Almond Mocha Brownies to Celebrate 8 Fabulous Years at Infoedge....

Nothing is work unless you'd rather be doing something else.

George Halas

A good boss makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could.

~Charles Erwin Wilson

This is exactly what my bosses n mentors have done for the last 8 years.... Sanjeev, Hitesh, Ambarish, Simeryn, Saroja, Ayesha, Vivek, Vibhore, Deepali, Vineet and Partha have been my mentors and bosses... It's on 31st March 2003 when I joined Infoedge fresh out of business school..... In 8 years I've learnt so much in Infoedge, not just about work but so many other things which are way more important in life....

Celebrating 8 years at Infoedge with my favorite flavours, making Almond Mocha Brownies....

These brownies are rich, dense and full of flavours like all my years at Infoedge... Have seen it grow from Fledgling to Eagle... few lakhs to many crores.... very proud of the entire team...

We've had a blast working.... making new products, analyzing data, drawing up marketing plans, managing ad campaigns.... late nights... revamps....these times spent in office have been most fun despite being the most tiring.... leading to winning contests...

This was the training workshop which changed so much for me... so many new friends, a fresh new perspective.... a super experience. How can we forget what the long meetings would do to Shiv..... The wonderful 'Prashikshan' workshops where many eminent personalities spoke with us....

Have hosted some lovely parties on my birthday at home...... we've had loads of fun... pictionary and tambola being an important part of all the parties with free flowing alcohol and yummy food. It was so much fun organising the Spring theme & Red n White parties.....

Our outdoor camping, rafting and parasailing trips have been really adventurous. Have had the most fun with Vivek, Julie, Puneet Makkar and Puneet Chawla(Mad Hatter) amongst others. The Tunganath trip stands out as the most difficult yet exciting one.

Diwali parties in office have been a blast... dressing up for fashion shows, shine n shimmer, dabangifying the show... spreading cheer n festivity...... poking fun at all the seniors(risking our jobs n appraisals)... making special presentations and awards.... awesome shows hosted by Payal and Harveen...

All festivals and special days like Independence day n Christmas saw us coming together and doing all sorts of crazy stuff.... The boys would constantly be pushed into doing off-the-cuff stuff at these celebrations making for some very precious memories....

Lots of weddings and new family members were added.... some farewells were much more painful that others... but they were friends for life.... Food and food trips (esp to Chandni Chowk) have always been a huge highlight for all of us...

I saw these Brownies on Martha Stewart's site and lost my heart.... I just had to make these for my celebration....

Almond Mocha Brownies

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

few toasted almonds for garnishing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. Place butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Add instant espresso powder. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

The parties we've done are just something else... most of the censored pictures are still censored. all the people who attended these will see these pictures n have huge grins across their faces.... just like I do now :))))

A few party rituals, lots of pictures of people and food n drinks.... crazy pictures of silly things we did... insane behavior n total masti.....

There is so much more to life at infoedge, 1 post isn't enough to capture them all. Would like to thank everyone who made these 8 wonderful years pass by in a jiffy... Would I change anything about them.... [In retrospect No, yet some stuff for improvement yes]... Just like I won't change a thing in these brownies....

Sending these warm fudgy brownies to wish Divya all the best for her 3rd Blog Anniversary e-Party and she is giving away a gooey gooey brownie book!!! Pl drop by to wish her...
sd

Citrus Panna Cotta with Fruit Compote for Daring Baker Challenge ~ My Fruit Basket

Panna cotta it is.... Had made a firm resolve to make the Daring Baker Challenge well in time instead of panicking in the last few days n scrambling to finish it.... It sure looks like a simple recipe... It's just about cooking the ingredients together... getting the flavours right.... n pop it in the refrigerator to set.... How Difficult can that be.... Wait n Watch in the post below how I managed to complicate my life beyond words.....

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Winters in Delhi is abundant with fresh fruit flooding the market... I decided to take full advantage of that and make lots of fruit flavours for the Daring Baker Challenge of Panna Cotta... but I must admit that being so overwhelmed and absorbed with the Panna Cotta, I never got around to making the cookies.

