Chocolate Banana Bread

Tags

Baked Foods, breads

Banana Bread is a kids favorite at home and once I added chocolate to their favorite bread, they loved it. The flavors go really well. Banana Nut Bread that I make has loads of walnuts whereas Chocolate Banana has loads of chocolate chips and cocoa.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Bake time : 60 minutes

Makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients:

All purpose flour : 1 1/2 cups

Cocoa Powder : 1/2 cup

Baking powder : 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda : 1 teaspoon

Butter : 1 stick/ 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar : 1/2 cup

Brown sugar : 1/4 cup

Eggs : 2 large

Ripe Bananas : 3 medium mashed

Chocolate chips : 1/2 cup

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium size bowl, cream butter and sugars until they turn light and fluffy.

Add eggs, banana and stir to combine.

Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips and stir to combine. Do not over mix.

Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf tin, add the batter and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the bread rest for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring it onto a cooling rack.

Whole Wheat Bread

Tags

Baked Foods, breads

Whole wheat Bread is very popular and fairly easy to make at home. Kneading extremely well to get a soft and light dough is really important for a perfect loaf of bread. This bread can be used to make toast, sandwiches and even croutons.

Use only whole wheat flour. You can use chakki atta too but no multi grain atta.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Kneading time: 12 minutes

Resting time : 1-2 hours depending on the weather

Bake Time : 30 minutes

Makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients:

Warm Milk : 1 cup

Regular Sugar : 2 tablespoons

Active Dry Yeast : 1/2 tablespoon

Whole wheat flour : 3 cups

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Warm water : 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons

Oil : 2-3 tablespoons

Milk and butter for brushing

Instructions:

In a medium size bowl, add warm milk, sugar, yeast, mix and let it sit for 7-10 minutes until the yeast is activated. Keep the bowl covered.

To the yeast mixture, add the flour, water, salt and start kneading. Pull the mixture onto a clean surface and keep kneading while adding the oil. Knead well until the dough is lighter in colour, elastic and soft. That will take about 10-12 minutes. (There is no such thing called over kneading so don’t worry)

Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it and cover it with a damp cloth.

Once the dough is double it’s size, take the dough onto a clean working surface, pull the edges and close into the middle. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle shape, roll and tuck the edges forming a cylindrical shape. Pinch the ends and pat to make it smooth as shown in the pics.

Grease a loaf tin, place the dough in it, cover it and keep aside for 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile, pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Once the dough is ready, brush it with milk and bake for 30 minutes.

Take it out of the oven, let it cool for 30 minutes before taking the bread out of the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack. Wait until the bread is almost room temperature before slicing the bread.

Point to note is the bread should be consumed within 3 days as there are no preservatives. Otherwise refrigerate it to increase the shelf life.

Add warm milk, sugar and yeast to activate yeast.

Add flour, salt, water and oil

Knead for 10-12 minutes

Let the dough rise to double the quantity

Roll and tuck the edges. Pinch and seal

Sealed and ready to go into the tin

Brush with butter as soon as the loaf is out of the oven

Sweet Rolls with Cinnamon Butter

Tags

Baked Foods, breads

These Sweet Rolls are so much similar to the rolls served at Texas Roadhouse. Texas Roadhouse is a restaurant in US and the rolls they serve are super soft, buttery and sweet. The rolls are served with Cinnamon butter. The combination is super delicious.

Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

Bake Time : 20 minutes

Makes : 15 rolls

Ingredients:

Warm water : 1/4 cup

Granulated Sugar : 1 teaspoon

Active dry yeast : 2 teaspoons

Milk : 1 cup lukewarm

Unsalted butter : 1 1/2 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled

Granulated Sugar : 1/4 cup

All purpose flour : 3 /12 to 4 cups

Egg : 1 large

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Melted butter to brush the rolls

Cinnamon Butter:

Unsalted butter : 4 tablespoons/ 1/2 stick softened

Powdered sugar : 1/8 cup

Honey : 1/8 cup

Ground Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:

In a small bowl, add warm water, sugar, yeast, stir, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes until the yeast is activated.

In a large bowl, add milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and mix using a dough hook or even with hands.

Add the flour little bit at a time and mix until a soft dough is formed. Mix the dough until it comes clean from sides of the bowl.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.

Punch down the dough, place it on a floured surface and roll it into 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into squares and place them on to a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C.

Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Take them out and brush the rolls with melted butter.

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients listed for Cinnamon butter.

Serve the rolls hot with Cinnamon Butter.

*My little one wanted to cut the squares so please pardon the shape.

