Homemade Chocolate Spread

Homemade Chocolate Spread

Do your children say they don’t like sweets yet wade through a bottle of Nutella like 1 bottle a week?  I find that too expensive so I was happy when I saw this Homemade Chocolate Spread at Julie's place. This I had to make.

The girls gave me mixed reaction the elder one did not mind it the younger one did not like it so did not eat it much. But if she runs true to her form then she will finish the bottle as we reach the bottom of the jar!!

I used dark chocolate but you can use semi-sweet chocolate too.

Homemade Chocolate Spread

Recipe Source:Erivum Puliyum

Homemade Chocolate Spread

Ingredients:

• 1 cups almonds 2 cups
• 1 tblspn oil 
• 200 grms chocolate, chopped fine

Method:
Make Almond Butter:

• Put the almonds in a chutney jar of the blender.
• Grind until smooth, the jar will be hot stop the mixer and let it cool.
• Scrape the sides of the jar and run the blender/grinder more till the almonds give out oil and starts to come together.
• When you can no longer blend it add the oil as required little by little.
• Blend again until you get a smooth finish. This is Almond butter.

Let’s now make the chocolate spread:

• In a double boiler melt the chocolate or melt in a microwave glassware by running the MW in spurts of 30 seconds till the chocolate melts.
• Stir till all the chocolate is melted and is smooth.
• Remove from heat if using the double boiler method and add the almond butter to this melted chocolate.
• Stir the mixture completely to incorporate well and to get a creamy smooth finish.
• Your chocolate spread is ready to serve with breads.
• Cool down completely before storing in bottles. 

Homemade Chocolate Spread

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French Baguette

French Baguette

For Blogging Marathon this week I am taking up Taming the Yeast where we are trying our hand at yeast breads!

So this month Pradnya has suggested the French Baguette!

In her write up on French Baguette Pradnya has said something that has cleared my doubts about French breads here it is,”All Baguettes are French but not all French breads are Baguettes. So French Baguettes are basically freshly baked breads meant to be consumed the same day. The bread is crusty on the outside, chewy within. The bread goes best with soups or along with an array of fresh cheeses.”

Also “The other popular shapes are slightly roundish like inverted bowl shape…which is crusty from outside, slightly chewy but little soft at the centre…this is more suitable for French breads."

Coming to the recipe…a few things to remember is the technique….to create the crust on the bread, we need to create a vapour cloud inside the oven.”

Do I need to add something more?

Yes the first time I made these Baguettes I handled the dough gently. Patted the seams of the folds and the result was like Pavani on whatsup said Halloween bread... they had opened up. So the second time I checked the video and followed that for sealing. The trick is to use the heel of your palm and seal the edges.

French Baguette

Yield:  2 loaves of 6 inch length

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups Maida/APF
• 3 tsp honey
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ¼ tsp active  yeast
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 cup ice cubes (to be kept in refrigerator until the last step)
• ½  tsp oil only to brush the top of the dough 

Method:

• In a small bowl warm ¼ cup of water. Add the sugar and stir well. Sprinkle yeast and stir till the yeast dissolves. Set aside till the yeast proofs.
• In a large bowl add the flour and salt and mix it well with hand.
• Add the honey to the flour mixture and mix well.
• Now   add yeast mixture and mix using your hands until the flour gathers to form crumbly dough.
• Gradually add 1 tsp of water at a time while kneading with one hand to smoothen the dough. You may not need all the water.
• Knead the dough at least for 10 min till the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches easily. This is a crucial step so Do not cheat on this step. If you are using an electric hook, then you can knead for 5 min.
•  Dip your 2 fingers in oil and lightly rub the top of the dough to cover the exposed surface from drying.
• Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30-40 m or until it doubles.
• After it has doubled take the dough and punch it using your knuckles and flatten the dough.
• Make two balls and roll them and set them aside for 10 minutes.
• Then work on one ball. You can work with your palms and flatten the dough with your fingers or Roll out the dough using a rolling pin on a flat surface.
• Make a rectangular shape; first time about 4 inch in width and 6 inches in length.
• Now fold the top lengthwise, until mid way, to look like an envelope. Use the heel of you palm to seal the edges.
• Now fold over the bottom half over the top. Seal the edges well.
• Flatten with your fingers or roll out width wise and repeat the envelope folds and seals again.
• Continue until you reach desired length, either 6 or 8 inch or maximum 12 to 14 inch in length
• Now just place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out the dough.
• Transfer to a greased tray and Set aside for 30 min more
•  Towards the end of the rising period (I generally start the oven 15 minutes before the end of the rise time) preheat your oven at 230 C.  
• Take ice cubes in an oven safe pan
•   Slid the baking tray on the top rack and the ice cubes on the bottom rack.
• Close the oven door and Bake it for 15 min or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped
• Serve hot with soups or cheeses.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf

For Nov Taming the yeast Veena has shared her Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf that is adapted from Italian cookbook by Tarla Dalal.

It is very flavourful bread with all the goodness of the whole wheat, tomato and basil.

Since half the flour is whole wheat flour, the bread tends to be a little dense.

As Veena suggested I have used both regular whole wheat flour and Maida. Varada suggested that I quarter the tomatoes and bake on low heat for 4 hours in the oven to get my sun dried tomatoes. Thanks Varada!

Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf

Yield: One loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour     
• 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast  
• 1 tsp sugar        
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sun dried tomato (soaked in warm water)
• ¼ cup fresh basil    
• 2 tbsp tomato puree 
•  3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup to ½ cup warm water   

Method:

• Mix the flours together with salt.
• Add the yeast to 1/3 cup of   warm water with sugar and let it rest for 2 minutes.
• Add this mixture and tomato puree to the dry flours and knead well for 5 to 7 minutes to make it into soft pliable dough.
• Oil a wide mouthed bowl and transfer this dough to it.
• Keep it covered in a warm place and let it double for nearly 1 hour
• Now punch down the dough a little and add the  sun dried tomatoes, basil  and knead again.
• If need be add a little more flour and knead applying olive oil.
•  Dust the rolling surface and roll it into a rectangle approximately ¼” in thickness and then shape it into a loaf by rolling it from long side.
• Grease a baking tray.
• Place the shaped loaf on a prepared tray, cover it loosely and let it rise again for 30-40 minutes.
• At the end of 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°F
• Now brush the top with egg wash or milk and bake it at 180°C /356°F for 20 minutes or till done.
• Let it cool and slice it.
• I served it with Garlic Cheese Dip to others I preferred it plain with tea!

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Restaurant Review at The Baker's Studio, Baga, Goa!

The month of November began like a dream come true.

November the climate is pleasant and great for outings. So I went on an overnight picnic with my friends just us ladies …. No husbands, no kids just us and lots of fun. If that was not enough I was connecting with another set of friends. This time, friends who blog; yes we are totally different aliens!

Blogging community in Goa is small and I have always wanted to connect with the other Goan Bloggers (especially when I see the FB pictures of   bloggers of say Chennai etc.) As a consequence, I joined the Goan Bloggers Lounge and we meet once a month.  During our recent meet, we met Sapna of Plug PR and she arranged a review of The Baker’s Studio, a bakery and confectionary shop.

In the many bakeries and confectionery shops that dot Goa, each better than the next one, what is it that makes The Baker’s Studio different? Where is it located?

The Baker’s Studio, at Tito’s Lane, Saunta Vaddo, Next to Star Magic Gift Shop, Baga, Goa, is a French Bakery and Café. Cheerful  The Baker’s Studio uses traditional methods of baking and freshest of ingredients in the kitchen to produce high quality breads, pastries, desserts! The best part is you can have breakfast all though the day at The Baker’s Studio! For the concept of The Baker’s Studio says, “Because breakfast is a fun experience.”

The  Baker’s Studio is the sister concern of Delicieux, a French bakery and confectionary specialized in high quality products. Delicieux Gourmet is the line of fine products made for the Indian market: organic cheeses, olive oil, granola, and whey drinks.

The Baker’s Studio is trendy bakery/café that serves great snacks in a European café atmosphere. They have both indoor and alfresco desk.  The food served here is a peek into classic French art of cuisine. Like I have said earlier, the The Baker's Studio serves breakfast all day. The menu incorporates several international recipes as well as traditional ones, but leans towards American cuisine.

So next time you want “Healthy food & Delicious Desserts based around Fresh Baked Artisan & Pastry products like pure butter croissants; delicious espressos, cappuccinos and frappes prepared using select organic coffees; desserts, cakes, you know where to head! The décor is in muted pastels, with painting an elegant French setting. All this plus enabled Wi-Fi makes you want to linger for hours. The only minus for me was the music, it was too loud.

This is the first time I saw a pictorial menu, not just some pictures copied and pasted but tastefully done pictures. This is very useful for many, as frequently, what you envisage when you order and what you get are two different things!

We were met at the Baker’s Studio, by Lucie Masson and Varun Sood the “Concept Creators”, with a cup of delicious chocolate, yes delicious hot chocolate. People who know me know that I love chocolate and prefer to bite in my chocolate, chocolate drinks and ice creams are a definite no-no with me! But the chocolate served here at Baker’s Studio is DELICIOUS!! A must have, I was wishing I could have one more cup but the buffet was so very inviting that I had to shelve my plans of more hot chocolate . A thought shared by my friends Anuradha and Sharmila, my co-bloggers!

Liquid Chocolate

The buffet was beautiful with condiments like hummus, baba ghanoush, tazatki, nachos! The various breads like garlic, sundried tomato bread, cheese bread and if that was not enough there were cheese straws, breads sticks, etc.

The Buffet

Hummus and Baba Ghanoush

Tazatki

The bread display

Bread Display

The cheese board was a deliciously arranged local cheese. There was cheddar, feta, and one similar to brie and they were good!

There was yummy chicken pasta salad, Greek salad. There are bacon and chicken croquets for those interested in them.

For desserts there was fruit compote, meringue delicious and melt in the mouth butter cookies, the yum vanilla cake slices but the piece de resistance was the chocolate brownie, chocolaty and delicious!

For the health freaks, fresh fruits are served! Anuradha had a delicious looking mint lemonade while Sharmila and I shared a frappe!  the frappe and one dessert that I wanted to try, admired but had no space to try!!! 

Frappe

All this was a bit too much and a stroll round the Studio had me asking for the outstanding mushroom quiche. I also asked for a portion of vegetable Stromboli but did not enjoy it much, vegetable flavours clashed.  

Like Lucie says that,” When we decided to make Baker’s Studio, we wanted to create an experience.”

One has to try the place to experience it! Check out their newly made site for details here.

Finally I will like to thank my hosts Lucie Masson and Varun Sood the “Concept Creators”, Sapna and my friends Anuradha and Sharmila for a wonderful time I have had here!

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!