Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Last week we celebrated D's mom's Birthday. We ( D and me ) were rounding up on what cake to make and we were sure about two things: it had to be a chocolate cake with  lots of nuts ( mentioned earlier, as a family we like dry fruits). After going through various frosting recipes, I remembered the Espresso Buttercream recipe by the browneyedbaker that I had bookmarked a while back. The frosting recipe was simple and was a sure shot winner. I followed the recipe step by step, and everyone loved everything about it: the smooth velvety texture of the butter cream, ganache, the filling between the layers of the chocolate cake, in tandem with the occasional bite into a nut! 

Photo courtesy D

Unfortunately I wasn't able to take the pictures of the cake cut into layers (filled with espresso butter cream). I used Cadburys nutties on the top ( for the dry fruits touch) and piped in some chocolate ganache over the espresso buttercream frosting.

Ingredients 

For the Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Source : brown eyed baker

Butter - 1 cup, 250 ml ( at room temeperature )

Icing sugar - 2 and 1/2 cups

Vanilla essence - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Espresso powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

                  

Procedure :

For the Espresso buttercream frosting :

Mix the vanilla essence and espresso powder till it dissolves completely.

In a big mixing bowl, start by whisking the butter ( at room temperature ) with a hand mixer for five minutes at medium speed ( Stop in between to scrape the sides ) . Reduce the speed to low and add 1 tbsp of icing sugar and whisk till it gets incorporated into the butter completely. Stop in between to scrape the sides. Repeat the step by adding more sugar and whisking till the sugar gets incorporated and mixed homogeneously . After this stage add the vanilla - espresso mix and again whisk till its gets incorporated into the buttercream fully. The resulting smooth espresso buttercream can be used to spread on cakes/ cupcakes. 

Spread the buttercream on the cake only when its at room temperature . I started by spreading the frosting from the sides to the top and in the end I dipped my spatula in cold water to give the frosting a smooth finish. 

Once you have completed all the decoration on the cake, chill in refrigerator until you plan to serve the same.

Brown Bread Toast with Olive Oil and Flax seed

Preparing a healthy breakfast while preparing lunch can get little challenging. Though I do stick to traditional Idli/ Dosai/ Upma routine, these too get repetitive at times. Recently I realized that I had some significant quantity of unused flaxseeds which I had to put to good use. So what I did was to grind it and use it as a spread on toasted bread, spiced it up with some salt/pepper and olive oil. It turned out to be a great breakfast option which D loved. To make it wholesome I served it with lots of fruits and nuts.

Prep Time : Depending on the heat setting of your toaster

Ingredients :

Brown bread slices 

Flax seed powder - 1 tsp [ Ground flax seeds and store in a air tight container ]

Olive oil - to drizzle 

Salt - as per taste

Pepper - as per taste

Procedure :

Toast your bread and place it in a serving plate. Spread the flax seed powder over the toast , top it up with salt and pepper. Drizzle some olive oil and serve warm with fruits and nuts for a tasty healthy breakfast!

Watermelon Salad with Mint and Feta cheese

Ingredients :

Watermelon - 1/4, cubed and deseeded
Feta Cheese - 1/4 cup, crumbled
Mint - 1/2 bunch
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Pepper - as per taste

Procedure:

In a bowl , mix lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper till you get a homogenous mix. Add the cubed watermelon, mint and crumbled cheese and mix slowly. Serve chilled.

Strawberry Parfait

Both me and D have a thing for strawberries, from strawberry milkshakes to cakes ( read cheesecakes) , from smoothies to ice cream,from fruit bowls with a large amount of strawberries to chocolate icecreams with chunks of strawberries embedded , we always find ways to include them. So it was only obvious that I would be making this small discovery while wanting to enjoy the goodness of fresh strawberries. This recipe would go as a perfect dessert when you want to entertain a group of guests. For this I would recommend frozen strawberries,  store bought concentrates are a strict no no.

Prep time - 10 mins

Serves 2 in medium sized cocktail glasses.

