interport.net)

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

When it is mixed with an acid liquid it releases the gas carbon dioxide (CO2):

NaHCO3 + H+ -----> Na+ + H20 + CO2
(soda) (acid) (sodium) (water) (gas)

Sure, you've seen this- when you mix baking soda with vinegar or lemon juice it fizzes. The fizzing is release of the CO2 bubbles. The same thing happens when you add baking soda to a recipe. If you notice carefully, recipes that use baking soda for leavening always have an acid somewhere. It might be obvious, such as vinegar (in muffins? bleah), lemon juice, sour milk or buttermilk. The acid might be hidden- for example honey and molasses are acidic.

Cream of tartar is a DRY acid that might be called for in a recipe; it cannot react with the baking soda until liquid is added.

The problem with baking soda is that it releases the gas all at once! So if the cake batter sits around for a while before you get it in the oven or it you beat the batter too much, the leavening will be lost and your baked goods will be flat. You don't want to add too much, either, because the taste is rather salty and you'd have to add more acid too. If you don't have enough acid to react with the baking soda you won't release the gas, plus your cake or muffins will have a bitter or soapy taste because of the unreacted bicarbonate.

There are some times, though, when an fast rate of gas release is desired. In that case, ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium carbonate can be used. This is advantageous for eclairs, cream puffs, and some cookies, espcially where a quick spring is needed before the product spreads in the oven. The reaction with ammonium bicarbonate is:

NH4HCO3 -----> NH3 + H20 + CO2

Here, ammonia (NH3) is produced. This produces a distinctive smell during baking, which dissipates so is mostly gone from the finished product. Ammonium bicarbonate or carbonate are rarely used in the home because they don't store well and lose their action quickly.

Baking powder is a combination of baking soda plus a few other things, most importantly a dry acid.
When the baking powder is mixed in a batter with the wet ingredients, the dry acid and the baking soda can then react together and release carbon dioxide.

There are different types of baking powders.

Single-acting baking powders are characterized by the type of acid they include.
Tartrate baking powders contain both cream of tartar (potassium acid tartrate) and tartaric acid. These create gas quickly when combined with baking soda in the presence of liquid, so the batter must be cooked quickly or it will go flat. Phosphate baking powders contain either calcium phosphate or disodium pyrophosphate (source of sodium pyrophosphate). They work a little slower than the tartrate baking powders, but most of the gas is still created outside of the oven and therefore can be lost.
S.A.S. baking powders have sodium aluminum sulfate (alum) as the acid. S.A.S. baking powders react slowly at room temperature and release more of the gas when heated. The phosphate and tartrate baking powders react rapidly at room temperature to release the leavening gas, which means that the batter has to be cooked quickly after the liquid ingredients have been added. On the other hand, the S.A.S. baking powders are better for products that will sit a while before being cooked. The problem with S.A.S. powders is that they have a bitter taste. They are used in combination with other leavening agents so not as much is needed. S.A.S. is often used in D.A. powders.

Double-acting (D.A.) baking powders are the most common type of baking powder in US supermarkets. The first "action" refers to the release of gas when the baking soda in the powder reacts with an acidic liquid. D.A. baking powders contain a dry acid which does not react with the baking soda in the powder until water is added; at that point the baking soda dissolves, the acid dissolves, and the two can now mix and the reaction shown above occurs.

The second "action" refers to the release of gas when the batter is heated in the oven or on a griddle. This relies on the presence of the slower acting acid, S.A.S. which only combines with soda when the temperature increases.

When you read the container of powder, cornstarch is listed as the major ingredient.
The cornstarch has three purposes: 1) it helps keep the product dry and free-flowing, 2) it helps keep the bicarbonate and acid dry (and therefore separate) so they don't react during storage, and 3) it helps bulk up the powder for easier measuring and standardization.

Okay now SUBSTITUTIONS for BAKING POWDER

baking powder (single-acting, see above): 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt per cup of flour (source: Joy of Cooking)
baking powder (single-acting): 2 parts Bakewell Cream, 1 part baking soda
baking powder (rising equivalent): for 1 tsp use 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 5/8 tsp cream of tartar (source: Joy of Cooking, other equivalents given)
baking powder (measuring equivalent): for each tsp, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot. Mix only as much as you need per recipe since it will lose potency during storage. (source: Rodale's Basic Natural Foods Cookbook)
baking powder (double-acting, SAS, see above): for 1 tsp use 1-1/2 tsp phosphate or tartrate baking powder (source: Joy of Cooking)
self-rising flour: 1-1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt per cup (source: Pillsbury flour bag).
Note: Since the substitutions release gas immediately when mixed with the liquid of the recipe, they are single-acting. If you get it in the oven ASAP, you shouldn't have much of a problem substituting for D.A. powder.

NOTE: The information about the the ammonia salts and the types of baking powders was found in "Food Chemistry", L.H. Meyer, Litton Educational Publishing, Inc., 1960. Reprinted 1975 by AVI Publishing Inc., Westport, CT. "Joy of Cooking" also has an extensive section on the different types of baking powders and the advantage of each in baking.

[Minni]

Depaali,

I am no veteran. I am just a little curious!:)
I usually like to know "what, why and how" when learning new things.
When I get triggered, I end up filling up forums/friends with my looooooooong, sometimes boring postings! :)

Thanks for bearing with my postings forumhub friends!

Minni

[Minni]

I shall post the recipe for the breads I promised, but however, I should post in detail some info about bread baking as a process.

1 pound loaf of Old fashioned White Bread
Source: My bread machine's Instruction manual

Ingredients:
6 ounces(3/4) cup milk ( 90-100 deg F)
2 cups Bread flour
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Butter/margarine
(1+1/2 tsp Active dry yeast
Or
1 tsp fast rise yeast/bread machine yeast/instant yeast)

Mix all the dry ingredients including yeast and then the liquids. Knead till soft. Let it rise covered in a warm corner for 1 hour. Then gently punch it down a little and shape it into a loaf and then let it rise in a warm oven covered in a loaf pan for 1- 1 1/2 hours and then remove the cover and bake in a 350 degree pre heated oven for 40-45 minutes. The doneness is tested by tapping the bottom of the loaf till you hear a hollow sound.

Let the loaf cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes before you invert it onto a cooling rack. Wait till its totally cooled to cut a slice out of it.

The way to measure bread flour in this recipe is using a scoop to take the flour and then filling it lightly into the cup measure and leveling it.

[Minni]

1 pound loaf of Egg Bread

Well, the procedure remains the same. But the proportions of the ingredients used are as follows:

6 ounces(3/4 cup) water ( 90-100 deg F)
2 cups Bread Flour
1 tablespoon dry milk(like carnation dry milk)
1+ 1/2 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Butter/margarine
(1+1/2 tsp Active dry yeast
Or
1 tsp fast rise yeast/bread machine yeast/instant yeast)

[Kavitha Ravi]

MOIST CHOCLATE CAKE

250 grms butter
250 grms castor sugar
4 large eggs A grade

Sift together

70 grms Cocoa powder
150 grms self- raising flour
¼ cup evaporated milk

Method

Line a 22cm round cake tin with greased, grease proof paper.
Cream butter and castor sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in sifted dry ingredients one- third at a time.
Lastly stir in the evaporated milk.

Turn the mixture into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven 175oC for 45—50 minutes or until cooked

[Minni]

We encounter these terms on a regular basis...so I thought a little insight helps understand them better.

Enriched and Fortified Foods

Many foods are either enriched or fortified with vitamins and minerals.

What Does Enriched Mean?

Enriched means that vitamins or minerals have been added to the food. The vitamins and minerals are added to replace the original vitamins and minerals that were lost during the refining process. For example, if the food originally had iron, but the iron was lost during the refining process, the food will be 'enriched' to add the iron back into the food.

Consumers often think enriched means 'added vitamins and minerals'. This assumption is incorrect. Enriched mearly means to replace what was lost during the refining process.

What Does Fortified Mean?

Fortified means that vitamins or minerals have been added to the food in addition to the levels that were originally found before the food was refined. When foods are fortified, they will have more vitamins and minerals after they are refined than they did before they are refined. Common fortified foods are: milk (fortified with vitamin D) and salt (fortified with iodine).

"Fortified" is often misued by companies who produce cereal and fruit drinks. Cereal boxes will often say 'fortified with essential vitamins and minerals'. The cereal usually contains high amounts of sugar. Adding vitamins and minerals to the cereal gives it more nutritional value, but it doesn't change the high amount of sugar that is present.

For those interested in further reading about "How to read labels"
I have an interesting link at motherearthnews.com (http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1989_March_April/How_to_Read_a_Food_Label)

[Minni]

Excellent Kavitha, I am glad you posted the recipe with proportions by weight.

Castor Sugar that Kavitha referred to is "super fine sugar" as its termed in the US.
"Castor or caster sugar" is the name of a very fine sugar in Britain, so named because the grains are small enough to fit though a sugar "caster" or sprinkler. It is sold as "superfine" sugar in the United States. Because of its fineness, it dissolves more quickly than regular white sugar, and so is especially useful in meringues and cold liquids. It is not as fine as confectioner’s sugar, which has been crushed mechanically (and generally mixed with a little starch to keep it from clumping).

If you don’t have any castor sugar on hand, you can make your own by grinding granulated sugar for a couple of minutes in a food processor.

Thanks.
Minni

[Kavitha Ravi]

CHOCKLATE CHEESE CAKE

Brown sugar 168 grms
Self rising flour 168 grms
Cocoa 56 grms
Butter 168 grms
Eggs 4
Whipping cream 200 ml
Cream Cheese 250 grms + 2tbls brown sugar
Essence vanilla 1 tsp

METHOD

Grease a 21 cm springform tin.
Shift the flour with the cocoa.
Cream the sugar with the butter.
Add in the eggs one by one.
Add the flour little by little.
Add in the essence.
Now beat the cream cheese with the cream and the brown sugar.
Pour half the batter in the greased tin.
Now pour the cream cheese mixture on top.
Now pour the rest of the batter covering the cream cheese.
Bake in a oven 165 oC for half an hour or till the cake is cooked

[ziaxxxxx]

helo..i am glad this thread has begun!...the thing is...whenevr i use store bought cake mixes and bake cakes in teh microwave..the results are very good .. but whne i make cake mix frum scratch or when i make cookies frum the basic ingredients...the cookies never cook proeprly..they are allwyays flat and very soft. not at all crisp like the ones availible in stores ..if i heat them more..tehy get burned..i dont use electric oven...only the microwave...can somebody PLEASE give me a good recipe for crisp chocolate chip cookies and other types of cookies and cakes to bake in the microwave along with the exact temperatures ( in degree celsius)??

[g's mom]

Hi Kavitha

I tried your moist chocolate cake recipe ( sans the egg )
I used evaporated milk and baking soda/powder as told by minni
The only thing is that with out egg 350F seemed a little high for the oven temperature.

Learnt it the hard way.... I reduced it to 320 and it was ok.... but by then the cocoa pwd got burnt some what and it gave a slightly bitter taste..... but it turned out waaaaaaaaay tooooo good from what I had expected ( all my earlier attempts to bake a eggless cake was not so good or should I say bad )

thanks
g's mom

[ash_970]

Dear All,

Any one has tried making puff pastry at home.

Based on the recipes available on net I tried once and instead of

getting puff pastry after baking the end product was some where

between biscuit and cookie... :lol:

While I was dreaming of getting a fine ,layered, crisp end product . :oops:

I did finished the so called biscuits with tea as a snack .. 8) ...

Can any one help me there how to prepare puff pastry ..it's my

wish to bake a nice pastry

[Minni]

Hi Ash,

Have you ever had a croissant ?
Its flaky too like a puff pastry. Basically, how a croissant or any other flaky texture is made is : you need to fold several layers of dough brushing each layer with fat like butter or margarine.
Did your experiment involved several foldings?

Let us know,

Minni

[ash_970]

Hi Minni,

Yes , I did followed the folding and applying butter and keeping
aside in freeze and again folding and applying butter as the original recipe had recommended but the end product was a nice crisp biscuit instead of the layered version... :oops:

Though the taste was good.... :wink:

If you have made the the croisants with success , please let me know the right method I should follow

[Minni]

Ash,
Haven't experimented it cos of the fat contents! I am "TRYING" to be on a deit :)

However, that motivates me to try out croissants myself. Will let you know the results of my experiment.

Minni

[kavithasenthil]

Hi,
Anybody have a recipe for varuki or varki which is famous in erode and ooty.?

[ash_970]

Hi Minni,
You are allowed to bake and cook even you are on diet ...we will eat and you will bake... :lol: ...just joking ...I have a funny bone.

Will wait for your croissant trial...let me know how it goes..thanks for considering the request..Cheerrss!!!!!!!!

[tastemakers]

Hai Minni

Have you tried making Danish cookies . I would like to try them . If you have the recipie can you please post it.

Thanks in advance

priya

[Minni]

Banana Walnut Cake

A very simple cake. Whenever I am left with that last couple over riped bananas, I make this cake. Especially, it seems to have appealed my kiddie friends! :)

I tried both the versions with/without Egg and had good results. Can be made in a regular cake pan or in a muffin pan. The only difference is the time to bake considerably reduces(to 30 minutes approximately) if you use a muffin pan.

Ingredients:

1 c Sifted Cake flour
1.5 c Regular White Sugar
1/2 c = 1 stick = 1/4 lb Room Temperature Unsalted butter
1/2 c Walnuts or any other nuts(I like Cashew nuts)
1 tbsp Vanilla Essence/Banana Essence/Mixed Fruit Essence
1 1/2 to 2 mashed Very ripe Bananas
1 tbsp Extra flour for dusting

With Eggs:
2 Eggs
(1/2 tsp Baking powder + 1/2 tsp Baking Soda + 1/2 tsp Salt)

Without Eggs:
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
(4tsp Baking Powder + 1/2 tsp Baking Soda + 1/2 tsp Salt)

Note: If cake flour is not available, using the substitutions that I suggested in the previous posts...you can use the appropriate flours.

Method:

Measure all the ingredients and get organized before you begin to make the batter. The butter should be soft.

