Choco Lava Cake

Ever had your kids make your life miserable for something they want. If you haven't then consider yourself lucky. They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Believe me, that's nothing. Hell hath no fury like a demanding kid ...atleast till the demands are not met.

My younger one had this craving for a chocolate lava cake...and that was not all. He didn't want the one available in restaurants. He wanted ME to bake him one. 3 days of persistent quizzing by him, on whether today was the day, emotional hijacks that I don't love him (and he is only 4), hunger strikes (I will only have food if the dessert is a choco lava cake), mass announcements to neighbors that his father will bake him a molten cake, I finally relented. Last Sunday, he  got his Choco Lava cake and yes! I did bake him one 6-7 so that he could have one for the next 3 days.

The choco lava cake (as my son calls it) is known by many names - Molten Chocolate cake, Chocolate fondant pudding, Chocolate Lava Cake. It's invention is disputed, with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten claiming to have invented this in 1987, and Chef  Jacques Torres(France) claiming that this dish existed in France from much before. Still, Chef Vongerichten did make it popular within the US and is credited with the same.

Choco Lava Cake

Make 8 Ramekins


Ingredients:
Chocolate (semi-sweet or bitter), chopped - 170 gms 
Butter, cut into pieces - 115 gms
Eggs, yolks & whites separated - 3
Granulated white sugar - 65 gms (For the egg yolks)
Granulated white sugar  - 1 Tblsp (For the egg whites)
Vanilla Essence or Extract - 1 Tsp
Cream of Tartar - 1/8 Tsp


For the ramekins/molds
Butter - 1.5 Tsp
Castor Sugar - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Prepare the ramekins/molds by buttering the insides evenly and then coating them with sugar. An easy way to coat with sugar is to drop a tsp into the buttered mold and then just swirl it around. The sugar will stick to the buttered portions and you can tap the excess back into another bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius.
3. In a medium heatproof bowl, add in the chocolate pieces and butter pieces. Put it on a double boiler (or over a pan of boiling water ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water but is just above it). Melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, add in egg yolks and 65 gms. sugar. Beat till they turn white (very pale...almost white), thick and fluffy.
5. Add in the vanilla essence. Beat the egg mixture again till the batter starts to fall back in ribbons once lifted.
6. Fold in the melted chocolate and butter.
7. In another clean bowl, add in the egg whites and whip till they turn frothy.
8. Add in the cream of tartar and whip to form soft peaks.
9. Add in the 1 Tblsp of sugar and whip till stiff peaks form.
10. Gently fold these egg whites into the egg & chocolate mixture. Take care not to overmix or the batter will deflate. An ideal way is to fold it in batchwise. Do not worry, if certain streaks of white remain visible.
11. Pour into the buttered and sugared molds.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or till outside is set and middle appears wet. NOTE: Cracks may appear on the surface and that is normal.
13. Remove from oven. Rest for a minute and serve either in ramekins/molds or independently.
14. You can garnish with raspberries, sprinkling of icing sugar, coffee powder, whipped cream or ice cream on top.

NOTE: You need not rush to bake after pouring the mixture into the molds. You can also prepare this in advance and cover with a film of wrap and keep it in the refrigerator and bake later. Just increase the baking time to make up for the cold mixture. It keeps well for 4-5 days.

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Peach Bread

Immortalized by folklore's, traditions and signature dishes (like the Peach Melba), the peach is a perfect summer food. Every year this time when I come across numerous vendors on the roadside with their huge piles of peaches and other fruits, I long to take this tasty treat home and use it one way or another.
It's quite another story that I need to really wrestle with my elder son who loves to have peaches raw and ends up finishing them before I get a chance to use them in a souffle or cake. The thing with Peaches is that you cannot refrigerate them as they lose their sweetness (personal experience - may be wrong) and the Delhi heat blast spoils them if kept out for long. So a quick approach is vital especially with the shelf life as well as my elder ones love for them.

Last week I thought of baking a peach bread. I still haven't got to used to the name though. It has a different ring and it may take time to get used to the name, but I loved the taste - it was a welcome difference to the usual banana bread and the variations I have tried with it.
As the summer progresses, I am expecting more and more juicier ones to flood the market and cannot wait to have my hands on them.
The Peach bread was a big hit in the household and the orders have started to flood in. My parents go on their vacation day after and I need to bake them some peach bread for their journey. I travel with wife and kids next week to Naldehra for a week's getaway and am contemplating taking some peach bread with me for the journey. It is a good eight hour drive from Delhi to reach Naldehra which is some 20 odd kilometers away from Simla and apart from wife and kids, I have my good college buddy Abhineet and his wife and daughter for company, so with 3 absolutely noisy kids in the car, some tasty peach bread will go a long way in not only providing good taste but the necessary energy to drive their moms crazy with their antics.

