Friday, March 24, 2017

Profiterole - Queen of Desert

Profiterole

Oh, profiterole, queen among deserts! With chocolate sauce surrounding it on your plate, it stands out with all its divinity! This pic is from yesterday's class where I covered - Profiteroles, Eclairs and Doughnuts.

Where to Buy Profiterole or Eclairs in Bangalore?
When I made my first set of profiterole and eclairs, I wan't sure if I had made it right. Often, we follow the recipe word-by-word, but the outcome can slightly differ from the ones available in the market. So, to test and prove to myself that I had got it right, I send a messenger to buy these items from any of the upscale bakeries located around my locality.

Well, this two wheeler sporting messenger ( my hubby) came back with a disappointed and nasty look. Disappointed that he could only get eclairs from Lavonee, while all the places like Glen Bake House didn't have it on that particular day. Well, he had a irritated look as he had stop at many many popular bakeries and cafes in and around Indira Nagar locality, only to find none of these outlets have it. Well, I can understand how it's to drive on this no-mercy summer sun. 

Thakkaaram Idavazhi Experience

Rice is great if you're really hungry and that too if you want to have a good meal served in banana leaves

Had an yummy experience recently at
Our Family at Thakkaaram Idavazhi 
After the meals, comes banana! Self Service! 


Lunch on Banana Leaf ( Like the buttermilk served in clay mug)
Trivandrum is witnessing a renaissance in eateries - from themed restaurants, trendy cafes, and startups. One such place at Thakkaaram Idavazhi which has opened at Statue, Trivandrum. This place is open at 11 to 4 Trivandrum.

It was a simple spread of meal with two types of vegetables, sambar, dal , fish gravy, chamanthi ( killer taste) and payasam ( dessert needs improvement). Apart from the items served here, you can order extra dishes. There are a wide range of sea food ( king fish fry, mackeral, prawns, Chicken, etc) which you can choose.  I feel it's worth Rs 100 for the meals. So, give it a try if you're around Secretariat area in Trivanrdrum.

Address to reach this lunch joint:
 Kodar Lane, Statue Junction, Opposite to Accountant, General's Office,
Statue,Trivanrum, Kerala 695001
Phone: 085938 14422
Hours: 11AM–4PM

( I think they also cater to large orders or takeaway)

Gleeful Xmas Bakes

I have dreams of becoming a professional pastry chef and open a little bakery cum cafe some time down the line - that's how much I love baking. I love to cook in general, but my heart lies in baking.

Xmas Season - Yule time Spirit
Every year during this season, I have the same special festive feeling which comes along as we approach Christmas time. It's something that will remain where ever I'm. There're few memories that come along with it - the fragrance of plum cake, the melodious tune from Jim Reeves, and the overall mood of Christmas.


Christmas cake mix and bake 

Christmas Bakes in Trivandrum
Trivandrum crowd surprise me each time I conduct classes over there. Love the students and their eagerness to learn new cuisine, which drives me to improve and innovate new things.

Young one giving all attention to the task
After the Xmas Cake Class



All smiles after the cupcake session 
This month I had a new person who joined me to assist in my classes at Trivandrum. Gnanakshi Ganesan. She had come down all the way from Bangalore who loves to bakes, and passionate about all kind of bakes. A big thanks to her for helping me run the session in a smooth flow.
Wishing her all the best in her future baking career.

See you Trivandrum City in 2017 with more fun filled baking and cooking sessions. I keep adding new lessons in baking and cooking. So, keep checking this page for the class schedule din Trivandrum.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Whole Wheat Egg less Chocolate Cake



Slice of Goodness ( Whole Wheat Egg less Chocolate Cake)

Egg less Whole wheat Chocolate Cake

I'm not a person who's comfortable baking cakes without egg. However, I stumbled on this excellent blogger who has a wide range of egg-less cake recipes. This recipe given below is from her, which I did small changes to enhance outcome to come my way. Hats off to Akilla Subramaniam and her pursuit of healthy bakes.

Ingredient
  • Whole wheat flour          1 and 3/4 cups
  • Cocoa powder                 3/4 cup
  • Baking powder                2 tsps
  • Powdered sugar               3/4 cup + 4 tbsp
  • Milk                                 1 and 1/2 cups
  • Oil                                    1/2 cup
  • Vanilla essence                 2 tsps
Method
  1. Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together thrice.
  3. Cream the powdered sugar and oil  add the milk and essence then combine well.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the sieved mixture.
  5. Fold in the mixture until you get a smooth batter.
  6. Grease an 8 Inch pan and pour the batter into it.
  7. Bake in the pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Final Result

I'm really surprised to see the find texture and finish of this cake. I bet it will be the same when you bake with this recipe. Pls do try this and thank the recipe maker for her recipe.

Your's in Baking!

Marina

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Cupcake Baking for Beginners in Bangalore

Joy of Baking Cupcakes

Cupcake Rising - Oven Baking

  • Are you new to baking? 
  • Are you familiar with the baking terminology, measurement, process, etc?
  • Do you know the ingredients used in baking?
So, you bought a new oven or you have a new-found passion/interest to bake. How do you go about baking and learning the rudiments of baking?  
If you're new to baking or you feel you need a strong foundation in baking, then I suggest you to start with the beginner level cupcake class.

In this class, I cover from the basics - learn the ingredients used in baking, the importance of measuring using standard measuring cups, setting of oven temperature, folding technique, knowledge on how cake rises, or to avoid common pitfalls of baking.

What's Covered in the Beginner level Cupcake Class?This 3 hr session is suitable for anyone who are new to baking and those who are with half-knowledge on baking or those looking to perfect their cupcake recipe.

Here're the topics covered in the beginner level cupcake class:
  1. 5 Types of Cupcake ( Vanilla, Strawberry, Orange marmalade, Chocolate, Dry fruits, ) 
  2. Basic buttercream icing on cupcake ( Learn to pipe simple design on cupcake)

Practice with Hands-on Experience 

In this class, you'll follow the process and recipe and make your own cupcakes. This hands-on practical session will help you to clear your doubts and it will help you to gain confidence in creating perfect cupcakes.

Fee for this 3 hr session is Rs 950 and you'll carry back the cupcakes make in the class. This class will usually have 3 to 6 people in one class. However, each person will get a chance to participate and bake own cupcake.

This class is at Domlur, Bangalore, and it's usually taken on Saturday morning ( 10:AM to 1:PM). However, each week class schedule is keeps changing. So, pls visit my blog to know about the upcoming baking classes in Bangalore.

In case you're are not able to attend this practical baking class, then you can register for the one-on-one online cupcake class. It is conducted through Skype. To schedule a Skype session, you can mail to mennasdelight@gmail.com or msg me at 9379398865.

Learn To Bake From Home - Online Cupcake Lessons ( Skype Class)

In the online class, you'll get a chance to bake along with me. These classes are a convenient way to learn as you can take this class at your own time and place. I also teach other cakes in the online cake class. You can check for the classes by visiting this Facebook Page