Sift the cake flour, scoop into a measuring cup, scrape a knife across the top of the cup to level it, and measure 1 cup in a separate bowl. Measure the salt, baking powder & baking soda and add to the flour. Mix together. Butter the insides of a 8 in cake pan/muffin pan.
With an extra tablespoon or so of flour in the pan and turn it all around so the pan is completely dusted with flour. Turn the pan upside down, and tap the edge on the table to let the extra flour fall out.

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees F.
Now everything is ready to make the batter. Beat the butter with a wooden spoon or in a mixer until light and fluffy(3 minutes). Add the sugar and beat again until very fluffy and light yellow(approximately 6 to 8 minutes). This is what it means to cream the butter and sugar.

With Eggs:
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition(30 seconds). Add Mashed bananas. Fold the flour into the mixture.

Without Eggs:
Add Mashed bananas.
Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Gently fold in the walnuts into the batter. Add vanilla(essence) and continue to beat until just mixed. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Level batter in the pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake.
Depending on your oven and size of the pan used bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until done.

When is it done?
Open the oven door, insert a tooth pick in each pan at the center, and remove it. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done. If not, continue baking closing the oven door for another 5 minutes and check again.

Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely. Frosting is optional. I like mine without frosting. So if you want you can spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a layered cake.


Let me know your experiences.

Minni

[Minni]

Hi Tastemaker,

I haven't tried any Danish cookies. What variety interests you ?

Let me know.

Thanks,
Minni

[tastemakers]

Hai Minni

The plain ones and the ones with butter my daughter likes them a lot

[Minni]

Wonder how cheesecake is made ?
Yes ofcourse its with cheese, infact its cream cheese...yes like Philedelphia cream cheese! :D
Thought I would post a Basic Cheesecake recipe today and later on I can suggest several variations to it.

For beginners, a word of encouragement:
Its simpler than the traditional flour cakes. And needs the least amount of expertise. Its the first cake I ever learnt to make.
I was scared of baking cakes for some years as my very first two experiments had disastrous results to the utter dissappointment of the b'day guy/girl whoever's birthday party I was hosting.
But with a friend's encouragement I tried out this cake for another friend's Surprise B'day that I was hosting. The B'day friend savoured it for few more days saving the cake.

Basic Cheese Cake

Well, the basic ingredients are as follows:

3 - Eight oz Packages of Room temperature Cream Cheese
1 c graham crackers(usually 12 crackers measure up to it, i.e., 1 1/2
packets.
1/2 cup or 1 stick Room Temperature Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
5 Eggs or 1 1/4 cup Evaporated Milk
1 tbsp any essence, I like Mixed Fruit essence the best, but you can use Vanilla too.
1/2 tsp Salt
If using Evaporated milk, please add 2-4 tsp of Baking Powder + 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
1/2 tub Cool Whip

Special Requirements:
You would need a 9 in springfoam pan to make this cake as it cannot be overturned onto a cooling rack.
What if you do not have one ?
You can line the inside of your cakepan with a double or triple layer of heavy duty aluminum foil such that you have enough wrapped around the pan so serve as handles to pull the cake out of the pan. You get the idea of what I am talking about! Good!

Method:

Get organized before you begin to make the batter. The creamcheese should be at room temperature.
Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Crumble the graham crackers coarsely. Melt the butter and add it to the coarsely crumbled graham crackers. Now pour this into the cake pan and with the bottom of a steel glass or a measuring cup(anything that has a flat bottom) spread it as evenly as possible through out the pan. Some crumbs would rise to the walls of the pan. Let them be so.
Now bake this cake pan with the crumbs in the 450 degree oven for 4-6 minutes.If you bake any longer the crumbs give a bitter taste for the end product. This blind baking is basically to ensure the crumbs stay in plac(crisp) when you pour the batter into it and bake.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, beat the creamcheese(all 3 eight oz packets) and add sugar, salt, (baking powder+baking soda) and cream for about 5-8 minutes. Now add eggs(one at a time beating 30 seconds after each addition)/ evaporated milk and beat for couple minutes. Now add vanilla essence or any other essence you like.

This batter is rather loose, i.e., thinner in consistency when compared to flour batters. Thats perfectly the way it is supposed to be.

Pour the batter into the blind baked cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Watch for doneness when using a different sized cake pan. When is it done ? When it is not any more runny in the center of the cake. It usually becomes a little brown on the top. Thats perfectly fine. You may observe a crack or so. Do not wory about it too.

When done, turn off the oven and leave the oven door ajar and let the cake cool in the oven for 15 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool completely. Then in the little trough that formed due to the sinking of the top, fill in the coolwhip. You can decorate the cake with chocolate bar shavings or cherries or strawberries.

Refrigerate atleast 6 hours before serving it.

For more enthusiasts, I suggest you fill a small layer of any kind of berries/cherries on the bottom of the blind baked crumbs in the cake pan before pouring in the batter. This way when cut, the cake looks layered and so it tastes. When using berries, you can reduce the amount of sugar added in this recipe.

I never fancied cheesecake before I made one myself. So even if you are not cheesecake fans, try it and let me know how you liked it.

Minni

[Minni]

Tastemakers and Ash,

I haven't yet tried the requests you've made. I apologize for the delay. I will let you know.

Thanks,
Minni

[nutcr0cker]

Does nay one have the recipe & method for the ultra soft cakes they have in Indian bakery's in India. Is it possible to make it @ home? I haven't seen any soft cakes in the US. Any one know how to?

Regards

[kala chandra]

Hi,

Try this English cheese cake. Its yummmmmmeeeee.

250gms Philadelphia cream cheese
80gms butter
3 Eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
60gms plain flour
20gms corn flour
120gms sugar

Method:
1. Beat the cream cheese butter and half the sugar in the medium speed for 5 min. Then add egg yolk and lemon juice.

2. Mix corn flour and plain flour and sieve.
3. Whisk egg white separately andadd sugar.
4. Add flour mixture to No 1 and whisk and stir.
5. Now add the stiff egg white to the above mixture and stir in one direction.
6. Pour the mixture into a 7" cake tin.
7. Steam Bake: Place the 7" tin in a 10" tin.
Fill the 10" tin with hot water half way.
8.Bake at 170C for 45min in a pre-heated oven.
9. cool in a cold water.
This recipe is taken from the chef of English and Japanese restaurant in tokyo.

kala

[Pammi Randhawa]

Hi Kala,
Can u or any one post a good recipe of BLACK FOREST ?
I jus love it.

[vm]

can anybody post the recipe for Cassata ice cream

[gaya3usa]

Minni .... wonderful contribution :D
Keep it up !!

I am going to try banana nut cake and will post my feedback to this thread .

Thank you

Gayathri.

[kala chandra]

Black forest cake

part A
8 Eggs white
1/2tsp Tartar
6 ozs Brown sugar

Part B
4 oz Cold water
8 Eggs yolk
5 oz corn oil
1tbls Choc Emulco
8 ozs optima Flour or any plain flour
3 ozs Hongkong flour
1 oz cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

Part C
2 tins dark pitted cherries with syrup
4 ozs sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp instsnt jelly
2tsp butter
2 tsp corn flour

Method
part A : Beat egg white and tartar first add sugar and beat till the batter become stiff.

Part B : Mix baking powder and cocoa powder and sieve. Then add all ingredients and mix well.

Part C : Drain the cherries and keep the juice. Take a small portion of the sugar syrup add corn flour and mix well. Keep aside. Boil other ingredients except cherries.At last add the corn flour mixture and then cherries. cool it.
Add B to A and mix.
Bake the cake in a two 10" round cake tins for abot 45 mins at 200c. Do not line the cake tin. After that cool the cake with up side down. After cooling cut the cake in to 3 layers. In the bottem layer, brush rum and tube the cream in several lines. place the cooked cherries and syrup in between the lines. Place the next layer press slightly. Do the same. To the top layer do not brush rum. Apply cream and choco rice and dress it with cherries and sugar flowers. Dress as you wish.

[Pammi Randhawa]

Hi Kala,
U are a dear. Lemme try it out when we have some long week end hols.
Thanx once again.

[rajsand]

Minni good job! Will have to try your breads and cakes.. seems very interesting.

Thanks and keep up the good work
rajsand

[nutcr0cker]

What is Hongkong flour ?

[Minni]

Nutocraker,
I haven't heard of hongkong flour before. However, my "googling" resulted in obtaining the following information.

Hong Kong Flour
Hong Kong flour is an all-purpose flour that is highly bleached. Pau that is made with Hong Kong flour will turn out whiter than those made with normal flour. Hong Kong flour is most suitable for making steamed pau. It is available at specialist cake shops or in large supermarkets.

Chocolate Emulco: Chocolate essence

Pammi, let us know how your cake turned out. I have not made that cake before. So, your input would help the rest of us.

VM, Sorry, I am not familiar with such an icecream.

Gayathri, sure do let us know the result.

Kala, thats a sought after recipe. Have you made this cake ?
Thanks.

Rajsand, sure you can try the cakes. About breads, I am yet to post the promised "bread making primer". It would help understand bread making better before attempting to make them.

I shall post couple of interesting variations of 1-2-3-4 cake that would help you concoct recipes for your own variety of cakes.

Ok guys,
Have a good weekend!

Minni

[nutcr0cker]

Tired the black forest cake with all the ingrediants except the hongkong flour which is substituted with self rising flour. The cake did fluff up when I baked it but the moment I cooled it, it just was a disaster.
regards

[kala chandra]

Hi

I have not tried this cake myself. But I have seen the same procedures, done by my baking instructor.
Hi Nutcr0cker
your over temp is too high. that's why your cake shrunk.
kala

[nutcr0cker]

I used it @ 400 degree farenheit( 200 degree centigrade) is that too much. Can you suctitute the hongkong flour with the bleached flour? I am still wondering bout the bakers in India who deliver the cake in like 45 minutes and still is ultra soft.

[tomato]

Could anyone post the recipe of 'Plum Cake'. The cake I'm talking abt is a dark brown, rich fruit cake with a lot of nuts, cherries and raisins in it. (not really sure abt plums :wink: ) It is available in most bakeries in Karnataka. I used to love it as a kid ( and I still like it now). I have searched for this cake recipe in a lot of baking books, but none seem to have the rich brown colour.
Appreciate it if someone could help me on this.

[rsankar]

Hello,

Here is the simple and delicious "Chocolate Frozen Yogurt" recipe, from the book of "THE CHOCOLATE COOKBOOK" .

This dark, chocolate frozen yogurt is so creamy and delicious it's hard to believe it is so easy to make. Not only that-it is a dieter's answer to prayers-low fat!

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

1.2 1/2 pts plain low fat yogurt
300 g/11 oz sugar
75 g/ 3 oz cocoa powder
15 ml/1 tbsp skinned milk powder
dissolved in 15-30 ml/ 1-2 tbsp milk or water


Method :

In a bowl with a wire whisk, mix together yogurt, sugar, cocoa and dissolved skimmed milk powder until smooth and well blended and sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour, until cold.

Transfer yogart mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; this mixture will not freeze as hard as ice cream. Transfer to a freezerproof serving bowl or container and freeze 3-4 hours, until firm.
(Frozen yogurt can be stored in the freezer 2-3 weeks in a freezer-proo container)


Variation

For mocha frozen yogurt, use coffee flavoured low fat yogurt and add 15 ml/ 1 tbsp instant espresso or coffee powder, or experiment with other flavours.

enjoy!

[Kavitha Ravi]

Dear tomato,
I found this recipe in my mum-in-laws file.
She has taken it from the old forum.
It's from a hubber called funcook.
I hope you like it




A generic recipe for this type cake would be for every 250 gms of flour use the same amount of butter, sugar, dried candied fruits, 1/4 tsp baking powder, some dark rum or brandy and 2 eggs. To the candied fruits, sprinkle some flour, add the liquor and mix, keep aside. Sift ap flour with the baking powder. Whisk butter in a bowl. Add sugar and whisk till creamy. Add eggs and beat really well as this might curdle. Add dark caramel, which could be made by browning and burning sugar in a thick pan. Fold in the flour and mix gently. Fold in the candied fruits. Pour cake mix in a tin lined with brown paper. Make a dent in the center, so that when cake rises in the proces of baking, it dies not peak too much in the middle. Place in a preheated oven at 170 C. Cook for almost 1 1/2 hours or till done. Remove, let stand for 1/2 hour, unmould cake carefully and place on a wire rack for some time to cool. Leave it in the lined paper until ready to consume.

[ziaxxxxx]

i would like to know of one thing: the recipes that evryone has posted is used in the normal electric oven.....if they are to be used in the microwave...do we have to pre heat the microwave oven?? wont the oven get spoiled this way?? also.....do the temperatyres have t be changed or can we bake at teh same temp as in the electric oven???

[napolims445]

PREHEAT THE MICROWAVE OVEN??? :shock:
U never preheat a microwave oven. Did u mean toaster oven?
:?:

[tomato]

Hello Kavitha Ravi,

Thank you for posting the cake recipe. I could not follow the caramel part of it. How much caramel do we add and is the sugar used for caramel from the quantity measured out or do we need extra sugar for it.

[Kavitha Ravi]

Dear tomato, you take 1 tablespoon of sugar (that would be about 30 grms) from the given amount, and make the caramel.

[ziaxxxxx]

dear napolims....in some recipes...it is said to preheat the electric oven for around 5 to 10 mins..b4 we actually put in the cake / cookie for baking....my question is .....do we have to pre heat even the microwave??? also ...do we need to alter anythig in the recipes to suit micrwave ovens......like temperatures , ingredients ;ike butter, water etc etc ???

[napolims445]

There is no way u can preheat the microwave oven.Because the microwave oven cannot hold the temperatures as it works on different technique than normal electric ovens.
I have come across microwave oven recipes sometimes over the net and the quantities of ingredients vary to suit microwave ovens.
In short- U cannot use the exact recipes for microwave oven as given for the electric ovens.

I have tried to bake cake in microwave ovens a couple of times based on microwave recipes found on net but everytime it was a disaster.
May be u could try stove top cake recipes. I do not know any recipes but my mother used to bake cake back in india on stovetop.

