Molten chocolate cakes

" These are the yummiest cakes ever, my sons favorite. Use good quality chocolate, and avoid over-cooking, to be rewarded by crispy exteriors and meltingly soft centers. Its worth making them, just to see the joy in my kids faces ..."

   

Servings : 12 small cakes, enough for 12 people

Ingredients:

•  200 grams dark cooking chocolate
• 200 grams butter
• 4 eggs
• 125 grams castor sugar
• 60 grams flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter (for double boiling, put chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of shimmering water (a double boiler), making sure that the water does not touch the chocolate bowl. So the chocolate is melted only by the steam).
3. Take it off heat and add sugar to the chocolate/butter mix, in a slow stream, while whisking well, for almost 5 minutes (use a beater if you have)
4. Whisk eggs slightly with a fork.
5. When the chocolate mixture is at room temperature, add the eggs in 4 parts, whisking well after each addition 
6. Fold the flour slowly, a little at a time,till it is incorporated. (to fold add a spoonful of flour at a time,mixing gently with a spatula or a metal spoon in a cut and turn motion, check web for technique)
7. Pour the mixture into single cup-cake molds, till half of the mold is covered 
8. Put the cakes in the oven for 7 - 10 minutes and take it out once the outside is done and the center is still soft and gooey ( when u check the center with toothpick, should be gooey and not dry)
9. Eat immediately for the yummiest molten cake ever .......

Notes:

• Incase you want to eat the cakes later half cook the cakes initially and then put them back in the oven just before serving
• You could use coffee or Kahlua liqueur for added flavor 
• Folding, basically implies, as little mixing as possible, to ensure the lightest batter possible
• Over cooking is a big possibility, so take out when center is really really gooey and you think its undercooked. If you wait for cake center to feel cooked, then the center will not be gooey, still tasty though)

Kaffir lime pannacotta

 "  A very popular dessert, gets rave reviews whenever made. I love its  freshness, and the kaffir lime leaf flavour is subtle, irresistible and yummy. De-moulding it can be a challenge, so suggest setting it in pretty little dessert glasses or bowls, to be eaten directly. Do make a few extra as they are never enough ..."

 Servings - 6

Ingredients:

• 200 ml full fat milk
• 200 ml cream
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 100 grams caster sugar
• 2 tsp gelatin powder
• 10 kaffir lime leaves (shredded by hand)
• 1/2 lime juice ( juice  of 1/2 a lime or lemon)
• 1 lime zest

Method: 

1. Keep ready, 6 dessert glasses or bowls (for individual serving), or 1 big bowl 
2. Combine the milk, cream and the coconut milk.Add the lemon zest, sugar and leaves and bring the mixture to a boil on a low flame
3. Remove it from heat, cover and let it seep for 1 hour
4.  Sieve mixture, removing the leaves
5. Prepare gelatin as per instructions ( see note for how to prepare powdered gelatin)
6.  Mix the gelatin in the milk mixture well (If you are using powdered gelatin, make sure the mixture is at the same temperature as the gelatin and mix a little at a time)
7. Cool the pannacotta mixture to room temperature
8. Add the lime juice, mix and pour it in the dessert glasses/bowls. Cover, with cling film and refrigerate them over night
9. At serving time, decorate the pannacotta with a few fresh orange segments and enjoy

Notes: 

• This recipe, can also be made without coconut milk. Just increase the quantity of milk and cream by 100 ml each
• Make sure that you seep for 1 hour for maximum flavour  
•  If you are using gelatin powder,the safest way to ensure the gelatin powder sets well, is to first soak the gelatin in 4 tbsp of cold water for 5 minutes.Then over a double boiler melt the gelatin till it is translucent and then use once its at the same temperature as the mixture
• You could also set the pannacotta in moulds, and de-mould on a serving plate.
•  To de-mould the pannacotta's, dip the molds in hot water for 2 seconds. Loosen edges with knife and turn over on the serving plate

Fresh fruit cheese cake - With yogurt

" Here's a perfect recipe for all cheesecake lovers.It's healthy, with easily available ingredients and no raw egg's. Have been making this one for over 20 years, made almost 6 of them for a special family occasion.They are light, flavorful and as guilt free as cheese cakes can be..."

Servings - 8- 10

Ingredients:

 Base

• 200 gms digestive biscuit
• 50 gms melted butter
• 1 tsp rind of lemon/lime

 Filling

• 400 gms yogurt regular ( or 1 cup thick yogurt)
• 200 gms low fat or single cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 200 gms strawberries(mangoes or any other fresh fruit you may want to use)
• 1 tsp vanilla (pod/paste/essence)
• 1 tbsp gelatin
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp lime /lemon juice

Method:

Base

1. Butter a spring-foam pan or a pie dish which has a diameter of 10 inches
2. Crush biscuits coarsely
3. Mix with melted butter and rind
4. Layer the dish with biscuits at the bottom and the sides, pressing firmly (use a flat bottom glass or bowl to help press down as firmly as possible)
5. Refrigerate biscuit base for 1/2 hour

