On Demand Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Walk Down Memory Lane

Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence was the post which set my naniji[Grandmother] ticking and she asked me to make this when I visit her. So on this trip to Hyderabad for mom's birthday, I made Chocolate Tiramisu especially for naniji and nanaji. I just had to use the cute glasses they had, didn't I :)

Shared some of the Tiramisu with the Vir's (special family friends... nah... Family )... Sudha aunty, Ashok uncle, Aarti didi, Diwakar, Gautam and Madhavi. This little bundle is Meher... Aarti didi and Diwakar's daughter.... such a sweetheart she is..... pl don't miss the cupcakes in her top ;)

The Hyderabad home is full of memories from our childhood.... forgotten bit n bobs which have a way of popping up and filling us with nostalgia. This is one of the 2 embroidery designs I've ever made..... Strange but true... have done embroidery for very few special people...

For the recipe you can ready any of these posts, You Know.... It's For YOU, Tiramisu..., Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Amrita's Birthday, Cappuccino Tiramisu Cheesecake for Baking Queen ~ Deeba's Birthday, Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes.

These coasters were Jenny mami's idea for naniji n nanaji's 50th wedding anniversary, where all the grandchildren made their own designs and a set was given to all the guests at the party... and now very proudly displayed at their bar.

Tell me readers, which are your most cherished memories with your grandparents?

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!

Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes

Coffee...... The world's love affair with the divine brew has spanned centuries. Its rich aroma and fine flavor have inspired musicians and captivated kings, influenced a pope, and helped to liberate prisoners of war. So who am I to resist it's charms???

Tiramisu has me dancing to the pied pipers tune.... It plays, I follow.....
Traditional Tiramisu is a pudding-like dessert that normally consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in liqueur, then layered with grated chocolate and rich custard.

But, then again... me being me.... how can I follow any orders.... I want Strong coffee, Soaked cupcakes, Luxurious pastry cream and Rich chocolate.... My craving grow by the minute..... Off I go to make the aaahhhh so very feathery light, blissfully dreamy and huge explosion of chocolate on my tongue that disappears in a flash cause I gobble up the cupcake.....
My poor baby sis says "You eat the chocolate didi and give me the cake"....... I gladly share it with her.....

Hmmmmm...... We are floating....... Mmmmmmm....... The White winged angel is flying with us........ The cupcake is over...POP.... Thud.... Land back in the garden.......

Ingredients
Make the plain vanilla cupcakes.
Make the luscious pastry using any of these recipes You Know.... It's For YOU, Tiramisu..., Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Amrita's Birthday, Cappuccino Tiramisu Cheesecake for Baking Queen ~ Deeba's Birthday.
Make Chocolate Ganache.


Assembly:
1. Remove the centers of the cupcakes, like you could core and apple but not all the way down, saving the tops. Cut the tops off of the cores and set them aside. You'll need them in a minute.

2. Splash a little of the coffee mixture (about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp) in the hole, i used a brush as i wanted an even coating n didn't want to drip the liquid with a teaspoon.[Call me finicky if you want, but I won't have a leaky tiramisu cupcake to deal with in my kitchen, well mom's kitchen really ;) ]

3. Fill the hole with the whipped cream filling (I used a good old piping bag)

4. Put the "cap" back over the hole and press down a bit for the cake to get soaked with the pastry.

5. Refrigerate [This is the most difficult step...... I just couldn't wait for the time to go by... semed like a lifetime]

Tip 1: Tiramisu has to be damp and moist... So ensure you're generous with the soaking syrup, yet careful to not make it Squishy, else it'll fall apart as a mush.
Tip 2: Use aluminum cupcake holders if you can find them, paper ones may get soggy if left for too long.
Tip 3: Let these refrigerate atleast overnight or even upto 2-3 days before consumption in an air tight box or use cling wrap so that they don't lose their moisture in the refrigerator ..... They taste amazing after giving it a longer resting time for the the flavours to marry.
Tip 4: Frost shorty before consumption with the Pastry Cream or Chocolate Ganache.....


These Tiramisu Cupcakes are a cool, refreshing Italian dessert/cake that once tasted, leaves an incredible, indelible impression on you.

It’s sweet and creamy, yet it doesn't taste too sugary, and it doesn't stay in your mouth long enough and just make you crave for another bite. It tastes just absolutely delicious.

Sending these Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes 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!

Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence

Ahhhhhh..... these glasses of G-O-O-D-N-E-S-S..... The heady Coffee, gooey Chocolate, creamy Mascarpone, soaked Sponge........ Drooolllllll.... Get the drift.......

Tiramisu (tih-ruh-mee-SOO)-The Italian translation for tiramisu is "Pick me up." Also known by names such as Tuscan Trifle and Zuppa Inglese, this heavenly dessert was initially created in Siena, in the northwestern Italian province of Tuscany.
Traditional tiramisu is a pudding-like dessert that normally consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in liqueur, then layered with grated chocolate and rich custard.

In fact, "pick-me-up", is bit of an understatement. Tiramisu is a desert worthy of a special occasion: neither making nor eating it may be rushed, which is why.... This has been Tiramisu month for me.... served everyone who came home for Diwali..... Took then to Vibha n Vivekji's party, Pushpanjali and Vivek sir's card party..... and loads more......

