Vanilla Cupcakes

I made my first vanilla cupcakes.. Finally! And they turned out to be awesome! Really!

I adapted the recipe from here. I had attended Pooja Dhingra's workshop this year at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and she shared some really useful techniques. I combined both and made this.

Since I was trying, I kept the quantity to the minimum.

This is a versatile recipe and can be used to make other flavours as well. I am certain this will be loved by kids as well as adults!

Makes: 8 - 10 Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

¾ cup (100 gms) all purpose flour/maida

¼ cup (60 gms) butter (at room temperature)

¼ cup (60 ml) milk (room temperature or lukewarm)

1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavoured curd/yoghurt

½ cup (70 gms) powdered sugar

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla essence.

For Chocolate Ganache:

60 gms dark chocolate

2-3 tbsp milk or fresh cream

Method:

1. Sift the flour along with baking powder and baking soda twice. Also sift the powdered sugar. Preheat the oven at 180ºC for 10-15 mins.

2. Mix the milk and curd in a separate bowl with a spoon or a fork ensuring there are no lumps. (Do not blend)

3. In a separate bowl, take the butter and sugar and whisk until creamy and fluffy. Do this for about 2-3 mins or until you feel its light.

4. Now you can slit the vanilla bean and scrape the extract and mix it into this mixture. Alternately, you may add the vanilla essence. Incorporate the flavour into this mixture by whisking for another 30 seconds. 

5. Now, add just 1/3 of the flour mixture to this butter-sugar mix. Whisk to ensure its mixed well. Then add 1/3 of the milk and curd mix. Whisk until the lumps disappear. Now add the flour, whisk, milk-curd, whisk, Repeat. 

6. The batter should be smooth and thick consistency. 

7. Now fill about ¾ of the cupcake mould with the batter prepared. 

 

8. Let it bake at 180ºC for 15 mins approx. 

9. Meanwhile for the chocolate ganache, cut the chocolate into small pieces or grate them in a small bowl. Heat the milk or cream to simmer and pour it on the chocolate. Let it sit for 2 mins and stir. This is our chocolate ganache. You can use a piping bag to make swirls etc or simply spread it. 

10. The cakes should be ready by now! :) Enjoy the yummy cupcakes!

Notes & Tips:

1. To check if the cake is done, you may insert a toothpick or knife in the centre and if it comes out clean its ready. If not, bake a little longer.

2. Baking time differs from oven to oven. My oven took exactly 15 mins! 

3. Alternately, you can make this as a cake too in a bigger mould.

4. Also, if you do not have an oven, you can make it in the pressure cooker without the whistle. Just put it on low heat for 40-45 mins. Open after the cooker has cooled.

5. You may add different flavours to this like nuts, chocolate chips, non-citrusy fruits, dried fruits etc. 

6. You can make a different icing of butter and sugar by whisking them. Add in the colour of your choice and pipe it onto your cake.

Spinach & Mushroom Cannelloni

I have never made a cannelloni. Its been on my to-do list for a while now.

So I made it this week and it was really delicious! I never knew it would turn out so good!!

The best part is it is healthy and colourful! A meal in itself.. If you like lasagne you will undoubtedly like this.

Cannelloni is simply a thick tubular pasta with a filling inside and sauces outside. Alternatively, lasagne rolled like thick cigars/rolls with filling inside is the same as the ready made tubular ones! This is baked just like lasagne! Lasagne follows layering, these are rolls, rest remains the same!

So lets start with it!

Serves: 2 Preparation Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

For the Creamy Cheese Sauce (1 cup):

1 heaped tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of maida/all purpose flour or sifted wheat flour

¾ cup milk

2-3 tbsp of fresh cream (store bought), I used Amul's

3 tbsp grated cheese, cheddar (preferably parmesan)

½ tsp ground nutmeg/jaiphal

salt & pepper as per taste

For the Rustic Tomato Sauce (1 cup):

2 tomatoes, blanched and puréed 

2 tbsp celery, finely chopped

3 tbsp carrots, finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp onion, finely chopped

4-5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper as per taste

For the Spinach & Mushroom Filling:

1 cup spinach leaves (¾ bunch or 150 gms), washed, blanched & shredded

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper as per taste  

For the Cannelloni:

4 Lasagne sheets, home-made or store bought
4 cups water

2 tbsp oil

salt as per taste

For Garnish:

2 tbsp Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method:

For the Cannelloni:

1. Take the water in a sufficiently deep and wide vessel and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tbsp oil and enough salt. Then add in 4 lasagne sheets.

2. Follow the cooking instructions on the packet, usually 8-10 mins. Once cooked, immediately drain it and apply the balance 1 tbsp oil and leave aside.

For the Creamy Cheese Sauce:

1. Heat the butter in a pan. Once melted, add the sifted flour and cook for 30 -45 secs.

2. Now add the milk to this mixture IN 3 PARTS to avoid lumps while stirring continuously.

3. Once the milk has uniformly integrated with the flour and butter and thick, you can now add the cream, cheese,  salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Let this cook for about a minute and leave it aside.

You may preheat the oven at 200°C for 15 mins now.


For the Spinach & Mushroom Filling:

1. Chop the veggies and keep aside.

 

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 45 secs. Mix in the blanched spinach and mushrooms. Stir well.

3. Add salt and pepper and let it cook. Mushrooms will start giving out water. Cook it until almost all the water is gone.

4. Now add about 3 tbsp of our creamy cheese sauce to this mixture and mix well.

5. Get it off heat and keep aside.

For the Rustic Tomato Sauce:

1. Chop the veggies and keep them ready.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Once hot, add the garlic and onions. Sauté for 45 secs.

3. Now add in the carrots and celery. Let it cook for about 2 mins until soft.

4. Now add in the basil and tomato purée.Let it cook for 3 mins. Then proceed to adding oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for more 2 mins.

5. The colour of the sauce would have changed by now. Get it off heat and keep aside.

Assembling the Cannelloni:

Remember to preheat the oven at 200°C for 15 mins before you assemble.

1. Now in a baking dish, place a few basil leaves randomly (optional). Then spread a generous layer of the rustic tomato sauce.

2. Divide the filling into 4 equal portions. In a separate plate or a flat surface, place one lasagne sheet and place one portion of the filling at either end of the sheet. Carefully roll and place it on the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 3 lasagne sheets.

3. Once all have been placed, spread the remaining creamy cheese sauce covering the cannelloni. Sprinkle some grated mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 -12 mins at 180°C.

4. Once ready just sprinkle some chopped parsley and serve.

Enjoy!!

Notes & Tips:

1. For Jains:

• The creamy cheese sauce remains as it is.
• In the rustic tomato sauce, you may omit the onions and garlic. Celery and carrots too. Instead just add 1-2 bay leaf, tomato purée  basil (7-8) and 1 tbsp mix herbs (oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary etc.) Let it boil for 3-5 mins and keep aside.
• For the Spinach filling, instead of garlic add ½ tsp finely chopped ginger. You may substitute mushrooms for ¾ cup boiled corn kernels.
• Proceed as it is!

2. Alternatively, spinach can be combined with cottage cheese or corn.

3. I boiled the lasagne in the same water that I used for blanching the spinach! 

4. The creamy cheese sauce is similar to our regular white sauce. We just add in the cheese and fresh cream to make it richer!

Leave your experiences in the comments section! I'd love to know how did you like it!