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CURRY LEAVES GARLIC BREAD - DARING BAKERS 2014

 Who knew breads could look as great as they taste?  Yes this month’s challenge is to take bread making a step further. Not only making make bread from scratch but to form it into beautiful forms.  I missed doing DB challenge for past few months due to my hectic schedule. I badly wanted to do this month's challenge. Due to time constraints, I was not able to do other designs which I had in my plan for doing in this challenge. I am happy that I am able to participate :):) The recipe for the challenge is sweet bread but with slight variation I made it into savory bread which came really well with beautiful aroma when baking.  I made curry leaves garlic bread, it tasted very flavorful and you can look at the pictures and virtually enjoy the taste.  Here is the recipe I did for this fun and delicious challenge. This is basic dough for any savory bread, you can substitute the flavors of your choice.




Beauty surrounded the Daring Bakers this month as our host, Sawsan, of chef in disguise, challenged us to make beautiful, filled breads.  Without any delay here goes the Recipe.... Do enjoy this flavorful and yummy bread !!!


CURRY LEAVES GARLIC BREAD

Ingredients:

For the dough

All purpose flour - 3 1/4 cups approximately
Warm water - 1/4 cup
Warm milk - 3/4 cup
Egg - 1 large
Butter, softened - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Dry yeast - 2 tsp



Between the layers:
Butter - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Garlic - 2 tbsp grated
Salt - 1 tsp (increase or decrease the salt depending on your spice powder)
Spicy Curry leaves powder - approximately 1 to 2 tbsp for sprinkling in between the layers ( This is absolutely optional, u can only use Curry leaves or any dried herbs etc. along with garlic and omit this Curry leaf powder, I wanted to do this flavor since I had it my Pantry)

For Garlic curry leaves spread:

Melt the butter in a small pan, add chopped curry leaves followed by grated garlic and switch of the flame.  Add tsp of salt and keep this butter mixture aside for brushing in between the layers.







Directions:

1. In a bowl whisk the egg with milk, water, sugar, butter and yeast. Set aside
2. In another bowl sift the flour with the salt.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you get a smooth dough.
Note: This recipe requires between 3-1/4 and 3-1/2 cups of flour depending on the weather, humidity and the flour brand. Start with 3-1/4 cups and if you feel that the dough is too soft, add the extra 1/4 cup
4. Place the dough in a bowl you have brushed with some oil and cover it with a wet cloth and leave it in a warm place to double
(If you are tight on time you can heat your oven to 390°F/200°C then turn it off and place your dough in a glass bowl and place it in the warm oven with the wet cloth covering the bowl)
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Divide the dough into 4 parts
7. Roll each part into a circle at least 20 cm (8 inch) in diameter
8. Brush the first layer with Garlic and curry leaves spread then sprinkle with Spicy curry leaves powder.
9. Place the second layer on the first layer repeat the brushing and sprinkling and then do the same with the third layer.




 10. Top with the fourth layer.
11. Using a knife make cuts that divide the dough circles into 8 triangles.
12. Make cuts that go 2/3 of the way in the middle of each triangle. The cuts should not reach the base of the triangle nor the tip as you can see in the picture.
13. Take the tip of each triangle and insert it into the cut you made and pull it from the underside.
14. Arrange the triangles on your baking sheet.
15. Pinch the two angles at the base of the triangle together.
Note: If you would like to add the little bread coil that you see in the center of the baked bread in the first picture, simply roll a piece of dough into a rope then form it into a little coil and place it in the center where the heads of the triangles meet
16. Brush the dough with milk.
17. Allow to rest for 15 minutes during which you would heat your oven to very hot 500°F/240°C/gas mark 9 (rack in the middle). (Go for the hottest your oven will do).
18. Bake for 5 minutes on very hot 460°F/240°C/gas mark 9, then lower the temperature to moderately hot 390°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 15-20 more minutes
19. Take it out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rick.






Note:

I made a wrong decision of baking my bread, based on the temperature specified in the recipe.  My oven turned out to be too hot for that temperature.  For my oven the right temperature is to bake at 350 F for about 30 to 40 minutes or until nice golden brown color. Ovens do differ greatly, so the time may differ. What you have to do is to bake it until, the under side is golden brown and the bread is baked all the way to the center. If on the other hand if the top is getting too dark, consider lowering the oven temperature and covering the top of the bread with foil to stop it from over browning  :( :(  But atleast I realized and reduced the temperature to low in the middle of my baking and ended up with delicious mouthwatering bread. Bake this bread the way you bake other breads. 

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COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE WITH LUSCIOUS CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CREAM ! - VALENTINE'S TREAT !


Wish you all a Very Happy Valentine's day!!!  