Ingredients:

Strawberries - 11 - 12, frozen
Greek Yogurt - 1/2 cup ( or more as per taste),
Oatmeal cookies - 3 - 4
Sugar - 2 tbsp

For Greek yogurt - Strain the yogurt on a muslin cloth to remove the excess water or whey.

Procedure:

Blend the strawberries and sugar till you get a crumbly homogenous mixture.

Whisk the yogurt to a smooth paste.

Crush the oatmeal cookies with your hands into coarse powder.

Assembling:

In your serving glasses layer with  1 -2 tbsp of strawberry puree, top it up with 3 tbsp ( or less ) of yogurt. Refrigerate and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle the oatmeal cookie crumbs.

Enjoy the chiilled dessert as it slowly melts in your mouth!

Masala Toast

Delicious and mouth watering offering which comes to my mind the first thing I get bread.. This takes somewhat a little time to make, and will probably suit you when you have some free time. But certainly compensated for by its taste!

Prep Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins

Ingredients:

Whole wheat brown bread - 8 slices
Green chutney - 5-6 tbsp
Aloo masala - 1 - 1.5 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Cucumber - 1, cut into thin slices
Tomato - 1, cut into thin slices
Onion - 1, cut into thin slices
Tomato ketchup - as per taste

For the Green Chutney:

Coriander - 1 cup, roughly chopped
Coconut - 1/4 cup, grated
Garlic - 2-3 pods, roughly chopped
Green chillies - 4-5 or as per taste
Water - as required for grinding
Lemon juice - 1 tsp or as per taste ( optional )

For the Aloo Masala:

Potatoes - 1 cup , boiled and mashed
Ginger - 1/2 inch, roughly chopped
Green chilli - 2 or as per taste , roughly chopped
Cilantro - 1 tbsp , finely chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1tsp

Procedure :

Cut off the edges of the bread and keep aside.

Preparing the Green Chutney:

Grind all the ingredients under the "for the green chutney" section into a smooth paste.

Preparing the Aloo Masala:

Grind ginger and green chillies into a smooth paste.
In a small wok , heat oil . Once hot, add in the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add in the curry leaves and saute for few seconds and add the mashed potatoes , turmeric, ginger- green chilli paste, coriander and salt and mix properly. Cook for 4-5 mins on medium flame and keep aside.

Assembling the Masala Toast:

Preheat the grill/ toaster.

Take two slices of bread and apply butter on one side of both the slices. Place one slice on a plate and spread green chutney generously on the side that was buttered and place 1-2 tbsp of aloo masala over the chutney . Top it with tomato , cucumber and onion slices and squeeze in some tomato ketchup. Complete it with the other slice of bread.

Place in toaster/ grill and cook till it turns golden brown. Repeat the same for more servings.

Best served when still warm and the bread slices are toasty and tasty!!

Dried Fruits Chocolate Truffles

D and me both are really fond of dry fruits,  we always end up adding more than needed for the recipe. On the side, we recently went to a herb Souk in a certain Middle East city and we got excited at the wide variety, quality and most of all enjoyed the taste. In a recent 'brainwave' abetted by an extreme craving for chocolates and dryfruits, I concocted this recipe of a nutty, smooth chocolatey byte! If you have a sweet tooth, then follow me, and drool at the different pictures and head to the kitchen to make and splurge on this delicious, decadent dessert! 

Prep Time - 25 mins

Ingredients :

Almonds -         1/4 cup, roughly chopped

Cashews -         1/8 cup, roughly chopped

Pistachios -        1/4 cup, roughly chopped

Figs -                 1/8 cup, roughly chopped

Golden raisins -  1/8 cup, roughly chopped

Apricots -           1/8 cup , roughly chopped

Heavy cream - 2- 3 tbsp

Butter  -           1 tbsp

Dark chocolate - 200 grams, roughly chopped

Procedure :

Dry roast the almonds, cashews and pistachios for 2-3 mins or till you get a nice aroma. Cool and ground it to a coarse mixture. Separately grind the figs, apricots and raisins to a coarse paste. 

