CARDAMOM FLAVORED OATS RAISINS MILK BREAD

Hello everyone

Bread is a thing which connects us to everyone in this world. Wherever you go, you can find bread in different shapes, sizes, flavours, textures etc but the main thing is it's bread. Today I too have a simple bread recipe to share. It's too simple too prepare but with healthy touch of oats and raisins. It's a must try for health conscious bakers who love to bake for them and their family, healthy stuffs. It's a perfect snacks for tea time or for kids tiffin. So give it a try at least once, you will definitely love it.

Stepwise recipe is given below , hope you all will must try this..

CARDAMOM FLAVORED OATS RAISINS MILK BREAD

Serves: 4-5

Time: 3:30 hrs 

Ingredients

3 cup whole wheat or chapatti flour

1/2 cup rolled oats + 1 tsp to sprinkle on bread

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 tsp freshly ground green cardamom powder 

2 tbsp oil

3/4 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup Luke warm water

3/4 cup warm milk

1 tbsp sugar 

1/8 tsp salt 

Method:

First of all add yeast in 1/2 cup Luke warm water and 1 tsp sugar, mix them lightly and leave for 5-10 min or till it become nice frothy.

Combine everything together , knead for 5 mins and let it rest for 7-8 mins. Again knead for another 5-6 mins to get nice soft dough. This resting and kneading process is important to produce gluten in dough , so don't skip it.

Knead the dough by pulling and stretching it instead of applying too much pressure on your dough.

 Grease the dough with oil and keep it covered at warm place to rise, at least 1- 2 hr or till it doubles in volume, depend on weather. Give it sufficient time to rise as without it you will end up in dense loaf of bread.

When it become double in volume then punch the dough add cardamom powder and again knead for 4-5 mins .

You can add raisins along with cardamom at this stage instead of adding in dry flour to make your initial  kneading process little less tricky.

Now flatten it on a plain surface and by rolling give it shape of a loaf and seal its edges by pinching. Now place it in a greased and dusted loaf pan and apply little oil on it.

Again keep it covered at a warm place for second rise, for at least 45 mins to 1 hr. It must rise almost 1 inch above rims of pan.

 Now brush its top with milk.

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 190 degree C for 35 -40 mins or till its top become nice brown and on tapping you can hear hollow sound. 

If you see your loaf is browning very fast then cover it loosely with an aluminum foil.

Now brush it with some butter and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, to get nice clean slices.

Your bread is ready to be served with a cup of tea, enjoy these easy yet delicious bread slices. You can also give it in your kids tiffin , either apply butter or jam on it or have it with milk/ tea. In every way these will win your heart.

You can use any dry fruit  too and also any other loaf pan to get your desirable shape and flavour. But then baking time may change so after 30 mins keep an eye on it. Mine took exactly 40 mins😊.

While kneading If you find your dough is too sticky to handle then can sprinkle some flour on it , 1 tbsp at a time ,but the quantity given will be sufficient for a soft dough. Adding too much flour can result in dense bread. After kneading it well for 8-10 mins, it will become non sticky it self.

So enjoy these baked delicacies and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

OATS BREAD

Hello everyone

Bread is a thing which connects us to everyone in this world. Wherever you go, you can find bread in different shapes, sizes, flavours, textures etc but the main thing is it's bread. Today I too have a simple bread recipe to share. It's too simple too prepare but with healthy touch of oats. It's a must try for health conscious bakers who love to bake for them and their family, healthy stuffs. It's a perfect snacks for tea time or for kids tiffin. So give it a try at least once, you will definitely love it.

Stepwise recipe is given below , hope you all will must try this..

OATS BREAD

Serves: 4-5

Time: 3:30 hrs 

Ingredients

3 1/2 cup whole wheat or chapatti flour

1/2 cup rolled oats + 1 tsp to sprinkle on bread

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp dry active yeast

1 cup Luke warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp salt 

Method:

First of all add yeast in 1 cup Luke warm water and 1 tsp sugar, mix them lightly and leave for 5-10 min or till it become nice frothy.

Combine everything together , knead for 5 mins and let it rest for 7-8 mins. Again knead for another 5-6 mins to get nice soft dough. This resting and kneading process is important to produce gluten in dough , so don't skip it.

