Chocolate (or apple) cinnamon rolls

There are so many fillings I make for these rolls. Sometimes, I substitute the chocolate with green apple cubes soaked for a minute or two in some juice of lime. Sometimes, I add the apple along with the chocolate. I also do jam versions, where I just add some blueberry/raspberry preserve along with the cream cheese and icing sugar. The cream cheese is not a mandatory ingredient. You could leave it out. I love to add it to sweet rolls because of two reasons: one, it allows all other fillings to stick to the surface of the dough nicely and snugly; and two, it makes the rolls so light, fluffy and delicious.

The next special ingredient I use is the French vanilla creamer. It is not easily available, except in gourmet stores, but if you find it, bring it home. Its flavour and aroma is so gorgeously beautiful and it renders any dessert or sweet bread its patisserie-like quality. You could use it as a hot beverage creamer, or just add it to a glass of hot chocolate or plain milk and drink it up. However, if you are unable to find it in the market, its not worth fretting about. Just use a plain and simple milk powder/dairy creamer.

There are always those ingredients that add a 'wow' factor to food. They jump the line between good and great. I'v always found people asking me: "Can I leave this out?"; "Cant I substitute it with something?"; "Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?"; "Can I use coriander instead of basil, or cottage cheese instead of cream cheese"- for some questions, my answer is yes, but in most cases, I wouldn't recommend it. If I say in my post that you can leave it out or substitute it then you can, but if I don't explicitly say so, then any substitutions/adjustments you make should be done at the risk of facing some disappointment when your timer goes off and you peek nervously into the oven. A small adjustment (which we Indians totally love to do) maybe the reason why your final dish was not exactly like someone else's although you claim that you followed the recipe exactly. Think about it; ruminate.

Baking is all about precision, in terms of ingredients, measurements, temperatures, timings, everything. It could be dead easy or impossibly nerve racking, but if you really follow a good tested recipe exactly, I don't see why you shouldn't be dreadfully good at it!     

Makes 20 rolls

Ingredients

Dough
350 g all purpose flour
35 g Nestle French vanilla coffee creamer (can substitute with milk powder)
35 g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
50 g fresh yeast or 2 tsp instant dry yeast
3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (keep egg white  to brush over the buns)
60 ml lukewarm water
150 g butter

Filling

Mascarporne cream cheese (can be left out)

100 g grated dark chocolate (can use dark chocolate chips)

20 g icing sugar

Superfine cinnamon powder

Optional: 2 green apples, peeled, cubed and soaked in some juice of lime for 2 minutes

Method

Dough and first rise

Set up what you need. All ingredients should be at room temperature for baking any bread. Place all the dry dough ingredients, except the yeast, in a mixing bowl. Dissolve  the yeast in the lukewarm water and add it to the mixing bowl. Add the eggs to the bowl. Knead it together for about 10 minutes by hand or 20 minutes in a bread mixer/stand mixer at medium speed. In the beginning, the dough will be very sticky and loose, but as you continue kneading, you will see that it comes together nicely. Do not add extra flour. Place the dough in a warm place, covered with a wet cloth, such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough. Leave it to rise for about an hour or until it doubles.

Rolling and second rise

Place the dough on a generously floured work top. Divide it into two halves. Roll out one half of the dough into a flat rectangle about 2 mm thick. Spread a thick layer of marcarporne on the dough. Now, spread the grated chocolate, cinnamon powder and icing sugar on the dough. Roll the dough gently from one long side to the other. There is no need to seal the open end. Using a sharp knife, cut out slices about 1.5 inch thick. Place the flat on a well-greased baking tray and use a soft silicone brush to coat the rolls with egg wash. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.

Repeat the procedure with the second half; you could use a different filling.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. And voila! 

Serve warm with some hot cocoa or a steaming cup of coffee.

Caterpillar bread with chicken sausage & parsley

Its been a beautiful week, full of soft drizzles, maddening rains, gentle breeze and blooming flowers. In the spirit of mother nature, I was inspired to innovate and be creative with shaping my breads. One gets bored of the mundane buns and loaves. Here, I have attempted to create a cute little caterpillar with the bread dough. It was not only fun shaping it but also waiting for it to rise and then jump around in ecstasy as it browned and glowed in the oven. You can use any filling, really. I have used chicken sausages with some fresh parsley, onions and tomatoes.

A note of caution here. You will see that this bread, unlike many others, has just one rise for the yeast. The second rise is just for about 10 minutes, any longer and the caterpillar will lose its shape. So, do not wait for the dough to double or triple; 10 minutes on the stop watch and straight into a preheated oven.

