26 December 2010

112: Recipe: Chocolate Whiskey Cake


I know..I know......this is the second Bundt cake in 2 days......But I just Love my Bundt pan....the cake always comes out perfect.....This was a last minute idea I had as I Rsvp'd for a Christmas party at the very last minute and I needed to take something to the party...Thought the whiskey added a nice celebratory touch and it is Christmas.. the time to make liqueur infused cakes.... this cake is definitely a must try...it is super moist and loaded with flavor....

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan
1 ½ cups brewed coffee
½ cup Whiskey (I used a double malted Scotch, as that was what I had at home)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the glaze,
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips (Use Ghirardelli chips, I am a fan….they are just Awesome!)
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. Whiskey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 F. Butter Bundt pan well, then dust with 3 tbsp. cocoa powder, knocking out excess. Heat the coffee, whiskey, butter, and the remaining cup cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted. Remove from heat, then add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 min. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool 5 mins. While chocolate mixture cools, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (Note that the batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into Bundt pan and bake until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 mins. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack. 

To make the glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter together in a medium bowl. Once the chocolate chips have melted, whisking constantly, pour in the heavy cream, followed by vanilla extract and the whiskey. When glaze is smooth (2 mins), pour or spread onto cake. Allow at least 2 hours for the glaze to set.

25 December 2010

111: Merry Christmas!!

Wishing you all a wonderful and a happy Christmas...loads of love and happiness coming your way....

Chris Everard
Chris Everard
Chris Everard
Chris Everard
Chris Everard
Dottie Angel
Tine K
Tine K
Tine K

110: Recipe: Eggless Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake


This sure is as yummy as it looks.. it was the first time I ever made a vegan eggless dish. I am a hard core carnivore and most of my close friends around me are the same way too.. But I wanted to make something special for a sweet vegan friend of mine... and found a eggless cake recipe that I modified to end up with this cake...It sure was delish... actually was surprised how good it was... I always believed that cakes without eggs were no good....this definitely proved me wrong.

Here is the recipe,

For the cake,

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water
9 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. white vinegar

For the glaze,
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract , almond extract and vinegar, whisking thoroughly, but quickly, until the batter comes together and is quite smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 mins (insert a fork in the center to see if it comes out clean). Allow to cool in pan for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter together in a medium bowl. Once the chocolate chips have melted, whisking constantly, pour in the heavy cream, followed by vanilla extract. When glaze is smooth (2 mins), pour or spread onto cake. Allow at least 2 hours for the glaze to set.

109: Recipe: Medhu Vada

I have been real lazy since the vacations have started....well thats OK I guess.. but I have not blogged and the amount of blog posts I had were piling up... So woke up this rainy Christmas morning deciding to post everything I had....First up is the yummy Medhu Vada recipe....or the deep fried spiced Indian Doughnut :) I must say this is the first time I was actually able to shape it into a doughnut... my previous attempt, they were medhu vada balls....Realized the consistency of the batter is extremely important if you want the shape to be perfect...If all u care about is taste and not the way it looks don't worry about the batter.



Here is the recipe for around 20 medhu vadas (courtesy my darling Aunt Vidhikka....who also gave me the moral support I needed  to make the perfect doughnut shaped vadas)

2 cups split black gram (Urad Dal)
2  tbsp. rice flour
1 tsp. Ginger(grated)
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
8 - 10 whole black pepper (Alternate: 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Wash and soak the urad dal in plenty of water for about 6-7 hours. Drain and grind it into a smooth paste. You should be able to feel the fine grainy texture when you rub a little paste between your fingers. The batter should also be thick enough to shape the vadas. If grinding in a blender, grind in small batches with very little water. Add as little water as possible. Once the batter is ready, you can refrigerate this batter for a few days. I refrigerated it overnight. If not, add all other ingredients and beat well. Beating incorporates air and makes the vadas fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 mins before frying.  Heat oil, wet your palm with a little water and take a small ball of batter. Lightly flatten it and make a hole in the middle with thumb. Slip gently into hot oil, repeat for more. Deep fry the vadas on medium heat. Remove when they turn golden brown and drain them on paper. Serve with some delicious sambhar.

21 December 2010

108: Few Of My Favorite Things This Week

Here are some pretty little things that have caught my fancy this week....

These gorgeous watercolor paintings by Amilka on Etsy:


These lovely but super expensive sofa and chair from Bokja...they are so expensive that I can only lust after it...


The little golden Buddha Bank from Urban Outfitters....I am definitely getting it..


Sebastian Otto's paintings....there is something so strangely appealing about the expressions and his style of painting...love it...


An amazing vintage photo find on Flickr....Christian Montone's amazing collection of vintage photos...

I soo want to blow up this vintage photo of Times Square and put it up somewhere in the house....


And last but not the least my humble little doodle..... :)


I start my vacations tomorrow....super duper excited!!!  Have a great day peeps...XOXO

20 December 2010

107: Photographer Love: James Merrell

James Merrell's photographs are just so awesome...they transport me to a happy place...

 
 

Don't y'all love these images....so much inspiration....

15 December 2010

106: Home Decor: Erin McLaughlin's Victorian Home in Toronto

Style at Home's editor Erin McLaughlin's simple mid century home in Toronto....the gorgeous dining room is my favorite...


So (love)^100000 the picture frames and the dining room chairs.....

14 December 2010

105: Painting: U & I


Had an exhausting day at work....and wanted to fit in painting so bad.. that I ended up messing up my painting.... today is just one of those days, when nothing seems to be going right....

Hope y'all are having a good day....

13 December 2010

104: Home Decor: H&M Home Collection

This came as quite a surprise to me... had never known H&M had a home collection....unfortunately they only have it in Europe...(sadness)....they really have some pretty pieces and best part..its sooo inexpensive...here's hoping they start selling their home collection in the U.S. too..until then I can just wish and sigh and love it!!

 

And my favorite one of all.....I so love this one.....

09 December 2010

103: My Beautiful Kerala: Phillipkutty's Farm

My favorite place in the whole wide world....my home... my land... my Kerala....a place that truly is God's Own Country....

An article I read today (here) on this pretty little farm in Kerala (Phillipkutty's Farm)....brought back so many memories of Kerala....the place is so beautiful and captures the beauty of traditional Malayali architecture so well, that I was transported into the Kerala of my memories for a while...Could not help but share this pretty little place with y'all....











 Hope y'all enjoy these images as much as I did....
Related Posts with Thumbnails