Hot Cross Buns

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrate...Here is some hot cross buns..:) Everytime I studied the rhymes" Hot cross buns" I have wondered how these buns were.. Finally I baked my own batch of hot cross buns by replacing egg with  flax seeds and using raisins and cardamom as flavors..Here is the recipe

All purpose Flour-3 cups

Active dry yeast-2 tsp

Milk-1 cup(lukewarm)

Honey-1/4 cup

Salt-1 tsp

Flax seed powder-1 tbsp

Hot Water-3 tbsp

Cardamom-1tsp(seeds lightly crushed)

Raisins-1/2 cup(golden and dark mixture)

Egg wash/Milk wash

Method of preparation:

1.In a bowl mix yeast and milk and set to foam for 5 minutes.
2. Mix flax seed powder and hot water and let sit for few minutes. It will turn thick by that time. If it doesn't then heat this mixture till it turns thick and resembles egg white in texture. Let cool for some time.

3. Add honey, salt and flax mixture and stir until everything mixes.

4. Add the cardamom and raisins and mix well.

5. Add flour to this mixture and knead to a soft and elastic dough about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough is sticky at beginning but turns soft and elastic as you knead it. Add little extra flour if really needed approx 1 hour for me..

6. Transfer the dough to lightly oiled bowl and set aside to double in size. 

7. Punch the dough and shape them to 12 round balls/ rolls and set on a baking tray to rise for another 25 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 400F. Egg/milk wash the rolls and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or till lightly browned.

9. Allow to cool.Apply icing and serve.

For Icing:
Confectioners sugar-1/2 cup
Cream-1 tbsp

1. Mix the cream and powdered sugar to smooth paste. 

2. Once rolls cool completely,  use a piping bag to mark the cross on the buns. You can do it with a tsp too.

Herb and Cheese Pull-apart Bread

A post after a short break..When this year started I had thought that I would post in some rhythm, now that was just a thought not a resolution and I am happy that it was a thought else I would have had to add one more broken resolution to my list...:) Now I cant take the whole blame..it may be the weather too which doesn't allow me to wake up from bed or from couch or wherever I am seated...Oh come on! weather is not having an effect only on me...The Sun who is supposed to wake us up or who is supposed to bring light is resting the whole day..making day look more like night..Now don't you think the sun has to do its job even if humans don't ???? That is enough of reasons to support me from missing in action..:)..Hey BTW thanks to all food groups I am there because of whom I post at least 2 or 3 times a month...:)

This bread was made a year back just now got the privilege to be here..It is from here..I had prepared this for a party and was enjoyed by everyone..A delicious one with flavors from herbs and cheese...

Active dry yeast- 2 tsp
Luke warm water-1 1/3 cups
Extra-virgin olive oil-2 tbsp
Salt-2 tsp
All purpose flour-3 1/2 cups
Butter-1/4 cup(melted)
Red Chilli Flakes-1 tsp
Italian Seasoning-1 tbsp
Garlic-2 cloves(minced)
Parmesan cheese-1/4 cup (grated)

Method of preparation:
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour.
2.Mix the flour and then knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is soft and elastic, 7-10 minutes.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.
4. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.
5. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Set aside.
6. Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough, coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls.
7. Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers.
8. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.Serve hot.

Notes:

1. Any herb and cheese can be used.

2. I made the above recipe in 2 small bundt pans and about 8 rolls. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

As the climate goes cold and the winds start to blow the life outside house is just terrible in Grand Rapids...esp with a 2 year old..So weekends are time when you can do nothing much with those dark gray  days...Its been kind of custom to have parties, get together, fun during this period..Its just food, fun and clean up...Tough I am sure the last one is not enjoyed by any housewife's :)...Lets not go to the whole two weeks back story  the gist of the it is I had made these cookies from here for one of the parties and it was a hit there. When these cookies came out of the oven my son started munching them..when I told him that we are taking it for a party the instant reply was..."Amma kichunna ithu.."(This is for Kichu) and he stuck with this words until he had gobbled a few of the cookies..
  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are really easy to prepare. You make the dough which has lots of chocolate in it. Then you roll this on powdered sugar which gives it a snow covered look and finally when baked you get to see beautiful cracks on them revealing the chocolate..So by this you should have guessed that these cookies are for chocolate lovers mainly..but I should say that my husband being a not so big fan of chocolate too ate a few of them. That shows how addictive these are. Do try them for this holiday season...They are perfect for this time or for that matter any time..

All Purpose Flour-3/4 cup
Baking Powder-1/4 tsp
Salt-1/8 tsp
Butter-2 tbsp
Bitter Sweet Chocolate-4 ounce
Granulated Sugar-1/4 cup
Egg-1 large
Vanilla Extract-1 tsp
Icing Sugar to roll- about 1/2 cup

Method of Preparation:
1. Melt the chocolate and butter by keeping it in a heat proof bowl over a  simmering  pan of water.Once done remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Beat  egg and sugar in another bowl until it is thick pale and fluffy.It should fall like soft ribbon once the beater is lifted.
3. Beat the vanilla into it and then add the chocolate mixture and beat till it is well mixed. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix till its incorporated.
4. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture till it is incorporated.
5. The dough will be soft so place it in the refrigerator closed  with a lid till it turns firm to form ball.
6. Preheat oven to 325 F and place the oven rack in the middle. Now take the Icing sugar/powdered sugar in a bowl, scoop a small amount of dough(about 1 inch), shape it to ball and then roll it in the sugar. See that the ball is coated well with sugar with no chocolate portion visible.
7. Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet with little gap to spread(about 2 cm) and bake for 8 to 10 mins. Do not over bake them. The sugar coating should not turn brown. The outer should be firm while taking it and the center will be soft.
8. Place them on wire rack to cool. These cookies taste awesome while hot and are great on the day it is baked. It stays good for 2 to 3 days.I don't know more as the cookies never lasted more than that.

