Best Ever Chocolate cake

Its our wedding anniversary tomorrow.Every time for whatever occasions may it be, i always buy the cake from the near by bakery.Iam tired of the excessive sugary frosting they put in the cake and sometimes i hate the thick texture of the cake.My tongue always lingers a cake that is soft and moist and yet airy  with a soft,irresistable,buttery frosting.....Guess what!!!!!! i found the cake that i longed and loved for.I got the recipe

from a friend of mine who has great passion for baking.

Ingredients :

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Step 1:

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

Step 2 :

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Step 4 :

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Step 5:

With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubberspatula

Step 6:

Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch roundcake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Step 7:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 

Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Step 7:

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the  frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake or design your own imagination.

 Added some food colour to the frosting and frosted a basket weave decoration.

( will post the recipie for the frosting soon...... which is a made for each other buttercream frosting for this decadant chocolate cake.)

Chicken corn soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• Boiled Shredded chicken
• 1 (14 to 15oz) can cream style corn
• 2 large eggs whites, beaten
• 2 to 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• salt and  pepper to taste

Chicken Stock :
Heat a 4 quart pan with little oil ( 2 teaspoon)
Then add ginger garlic paste(1/2 Tablespoon)
Add chicken (1/4 lb).Add salt.Saute it for few minutes.
Then add 5 cups of water to it.
Close it and simmer it until the quantity of water becomes half and the chicken is cooked well.
Seperate stock and chicken.

Step 1:
Bring chicken broth and cream style corn to a boil in a 3 to 4 quart pot.

Step 2:
Lower to a gentle simmer and stir while you pour in egg a little bit at a time. When all the egg is in, continue at a gentle simmer for a few minutes.

Step 3:
Then add the boiled shredded chicken

Step 4:
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with equal amount of water until dissolved.Stir the soup as you pour the cornstarch in a steady stream. Continue to stir and simmer for a few minutes.

Step 5:
Season it with salt and pepper powder as required and turn off the stove.

Enjoy it hot.

Fruit Cookies - eggless

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, packed - mixed fruits and nuts, chopped ( i used dried cranberries,tutty fruity and cashews)
• 1 Tbsp - Orange juice
• 1/2 Tbsp - lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp - Honey
• 1 stick - unsalted Butter (~ 8 Tbsp), at room temperature
• 1/3 cup - sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp - powdered Cloves
• 1/4 tsp - powdered nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp - Orange zest
• 1/2 tsp - pure Vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 + 2/3 cup - All purpose flour

Step1 :
Place the chopped fruits and nuts in a bowl and mix in the orange juice, honey and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and let them soak overnight at room temperature.

Step 2:
In a wide  bowl (or electric mixer) cream the butter, sugar, salt, orange zest, vanilla extract, clove and nutmeg powders until you get a smooth consistency. It took me 3-4mins using electric mixer.

Step 3:
Then add the flour to it and mix it with a spatula.Don't over mix the dough since it will develop gluten and you will end up with really tough cookies.(I f too sticky add little flour to it)
Next add the fruits along with any leftover soaking liquid and fold it onto the dough.
Divide the dough in half and place each half on the longer end of a 15" wax/parchment paper. Shape and roll it into a log. The cross-section will give you the final shape/size of your cookie.

Step 4:
When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350deg. With a sharp knife cut the log into 1/2 inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange them, 1/2 inch apart.

 Step 5:
Bake for 15-20mins, checking on them every minute after the 15 minute point. When the edges start to turn a light golden take them out and enjoy.

                                         

Vegetable Curry Bun

Myself and my husband love the curry buns served as a snack in the singapore airlines.Always i have wondered how they make these...This curry bun with a hot cup of filtered coffee...ahhh out of the world...The spicyness in the curry and the light sweet touch in the bun is so nicely balanced out that i always never stop with one.Trust me you will not regret trying out this........Ok...i hear you...enough of talking and more of work.Here you go....Here is the recipie 

Ingredients :
All purpose flour - 3 to 31/2 cups
Warm water - 3 Tablespoons
Active Dry Yeast - 2 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
Milk - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup (1/2 stick)- cut into chunks
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Egg - 1

Step 1:
Place warm water in small bowl; stir in yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar until dissolved. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture starts to foam around edges.

