Chocolate Burst Banana Muffins - Muffins with an edge

Looking Good...aren't they ??

Perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee, instant mid morning energy provider, mid night snacking right out of the fridge...answer to all of the above is my spiced Banana Muffins with a Chocolate Burst Filling.

If you like bananas then you are going to love these Banana Muffins ...and if you don't like bananas, well, then you are going to love this version of bananas. Need I tell you all over again how healthy bananas are for us..all the potassium and the iron and of course the instant energy boost. And what better way than having it all packed in a muffin. Best thing about bananas in any cake/cupcake is that they keep the cake very moist and super soft, even when you take it out of the refrigerator...no need to warm it up in the microwave.

Coming to the Chocolate filling...I have come across quite a few muffin recipes with cream cheese fillings, but because where I live, it is very difficult (almost impossible and it is an effort to make smooth cream cheese at home) to get cream cheese, I am ready to settle down with a chocolate filling (Not that my kids are complaining).

Actually the combination of banana and chocolate is, in fact, quite dramatic ....the chocolate filling oozing out of the moist banana cup cake...Appealing to the eyes...and your palate too.

Feel free to use any other filling...Or you can entirely skip the filling and just have the muffins, which is the way I prefer it.

Ingredients:

For the muffins

1 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 8 fl oz)

1/3 cup oil (3 fl oz)

3/4 cup sugar, powdered (6 fl oz)

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup mashed bananas, that is about 2-3 medium sized bananas (about 8 fl oz)

 2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp grated nutmeg, (can replace with cinnamon)

1 tsp dry ginger powder or 1/2 tsp ginger spice drops,

1 tsp sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

For the Chocolate Filling

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh cream

1 tsp sugar, optional, if you want it sweeter

Melt all of the above in a double boiler and let it cool. Once it cools, it will be slightly thick in consistency, like a chocolate paste, if its too runny add some more cooking chocolate to thicken it. You can also add nuts to this chocolate filling.

Method:

The method is pretty much simple, no sieving, no creaming...just mixing everything together.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar till light and frothy.
3. Add nutmeg and ginger. Add mashed bananas and the oil. 
4. Beat well till all the banana is mixed thoroughly. Don't worry if the batter is a slightly lumpy. That is because of the banana. It will even out while baking. 
5. Now, add milk, the baking powder and then the atta and beat just till combined. 
6. Half fill the muffin moulds with the batter. Dollop a table spoon of the chocolate filling and fill up the rest of the mould with the batter.Give the tray a gentle tap before it goes into the oven to remove air bubbles.
7. Optionally, sprinkle some coarse white sugar on top of the batter before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back when you slightly press them on the top and the edges start to brown. remove them from the oven and unmould as soon as you are able to, which should be within 2-3 minutes. If you leave it in the moulds, the bottoms start to steam from the heat and become soggy. Cool on a wire rack, but if patience is not one of your virtues, then eat it right out of the oven..digging into the hot chocolate inside....

The chocolate gushing out...aptly called Chocolate Burst Banana Muffin

Happy Baking !!

Chocolate Excess Cake with Ganache Icing - Inspired Baking

Mmmm.....Choco Fantasy

 

Well, here is yet another reason to bake....I just saw an episode of Masterchef Australia - Season 3 and guess whom I saw....Nigella Lawson sitting there tasting that Chocolate Devils Food Cake...Ah! How I wish I was there, treating her to one of my lovely cakes and bowl her over with my very special Chocolate Excess Cake covered with Ganache Icing. Well, I am not sure if she would approve of my downsizing the amount of butter, but I think this cake is just as tender, fudgy and infinitely chocolatey with a beautiful deep brown crust which is going to go under a blanket of cream and dark chocolate icing - the Ganache.

This cake is a cross between my Chocolate Sponge ( where I use Cocoa and in lesser amounts) and the Chocolate Devil's Food Cake which uses boiling hot water to get its texture and density. My version of Excessive Chocolate... Nigella, you will definitely endorse this cake !!!