 Notes:
1. The dough will be soft, so you need to refrigerate till it turns hard. You can keep the dough overnight.
2. The dough will be very firm and you need to scrape it with spoon, dont worry when you roll it turns moist.
3. The cookie is soft an fudgy like brownies, don't bake it more which will make the cookies dry.
4. Coat the dough balls completely in sugar which will result in look of  beautiful snow covered cookies.
5. You can use semi sweet chocolate instead of bitter sweet ones.
6. As the cookies are kept the sugar coating changes to slight yellow.

Plum Cake/Fruit Cake

This time Baking Parteners group started by Swathi had three wonderful cakes suggested by Suja and Archana. Before the mail for this months challenge had come I had decided to bake a fruit cake for this X'mas. Once the challenge came and I saw the recipes I wanted to try Brazil nut cake as well as the earlier decided fruit cake..but due to the lack of people to eat I opted to go with just one. I went with the fruit cake which was so perfect for the season. The cake was suggested by Archana and it came out good though there were some issues that I faced which I have mentioned in the notes section. Anyways the cake got over before X'mas...:(. I felt that the cake was getting better as days went.
As for the recipe I had tweaked it little according to our needs. Instead of rum, I have used orange juice. You can use apple juice too.

Fruits Used:
Raisins- 1 cup
Dates-1 cup(chopped)
Candied Orange/Lemon Peel- 1/4 cup, sliced thin
Orange Juice- 1/4 cup
Unsalted Cashew Pieces- 1 cup
All Purpose Flour-1 tsp( to mix with fruits)

Spices Used:
Cinnamon Powder- 1/2 tsp
Caraway seeds- 1 tsp
Ginger Powder- 1/4 tsp
Clove Powder- 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg Powder- 1/4 tsp

For Caramel:
Sugar- 6 tbsp
Water- 3 tbsp
Lemon Juice- few drops
Boiling Water-1/2 cup

For Cake Batter:
All-Purpose Flour- 2 cups
Baking Powder -1 tsp
Unsalted Butter- 2 sticks (8 oz) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar-2 1/2 cups
Eggs- 3 large or 4 medium (separated)
Vanilla Extract-1 tsp
Rum extract-1 tsp

Method of Preparation:
For the Fruts:

1. Soak the fruits and nuts in orange juice in a clean bowl and set aside. Keep it on counter top for a day closed properly with an air tight lid. Then move it to refrigerator and keep it there for 2 days. Before baking take the fruit mixture from fridge and set on counter top.

2. Heat a pan and add the soaked fruits into it and warm it slightly and set aside to cool.Once cold and juts before mixing with batter add a tsp of all purpose flour to the dry fruits and give it good mix. Helps to prevent the fruits form sinking to bottom.

For Caramel:

3. In a small pot, add 6 Tbsp Sugar and 3 Tbsp water and few drops of lemon juice. Swirl pan to mix – do not use spoon.

4. Heat until sugar changes color and becomes caramelized. (approx 7-8 minutes).See that you don't burn it.

5. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and swirl pan again to mix well. Keep aside.

For Cake Batter:

6. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and powdered sugar and beat with hand blender.

7. Add one egg yolk at a time to the mix and blend well.

8. Add Vanilla, rum Extract and blend.

9. Combine all dry spices, baking powder and flour and sift it into the bowl, adding little at a time and blending.

10. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. Lightly coat 9"/10" baking pans by spraying cooking oil or regular oil.

12. Add caramelized sugar syrup a little at a time into mixing bowl and blend.

13. Add fruit/nut mixture, caraway seeds into mixing bowl and mix with a spoon.

14. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they are fluffy and soft peaks form.

15. Fold beaten egg whites into the cake batter.

16. Pour batter into greased baking pans and bake for approx 1 hour  30 mins at 325 degrees F. For smaller pans, baking time may vary.

17. Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool for few minutes in pan and then on rack till it is completely cooled.

Notes:

1. The original recipe used rum which I replaced with orange juice of same amount. 

2. Since rum is not used to mask the egg smell in case it existed I used rum extract. 

3. Caraway seeds are added extra by me. Its optional.

4. To reduce the baking time increase the oven temp to 350 F and bake in middle rack. If top gets cooked earlier use a foil to cover it to avoid blackening of the top.

5. Mixing the dry fruits with all purpose flour prevents it from settling at the bottom.

6. Be careful while making caramel syrup. It tends to burn easily. So keep an eye on it.
7.  I used a 9" spring foam pan lined with parchment paper.

8. Cake got delicious as the days went by.
9. Do increase the amount of sugar used to make caramel to get a darker color for cake. In this case reduce the amount of powdered sugar.You can replace half of the sugar with dark brown sugar too.
10. When I baked at 325 F the outer side of cake cooked faster and the center took long time to cook. But still the center cooks perfect without burning the outer.Just that the time is more.