 

 

Devil’s Food Cake /Cupcakes

Tags

Baked Foods, cakes, cupcakes

Devil’s Food Cake is a moist and rich chocolate cake. The cake is usually paired with rich chocolate frosting. This cake in invented in USA in the early 20th Century with the recipe in print as early as 1905.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Bake Time : 35 minutes for a 9″ cake and 22 minutes for cupcakes

Makes : 2 – 9″ round cakes (or) 30 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter : 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks at room temperature

Sugar : 2 1/4 cups

Cocoa Powder : 3/4 cup

Vanilla extract : 2 teaspoons

Eggs : 3 large at room temperature

All purpose flour : 2 cups

Baking Soda : 1 1/2 teaspoons

Baking Powder : 3/4 teaspoon

Salt : 3/4 teaspoon

Water : 1 1/4 cups

Milk : 1/4 cup

Instructions:

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease the cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. If making cup cakes, place the liners in the muffin tin.

In a medium sized bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and cream until light and fluffy.

Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and beat well to combine.

Add one egg at a time and beat for 1 minute each time.

Add All purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix well.

In a bowl, add water and milk. Either stovetop or in a microwave, bring them to a boil.

Add the boiling water, milk mixture to the batter and blend to just combine.

Pour the batter in the cake pan and bake for 35 minutes. If you are making cupcakes, bake for 22 minutes.

Turn off the oven when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and let the cake/cupcakes cool completely before icing the cake/cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Tags

Baked Foods, cup cakes

These Cupcakes are a mini version of the Red Velvet cake which is really popular. I made few changes to the original recipe by using thick yogurt/curd instead of sour cream or buttermilk that normally used and it turned out delicious. There is absolutely no difference, kids loved it.

To get the bright red colour and the velvety texture, I added beetroot extract along with the gel red colour.

The best icing that goes with Red Velvet Cake is Cream Cheese frosting. Buttercream can be used but cream cheese flavour goes well comparitively.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Bake Time : 22 minutes

Makes : 15 cupcakes

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour : 1 1/4 cups

Unsweetened Cocoa Power : 1/4 cup

Baking Soda : 1/4 teaspoon

Butter : 1/2 cup softened

Sugar : 1 cup

Eggs : 2

Thick yogurt/ Greek yogurt : 1/2 cup

Cold milk : 1/4 cup

Red gel food colour : 1 teaspoon

Beetroot extract : 2 tablespoons

Vanilla Extract : 1 teaspoon

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

Unsalted Butter : 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened

Cream cheese : 8 oz (226 grams) at room temperature

Vanilla extract : 1 teaspoon

Salt : 1/4 teaspoon

Powdered Sugar : 3 cups

Instructions:

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt mix well and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, yogurt, milk, food colour, beetroot extract, vanilla and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine on low speed. Do not overblend.

Line the muffin tray and spoon the batter into the cups filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let them cool.

For the frosting: Add all ingredients list under for frosting and beat till the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Let the cup cupcakes cool completely before decorating them.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add rest of the wet ingredients and beat well to combine.

Add the dry ingredients and just mix to combine. Do not over mix.

Pistachio Cake

Tags

Baked Foods, cakes

This Pistachio Cake is full of bursting flavours from nutty pistachios, almonds, cardamom and orange zest. I saw a post on Almond cake and thought let me try a Pistachio cake as that’s one nut no one in the house eats. I have to always make something and hide them.

The cake is so fluffy with a beautiful colour. My husband who is not a big fan of cakes loved this one and asked me to bake a second one within few days. The sweetness is mild compared to the other cakes.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Bake Time : 35 minutes

Serves : 6-8

Ingredients:

Butter : 1/2 cup / 1 stick

Sugar : 1 cup

Eggs : 3 large

Almond extract : 1/2 teaspoon

Orange zest : 1 orange

All purpose flour : 1 1/4 cup

Baking powder : 1 1/2 teaspoons

Salt : A pinch

Pistachios : 1/2 cup ground coarsely

Almonds : 6 ground coarsely

Green cardamom : 6 pods seeds powdered

Warm milk : 1/2 cup

Slivered Pistachios for garnish

Instructions:

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.

Grease a 8″ pan on the sides and line it with a parchment paper.

Cream sugar and butter and beat till it light and fluffy.

Add one egg at a time and beat well. Add almond extract, orange zest and beat to combine.

Add all the dry ingredients in batches along with milk and beat well to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, garnish with slivered pistachios and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Firecracker Chicken

Tags

Baked Foods, Chicken Recipes, Chinese

Firecracker Chicken is crispy chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. The dish is done in two steps, first browned until the chicken is crisp in a pan stove top and next the cooked chicken is tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce and baked to perfection.