My choice of flavours was Strawberry, Grape, Pineapple, Pomegranate and Orange n Lemon as the citrus base... While so many fruits were happening, how could I miss Chocolate and Coffee.... :)

Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis. It is not known exactly how or when this dessert came to be, but some theories suggest that cream, for which mountainous Northern Italy is famous, was historically eaten plain or sweetened with fruit or hazelnuts. Earlier recipes for the dish used boiled fish bones in place of gelatin; sugar, later a main ingredient, would not have been widely available as it was an expensive imported commodity. After years this treat evolved into what is now a gelatin dessert, flavored with vanilla and topped with fruit or spices, and served chilled.
Somewhat similar versions of this dish are found in Greece, France and Finland. [Source:Wikipedia].

This was the Pineapple Panna Cotta... made a pineapple compote [jam like thick sauce by boiling pineapple juice, fresh pineapple and some sugar.] to go with the citrus flavours in the panna cotta

The pineapple citrus panna cotta was very refreshing and a very distinct taste....

Citrus Panna Cotta With Fruit Compote

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange and 2 lemons
Fresh fruit of your choice [juice/jam of the fruit is optional]
pinch of salt

Method
1. Make the fruit compote by boiling together fruit juice/jam, fresh fruit and sugar as per taste and the fresh fruit used.
2. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
3. Pour the cream into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. Stir continuously.
4. Next, add the honey, sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn’t boil, add the milk and gelatin, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved in 5-7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin in which the fruit compote has already been set..
6. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

My neighbour had a special request for Pomegranate as a flavour.... How can I turn down someone who requests for a flavour... So on our way back from watching the movie 'Band Baaja Baarat', we picked up pomegranate juice..... Pomegranate Panna cotta here we come....

I realized that pomegranate juice is way too watery for reducing into a saucy consistency without loosing it's flavour... So I used the fruit in it's entire goodness... My neighbour refused to get himself clicked while eating it..... He liked it enough to take back some more for his dad and girlfriend..... That's testimony enough for me....

Another fruit which I haven't used in it's fresh form while baking is Grapes.... Another challenge over come by way of Grape Panna Cotta...

My sister and her friend Sharath loved the grape panna cotta. They were extremely amused while watching me photograph the panna cotta. They knew from previous experience of the Swiss Swirl Icecream Cake that they'll just have to wait for the goodies till I was done taking pictures :) Having waited quite impatiently thru the photography session, watching me ooohhh and aaahhhh when I upturned the panna cotta n release it from the silicon cups, their amusement was boundless.....

Another friend of my sister from school had come over, Anubha.... She choose to have the Chocolate panna cotta.... I sometimes wonder why most of us cannot see beyond chocolate... everything chocolate is good and made even better with Coffeeeeeeee........

This is.. These were the remains of a Coffee, Chocolate layered Panna Cotta which was polished off in a matter of seconds.... Am I complaining.... absolutely not..... We fought over it with spoons n were giggling like kids.... Sharath was seen sulking as my sister n I gobbled up the majority of it.... Sharath don't worry will certainly make some more for you..... Ok I heard you LOUD n CLEAR..... LOTS-MORE-ONLY-FOR-SHARATH..... :)

Saved the sweetest n cutest ones till the end of the post Strawberry Panna Cotta.... The market is now getting fewer and fewer of these amazing luscious berries which I can never get enough of....

I didn't have to work very hard to make the strawberry compote, it was a breeze. Have been having so much fun with strawberries this season. The Strawberry n Almond Brownies, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries for Valentines and Strawberry Peppermint Brownies.

The shot glasses made me practice how to make angled layers.... Awww.... Don't they look so pretty... The pink blush of strawberries.... :)))))

Strawberry Pannacotta and Strawberry Brownies with Strawberry Crush..... am I tripping on strawberries... oh yes I am..... I had to bid them an appropriate adieu.... Bye bye strawberries, but only till next year... Will wait for ya.... :))))

Verdict:

Had just way too much fun making these and sharing them with everyone.... It's so simple to make and absolutely heavenly n creamy. An absolute keeper which should be repeated many times over for the sheer ease of producing something fantastic in such little time :)

What's the similarity between a Sincere Kiss and Chocolate Tiramisu?

The 3 very special people in my life....... Babaji, Upma mom and Mom.....

Is this special or what....... Yes making parshad is always special for me.... the effort is huge cause I need to make it for about 350 people (including the sugarfree version) in 1 weekend and transport it to North Delhi from South Delhi ;) I can Proudly say that divine grace has always been with me and the task at hand gets done despite the challenges.
That's Shobha didi and Sudha aunty distributing, Manish eating :) , Tarush and Nikki helping out.....