[sk]

Hi,

Does any of you know how to make salt and sweet butter biscuit (which we get in India)?.Can you plz post it here?.


Thanx a ton in advance
sk

[R]

Hello Napolims,

I also heard about making cake on stove top. But, which vessel does yr mother use? Becoz, using cooker for cake making will spoil the bottom and the lifetime of the same will be short.

Some people makes biscuits using the iron vanali putting sand as a base; that flavor will be totally different than our current biscuits.

[rajsand]

Hello Minni
Can you help me with this.. I want to try brownies.. I have looked into various books but never got a recipe of brownies without eggs. I dont bring eggs home and neither eat .. so can you please tell me how can i substitute eggs ? Will condensed milk help.. I think the cake will not be spongy if condensed milk is used!!
Thankyou

[bhargavi.raj]

Hi Rajsand,
I also don't eat eggs or meat and neither cook with them. I like a lot of store brought cakemixes and I use Organic Egg subsitute that is available in the grocery store. It turns all my cakes good and it does it job too.Also there are lots of readymade premeasured brownie mixes that u can get in the grocery stores,u can jazz it up by adding ur fav nuts and even add some expresso/coffee to it. So try it out. I also wanna know Minni's answer for ur query abt the brownie recipe and also the condensed milk.
Cheers,
Bhargavi.Raj

[Seethab]

Hi Bhargavi:

Thanks for your valuable inputs. Can you specify the name of the egg substitute?

Seetha

[Kavitha Ravi]

[tscii:53141350a1]Try this simple fruit cake


FRUIT CAKE


Self rising flour 224 grms
Butter 168 grms
Eggs 4
Brown sugar 168 grms
Fruit mix 250 grms
Ground almond ½ cup
Nutmeg powder ½ tsp
Brandy ,orange juice to soak the fruits

METHOD

Soak the mixed fruits in brandy and orange juice a day earlier.
Grease a 21cmx 14 cm loaf tin and line with grease paper..
Add some flour to the drained fruits. ( Keep the juice to add to batter later )
Cream the sugar and butter.
Add in the eggs one by one.
Add in the flour, and nutmeg powder, and the ground almond.
Add the brandy if the batter is too thick.
Lastly add in the mixed fruits. With flour.
Turn mixture in a prepared tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 165 oC for an hour or till the cake is done.
Cool the cake in the tin before turning out.


Note: can soak the fruits in orange juice if you do not like brandy

[/tscii:53141350a1]

[rajsand]

Thanks Bhargavi,
I have seen the cake mixes but somehow not fascinated to use them.
My mother and sister bake lot of cakes but use only condensed milk.. I shall post the recipe for the authentic eggless cake .. there is no way it will turn bad.. VERY tasty and we have been doing it for yrs.
You mentioned about the egg substitute.. can you tell me which brand .. 'energ' ?? I wanted to try it.
Can we use them to make muffins, pancakes and pudding ?

Thanx again bhargavi.

[Minni]

[tscii:4eb97baedd]rajsand,

This is an often asked question: how to replace eggs in a particular recipe. With cakes, I tried replacing it with evaporated milk, with a measure like 1 large egg equals 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Also added a couple tsp more of baking powder for the leavening action.

Brownie is a rich chocolate cake with nuts. So the same substitution should work.

Personally, chocolate in cakes does not appeal to me as much...so I limit my experiments in this respect. Sorry that I cannot give you a tested recipe.

However, my recipe DB retrieved a couple recipes if you would want to try by substitution.

This following recipe is that of Foodnetwork star chef Ina Garten, and many reviews seemed to have declared it the ultimate. She is a chocolate queen, so no doubt this recipe must have been a hit.
The secret ingredient (revealed by Ina Garten in one of her shows) of any chocolate based dessert seems to be the coffee element. So do remember to somehow incorporate it to enjoy the real taste of chocolate.

Outrageous Brownies
Copyright (c) 1999 by Ina Garten
Makes 20 Large Brownies

Inspiration for this recipe came from the Chocolate Glob in the SoHo Charcuterie Cookbook published by William Morrow in 1982. In its heyday, the SoHo Charcuterie was the cutting edge of New York restaurants. The giant confection was a blob of chocolate dough filled with chocolate chips and nuts. I though I could make a brownie with almost the same formula. Theyíve been flying out the door for fifteen years!

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces bitter chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of the chocolate chips, and the
bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs,
coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture
into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven self to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Notes: Flouring the chips and walnuts keeps them for sinking to the bottom. It is very important to allow the batter to cool well before adding the chocolate chips, or the chips will melt and ruin the brownies. This recipe can be baked up to a week in advance, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated.

Another recipe from anonymous source( I did not record).

Eggless Brownies


8 tsp. oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. chocolate extract
1 tbsp. plain lowfat yogurt
3/8 c. cold water
3/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing until blended.
With a spoon, make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing with a spoon. Pour into a well in dry mixture. Stir until all ingredients are moistened.

Place batter in a 4 x 8 inch nonstick loaf pan or one that has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes.
Cool in pan on wire rack.

Brownie Success Tips

Use the size pan specified in the recipe. To check the width of a pan, measure across the top from inside edge to inside edge.

Cut the baked brownie recipe into bars, squares or other shapes when completely cool unless the recipe specifies differently. This helps prevent the bars from crumbling.

Store bar cookies or brownies in a tightly covered container, or leave them in the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Brownie Baking Tips from Hershey.

Hope one of these recipes helps!

[/tscii:4eb97baedd]

[Minni]

To understand what purpose egg serves in a particular recipe is very important to replace/substitute it with something equivalent in that respect.

The following is an article from www.veganviews.org.uk, that might enlighten us on this topic more:

Eggs have four uses in baked goods: liquid, leavening, lightness, and binding.

Liquid is easily replaced using two tablespoons of water, soya milk, juice, or vegetable stock for each egg. Eggless cake batters are thicker than eggy ones, so add extra liquid cautiously. Eggless cakes are also moist, so generously oil the cake tin.

Leavening is when carbon dioxide is released in a batter or dough to add lightness to a mixture. Yeast does this in bread, and an alkaline reaction does it in cakes and quickbreads where alkaline baking powder and soda react with moisture or other more acidic ingredients.

Beating eggs incorporates air into them, contributing to the leavening. When not using eggs, the acid-alkaline reaction must be increased. Either replace each egg with an extra half teaspoon of baking powder, or replace the milk or water with a more acidic liquid such as soya yoghurt or add two teaspoons of lemon juice for every cup of soya milk. Dilute any acidic liquid added to half strength with water to prevent a gluey batter.

Lightness can be achieved by gentle handling as well as proper leavening. Thoroughly beat the fat and the sweetener together to incorporate air. Handle the finished batter gently to keep it from deflating when transferring the pan to the oven.

Binding makes recipes stick together. Binders are particularly useful in cakes, pancakes, fritters, and biscuit batters. Eggless cakes can be crumbly and biscuits spread out and lose their shape. Grease and flour oven trays to help biscuits stay together. Adding a mashed banana to baked goods binds them, as long as the banana flavour blends in.

Commercial egg replacers bind well and also help leavening, but are expensive and not very nutritious. You can make your own egg replacer by mixing together 1/2 cup of arrowroot and 1/2 cup soy flour. Store in a tightly covered jar. Two tablespoons equal one egg and will bind most at standard cakes and quick breads. The soya flour adds to the nutritive value.

Another substitute for one egg is 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and two tablespoons of water. This works especially well in cakes and biscuit recipes with only one egg.

Replacing eggs in other foods

Eggs are used in many other foods and replacing them is not always easy. Where eggs are used to hold food together - such as casseroles, burgers, vegetable dishes, and bean and grain loaves, there are many alternatives.

Mashed potato or avocado, tahini, and nut butters all act to bind food.

Wholegrain and nuts make a crumbly mixture so a soft and sticky binder is needed.

Breadcrumbs or oats bind bean burgers, while nut butters bind grain burgers.

A good binder for loaves is: for each egg boiled one tablespoon of oats in 5 tablespoons of water and used immediately.

Eggs also act as an emulsifier of fat - that is keeping it in suspension rather then separating out. The lecithin in tofu acts as an emulsifier when oil is added slowly, so tofu can be used to make mayonnaise: the classic example of emulsified fat.

[Minni]

BTW, I do not recollect who asked for a recipe for pav bhaji buns.

But I happenned to google to a recipe from an indian source that specializes in eggless baking. They declared that their cakes without eggs cannot be distinguished to those of with eggs. Wow! :roll:
I am yet to try this one out...but for their loud reputation on the internet, this seems to work perfectly the way it is supposed to.

Pav for Pav Bhaji, Wada Pav et...... :
www.sonjuhi.com
250 gms. Flour (High Gluten Flour)/bread flour
190 mls.Water
10 gms.Yeast(they mean active dry yeast)
5 gms.Salt

Method :
Sieve the flour , make well in it. Add the yeast. Add the water and knead into a soft dough.
Add in the salt and knead into the dough.
Cover it with cling film and keep it till double in size ( 1st proving about 45 minutes).
Knock the dough and divide into 8 equal portions and shape into pav shape (cylindrical).

Arrange on a baking tray and cover with a plastic bag and prove again ( 2nd proving till double in size).

Bake at 200' C for 15 minutes. Remove and brush it all over with light fat.

[nutcr0cker]

I found that rather than using the commericially available butter you get a lot better results with using home made butter since it is less dry.You get a soft moist cake.
Heres how:
1. Beat the heavy cream for two minutes at high in a blender.
2. remove the contents to a microwaveable bowl.
3. Heat the contents for 90 secs or untill slightly hot.
4. Beat the contents in a mixture for a few seconds.
5. Add 7-8 ice cubes and beat again for couple of minutes and there you have it home made soft butter good for cakes or even good with maska bun :)

Tutty fruity is not available in the US market, but you can easily get candied dried papaya at sprouts or any other farmers market. Mostly orange in color.
You can soak small cut peices in green or red food color for 4-5 hours till the papaya pieces catches the color. Cake made from this mixture would taste like the fruitcakes available in indian bakeries.

Regards
Nutcr0cker

[Minni]

nutcr0cker,

How much butter can you get using 1/2 gal heavy whipping cream ?

Thanks,
Minni

[rajsand]

Hello Minni
Your input is appreciated. I am going to work on the egg substitute (arrowroot and soy flour) I am sure it will work. But would we get arrowroot in Indian stores in US?
Thankyou so much for the recipes and sonjuhi site. Sonjuhi is a famous lady in mumbai who runs cooking classes.. and specializes in deserts! I once happen to join her class but could not go as it was too far from my home..
I will try the brownie recipe and let you know.

Thanks a lot for all the effort taken in writing the details. really helps..Good Wishes to you
Sandhya

[rajsand]

I have one more question.
I have seen recipes using yeast (bread and buns)
I assume it is fresh yeast. But if I have active dry yeast, should the qty be half the fresh yeast qty added to the recipe?
and is there any other ingredient to be added in order to replace the effect of fresh yeast?

Thankyou, your inputs are valuable
Sandhya

[nutcr0cker]

nutcr0cker,

How much butter can you get using 1/2 gal heavy whipping cream ?

Thanks,
Minni

I got 256 gms of butter from 473 ml heavy cream

[Minni]

Rajsand,

Before you experiment with the brownie recipes, I have some input. Actually I tried both the recipes today. Had encountered a mishap too!So more experienced now!
I recommend both the recipes to be tweaked to suit our tastes.

Well, the goodnews is I liked the eggless one better than the Ina Garten's recipe. Ina Gartens recipe needs to be adjusted a little bit too.

Well, here are my modified versions:
Outrageous brownies, I made half the proportions mentioned.

Outrageous Brownies
Copyright (c) 1999 by Ina Garten
Makes 20 Large Brownies

1 pound unsalted butter(4 sticks of butter)
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips(approximately 5 cups of semi sweet morsels)
6 ounces bitter chocolate, i.e., 3/4 cup or 3/4 bar of one 8oz bar.
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar(this happenned to be little too sweet, hence would recommend reducing the sugar to atmost 2 cups, 1 3/4 cups would be ideal)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.
*********
----Okay, I made a mistake here...which cost me dearly...i used a cookie sheet 1/2 thick but which can accomodate batter for the batch...but it overflowed into my oven and smoke all over. I forgot to place it in a larger sheet to take care of spills....Now all the mess to be cleaned!
Any ways, I recommend using a regular rectangular cake pan/lasagna pan so that even when it rises in the oven it does not overflow. Also place an aluminium foil spread around it so as to catch the spills if any.
Rest of the procedure seemed to work just okay.
****************

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of the chocolate chips, and the
bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs,
coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture
into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven self to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Notes: Flouring the chips and walnuts keeps them for sinking to the bottom. It is very important to allow the batter to cool well before adding the chocolate chips, or the chips will melt and ruin the brownies. This recipe can be baked up to a week in advance, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated.

Another recipe from anonymous source( I did not record).
***** Though anonymous....this recipe worked just fine for me...
Need to double or even triple the proportions to make enough batter to line 1in thick in a rectangular cake pan.

Eggless Brownies


8 tsp. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. Coffee granules
8 or 9 tbsp. Milk
3/4 c. cake flour
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/2tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
Measure and mix the wet ingredientsin another bowl and whisk them for half a minute. Now, add the dry ingredients and mix till well coated. Make sure no lumps remain in the batter. If the batter is not yet in a pouring consistency, add a tbsp more of milk.
In case you like nuts...you can add 1/4 cup of chopped ones to this batter.
Place batter in a rctangular cake pan/lasagna pan nonstick loaf pan or one that has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes.
Cool in pan on wire rack.

Make sure its totally cooled before you attempt to cut into bars or squares.


Hope my input helps.

About arrowroot powder it should be available in indian stores. Basically you can use even corn starch in place of arrowroot powder. As I have tested the eggless one, you can try it out with the suggested modified recipe.

About yeast...I am in making of my primer for breads to post..wihich would explain clearly all different kinds of yeasts and their substitutions as well.
Well, in general breads ask for active dry yeast. Ofcourse its more potent than the fresh yeast and has a longer shelf life. So unless specified you should assume it to be active dry yeast for breads.

