My kids are not too fond of any loaf or cup cakes I make with banana. But what do I do when sometimes I have over ripe bananas and the best way I know is to make cakes out of them. I took a challenge that I would make  such delicious cup cakes that the little devils find them irresistible.

      So here is what I did.

Ingredients:

1.   200 grams flour / one and half cup Indian measuring cup

2.   150 grams powdered sugar / one cup plus two tablespoons

3.   1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

4.   ½ teaspoon baking soda

5.   One cup mashed over ripe bananas

6.   100 grams softened regular salted butter

7.   ¼ cup hot milk / 50 ml

8.   One large egg

9.   100 grams chocolate chips / about a handful

10.      1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Since the butter is soft / room temperature , it is very easy to cream it with sugar with just a few movements of the whisk.

2.   Add the egg , give a good stir and follow with  the mashed bananas. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little curdled as the flour with sort the problem out.

3.   Sift the flour with the baking powder and soda and gently stir into the batter with out beating too much.

4.   Alternate the flour with spoons fuls of the hot milk and in the end you will get a lumpy and stick batter.

5.   Stir in the chocolate chips and the vanilla essence.

6.   Spoon a tablespoon each into a muffin tray and bake at 190° for 18 – 20 minutes. For my size of the muffin tray which has medium sized cups/ pits I get a turnover of 24 cupcakes , but if the cup size of your cupcakes is larger then I would suggest that you bake for another two minutes more and check with a toothpick inserted in any one cupcake, if it comes out clean and the top of the cup cakes is nice and golden brown , then your cup cakes are ready.

The thing that I love most about these cup cakes is that they taste absolutely delicious when they are straight out of the oven , at room temperature and incidentally even chilled in the refrigerator.

cakes and bakes· Choclate· school tiffin meals

Banana and chocolate chip cup cakes

My kids are not too fond of any loaf or cup cakes I make with banana. But what do I do when sometimes I have over ripe bananas and the best way I know is to make cakes out of them. I took a challenge that I would make  such delicious cup cakes that the little devils find them irresistible.

      So here is what I did.

Ingredients:

1.   200 grams flour / one and half cup Indian measuring cup

2.   150 grams powdered sugar / one cup plus two tablespoons

3.   1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

4.   ½ teaspoon baking soda

5.   One cup mashed over ripe bananas

6.   100 grams softened regular salted butter

7.   ¼ cup hot milk / 50 ml

8.   One large egg

9.   100 grams chocolate chips / about a handful

10.      1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Since the butter is soft / room temperature , it is very easy to cream it with sugar with just a few movements of the whisk.

2.   Add the egg , give a good stir and follow with  the mashed bananas. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little curdled as the flour with sort the problem out.

3.   Sift the flour with the baking powder and soda and gently stir into the batter with out beating too much.

4.   Alternate the flour with spoons fuls of the hot milk and in the end you will get a lumpy and stick batter.

5.   Stir in the chocolate chips and the vanilla essence.

6.   Spoon a tablespoon each into a muffin tray and bake at 190° for 18 – 20 minutes. For my size of the muffin tray which has medium sized cups/ pits I get a turnover of 24 cupcakes , but if the cup size of your cupcakes is larger then I would suggest that you bake for another two minutes more and check with a toothpick inserted in any one cupcake, if it comes out clean and the top of the cup cakes is nice and golden brown , then your cup cakes are ready.

The thing that I love most about these cup cakes is that they taste absolutely delicious when they are straight out of the oven , at room temperature and incidentally even chilled in the refrigerator.

Coconut macaroons
Coconut Macaroons  Coconut Macaroons  Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

This happens to be one of my favourite recipes because 1) I am sure you know about my love for coconuts by now. 2) I can't think of a simpler way to make them at home . 3) they are Gluten free

Coconut Macaroons

The list can go on.Let me not get carried away. All you need to make these absolutely , unbelievably scrumptious macaroons is two large eggs , ¾ cup castor sugar and three heapful cups of dessicated coconut. ( dry )That’s it.

Coconut Macaroons

Lets begin with this simple story by placing the eggs in a mixing bowl and beating them with an egg beater while sprinkling the sugar a teaspoon at a time.

    Now here lies the secret…..you have to beat the eggs and sugar for atleast 10 -15 minutes ,keeping the bowl and the egg beater tilted in order to incorporate as much air as possible and keep beating till the mixture doubles in volume.

