9 Jun 2014

Chocolate Cheesecake - a Guest Post by Anu | Easy No Bake Recipes

Today I am happy to have Anu from Anu's Kitchendelights! I love Anu's blog, the recipes that she posts are so awesome! So much of variety, she covers every area! Of course I love to go through her baked goodies, I have book marked many to try them out!


I'm really glad she agreed to do a guest post for me and I was eagerly waiting to see what she will come up with and I was so excited when she sent me a cheesecake and that too a chocolate one! For all the cakes I bake, I have never made a cheesecake! That's because I tasted a baked cheesecake somewhere and I did not like it! At all! And after that experience I have never dared to bake a cheesecake. 
After seeing Anu's recipe, I think I have to change my opinion and maybe try one!!




If you haven't already visited Anu's space do visit Anu's Kitchendelights for some amazing dishes!

Thank you Anu for agreeing to do this post for me!




I am really happy to do a guest post for one of my fellow blogger and friend, Beulah of Full Scoops. She is one of the supporter of my space and passes her comments in her best manner and  keeps inspiring. When she asked me to do a guest post i was really surprised and happy and so readily accepted. I asked her suggestion for the type of dish, and when she gave the choice of either baking or dessert, it was easy for me to go into cheesecakes. As she have a wonderful collection of desserts and cheesecake recipes I had to select something different that do justice to her blog. Her baking recipes are drooling and they have a professional touch that has inspired me.  




When I decided to go in for chocolate cheese cake, I should admit that I was keeping my fingers crossed thinking about how it would turn out.  Though I have already tried out cheese cakes, they were in very small short glasses just enough for 3 of us and this is the first time I'm making a cheese cake in bit more volume using a spring from pan. Fortunately it turned out well in-spite of hot and humid temperature here. I kept my recipe simple with my own proportions and adjustments.
They were creamy and chocolaty and perfect to foil in your mouth in no time. Luckily lighting was perfect here and i enjoyed taking my clicks which went up to 100 giving the food writer and food photographer in me great creative delights.  




Chocolate Cheese cake Recipe - Ingredients:
Preparation time: 8 hrs (including setting) | Cooking time: 30 mins | Recipe cuisine: World | Category: Dessert
                                                                                                                                For the Base:

  • Crushed Biscuits - 1 cup (digestive or crackers)
  • Butter - 4 tbsp
  • Coco powder - 2 tbsp (omit if using chocolate biscuits)
  • Powdered sugar - 2 tbsp
  • For the Cheese cake:
  • Cream Cheese - 1 cup
  • Heavy cream   - 1 cup
  • Sugar -    1 cup ( powdered)
  • Semi sweet/ Dark Chocolate - 1 cup + 1 tbsp butter
  • Agar Agar - 3 tbsp
  • Water - 1/2 cup

For Topping:

  • Chocolate shavings - 2-3 tbsp
  • Cherries - few to decorate
  • Whipped/ heavy cream - 1 scoop




Method:
To prepare base:
1. Crush the biscuits to a fine powder in a mixer. In a bowl mix the powdered biscuits, coco powder, sugar and melted butter and mix with your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs and butter is well incorporated.



2. Press this mixture over the base of a 8’ inch spring form pan or any tin with detachable base.



3. Refrigerate the base for about 1 hr. Meanwhile you can prepare the cheese filling.

To prepare Cheesecake:
1. Take the agar agar and soak it in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 mins.
2. In a bowl beat the cream cheese, heavy cream and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.



3. Melt the chocolate with butter using a double boiler method. Allow it to cool slightly and slowly stir in to the cheese mixture and mix well.



4. Place the china grass along with the water and allow it to melt stirring all the while on low flame. (Alternatively you can also microwave along with the water for 2 mins on med high). Once it melts completely pour it over the chocolate cheese mixture and stir well without any lumps.



5. Immediately pour the chocolate cheese mixture over the prepared biscuit crust. 
6. Cover and allow it to set in the refrigerator for 4 hrs or overnight.

Take it out and decorate with chocolate shavings and top it up with cherries and whipped cream.
Dig into these yummy treat.



Notes
1. Allow the agar agar to melt completely and add while it is still hot itself. You can also strain and add to avoid lumps.
2. If desired you can add another layer to this cheese cake with chocolate ganache or just simply melt milk chocolate and pour over it.
 
3. If you prefer using gelatin, use 1 tbsp of gelatin mixed in 4 tbsp of water. Mix it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then heat it in a microwave for 30 seconds. Allow to cool completely and then use.



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8 Jun 2014

Carrot Stir Fry / Carrot Poriyal Recipe

Carrot stir fry is an easy to make side dish for lunch. I make this quite often since this is one of the few veggies that my daughter eats. I have added very little spice for her sake, you can add more. And I prefer grating the carrots so that it will be easier for my daughter to eat. You can just chop the carrots into small pieces and make this stir fry.




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7 Jun 2014

Fruit Custard | Easy No Bake Recipes

This is one of the most favorite dessert made in my family. My early childhood memories are filled with this custard, we loved it growing up. My mum used to make this often as a way to sneak some fruits in us! I ate so much of this during my 1st pregnancy too! So many many memories of fruit custard!


Fruit Custard

This is an easy to make quick dessert and you will not have anybody complaining over this dessert! You can also make this custard with a single fruit, like this mango custard. That tastes good too!


Fruit Custard


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5 Jun 2014

Black Forest Trifle

If you love Black Forest Cake then this trifle is for you! This dessert has all the components of a black forest cake - the chocolate cake, cherries, whipped cream, chocolate shavings and it is also soaked with kirsch liqueur or the cherry syrup. This is a delightful dessert which can be served as individual servings after dinner or in parties. 


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4 Jun 2014

Prawn and Paneer Masala

This is the first time I tried this combination and I should say the taste was beyond my expectation. Paneer is such a versatile ingredient that you can add it to any dish and it tastes awesome! We loved it! This is again one of my anni's fabulous cooking!!




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3 Jun 2014

Masala Egg Rice

I thought of this recipe when I was making egg bhurji. After making it, I was thinking, it would be really yum to add rice to this masala and also would make an easy lunch recipe and a lunch box recipe.
So I set out to try it out one day for my husband's lunch box and it came out very well and tasted yum too!
I added freshly made rice but you can use left over rice too.




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1 Jun 2014

31 May 2014

Black Forest Cake / How to make a Black Forest Cake

Black Forest Cake is a very popular party cake. It originated in Germany and traditionally a black forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries and chocolate shavings. In a typical black forest cake each layer of chocolate cake is soaked with Kirschwasser - liquor distilled from cherry. Or it is even soaked with alcohol like rum or brandy. I normally soak the cake layers with fresh grape juice but this time I used the cherry syrup. You can even soak it with sugar syrup. For the cherries you can use the canned cherries that are available.




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30 May 2014

29 May 2014

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I baked some brownies after a very long time. I only bake a large batch when we have guests a home, for my sudden cravings, I always make my favorite 2 minute eggless brownie! It felt good to bake after a long gap! I made these for a friend who came over.
These brownies were awesome, so fudgy, just the way I like them! 




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