Minni

[rajsand]

Thankyou very much Minni
I want to try the Brownies this week. I plan to use cornflour and soy flour in place of Eggs..
Will get back to you after my experience
You input is very helpful.. no doubt
Thanx again

[Sowmya]

hi friends
Please pardon my ignorance and clear my basic doubt...
Is it possible to bake cakes in microwave oven?Will there be a diff in measures of ingredients used for the recipes?
I happened to read some where that if MW ovens are used instead of conventional ovens the cooking time/baking time is reduced...
Please clarify

regds
Sowmya

[deepali128]

Hi Minni,

i decided to bake a cake and went to buy the baking stuffs.but i couldn't find vanila essence and baking powder in super Target. baking soda is diff from baking powder is it? and what abt essence what does they call it.
sorry for trouble.

deepali

[Minni]

Deepali,

You may find Vanilla essence termed as "Pure Vanilla Extract". Super Target should have it as I find lot of other baking stuff there.
About Baking powder, yes, baking soda is different from Baking powder. For explanation of how and why please refer to page 2 of this thread where I posted some information in this regard. The popular brand is a rose red colored cylinder like tin, named "RUMFORD" double acting Baking powder.
In the case you are not able to find it yourself, seek help from an assocoate and they would help you find it.

Good luck baking your first cake!

Sowmya, one word answer to your question is "YES" its possible. But its going to be very different from the usual ones. I am working on it to describe why and how the cake baked in microwave is going to be different from conventional oven. I haven't tried any of the microwave cake recipes yet but will post the feedback soon.

Minni

[g's mom]

hey Minni

I tried making buns( masala bun ) at home( recipe from sonjuhi.com)
I am not sure where I went wrong.... I used exact proportions of ingredients and the oven temp ( 375 ) the buns had a hard crust..... not sure what I am doign wrong... I have tried so many other recipes and the end result is the same.... soft inside but a very hard crust...... please let me know what I am doing wrong..... I want a bun that is similar to taste and texture as we get in indian bakeries....

thanks
g"s mom

[nutcr0cker]

hey Minni

I tried making buns( masala bun ) at home( recipe from sonjuhi.com)
I am not sure where I went wrong.... I used exact proportions of ingredients and the oven temp ( 375 ) the buns had a hard crust..... not sure what I am doign wrong... I have tried so many other recipes and the end result is the same.... soft inside but a very hard crust...... please let me know what I am doing wrong..... I want a bun that is similar to taste and texture as we get in indian bakeries....

thanks
g"s mom

I think the temperatures suggested in the recipes for bun is a bit excessive attributed to the lack of eggs. Try using 250-300 degree farenheit. I tried the sweet buns but used the bread flour turned out pretty good. Maybe it would be better with cake flour.

[g's mom]

can u tell me what changes u made to the recipe aprt from the bread flour and also the oven temp

thanks g's mom

[Minni]

g's mom,

I guess I am delaying posting of the primer for bread making which would help.
The reason why its becoming hard on the crust is because its drying out faster than it takes to cook inside. We need to figure out why.

First reason could be flour quantity or variety:
Well, I bake my breads and dinner rolls at 350 degrees. Hope you have followed the weight measurements posted for the flour.
By the way, what kind of flour did you use ? Bread flour or All purpose flour ?
Try to use bread flour if you can, substituting with all purpose is not equivalent weightwise.

Second reason: Your yeast
Did you use Active dry yeast ? If yes, did you check the expiration date on it ? What happens with those sachets of yeast is that as time passes by half the yeast is dead...in other words becomes forever inactive...so only a fraction of it does what its supposed to do. For testing this....you may want to proof your yeast.
Another reason could be if you are using instant yeast....you should not proof it or mix it with wet ingredients before mixing with dry ones.

During the first rise as well as second rise...did you cover it airtight leaving enough room for the dough to rise ? You should not let any moisture evaporate from the dough.
Third reason: Most likely your case
Hope you let it rise a second time. Did you score it before you let it rise the second time ?
Also brushing with melted butter after scoring kind of seals the moisture inside.

Fourth reason: Sometimes the flour we get from the store or during our storage can get rancid if not stored airtight...in this case...the liquid proportions need to be adjusted accordingly. To judge this...one needs to experiment a lot to judge this. So if all the above fail then...you may want to alter this parameter.
Its like design of experiments...so keep a ledger about what modification you made each time and try it out till you get it right.
Well, bread making needs lots and lots of patience....so....if you can you'll be rewarded with sweet results.
Let me know if you need more detailed explanation of anything in particular. Let me assure you I baked about a dozen times before I got it right. Now, I hardly ever go to a pizza joint or get tempted to buy bread. My breads are lot fresher and lot tastier and are preservative free(except for those in the flour if any, which I have no choice but to accept till I can grind my own flour).

Good Luck!
Minni

[g's mom]

Hey Minni

thanks for the detailed explanation.... I used all purpose flour It said flour in the recipe... so I assumed its AP flour.... I will try again with bread flour.... I used active dry yeast.... the volume more than doubled so I am assuming that the yeast wasnt dead....

I did let it proof twice.... so I dont think thats the problem.... I am inclining more towards the liquid content I dont think I covered it well enough during the second proofing..... and also maybe I needed to add more liquid in the first place when I made the dough.....

and the other thing I was concerned was the oven temp... the buns did not seem to be soft and the crust kind of looked dry......
I mean the sweet bns that you get in bakeries in bangalore and else where in India have this soft crust ( similar to the hawaian sweet rolls here in US ) I want the end product to be something like that.....

I have seen that a bowl of water can be kept in the oven... not sure if that will make the crust hard or soft... I had seen this on some food network show....

Thanks for the info... I will try again and let u know...

Regards
g's mom

[g's mom]

and what do u mean by scoring? after the first rise... I punched it down and proofed it again.....

[g's mom]

also in the recipe... it just says fat... so I used margarine... does that make any difference.... I guess its good to not knead the dough as it makes the final product more chewy isnt it? should I have melted the margarine as it was difficult to incorporate it into the dough after the wet ingredients was already mixed with the dry ingredients... please let me know

[deepali128]

hi minni

thanx a lot.

[Minni]

Deepali, you are very welcome.

g's mom,
As per what you said the yeast doesnot seem to be the problem. Do cover it airtight with good enough room for it to rise for both the first and second rises.

Well, after the first rise, you punch it down gently and to shape into rolls, you need to cut it into equal portions with a knife or a straight edge. Do not tear the dough. After you shape into rolls, then you may want to put them in a muffin pan or a cookie sheet.
With a sharp knife cut a cross on top of each bun. The reason why you do that is...you are allowing it to expand well and the surface on the top of the bun is not going to obstruct its rise. What I do after placing on a cookie sheet or a muffin pan is I use an inverted wine glass or champaign chute or even a glass in the middle of the cookie sheet and then use a cling wrap or a plastic wrap to cover such that there is enough room for their second rise. Hope you got the idea.
About water in the oven while baking, you can definitely use it. I do not use it for my dinner rolls, they still come soft. See you need to tap the bottom of the bun to check if it sounds hollow. I cannot explain how it should sound using words....but you can just use a batch just to experiment by taking one out at each minute after 15-20 minutes...so as to judge the right time.
If you want to use water..this is the way you should do it. In a large pan or a ceramic oven safe vessel, pour steaming hot water...yes, water should be boiling...and leave it in the lowest rack. You bake your buns in the middle rack of your oven.

Hope that helps,
Minni

[honeydew]

hi minni the all the recipe u have given , can i try it in microwave convection oven , i have not tried anything yet pls help
regds
honey

[honeydew]

my id is dewhoneycream27@yahoo.com.sg
regds
honey

[honeydew]

my id is dewhoneycream27@yahoo.com.sg
regds
honey

[g's mom]

Hey Minni

Thanks for replyign to my query....

Here is the steps to the recipe....

Sieve the Flour, make a well in it. Add the yeast, sugar. Add rest of the liquid and knead to a soft dough
Add in the fat and salt and spices if any and knead into the dough
Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it till it doubles in size
Pan and Prove for 45 minutes
Punch the dough and cut into pieces. Add the chopped masala and shape the dough. Place it in a bread tin and press with knuckle and spread it evenly. Cover and prove. Brush with milk
Bake at 190C for 35 minutes remove and brush all over with fat

Questions
1) after the dough is formed... isnt it difficult to incorporate salt and fat in it.... isnt it better to add it before the wet ingredients are added to the dry?
2) after the dough doubles in size... it says pan and prove for 45 min... Does this mean... after it doubles I put it in a pan and proof it again for 45 min....
3)isnt it easier to add the masalas in the first step itself.... is there any reason for doing this.... wont all the air thats inside the dough escape if its done this way....

[Minni]

g's mom,

You are very true...I would mix all the dry ingredients except masala before adding the fluids and fat. Salt goes along with the dry ingredients. I am not sure why...but usually any additives to the bread say garlic/oregano or others are added when the dough is partially kneaded. I shall find out the reason for that. I guess it could be because the sugars in any of the spices might effect the yeast distribution in the dough and hence the yeast effectiveness would reduce.

About the first rise, I would put it in a large bowl with large enough room for the rise and cover it with a plastic wrap or put it in a large enough plastic container that has an airtight lid. And I like to leave it for 1 hour rising time or even a little more. Usually they say double its size...so it can be the measure.
After its first rise you would cut into equal postions and shape it and score it and even brush with milk or any liquid and then let it rise freely but ofcourse in an airtight environment.

Do not bother about the order they mention there....you may want to try this method suggested here. Also its a generic procedure.

Good Luck!
Minni

[g's mom]

Hey Minni

sorry to keep bothering you with my questions....

should i add fat after the dough is formed? I used margarine and did not melt it... it was at room temperature though. Let me know....

[Minni]

Margarine should be fine!

Minni

[Minni]

You can mix the fat along with the other liquids. Or after it should not affect the final result whichever order you follow.

Minni

[Minni]

g's mom,
Honey, milk, butter, eggs make the bread more tender. So if you can substitute honey for sugar and milk for water(butter for other fat- if you are comfortable) the likely end results are lot more softer and tender.

Minni

[honeydew]

hi minni the all the recipe u have given , can i try it in microwave convection oven , i have not tried anything yet pls help
regds
honey

[Minni]

honeydew,
The recipes that are posted here so far cannot be made in microwave.
Microwave follows and inside-out heating process which is instigated due to the energy dissipation(in the form of heating the food, i.e., converting radiation into motion of molecules which generates the heat) caused by the microwaves(radio waves of frequency 2.5ghz where the radio waves have this property.
Normal conventional oven follows an outside-in conduction heating process. So the crust or the texture are no longer imitable like in a conventional oven.

The 4 page article at howstuffworks.com explains this further...if interested visist the following link:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm

There are specific microwave friendly recipes made just for microwave baking. I haven't tried any but you can find a good collection on http://www.bawarchi.com


Minni

[deepali128]

Hi Minni

i think i got confused abt broil and bake. in my oven there is no different option for baking.it has broil,preheat,self clean. so i want to know if i am baking a cake which option shall i choose and so do for biryani and tandoori.
i know i am bugging u with my questions so no hurry take ur time.
thanks

[Minni]

Deepali,

What make and model do you have ?
When the oven has a broil option it should have an option to bake.
I am almost sure you need to use the preheat option. But is there a way to control the temperature to which your oven can be pre-heated to ?

Let me know.

Minni

[kavithasenthil]

broil means,heat comes from top coil of the oven
bake means,heats comes from bottom coil of the oven.

Hope this clears little.

[deepali128]

thanx Minni,

yes it has temperature control. make is "Hotpoint".i assume it's GE an "automatic oven" with timer but no bake option seperate. but has broil,preheated auto self clean.

kavita: thanx

[honeydew]

hi minni,
mine is sharp microwave convection oven , means i can bake also ,so can i make ur using convection mode in my oven.sorry for asking these question.thanks in advace

regds
honey

[tomato]

Hello Honeydew,
I too have a sharp double grill microwave convection oven. U can bake in it on convetion mode. You can also preheat it. U can also use metal bakeware as long as u r using it under convection mode. Just be careful not to press microwave mode while baking in metal though. I have made cake, cookies and pizza in it.
Hope this helps.

[ziaxxxxx]

hey tomato,
u say u have made cookies in microwave...cud u PLEASE give me a choc chip cookie recipe which can be made in microwave ( if u have ever tried it out ) ?? do specify temperature also...

[sk]

Hi Minni,

In India we get salt and sweet butter biscuit in bakery's.I'm not able to find such a biscuit in India stores here.Can you plz post a recipe for that ?.No hurry.

Regards,
Sk

[saji]

Hi sk,

The butter biscuits you are talking abt sounds like shortbread biscuits. They can be found in the biscuit section in any supermarket.

Saji

[honeydew]

hi tomato,
thanks for the reply , i am almost clear , whats the meaning for the broil , i think we both have the same type of oven so is there any option for the broil if u know pls let me know.

regds
honey

[tomato]

Honeydew,
As kavitha said broil means to bake/roast food using heat source which is above the food, where as in grill the heat sourse is below the food.
Mine is a sharp R-888-B oven. I use the top grill option for broiling. Grill: has 3 options : top grill, bottom grill, both(top and bottom work together)
Hope this clears ur doubts.
Happy baking.

[tomato]

hey tomato,
u say u have made cookies in microwave...cud u PLEASE give me a choc chip cookie recipe which can be made in microwave ( if u have ever tried it out ) ?? do specify temperature also...

Zia
I have made cookies in my combination oven : microwave + convection( the usual one we use for baking roasting). This is a two-in-one oven. I bought this instead of buying two seperate ovens to save space.
I have always used convection mode for baking. Meaning the oven will work like any normal baking oven and no microwave energy will be used. In this mode u can use metal bakeware(whereas in microwave mode u can't use metals) I did not use microwave for cookies so far. So sorry I can't help you.
One more thing is to my knowledge it is not possible to set temperature when using microwave ovens(or micro mode in two-in-one ovens).

