Apple Crisp | Apple crisp with cake crumbs| Leftover recipes

If you are into cake decorating or if you are a frequent cake maker for friends and families and if you are like me who hates dumping that excess cake crumbs then you would also be hunting for recipes and ways to use them. I generally make cake pops and gift it to kids in my apartment but the last time I made some butter cake I had very little crumbs leftover which led me to browse for recipes. Since nothing got me interested, I started putting things together randomly and this happened. Its perfect served warm with a dollop of icecream and a shot of amaretto. Tip: You can replace the apples with berries, peaches or seasonal fruits of choice.

~*What U Need*~ Apples - 2, cored, sliced Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp Brown sugar - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tsp Cornstarch - 1/2 tbsp Salt - a pinch For the crumble Leftover cake - 1 cup Rolled Oats - 3 tbsp Butter - 1 tbsp, cut into chunks Sliced almonds - 2 tbsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Pour into individual ramekins or a small baking dish. In another large bowl, mix together the oats and almonds. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed. Toss in the cake crumbs. Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

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Whole wheat Breadsticks

I just can't stop talking about the weather here. It was snowing non stop last week and the temperature was so low the actual feel plummeted down to -21C. Well actually its better than yesterday. With the weather so cold, I had to take a a day off for pappu. I had to calm him down with some activity and so finally we ended up making straw necklaces. It was a great passtime and it really helped in hand and eye co-ordination for the kid.

Now lets talk winter food. We have been making a lot of soups lately and I make some sort of homemade whole wheat buns to go with it. I made these breadsticks for a change and it was a winner. Pappu totally loved it, he simply soaked it in some garlic butter and devoured it.

~*What U Need*~ Warm water - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1 tsp Garlic powder - 1 1/2 tsp Salt - 3/4 tsp Dried basil - 1/4 tsp Bread flour - 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour - 1 cup Vital wheat gluten - 1 tbsp Instant yeast - 1 tsp Butter - to brush the sticks How I Made it: Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on the water and allow to activate for 10 mins. Take the flour, cheese, garlic powder, salt, basil and olive oil in a bowl, add the yeast water and knead or 10 mins. Cover and let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour. Once doubled, divide into 8-10 portions. Shape each into a ball; roll into a rope. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Brush warm breadsticks with butter.

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Ragi Almond Cookies | Ragi Biscuits and MERRY CHRISTMAS

Its not going to be a white Christmas for us here. Its going to be chilly but not white like last year. We have been blessed with a beautiful weather this time but we do miss that white blanket. It just doesn't feel Christmassy. I have been cranking up my oven every single day for the past one week and pounds of butter are disappearing into cookies and cakes. I am done with all of my work, fruitcake has been baked and soaked with few coatings of rum, presents are wrapped and set under the christmas tree, cookie has been laid out for Santa though we don't have a chimney and we are all set to enjoy tomorrow. WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS and let there be joy every day. Here is a simple and healthy cookie recipe for the day.

~*What U Need*~ Sprouted ragi flour - 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour - 1/4 cup Almond powder - 1/4 cup Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup Icing sugar - 1/2 cup Baking soda - 1/8 tsp Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp Milk - 2 tbsp How I Made it: Roast ragi flour on a low flame till the raw smell goes off. Let it cool. Beat butter and powdered sugar till light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and beat well. Sieve together ragi flour, whole wheat flour, almond powder and baking soda. Add it to the butter mixture. Knead well. Add 1 tbsp of milk to make the dough pliable. If it is quite dry add another tsp of milk and work. Once it is ready, take 1 heaping tbsp of the dough and press between the palms and shape it like a cookie. Arrange the cookie on a parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve with tea or coffee.

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Eggless Skinny Banana blueberry muffins

As much as I love baking cakes and cupcakes, I always love to add a touch of health factor to my bakes like making it whole wheat or butter-free or adding fruits and vegetables. It would be either some ultra-ripe bananas or some chopped apples or some shredded carrots or when zucchini are in season some shredded zucchini but when blueberries or in that case any berries are in season it has to be berry muffins for my pappu. A warm muffin with a dollop of melty melty butter is his favorite breakfast. Here is my go to recipe for muffins when I have some ripe bananas and blueberries on hand.