Knead the dough by pulling and stretching it instead of applying too much pressure on your dough.

 Grease the dough with oil and keep it covered at warm place to rise, at least 1- 2 hr or till it doubles in volume, depend on weather. 

When it become double in volume then punch the dough and again knead for 4-5 mins .

Now flatten it on a plain surface and by rolling give it shape of a loaf and seal its edges by pinching. Now place it in a greased and dusted loaf pan and sprinkle 1 tsp oats all over it. 

Again keep it covered at a warm place for second rise, for at least 45 mins to 1 hr. Now brush its top with milk.

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 35 -40 mins or till its top become nice brown and on tapping you can hear hollow sound. 

If you see your loaf is browning very fast then cover it loosely with an aluminum foil.

Now brush it with some butter and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, to get nice clean slices.

Your bread is ready to be served with a cup of tea, enjoy these easy yet delicious bread slices. You can also give it in your kids tiffin , either apply butter or jam on it or make sandwiches. In every way these will win your heart.

You can use any herbs too and also any other loaf pan to get your desirable shape and flavour. But then baking time may change so after 30 mins keep an eye on it. Mine took exactly 40 mins😊.

While kneading If you find your dough is too sticky to handle then can sprinkle some flour on it , 1 tbsp at a time ,but the quantity given will be sufficient for a soft dough. Adding too much flour can result in dense bread. After kneading it well for 8-10 mins, it will become non sticky it self.

So enjoy these baked delicacies and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS FIG JAM CRANBERRY CAKE

Hello everyone

Cakes are must when it is birthday or anniversary of your loving ones, no matter the birthday person is with you or not at that time. Don't panic 😊 it's my rule. As I had my dad's birthday few days back so thought why not to bake a cake and dedicate to him. He is not too fond of too much icing and decorations on cake so I start searching for ingredients that must be something new yet available at home. Suddenly an idea struck to use that fig jam which was almost rejected by my kids ,due to over sweetness of it. And the other ingredient was mix berry yogurt which my daughter bought out of curiosity but didn't like it afterwards. I too bought some dried cranberries few days back for using in my cakes and cookies some day. Luckily that day came so soon and all these ingredients made me to experiment with and resulted in an awesome soft mild sweet delicious cake perfect for the occasion.

This cake is specially dedicated to my father, happy birthday papa🎂 this is for you☺️.

Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you all will enjoy baking and relishing on this new flavor.

EGGLESS FIG JAM CRANBERRY CAKE

Serves: 7-8

Time: 1 hr ( maximum)

Ingredients 

2 cup all purpose flour / chapatti flour
1 cup yogurt ( I used mix berry flavored yogurt, 240 gms)
1/3 cup fig jam( I used 1/4 as yogurt too had flavor)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup oil

1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4+ cup water

Method:

First of all sieve all dry ingredients, except cranberries , together so that every thing is mixed well. Now add cranberries to it and mix well. This step is important so don't skip, as it will prevent cranberries to settle down while baking. Keep aside for later use.

Now add fig jam and yogurt, beat together for atleast 3-4 minutes. Now add oil, 1/4 cup water and vanilla essence to it and again beat till everything is nicely mixed. 

Add dry ingredients in it in two to three batches and keep mixing. Fold the batter till it become nice smooth and lump less. If it looks dry then add little water, 2 tbsp at a time and keep folding. Don't over mix your batter other wise it will not turn that soft and airy. 

Now transfer it to greased and dusted baking tray. Spread it evenly with spatula as this batter is not too much liquid. Tap to release any air bubble formed. 

Now bake in a preheated oven at 180degree C for 40- 45 mins. Keep an eye on it after 35 mins as different oven have different baking time and keep checking with knife or skewer, if it comes out clean then your cake is done. 

Keep out of oven and Let it sit for 5 mins in tray then carefully transfer on a wire rack to cool.

Your mildly sweet cake is ready to serve . It tastes best when eaten warm. You can also pour some ganache on it to enhance its flavour but it still tastes heavenly. Perfect match for your evening tea or coffee.