Take a large pan and add water ( for double boiling method) . When the water starts boiling, place a bowl with cream and butter till you get a homogenous mixture. Add in the chopped chocolate and keep stirring continuously till the chocolate melts. Give it a good mix again and turn off the heat. Transfer all the contents to a big mixing bowl and add the dried fruits. Mix it with your hand till the dried fruits get incorporated into the melted chocolate fully. Take small portions and roll them into truffles. If you find it difficult to roll them , store the mixture in refrigerator for 10 mins and then roll.

Alternatively you can just mix the dried fruit mixture and roll them into small balls ( the figs, apricots and raisins mix will help bind the other dried fruits ) and dip those into the melted chocolate, but I prefer the first method where i get dried fruits and chocolate in every bite.

You can further roll these truffles in cocoa powder. Or one can melt white chocolate and decorate with simple words or just plainly drizzle on them. There are lots of ways to play around and make your truffles a success.

Store in refrigerator and serve. Can even be kept for  a week!

D's Special Dosa

D made an interestingly shaped dosa ! I thought this needed a special mention here ! A few pictures below..

Black Bean and Brown Rice Veg Burger

I love the black bean burger but when I came across this recipe that included brown rice and pepper, I have been sticking to it. Its healthy and not that difficult to make since all the ingredients required are usually present in a kitchen.

Inactive Prep Time - 8-9 hours

Active Prep Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Ingredients :

For the patty :

Black beans - 6 ounces / 3/4th cup, 

Cooked brown rice - 1/2 cup

Green bell pepper - 1/2 medium, chopped finely

Onions - 1 medium, chopped finely

Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped finely

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Ground pepper - as per taste

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1 tsp + for drizzling ( if shallow frying )

For assembling the burger :

Burger Buns

Lettuce

Tomatoes - cut into slices

Cucumber - cut into slices

Onions - cut into slices

Cheddar cheese 

Tomato Ketchup

Any other ketchup/sauce of your choice

If  you are using dried beans (not canned), soak them overnight and pressure cook till they become soft.

Procedure :

In a small wok, heat oil. Once hot, add onions and garlic, fry till the raw smell goes off. Keep this aside.

Coarsely ground kidney beans and brown rice. Transfer this coarse mixture into a big bowl , add the onion and garlic and other remaining ingredients from the " for the patty section ". Mix properly till all the ingredients get incorporated properly. Form into firm patties and shallow fry with little oil on both sides till they turn golden brown. ( you can even grill/bake /fry as per your convenience). I have tried grilling the patties but I feel they turn out dry sometimes.

  

Toast the burger buns and assemble by placing lettuce on them followed by the patty, cheese ( I melted my cheese in a double boiler), ketchup, tomato, cucumber, onions. You can also choose your own veggies and place them in any order your choice. Make sure the ketchup is not exactly at the top, lest after your first bite you end up with an evil red grin!

I served my burgers with baked sweet potato fries.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ah...Here I am, back after 7 months of hibernation from blogging with a dish which I remembered having in a place called Crane Alley (in downtown Urbana).

    

Prep Time - 15 mins

Baking Time - 20 - 30 mins

Ingredients :

Sweet potatoes - 4, medium sized , peeled

Seasoning :

Olive Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 2-3 flakes, minced ( optional )
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp ( or as per taste )
Salt as per taste

15 mins prior to baking :

Soak the sweet potatos in water as soon as you peel them as they tend to get black when exposed to air. Cut the sweet potato into half, cut it into large slices about 3/4th inch thick . Now cut these slices into finger sized fries ( 1/2 inch thick approx ).

Pre heat the oven at 300 F / 150 C.

Procedure :

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients under the seasoning section and keep it aside.
Drain all the water and transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Pour the seasoning and toss till the sweet potatoes are covered with the seasoning evenly.

Line the baking tray with parchment paper and spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown. ( Ten minutes into baking take out your baking tray from the oven and turn the fries ).

Serve warm with your favourite sauce!

Cranberry and Granny Smith Apple Pickle / Thokku

This is my first venture into pickles and thanks to M ( read Meena ) for this recipe which by the way is her creation. This pickle turned out to be a hit and vanished in no time! Infact we tasted this pickle during one of our get togethers at M's place and I immediately asked her for the recipe. She mailed me the step by step procedure for the same. I followed them as specified and it turned out perfect - spicy, tangy and with a tinge of sweetness. I plan to make some more before the end of cranberry season!