  Filling

1.  Hang regular yogurt in a muslin cloth for 2 hours to remove excess water, balance thick yogurt should amount to 1 cup OR use 1 cup of thick yogurt
2. Soak the gelatin in warm water for 15 minutes, and warm over simmering water till translucent (gelatin bowl should not be touching the water. OR prepare the gelatin as per box instructions
3. Puree the strawberries, leaving 3 whole for decorating purposes
4. In a bowl mix all the filling ingredients - yogurt, cream,strawberry puree, sugar, vanilla, lime,gelatin and beat till smooth
5. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base, wrap with clingfilm and chill overnight
6. Decorate with sliced strawberries and ENJOY

Note:

• Any fresh fruit can be used instead of the strawberries, mangoes work just great
• For a plain lemon cheesecake, remove the fruit adding the juice of one full lime
• Each serving has only 1 tsp butter + 1 tbsp cream as the guilty ingredients 

Cherry Clafoutis

"Pronounced as 'Clafootee' this french dessert made even more yum with the addition of orange juice and white chocolate is a true party dessert and can be made in an adult version with the addition of orange liqueur preferably tripple sec  "

Ingredients:

• 500 grams cherry (fresh stoned, or tinned or mixed berry's)
• 100 grams flour
• 1 cup caster sugar 
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence 
• 2 full eggs + 2 yolks
• 200 ml cream
• 200 ml full cream milk
• 50 grams white chocolate(melted)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 lemon 

Method:

1. Grease pie dish ( size 25 cm) 
2. Zest 1 lemon taking just the yellow and none of the white
3. Pre-heat oven (170 degrees C)
4. Take the cherry in a bowl, cover it with orange juice and sprinkle a bit of sugar over it and leave
5. Whisk flour,eggs and sugar till smooth.
6. Add vanilla essence and the zest mixing lightly 
7. Gradually add milk,cream and white chocolate,whisking till well mixed
8. Layer the pie dish with cherry's and the orange juice spreading in one layer
9. Then pour the batter over the cherry mixture 
10. Bake the dish in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes till puffed and golden 
11. Sprinkle the powder sugar on top and serve hot

Fresh orange cake

"This is the best orange cake recipe, i have found to date, tried lots with orange juice, with zest etc.  but none of them were orangy enough for me, this one where we chop a whole orange with peel and all is fabulous, do give it one try and you will be converted ..."

Servings - 10 large pieces 

Ingredients:

• 1 unwaxed orange,washed
• 150 gms Butter 
• 1 1/4 cups castor sugar 
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt 
• 2 tbsp superfine or granulated sugar for topping Or to taste 

Method:

All ingredients should be at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 170 degrees Celsius  
2. Butter a cake tin- loaf and put in fridge
3. cut the orange in half, save the other half for the topping
4. Cut the half in 8 pieces removing pips , process the orange into very small pieces 
5. Beat butter, sugar and chopped orange for 2 minutes till fluffy, with an electric beater, do not overbeat
6. Sieve flour,baking powder,soda and salt
7. Break the eggs into the bowl  add the flour mixture , add the milk and the yogurt and beat on low speed for 1 minute till  well mixed
8. Put the mixture in the buttered baking pan
9. Bake for 50 minutes till done ,test skewer is clean when inserted in the middle of cake
10. make topping - squeeze out the juice from the other half of the orange, add sugar (to taste) and stir to make a thick glaze
11. While the cake is still hot prick the entire loaf with a toothpick,spoon the orange syrup over the whole cake
12. Cool completely and take out of tin

Variations:

For a chocolaty twist , fold into cake batter chocolate bits (100 grams)before putting the mixture in the oven. i.e. after step seven.

Marble Cake - Chocolate & Vanilla

"This is one yummy moist cake, top with chocolate ganache for a more decadence..."

Servings - 12 large pieces

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup / 310 grams flour                  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 grams Butter
• 75 grams chocolate (chopped to bits) 
• 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cup hot milk
• 1 3/4 cup / 350 grams sugar
• 4 eggs 
• 2 tsp Vanilla essence 

Method:

All ingredients at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 160 degrees Celsius  
2. Butter a cake tin- bundt / ring / loaf and put in fridge
3. Whisk flour,baking powder,soda and salt
4. Melt over hot water - 2 tbs spoon butter, cocoa and chocolate till smooth
5. Beat butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes till fluffy, with an electric beater
6. Beat in eggs one at a time,take care do not over beat , beat only till eggs are incorporated 
7. Add vanilla extract and stir gentle or beat once
8. On low beater speed or fold flour and hot milk alternatively starting and ending with flour (flour - milk - flour - milk - flour )
9. Take half the mixture and put it in the buttered baking pan
10. Fold chocolate to remaining mixture and pour over the white mixture in pan
11. With a knife gently swirl through pan twice not more 
12. Bake for 40 minutes till done ,test skewer is clean when inserted in the middle of cake

Variations :

For a Red velvet- Vanilla Marble cake, delete the chocolate pieces substitute with one tbsp Red color.