Chocolate Eclairs

As a fellow Lankan, Eclairs are a famous 'short eat' savoured by every member of the family. Yet people find it rather a hard task to make it and thus they'd rather buy it from a pastry shop. You get all sorts of different flavours. Filled with cream, chocolate icing, fruits, coffee icing or any other weird concoction you can come up with. My dad absolutely loves them because he has the biggest sweet tooth and so my mum makes a super sweet icing filling because the chocolate ganache on top is not sweet enough for him. My friend Princess has been asking me to make eclairs and post on the blog so that she can do it herself. I finally got myself to make it because I was craving Lankan stuff. Mainly because I haven't been home in over a year! So I did. I made it. It came out pretty well I believe. Take a look for yourself.

Your Challenge: Make some Eclairs to feed your true Lankan soul.

 

        

           

Ready --- Steady --- Bake!

Chocolate Eclairs
(serves 10)

INGREDIENTS:

116g butter

240ml water

113g all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

600ml cups cold milk

240ml heavy cream

50g confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

113g confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons hot water or milk

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 230°C. Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 116g butter and 240ml water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. 
3. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. 
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. 
5. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
6. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 165°C and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack. (times depend on the oven)
7. For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. 
8. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
9.  Fold whipped cream into pudding mixture. 
10. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops. Alternatively, make a slit on the side of the Choux pastry with a scissor and fill.
11. For the chocolate coating, double boil the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
12.  Stir in 113g confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water or milk, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. 
13. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving. 

  Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth

Egg-less Coffee Cake

I was craving coffee cake for the last few days because now that classes have finished I don't get my coffee fix for the day anymore. Since I hadn't made anything for a while I decided to finally get off my arse and make something. However, I didn't have any eggs at home because de facto had finished them all. She's obsessed with eggs, she has one or two everyday I think, so we go through them like crazy. So I decided to make do and make an egg-less cake instead. It turned out really well. It was really soft, like a sponge cake, yet moist. There were no air bubbles in it like normal cake. So I'm assuming that's what eggs do to cakes, make them air bubbly. The batter was very watery so I was a little sceptical about how it would turn out but it turned out super. It's definitely a must try, specially if you don't have all the ingredients you would normally use for a cake. 

Your Challenge: egg-less cake just as a trial bake.

Ready ---  Steady --- Bake!

Egg-less Coffee Cake

(Serves 8)

INGREDIENTS

230g Self Raising Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

50g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

300g Granulated Sugar

240ml Vegetable Oil

4 Tablespoons Instant Coffee (dissolved in half a cup of hot water)

200ml Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
if using All Purpose Flour add:

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to160°C.

2. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

3. Sift together the flour, (baking powder, baking soda), salt, cocoa and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well. Add the oil. coffee, milk and vanilla essence.
5. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

6. Pour the batter evenly into both 9-inch cake pans. (or fill the 6 muffin cups halfway with batter and divide the remaining batter between both 8-inch pans).
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Check the cupcakes after 15 minutes).

8. Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans. 
9. Serve with coffee cream cheese frosting.

Challenge Accepted ??? 

Enjoy!

Tosakanth 

Mongolian Beef

Sorry for my lack of action in the past few weeks. Been super duper busy with work and study and haven't had time to do anything. I leave home in the morning and only come home to sleep and do the same cycle the next day. do forgive me. The story behind this was that I was craving some Asian food and didn't have enough money to go get take out so I decided to make some at home with ingredients I had lying around. Anyway, this recipe is a mix between a Mongolian beef and a beef in oyster sauce, because I'm an oyster sauce addict and thought it would taste better with some oyster goodness. Either way, it's yummy.

Your challenge: Mongolian beef to go head over heals.

Ready --- Steady --- Cook!

Mongolian Beef

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

300g Beef tenderloin, thinly sliced against the grain

1 Red bell pepper, sliced 

2 Green onion, sliced 

2 Bunches of Bok Choy, cut

50g Cornflour

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ginger, grated
1 Teaspoon chilli flakes
1 Tablespoon Corriander, chopped 

4 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons oyster sauce

3 Tablespoons agave nectar (or sugar)

3 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry or any red wine

3 Tablespoons water

1-2 Tablespoons oil for the pan

Method:  

1. Stir together soy sauce, agave nectar/sugar, water, and Chinese rice wine/dry sherry. Set aside. 

2. coat the beef in cornflour

3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil completely coats the bottom of the pan. Add the beef and quickly sauté until lightly browned.

 

4. Add garlic and ginger. Sauté for a few seconds. 

5. Add onions, bell peppers, bok choy and cook.

6. Add the sauce from step 1. The sauce should quickly come to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and allow it to bubble. Keep stirring. Reduce until it becomes thicker and glazes the beef. It should happen very quickly, within minutes. 

serve with steamed rice

Note: The corn starch helps to brown the beef and thicken the sauce once the sauce is added to the pan. 


Challenge Accepted ??? 

Enjoy!

Tosakanth 

Moist Carrot Cake

Ok, I know what you are thinking. "Why carrot cake out of all the things you could have made and posted about, whyy whyyyyy?" Sri lankans have this mutual hate or detest for putting vegetables in their desserts. I get it, I really do. The first time I heard about carrot cake when I was a itsy bitsy little kid I was as repulsed as you are right now about the thought of it. "Ewww carrots?, why carrots?, and why in a cake?, that must be fowl". But seriously once you get out of your little Lankan comfort zone and try things that are 'weird' it really does open your eyes to endless food possibilities. That's exactly what happened to me. My cousin made some carrot cake when I was about 12 years old, although I was sceptical to try it, I did anyway and my mind = BLOWN. It really is an amazing concoction. You have to try to it believe it. And for all those who already thought putting carrot in a cake was a brilliant idea - you are special.