[honeydew]

hi minni and tomato,
i have a doubt , my oven max temp for preheat and baking is 250c in some recipe i am seeing 350 c so what should i do for that should i increase the time or what is the alternative,

regds
honey

[tomato]

hi minni and tomato,
i have a doubt , my oven max temp for preheat and baking is 250c in some recipe i am seeing 350 c so what should i do for that should i increase the time or what is the alternative,

regds
honey

Hi Honeydew,
Are u sure that it is 350 C? Coz u won't have have such high temp in oven for home use. It might be 350 F which roughly equals 180 C.

[honeydew]

hi tomato ur correct its 350 f thanks for ur reply and correction, can u post ur cookies and cakes,recipe u tried , to my id dewhoneycream27@yahoo.com.sg


regds
honey

[tomato]

Honeydew,
I don't have the cake and cookies recipes with me. I had just tried them from some book borrowed from library. I used to bake these things only when I newly bought the oven, but since there is no much liking for these in my home I don't bake much now.

[Inimai]

Hi,

I live in an apartment (US). I have the usual oven (under the stove top) in my apartment. It has Broil and 200 - 500 degrees. And a small pull over rack under the oven. Please someone guide how I can use this oven for baking. Also anyother info regarding this.

I want to try benne biscuit (CI's). Where I have to do the baking? Inside the oven? or uderneath the oven?

Thanks!

[deepali128]

Hi Minni,

today i tried ur pound cake.it was not much fluffy as i expected. i used all purpose flour and corn starch instead of cake flour. taste was ok.i don'nt know where did i go wrong.do i need to put baking powder. i followed ur exact receipe in half proportions.
pls help me.

deepali

[rajsand]

[tscii:3990112424]Hello Minni

I got this recipe from a website and I tried it yesterday.
The taste is okay good, but the bread is little tough and hard. The inside part is solid and not porous.
I dont know what is the mistake but the taste is fine.
Can you find some corrections in this recipe?
For me I think I could have added little more milk ..
Thankyou
bye
sandhya


Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1 heaping cup dark and/or golden raisins (try currants or chopped dates as well!)
1 cup thick oat flakes (rolled oats)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon active dry yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water, 110°F
5 1/2 to 6 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Instructions
Combine and heat the milk and butter (on the stove or in the microwave) until just hot to the touch (about 120°F). Transfer to a large bowl and add the raisins or other fruit, oat flakes, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt and cinnamon; stir well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and active dry yeast in the water and let sit until bubbles appear. (If you're using instant yeast, skip this step; simply add all of the remaining ingredients to the milk mixture once it's cooled to lukewarm.) When the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in the unbleached flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes by hand, adding additional flour only as necessary to prevent sticking. You can also do this whole process in the bowl of an electric mixer, kneading the dough for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat it on all sides, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a cozy place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Knock down the dough, knead briefly on a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (mmm... we can smell the cinnamon already!), until nicely browned. Near the end of the baking time, if the loaves are getting dark too quickly, cover them with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny-side up. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

[/tscii:3990112424]

[arrecipes]

Hi,
Where could I get the baking soda(Sodium bicarbonate) in US. I could find only baking powder is both the same or not.

-arrecipes

[rajsand]

Hi ar
you get baking soda in any grocery store. Arm and hammer baking soda is good. The box if yellow ..try it in safeway or any other store.
Soda and baking powder are not the same.
Bye

[kavithasenthil]

arrecipes,

both r different. Usually both of them are in the same rack. B.powder is in tin kinda thing but b.powder is in small box.

[chamy]

Dear Minni !
i tried ur pound cake yesterday.It was excellent.I used all purpose flour instead of cake flour.Thanks for the recipe.Regards foodlover.

[sri2005]

Hi,

I want to try some baking recpies too.
But I am not sure what kind of vessels to use.
To make cake/cookies .its mentioned in the recpies to use cookie sheets/ cake pans..i don't know what to use.
Also to cook/bake pulavo/ briyani etc even samosa what kind of vessels..I heard that we can use the aluminium foils for temp purpose and also aluminium foil vessels which we get in shop-rite for serving can be used for baking (oven) ??

Please let me know

[rain]

hello sri,

maybe u might find this site useful

http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=7&id=585

esp.the type of bakeware, kitchen techniques and type of cookware(casserole onwards) section can give u a fair idea .
happy baking !

rain

[RedPepper]

Ooooops!

I put a banana nut bread in the oven about 10 mts ago, and just realized that I forgot to add vanilla. :( Wonder how it will taste without vanilla! I will wait and see if anyone figures that out. :wink:

I haven't read this whole thread about baking yet. But glad to say that I love baking. I bake cakes, cookies, muffins, lasagna(spinach or zucchini, or non-veg), eggplant parmesan, roasted vegetables with herbs & cheese, potatoes stuffed with broccoli & cheddar cheese, meatloaf, cheese balls stuffed with olives,.........thats all I can think of now. Well, I know that none of these are Indian recipes. But I still love them. I hope to get some interesting recipes from this thread.

[rain]

cakes and muffins,yummmmm.

how about indian dishes.can any be made in the oven as alternate to cooking ? i heard rice and kofta dishes can be replicated in the oven as also tandoor roti.

[RedPepper]

Yes I like to bake indian dishes too. Sometimes I try to make other recipes taste Indiany by adding a few crushed pepper flakes, or green chillies etc.. I couldn't find a lot of indian recipes for baking on the web. I guess maybe ovens were not very common india in the old days. Atleast my mom didn't have it until 1999. I wish someone invents some indian casserole, dinner, lunch recipes for baking. I like baking because we can leave the kitchen once we put the dish in the oven, instead of staying next to the stove and stir, and add ingredients one after another etc.. :roll:

[RedPepper]

Just wanted to share this rasmalai recipe. Ideas from various websites.... Did this in the oven, thats why posting in the baking section.
Here is how I did it:
Mix 2 cups of ricotta cheese with sugar to your taste. I added a little more than half a cup of sugar. Mix this using a whisk until the mixture is very smooth. Now take a baking dish and spread this mixture in it. Bake it at 300 degree F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It took about 35-40 minutes for me to get into this stage. While it is baking boil 2 cups of milk (you may also use half and half if you want a thick texture). Flavor the milk with cardamom powder or vanilla. I used cardamom powder. Cool down the baked rasmalai a bit, and then cut into squares. If there is water in the baking dish, discard it, or move the rasmalai piecest to another dish. Pour the flavored milk. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve with crushed pistachios, or crushed almonds or crucshed walnts, or a mix of all these.
Super easy!
It tasted better on the second day.

[a.ratchasi]

Hershey's (http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/)

[rain]

hi redpepper,

ur rasamalai recipe sure is tempting to try :)

i have never tried ricotta cheese.do i have to buy any particular type for this recipe? and wat kind of dish can one use----i mean i have a square baking sheet and a glass bowl(oven safe)-----shud these work?and do i have to cover with foil while baking?

lot of questions,i know.as u see,i have to get the basics right first :) hope it's not a bother.

regards,
rain

[RedPepper]

Hello rain

Don't worry about asking so many questions. I am glad to answer anything about I know and tried.

I used a rectangular glass baking dish, something like the one shown here:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004SZ7N.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I didn't cover it while baking, and it turned out slightly golden color when it was done.

The ricotta cheese I used was Whole milk ricotta cheese I got from Kroger - Kroger brand. I think you may also try fat free version if you are counting calories.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[Urmila]

How to make rasmalai , using the rasagoollas from the Haldirams tin ? Earlier someone had posted it, a very easy method actually, but no idea which thread ?
Can anyone please tell ?

[tomato]

Hi Urmila,
Here is the recipe for 'ras malai' I posted in the bengali recipes thread.

Rasmalai
One small tin haldiram rasgolla ( 10pcs)
1/2 lt milk
1/2 cup sugar (0r to taste)
2-3 tbs mtr badam milk masala (or ground cardomom, soaked kesar and fine slivers of almonds soaked in water )

Put milk to boil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add sugar. Stir ocassionally and reduce somewhat. Add milk masala and boil for 5 more mins.
Sqeeze out the syrup from rasagollas by scooping them between ur fingers and palm. Put them in a bowl of warm water and again sqeeze out the water taking care not to break the rasagollas.
Put these in the hot rabdi (prepared milk). Allow to cool and chill before serving.
If U like the rabdi to be thick add : 5-6 cashewnuts and 5-6 almonds(soaked in water and skin removed) ground to a paste to the milk along with sugar.

I always make rasmalai this way, and it always turns out great. I never bother to make rasogullas from scratch, coz there are quite tricky to make not to forget time comsuming.

Do try this recipe and let me know if u liked it.

[rain]

all these talk about 'rasmalai' is sure making my mouth water. :)

thanks redpepper, also for ur patience.

regards,
rain

[RedPepper]

Here is one recipe I tried yesterday. This is from Food TV, from the show "sweet dreams"

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24063,00.html


I halved all the ingredients. Omitted the coconut. Instead of tube pan, I used a rectangular pyrex baking dish, and therefore the cake was ready in 45 minutes. The recipe says to bake one hour 15 minutes. It came out delicious.

Lily's Marble Cake

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), plus more for the pan
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup shredded coconut
Butter and flour a straight-walled 10-inch tube pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix well. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until incorporated.
In a bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Reduce the mixer's speed to low. Alternately add the flour and milk mixture until a smooth batter is formed. Continue mixing for 5 minutes. (It's important to mix for the full 5 minutes.)
Transfer 1/3 of the batter to a bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder. Stir the coconut into the remaining batter.
Pour the coconut batter into the pan; then spoon the chocolate batter around. Run a knife through the batter, cutting the batters together to create a marbled effect. (Do not stir.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan. Invert the cake onto a stand or plate, slice, and serve.

[sk]

Hi,


Does any of u have a recipe for eggless sponge cake?.


Thanx in Advance.

Regards
sk

[Alana]

Carrot Cake

Ingredients :

5 eggs, separated
275 gm. sugar, granulated
1 lemon, juiced
2 lemons, zest, grated
250 gm. Almonds, ground
300 gm Carrots, finely grated
75 gm Cornflour
1 pch Cinnamon, ground
1 pch Cloves, ground
10 gm Baking powder
50 ml Kirsch
1 pch Salt
Orange & Lemon glazing
fondant icing


Beat together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, until light. Add the finely grated carrots and the almonds.
Mix in the cornflour, cinnamon, ground cloves and baking powder. Then add the kirsch. Mix or beat until smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold in.
Butter a tin (24 cm diameter, 5 cm high), dust with flour. Turn the mixture into the tin. Bake in the oven for 50 ... 60 minutes at 180 oC.
When cooked, brush the cake with a hot glaze and thin fondant icing. :)

[Alan]

Is it compulsory to use unsalted butter for cakes? Does the salted butter affect the taste & texture of Cakes?

[Alan]

Is it compulsory to use unsalted butter for cakes? Does the salted butter affect the taste & texture of Cakes?

[dev]

No doubt the cake will taste salty depending on how much salted butter U add... Texture wouldn't change...

[Alan]

oops

[RedPepper]

Some cake recipes say to add 1/2 or 1 tsp of salt to the batter. So I always wondered if we can omit that salt and add salted butter instead! But I never tried.... :lol:

[dev]

Tips taken from tarladalal.com...

What can be substituted for egg while making a cake?

I usually use condensed milk or pureed fruits and milk depending on the kind of cake I am making. To make a sponge cake I use condensed milk and then add soda bi carb and baking powder to leaven the cake. In a recipe for cake using eggs very little leavening is required. The recipe for an eggless cake would differ drastically from one that uses eggs. Most often you cannot substitute eggs directly with another substitute in a specific proportion, the sugar balance and the liquid levels have to be adjusted with milk or water.

[Alan]

Eggs are required for that spl fluffiness & sponginess!

[Alan]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My oven's repaired! Now, I can bake!!!!!

but alas the cake button is not working. So, I'll have to put it for more time.

[Alan]

Can someone tell me how to boil 'Nenthra pazham' in the microwave? How many minutes?

[RedPepper]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My oven's repaired! Now, I can bake!!!!!

but alas the cake button is not working. So, I'll have to put it for more time.

What is the cake button? What kind of oven do you have?

[Alan]

Its a Sanyo-a family had got it from the Gulf. I bought a secondhand one from them. Gave it for repair & now its ok.

[RedPepper]

Its a Sanyo-a family had got it from the Gulf. I bought a secondhand one from them. Gave it for repair & now its ok.

Oh OK. Its a microwave, right? I thought you were talking about a conventional oven. Thanks

[Alan]

Can someone tell me how to boil 'Nenthra pazham' in the microwave? How many minutes?

[rain]

hi red pepper,

i got around to making the oven rasmalai and it came out very well.it was so simple and good.had it over 2 days ! one things sure i won't be going back to any tinned varieties in a hurry, if i can make it this fresh :) thanks a lot for the recipe.

btw,in the recipe wud it be better if u take the dish out after the bubbling stops? i took out while it was still bubbling as it had started to brown.the only variation i did was to boil the milk till almost half,cool it and then poured into the pcs for a cremier texture.

i do hope to try out lasagna,spinach or eggplant next.never tried them at home so will sure welcome any suggestions,if u have tried any on these too.

regards,
rain

[RedPepper]

[tscii:8911151f78]Hello rain

Glad to know that you liked the rasmalai. I took it out of the oven when it just started to turn golden color. I didn’t wait until it got brown, but made sure it was cooked by doing the toothpick test. If you want a creamier texture, you may also use half and half instead of milk.