You can add any dry fruit or jam of any flavor of your choice to make it more appealing to your taste buds. But believe me ,using cranberry will give you totally new flavor and you will fall in love with it. So atleast try this combo once you will never regret.

I didn't add any sugar to it as my fig jam had sufficient but you can add some as per your taste.

So bake this simple yet delicious cake and please let me know too , how's it turned out for you. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

VEG FONDANT

Hello everyone

First of all I would like to say sorry for claiming my last post as my 100th post. It happened just by a minor mistake but now I really came with a very special recipe to make my 100th post really special. Few days back I celebrated my son's b'day, he demanded for a minion and clock cake for that special day. So I thought why not to give a try to fondant one this time but the main problem was I generally avoid eggs and non veg items to include in my bakery stuffs. Then after searching a lot on internet I got  few really good tips to go for veg fondant and finally I succeeded in making some for my kids b'day cake. As still I have to go long way to get expertise in playing with fondant but till then gave a satisfactory novice try to my cakes. 

Fondant decorations always fascinate not only kids but elders too. As it provide lots of possibilities to be creative😊😊 so lets be a part of my celebration.

As this is going to be 100th post of my blog so what's better than sharing some thing sweet stapled with sweet memories. 

Stepwise recipe is given below, do try and let me know how's it turned for you.

VEG FONDANT

Serve: enough for covering 2 medium size cakes

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp full fat milk or cream 

1 1/2 tbsp glycerin

1/2 cup light corn syrup

7-8 cup icing sugar( confectioners sugar)

1/4 cup +1 tbsp butter or vegetable shortening 

1 tsp vanilla powder or colour less liquid

2 tbsp agar agar flakes or powder( preferably powder)

Method:

First of all soak agar agar in 1/4 cup milk or cream for atleast 10-15 mins to bloom.

Then cook the mixture at minimum possible flame, stirring constantly till agar agar is completely dissolved. 

If you are using flakes then you may need little more milk to make it completely dissolve, as I did. Add 1 tbsp at a time but not more than 2 tbsp in whole. Here I will suggest to use powder agar agar for better result as flakes sometimes leave some traces behind, which may spoil your final outcome.

Now when it is completely dissolved and become a smooth lump then switch off the flame and quickly add 1/4 cup butter, glycerine, corn syrup and vanilla powder or clear liquid vanilla. Mix together well. Now add confectioners sugar, one cup at a time and keep mixing. Once you see now it's not absorbing more sugar then knead it with your hands and if needed add some more sugar till you get nice soft clay like elastic dough. 

Don't add too much sugar as it will firm on storing. I used nearly 7 1/2 cup sugar . If it is sticking to your hands while kneading  then apply some butter to your hand then knead. If you can make a long rope of dough without breaking then your dough is ready.

You can use gel food colors at this time , add and knead well to incorporate colour uniformly. Divide the fondant in as many parts you want to colour and after mixing and kneading colors , keep them wrapped in different cling films to avoid staining. 

Now wrap it in a cling film or any plastic wrap and keep in fridge for 2-3 hrs then take it out and again knead well. Now it's ready to be used.

If you are not using it instantly then again wrap it properly and keep in fridge. It will remain good for months. All you have to do is, keep the fondant out of fridge for atleast 3-4 hrs before using ,to bring it to room temperature. Every time knead it well then use, for best results. 

For rolling fondant sprinkle some corn flour or sugar powder to avoid sticking. You can also apply some vegetable oil on the surface and rolling pin to avoid sticking.

If you are using cream then may be you don't need extra 1 tbsp of butter. Always add sugar in batches and keep kneading to know how much exactly needed . As amount of sugar depend on many factors like whether you are using milk,cream or water and quality of sugar also affects. If using cream then you will need less sugar than using milk. So always have some extra as may be you need it.

For more bright white color use vegetable shortening instead of butter.

Most important, always use store bought confectioners sugars or making fondant other wise you will end up with grainy texture which you will never want. 

I tried to clarify all the doubts and precautions but if you still have any queries then please let me know, will try to explain at my best.

So try this lovely recipe and please your kids and pals with your creativity.

Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

NO BUTTER EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CUP CAKES

Hello everyone

Cakes and cookies are always fascinating not only kids but elders too and specially chocolate one. Chocolate flavour is one of the most liked flavour in the whole world. Every second kid demand chocolate flavour whether he is asking for cake ,ice cream ,cookies or milk. Every where they fall for chocolate one and my lil fussy eater is also falls in the same category. For him I always have to go for chocolate flavour stuffs😃. So I planned to make some chocolaty surprise for kids on this republic day , but a cake in whole can't be finished by them and I was not in mood of indulging any more calories. Finally  I tried chocolate cupcakes and it turned out so soft and moist that he loved it too much( even I too goblled one whole cup cake beside ignoring calories 😜) .

It's step wise recipe is given below, do try and let me know too, how's it turned out for you😊

NO BUTTER EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Serves: 9 medium cup cakes

Time: 25 mins

Ingredients 

3/4 cup all purpose flour or chapatti flour , I used later one

2 tsp corn flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 pinches salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar, I used little less

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp oil

1/2 cup milk

Method:

First of all mix all dry ingredients together except sugar. Sieve flour mix to ensure even mixing. Keep aside for later use. Now add sugar in milk and mix till sugar dissolves. 

Add oil and vanilla essence to milk and mix well. Now mix dry and wet ingredients together and fold to get a smooth lump less batter. 

Pour batter in cupcake molds lined with cupcake liners. Fill molds up to 2/3 height only as it will rise on baking. 

Now bake for 15 mins in a pre heated oven at 180degree C. Keep an eye on it after 12 mins as different oven takes different time for baking. Mine took exact 15 mins . Time may vary from 12 to 20 mins so keep checking for doneness . Insert a tooth pick or skewer in middle of cupcake , if it comes out clean then it's done other wise bake a little more😊😊.

Let it cool and serve to your lil munchkins they will sure gonna love it and ask for more. Even you too can't resist yourself from gobbling one or two of these. Either have these as it is or decorate as per your choice, in both ways it will be droolicious. I made it on republic day so decorated in tricolor with home made veg fondant 😊.This is a perfect picnic or tiffin snack. Have it with a cup of tea or serve in evening snack to kids. 

Hope you will like this kids friendly recipe and definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking...

MANAKISH ZATAAR BREAD

Hello everyone

Breads are loved by nearly everyone in the world and when it comes to Arabic breads then it's just like icing on cake. I like almost all type of breads, one of them is freshly baked manakish bread. It's light tanginess and unique flavour of Zataar spice mix will leave you speechless. I love this bread and can have at any meal of the day, nothing more is needed to accompany it. It's perfect in itself, full of flavour. It's so yummy and kids friendly too that my fussy eater gobbled a couple of it without nakhrey 😊😊. Recipe is given below , hope will come up to your expectations. Do try and let me know how's it turned out for you.

MANAKISH ZATAAR BREAD

Serves: 3-4

Time: 1 hr ( leaving resting time)

Ingredients 

3 cup chapatti flour or all purpose flour
1 tsp active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup luke warm water
1 tbsp oil
Water to knead ( if needed)

1/2 cup Zataar spice mix store bought or you can make at home( 2 tbsp of each dry basil leaves, oregano, sumac, roasted sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp coarse salt, mixed together)

1/4 cup olive oil, I used less

Method:

First of all mix zataar mix and olive oil and keep aside.

Add sugar in warm water and then mix yeast in it and let it rest for 10-15 mins or till it become frothy.

Add salt and oil in flour and knead with yeast and warm water till it become soft, shiny and nonsticky dough. It will take 8 to 10 mins. apply some oil on it and cover with damp cloth, let it rest for 2 hrs in a warm place like in closed microwave/oven or till it doubles it volume. 

Now punch the dough and cut in eight equal pieces. Take one piece of dough and roll into thick chapatti using dry flour. 

Make indents on it using your fingers.

spread 1 tbsp of zataar mix all over it , leaving little border space. 

Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover it and place at a warm place for another 15 mins. Till then preheat oven at 200 degreeC. Now bake it for 10 mins or till you see little golden colour on its borders. 

Similarly bake all the eight breads and serve warm.

You will definitely love this spiced bread, do try and enjoy a new range of flavours. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....