Prep time : 20 - 30 mins
Cooking Time : 20 - 25 mins

Ingredients :

Fresh cranberry - 12 oz ( one packet ), cut into 4 - 6 pieces

Granny Smith apples - 3 nos, medium sized, grated

Red chilli powder - 6 - 7 tsp or as per taste ( the chilli powder that I  was using was not very hot, ideally 3-4 tsp should work )

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp + 1 tsp ( to grind )

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste
Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp

Ten mins prior to cooking :

Roast 1 tsp of mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds on medium to low heat till the fenugreek seeds turn golden brown in color. Cool and grind into a fine powder.

Procedure :

Take a big wok and heat oil on medium. Once it is hot add in the mustard seeds, and as they crackle add in the turmeric powder, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and mustard powder ( Turn the heat to low, just in case, you feel you might burn them ). Give a quick stir and add in the cranberries and grated apple along with salt ( increase the heat to medium again ) . Keep stirring in between and cook till the cranberries and apple become real mushy ( approx 20 -25 mins on medium heat ). Check for salt and tartness. If you feel its still very tart add some more chilli powder. For more sweetness you can even add jaggery ( Since the sweetness from apples was enough, I didn't add jaggery ).

When you get a homogenous mix and feel the taste is perfect ( spicy, little tangy with a tinge of sweetness), turn off the heat. Serve with curd rice!

Semiya Payasam / Seviya Kheer

New year a new decade and a new sweet post ! Semiya payasam / Seviya kheer comes real handy on those days when you want to make a rich flavourful sweet dish ( with lots of dry fruits) and yet is very easy to prepare. D's mom shared this delicious sweet dish in detail. This dish can be had on many festive occasions and would definetly be a sure shot success.

Prep time : 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients :

Semiya / Vermicilli - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 and 1/4 cup

Water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup ( if required )

Milk - 2 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp ( broken )

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Elaichi - 2 nos, roughly powdered

Saffron - 3-4 strands (optional )

Yellow color - 1/8 tsp

Procedure :

Soak the saffron ( if using) in a tbsp of milk 20 mins prior to cooking. If you forget soaking it, just microwave the saffron with a tbsp of milk for 30 seconds ( this also works! )

Take a small pan on medium heat, heat a tbsp of ghee and fry the raisins and cashews respectively ( fry them seperately, else the raisins might get burnt as they get cooked faster ). In the same pan heat the remaining ghee and add the semiya / vermicilli and roast on medium - low heat till it gets a nice golden brown color ( This should approx take 8 - 10 mins ).

Once the vermicilli turns golden brown add one cup of water. Stirring in between , wait till the water comes to a boil ( the vermicilli / semiya would be half cooked ) . Pour the 2 cups of milk and again wait till it comes to a boil, stirring in between ( approx 5 mins on low- medium heat ). Buy this time the semiya/ vermicilli would have plumped up. Now add the sugar and stir in between till the sugar melts completely. At first, after adding the sugar, the payasam / kheer might look watery. Let it boil for 5 mins till you get a homogenous consistency. Again if the kheer looks very thick add some water and let it boil. At this stage add the dry fruits, yellow color, saffron ( if using ) and elaichi. Allow it to boil.

Can be served hot / chilled.

Oven Baked Vegetables

D and me wanted to eat something healthy, also a one-meal dish that is easy to make. We thought about making baked vegetables and we came up with a recipe including our own seasonings. The result was extremely tasty and we have been making it two days in a row. The good thing is it can be custom made with your vegetables of choice and you can even add or remove items from our recommended seasoning!