Shining Crowning Glory !!

Ingredients:

1 cup atta/whole wheat flour ( 8 fl oz) ( Can substitute same amount of maida/cake flour)

1/4 cup soft butter ( 2 fl oz) ( Salted Butter is fine)

3/4 cup powdered sugar (6 fl oz)

1/2 cup finely chopped dark chocolate ( 4 fl oz)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp Vegetable oil

3/4 cup boiling water (6 fl oz)

1/2 cup dark Chocochips (4 fl oz)

Method:

1. Just like any other cake, start by sieving the dry ingredients (atta, baking powder).
2. Add vanilla, the oil and the finely chopped dark chocolate to the boiling water and let it melt.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
4. Cream and butter and the sugar till light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and beat till the batter is smooth.
6. Add the atta and baking powder. Beat again
7. Add all the chocolate water and beat till well incorporated.
8. Stir in the Chocochips.
9. The batter will be slightly runny, but not too runny.
10. Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or till a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
11. Unmould the cake and let it cool on a wire rack.
12. Once the cake cools down completely, poke the with a toothpick and make holes all over the cake and pour the Ganache over the cake till it covers the crust all the sides. The holes will let the Ganache trickle down into the cake.
13. For this Ganache I have used 6 fl oz ( 3/4 cup) of Amul Fresh Cream and 6 fl oz (3/4 cup) of Dark Cooking Chocolate.

Happy Baking !!

Ganache - Magical Silken accompaniment

Rich, Creamy and Chocolatey

Glamorize your deserts with Ganache - Create magic with just two basic ingredients - Chocolate and Cream ( Heavy cream/ Whipping Cream/ Double Cream/ Fresh Cream like Amul Fresh Cream)

First of all, I want to thank Viju, my brother, who introduced me to Ganache and its amazing uses, so much so that I always serve my chocolate desserts with Ganache in some form. It makes every dessert look appealing to the eyes and delicious to your taste buds.

Ganache is a essentially a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, used as a glaze over cakes or to make truffles or as light pastry/cake fillings. The texture, consistency and use of Ganache depends on the ratio of cream to chocolate. Ganache can be flavoured with vanilla, espresso or any liqueur of you choice like coffee/chocolate/cream/nut liqueur.

• To make a glaze or coating: use one part cream to three parts chocolate. Pour over a cake or torte for a shiny and smooth glaze. 

• 2 fl oz of cream and 6 fl oz of cooking chocolate + a dollop of unsalted butter

• To make a truffle: use one part cream to two parts chocolate. Once it cools down roll into balls and coat in a coating of your choice eg., chocolate vermicelli, chocochips, icing sugar, desiccated coconut etc.

• 4 fl oz of cream and 8 fl oz of cooking chocolate

• To make a light filling: use one part cream to one part chocolate. Once it cools, the filling can be used as it is or whipped for softer and lighter fillings for cakes and tortes.

• 8 fl oz of cream and 8 fl oz of cooking chocolate

 Method:

1. Ganache is made by bringing the cream to a boil , just under boiling point.
2. Pour the hot cream over finely chopped chocolate.Allow to sit for one minute and let the chocolate soften.
3. Add any flavourings that you want to at this point.
4. Stir the mixture chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is entirely melted and incorporated.
5. What you now have is called the Ganache - Smooth and Creamy.

Do not cover Ganache when storing in the refrigerator. Always remember when melting chocolate, do not let chocolate come in contact with moisture otherwise your chocolate will seize and will not be suitable to use anymore.

Chocolate Cup Cakes...Rise and Shine

Ready for some fun baking? 

These Cupcakes will bring a smile to your face because one - they are so cute to look at, two - they are all fiber and no refined flour (maida) and (wait there is more coming) there is very little butter. And all you health freaks out there...substitute with olive oil. As for the sugar...do not use an electric blender...burn the calories and replenish later.