This dish an be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with plain rice or fried rice. I like using chicken thighs for the dish because of the texture but chicken breast works fine.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes

Bake Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Skinless boneless chicken : 500 grams (cut into chunks)

Salt and pepper to taste

Corn flour/starch : 2 1/2 tablespoons

Eggs : 2 beaten

Scallions : To garnish

For the sauce:

Hot sauce : 1/3 cup

Red chilli flakes : 1 tablespoon

Rice Vinegar : 1 tablespoon

Brown Sugar : 2 tablespoons

Instructions:

Take the chicken chunks in a bowl, add salt, pepper, corn flour/starch and mix well to coat.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 tray  or cookie sheet with aluminium foil and keep aside.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients listed under for the sauce and keep aside.

On High flame, heat oil in a wide pan. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and put them in the pan in a single layer. It will take 2 batches to cook all the chicken. Cook the chicken pieces 3-4 minutes per side until the chicken is light brown and crisp.

Once the chicken is done, add the chicken pieces to the baking pan, pour the sauce and coat well. Make sure the chicken is in single layer.

Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, garnish the chicken with scallions and serve hot with plain rice or fried rice.

Red Velvet Cookies

Tags

Baked Foods, cookies

These Red Velvet cookies are a little chewy. The beautiful colour is tempting and the taste of the cookies makes you want to grab another one. I added mini white chocolate chips but regular chocolate chips can be added. The cookies taste delicious even without the chocolate chips.

For the bright colour, I added some beetroot extract along with the red food gel. It gave a perfect colour to the cookies.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Rest Time : 2 hours

Bake Time : 13 minutes

Makes : 20 cookies

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter : 1 cup / 2 sticks

Granulated sugar : 1 cup

Light brown sugar : 1 cup

Eggs : 2 large at room temperature

Vanilla extract : 1 1/2 teaspoons

Red gel food colour : 1/2 teaspoon

Beetroot extract : 2 tablespoons

All purpose flour : 2 1/2 cups

Baking soda : 1 teaspoon

Cocoa powder : 1 1/2 tablespoons

Cornstarch/ corn flour : 2 teaspoons

Salt : 1 teaspoon

White chocolate chips : 2 cups

Instructions:

In a medium sized bowl, take butter and microwave it till it is semi melted.

Add both sugars and beat on medium speed till they are combined well for about 2 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time and beat on medium low to combine.

Add vanilla, food colour and beetroot extract, mix well to combine.

Add all the dry ingredients except chocolate chips and beat to combine. Don’t over mix.

Add the chocolate chips and fold into the dough.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When it’s almost 2 hours, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper, scoop the dough on the sheets and bake for 13 minutes.

Let them rest for 10 minutes, and transfer the cookies on to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

Store the cookies in a airtight container for 4-5 days.

Note : I got so many queries on a eggless version.

To replace 1 egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon (7grams) of ground flax or chia seeds with 3 tablespoons (45 grams) of water until fully absorbed and thickened.

Cajun Chicken

Tags

Baked Foods, Chicken Recipes

Cajun Chicken is super juicy and tender. Chicken drumsticks are rubbed with Cajun seasoning, topped with butter and bake to perfection. This is such a simple dish that the prepping takes just 5 minutes and your oven does rest of the work.

You can use store bought Cajun seasoning but making it home is real easy. Serve it with Cajun Rice.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time : 25 minutes

Serves : 2-4

Ingredients:

Chicken Drumsticks : 6

Cajun Seasoning – Simple Recipe : 1/2 recipe

Butter : 4 tablespoons

Instructions:

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Take a oven safe pan, place the chicken drumsticks and rub with the spice mixture coving the drumsticks completely.

Add butter on top of the chicken pieces and bake them for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is nice and tender.

Serve immediately with some Cajun Rice or vegetables.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Tags

Baked Foods, side dishes

These Creamy Scalloped Potatoes are super creamy and baked to perfection. It goes well with an meal as a side dish.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time : 10 minutes

Bake Time : 45 minutes

Serves : 2-3

Ingredients:

Potatoes : 4 large peeled and sliced into 3mm thick slices

Butter : 1 tablespoon

Garlic : 2 cloves minced

All purpose flour : 1 cup

Ground pepper: 1 teaspoon

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Grated parmesan cheese : 2 tablespoons

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C

In a oven safe dish, fan the sliced potatoes.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and cook garlic until it starts to brown. Add the flour, salt, pepper and stir well to combine.

Slowly add the milk while stirring so no lumps are formed. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Bring it to a boil and turn off the stove.

Add the sauce on top of potatoes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot as a side dish.