Prep time - less than 5 mins
Baking time - 45 mins

Ingredients :

Vegetables:

Red Potatoes - 4 medium, cut into cubes
Cauliflower - 6-7 , medium size florest
Green bell pepper - 1 medium, cut into 1/2 inch piece
Red onion - 1 medium, cut into thick strips
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 large, cut into big cubes

Seasoning:

Garlic - 3 medium pods, minced
Paprika - 1 tsp [ or as per taste ]
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Basil (dried) -1 tsp [ or as per taste]
Lime juice - 1/2 tsp
Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp [ or as per taste]
Salt as per tatse

Procedure :

Whisk together all the ingredients under the "Seasoning" section homogenously.

Wash and cut all the vegetables and keep the vegetables in a colander till all the water drains. Take a big mixing bowl and place all the vegetables in the bowl. Pour the seasoning evenly over the vegetables and mix properly with the help of a wooden spoon. [ we want the vegetables to be properly coated with the seasoning, at the same time vigorous mixing with the spoon might break the cauliflower florets ].

Pre heat the oven at 400 F. Line a baking tray with an aluminium foil and place the vegetables over the foil and bake for 45 mins [ or till the vegetables are fully cooked, I checked this by piercing with a toothpick ]. Once they are cooked, turn on the broil option in your oven for 5 mins to make your veggies crispy and brown.

Stuffed Indian Eggplant / Bhareli Vaangi

Here's another Maharastrian delicacy which R shared with me recently. One of the main ingredients of this recipe is goda masala ( a Maharashtrian spice blend ), I got the masala from R. This masala can also be made at home, the link for the same is here ( I haven't tried to make it). Also in case you don't have small eggplants (Indian eggplants) you can also use regular eggplants cut into cubes, and can also add potatoes to the same.

Prep Time : 20 mins

Cooking time - 35 mins

Ingredients :

Indian eggplants  - 7 small sized

Peanuts - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp

Coconut - 3 tbsp, grated

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Goda masala - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp [ or as per taste ]

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 3/4 tsp, crushed [ or as per taste ]

Cilantro - 2 tbsp [ for the gravy ] + 2 tbsp [ for garnishing], finely chopped

Salt - as per taste

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp [ or as per taste]

Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure :

Wash the eggplants and make 2 vertical slits in each eggplant. Do not slit till the end, stop 1- 1.5 cm before the stem.

Now in a small pan on medium heat, dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut till they are golden brown. Keep stirring constantly and take care that the coconut doesnt get burnt. Another option is to dry roast each ingredient one by one to make sure of that. Once they turn golden brown , keep aside and cool. Ground into a fine powder once cool.

  

To this powdered mix, add salt and 1/2 tsp of turmeric and give it a good mix. Slowly stuff this mix into each eggplant [ there will be about half of the powdered mix left after the eggplants are stuffed ].  Keep the eggplants and the powdered mix aside.

In a large wok, heat oil on medium . Once hot add the mustard seeds, and once they splutter add asfoetida, onions and remaining turmeric powder. Stir till the onions turn golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste and stir till the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes off. Now add 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro and give a quick mix. Now turn the heat to low and slowly add the stuffed eggplants, sprinkle some water and cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 mins. Open the lid and stir again, sprinkle water if necessary. Keep doing this till the eggplants get half cooked.

Now add the remaining powdered sesame - peanut - coconut mix, red chilli powder, goda masala and sprinkle some more water. Mix properly and again cover with the lid and cook for 2-3 mins. Open the lid and stir again , sprinkle water if necessary. Keep repeating this process till the eggplants and masala is completely cooked and you will also get a nice aroma from the gravy. [ Insert a toothpick near the stem of eggplants, if it goes in easily without resistance, the eggplants are done. For the masala, when the oil floats on top of the gravy, the masala is done. Check for both these signs].

Now add in the powdered jaggery and again give a good mix. Turn off the heat and sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
 

Plantain Shammi kabab

This is an oil free adaptation of Sanjay Thumma's Shammi Kabab recipe done by baking instead of shallow frying. We liked its taste and specifically enjoyed the addition of pomegranates, one of our favorite fruits! 