Life cant get better than this...so wishing you all a guilt free snacking.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 6 fl oz)

1/4 cup cocoa powder ( 2 fl oz)

1/2 cup sugar, finely powdered (4 fl oz)

1 tsp Baking powder

3/4 cup milk ( 6 fl oz)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp melted butter

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp rum , optional

chocochips, optional

You can use the same amount of Maida in the recipe if you want to.

To make Vanilla cup cakes, just skip the cocoa, 1 tsp of butter and 1 tsp of rum. Optionally add a 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg for flavorsome Vanilla Cup Cakes.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sieve together the atta, baking powder and the cocoa powder. In a deep bowl, beat the egg along with the sugar and vanilla till light and frothy. Add the melted butter and beat again till the butter combines well into the batter.Do not overbeat.Add the sieved ingredients and the milk alternatively and beat til all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter. Again, do not overbeat. Pour into greased muffin tray or line muffin tray with cupcake liners. Since I am using Whole wheat flour, I filled the moulds till the brim, if using Maida fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with chocochips and bake at 180 degree celsius for 12-13 min or till an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool sightly and unmould while still warm.Let them cool on a wire rack if you want to store them, Otherwise serve warm with a drizle of Hot Chocolate Sauce or with an icing of your choice.

There have been times when I am in a hurry and I just blitz all the ingredients in a blender and the results are just as good.

Cocoa can make your cake go dry. So when ever you add cocoa, remember to add extra butter or rum to balance out the dryness. Rum goes very well with chocolate...Just a tiny splash of rum would do.Any alcohol losses its alcoholic potency once cooked/baked (basically after being heated).

The Brownie Factory

Best had with a generous drizzle of Hot Chocolate Sauce and if you can manage some vanilla ice cream then heavenly bliss is yours !!

Brownies are by far the easiest of desserts that I have made and made them so many times my oven has become something like a little Brownie Factory....churning out moist , gooey and soft brownies with all that sophisticated dark chocolate. And though I am not a Chocolate fan...but these brownies have won my heart...cant stop by to pick up a piece out of that rumble tumble pyramid of brownies.

When I am visiting someone, am never without some of my yummylicious baked goodies...and most of the time, they are the Chocolate Walnut Brownies...the effort much lesser and the results far superior...and statistics reveal that most people would eat a brownie rather than a piece of cake !!!

Brownies have a parched drought like surface and beneath that cracked light brown exterior lies the magic potion and here is how you make it...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Maida (Cake Flour) (12 fl oz)

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup soft unsalted butter (8 fl oz)

1 cup white sugar, powdered (8 fl oz)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped dark chcocolate (12 fl oz)

1 tbsp vanilla 

1 tsp baking powder

Optional Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (8 fl oz)

3/4 cup Dark/Milk/White Choco Chips (6 fl oz)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius

Melt the butter and the chocolate in a heavy bottomed pan.

Sieve the maida and the baking powder and set aside.

While the chocolate mixture cools, line a 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with baking paper.

Beat the eggs, sugar and the vanilla till light and frothy.

Gradually add the cooled, but not yet solidified chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs.

Beat well till combined using a hald blender or if doing by hand use a wire whisk/flat spatula.

Add the sieved dry ingredients and blend till combined. Do not over beat

Keep scraping the sides while mixing.

Add the nuts and chocochips.

Pour into the lined cake tin and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 20-22 minutes.

An inserted toothpick at the center can be sticky but not uncooked. Meaning that the toothpick can come out sticky but not with the batter.

Do not overbake the brownies, otherwise you will end up with a cake like brownie.

The brownie cooks while it cools.

Let the pan cool down. Unmould and cut into pieces.

Serve hot with Hot Chocolate Sauce and vanilla ice cream. 

Happy Baking !!!

Hot Chocolate Sauce

Melt 3 parts of cream (fresh cream or single cream or half and half 1 part cream and 1 part milk) with 1 part of dark chocolate in a pan. Remove from flame once the cream and chocolate combine.

Optionally, add a tbsp of vanilla or Rum or a liqueur of your choice (like Kahlua).

Toasted cashew nut or walnuts can also be added.