   Now just gently fold in the dessicated coconut and taking approximately a tablespoon at a time of the mixture , gently make round balls by rolling the mixture between your palms and place them on a cookie sheet. You would get about thirty cookies with this batter.

   Bake at 180° for twenty minutes or till golden brown.

Coconut Macaroons

    Cool on a wire rack and store in a airtight container.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

cakes and bakes· coconut· cookies

Coconut macaroons
Coconut Macaroons  Coconut Macaroons  Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

This happens to be one of my favourite recipes because 1) I am sure you know about my love for coconuts by now. 2) I can't think of a simpler way to make them at home . 3) they are Gluten free

Coconut Macaroons

The list can go on.Let me not get carried away. All you need to make these absolutely , unbelievably scrumptious macaroons is two large eggs , ¾ cup castor sugar and three heapful cups of dessicated coconut. ( dry )That’s it.

Coconut Macaroons

Lets begin with this simple story by placing the eggs in a mixing bowl and beating them with an egg beater while sprinkling the sugar a teaspoon at a time.

    Now here lies the secret…..you have to beat the eggs and sugar for atleast 10 -15 minutes ,keeping the bowl and the egg beater tilted in order to incorporate as much air as possible and keep beating till the mixture doubles in volume.

   Now just gently fold in the dessicated coconut and taking approximately a tablespoon at a time of the mixture , gently make round balls by rolling the mixture between your palms and place them on a cookie sheet. You would get about thirty cookies with this batter.

   Bake at 180° for twenty minutes or till golden brown.

Coconut Macaroons

    Cool on a wire rack and store in a airtight container.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate cake
choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..

choclate cake

My being featured in “Talking cranes” 
  http://www.talkingcranes.com/food/grilled-spinach-toasts
calls for a celebration but unfortunately I don’t have the time to make something elaborate because I am super busy today, so I guess this chocolate cake with the simplest frosting should do the needful.

 Ingredients:

1.         200 grams salted butter at room temperature

2.         4 eggs

3.         200 grams castor sugar

4.         200 grams  all purpose flour

5.         50 grams cocoa powder

6.         1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

7.         ½ teaspoon baking soda

8.         125 ml  curd

9.         1 teaspoon vanilla essence

10.     For the icing:  50 grams unsalted butter, 50 grams icing sugar , two tablespoons warm milk and 3 teaspoons cocoa powder

Method:

1.        Sift the flour, cocoa , baking powder and soda.

2.        Pile up all the ingredients in the food processor starting with the butter, eggs , sugar, following with the sifted flour and lastly the curd and essence.

3.        Blend till well mixed.

4.         Pour into a 8 inch round tin.

5.         Place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes.

6.         Let the cake come to room temperature before turning it over into a plate.

7.        For the icing , put the butter into a thick bottomed pan and place it on top of a double boiler or like I did , place the pan over a pan of hot water and turn the gas on low so that the water keep simmering.

8.         Now you have got to be fast …..mix the cocoa well in the hot milk and add the cocoa-milk mixture and the icing sugar to the butter and stir till just about mixed, care not to let the butter melt too much.

  9.         Spread the icing on the cake and decorate with whatever suits your style.

choclate cake

choclate cake

cakes and bakes· Choclate

Chocolate cake
choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..choclate cake ..

choclate cake

My being featured in “Talking cranes” 
  http://www.talkingcranes.com/food/grilled-spinach-toasts
calls for a celebration but unfortunately I don’t have the time to make something elaborate because I am super busy today, so I guess this chocolate cake with the simplest frosting should do the needful.

 Ingredients:

1.         200 grams salted butter at room temperature

2.         4 eggs

3.         200 grams castor sugar

4.         200 grams  all purpose flour

5.         50 grams cocoa powder

6.         1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

7.         ½ teaspoon baking soda

8.         125 ml  curd

9.         1 teaspoon vanilla essence

10.     For the icing:  50 grams unsalted butter, 50 grams icing sugar , two tablespoons warm milk and 3 teaspoons cocoa powder

Method:

1.        Sift the flour, cocoa , baking powder and soda.

2.        Pile up all the ingredients in the food processor starting with the butter, eggs , sugar, following with the sifted flour and lastly the curd and essence.

