A Feta and Spinach Twist- *BBD #30*

It's been some time since I baked bread, the twisted/ braided kind to be exact. I love a freshly baked bread for breakfast. Like being welcomed in the morning with a warm just out of the oven bread. I know that isn't possible probably until I own a bread machine. I recently acquired some wonderful books on baking bred and that has just helped in the growth of my love for making bread. My daughter, L loves helping me out actually in kneading. But I have always trusted my kneader to knead the dough. So when the little one is around, she insists on kneading by hand. She is more exuberant when it comes to kneading by hand compared to me. Once the kneading is done, I leave it to rise and just walk away. Little L on the hand sits alongside the bowl to watch the dough rise and jumps with joy at each stage. Her world of little pleasures which I fail to realize...

The bread I have for you today is a spinach and feta twist chosen mainly for two reasons; a) Braiding, twisitng, shaping is somethin I enjoy doing b) for BBD, whose theme this month is twisted bread. Good enough reason for me!

What you need
(From Bread by Sara Lewis)

2C White flour -I used 1 C multi grain Flour + 1C Plain FLour)
1t Sugar
1t Salt
1 and 1/4 t fast action dried yeast
2T Olive Oil
3/4 C warm water
1 C chopped Spinach
1/2 C Feta Cheese
1 egg yolk, to glaze
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 t grated nutmeg (I omitted this and used chilli flakes for the spiciness)

In a large bowl, put in flour, sugar, salt and yeast and the olive oil. Use the warm water to make a dough and knead for a smooth pliable dough. Leave to rise covered in a warm place. Once it doubles in volume, knead well and roll into a rectangle. Sprinkle the spinach leaves and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle over . (Resist the urge to eat some feta now. I couldn't!).

Roll the dough along the longer side. Brush with egg yolk mixed with 1 T of water.

Cut the dough in half along the length. Open out the pieces so that the cut sides face upwards.Press the ends together. (resist the urge again to eat some more feta..this is impossible now cos the feta tastes yummier with the seasoning. I couldn't this time too!!). Loosely twist the two cut pieces lifting the right hand piece over the left hand piece, then the first piece over the second and so forth until the ends are reached..

Transfer to a greased tray. Leave to rise uncovered atleast for half an hour.

Bake in a preheated oven, (200 degree C) until nicely browned. Cover with foil if overbrowned.

This bread tops the list among all the bread I have made with the most amazing flavour and texture. A wholesome bread that tastes good served warm or cold.

This is my entry for BBD #30, an event created by Zorra, hosted by Natashya this month who chose a great theme:Breads with a twist.

This Feta and spinach twist is also yeast spotted!

Croquembouche with coffee-kahlua cream and chocolate sauce *Daring Bakers*

Here, we (the daring bakers) are again this month with a Piece Montee (mounted piece) or croquembouche -a true crunch in the mouth dessert!!!According to Cat (this month's hostess) of Little Miss Cupcake, this is served as a traditional wedding cake in France. Now that is really really awesome. They are also served at baptisms and communions as well. As for me, I have only seen this in the baking books thahttp://www.blogger.com/t I own and always wondered if I will ever make something as humungous as that..I did but on a rather small scale. According to Cat, The classic piece montée is a high pyramid/cone made of profiteroles (cream-filled puff pastries) sometimes dipped in chocolate, bound with caramel, and usually decorated with threads of caramel, sugared almonds, chocolate, flowers, or ribbons.

Of all the pastries I've done this had the most dramatic effect owing to the conical structure of cream filled choux balls. The cream here being a coffee cream with some kahlua for comapny. I halved the recipe and got 12 choux pastries. The tower appeared precarious at firsst in the pictures I've seen. What you basically need to do is bake the choux balls and fill them with cream. I piped them into the balls. They were then dipped individually into a lightly cooked caramel syrup and set on top of one another. As the syrup cooled they set the balls in place. After the shape was formed, a fork was used to spin a web of caramel syrup around the construction.Chocolate sauce and the coffee-kahlua cream were then dripped.

Intrigued on how the process goes???Then here's the recipe . My only additions were adding 2 T of Kahlua to the coffee cream.

I enjoyed assembling it especially spinning the sugar threads around it...

Visit the daring bakers for more amazing croquembouches.

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Mango-coconut cream icecream

Icecreams are probably the simplest to make. They give  me the ultimate satisafaction to end a hearty meal. With the sweltering heat, it is such a welcome relief anytime of the day. And mangoes available in plenty, this was a must make in my list. The old-fashined vanilla icecream is always stocked at home. Some chocolate sauce or any fruity sauce is all that I need to relish in the icecream. So when the little daughter was away at her grandmum's. I made this little surprise for her. She is very fond of mangoes among all the fruits. She waits for the season to arrive as I had mentioned here. But there was another ingredient that went into the icecream. Her curiosity arose when I served with icecream with coconut shreds. Yes there's coconut cream in it as well.. Was my favourite, so here's an icecream that needs no icecream churn or a maker.

