A Romantic Dessert for Two - Mango Gratin with Sabayon

Saturday found myself and hubby dear in an extremely rare situation. Only two of us for lunch! Now you have to take my word for it when I say it's a rare phenomenon. What with ours being a joint family (and top of that, all of us work at same place) and hubby having our workshop downstairs, all of us are at home 24x7...phew you can imagine what a big constantly-chaotic our everyday life must be (not that m complaining in any way...no sir..I won't have it any other way :D).

Back to Saturday, Saee was off with her grandparents to visit an ongoing rare fish exhibition at Ruia College, Matunga (guys go check it out if you live nearby) and we had a major power outage on that day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) so that means no workshop either.

With Ira taking her nap we had a beautiful quiet lunch, no phones, no t.v., no work related discussions, no meetings lined up...just two pals catching up like old times (we've known each other for 12 years now, out of which we've been "blissfully married" (??) for 9 1/2 years).

After lunch,I just whipped up this gorgeous sabayon/zabaglione while Sagar diced the mangoes and our dessert for two is ready.

Mango Gratin with Sabayon
Adapted from Good Housekeeping Favourite Puddings, Desserts and Cakes' 2011
Ingredients:
3 large ripe mangoes, peeled, stoned and diced
3 medium egg yolks
6 tablespoon caster sugar
300 ml champagne or sparkling wine (I used wine)
6 tablespoon dark muscavado sugar to sprinkle
crisp biscuits to serve

Method:
Arrange the diced mangoes in six glasses (I divided it into 4 1/2  big glasses, the half glass was for strawberries). Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until the mixture is thick and falls in soft ribbon shapes. Add the champagne or wine and continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and foamy again. Remove from the heat.
Spoon the sabayon over the mangoes, sprinkle with the muscavado sugar and leave for 10 minutes to go fudgy.
Serve with biscuits.

The remaining two went into the fridge for the in laws to have after dinner :D..see m a good DIL
Here's one with strawberries

Enjoy!!

Challah: The Daring Bakers' Challenge May 2012

I have never heard of Challah ever before, and I m not proud of the fact! Joining The Daring Bakers since January has made me realize how limited is my exposure to the other wonderful cultures around the world. So far, it has introduced me to the Dutch Crunch bread, so loved and favoured in and around bay area, then we were introduced to the fabulous world of Armenian Pastries and made us fall in love with the melt-in-your-mouth Nazooks and flavourful and the unusual never-seen-before Armenian Nutmeg Cake.
May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

Huge thanks to Ruth for taking us along on this cultural journey. We really enjoyed making and having these light, airy, braided beauties. As I mentioned, I had never come across the word Challah, so I didn't even know how to pronounce it. I was saying Ch (like Ch in China) and llah (like La-ah). When I started researching and reading more about Jewish customs, then I came to know about my mis-pronounciation. It's supposed to be pronounced as Hallah (right Ruth :D).

So what exactly is a Challah?
Challah is a loaf of yeast-risen egg bread that is traditionally eaten by Jews on Shabbat, on ceremonial occasions and during festival holidays. The word "challah" is also used to refer to the portion of dough that is traditionally separated from the rest of the dough before baking.

Ruth has given a brief historical introduction-

Challah is a bread of celebration in Jewish tradition. At a time when white flour was considered a luxury, its use was reserved for either the wealthy or for festive events. In Judaism, the Sabbath is a weekly holiday, and therefore is a festive occasion. It was around the 15th century when Jews in parts of Austria and Germany adopted an oval braided loaf from their neighbors to make the Sabbath special. These fancy shaped loaves made with white flour were seen as a fitting way to honor the Shabbat (Sabbath), symbolized in Jewish culture as a queen, therefore deserving of the finest one can achieve. In honoring the Sabbath as a day of rest, two loaves are traditionally put on the table. This is generally seen as a representation of the double portion of manna provided to the Children of Israel on Fridays during their wandering in the desert after fleeing from Egypt. This double portion allowed them to maintain the commandment to not do “work” on the Sabbath.
Another symbolic comparison to the manna eaten by the Israelites is the fact that challah is traditionally covered with a cloth prior to being blessed and eaten. According to tradition, manna was encased in dew to preserve its freshness. Covering the challah with a decorative cloth serves as another reminder of the special quality of the day of rest. There are other explanations given regarding why the challah is covered. The one which I always liked was that we cover the loaves so they will not be “embarrassed” by having to wait while the wine is blessed first. (A traditional Sabbath dinner begins with a blessing over the wine first, followed by the blessing of the bread, after which the meal is enjoyed.)

I made a Whole-Wheat-Oatmeal-Honey challah and I managed to make four braided loaves. However I would have loved to make a Challah with filling but didn't get the time. But it's going to be on top of my "to-bake"list.


The three strand braid- Many attribute a word to each of the three strands used: zachor (remember),  shamor (observe or guard), and b’dibur echad (with one word). The braiding of the three words is a physical reminder of the importance of remembering and observing the Sabbath as one commandment. Here's the video on how to make a three strand challah.