Prep Time - 25 mins
Cooking time - 40 mins

Ingredients :

Plantain / Raw banana - 1, medium
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Onion - half of a medium sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3 [ or as per taste ], finely chopped
Ginger - garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves - 8-9 leaves, finely chopped
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp [ or as per taste ]
Cilantro - 3-4 sprigs, finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste

For the filling :

Paneer - 1/3 cup , crumbled                                                                                          
Cilantro - 2 -3 sprigs, finely chopped
Onion - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Pomegranate - 2 -3 tbsp [ or as per taste]
Chaat masala as per taste
Red chilli powder as per taste

Procedure :

Pressure cook the chana dal and plaintain seperately .
Mash the plaintain and keep aside.

In a medium sized wok, heat oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add finely chopped onions and stir till they turn transparent. Now add green chillies, ginger garlic paste and turmenric. Stir till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off. Now add mint leaves, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Give it a good mix and then add the chana dal. Again give a good mix and add the mashed plaintain and chopped cilantro leaves. Mix properly. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a while and mash the plaintain - chana dal mix till you get a homogenous texture ( like a dough ) [ I did this with hands, you can also use a masher ] . Set aside.

Filling :

Mix all the items under " for the filling " section and keep aside.

Assembling the kabab :

Divide the chana dal -plaintain dough into golf  ball size . Smear some water on your palms and flatten each portion into a disc. Place about 1-2 tsp of paneer filling at the center of the disc, close and seal the edges and make into a patty.
[ If the dough feels very tight or cracks develop, dip your finger into water and apply on the cracks and keep working in the same way till you get a smooth surface ]

Preheat the oven at 350 F and grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the kabab on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 mins [ or until one side turns brown on top ] and flip and bake for another 10 mins till the other side becomes brown in color.

Serve hot with your favorite chutney!

Eggless/ Vegetarian Strawberry Cheesecake With Chocolate Ganache

 We celebrated D's birthday on 10th December with friends. For his special day I decided to make Strawberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache, and this rich festive cake was my way of showing him that he is very special . Thank you for making my every passing day a memorable yesterday !

I had set my eyes on a cheesecake long time back, but all the recipes called for using either eggs or gelatin .
[ Cheesecakes that require baking use eggs, whereas the " no bake " cheesecakes use gelatin to firm them up ]. Us being staunch vegetarians, I decided that I would figure out a way to make my cake egg/gelatin less. Then I stumbled upon Rosemarie Emro's cheesecake recipe called  "I cannot believe it has no eggs cheesecake " [ where she replaces the eggs with condensed milk]. I followed her recipe for a basic cheesecake and then made my own minor changes to it. The resulting cake was super creamy, dense and undoubtedly rich with a slight tart of strawberries and a must try at home.

Since I was new to making cheesecakes I did some research and would like to share my notes on the same, they are as follows :

1. Springform Pan - Cheesecakes are very soft and somewhat fragile and not the type of cake you can turn out of a pan. This calls for using a springform pan, where you can lift away the sides and leave the cake on pan's base for serving!

2.Avoid overbeating the cream cheese batter as it tends to incorporate air which in turn could cause the cheesecake to crack.

3.For best results pre bake the crumb crust for 10 mins before baking the crust along with the cake.

4.Unmolding the cake - The best way for removing the cake from the springform pan , is by running a blunt knife ( dipped in hot water and wiped before use ) around the cake in an up down motion.

5. Just like baking, cooling ( at room temperature) and the chilling in a refrigerator are important steps in making a cheesecake.

6. The cheesecakes have a tendency to crack, baking the cheesecakes in double boiling method prevents it from cracking and  I followed this method. But since the recipe uses corn starch ( corn starch prevents coagulation , which in turn prevents the cake from cracking ) double boiling is not required.

I hereby present the full recipe

Prep Time : 30 mins
Baking time : 1 hr 30 mins
Inactive setting time : 12 - 18 hrs

Ingredients :

For the Crust :

Chocolate graham crackers - 20 - 25 pieces ( should yield 1.5 cups when crushed into crumbs )
Melted unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Fine sugar - 2 tbsp

For the Cheesecake Filling :

Regular cream cheese - one 8 ounce package (226 gms)
Low fat cream cheese - two 8 ounce package (= 16 ounces )
Pureed fresh strawberries - 1 cup
Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup
Fine sugar - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Cornstarch - 1/4 cups
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Grated lemon rind - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp
Light sour cream - 16 ounces

For the Chocolate Ganache :

Heavy whipping cream - 186 ml
Semi- sweetened chocolate - 8 ounces [ I used Baker's brand ]
Butter - 2 tbsp

One hour prior to preparing : Bring the cream cheese at room temperature by taking it out from refrigerator.