Peach Bread

Ingredients:

Peaches, cut into dices - 2 Cups (around 3 peaches should do)
Peaches, pureed - 1/2 Cup ( Around 2 Peaches should do)
Biscuit Crumbs (Marie or other digestive ones) - 1/2 Cup
All Purpose Flour - 2.5 Cups
Baking Powder - 2 Tsp
Baking Soda - 1 Tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 Tsp
Raisins - 20-30
Salt - 1/2 Tsp
Yogurt, hung - 1/2 Cup
Soft Butter - 1/4 Cup
Eggs- 3
Sugar - 1 Cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp
Method:
1. Mix the diced peaches with 1/4 cup of sugar and let it soak for atleast 30 minutes.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, except the sugar, in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl combine butter & hung yogurt. Whisk till well blended. Add in the 3/4 cup sugar and whisk till the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat each egg completely before adding the next one.
5. Add in the pureed peaches and whisk well to combine.

6. Add in the raisins and diced peaches (soaked in 1/4 cup sugar) . Mix together.
7. Add in the flour mixture and gently stir to combine.
8. Pour into a loaf pan. Place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Remove from the loaf pan and cool on a wire rack. Cut and serve the slices.

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The joys of baking - Chocolate Chip & Fruit Tea Cake

My better half discovered the joys of baking a few months back and has not looked back since then. At first it was my signature weekly banana bread that got passed on to her, and I must admit it tasted better when she baked. Then came the other breads and cakes. The cheesecakes (I still feel deeply my cheesecakes are the primary reason she married me) will come sooner or later ...I'm waiting.

Chocolate Chip & Fruit Tea Cake



Ingredients:

Refined Flour - 225 gm
Brown Sugar, ground - 100 gm
Unsalted Butter - 175 gm
Eggs - 4
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp
Chocolate Chips - 175 gm
Raisins, soaked in hot water - 100 gm
Walnuts - 50 gm

Method:

1. Sift the flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until soft, light & fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add in the flour & baking powder.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and walnuts.
6. Pour into a greased & floured cake tin.
7. Bake at 180 Deg. Celsius for 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
8. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
9. Turn out on a wire rack carefully and allow it to cool completely.
10. Cut into thin slices and serve.

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Merry X'mas - Apple Torte with nuts, apricot & raisins

X'mas this year has been very ordinary at the house. Yet also, it is our new born's first x'mas. Though most day was spent as a dull weekend lazing around and watching some movies, we finally ventured out in the evening for a ride. In the night I decided to bake myself some X'mas treat. Actually had been planning for a long time ( 3-4 days) but nothing was coming to my mind. Had scanned numerous books, sites and spoken to a dozen people who prided in the their baking. All of sudden, while surfing on Epicurious, I stumbled on this particular recipe for a Apple walnut torte. Decided there and then to make it however, with some variations. I have to admit, Epicurious is my favorite for baking recipes apart from joyofbaking. The recipe collection is huge and has some interesting things to try out.

Before I list what I made ....a Merry X'mas to each one of you. It may be coming a day late but hey! a wish is a wish.

Ingredients :
200 gm unsalted butter, softened up
2 cups sugar
3 Apples preferebly granny smith, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored
1 cup refined flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
10 gm Raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 teaspoon walnut, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon almonds, coarsely chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 Dried Apricots, finely chopped
5 gm Cherries, candied, chopped coarsely
15 ml Whisky

Method:

1. Melt 50 gms of butter in a saucepan and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly over butter. Put the apples slices and cook over medium heat, turning apples occasionally, until sugar is caramelized and apples are tender and golden brown.

2. Butter a round baking dish and flout it. Arrange apples, cut sides down, in concentric circles in bottom of the round baking dish, then pour over any caramel from the pan.

3. Seive together flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

4. Cream the remaining butter in a bowl until creamy. Add sugar and beat to combine. Add egg and beat well.

5. Add in the almonds, walnuts, cherries, apricots and whisky. Mix in flour mixture until just combined (batter will be thick).

6. Pour batter over apples in the round baking dish and spread evenly. Bake at 250 deg F for 30 minutes.

7. Invert the baked torte on a cooling rack and turn it over so that the apples that were at the bottom are now on the top. Cool torte on a rack 30 minutes.

8. Cut into slices and serve.

Accompaniment : Vanilla Ice-Cream & apple sauce.

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