The four strand braid- There is not a lot of information written as to the cultural significance of the four strands. Rather, it is viewed as a way to elaborate on the more common three strand braid in order to fulfill the obligation to beautify the commandment and make it more special. Here's a video on how to make a four strand challah.





The four strand round braid- Traditionally used on the Jewish New Year, round breads have no beginning and no end. They are used as an example of the cycle of life, the cycle of the year, and the continuity of the Jewish calendar. Here's a video on how to make a round four strand braid.





The six strand braid- There are traditionally two challah loaves on the Sabbath table. Using the six strand braid, that brings twelve pieces to the table. These twelve strands can be symbolic of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel. Many also use the twelve pieces to represent the twelve “showbreads” used in the Jewish Temple on special occasions. Here's a video on how to make a six strand braid.

Whole-Wheat-Oatmeal-Honey Challah
Adapted from D’s Whole Wheat Challah and Tammy’s Recipes
Ingredients:
 1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water, separated
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) (15 gm/½ oz) sugar
2 Tbsp. (2-2/3 packets) (30 ml) (18 gm) (2/3 oz) dry active yeast
½ cup (120 ml) honey
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) oil (light colored vegetable oil, or olive oil if you prefer)
4 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. 7½ ml) (9 gm) (1/3 oz) salt
3 cups(330 grams) whole wheat flour
2cups (220 grams) all purpose flour
2 cups (175 grams) rolled oats
plus more all purpose flour as needed
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Method:
 In mixer bowl/large mixing bowl combine ½ cup warm water, 1 Tbsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. yeast. Allow to proof approximately 5 minutes until foamy.
To the yeast mixture add the remaining water, honey, oil, eggs, salt and flour. Knead (by hand or with your mixer’s dough hook) until smooth, adding flour as needed. Knead for approximately 10 minutes.
Transfer dough to a clean, oiled bowl, turn to coat or add a bit more oil on top. Cover bowl with a kitchen/tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.
Punch down the dough, divide it into two sections. Use one half to make each loaf (shaped or braided as desired).
Place loaves on parchment lined or greased baking sheets, brush with egg wash, cover with a towel, allow to rise 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees/ 160 degree Celsius. Brush the tops of loaves again with egg wash. (Sprinkle with seeds or toppings here if wanted.)
Bake loaves 30-40 minutes until done.
Cool on wire racks.

Welcome Home with Barefoot Contessa!

Yay Saee's back! After 4 whole days my kid's home and Ira has been glued to her like a fly to a sugar cube (yikes). Ira surely missed her Tai.

I made this Double Fudge Chocolate Cake as a "welcome home" treat for Saee, but the kid was so exhausted last night that she fell asleep even before finishing her dinner. No worries, she had it for breakfast this morning. That girl surely loves her chocolate!

Last week I was in no mood for baking, as the mercury was really soaring high here, and I had these amazing Mango Ice Cream (even though it was finished off in 10 minutes flat, it satisfied my sweet cravings) and Watermelon Granita to keep me company and to please guests dropping by. But my kiddo coming home from a successful camping trip deserves a cake..a chocolate cake..no make that double fudge chocolate cake!

The moment I saw this gorgeous creation on  Food Network's site under Ina Garten's recipes, I knew I HAVE to make it. All that gooey chocolaty deliciousness was calling my name and Saee's homecoming was certainly a special occasion to bake this beauty.

I m killing two birds with this cake. As you probably know that the Star Chef for this month's Cook Like a Star bloghop, organized by the very talented Zoe @ Bake for Happy Kids, is Ina Garten, so m linking this post to her blog. Secondly, the topic for this month's Have The Cake is Fudge, so linking this to their bloghop too. Do visit these sites to feed your eyes the awesome creations made by my blogger friends.

                                                    
Fudge is essentially a very sweet, and extremely rich confectionery. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency.

The chocolate cake was very rich and super moist (because of the addition of both buttermilk and yogurt) and the frosting was so yummy that I couldn't stop licking my fingers. I kept it simple by decorating it with star sprinkles (cook like a star...star sprinkles...get it???) and Ira was more than happy to pick all the stars by her cute little hands thereby making cute dents in the cake.

Double Fudge Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Food Network
(I halved the original recipe and baked the cake in an 8 inch round cake pan, the baking time remains same)
Ingredients:
220g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the tin
450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting the tin
200g good cocoa powder
2 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
200g granulated sugar
200g light brown sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3 tsp pure vanilla essence
125ml buttermilk, at room temperature
175ml sour cream, at room temperature (I used yogurt)
3 tbsp freshly brewed coffee


For the Icing:
700g milk chocolate chips
375ml double cream (I used Amul Low Fat cream)
2 tbsp golden syrup (see substitutions)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
4 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Smarties or M&Ms for decorating

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 30.5 x 46 x 4-cm cake tin and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.
On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before icing.
Place the chocolate chips and double cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the golden syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it's thickened. Spread the frosting evenly on the cake. Decorate with sprinkles.
I sliced the cake horizontally into two and filled it with 1/2 the icing and the rest was used to frost the entire cake.

Please visit my friends for more of 5 star dishes