The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of cream cheese, but if you prefer it, you could use 1/2 cup butter and avoid the cream cheese. The cream cheese adds a golden crust and lightness that butter cannot compensate for, but cream cheese is a gourmet product in India and not too easy on the pocket, so use butter if that works out better for you. Also, cream cheese is available in packages of 250 grams or 600 grams and has a relatively short shelf life (just about 2 weeks when sealed with cling wrap) even in the refrigerator. So, if you are buying cream cheese, keep at least 3 recipes ready to explore on your 2-week ticking time. You will find several here, under tags bread, biscuit, crackers, cheese cake etc.

Ingredients
Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast or 50 g fresh yeast
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup mascarporne cream cheese (can use butter instead)
1/4 to 1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Filling
4-5 garlic cloves chopped fine
1 green chilly, deeseded and chopped fine
1 medium red onion, chopped fine
2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
2 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp salt (sausages are already salted)
1/2 tsp red chilly paste
A dollop of butter (you can choose the size of the dollop)

Method
Dough and first rise
Place all the ingredients in a wide bowl and knead to get a soft, firm dough. Place the dough in a warm place, covered with a wet cloth such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough. Allow the dough to rise to one and half times its size, approximately one hour.

Filling
In the meantime, make the filling. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic, green chilies and onions. Saute till golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and the fresh parsley. Season with salt and red chilly powder. Add some red chilly paste (more if you like heat). Allow the tomatoes to simmer and cook through. Add a small dollop of butter along with the sliced sausages. Allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes. Cover and set aside. You can also add some feta cheese for added flavour and yumminess.

Shaping and second rise
I forgot to take pictures while I was actually shaping the dough, so you have to manage with my attempt at good prose and these silly pictures taken with a piece of paper. I will try and update with real pictures soon.

Place the dough on a generously floured work top. Roll out the dough in a flat rectangle, keeping the thickness even (about 2 mm). With your knife mark (not cut) three points on the short side of the dough that divide it into 3 equal parts: 3a, 3b and 3c. Now, score 3c with 8-10 horizontal cuts making 8-10 horizontal strips (these will form the caterpillar strips). Place the filling at the junction of 3a and 3b and start rolling from the long side of 3a. Roll till you reach 3c. Now, use some egg wash and brush the surface of the rolled dough. Slowly and neatly, place one strip after the other on the rolled dough. Close off the two caterpillar ends by pinching them with your fingers, and turn the roll into a half-circle with the strips pointing outwards (like sun rays). Place two cloves to make the caterpillar eyes. Transfer the roll very gently to a greased baking tray and allow to rise in a warn place, covered, for 10 minutes. Brush with some egg wash and set aside to bake.

Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until gorgeously brown.

Slice and enjoy warm with some soup or as an evening snack.

Bread pockets with salami, parsley and bell peppers

These are, by far, the best breads I have ever baked, and I have baked many. There isn't much to say about these breadlings other than the fact that they taste absolutely, gorgeously, fantabulously divine. You should bake them today, right now.

Just a word of caution here. If you feel like your dough is too difficult to work with and keeps tearing apart, place the dough in a covered bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes before trying again. The cream cheese and the butter make the dough very soft and light, sometimes making it tough to work with shaping/cutting etc, but the thin, golden crust at the end makes it all worth it.


Portion: Makes 6 pockets
Ingredients
Bread pockets
200g flour
50g butter
30g mascarporne or Philadelphia cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
11/4 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
Dried chives
Dried lemon pepper powder
1 egg white

Stuffing
5 slices chicken salami, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1-2 tbsp fine quality balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
First rise
Heat the milk till lukewarm in a microwave; add the butter cubes and allow to melt. It is important that the mixture remains warm. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, yeast, chives, lemon pepper powder (brand Keya available in Indian gourmet stores). Add the cream cheese and the lukewarm milk-butter mixture. Make a soft dough kneading gently for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a wet cloth such that the dough doesn't come in contact with the wet cloth. Keep in a warm place. Allow the yeast to rise and the dough to double. This should take about 1.5 hours.

Filling
In the meantime, make the filling. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add chopped garlic, parsley and onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes until light brown. Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add a dash of water and allow the garlic and onions to caramalize for about 6-8 minutes till you see the oil coming up on the sides of the pan. You should have a sticky mixture with little or no liquid. Add the bell peppers and the salami. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture is completely dry. Set aside and allow to cool.

Second rise
After 1.5 hours of the first rise, transfer the dough to a generously floured surface (do not punch out the air deliberately). Roll out the dough into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a large cookie cutter cut out round shapes. Take one round shaped dough and place 1 tsp of filling in the centre. Using a silicone brush, gently brush the outer circumference of the round with egg white (this will cook on heating and act as a glue to hold the two rounds of dough together). Place the second round on top of the first and gently press down with your fingertips, securing the filling neatly inside the pocket. Repeat the procedure for all the pockets. Brush the tops of the pockets with egg white and transfer to a greased tray keeping enough space between two pockets to allow them to rise. Cover with a wet cloth (not touching the surface of the bread), keep in a warm place and allow 1.5 hours for the second rise.