So, finally about a decade later I found this super awesome carrot cake recipe and wanted to give it a go, but realised I didn't have any carrots at home. So I kept putting it off until now. One of the subjects that I'm doing for my HR course requires me to do a 30min theory presentation/training session for my class and the following session is going to be the practical training session where I teach the class a skill in 30 minutes. I decided to do cake decorating as my skill. Although I'm pretty crap at it, I thought I could get my sister to teach me a few things about fondant modelling. For the theory session I did a presentation on cakes. History, types, flavours, cake decorating tools, ingredients etc. I decided to make a carrot cake for the class to enjoy after my training session and also to bribe the bitch! The bitch is my teacher. I do not like her at all. If the name-calling did not suggest that, I'm telling you that she's an absolute meanie. She's the biggest bully ever. She picks someone she doesn't like and just keeps going at them. And as per usual, I was picked. I thought I left all that nonsense behind in school. But I thought wrong. In school teachers either loved me or absolutely HATED me, there was never any middle ground. Some liked the tomboyishness and others just thought I was trouble just by looking at me. I thought once you grow up and move on to tertiary education that shit would stop. But I guess this woman clearly doesn't agree. Anyway, whatever! I passed the theory session. So all's well in the world, until next week when I have to train the class on fondant decorating. Help!

Anyway, back to the carrot cake. Got side tracked as usual. I have to say that this is the most amazing cake I have ever made. It is so amazingly yummily superbly moist. I cannot believe how good it is myself. You must try it. My housemate Loopi doesn't even like carrot cake or nuts for that matter, but she was orgasming after she ate it. Although the process seems really long, it's quite simple. So give it a go and let me know!

Your Challenge: Moist carrot, what a challenge!

 

 

 

 Ready --- Steady --- Bake!

Moist Carrot Cake
(serves 10 or more) 

INGREDIENTS:

240g  All Purpose Flour or Self Raising Flour

300g  Sugar

50g  Brown Sugar, packed (dark or light)

1 1/2 teaspoon  Baking Soda (if using all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon  Baking Powder (if using all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon  Salt

4 teaspoon  Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon  Nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon  Ground Cloves 

1/4 teaspoon  Ground Ginger

200g Finely Grated Peeled Carrot

85g  Coconut Flakes, sweetened

225g  Crushed Pineapple or Peaches, drained

       (reserve 2 Tablespoon of drained Pineapple/Peach juice)

110g  Nuts (Cashews, Walnuts or Pecans) Chopped into small pieces

200g/250ml  Vegetable Oil

2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon  Orange Zest, Fresh and Finely Grated 

3  Eggs, extra large

165g  Raisins (Optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

70g butter

170g icing sugar

125g cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 

2.  Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by spraying with Vegetable non-stick spray (like Pam Spray) and line with a parchment paper round on the bottom then spray the top of the parchment.  Or spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with Vegetable non stick spray (like Pam Spray) or use 20 jumbo Cupcake liners in a Muffin tin without using Pam spray. 

3. In a large bowl whisk well:  Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, all Spices. 

4. Peel then Grate approx 5-6 medium Carrots to yield 2 cups packed.  Grate Carrots finely to no more than 1/4 inch pieces.  Or process in a food processor until finely grated but not mush.  It is important that you peel the Carrots before grating.  You do not want the tough skins in your cake. 

5. In a medium bowl or KitchenAid bowl add Carrots, Grated Fresh Orange Peel, Drained Pineapple, Raisins (optional), Coconut Flakes, Walnuts or Pecans and mix well with a big spoon.   

6. To this mixture add the Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract and Eggs one at a time mixing in well then add the reserved Pineapple/peach juice and maple syrup and mix well.  Scrape down bowl often.   

7. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid for  about 1 minute until well mixed.  Do not over mix. 

8. Pour divided into prepared (as above) 9 inch cake pans, or 9 X 13 pan, or approximately 20 Cupcake liners filled 3/4 full or a 9 X 13 baking sheet sprayed with Pam but no parchment paper needed.   

9. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 mins for Cupcakes,  

35-40 minutes for 9 inch layer cakes and 

45-50 mins for 9 X 13 in the center of the oven.  

Half way through cooking rotate the pans for even cooking.  A toothpick will come out clean when done.  All ovens vary in timing so check at lowest time first and if not done put back in oven and recheck in 2- 3 minutes. My oven took about 30mins to bake.

10. For the icing: whip butter and icing sugar together till smooth. Then add the cream cheese and mix well. Add vanilla in last to get a smooth texture. You may add a pinch of salt if it is too sweet.

11. Allow the cake to cool completely in pan for 1-2 hrs. before removing to ice with Cream Cheese Icing.   Place 1/4 of icing between the two layers and when placing the top cake layer on, put the flat side of the cake (the bottom when it was in the cake pan) facing up for a flat top which makes a more attractive cake and easier to ice. dust with a little ground cinnamon for effect.


Challenge Accepted ??? 

Enjoy!

Tosakanth