Step 2:
Place milk and butter in 1-quart saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is almost melted.

Milk Mixture (Milk + Butter)

Step 3:
Combine 1/4 cup sugar and salt in large bowl.

To this add milk mixturer and mix well.Add egg; beat at medium speed until well mixed. (Check the temperature in the bowl. It should be less then 115°F. If it is warmer, let mixture cool slightly.)

  Add yeast mixture; continue beating until well mixed.

 Step 4:
Add 2 cups flour; beat until mixture is smooth.Stir in enough remaining flour with a spatula, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is easy to handle.Let dough rest 5 minutes.

Step 5:
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Add more flour if dough is sticky. Place into greased bowl; turn greased side up.

Step 6:
Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size (45 to 60 minutes). (Dough is ready if indentation
remains when touched.)

Step 7:
Punch down dough. Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 9 equal pieces.Flatten each round and
place the potatoe curry in the center and shape into balls.

Step 8:
Place balls onto large greased baking sheets. Cover with plastic food wrap; let rise until almost doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes)

Step 9:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. 

Savoury mouth watering snack is ready.Enjoy it as a breakfast or as a snack with hot tea.

Classic Sugar cookies

I made these butter cookies today for my daughter.I thought i would make some 

shapes this time.Since i didnt have a cookie cutter i used my daughters play dough 

cutters/shapers.My whole family loved it and it was all gone within minutes.Trust me its damn so good.Its worth a try.

Ingrerdients :

Unsalted Butter - 8 ounces (1 stick)
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Egg Yolk - 1
Unbleached All Purrpose Four (Maida) - 2

Step1 :

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.

Step 2:
Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out.

Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze.

Step 3 :

When required take the dough out from the rerfrigerator and Slice the dough into slices about 1/8" thick .

I rolled the dough and using play dough cutter i cut them to different animal shapes and baked them.

( To roll the dough,once take out from the refrigerator smash the dough with your hand for a while and then

roll then using a rolling pin)

Step 4 :
Place them on the sheets about an inch apart.

Step 5:

Preheat the oven to 355°F.

Bake until JUST beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 minutes.

Super delicious butter cookies are ready!!!!!!!!!

Kanava Karuvadu curry (Squid dry fish curry)

Kanava karuvadu  otherwise called as Kanava dry fish or Squid dry fish is mostly
popular in the coastal regions of tamilnadu.This is one of a kind delicacy food
which always reminds me of my childhood days.This goes well with hot plain
rice or sambar rice or rasam sadham.My mom makes it really good.I took
the photos as she was preparing it.

mmmm............the aroma  itself will make us hungry.

Ingredients:
Kanava Karuvadu - 1/2 lb
Red Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 1
Garlic pods - 7 (optional)
Chilli Powder - 4 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1 teaspoon
Ginger Garlic paste - 1  teaspoon
 Salt - little

 Step 1 :
 Soak the dry fish in hot water  and cover it with a lid.Let it rest for 30 - 45 minutes.

Step 2 :
After 45 minutes,clean the dry fish thoroughly.

Step 3 :
Then chop it into small pieces and marinate it with chillie powder,tumeric powder and ginger garlic paste.
Let it rest for 30 minutes for all masalas to penetrate into the kanava to get the deep flavour.

Step 4:

 Heat oil in a pan .Add onion and garlic pods. Saute it until it becomes translucent.Then add the tomatoes.

Step 5 :
Once the tomatoes are cooked ,add the marinated kanava  and saute it.

Step 6 :
Now add some water and close it with a lid until the kanava is cooked.

Step 7 :
Once in a while open the lid and saute it with a laddle.Leave it covered and cook it until the oil seperates.

Step 7:

YUM!!!!!! here you go....Enjoy it with hot plain rice or sambar or rasam sadham.