Bakes

Apple slices with crispy and crumble topping

| Rekha Vengalil
A recipe from the cook book “cakes and desserts”. With baked apples and a crispy topping; is absolutely delicious. Team it up with a scoop of ice-cream too.
 

You need –

  • Sharp red apples – 4
  • Butter – 60 grams, cold and cut into cubes
  • Caster sugar – 3 tablespoons
  • Lemon juice – 2 teaspoons
  • All purpose flour – 1/2 cup
  • Brown sugar – 1/3 grams
  • Porridge oats  – 3 tablespoons
  • Ground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt – a pinch

How to –

Butter a 8 inch spring form cake pan.Set aside. Pre-heat the over to 180 C.
 
Peel and core the apples and cut into slices. In bowl combine the apples, lemon juice and sugar. Toss well and spread them over the cake pans.
In food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, salt and pulse. Add the butter cubes and pulse again till everything starts to form lumps.
 
Spread the crumble over the apples and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely before slicing and serving.
 
 

Spiced carrot cupcakes

| Rekha Vengalil
This is a recipe I am going to turn to more often. Perfectly spiced and so light; one of the best cakes I have had/baked in the recent times. I could eat a raw carrot but not when it is cooked/baked/grilled. I remember my mom always struggling to get me eating a curry or stir fry. I would conveniently fish all the carrots in the curry and put aside.
 
And a carrot cake is not something I liked either (had baked one, 2 years back and never tasted it). The other day a friend wanted me to make it for her and I made these cupcakes. I wanted to keep only two back(for the little one and hubby) and was going to pack most of it for her. A bite to taste changed my mind and only half of what I baked went to my friend. 

You need –

  • Grated carrots – 200 grams
  • Self rising flour – 225 grams
  • Soft brown sugar – 125 grams
  • Egg – 2, room temperature and beaten
  • Sunflower oil – 1/2 cup
  • Ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
  • Ground cardamom – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Ground nutmeg – a good pinch
  • Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Zest of one orange
  • Salt – a pinch
  • Paper cupcake/muffin liners – 12-14 nos
 
How to –
 
Pre-heat the oven to 180 c.
 
In mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar and oil. Beat till well combined and sugar has dissolved.
 
In separate bowl sift together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, orange zest and salt. Fold this into the egg mixture. Add the grated carrots and fold gently till everything is well combined.
 
 
Divide the batter equally into  lined paper cupcake/muffin liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or when toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes and then place the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cool completely.
 
 
Ice the cake as per your choice. I have used butter cream icing. For cream cheese frosting click here.
 
 

Rosemary Focaccia

| Rekha Vengalil
Focaccia is my favorite bread. With that generous dip into the olive oil is sure an indulgence for me.  Every time we are at an Italian restaurant this is something  I look forward to start off with and lucky some of the restaurant that we are regular at kind of know  this is my weakness and they never fail to give a few slices more 🙂
 
This is one of the easiest bread I have made, yes of course make sure your yeast is active else it can be a complete disaster and be prepared to knead the dough for almost 10 minutes. Ah! I have toned hands!
You need –
  • White bread flour – 500 grams
  • Salt – 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • Instant yeast – 2 1/2 teaspoons
  • Olive oil – 2 tablespoons plus extra for drizzling
  • Lukewarm water – 300 mls
  • Rosemary – 2 tablespoons
  • Fine sea salt
How to –
 
In a large bowl, put the flour, yeast and salt. Mix well. Now stir in the oil, water and knead to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough to a slightly oiled surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. Put the dough back into the same bowl (lightly oiled), cover with a tea towel and let it sit to rise double in size in a warm place. Approximately about an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Line two large baking sheets with grease proof paper. Turn the dough to a flour surface and cut into half. Flatten each portion on the baking sheet. cover and leave to rise again for an hour.

 

Gently press your finger into the dough to make deep holes all over and leave for a further 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle each loaves with rosemary and sea salt. Drizzle some olive oil and  bake for 25 minutes or till pale golden. Remove from the oven and drizzle some more olive oil.


Serve hot or warm.

Note –
  • If you are not sure if your yeast is still active, them prefer you do a proof test. Take half of the lukewarm water ( please make sure the water is not hot. Otherwise your yeast will die). Stir in the yeast along with a pinch of sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. If the form and bubbles foam on top in 10 minutes then your yeast is still active. Add this to the dough with remaining water as per the recipe.
  • The above recipe makes 2 loaves. If you do not want to use both loaves then freeze the other for later. Warm in the microwave before serving.