What you need for this are:
(From Simply Delicious Icecreams and desserts)
Makes a liter of icecream

4 egg yolks
2/3 C Confectioner's sugar

2 C mango puree
1 T lemon Juice
1/2 C Coconut cream (recipe from here or use store bought ones.
1/2 C cream

In a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove and beat until it cools..

In another bowl, mix the mango puree, lemon juice, coconut cream and the cream. Using a metal spoon, fold in the egg and sugar mixture..

Spoon this mixture ina freezer suitable box and freeze until frozen. Remove and transfer the frozen mixture to a bowl and beat ona high speed until smooth. Return and freeze overnight. Once well frozen, serve.

The icecream owing to the hot climate where I live melted real rapidly.. So don't wait, just scoop and eat. Serve with shredded coconut and mango strips if preferred.

A slightly tangy, sweet very creamy icecream to cool you down...

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake *Cake Slice Bakers*

It is that time of the month when the Cake Slice bakers bake from a book. The choice for this month is a lemon poppy seed cake from Sky High Irresistible Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.

I have always loved the blue specks of poppy seeds in cakes and on bread but in India I have only managed to find white poppy seeds. And so the love for the visual interest in the specks still remains. White poppy seeds or kus-kus as it more commonly known out here features a lot in the Indian cuisine. It is used to thicken gravies and to enhance the texture. It find its use in my kitchen in the cashew nut and poppy seed paste for biriyani. It also is sprinkled on most flat breads.

Coming back to today's cake, it is a lemon cake with an almond frosting. I halved the recipe and baked the cake in my Bundt tin. I knew from the beginning that I would definitely be doing the cake, lemon being my favourite flavour. The cake requires only egg whites and no yolks.. How wonderful is that! The buttermilk lend the batter a rich creaminess. The poppy seeds being the same colour as the batter blended in and its presence could be felt only when you bite into the cake.The recipe also requires you to pour lemon syrup on the warm cake. The sweet lemony zesty drizzle on the tender cake didn't require an almond frosting..I prefer it to be that overtly zesty cake.. I thought it was perfect minus the frosting.. Usually certain cakes demand a frosting..this was good as it was... But the frosting sounds divine with the cream cheese and almond..probably another day...

What you need for the cake :

Makes 1 x 8inch triple layer cake. Serves 12-16

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Frosting
(Recipe from Sky High Irresistible Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

360g plain flour
300g caster sugar
4½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp poppy seeds
200g unsalted butter
1 large lemon, zest only
275ml buttermilk
5 egg whites
Poppy seeds or flaked almonds to decorate

Lemon Syrup

100g caster sugar
75ml water
1 lemon, juice only

Almond Frosting

225g cream cheese

200g unsalted butter

600g icing sugar

1 tbsp almond extract

Heat the oven to 180C. Grease three 8 inch cake pans and line the bases with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix gently to combine.

Add the butter, lemon zest and 200ml of buttermilk to the flour. Beat on low until completely mixed. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes until lighter in colour.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining 75ml buttermilk, whisk to blend thoroughly. Add the egg white mixture to the batter in 2-3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only enough to incorporate the mix. Divide the batter between the three pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the centre, and a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out. While the cake layers are cooling, make the lemon syrup.

Lemon Syrup

In a small pan combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Generously brush the cakes with the lemon syrup while they are still warm. Then allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar, about a quarter at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the almond extract and then continue to beat well for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

To complete the cake, place one layer, top side down, on a cake plate and spread about a fifth of the frosting over the cake to cover evenly. Repeat with the second layer and place the third layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

I am eager to see what my fellow Cake Slice Bakers have done this month.. I am off to check their spaces....  why don't you do too??

Vanilla sugar sprinkled lemon tartlets....

There is nothing as satisfying as rolling out my own pastry rather than using thawed frozen pastry. It took me quite a while to get that perfect consistency after countless trials on using the right ingredients. Tried variations using butter, margarine and lard. Butter gave me the best results flavourwise. Margarine resulted in a flaky texture and lard resulted in a much flakier texture. I also realized never to add the exact amount of liquid mentioned in a recipe while making pastry. It can get too wet. Adding a little at a time judging by your touch for a not too wet not too dry consistency. If the dough is too wet, the end result could result in a tough pastry. A too dry dough results in a cracked pastry. Resting the dough is the ideal thing to do in order to get the gluten working.These were what I learned through my trials and what I have for you today are lemon tarts.

What you need are:( From Tarts and Pies)
For the shells

200g AP Flour
100g Butter
1 egg yolk
2 T cold water
1 t salt

Sift the flour and salt. Rub in the butter with your finger tips lifting them into the air above the bowl. In doing so, more air is introduced lending a lighter texture to the pastry. The lesser the handling the more the chance of getting a lighter texture. Stir in the egg yolk. Add  enough water to get the right consistency. Wrap in a cling film and rest the dough for half an hour. With the above I lined 6 tatrtet tins and one  5" tart tin. Roll the dough and line the tart tins and prick the bases with a fork. The tartlets were baked along with the filling while the tart was blind baked in order to prevent an under baked base. Line the tart dough with a film containing beans a nd bake for 5 minutes. The base dries out and turns a light golden brown.