That's my POSERS INC... Sadhika, Geetika, Disha, Shrishti, Shinky and Mom :)

My earlier trysts with this dessert..... You Know.... It's For YOU, Tiramisu..., Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Amrita's Birthday, Cappuccino Tiramisu Cheesecake for Baking Queen ~ Deeba's Birthday, Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes, Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence. You can use any of these recipes.... they all worked like magic for me..... :) *really smug grin*

What actually made me decide that this is what I'm going to make as parshad.....
Had made this for Vivekji's Promotion party and everyone loved it..... I had loved the taste of this dessert myself[very evident with the number of times I've made it and loads of posts on it :)] The encouragement which I got from everyone at the party and support from Vibha had me decided.... :)
The after party smses made my day... was feeling so so Happy... :) :) :)

Vivek ji: Mummy aapka desert party ka oasis tha n u looked beautiful....

Vibha: Hey! N thanks to u for such awesome dessert man! It was perfectly done n u excelled yourself totally! Your being there made the party fun :)

Madame you have totally taken the cake this time! Ur dessert wuz simply purrfect, the rite sweetness, body, silkiness.. I ve bin pigging on it today n hv bi sittin n appreciating all day..

Sorry to put u on such a high :)) but both my sisters have totally freaked on ur dessert wch i call choc tiramisu, n they think its the best that they've ever eaten! Now that u r an established best in the field, i hv prasad on diwali. Do u want to do the dessert on totally professional basis? I thot better to ask u before i explore my next choices.. By the way, the food critic is also at work.. In ur dessert u ve to reduce the quantity of rum n spice it with little tini mini sugar n sm cinnamon. Rite now, the overpowering taste is taking away the sinful pleasure.. Which has to come subtly and gradually, not as a bolt in ur mouth..

The dessert was a major hit with gunjan n all the other darbaris who came yesterday.. Ran short.. Got polished off in 5 secs flat!

The next person to taste some was Amitabh who shared his feedback...

Amitabh :Whatever it was, it was yummy :-)
Nachi: Thanks.... Was a tiramisu variant..... Chocolate tiramisu.... :)
Amitabh : Did it have some spirit in it as well?
Nachi: Yo! Rum in d cake n baileys in the mascarpone n cream layer :)
Amitabh: That explains that extra sting at the end.....mmm. Repeating soon? With more rum?
Nachi: Was it sting or shot of flavour?28th parshad....
Amitabh: :-) Had to have a quick bite to give a precise answer: the liquor is strong enough to tickle your nostrils and slightly overpowers the other subtle flavours of the tiramisu.....fine for people like me but may get the more sensitive Durbar gentry a bit tipsy.....;-)

So I took out the Rum Soaked raisins from my earlier preparation... and there we have it..... To-Die-For 'Chocolate Tiramisu'[excuse my immodesty but I really enjoyed it... :)]. The luxurious nature of this dessert just takes my heart away.... read more about it at Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence.

A big thank you to all my tasters for making me grin like a Cheshire Cat :)


While making the dessert... I would lick the remains of from the mixing bowl.... I was in L-O-V-E with it..... and totally ignored all the love handles it would give me... When we melted the chocolate to make the Chocolate Ganache... the aroma in the house was like a chocolate factory....... just sheer B-L-I-S-S.....

Since this was a layered dessert, had started preparations much earlier... like baking the sponge happened during the week and much needed hand-at-work was invited over... My sweet little Sous Chef for this task was Tarini, She was so helpful and such a delight to work with. Vibha and Vivekji also pitched in......

At the Durbar we have Bunty Bhaiya, Veena bua, Charu Aunty n Oditi immersed in various tasks....
Nikki, Gulla, Shrishti, my sweetie Ciona, Geetika and Sadhika... all of having a rollicking time....

How can I miss The imp.... Gunjan, Radhika Didi, Anjali, Yogita, Nikhil, Sonal and Lily..... Am so glad everyone enjoyed the Chocolate Tiramisu....

My specials.... Neha Didi, Nivritti[She was instrumental in getting the stickers on the lids...], Amitabh[one of my Sushi partners], Gaurav, Mini Didi and mom :)

Verdict:
It was just Fabulous... Mind blowing and we all enjoyed it..... What I enjoyed the most after all the hard work was so many of us coming together.... Letting go the ego of 'I made it' to feel grateful for all the wonderful people I'm blessed to have around me. The feeling is truly liberating. Would love to make this over and over again to see their eyes close and smiles wide on their faces.....
What's the similarity between a sincere kiss and sinfully yummy dessert.....
Most people enjoy them with their eyes closed...... and are always left wanting More.... :)

Shinky:
Hey Nachi, missed telling you this yesterday, tiramisu was just amazing ! You're just too good !! :) enjoyed every bite.

Meetu:
It was the most awesomelicious tiramasu I have had..... Great work Done :)

Coffee, Pizza Chocolate n Gupshup at a friend's ~ My Blanket of Warmth

“We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police.” Jeff Marder, Comedian.
better still get to your friend's place pronto, especially when you have friends who bake you up a mean pizza with awesome Starbucks coffee...
She specially got me chocolates n coffee from Singapore..... Does she know me or what....
Thank god for such fabulous friends... :)

This pizza has the same ingredients I've eaten in my fav pizza as a kid...... Mutton Sausage, Capsicum Onion Pizza at Nirula's...... Many many many memories at various outlets of this chain... :)


Have been savoring the Bailey's Truffle bar over many days... :)

Am so proud of Radhika's forays in the kitchen... she just keeps getting better, some yummies by her:
New Baker Radhika's Microwave Coffee Cake
Rummy Coffee Cinnamon Rum Cake ~ By my Guest Radhika

Fruit in Baking ~ Monthly Mingle Hosted By Deeba

The minute I read Deeba's post where she's guest hosting Meeta's Monthly Mingle with the theme Fruits in Baking.... I just had to get cracking....... Also this month's her birthday.... So what better than making her something with fruits in it.... Brain Ticking... What is it that I make well with fruits? What fruits are easily available in the market.... Apples n Bananas... She's already done so much Apple that my Apple Crumble and Apple Pie was not a patch on the awesome stuff she does......

Ok so I could do Banana Upside down cake... I love it and so do others... But Deeba likes COFFEE
or maybe a Banoffee Pie which I haven't made for some time with a twist, will add coffee to it.....

Come 14th November....called her up to wish her n check what's a good time to drop by as her sister's in town n wish her with a surprise..... n guess what she pried out of me what the surprise was... and thank God she did.... She doesn't like Bananas....... WHACK...... idea smacked out...
Back to Square 1....... with hardly any time left till the evening....... Any good cake needs time....

Racked my brains again..... She likes COFFEE[Since it's Tiramisu month, it fits the coffee bill perfectly.... Then alarm bells ring to remind me that's what I made for her last year too... can't make the same thing again] Back to Square 1....... Yet Again......
Hmmmm so now I start thinking Cake... So there's COFFEE again[that's permanent on the Ingredient Checklist] n in spices she uses Cinnamon fairly regularly[brings out the flavour of coffee with brilliance, works well for me... added to Ingredient Checklist] and there is loads of Chocolate[added to Ingredient Checklist] always which her kids love.....
Hey!!!! where's the Fruit element??? I add Rum soaked raisins to the Ingredient Checklist cause they are my favourite.... and yes... Raisins are fruit cause they are dried grapes.....
So off I go to put together her cake with COFFEE, Cinnanon, Chocolate n Raisins.

Raisins are often known as nature's candy, they are counted amongst the most nutritious dried fruits in the whole world. They are cholesterol-free, low in sodium, high in fiber and totally fat-free. Apart from that, they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, making their nutritional value very high. Raisins are the best source of quick energy, as they contain 70 percent pure fructose, which gets digested by the body easily and gives instant energy.[Source]

Nutritional Value of Raisins- [Source]
Given below is the amount of nutrients in 100 gm of raisins:
Total Carbohydrates - 79 gm
Dietary Fiber - 4 gm
Sugars - 59 gm
Protein - 3 gm
Vitamin C - 2.3 mg
Vitamin E - 0.12 mg
Vitamin K - 3.5 mcg
Thiamin - 0.106 mg
Riboflavin - 0.125 mg
Niacin - 0.766 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.174 mg
Folate - 5 mcg
Calcium - 50 mg
Iron - 1.88 mg
Magnesium - 32 mg
Phosphorus - 101 mg
Potassium - 749 mg
Sodium - 11 mg
Zinc - 0.22 mg
Copper - 0.318 mg
Manganese - 0.299 mg
Selenium - 0.6 mcg

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Raisins
1. Having antioxidant properties, raisins help keep the blood clean and flowing, by getting rid of all the impurities.
2. Raisins are believed to be good for bone density and have been associated with lower risk of osteoporosis in women.
3. The phytonutrients and olenolic acid present in raisins makes them beneficial for the health of teeth and gums.
4. Raisins are good for eyes and have been found to be helpful in prevention of macular degeneration.
5. Being high in calories, but not fats, raisins are a very good source of energy, especially for children and athlete.
6. Raisins are a good source of fiber and can help cure constipation. For the purpose, boil raisins in a saucepan of water, strain the liquid and drink it.
7. Studies claim that raisins contain additional nutritive compounds that can protect against heart disease and colon cancer.

So now I'm all ready and packed up to be delivered......

Coffee Chocolate Raisin Cake
Ingredients:
Eggs - 4
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup
Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 Teaspoon
Baking powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Dark cocoa powder - 2 Tablespoon
Coffee Powder - 3 Tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1 Teaspoon freshly ground [2 teaspoons if used a packaged variety]

For Ganache
Cooking Chocolate - 200gms
Cream - 200 gms [I use amul cream]
White chocolate shavings
confetti for the topping

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Sift the dry ingredients and just mix together with a spoon to get an even mix.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar beat until creamy and light in colour.
4. Add vanilla extract and oil to the mixture.Mix to incorporate without loosing the fluff from the mixture.
5. Add the Flour, Baking powder, cocoa powder, coffee and cinnamon and incorporate with a light circular movement without losing the fluff. The color of the cocoa batter should be quite dark.
6. Pour in greased and floured the sides of the cake tin. Mid way sprinkle soaked raisins[I'm very generous with them ;)] Pour in the rest of the batter evenly.
7. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes till the tester comes out clean

Decoration with Chocolate Ganache:
1. While the cake is baking, put 200ml cream with the dark chocolate on simmer & continue to stir till the chocolate has melted. Take off from heat & allow to cool completely,[NEVER the freezer]. Give it a few stirs, this will thicken as it cools.
2. Spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cooled cake evenly. Refrigerate.
3. Use the white chocolate shavings to neaten the edges of the cake.
Tip: To moisten the cake you could pour come of the warm icing so that cake absorbs it and is moist without having resting time in the refrigerator.

This Coffee, Chocolate Raisin Cake is my entry for the Monthly Mingle that Deeba is guest hosting for Meeta. If you are BAKING WITH FRUIT this month, do send it in to Monthly Mingle posted HERE. You have until the 22nd of November to get the entries in!

Daksayani was so excited about Deeba's Birthday that she sat down and made quite an elaborate garden on her card....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEEBA.... WISHING YOU 48 HAPPY HOURS IN A DAY, EVERYDAY......
:)

Sharing some more love....
Sending Deeba's birthday Coffee Chocolate Raisin Cake to 'The Chocolate Fest' Hosted by Madhuri at Cook Curry Nook.

‘The Chocolate Fest’ – Celebrating CCN’s 1st Anniversary

Be a part of 'The Chocolate Fest'. Let's levitate together in Chocolate Nirvana!

Egg-less Coffee Walnut Cake Trifle ~ By my Guest Suma

This is my celebrations for reaching 200 blog posts.... A lot of you will wonder, why am I not making something fancy to celebrate it. Getting to the 200th post has been a journey full of wonderful people who walked with me in life and some joined me thru the blog world.

So I thought of having an event called 'Celebrations' where I would open out my blog to some of my friends who would share some parts of their journey with me as Guest Posts......

My guest today is Suma of Cakes and More. She says in her introduction that she is 'A hardcore foodie with an incorrigible sweet tooth - thatz me! Have started baking a couple of year's ago and am loving every moment of baking,learning by trial and error, researching on the net on cakes, baking and cake-decoration in particular' and let me tell you... every word is true.

What I really like about her is her willingness to share and grow as a community. She's even written a post about Baking Supplies, Baking Ingredients In Bangalore and another one on 'Institute Of Baking and Cake Art - A Discovery!!!'. It's rare to come across such nice people, and when I do... I cherish n treasure them :)

She has a knack for creating yummy 'Any Time Treats'. I loved her Fresh toast with a citrus twist.

She started in Jan 2010, with a lovely cake for her daughter Aditi, saying "Having two hyper active kids,juggling part-time office work and school home work,a passion for food comes as a delicious respite. Cooking is something I find extremely satisfying - gastronomically and otherwise. I keep finding new excuses to call someone over for cold coffee and sandwiches, freeze a cake ice cream for a rainy-oops-sunny day:-)),make some extra cake just in case my kids( read I ) feel like having a cake fudge, give just one more try to get the chocolate cigars right. Food is on my mind 24/7,food is a big part of my life - You get the picture." We totally get the picture Suma and love the colours you've filled in it... :)

She's got 93 posts done in some 9 months.... that's over 10 posts in a month... totally awesome regularity :)

Wasn't able to write posts for a while due to some life situations..... n Suma was just so totally supportive throughout n very understanding..... Thanks for being there...

A small something for the Indian readers of Suma.... She will select 1 lucky commenter to win complimentary vouchers of Choko La(You can get your fill of chocolates at this place), in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. So be sure to leave a note at the end of this post with your location. Readers in other countries can share the same with anyone in proximity of the restaurant.

Suma Writes.....

'A cheerful vivacious extrovert, fun to be with - this is how Nachiketa describes herself. A very apt description indeed!! Though I have never met her in person, this is exactly how she comes across as. The profusion of cheerful pictures on her blog and the number of smiling faces in them a testimony to the same. Her way of striking up an instant camaraderie with people makes them feel like they are speaking to a person they know since ages. I can imagine the infectious energy she would be bringing in anywhere she goes. I envy her colleagues who probably spend a lot of time with her and also get to feast on the desserts which she dishes up ever so often.

The kind of person who would dare the blues to hit her. Come blues and she would probably chase it away with yet another dessert. Who can think of making Sugar-free Brownies as 'prashad'. Lol!! Am sure the diabetic and weight-watching folks are not complaining :-) The fact that she is dessert crazy is one of things which make me relate to her, being the incorrigible dessert-loving person I am myself. The urge to keep on trying out new desserts, specially baked ones - yes that's all too familiar to me.

She wouldn't mind staying up till the wee hours of the morning baking a whopping 265 muffins and...neither.. would... I.. or would I?? Given that I would have to deal with 2 hyper active kids, work and a household to run when I wake up. Hahaha!! This footloose and fancy free girl is sure having her share of fun - baking, blogging and spreading the cheer around. What better way to do it than food and desserts at that!! Do you detect a trace of envy here?? You bet, I envy her and envy her and envy her!!!

Keep up the spirit Nachiketa!!

I got a call from Nachiketa a couple of weeks ago with regard to a guest post on her blog as a celebration of completing 200 posts. Thank you so very much for giving me this opportunity Nachiketa!

I was all game for it and it had to be a dessert of course. Here comes a simple, yet satisfying, quick and easy trifle just for you Nachiketa! Layers of coffee cake and cream with the crunch of walnuts thrown in for good measure.

Egg-less Coffee Walnut Cake Trifle

This easy- to- put- together dessert can of course be made with any cake, here I have used an egg-less cake adapted from a Tarla Dalal recipe. The recipe goes like this

Ingredients for the cake
Plain Flour -3/4 Cup
Sugar (powdered) 1/3 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Instant coffee - 1 teaspoon dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water( keep the water hot). Use only hot water if you want a plain cake
Melted butter -1/4 cup
Sour curd - 2 Tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1/2 teaspoon
Walnuts, Chopped - 1/4 Cup

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade. Grease and line a 7'' diameter cake tin.

Sieve the flour. Keep aside. Mix the soda bicarb and curd in a bowl and keep aside. Combine the butter, sugar and hot water mixed with the coffee in a mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture, curds and vanilla essence and mix gently. Fold in the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Bake for 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, remove the cake and cool on a cooling rack.

Once completely cool, slice the cake horizontally into two slices. Cut small circles using a cookie cutter. Keep aside.

Sugar Syrup:
Water 1/4 cup with 1tsp sugar( you may need more syrup if using a dry sponge)
A drop of vanilla essence. Mix everything and refrigerate till needed.

Whipping Cream : 3/4 Cup(I have used sweetened whipping cream)
Grated Dark Chocolate for garnish.

Chill the cream, the bowl and the beaters for at least an hour. Whip the cream to a soft peak stage over a bowl of ice, for approximately 5-6 minutes. Fill the cream in a piping bag with a coupler, NO nozzle.

To Assemble:
Arrange the cake circles at the bottom of the glasses.(Push in gently to fit, with a spoon if needed). Brush the sugar syrup lightly over the cake. Pipe some cream over the cake. Repeat the process with more more cake circles, sugar syrup and cream ending with the cream. Garnish with grated dark chocolate and chill for at least 4-5 hours before serving.