Coffee Ermine Buttercream / Cooked buttercream

    This is a coffee flavoured buttercream adapted from https://gfpatisserie.com/recipes/ermine-buttercream#/
      It is perfect for those who love coffee and a not too sweet buttercream. A cooked flour pudding is added to well beaten butter and again beaten to give a very smooth frosting.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1 cup granulated sugar (can reduce up to 2 tablespoons if needed)
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter

Combine the dry ingredients in a thick bottomed  pan. Slowly add the milk to bring the mix to a smooth consistency. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring continuously to avoid it from sticking to the bottom. The pudding should thicken like the picture given below.

Take it off the heat and stir for some more time. Let the pudding cool completely (will become like thick glue) and mix in the vanilla.

Take the cold butter and cube it in the bowl of your mixer. Wait until it has softened a little..maybe 15 mins depending on the climate. You don't want it going all soft and spreading. It should be firm. Start beating the butter on medium speed till the colour has become very light. 

Add the cooled pudding a spoon at a time and beat well till it has combined into a smooth and fluffy cream.

 This can fill and coat a 3 layer 8 inch cake.

Date Cookies

I got a big batch of dates recently and the first thing that I wanted to try was a cookie that can be sweetened with dates alone😀
So I have come up with this recipe..the results  might vary depending on the dates used. Anyway my cookies came out firm but not crisp. I added a tablespoon of quick cooking oats too.

Ingredients
130g pitted dates
120g unsalted butter room temperature
A pinch of salt
1/4  teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour

Make the dates into a paste.(I used soft dates blitzed in a processor so did not need to soak or cook.) Add the butter and beat well. Add the salt and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in one cup of flour first..followed by another half cup..try to bring the dough together without kneading.  It shouldn't be sticky but soft. The entire 2 cups may not be used. Cover with a cling film and allow to rest for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 175deg C with both rods on.
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick sheet and cut out the cookies with a cutter.
Lift them with a flat utensil as they might break . I used a spatula. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for **20 mins. Flip the cookies after 10 mins. They are a bit soft when out of the oven.
Cool them down..and enjoy.

Notes:
* I added a tablespoon of quick cooking oats to the first cup of flour. Not necessary if you don't like.
* I also added about 6 almonds when I made the date paste. It is also optional.
** PLEASE don't follow baking time in any recipe blindly. You need to know your oven, because what works in my oven may not work for you.
If you already use certain settings for cookies follow that. Keep an eye on the result when you are following a new recipe. The cookies get a toasted look..a bit darker than the unbaked one.
If you don't know your oven settings, try as I have mentioned and keep an eye on it after 10 minutes.
Happy Baking 😀

Condensed Milk Chocolate Cake

I had half a tin of ordinary sweetened condensed milk leftover from a dessert and wanted to try a cake with it.. This recipe from Nestle desserts is indeed a keeper for those times when you want something light..fast..and easy. This recipe has no eggs..and no creaming.. just mix all the ingredients in a bowl..and you are ready to bake.

This is the crumb of this cake..firm but very soft. Not too sweet..there is no added sugar apart from the condensed milk.
Made half of the original recipe in a loaf tin.
http://www.nestle-family.com/recipes/english/light-chocolate-cake_43166.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk or 405 g
• 100 g butter, melted
• 150 ml water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or 5 g
• 200 g plain flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder or 50 g
• 2 teaspoons baking powder or 10 g
• 1 teaspoon baking soda or 5 g

Combine the Sweetened Condensed Milk, melted butter, water and vanilla essence in a large bowl. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the condensed milk mixture until just combined.
Pour the mixture into a lined 23cm spring form cake tin. Bake in a preheated 150°C oven for 45 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from tin and cool completely.

Egg Free Vanilla Cake with Bananas

Having lots of over ripe bananas at hand, the first thing that came to my mind was to try an egg substitution with banana. Decided on my plain vanilla cake recipe and here is the result.. A super moist and tender crumbed cake..which could be the perfect base for an eggless christmas fruit cake..some spices and nuts can change the whole story.. :D.. must try it sometime later.. :)

Ingredients:
     1 1/2 cups (195 g) all purpose flour
     2 tsp baking powder
     1/4 tsp salt
     1 cup  [granulated white sugar + brown sugar (can take half and half or use just one type) ]
     100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     3/4 cup banana puree/mashed
     1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm)  cake pan with three inch (7.5 cm) sides.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and then add sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the banana puree beating well after the addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes (the time varies with different ovens) or until the top of the cake has browned and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (a toothpick inserted into the cake will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and then ease the cake onto your serving plate.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake. Serves 6 to 8.

Tiramisu

A delightful italian dessert... I have made it several times with eggs.. but not being a great lover of the yolk flavour.. decided to give it a go without the zabaglione. The pudding has set like a cake good enough to slice.. :)

Ingredients

36 ladys finger biscuits
100 g chocolate

Soaking mix:
300 ml boiling water
2 tblsp instant coffee granules
6 heaped teaspoons of sugar
1 tblsp vanilla extract
3 tblsp baileys Irish cream

Cheese filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
10-12 tsp sugar
500 g cream cheese
1 tblsp vanilla extract
3 tblsp baileys irish cream

Prepare the coffee soaking syrup by dissolving the coffee granules and sugar in boiling water. Cool and add vanilla and irish cream.

Beat the cream cheese with half the sugar and irish cream.

Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla till soft peaks form.

Fold 1/3rd of the cream into the cheese mix to lighten. Then the rest in two batches folding in gently each time.

Refrigerate until use.
Prepare a 10 inch springform pan lined with cling film. (it will help in the easy removal of the ring.)

Dip the biscuits in the coffee syrup one by one and arrange at the bottom.(just dip..  Do not drench)

Spread half the cheese mix over the biscuit layer.

Grate some chocolate over it.

Layer the biscuits dipped in the coffee syrup again.

Spread the cheese mix over it... decorate with more grated chocolate. Refrigerate for atleast 6 hours. Remove the ring and cling film gently.

Serve cold... and enjoy!!