~*What U Need*~ Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup All purpose flour - 1/2 cup Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp Honey - 2 tbsp Light brown sugar - 1/4 cup Ripe banana - 1/2 cup, mashed Vanilla yogurt - 4 tbsp Milk - 6 tbsp Blueberries - 3/4 cup How I Made it: Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, set aside. In another bowl, mix the honey and brown sugar together. Add the mashed banana and yogurt. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the milk slowly and continue to fold. Dust the blueberries with some flour. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Fill all the way to the top. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.

Serve with milk!!!

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Honey Oat Bread

So I bake our daily bread. So I am addicted to freshly baked bread. So I eat an extra slice of bread when I make them at home. Cos I know what exactly made their way into the bread. While it is mostly whole wheat with add-ins like nuts and dried fruits, I occasionally make the white variety too. That usually happens when I crave for something soft, fluffy and light like this honey oats bread. The mild sweetness from the honey makes this bread perfect for sandwiches with pestos or nutella, pestos being the current favorite.

Prep time: 10+10 mins; Cooking time: 50 mins; Makes 1 9×5-inch loaf Adapted from here ~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 3 cups Old fashioned oats - 3/4 cup Instant yeast - 2 1/4 tsp Salt - 1 1/2 tsp Milk - 1 cup Water - 1/4 cup Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp Honey - 1/4 cup Warm Honey and oats for topping How I Made it: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, oats, yeast, and salt. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the butter to 115F. Once the butter is melted, stir water and honey. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, mixing with a dough hook until it just comes together to form a dough. Knead in the mixer for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is still very wet and sticky after 5 minutes of kneading, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is barely tacky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1/2 to 1 hour. Once doubled, place the dough on a clean, dry work surface. With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Tightly roll the dough, tucking the ends as needed, into a loaf. Place the shaped dough into a 9×5-inch loaf pan, cover with a clean dry towel, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1/2 to 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Place an empty loaf pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bring 2 cups of water to a boil. When the loaf is doubled again, brush the top with the warmed honey and sprinkle with the oats. Place the bread in the oven and pour the boiling water into the empty loaf pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Serve spread with butter and honey or a generous amount of cookie butter like me!!!

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Eggless Chocolate Bread Rolls | HBC

Atlast I am done with July month's home bakers challenge. This month's challenge was hosted by Gayathri of Gayathri's cookspot, a talented home baker. Gayathri selected bread as the theme and her selection ranged from dinner rolls to pinwheels to soft bread rolls. I first thought of choosing the dinner rolls and pairing it up with homemade pav bhaji for dinner but then I was not feeling well last week and the plans took a backseat.

Finally yesterday I made these chocolate bread rolls for breakfast. These rolls are totally addictive, soft, pillowy and oozing chocolate with every bite. I stuffed some of the rolls with chocolate and the remaining with nutella. We totally loved the ones with the nutella. Even pappu had his share without any complaints. He loved playing 'finding chocolate' with every bite.

~*What U Need*~ For the bread: Bread flour - 120 g/ 1 cup Cake flour - 30 g / 1/4 cup Sugar - 1 tbsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Milk - 5 gms / 1 tsp Warm Water - 80 ml Instant yeast - 3/4 tsp / 2 gms Butter - 1 tbsp Filling: Chocolate chips/ nutella How I Made it: Add all ingredients, except the butter, into a bowl and mix until a dough forms. Add the butter to the bowl and knead the dough with your hands until the dough is not sticky anymore. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for one hour. After the dough has proved, deflate the dough on a floured surface. Cut the dough into equal pieces ( I made four). Roll each into an oval shape, big enough for your chocolate. Place the chocolate almost on the edge of one side, cut the remaining dough in to strips, fold over and tuck underneath. Place on a lined baking tray. Cover your rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in warm spot for the second fermentation round about 45 minutes. Preheat your over to 175 °C or 350 °F. Bake these rolls ± 14 minutes or until golden brown. ** Notes: ** Before eating, heat up 10 seconds in the microwave for runny chocolate and softer bread. ** I read the instructions wrong and baked the rolls for 30 mins covering it with foil from the 20th minute. Thats why my bread is more brown.