I do make lasagna and I am glad to share the recipe I use.
I have used food TV’s Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe which includes the home made tomato sauce as well. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22896,00.html

This is too much work unless you have previously made the tomato sauce and froze it. Later I have tried variations to this recipe by adding Organic Ragu instead of home made tomato sauce and not using the béchamel sauce, or by adding one layer of thinly sliced zucchini instead of ground meat. Sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, yellow squash etc. are some other thoughts. I have yet to try the eggplants, but I think it will be great. I always add one layer of sautéed spinach because this is the only way my daughter eats spinach (hidden inside a lot of other stuffs!!) Its all about making layers of pasta, lots of cheese, tomato sauce and vegetables and/or meat. Hope this helps.


hi red pepper,

i got around to making the oven rasmalai and it came out very well.it was so simple and good.had it over 2 days ! one things sure i won't be going back to any tinned varieties in a hurry, if i can make it this fresh :) thanks a lot for the recipe.

btw,in the recipe wud it be better if u take the dish out after the bubbling stops? i took out while it was still bubbling as it had started to brown.the only variation i did was to boil the milk till almost half,cool it and then poured into the pcs for a cremier texture.

i do hope to try out lasagna,spinach or eggplant next.never tried them at home so will sure welcome any suggestions,if u have tried any on these too.

regards,
rain[/tscii:8911151f78]

[RedPepper]

[tscii:e7532e98ff]
Can someone tell me how to boil 'Nenthra pazham' in the microwave? How many minutes?

Alan,

I don’t usually boil the plantains in the microwave. I normally cook them in a steamer for 10-15 mts. But once or twice when I was hungry and lazy I tried it in the microwave. Since I was in a hurry to eat, I didn’t try it with the skin on as I do in the steamer. I peeled the plantain and sliced into round pieces. I microwaved it with a little water for 2 minutes. Then I checked it, it was only ¾ done. So I microwaved again at 30 seconds intervals ( I had to do it for 2 more minutes I guess, so a total of 4 minutes for me). Hope this helps. You can always cook for one or two mts, then check and cook again until it is done.
[/tscii:e7532e98ff]

[Alan]

Thanks a lot, Redpepper!

Should I neccessarily cut them into pieces? Isn't it k to just slit them into half, peel & immerse in water? For 4 or 5 minutes? What say?

[RedPepper]

Thanks a lot, Redpepper!

Should I neccessarily cut them into pieces? Isn't it k to just slit them into half, peel & immerse in water? For 4 or 5 minutes? What say?

Of course you can cut into half and cook it, then it will take longer to cook. I cut them into pieces to hasten the cooking process because I needed them in a hurry. :)
You don't need to fully immerse it in water I guess. Also you can cook them with the skin on, which will be tastier. Thats what I do when I cook them in the steamer, hope it will be fine with the microwave too. I don't have a ripe plantain in my kitchen right now otherwise I would have tried cooking one in the microwave and tell you the exact time, how much water etc... :(

Recently I have tried a recipe for baked whole plantains stuffed with a mixture of cashews, raisins, and coconut fried in ghee with sugar and cardamom added. That was delicious.

[Alan]

Thanks RedPepper. I boiled Nenthra Pazham today. It took 6 minutes. I had peeled, cut into half & put it in a bowl of water.

Well, the microwave is the kind that decides how much time the food should cook, depending on the size of the vessel & quantity of food.

The time setter is like

A-1
A-2
A-3 upto A-12.

A-1 is 1 minute to 12 minutes. So, when I put it at A-1, it took 6 minutes to boil the bananas. It came out yummy - just right! When I put it on the Steamer ( I still don't know how long it should actually take), even after 20 minutes, it used to come half done.
Microwave is man's gift to men & women!

[a_gopinathan]

hey Alan,

i used to watch a microwave cookery series in one of the malayalam channels and once they showed how to cook nenthrapazham in microwave. what they suggested is , make 3 -4 long slits in the pazham( dont take off the skin) and microwave it for a minute. i tried this, i sprinkled some water also and tried this for 1 1-1/2 mts. it was good. but i felt steaming makes it more tastier. but this is an easy method!

Anju

[RedPepper]

Microwave is man's gift to men & women!

Man's gift? Or gift from God? :)

But don't depend on it too much.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=microwave+health+hazards
Some researches speak for the microwave, while some speak against the use of it. I never understand!

Even after reading all that, how can we avoid the convenience of a microwave?? I try to limit its use to reheating and "emergency" cooking. But still.... it seems like I am using it a lot.

Oh Yeah, don't take off the skin from the plantains while you cook it. It will taste good that way.

[Alan]

hey Alan,

i used to watch a microwave cookery series in one of the malayalam channels and once they showed how to cook nenthrapazham in microwave. what they suggested is , make 3 -4 long slits in the pazham( dont take off the skin) and microwave it for a minute. i tried this, i sprinkled some water also and tried this for 1 1-1/2 mts. it was good. but i felt steaming makes it more tastier. but this is an easy method!

Anju

I see, Thanks!

I'll try that out next.

[Alan]

Microwave is man's gift to men & women!

Man's gift? Or gift from God? :)

But don't depend on it too much.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=microwave+health+hazards
Some researches speak for the microwave, while some speak against the use of it. I never understand!

Even after reading all that, how can we avoid the convenience of a microwave?? I try to limit its use to reheating and "emergency" cooking. But still.... it seems like I am using it a lot.

Oh Yeah, don't take off the skin from the plantains while you cook it. It will taste good that way.

Man invented the microwave, not God!

But 1 doubt- Are the plaintains completely immersed in water?

[RedPepper]

Are the plaintains completely immersed in water?

I wouldn't completely immerse them in water because I believe that the water would absorb some of its taste, especially if you peel it before cooking. It would taste bland for me if I do that. This is the reason I prefer to cook them in a steamer where the plantains don't touch water. In the microwave, I think just enough water to create the steam is ok. When I cook broccoli in the microwave I just sprinkle a little salted water and the broccoli is ready is 2-3 minutes.

[Alan]

Thanks, Red Pepper!

[sailu]

I am a foodie and am new to the Lively Hub Forum..:)
Since this is the baking thread,I thought I should post some baking recipes here which I baked at home yesterday.
On of them is Swiss Rolls With Mixed Fruit Jam Filling (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/11/swiss-rolls-with-mixed-fruit-jam.html) and Muffins With Chocolate Fudge Sauce (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/12/muffins-with-chocolate-fudge-sauce.html).Both of them need the basic sponge cake recipe.
I have them posted at my food blog (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com) with pictures as well.

[RedPepper]

[tscii:eda6aaf6b9]
I am a foodie and am new to the Lively Hub Forum..:)
Since this is the baking thread,I thought I should post some baking recipes here which I baked at home yesterday.
On of them is Swiss Rolls With Mixed Fruit Jam Filling (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/11/swiss-rolls-with-mixed-fruit-jam.html) and Muffins With Chocolate Fudge Sauce (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/12/muffins-with-chocolate-fudge-sauce.html).Both of them need the basic sponge cake recipe.
I have them posted at my food blog (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com) with pictures as well.

Welcome to the Hub Sailu! :)

How did you make that beautiful designs on top of the muffins? Looks professional.

Roll cake has been on my “recipes to try” list for a very long time. Your pictures are tempting. Once I saw it in the TV, the chef showed that after baking the sheet cake, we need to roll them in a damp cloth for sometime, then unroll it, add the stuffing and roll again. Do we have to do that?
[/tscii:eda6aaf6b9]

[dev]

Sailu,

I don't see butter or any form of fat added to the cake... is that how it should be or have U missed it out in the list?

[Alan]

I am a foodie and am new to the Lively Hub Forum..:)
Since this is the baking thread,I thought I should post some baking recipes here which I baked at home yesterday.
On of them is Swiss Rolls With Mixed Fruit Jam Filling (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/11/swiss-rolls-with-mixed-fruit-jam.html) and Muffins With Chocolate Fudge Sauce (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com/2005/12/muffins-with-chocolate-fudge-sauce.html).Both of them need the basic sponge cake recipe.
I have them posted at my food blog (http://indiacuisine.blogspot.com) with pictures as well.


They look too elaborate!

[Kateangeline]

Dear Red Pepper,

Can you please post the recipes of the marble cake & fruit cake that you have posted in your blog.The pictures are so tempting.I would love to try it out.

Thanks,
Kate.

[sailu]

[tscii]
How did you make that beautiful designs on top of the muffins? Looks professional.

Roll cake has been on my “recipes to try” list for a very long time. Your pictures are tempting. Once I saw it in the TV, the chef showed that after baking the sheet cake, we need to roll them in a damp cloth for sometime, then unroll it, add the stuffing and roll again. Do we have to do that?

Thanks Red Pepper.I used white chocolate melted over double boiler. Used a piping bag with thin noozle and drew circles over the chocolate fudge sauce and then used a toothpick to spread it in four directions....hope you got it..:)
After baking the roll cake , you can roll it on a clean kitchen cloth and roll it and as it cools it stays in shape.You can unroll it and then spread the filling and roll again.You can use a damp cloth as it cools the cake.


Sailu,

I don't see butter or any form of fat added to the cake... is that how it should be or have U missed it out in the list?



Yes Dev,there is no form of fat added to the cake.Its a basic sponge cake recipe and that is the way it should be light and fluffy.

[dev]

cake without fat... that's great... can I try the same recipe in the microwave oven?... How long should I keep it in the oven(approx)... & is it possible to beat te eggs using the mixie?...

[RedPepper]

Dear Red Pepper,

Can you please post the recipes of the marble cake & fruit cake that you have posted in your blog.The pictures are so tempting.I would love to try it out.

Thanks,
Kate.

I already posted the marble cake. Reposting here. Will post fruit cake soon.


This is from Food TV, from the show "sweet dreams"

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24063,00.html


I halved all the ingredients. Omitted the coconut. Instead of tube pan, I used a rectangular pyrex baking dish, and therefore the cake was ready in 45 minutes. The recipe says to bake one hour 15 minutes. It came out delicious.

Lily's Marble Cake

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), plus more for the pan
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup shredded coconut
Butter and flour a straight-walled 10-inch tube pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix well. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until incorporated.
In a bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Reduce the mixer's speed to low. Alternately add the flour and milk mixture until a smooth batter is formed. Continue mixing for 5 minutes. (It's important to mix for the full 5 minutes.)
Transfer 1/3 of the batter to a bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder. Stir the coconut into the remaining batter.
Pour the coconut batter into the pan; then spoon the chocolate batter around. Run a knife through the batter, cutting the batters together to create a marbled effect. (Do not stir.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan. Invert the cake onto a stand or plate, slice, and serve.

[sailu]

cake without fat... that's great... can I try the same recipe in the microwave oven?... How long should I keep it in the oven(approx)... & is it possible to beat te eggs using the mixie?...


Yes you can try the same recipe in a microwave oven too.You will have to check the instructions of your microwave oven regarding long you should bake.Generally it should take 4-5 minutes in medium.
Eggs should be beaten manually with beater and not in the mixie.

[Kateangeline]

Dear Red Pepper,

Thanks for the marble cake recipe.Looking forward to see your fruit cake recipe.As Dev asked, can u bake it in a convectional microwave oven.If so for how many minutes.Should we use powdered sugar in microwave?

Thanks ,
Kate.

[RedPepper]

Dear Red Pepper,

Thanks for the marble cake recipe.Looking forward to see your fruit cake recipe.As Dev asked, can u bake it in a convectional microwave oven.If so for how many minutes.Should we use powdered sugar in microwave?

Thanks ,
Kate.

You should be able to bake it in a convectional microwave oven. Please check your oven's manual for the time and temperature settings. My microwave doesn't have the convection feature, I only use it for reheating and cooking. Maybe some experienced microwave bakers will help you out on this. I think Mrs.Mano has posted some microwave cake recipes..

Here is how I make the fruit cake:

Dried fruits - 1 cup (chop the big ones like apricots, dates to small pieces. You can leave the small ones like raisins as it is.)
Nuts - 1/2 cup (You can choose from cashews, slivered almonds, walnuts or a mix of different nuts of your choice)
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup (caramelize in 1/4 cup water, explained below)
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder, Ginger powder, clove powder, nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp each
Grated orange zest - 1/2 tbsp
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 1 stick/1/4 lbs.
Eggs - 3


Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature.
Coat the chopped dried fruits in one tbsp flour and soak them in orange juice or brandy for a few hours.
Heat 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan with 1/2 tbsp water. When the sugar begin to caramelize gently stir with a spoon. Keep stirring slowly until all the sugar caramelize and turn to a dark syrup. Remove the pan from the stove and pour 1/4 cup of warm water to the syrup. This may splash so stay away from the pan. Stir the syrup water and let it cool. Add vanilla to this and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree. In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar and butter to a creamy consistency. Add the eggs one by one. In another bowl mix the flour with salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and colve powder. Add the nuts and fruits to this mixture. Add the orange zest. Mix with a spoon. Add the caramel vanilla water and mix well. Now add the sugar/butter/egg mixture and mix again. Pour this batter to a greased baking pan. Do not fill the pan completely. up to 3/4. Bake it for an hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The baking time varies depending on your oven and the type of baking pan you use. You may poke holes on this cake and pour brandy if you wish. This cake will last in the fridge for a very long time.

[a_gopinathan]

hi all,

does any one know the recepie for the frosting on the cupcakes.? my son just loves that frosting of the cup cakes we get in the bakery of local grocery store. i tried buying the readymade pilsbury frosting, but it doesnt taste as good as the fresh ones.

Thanks
Anju

[tomato]

[tscii:4d8568f5e7]Try this simple fruit cake


FRUIT CAKE


Self rising flour 224 grms
Butter 168 grms
Eggs 4
Brown sugar 168 grms
Fruit mix 250 grms
Ground almond ½ cup
Nutmeg powder ½ tsp
Brandy ,orange juice to soak the fruits

METHOD

Soak the mixed fruits in brandy and orange juice a day earlier.
Grease a 21cmx 14 cm loaf tin and line with grease paper..
Add some flour to the drained fruits. ( Keep the juice to add to batter later )
Cream the sugar and butter.
Add in the eggs one by one.
Add in the flour, and nutmeg powder, and the ground almond.
Add the brandy if the batter is too thick.
Lastly add in the mixed fruits. With flour.
Turn mixture in a prepared tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 165 oC for an hour or till the cake is done.
Cool the cake in the tin before turning out.