3.        Blend till well mixed.

4.         Pour into a 8 inch round tin.

5.         Place in a preheated oven at 180° for fifty minutes.

6.         Let the cake come to room temperature before turning it over into a plate.

7.        For the icing , put the butter into a thick bottomed pan and place it on top of a double boiler or like I did , place the pan over a pan of hot water and turn the gas on low so that the water keep simmering.

8.         Now you have got to be fast …..mix the cocoa well in the hot milk and add the cocoa-milk mixture and the icing sugar to the butter and stir till just about mixed, care not to let the butter melt too much.

  9.         Spread the icing on the cake and decorate with whatever suits your style.

choclate cake

choclate cake

Banana walnut loaf

            Have you noticed that the best aroma is that of a banana loaf baking. Infact the bananas smell so delicious themselves that there isn’t even the need to put any essence.   Another point which goes in favour of banana loaves is that they taste good even if one takes them out straight from the refrigerator.  And a combination of walnuts and bananas is the ultimate.

         Here is a simple yet delicious banana loaf recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1.         Three to four over ripe bananas about 300 grams in weight in total

2.      125 grams salted butter at room temperature

3.      150 grams demerara or brown sugar

4.       250 grams all purpose flour

5.       1 teaspoon baking powder

6.       ½ teaspoon baking soda

7.       2 medium eggs

8.      ¼ cup thick curd

9.       One eighth cup ( I just took half the ¼ cup ) warm water

10.            100 grams chopped walnuts

Method:

1.    Sift the flour and the baking powder and baking soda.

2.    In the food processor or blender jar or with an egg beater whip the butter, sugar  and eggs.

3.    Add the flour , peeled bananas ,the curd and warm water all in one go and mix till well blended.

4.    Fold in the walnuts.

5.    Pour the batter into a nine inch loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180° for 60 minutes.

banana· cakes and bakes· curd· demerara sugar· walnuts

Banana walnut loaf

            Have you noticed that the best aroma is that of a banana loaf baking. Infact the bananas smell so delicious themselves that there isn’t even the need to put any essence.   Another point which goes in favour of banana loaves is that they taste good even if one takes them out straight from the refrigerator.  And a combination of walnuts and bananas is the ultimate.

         Here is a simple yet delicious banana loaf recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1.         Three to four over ripe bananas about 300 grams in weight in total

2.      125 grams salted butter at room temperature

3.      150 grams demerara or brown sugar

4.       250 grams all purpose flour

5.       1 teaspoon baking powder

6.       ½ teaspoon baking soda

7.       2 medium eggs

8.      ¼ cup thick curd

9.       One eighth cup ( I just took half the ¼ cup ) warm water

10.            100 grams chopped walnuts

Method:

1.    Sift the flour and the baking powder and baking soda.

2.    In the food processor or blender jar or with an egg beater whip the butter, sugar  and eggs.

3.    Add the flour , peeled bananas ,the curd and warm water all in one go and mix till well blended.

4.    Fold in the walnuts.

5.    Pour the batter into a nine inch loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180° for 60 minutes.

Almond cake

I just love this Almond cake because it reminds me of sunny winter days.

We will begin by measuring 100 grams of almonds and powder them in a dry grinder.

Then we move on to  100 grams butter at room temperature and 150 grams castor sugar.

Cream the butter and sugar or if you are in real hurry then add the three eggs right away and get a nice creamy batter.

Sift 50 grams  flour , almond powder and one teaspoon of baking powder.

Add  the flour mixture one tablespoon  at a time to the egg mixture and beat gently with the hand or your egg beater. Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Spoon the batter into your baking dish and decorate with halved almonds.

Bake at 180 degrees for thirty minutes.

Enjoy the cake with a hot cup of tea or coffee

almonds· cakes and bakes

Almond cake

I just love this Almond cake because it reminds me of sunny winter days.

We will begin by measuring 100 grams of almonds and powder them in a dry grinder.

Then we move on to  100 grams butter at room temperature and 150 grams castor sugar.

Cream the butter and sugar or if you are in real hurry then add the three eggs right away and get a nice creamy batter.

Sift 50 grams  flour , almond powder and one teaspoon of baking powder.

Add  the flour mixture one tablespoon  at a time to the egg mixture and beat gently with the hand or your egg beater. Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Spoon the batter into your baking dish and decorate with halved almonds.

Bake at 180 degrees for thirty minutes.

Enjoy the cake with a hot cup of tea or coffee