CHOCOLATE MUFFINS WITH SUGARY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

 

Sugary Birthday Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

5 1/2 cups icing sugar

120ml whipping cream

2 tbs pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions:

Uisng the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until combined. Add the whipping cream, vanilla and salt and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth- approx. 4 minutes. If you find the consistency too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of milk . Divide the frosting and mix with gel color .

 

• INGREDIENTS

• 
  
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup good cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

METHOD:

• 
  
Preheat the oven to 170 C. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.

 Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.

 In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

 On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

MOIST CHOCOLATE _ SPIDER-MAN CAKE

I made this cake for  my son Maher for his 8th birthday as his favorite character is Spider-man.May Allah give him all happiness and success in his life: Ameen .Needless to say it was a huge hit. Even though it was very time consuming but  in the end it was worth to see the smile and excitement on Maher's face.

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Moist Chocolate Cake- One Bowl Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup hot brewed coffee

2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Centigrade and grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Create a well in the centre and add all the rest of the ingredients except coffee. Mix well until combined and then add coffee. Mix once again. Pour into greased pan and bake in the middle rack in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out just clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Sugary Birthday Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

5 1/2 cups icing sugar

120ml whipping cream

2 tbs pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions:

Uisng the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until combined. Add the whipping cream, vanilla and salt and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth- approx. 4 minutes. If you find the consistency too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of milk. I tinted mine with a few drops of rose colored gel.

This will make enough frosting to ice  1 9 inch layer cake.

I made butter cream double in quantity,used Wilton food  color and decorated asFROZEN BUTTER CREAM TRANSFER .

WHITE PEACH CRUMBLE CAKE

 INGREDIENTS

2 white fleshed peaches, roughly diced

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup brown sugar

160 gm softened butter

2 eggs

220 gm plain flour

40 gm hazelnut meal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cinnamon

165 ml buttermilk

To serve: yoghurt

Hazelnut crumble:

80 gm brown sugar

40 gm plain flour

40 gm coarsely chopped hazelnuts

20 gm butter, melted

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170°C.  For hazelnut topping, combine ingredients in a bowl, then freeze until required (this stops the topping melting into the cake when it’s baked).

Beat butter and remaining sugars in an electric mixer until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes), add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in dry ingredients then buttermilk.  Stir in peaches, spoon into a 24cm-diameter cake tin buttered and lined on the base with baking paper. Scatter over hazelnut topping, bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (1¼-1½ hours). Cool in tin for 30 minutes, then on a wire rack to room temperature.

Recipe Adapted

FRIED CHEESE STICKS

                                           

Ingredients

• 2 (8-oz.) pkgs. Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 egg, beaten 
• vegetable oil 
• Optional: marinara sauce 

Preparation

1. Cut cheese crosswise into 3/4-inch slices. Lay slices flat and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Combine flour and red pepper; stir well. Combine bread crumbs and parsley in another bowl; stir well. Dip cheese sticks in beaten eggs. Dredge in flour mixture. Dip coated cheese in egg again; dredge in bread crumb mixture, pressing firmly so that crumbs adhere. Place cheese sticks on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze at least 30 minutes.
3. Fry cheese sticks in 375-degree deep oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with marinara sauce, if desired.
4. recipe Courtesy ;MY RECIPE

CHAKKA-KURU UNDA

     
CHAKKA-KURU [JACKFRUIT -SEED] 

This is made  by using seeds of Jackfruit  . It can be used for making tasty curries. I love Chakka   . Whenever its available in our place [Kerala]  my mom will make arrangement to send  it to me . This time too , She didn't forget . I preserved the seeds and the result is here...

Chakka kuru - 18 - 20 (peeled ,boiled and smashed)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup (up to your taste level)
Cardomom powder- a pinch

Combine all the ingredients together and make into small balls.Refrigerate and serve ..

OREO TUFFLES

Prepared and photography by  Fari Rahman

Oreo Truffles :) ♥
Yummy, gooey and chocolaty! :D
''ONLY OREO!'' :D
What you need:
1pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1pkg. (15.5 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
Make it:
MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
TOP it off with soem nuts or toffee bits :)

AFGHANI BIRYANI

 I am quite fond of Afghani Biryani. I had tried some from Lulu at Khalidiya Mall and was almost instantly addicted .Its one of the main reason I visit Lulu every week...he he ....Sshhhh...Then I started thinking " Why not prepare it myself ? ". A Google search yielded a lot of recipes but I had no way of finding out which one was genuine .Eventually I decided to try my luck .The recipe I have used here is nearly perfect .Looks like I wont be visiting Lulu in a while.

Ingredients

500 grams basmati rice
1kg chicken (cut into small pieces)
2 tsp garam masala
6 red chilies
7 to 12 cashew nuts
onions  5 sliced and fried and make it paste
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pieces of cardamom
3 green chilies (add more according to your taste)
 fresh coriander
-1 small bunch chopped 
ginger-
garlic paste 2 tbsp
1 tsp saffron (dissolved in 1/4 cup milk)
beaten curd one cup
juice of 2 limes
4 boiled eggs for decoration
5 tbsp ghee or oil
salt

First grind the  red chilies and cashew nuts. Then mix the chicken  pieces with the ginger-garlic paste and beaten curd and put aside. Heat four tablespoons ghee or oil and fry the chili paste, add the chicken , fried onion paste , 1 tsp garam masala, and salt to taste. As the ghee separates from the mixture, and cook . Take a wide vessel, fry the whole spices in 1 tbsp. ghee/oil, add the rice and fry a little, add green chilies and salt to taste and enough water for the rice to cook. When the rice is cooked, spread it on a plate and add the spices mixed together. Afterwards, take another wide vessel (thick bottom) and line it with ghee, spread a layer of rice in it and cover it with half the chicken, spread half of the spice mixture and lime juice, put a layer of rice followed by a chicken layer and finish with a final layer of rice. Cover the rice with saffron milk and some ghee, cover it tightly, and cook for twenty minutes over a slow fire.                                                      

http://awwproject.org/2010/11/for-cooks-a-recipe-for-biryani/