Procedure :

Grease the springform pan with butter. Choose a pan that has sides atleast 3 inches high.

Crust :

In a medium sized bowl break the graham crackers into small pieces using your fingers.  Powder the pieces in a blender. Mix the cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar until all of the crumbs are uniformly moist. ( I did this with my fingers )  Turn the ingredients into the springform pan.

Use a flat surfaced bowl to pat an even layer of crumbs over the bottom of pan and halfway up the sides.
Its okay if the sides are not perfectly even.

Place the wire rack in the centre slot in the oven and preheat the oven at 350 F. Put the springform pan with the crumb layer in the freezer while you preheat the oven. After 10 mins place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and set it aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Put a kettle of water on boil. Wrap the bottom and sides of the the springform pan with double layers of aluminum foil.

Cheesecake filling :


In a large bowl , with a handheld electric mixer on low speed, beat all the cream cheese and condensed milk together. Slowly add in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch , lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla essence. Mix till you get a homogeneous mixture. Pour in the pureed strawberries and beat until you get a smooth mix.  Mixing of all the ingredients mentioned above should take approx 3 minutes. Do not over beat the mixture. At this stage add sour cream and blend at the lowest speed till you get a smooth mixture. Pour this mixture into the prepared pan. The batter will reach just below the top rim of the pan.

Baking: 

Now place the foil wrapped springform pan on a baking sheet that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it. Pour enough boiling water around the pan.

Place this whole set up in the centre rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hr and 30 mins .

Its difficult to gauge when a cheesecake is done as it will never appear like its done. Switch off the oven when your cheesecake appears set and the centre is wobbly.

[ The cake would first rise above the rim, then go down and the top layer would appear brown. As soon as you see the above changes in your cheesecake be alert and hit the rim of the springform pan with a big spoon, if the whole cake looks wobbly heat for some more time. Whereas if the sides look set and the centre still looks wobbly ( when you hit the rim slowly with a big spoon ) switch off the oven ]

The whole process took me about 1 hr and 30 mins. This time would vary depending upon the oven capacity.

Let the springform pan sit inside the oven for one more hout after it is switched off. After 1 hour , carefully pull out the set up from the oven. Remove the foil from the sides of springform pan and let the cheesecake come to room temperature.

Once when the cake reaches room temperature, cover it with a saran wrap ( or any plastic wrap ) and refrigerate overnight ( or 6-7 hrs minimum ).

After the cake has been chilled overnight, remove the sides of springform pan by running a blunt knife ( dipped in hot water and wiped) to separate the cake from the side walls of the pan and unlocking it.

Chill it again while you prepare chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache :

 Chop the chocolates as finely possible and place them in a stainless steel bowl.

In a strong bottomed pan, heat butter and whipping cream on medium heat till they start to boil. Switch of the heat and pour the boiling whipped cream - butter mix over the chopped chocolate. Let it rest for 2 mins. Using a whisk mix the chocolate and whipped cream mix till you get a smooth shiny mixture.

Take out your cake from the refrigerator and place it over a butter paper (the ganache might drip). The top layer of the cheesecake might not be even, so to make the top layer smooth spread 2 tbsp of the ganache on the crumbly spots with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate the cake with the crumb coat for 5 mins.
After 5 mins when you take it out , you would have a smooth surface to work on.Now pour the  remaining ganache in the centre and spread quickly with a rubber spatula over the sides of the cake evenly.

Refrigerate the cheesecake with chocolate ganache for 2-3 hrs.[ Refrigerating the cake with the ganache for more than 2-3 hrs might make it dull without glaze, so prepare it just before 2-3 hrs of serving your cake! ]

Happy Birthday again D!