Serve warm!!!

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Whole Wheat Molasses Bread | Eggless & Butterless

Life gets a new meaning when you have friends around you. And when you are in another land, friends and neighbours are life. I am glad that I have a sweet heart Indian family who lives next door. And weekends usually start with a movie or card night or atleast non-stop chatting. And then there is the occasional potluck filled with loads of food and lots of laughing. Life is not that monotonous when you have people around to share. ^Touchwood^

I love experimenting breads with new textures. And this is one of that kind. Cornmeal adds a nice texture to the bread, the buttermilk the needed moistness and the molasses adds to the texture and flavor. Slather it with some butter or marmalade and you have a healthy breakfast on hand. The best thing about this bread is that it stays moist even the next day and isn't that an added advantage when it comes to homemade breads.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cooking time: 30 mins; Serves - 2-3 Adapted from here ~*What U Need*~ Whole wheat flour - 1 1/4 cups Cornmeal - 1/4 cup Salt - 1/2 tsp Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Molasses - 1/4 cup Buttermilk - 1/2 + 1/3 cup How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 325. Butter two min loaf pans. Mix together the dry ingredients. Stir the molasses into the buttermilk. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients, mixing just till combined, then pour into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 30-35 mins. Cool on a rack for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Serve with marmalade or butter!!!

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Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I often think that I am young and healthy.. young and dynamic.. young and energetic just as I was in my 20s. And I was... I used to walk for hours and never get tired. I used to stand for hours and never get worn out. I used to shop for hours and never get exhausted. But with time your body wears out too and adapting to that change is very important. Now why am I talking this, because I learnt this lesson a week back only. I was down with back sprain and all because I carried the grocery bag. Now donot ask about the grocery bag, it must have weighed at least 15+ kgs and its been ages since I carried anything heavy. If I am right, ever since I had my son, I have not carried anything heavy. So Lesson learnt!!! Sticking to the handbag only!!!

Coming to this bread, you will love this if you like the combo of apple and cinnamon. We are total suckers for anything cinnamon-y apple and so the bread was a big hit at home. And the walnuts adds that needed crunch. You will totally fall for this bread. One thing that I would like mention here is "roll the dough tightly". I missed this I guess. Can you see how open the second swirl looks? It makes it difficult to slice the bread. So be pretty careful when you roll the dough.

The dough is highly customizable. You could leave out the apples totally or you could add in some raisins or you could skip the walnuts, its all your choice.

Adapted from here Prep time: 20 mins; Cooking time: 55 mins; Serving size - 1 slice; Serves - 12 slices ~*What U Need*~ Bread flour - 2 cups, divided Active dry yeast - 1 package or Instant yeast - 1 1/2 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Sugar - 2 heaped tbsps Water - 1/2 cup Milk - 1/4 cup Butter - 2 tbsp, softened For the Filling or swirl: Sugar - 1/3, I used a combo of regular and brown Cinnamon - 2 tsp Butter - 1/2 tbsp, I used ghee Apples - 1 cup, diced Walnuts - 1/3 cup, chopped How I Made it: Heat water to lukewarm with the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 10 mins and allow to froth. Combine 1/2 cup of bread flour, and salt in a large mixer bowl; Add the yeast mixture, butter and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add remaining bread flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing just until combined. Switch out the flat beater for a dough hook, and knead dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic (if dough is sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time – I added an additional 1/4 cup). The dough is ready when smooth and tacky (dough will stick to the finger, then release). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Punch dough down and cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll each section into a 9 x 13-inch rectangle. Leaving a 1/2-inch border, brush sections with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Divide apple pieces and walnuts evenly over dough; press gently into dough with rolling pin. Starting with a short end, roll each rectangle into a log, pinching dough to seal seam and ends. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and place dough seam-side down in pan. Cover loosely with plastic sprayed with nonstick spray and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake bread for 30 minutes, then tent with foil. Continue to bake another 25 minutes until loaves are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; turn out of pan to cool completely. Calories – 175 (per slice); Carbs – 30

Serve warm for breakfast!!!