Note: can soak the fruits in orange juice if you do not like brandy

[/tscii:4d8568f5e7]
Hi Kavitha Ravi,
Recently I tried out this fruit cake. And I'm happy to say it turned out delicious. Some changes that I made were: I added 50 gms of cashewnuts and 200 gms of mix fruit in place of 250 gms mix friut. I also added 2 pinches of cinnamon pow. I used ready-made orange juice instead of brandy. Would it be better to use fresh sqeezed orange juice? I baked the cake for one hour, but it was slightly under cooked in the centre, so I guess the cake needs some more time in the oven.
But over all the cake was delicious as well as fragrant :D Sent over a few slices to my friend's house and got lovely compliments. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

[gkals]

Hi redpepper,

Can u please tell me what is orange zest and where can i get it in US?.Thanks in advance and iam very eager to try your fruit cake after seeing the pic in ur blog.Thanks.
from
kals

[RedPepper]

Orange zest is nothing but grated orange peel. This part has a lot of flavor. I don't buy orange zest; I take an orange and scrape the zest out with a fine grater. I use a microplane for this. Make sure you only scrape out the orange part and not the white. The white part of the orange peel is bitter. You may do the same for lemons to get the lemon zest.

http://www.camellia.org/kitchen/basics/zest.html

[tomato]

Hi redpepper,

Can u please tell me what is orange zest and where can i get it in US?.Thanks in advance and iam very eager to try your fruit cake after seeing the pic in ur blog.Thanks.
from
kals

Red pepper,
It was the picture of the ur cake that prompted me to try the fruit cake recipe that I wanted to make for a very long time. Next time I make fruit cake I'll follow ur recipe. Caramellizing of sugar sounds interesting, and I guess that gives the cake its deep rich colour.

[RedPepper]

Red pepper,
It was the picture of the ur cake that prompted me to try the fruit cake recipe that I wanted to make for a very long time. Next time I make fruit cake I'll follow ur recipe. Caramellizing of sugar sounds interesting, and I guess that gives the cake its deep rich colour.

tomato, I too love that fruit cake a lot. I like whatever recipe that has caramelized sugar in it.
Try it, you won't be sorry.

[tastemakers]

Hai

Has any one tried making Indian style Lasagna

Priya

[RedPepper]

Red Pepper, Your blog is very very inspiring --- it also is stirring up our tummies / taste-buds and wanting us to make those delicious looking cakes you've made. Well done, really enjoyed the pictures. Am going to try out some cake this week.

Thank you Pushpa.

Today I tried a carrot cake recipe and we just loved it. Please check out the blog for the recipe and pictures. I will be making this very often. The cake itself is so delicious, so I might try it without the frosting next time. I felt that the frosting was too rich with all those cream cheese and butter in there. My daughter loved it though.

[Shoba]

Dear Friends,

I've been cooking for almost 15 years now, but have never, ever attempted baking. I dont have a conventional oven, but I do have a DeLonghi brand oven toaster, where the maximum temperature is 270 deg C. It's got a hot plate too. I've used it only for grilling so far. I've misplaced the instruction manual as well as the recipe book.

Question is, can I use this for baking cakes, cookies, muffins etc., ? If anyone could help me, that'll be great.

Looking forward to your replies, thanks!

Shoba

[kavithasenthil]

If u get answere 'yes' from anyone and if u plan to bake then let me give u tried recipes.

[Shoba]

If u get answere 'yes' from anyone and if u plan to bake then let me give u tried recipes.

Hi Kavitha,

I've been googling and most sites say the model I have is equipped for baking. I'm willing to take the risk actually! I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen... 8-) ?

I'd love to have your tried and tested recipes. One small note though-I'm vegetarian, no eggs either. Vegan, as one would say.

Thanks for offering, and looking forward to your recipes.

Shoba

[kavithasenthil]

Shoba, this recipe doesn't have egg in it. it is very tasty too. Actually i am reposting this from the first page of this thread. i got this recipe from the net but forgot the name of the site. Also this is the only recipe(i hope) which has no egg in it in my collection.


Snow Ball Cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted almonds(with out skin)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 cup Powdered sugar

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool.

Put the cooled nuts and 2 tablespoons of the 1 cup of confectioners sugar into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Finely grind the nuts and set aside.
Cream the butter and remaining confectioners sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 15 -20 minutes, or until lightly brown in color.
Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and while cookies are still warm, roll them in the powdered sugar. Place on a wire rack to cool. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar.
Store in an airtight container. Makes 3-4 dozen.

[tomato]

Shoba, this recipe doesn't have egg in it. it is very tasty too. Actually i am reposting this from the first page of this thread. i got this recipe from the net but forgot the name of the site. Also this is the only recipe(i hope) which has no egg in it in my collection.


Kavitha,

Could this be the the site you are talking about !!!!!!!!!!

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Mexican%20Wedding%20Cakes.html

The cookies look scrumptious. Must give it a try. The intro to the recipe says almost every country has a version of it. And I'm very much reminded of our 'benne biscuit/naan khatai..........the ingredients and the proportions are the same except for the nuts....

[kavithasenthil]

hey tomato..yes exactly the same site. thanks. The taste is not like ghee biscuit u r talking abt. its very tasty and little diff than benne biscuit.

[Shoba]

Thanks Kavitha for pulling out the recipe from this thread. Will try and let you know.

Regards,
Shoba

[kavithasenthil]

u welcome shoba. I tried this recipe again yester day after an year. It came out awesome.

[cynthia_a02]

Dear hubbers,
I need a help.I'm having a doubt.I'm having whipped cream(chocolate flavour).I want to apply that for cakes.I want to know whether i've to beat that before applying or apply directly.thanks in advance.

[RedPepper]

Dear hubbers,
I need a help.I'm having a doubt.I'm having whipped cream(chocolate flavour).I want to apply that for cakes.I want to know whether i've to beat that before applying or apply directly.thanks in advance.

What cake recipe are you using? If it just says to add whipped cream, you do not have to beat it. I haven't baked a cake with whipped cream yet. But I do use whipped cream to make frosting where I have to beat it using electric mixer until it get thicker.

[cynthia_a02]

Dear Redpepper,
thanks for ue response.i'm using pillsbury cake flour.i think i can directly apply it.thanks again.bye.

[Shoba]

Experienced Bakers, I have a question:

You know the small kinnams(katoris) we use to serve kari/koottu etc.,? Can that be used in an oven for baking, say for muffins and such?

Regards,

Shoba

[apujittu]

I want to know if plum cake & fruit cake are are the same?
Will be glad if anybody can clarify it. My husband loves Plum cake here in US i think we don't get it???

[RedPepper]

Experienced Bakers, I have a question:

You know the small kinnams(katoris) we use to serve kari/koottu etc.,? Can that be used in an oven for baking, say for muffins and such?

Regards,

Shoba

What material is it made of? If it is good quality stainless steel, you can use it in the oven. My lasagna pan is stainless steel.
Before making muffins, cup cakes etc. make sure you grease the pan very well otherwise it will stick to the bottom.

[RedPepper]

I want to know if plum cake & fruit cake are are the same?
Will be glad if anybody can clarify it. My husband loves Plum cake here in US i think we don't get it???

I love plum cakes too. The fruit cake I make is definitely not the same plum cake I used to have in India, but somewhere closer. So that satisfies my need for plum cakes.

[cynthia_a02]

hai Redpepper,
i applied the cream directly.the taste is somewhat ok.its chocolate flavour.pillsbury whipped cream-brand.do u know any other brand?
thanks in advance.bye.

[RedPepper]

We buy Organic Valley heavy whipping cream.
http://organicvalley.coop/products_recipes/product_detail.html?id=99&cat=1&sub=11

I have also seen Land o Lakes brand at my local grocery store.
http://www.landolakes.com/products/ProductIndex.cfm?ProductCategoryID=13

Also local grocery stores might have their own brands - like kroger, publix etc.

I have never bought flavored whipping cream. I haven't seen pillsbury brand whipped cream yet. Are you talking about pillsbury whipped frosting?

[Shoba]

Experienced Bakers, I have a question:

You know the small kinnams(katoris) we use to serve kari/koottu etc.,? Can that be used in an oven for baking, say for muffins and such?

Regards,

Shoba

What material is it made of? If it is good quality stainless steel, you can use it in the oven. My lasagna pan is stainless steel.
Before making muffins, cup cakes etc. make sure you grease the pan very well otherwise it will stick to the bottom.

Red Pepper,

Thanks so much for responding. I greased the kinnams well with butter before pouring the batter, and the banana cinnamon bread came out nicely "personalised".

Thanks again!

Shoba

[Shoba]

[tscii:7a6fdfc644]
Eggless Brownies


8 tsp. oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. chocolate extract
1 tbsp. plain lowfat yogurt
3/8 c. cold water
3/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing until blended.
With a spoon, make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing with a spoon. Pour into a well in dry mixture. Stir until all ingredients are moistened.

Place batter in a 4 x 8 inch nonstick loaf pan or one that has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes.
Cool in pan on wire rack.

Brownie Success Tips

Use the size pan specified in the recipe. To check the width of a pan, measure across the top from inside edge to inside edge.

Cut the baked brownie recipe into bars, squares or other shapes when completely cool unless the recipe specifies differently. This helps prevent the bars from crumbling.

Store bar cookies or brownies in a tightly covered container, or leave them in the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Brownie Baking Tips from Hershey.

Hope one of these recipes helps!

[/tscii:7a6fdfc644]

I tried this recipe and the brownies weren't moist. Sort of dry and crumbly on the top. I think it could be the texture of the batter that did me in. How should the texture of the batter be?

Also, all the recipes posted on this thread, are y'all using the baker's measuring tools like cups and spoons as I notice that baking ingredients measure differently from cooking ingredients. For example, when we loosely say 1 cup rava, it's either 220ml or 250ml. It's a totally different concept with baking, which is very precise.

Would appreciate if those who posted or tested out recipes here could confirm whether the cups are "cooking" or "baking".

Thanks!

Shoba

[RedPepper]

Shoba,

I think measurements are very important when it comes to baking cakes and breads. So it is important to use the correct measuring utensils. I use a set of measuring cups and spoons to make exact measurements. If you plan to bake a lot, buy a set of measuring spoons (comes in a set of 4 or 6), a set of measuring cups for dry ingredient measurements (this also comes in a set of 6), and a measuring cup for liquid measurements. Regarding your brownies, if you use too much flour, it might turn out dry.

[cynthia_a02]

Dear Redpepper,
thanks for ur reply.yes u r correct.sorry,its pillsbury whipped frosting.please tell me where can we use it.thanks in advance.

[RedPepper]

Dear Redpepper,
thanks for ur reply.yes u r correct.sorry,its pillsbury whipped frosting.please tell me where can we use it.thanks in advance.

Uh oh...When you said whipped cream, I thought you were talking about the liquid whipping cream. The pillsburry frosting is ready to use and you may frost the cake with it following the package directions. I have only bought it once; we didn't like its taste. I make my own whipped frosting using the whipping cream(liquid). I beat it on high speed(an electric hand mixer would help here) and add powdered sugar and flavorings until it is thick and spreadable consistency. This tastes much better and it only takes less than 10 minutes to prepare it. You can add natural or store bought food coloring as well. I sometimes add a few drops of beetroot juice for a nice pink frosting or cocoa powder for chocolate frosting. Otherwise we just like it white.

[Shoba]

Shoba,

I think measurements are very important when it comes to baking cakes and breads. So it is important to use the correct measuring utensils. I use a set of measuring cups and spoons to make exact measurements. If you plan to bake a lot, buy a set of measuring spoons (comes in a set of 4 or 6), a set of measuring cups for dry ingredient measurements (this also comes in a set of 6), and a measuring cup for liquid measurements. Regarding your brownies, if you use too much flour, it might turn out dry.

Redpepper, thank you for replying. I think it's time for me to buy those spoons and cups.

Shoba

[Shoba]

Just wanted to share this rasmalai recipe. Ideas from various websites.... Did this in the oven, thats why posting in the baking section.
Here is how I did it:
Mix 2 cups of ricotta cheese with sugar to your taste. I added a little more than half a cup of sugar. Mix this using a whisk until the mixture is very smooth. Now take a baking dish and spread this mixture in it. Bake it at 300 degree F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It took about 35-40 minutes for me to get into this stage. While it is baking boil 2 cups of milk (you may also use half and half if you want a thick texture). Flavor the milk with cardamom powder or vanilla. I used cardamom powder. Cool down the baked rasmalai a bit, and then cut into squares. If there is water in the baking dish, discard it, or move the rasmalai piecest to another dish. Pour the flavored milk. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve with crushed pistachios, or crushed almonds or crucshed walnts, or a mix of all these.
Super easy!
It tasted better on the second day.

Redpepper,

Can Ricotta cheese be substituted with any other type of cheese to make Rasmalai? My husband loves Rasmalai and I want to surprise him...but I've not been able to find Ricotta cheese though.

Oh by the way, ever since getting a set of "baker's" cups & spoons, I'm having 99% success rate with baking. Thank you for inspiring me..

Shoba

[kavithasenthil]

Hello Shoba,

Ricotta cheese is nothing bu paneer. If u can't find in store try making ur own like how we do make paneer.

[RedPepper]

Can Ricotta cheese be substituted with any other type of cheese to make Rasmalai? My husband loves Rasmalai and I want to surprise him...but I've not been able to find Ricotta cheese though.

Oh by the way, ever since getting a set of "baker's" cups & spoons, I'm having 99% success rate with baking. Thank you for inspiring me..

Shoba

I haven't tried it with any other cheese Shoba. In our local grocery store, Ricotta cheese can be found in the aisle of milk, sour cream, half & half, cottage cheese etc. Not with other cheeses like cheddar, mozarella etc. Where did you look at?

Good luck with rasmalai & good to know that you are enjoying baking with the baker's tools.

[tomato]

[quote="Shoba
Redpepper,

Can Ricotta cheese be substituted with any other type of cheese to make Rasmalai? My husband loves Rasmalai and I want to surprise him...but I've not been able to find Ricotta cheese though.

Oh by the way, ever since getting a set of "baker's" cups & spoons, I'm having 99% success rate with baking. Thank you for inspiring me..