For the filling

2 eggs
300 g sugar
rind and zest of 2 lemons
150 g butter

Beat the eggs with the sugar. Stir in the rind and the zest. Melt the butter and stir into the mixture. Divide this mixture among the prepared bases and bake in a preheated oven (180 degree C) for 20 minutes until the filling sets.

Meanwhile melt 2 T with 1 t of water/ add in sliced lemons and allow the liquid to boil. Switch off the stove and let the lemon slices remain in the sugar syrup. While serving remove the lemon slices and serve them arranged on the tart. Slice the tarts only after they are cooled completely.

I have this jar of powdered sugar with slit vanilla beans lending the sugar a wonderful flavour of vanilla. It even perks up my irritant moods that are so frequent nowadays... so a sprinkling of vanilla sugar did perk up the already delightful tartlets.

Book Review and Pazha Manga Curry/ Ripe Mango Curry

If you don't have a copy of Kerala, Syrian Christian Favourites by Thressi John Kottukappally, I think you are missing out on it... The picture of the graceful elderly lady on the cover is so welcoming..you can feel her warmth emanate onto you as well...

The book features recipes for authentic syrian christian dishes that include vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories. Being a Syrian Christian myself, the book features a lot of the traditional favourites. The history of the Syrian Christian is briefly accounted for and the recipes speak of a blend of Indian and European cuisine.

Although all the dishes can be adapted to suit a palate, nothing beats the authentic style of Syrian Christian cuisine. The well captured pictures of each dish is what you get when you follow the recipes to a T. I can vouch for that. Each recipe is provided a history of the concerned dish. The only drawback of the book is in it being a paperback..and the ingredients ushc as chillies, grated coconut and such given in grams. I prefer cup/tablespoon measurements. I guess it differs person to person..

The recipe I have for you from the book is Pazha Manga Curry or Ripe Mango Curry.

When mangoes are in season, this is a must in most homes, mine included. This is known by quite a few names according to the various regions in Kerala.. the other most common name being maga pachadi. This a sweet and sour curry. Served with white rice, this makes an excellent meal.

The recipe is as per the book but the quantity is not in grams.

Ripe Mangoes- 6 (preferably the small variety also known as country mangoes)
Green Chillies-6 (slit lengthwise)
Water- 250ml
Salt-1t
Shallots- 1/2 C (chopped)

Cook mangoes with the above in a heavy bottomed pan. You can either add the shallots at this stage or while making the gravy. What you see below is after the boiling stage.

The mangoes become soft and the flavours seep in at this stage.

For the Gravy

Grated Coconut- 1 C
Shallot- use here if not using at the boiling stage
Green Chillies-1
Turmeric Powder-1t
Cumin Seeds-1/4 t
Salt-2t
Water -300ml

Grind the above and add to the mangoes. Heat this on a low flame for 5 minutes and do not let it boil. The raw smell leaves the curry.

 For seasoning

Oil- 2T (preferably Coconut oil)
Mustard seeds-1t
Shallots-1T sliced finely
Curry Leaves-2 Sprigs
Dried Red Chillies- 2

Saute the above when the mustard sputters in oil. The shallots should turn a golden brown. Pour this over the curry and the pazha manga curry is now ready to be devoured....

Tomato Bruschetta

A book I read while travelling or rather this was my travel companion I turned to when conversations got boring and at other such instances. A book that I have been wanting to buy ofcourse after watching the movie was Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. This book being the choice of the book readers club was the best excuse to get a copy of my own.

I loved the syle of writing, something that matters a lot to me.But however the book was nothing like the movie. There's very little about cooking in the book unlike the movie. The author comes across as self absorbed and taunting other people's beliefs. Her attempt humour fails too.I expected her working through Julia Child's recipes but I was dissapointed.

Julia Child appealed to me as a person and still appeals but Julie Powell as an author does not!!!

Ever since I watched the movie, I have been making this bruschetta just like in the movie fried in olive oil topped with tomatoes. And bruschettas I have for you today.

This was a mid-morning snack today to get me going in the kitchen. What I did was fried the bread in olive oil until they turn brown on either side. Fry until you are sure it will be cruncy on the outsides. While the bread is frying, peel 1 garlic clove. Remove the fried slices and rub the clove on both sides of the fried bread. Deseed a firm tomato and chop into tiny chunks. Saute this in olive oil and if there's any remaining garlic, crush them and add them in too. Season with salt and basil. I used dried basil for not having fresh ones. Now you have the bruschetta
just like in the movie but not as good looking ones in the movie.

However it made the perfect mid-morning snack!