After the second rise is complete, transfer the pockets onto a baking tray lined with a baking sheet, and greased with some butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Enjoy warm with some hot coffee or a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Cream cheese crackers with coriander and carum seeds

Cream cheese is a very versatile ingredient that can be used in breads, biscuits, desserts (of course!) and frostings. It carries the flavour of whatever ingredient you add along with it. It provides that light, fluffy texture to savoury dishes without having to add too much butter/oil. It is, however, difficult to store for too long in the refrigerator. I have seen that securing the lid with a cling wrap works well  and the cheese keeps fresh for about 10 days. I have a huge tub of cream cheese sitting in my fridge and you will see that I will be using it in everything I make the coming fortnight!

These lovely cheese bars can be flavoured as per your desire. You could use other combinations: garlic/thyme, grilled paprika/rosemary, curry leaves/asafoetida etc. Make them sweet with chocolate chips, cinnamon, apples etc; the choices are endless. They are very quick to make with no fuss and no mess. Store them in an airtight container to keep them crisp and fresh.

Portion: Makes 50 crackers
Ingredients
110 g all purpose flour
50 g salted butter
100 g mascarporne or Philadelphia cream cheese (room temp)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Fresh chopped coriander
1/2 tsp carum (ajwain) seeds
1 egg white
Dried onion seeds (kalonji) and sesame seeds for decorating

Method

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, carum seeds, fresh chopped coriander along with the butter and cream cheese to make a soft dough; do not work the dough too much. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and roll it out into a flat rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a pizza cutter to make 1.5 inch wide and about 4 inch long crackers. Transfer very carefully to a tray lined with a baking sheet and greased well. Give the crackers a light egg wash with a soft, silicone brush. Sprinkle the sesame and onion seeds on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy with a steaming cup of masala chai!

Real vanilla bean cheesecake with blueberry topping

Everyone who knows me knows that I always order a cheesecake for dessert when I’m dining out. I have always wanted to try making it at home and now I can say with some confidence that I know how to make a decent one. I would still recommend that you buy one off the shelf rather than make one at home, simply because cream cheese is so expensive in India and It’s not worth it to make a huge one for a dinner party. But my love for baking and my gluttony for cheesecake make me want to bake it again and again!

My version involves a shortbread crust to go with the cheesecake but you could do with a biscuit/cracker base as well. I always use fresh vanilla scraped off the vanilla bean, but this can most definitely be substituted with vanilla extract.

This cheesecake is actually a shortcut version of the actual one; it takes only 20 minutes to bake and a couple of hours to chill before serving. I used Philadelphia cream cheese, which is the classic cheese used for cheesecakes. But you could also try ricotta, mascarpone, curd cheese or cottage cheese. However, if you want the taste to be spot on, go for Philadelphia cream cheese. It’s expensive but it makes the cut.

I can think of a few things you should remember while doing cheesecakes. First, all the ingredients must remain at room temperature. The cream cheese should be beaten till smooth and creamy without any lumps, and at a slow speed to reduce the amount of air incorporated into the batter. Cheesecakes are baked in a slow oven to prevent cracking and are done when the filling is set but still a little wet and wobbly in the centre. Let cool before covering and placing in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight. I tend to add a little grated lemon zest to the batter to perk up the flavours a bit, but then this is just my way of doing it.

This one is a basic cheesecake with vanilla bean flavouring; so it’s versatile in terms of what you wish to serve it with. Fresh strawberries, preserved blueberries, chocolate sauce or any other topping that suits your palate.

 Prep time: 15min

Cooking time: 1hr

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients
Shortbread Crust

130g plain flour

35g icing sugar

1/8 tsp salt

113g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Filling

450g of full fat cream cheese, room temperature

130g granulated white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract or ½ vanilla bean scraped

½ tsp grated lemon zest

120ml sour cream, room temperature

Method

Shortbread Crust

Lightly butter a non-stick 8-9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse till combined evenly. Add the butter cubes and pulse till the pastry starts to come together in small bread crumb-like lumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and using your fingers tips and knuckles, gently pressing the pastry into the base and up the sides of the pan. Use the back of a spoon to even out the surface of the pastry. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork (so it won’t rise while baking), cover the tart pan with cling film and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15-20 min to chill (so it won’t shrink while baking).

Preheat the oven to 220°C. When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 -15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C.

Filling

Beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sour cream and beat until incorporated. Transfer the filling to the tart pan. 

Bake for about 18 -22 minutes or until firm but the centres of the cheesecakes still wobble a little. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a few hours or even overnight).

Serve with strawberry or raspberry sauce, fresh berries, or drizzle with melted chocolate. These cheesecakes can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for several days.