Shoba[/quote]

Shoba,
All the diff varities of cheese that are easily available in the US are not that easily avialable in Singapore. But I must also mention that 'Carefour' at Suntech City and 'Jason's Market' at the Raflles Centre do stock a wider range than say NTUC.
I guess there will also be a diff in the quality of the cheese as well, coz one of my cousins who had been in the US b4 coming to Sing said that the mozerela cheese there is very fresh and of a diff texture and taste compared to what we get here. Anyway pls don't be discouraged by what I 've said, do go ahead and try it. Would love to here how it turns out.
Happy baking. :)

[Shoba]

Hello Shoba,

Ricotta cheese is nothing bu paneer. If u can't find in store try making ur own like how we do make paneer.

Kavitha thanks for the info. I read up on Ricotta cheese and found out that it wasnt technically a cheese:

http://homecooking.about.com/cs/cheeseinformation/a/ricotta.htm

Red Pepper, I checked the section where they usually keep all the various butter, cheese and dairy products. I also checked with the staff, and they confirmed that they didnt have Ricotta. Now that Kavitha has mentioned our regular paneer, then it's OK. I can pick it up from any Indian grocery store.

Tomato, thanks dear. What I'm planning to do is go to either Karthika or Mustafa and pick up sufficient quantities of paneer required for the recipe.

Thank you all once again :D ..

Shoba

[sujathakannan]

Hi all,

Can someone please post Rasamali recipe which is made using ricotta cheese and baked in the oven.

-thanks
Sujatha

[Shoba]

Hi all,

Can someone please post Rasamali recipe which is made using ricotta cheese and baked in the oven.

-thanks
Sujatha

Sujatha, on this same page, scroll down a couple of posts and you will see a message addressed to RedPepper regarding the recipe she posted for oven baked Rasmalai.

Regards,
Shoba

[Shoba]

RedPepper,

I tried the recipe. The taste was good, but the rasmalai turned out crumbly. I suspect it could be over baking. Thro trial and error I now know that my oven toaster gives better results if I turned down the temperature by about 25 deg F than what is called for in the recipe which uses a regular oven. For the Rasmalai, I think instead of 35 minutes, I should try for 30 minutes.

Also, have you tried making the Rasmalai without adding sugar to the Ricotta cheese? Instead, pump up the sugar in the milk, and by soaking it'll (hopefully) get sweet? There was a brownish coat on the rasmalai. Just wondering....

My husband was totally amazed that I had made his favourite dessert, generally assumed to be a complicated sweet at that. He loved the taste but asked me to tweak it to perfection regarding the texture & colour.

RedPepper, thank you very much for sharing this recipe! It is indeed really, really easy :thumbsup:

Regards,
Shoba

[sujathakannan]

Thanks Shoba for pointing me to the recipe. My mistake that I didn't read the full posts.

Definetly want to try this soon, may be this weekend.

Thanks, Red Pepper for the recipe. I had tried a similar kind of recipe that I got from internet, but turned out that after baking it didn't cut into clean squares, everything crumbled. Maybe this time I will try to bake until stick inserted comes out clean.

[RedPepper]

[tscii:a5e6275b2b]I don't know what went wrong with both of you regarding the rasmalai turning out crumbly. I could cut it in perfect squares and they stayed intact. I will take a picture next time. Shobha, I didn't get a brownish coat on it, it was ready right when it turned light golden. Maybe it’s your oven, find it out by trial and error, or did you use paneer instead of ricotta? Then the texture maybe different. I haven’t tried it without sugar, sounds like a good idea.[/tscii:a5e6275b2b]

[rain]

hi shobha,

i had tried this oven rasamalai with ricotta cheese and it came out very well. me too had this early browning thing but that was stalled once i removed the shelf one notch down,otherwise it came out with the shape intact even on cutting.i had use boiled and reduced milk for a cremier texture.maybe next time i will try with half & half with sugar.

thanks to redpepper for suggesting this recipe!

regards
rain

[cynthia_a02]

Dear Redpepper,
i tried ur rasamalai receipe.but i cann't cut them into pieces.it crumbles.can u say where i went wrong.i used whole milk ricotta cheese.thanks in advance.

[Shoba]

[tscii:a8f72ca730]I don't know what went wrong with both of you regarding the rasmalai turning out crumbly. I could cut it in perfect squares and they stayed intact. I will take a picture next time. Shobha, I didn't get a brownish coat on it, it was ready right when it turned light golden. Maybe it’s your oven, find it out by trial and error, or did you use paneer instead of ricotta? Then the texture maybe different. I haven’t tried it without sugar, sounds like a good idea.[/tscii:a8f72ca730]

RedPepper,

I used paneer instead of ricotta. I didnt have any problems cutting into squares..only the texture was crumbly. Could be a combination of having used paneer and the baking time. Oh, by the way since you love condensed milk, these crumbly bits of baked paneer soaked in sugar tasted just like condensed milk on toast. Deadly stuff :D !

rain,

I put my baking dish on the bottom most rack. As mentioned to RedPepper, I tried the recipe with paneer instead of ricotta, plus I think my oven toaster needs only about 28-30 minutes to cook 2 cups of paneer.

Shoba

[sujathakannan]

Redpepper,

Finally I tried the rasamali recipe. this I watched more carefully. I turned out good.

For 2 cups of ricotta cheese, which size baking dish everyone used? We like the rasamalai pieces to be little thick 1 1/2 inch pieces. Any suggestion as to which size baking dish to use and how long to cook?

[grapes]

I had this doubt on baking cakes; while i bake cakes the ones i do from scratch & the packed ones, my cakes rises up more in the middle, i do preheat the oven well & tried reducing & ingreasing the temp bt nothing works could i have any suggestions.

[Kz]

Grapes, it is normal for the cakes to rise in the center. try spreading the cake batter to the sides before baking. that helps sometimes.

But if u r so particular abt it u can buy some baking strips from craft shops, made by wilton and use them around ur cake pans while u bake the cake, it helps for a flat top, Anyway u can cut the tops, ur going to invert the cake so the bottom which is neatand flat comes on top and easy for decorating too.
Kz

[grapes]

thanks kz 4 ur instant reply.
when i make doubled layered cakes wt happens is i have to cut the top buldge & finally i am left with only abt 3/4th" or even less in each of cake layers & the center is a lot porus & ive got to use a lot of iceing/whipped cream to get both the layers to level up, may be i should try the baking strips.r there any other ways, may i know wt u usually do.

[RedPepper]

I used to cut the dome off the top of the cake and then invert the cake so the flat bottom becomes the top.

Recently I have got a tip from another forum which says that as soon as you take the cake from the oven, take a piece of parchment paper (or waxed paper) and place it over the cake. Cover the cake completely with the parchment paper. Now take another cake pan and put it on top of the parchment paper. Using your hands, very gently press down on the cake just until it is flat. You should not press hard, for it will change the texture of the cake. I tried this technique a couple of times and it worked for me.

I have also heard of another method by placing damp paper towels around the cake pan while baking or something like that. Not sure about the details.

[Shoba]

Redpepper,

Finally I tried the rasamali recipe. this I watched more carefully. I turned out good.

For 2 cups of ricotta cheese, which size baking dish everyone used? We like the rasamalai pieces to be little thick 1 1/2 inch pieces. Any suggestion as to which size baking dish to use and how long to cook?

Sujatha,

Yesterday I tried the recipe once again. I cant seem to get ricotta cheese here in S'pore, so I went back to using paneer. Amul brand.

Defrosted 2 cups very well at room temperature until soft. Blended it with 3/4 cup sugar until really, really smooth. Had to sprinkle the mixture with water, twice. (Note: it's *sprinkle* not pour).

Preheated oven toaster at 160 deg C, while I was blending the mixture.

Transferred the mixture to a 0.5 lit Corningware dish for baking. Kept it on the lower most shelf, literally on the "floor" of the oven, and baked without closing the dish for 30 minutes (excluding pre heat time).

Discovered that the centre was still under baked, so I timed for another 10 minutes, which came upto RedPepper's original cooking time of 40 minutes (35-40 mins).

Cooled well. And when I cut, the texture was soooo spongy and smooth. Reminded me of marshmellows. Only the edges were slightly browned.

Soaked the pieces in 2 cups boiled milk with cardamom (I didnt sweeten the milk RedPepper, as I wanted to find out where I had gone wrong the first time and didnt want to deviate from the original recipe), and served my husband. He certified it the best ever Rasmalai!

Looking back, I think the reason why it didnt turnout well the first time could have been bcoz, the paneer wasnt blended enough. It did have an ever so slightly grainy texture..like "pin point" bits of paneer. And I used the black non stick baking tray for baking which was really too big for the mixture really.

So once again RedPepper, a big thank you :D, for the recipe as well as for clearing my Corningware anxieties !

Shoba

[RedPepper]

Shobha,

Delighted to see that you have figured it out yourself. I have been wondering and planning to make another batch of rasmalai to see where you could have gone wrong. Thanks for the feedback.

[grapes]

Shobha,

Delighted to see that you have figured it out yourself. I have been wondering and planning to make another batch of rasmalai to see where you could have gone wrong. Thanks for the feedback.
dear redpepper sorry to trouble u bt i think u will have to try out the receipe again 4 me, i tried out the receipe just as u said bt the only thing i did was i do not have a corning dish so i used a 9" non stick round baking pan & it baked 4 all most 55 min & it was still sticking to the tooth pick so i baked it 4 some more time it started to brown slightly so i removed it after abt 65 min i was not able to cut them into sqs they were very soft, it tastes like palkowa could u plz help me ( they were bubbling while in the oven does this normally happen i kept it at 300f )

[kavithasenthil]

hi guys..i have rasamalai ready to go packet like gulabjamun. can u(shoba/redpepper) guys suggest to make it in the oven?

[kavithasenthil]

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
Submitted by: Diane Abed
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 402 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings

"I make a basic chocolate chip cookie dough, but use white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and brandy (instead of vanilla). Great for Christmas time!"
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Tried the cookie just now which i foun in the following site.
It is just amazing. This cookie is keeper. i used m&m instead of cranberry.


http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/WhtChcltCrnbrryCks.asp

[rain]

here's a yummy but simple one for the baking annals from our local newspaper!meant to side with grilled meat but tasted just great with my daily rice roti fare. :D

Roasted mushrooms and veggies

(hands on:10min total time:30min)

1 box of cremini,button or portebella mushrooms wiped clean
and cut into quarters
1 med.red and
1 med.green capsicum,cut into med.size pcs
1/2 cup small(petite) frozen peas rinsed and drained
200gms small cherry or grape tomatoes,whole
1 small red onion sliced l-wise

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter melted
black pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaf

preheat oven 400 degreesf
spread out evenly the mushrooms,peas,onion,red and green pepper, and whole cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet with sides.the end result will be dry.drizzle with oil and melted butter,salt(if ur using unsalted butter) and pepper and stir to coat.now roast for 18-20 min,stirring often until the mushrooms r golden brown and tomatoes soft.sprinkle with parsley(i used coriander ) and more salt and pepper if reqd. and serve warm.

regards,
rain

[RedPepper]

No problem rain. I am going to make it again anyway as soon as I get some ricotta cheese. I will post it in a couple of days.

By the way, I assume yours turned out crumbly because you didn't beat the cheese and sugar very well?? The batter should be smooth with no sugar grains.



Shobha,

Delighted to see that you have figured it out yourself. I have been wondering and planning to make another batch of rasmalai to see where you could have gone wrong. Thanks for the feedback.
dear redpepper sorry to trouble u bt i think u will have to try out the receipe again 4 me, i tried out the receipe just as u said bt the only thing i did was i do not have a corning dish so i used a 9" non stick round baking pan & it baked 4 all most 55 min & it was still sticking to the tooth pick so i baked it 4 some more time it started to brown slightly so i removed it after abt 65 min i was not able to cut them into sqs they were very soft, it tastes like palkowa could u plz help me ( they were bubbling while in the oven does this normally happen i kept it at 300f )

[grapes]

No problem rain. I am going to make it again anyway as soon as I get some ricotta cheese. I will post it in a couple of days.

By the way, I assume yours turned out crumbly because you didn't beat the cheese and sugar very well?? The batter should be smooth with no sugar grains.

thanks a lot redpepper could u plz take a couple of pictures before & after baking & post them in, they would be a great help.
sorry 4 the inconvience.

[RedPepper]

No problem rain. I am going to make it again anyway as soon as I get some ricotta cheese. I will post it in a couple of days.

By the way, I assume yours turned out crumbly because you didn't beat the cheese and sugar very well?? The batter should be smooth with no sugar grains.

thanks a lot redpepper could u plz take a couple of pictures before & after baking & post them in, they would be a great help.
sorry 4 the inconvience.

Ooops... I thought your username was 'rain'. Sorry grapes. Yes I will take the pictures.

[RedPepper]

OK grapes. The pictures are ready for you. Since this forum doesn't allow me to post pictures, I have to drag you to my blog. Please follow me.......http://myworksh0p.blogspot.com/2006/04/baked-rasmalai.html

[kavithasenthil]

Hello Redpepper,

Saw ur post on rasamalai in ur blog. tried today with ready mix in oven method. Got good result. In ur pictures..found that the top portion got brown colour. u can avoid that and get wonderful white color by covering the tray with aluminium foil. try when u make rasamalai next time.

[RedPepper]

Hello Redpepper,

Saw ur post on rasamalai in ur blog. tried today with ready mix in oven method. Got good result. In ur pictures..found that the top portion got brown colour. u can avoid that and get wonderful white color by covering the tray with aluminium foil. try when u make rasamalai next time.

Thank you for the wonderful idea kavitha. In fact, I thought about covering the dish, but was afraid if the batter would bubble up and boil over if I do so. I had such an experience while baking caramel custard once. I will definitely try this next time.

[grapes]

THANKS 4 the detailed illustrated receipe redpepper i will try it tomorrow & let u know the results.(i do not have a hand blender so i am going to try it in the mixi lets see how this works)

[RedPepper]

THANKS 4 the detailed illustrated receipe redpepper i will try it tomorrow & let u know the results.(i do not have a hand blender so i am going to try it in the mixi lets see how this works)

Grapes, I don't know how it would be if you do it in a mixie. Do you have a wire whisk? Thats what I use sometimes & it works fine.