I know it’s been sometime that I had posted in my blog.  Hope to get back to blogging regularly.  I have been getting lots and lots of recipe requests when I post dishes in my Facebook page and Chiffon cake is one of them.  I had posted Banana Chiffon cake in my FB page, instead of sending the recipe to every person, I thought of posting it in my blog for everyone as a Valentines treat.  The formula for perfect valentines day setting are Pinky background, Flowers, Lots and lots of Chocolate, Cinnamon, Luscious cream and berries what more can you ask for.  This is a Coffee flavored Chiffon cake filled with Luscious Chocolate cream loaded with Chocolate and berries to highlight as a Valentine Cake!!!!  




For those who don't know what is a Chiffon cake; here it is, Chiffon cake is very very light and airy cake made with Oil, eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder with any of your favorite flavorings.  They are like angel food cake, Fluffy texture is achieved by beating egg whites until stiff and folding them into the cake batter before baking.  If made rightly the cakes will not harden or dry out as traditional butter cakes.  Typically it is served with flavorful sauces or other accompaniments such as chocolate, pastry cream or fruit fillings. It is most popular in Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore etc..I have tasted so many flavors when I was in Singapore including Durian Chiffon :) :)  as well.. You can find various flavors of chiffon cake in any local bakeries.  It’s very light and airy with beautiful cottony texture. 

What is the difference between Chiffon cake and Angel food cake?
Angel Food cake has no egg yolks, fats or artificial leavener it mainly relies on stiffly beaten egg whites for leavening. Chiffon cake is a moist and tender, light and airy that has the richness of butter cake but springy texture of a sponge cake.  The egg whites are first beaten until stiff and then it is folded into the yolk, oil and flour mixture.  Traditionally both the cakes are baked in ring shaped tube pan.  It is placed upside down until they are fully cooled just to prevent it from collapsing.  Both the cakes are served plain or with flavorful sauces or whipped cream.

Here you go recipe for Rustic Coffee Chiffon cake with delicious Chocolate cream and berries!

You can also enjoy the cake without any cream or berries, its perfect with your coffee or tea! 





COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE

Ingredients for Chiffon cake:

All purpose flour - 150 gm
Baking powder - 6 gm
Egg whites - 200 gm
Sugar - 75 gm (This sugar is with egg whites for making meringue)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Egg yolk - 100 gm
Sugar - 80 gm
Milk - 200 gm
Instant coffee granules - 10 gm
Oil - 60 gm

Ingredients for Chocolate whipped cream:

Bitter sweet chocolate - 100 gm
Heavy cream - 350 gm
Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Notes :

Preheat the oven to 350 f before you start your process.
Do not greast the tube pan with butter or flour.
I have used 8" Tube pan. 







 

Method for Chiffon cake :

1. Heat the milk add the coffee granules and keep it aside, let them cool. Meanwhile sift the flour together with the baking powder twice.
2. Whip the egg white together with the salt.  Make sure the bowl is absolutely dry and clean.
3. Add the sugar in  egg whites in two steps. First start whipping at medium speed until the egg white is foamy, now add the sugar. Keep on whipping the egg, 
Whip at high speed now add the remaining sugar.
4. Whip till you get stiff peaks(Meringue stage) and keep it aside.
5. In another bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolk. Using the same electric beater beat until the egg yolk turns to creamy almost white or light yellow. This will take few minutes so be patient.
6.  Add the oil in the yolk, beat well until they emulsify and now add the coffee milk mixture.
11. Now add the sifted dry ingredients.
12. Mix the yolk and dry ingredients vigrously using wired whisk.
13. Now add 1/2 of the egg white(meringue mixture) with the wired whisk slowly.
14.  Then fold in the remaining meringue mixture with a rubber spatula until there is no trace of meringue but take care not to deflate the whole mixture. This is very important. Over folding or underfolding both will not give good results.
15. Fill the batter in the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes in 350 f preheated oven
16. After baking, immediately invert the cake upside down and let it cool down in the pan for atleast 1 1/2 hrs.
17. Then remove the cake by running the spatula in the edges by giving slight pressure towards the pan .
Use small spatula or the skewer in the tube part of the cake and also run the spatula in the bottom of the cake to release.




Chocolate Whipped cream

Method :

1. Place the chocolate in a large heat resistant bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer.
3. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate.
4. Let the bowl sit for a few minutes so the cream can melt the chocolate.
5. Whisk to blend the cream and chocolate together.
6. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
7. Mix until the sugar melts. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until well chilled.  Atleast for 3 hrs.
8. Whip chocolate cream mixture until it is thick and spreadable. Don't over whip it.


Assembling :

1. Cut the chiffon cake horizontally into 2 halves.
2. Fill the cream in the middle , add some berries and chocolate shreds.
3. Sandwich the upper portion of the cake, do the same and decorate with lots of berries and Chocolate shavings.



Here you go Coffee Chiffon cake with Luscious chocolate cream with loads of chocolates and berries is ready for your Valentine !!!

This serves almost 10 to 15 peoples !

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