The feeling while eating these glasses of goodness....... You've spouted delicate white wings and are sitting on a fluffy cloud, with these glasses of G-O-O-D-N-E-S-S. You are in Heaven, and Heaven is in your mouth!

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. You can use any of these recipes.... they all worked like magic for me..... :) *really smug grin*

There are some more Tiramisu posts coming up too... How can 1 post to justice to the month of Tiramisu..... coming up is Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes......

Go on Dig in.....

Sending this Chocolate Tiramisu, Dessert of Decadence 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!

All of Diyas, Mithai, Parties, Friends n Family at Diwali

Diwali is always special...... We meet up with friends relative and most of all.... do loads of fun stuff with Daksayani.... :)

We made this really colourful rangoli outside the house......

Soon we were joined by the neighbour's kids, Simran and Armaan...... We did both the traditional hard work way and the easy short cut way of using stencils....

Then in the evening we went for puja to Mall rd.... it was such a sublime atmosphere.....

My totally fav person in the WWW....... whole wide world......

That's Poser INC at Mall rd.... Sadhika, Neha Didi, Nikhil, Veena didi, Ciona, Mini Didi and Mala Chachi.

The kids had a total blast Ciona and Gunjan.....

The parshad for Diwali was made by my soul partner for desserts, Vibha, we even dream the same stufffffffff..... Cooking for over 300+ people..... It was just so so so so yummy that I still can't stop droolllllling over the yummy pasta......

There was fusilli pasta[loaded with Olived n Mushrooms..... my absolute favs.....],The sauce was smooth, tangy and had just the right amt of spice..... Chocolate Eclair from Modern Bazzar and chips....... her spice mix was the show stealer.... yeah I did sneak some for later.... .

The Hyderabad Diwali was brighter this time with chetan arround in India after so long..... Grandparents had lovely time with Nivritti and Chetan.

Partied with the office gang aswell...... The party's theme was 'Tauba Tera Jalwa'.... and what 'J-A-L-W-A' there was.... so much that it's censored on my blog..... what happens at the party, stays at the party..... ;)

The rangoli's made by both teams in office were fantastic..... so much hard work... all made worthwhile by the twinkled eyes which were full of wonder looking at these......

That's Rozy[part of the 99acres sales team] getting the 'We Value You' award at work.... Then there's Amit n Bhaskar [My Product team], n Gunjan our energetic party animal n Amrita[Amit's wife]

We got back Diya shaped mithai as parshad from babaji in Mall rd...... They looked so pretty and were totally d-e-l-i-s-h.... Am not a great fan of mithai but these..... They were out of the world......

Diwali, The festival of lights.......

Fun, Food, Friends at Food Bloggers Meet for 'Olive Oil in Mediterranean and Indian Cuisine'

August has been an eventful month with 'Celebrations' on my blog and 1st September was quite an eventful day being Daksayani's birthday and Delhi food bloggers and critics meeting for "Olive Oil in Mediterranean and Indian Cuisine", an event hosted by Borges Olive Oil at 19, Oriental Avenue, Shangri-La's Eros Hotel, New Delhi.

The event was attended by Sid of Chef at Large, Deeba of Passionate about Baking, Pamela of Eat and Dust, Anoothi of Indian Food and Travel Guide, Apeksha of Veggigewiz, Rahul Verma of Delhi Street Food and me. The other guest were food critics Marryam Reshii(of TOI n Upper Crust fame), Ritika Samaddar(Nutritionist), Darren Conole(Executive Chef of Shangri-la), and Rajneesh Bhasin(Borges MD ).

I missed the beginning of the session as I was at work and had to miss the serving of Bagna Cauda {also known as hot oil fondue} stirred together by Chef Darren Conole.

The Aioli put together by Darren and Sid was delicious.... have been trying to be a good girl and avoiding cheese but this was just yummy... couldn't stop at one..... The delectable garlicy flavour made it addictive.

Chef Darren showed us how to poach some Chilean sea bass fillets in a flavored olive oil [Warning: doing this in a home kitchen isn't the most cost-effective ;)] However it was the most delectable and flavorful when we had it for lunch served with Catalan vegetable stew..... who knew pumpkins can taste so good and I'd be gobbling down vegetables with equal delight as the fish. His easy flowing banter at the table has us in peals of laughter. He belongs to Melbourne and has spent time working in most South Asian Countries and knew their cuisines His little poppet just won't eat the veggies and lives on yogurt.... Would recommend Little-Food-Junction to everyone whose kids don't eat their veggies.... She's a delight.

The afternoon was spent in the open kitchen with Deeba, Anoothi and Sid rustling up yummies with Olive Oil.

Lunch began with a Panazella, a day old brown bread salad, followed by the Chilean Sea Bass. It's flavors were exquisite and what made it even more yummy was the lovely company. Dessert was scrumptious Olive Oil brownies served with icecream. Recipes are available here.