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Triple Chocolate Granola

We have very little options for breakfast atleast that is how it works for us. When I was a kid I still remember that my mornings started with a tall glass of milk or homemade health drink followed by two idlis, just and always with some chutney or sambar. Even after marriage it was the same, till I was with my in-laws. After moving out life seemed way more easier with cereal and bread and cereal again. And that is how its been for four years.

Lately I have been wanting different breakfast options. Not something heavy but something fancy, something that I would love to eat, something that I would look forward to on my breakfast table. I had always wanted to try granola but back in India they were pretty costly and the serving size that you get for that many bucks is very meager. The pack would hardly last you a week. I have tried my share at home with the quick cooking oats variety but they never seemed to excel in texture.

So when I came to the U.S I started experimenting with the rolled oats and lately we have been enjoying a variety of homemade granola for breakfast. And it makes a great breakfast option too. So now its cereal and homemade bread and granola and cereal again. See an added breakfast option. Anything with chocolate can never go wrong and when it is chocolate for breakfast it is definitely my kinda breakfast and when it three different types of chocolate, then it is just... "OH MY".

Prep time: 5 mins; Cooking time: 30 mins; Serves - 2 Adapted from here ~*What U Need*~ Old fashioned oats - 1 1/2 cup Canola oil - 2 tbsp Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup Dark brown sugar - 2 tbsp Maple syrup - 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1/4 cup Chocolate covered raisins - 1/2 cup How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix oil, cocoa powder and sugar and whisk till combined. Add the maple syrup and mix well. Add the oats and fold till evenly mixed. Bake for 25-30 mins, stirring every 10 mins. Remove from oven and add the chocolate chips when still warm. Once cooled, add in the raisins and mix well. Store in an air tight container.

Serve with milk or top on yogurt.

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Basic White Bread / White Sandwich Bread

I love white breads but long long ago, so long ago, I read an article on white flour and since then its been whole wheat breads. And then I came across an article on wheat breads or the so called whole wheat breads and how manufacturers tinted white flour to look like wheat flour and since then we became occasional bread buyers. And then I came across an article on Azodiocarbonamide and since then its been homemade breads for breakfast. Its been nearly 3 months and we have been going steady, many thanks to my Kitchenaid Pro.

We love the classic white bread but ever since I started baking my own bread, I have always replaced a good amount of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Yeah, the outcome has never been as fluffy as a 100% white bread but it is healthy and that gives me satisfaction. But once in a month I make this sandwich bread which makes great french toasts or pesto&avocado sandwiches or just plain with some nutella or strawberry preserve. BTW, baking your own bread is not rocket science. Just follow the recipe to the tee, use good quality yeast and get ready to punch the hell out of the dough... It takes a good amount of muscle work and all that kneading and punching would definitely relax your mind, body and soul.

Adapted from the Kitchenaid book ~*What U Need*~ Milk - 1/4 cup Sugar - 2 tbsp Butter - 2 tbsp Salt - 1 tsp Instant dry yeast - 1 1/2 tsp or active dry yeast - 2 1/4 tsp or 1 packet Warm water - 3/4 cup Bread flour - 2 1/2 to 3 cups Oil - to grease bowl How I Made it: Heat water till lukewarm, add sugar and dissolve. Add the yeast and set aside for 10 mins till frothy. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan till the butter melts. Cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast mixture, milk to 2 cups flour and mix in your stand mixture. Add flour in 1/2 cup increments and knead till you get a soft, non sticky dough. Knead for another 4-6 mins in medium speed. Your dough will start climbing the dough hook by the end of the kneading cycle. Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place till doubled, about 45mins to 1 hour. Once done, punch down the done and roll into a rectangle in a slightly floured surface. Starting at a short end, roll dough tightly. Pinch dough to seal seam. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and place the loaf seam side down in it and allow to rise again till doubled. Bake in a preheaated oven at 400F for 30 mins or until golden brown or the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Once out of the oven, brush butter on the crust. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Slice and serve as needed!!!

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