My experience with Olive Oil was limited to Pastas and Salads as of now[not for long though :) ]. Had made a fresh garden salad with Mangoes, Cucumber, Cheery Tomatoes, Olives and Lettuce. Dressed it with Olive Oil, Honey, Sea Salt, Parsley, Garlic and Pepper.

Since I missed the discussion session, I looked up stuff on the net and thought I'd share a few basics with my readers to clarify some of the jargon around Olive Oil.
Retail grades in IOOC member nations [Source:Wikipedia]
In countries that adhere to the standards of the IOOC the labels in stores show an oil's grade.

• Extra-virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. Extra Virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries. It is used on salads, added at the table to soups and stews and for dipping.
• Virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only, has an acidity less than 2%, and is judged to have a good taste.
• Pure olive oil. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil.
• Olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined production oil, of no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.
• Olive pomace oil is refined pomace olive oil often blended with some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but may not be described simply as olive oil. It has a more neutral flavor than pure or virgin olive oil, making it unfashionable among connoisseurs; however, it has the same fat composition as regular olive oil, rendering it the same health benefits. It also has a high smoke point, and thus is widely used in restauraunts as well as home cooking in some countries.
• Lampante oil is olive oil not suitable as food; lampante comes from olive oil's long-standing use in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.
• Refined olive oil is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods that do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams (0.3%) and its other characteristics correspond to those fixed for this category in this standard. This is obtained by refining virgin olive oils with a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects that are eliminated after refining. Over 50% of the oil produced in the Mediterranean area is of such poor quality that it must be refined to produce an edible product. Note that no solvents have been used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters. An obsolete equivalent is "pure olive oil".

Label wordings

The following may be found in olive oil labels:

• "100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.
• "Made from refined olive oils" means that the taste and acidity were chemically controlled.
• "From hand-picked olives" implies that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen to increase yield.
• Cold pressed means "that the oil was not heated over a certain temperature (usually 80 degrees Fahrenheit) during processing, thus retaining more nutrients and undergoing less degradation."
• First cold pressed means "that the fruit of the olive was crushed exactly one time-i.e., the first press. The cold refers to the temperature range of the fruit at the time it is crushed." In Calabria (Italy) the olives are collected in October. In regions like Tuscany or Liguria, the olives collected in November and ground often at night are too cold to be processed efficiently without heating. The paste is regularly heated above the environmental temperatures, which may be as low as 10-15 °C, to extract the oil efficiently with only physical means. Olives pressed in warm regions like Southern Italy or Northern Africa may be pressed at significantly higher temperatures although not heated. While it is important that the pressing temperatures be as low as possible (generally below 35 °C) there is no international reliable definition of "cold pressed".
  Furthermore, there is no "second" press of virgin oil, so the term "first press" means only that the oil was produced in a press vs. other possible methods.
• The label may indicate that the oil was bottled or packed in a stated country. This does not necessarily mean that the oil was produced there. The origin of the oil may sometimes be marked elsewhere on the label; it may be a mixture of oils from more than one country

What was particularly nice about the event was the frank conversation and knowledge sharing about olive Oil and other culinary delights. Looking forward to such events where learning and fun go hand in hand. Where else do you get a Chef who shares his recipes with joy and reads the quantities from a sheet to be absolutely precise :)

Didn't get to know when the afternoon went by chatting with Chef Darren and all the other guests. It was indeed lovely time spent with friends new and old.

Kids Enjoy Easter Fun ~ Adults Enjoy with Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies

Easter is fun time for kids as exams are over in this part of the world.... There's a break from school for kids just before the new session starts in their new classes....

That's Ciona, in her bunny ears... isn't she just adorable.... She informs me that she's big girl now and is going into her BIG class, Nursery-B. She loved the idea that eggs shells can be painted..

I had quite a time preparing for all this.... Cleaned up empty egg shells for the kids to paint.... Made Orange Cookies and went about icing them with royal icing... This was the first time I was dealing with royal icing... Was totally paranoid about how it will work out.... Guess that's what baking is about for me... pushing my limits..... Icing was [and is] back-breaking work for me... need to work very fast with it else due to the horrid temperature n humidity levels here, icing tends to grow a mind of it's own... [which definitely doesn't wanna do what I need it to do....]
This time I thought, instead of just yummy stuff to eat, the kids should get to do some fun activities too... Each of the kids got their own write up on, What is Easter? Why is it celebrated, Why the Bunny and Eggs on Easter? etc which their mummies read out to them Read up here...

They also got an activity sheet with Step-by-Step instructions for making this bunny basket... Find them here....
A print out of an Egg drawing, which they could colour along with the empty eggshells.

Some more colouring fun....

That's Simran and Armaan, my next door neighbours... very sweet kids.... Simran's still working on her basket her mummy informs me...

This post is off to Easter Cake Bake Event, being hosted by Julia at 'A Slice of Cherry Pie ... I guess my 'Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies' would qualify as cake for this event... :-)

Pat a cake pat a cake baker’s man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can

The kids enjoyed the Easter Fun with cookies, colouring and craft work n I ENJOYED making these while the parents enjoyed my Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies....

Mr.Nibbles loved the Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies