Daring bakers-Chocolate Pavlovas with Mascarpone Mousse

This month,pavlovas was not tough for me..But still an excitement whether it works or not.....My day life keeps me busy,i always opt to work and bake at late nights...And,again i have to get up early in the morning to do the cooking...I made it at nick of the time...

According to Wikipedia, Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna pavlova Colloquially referred to as “pav”, it is a cake similar to meringue with a crispy crust and soft, light inner.  The dessert is believed to have been created to honour the dancer during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Where it was created and the nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but research indicates New Zealand as the source.


The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Just whip the egg white,gradually adding the half cup of granulated sugar and Quarter cup of castor sugar 

Whip it in low speed till u reach the peak

Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and Fold the cream

Pipe the cream and bake them at 100 C for 2-3 hrs

until it turns crispy ...I piped some like cookies,which baked quicker than bigger scoops..

I thought it is macarons for last month DB challenge...But this time it is....The chocolate pavlovas tasted yummy....really cant have just one....

The mousse part ,i tried with homemade mascarpone cheese...I luv mousse which i tried here....

I couldnt over do the decoration beyond this....We enjoyed dipping the cherries in mousse and crispy pavlovas.. 

Tiramisu cake

This is my 200th post of my blog....Happy i reached finally...i still have loads of pictures and restaurant reviews waiting to upload...Whenever i open blogger in chrome,its show unavailable..This time,luckily i made my mind to type few recipes in one go...This was one fine afternoon,me and hansika planned to make a cake..Thats tiramisu cake..I was thrilled to do clicking ,while she is busy biting..

I am sure people who r not good in baking...can try this cake or cheesecake...

First step:Beat four egg yolks in double boiler nonstop until it turns creamy not into crumbles

Beat the egg and softened cream cheese(8 oz)

Beat fresh cream till it turns to creamy in ice berth

Mix the egg mixture and fresh cream 

Get ready with thick black coffee as strong as u like

Use a Spring form pan,sprinkle some coffee

Pour the cream cheese mixture 

Grate some chocolate over it..Repeat same process.. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours

Tiramisu cake is ready to serve...

Gauva Squash

I hate cloudy days...I luv sunny days that helps me to stay active...but this summer in chennai is not worthy..It was cloudy and raining most of the days....My mom brings home, variety of squashes of kissan brand..Me and my dad give a weird look wht she can do with it..When the guest arrives ,she mix it with cool water and ice cubes and serve them..Later,the Tang brand was in....

But i luv sipping nannari juice...which is my most favorite...But i never made it...I love Manama/Mala 's squashes for past a year...They have wide no of flavors like 65...My most favorite is Ginger and Lime Mix and this guava flavor....Simply Superb...

Cheers to Sun for coming home.....

Corn Pizza

Corn Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza base-1

Pizza Sauce-half cup

Any grated veggies or meat-optional

Cooked Sweet Corn-half cup

Mozzarella cheese--Quater cup

Method

1.Spread the sauce on the base

2.Sprinkle veggies,corn and cheese

3.Bake them at 180 C degrees until cheese melts and spreads

Sending this recipe to Srivalli's Kids Delight

Princess Cake

My daughter hansika turned three years yesterday..She is one big surprise power pack for my family....If she wants to play or dance...she do it for hours...Her toes never stand in a place for a micro second....She keeps me in attention throughout the day...She luvs being with me,while i cook..She puts a chair in kitchen and play with utensils..Whoever seen her never fail to ask me,how u manage her....

I never beat my child,but hoping she will understand everything.....As a mother,I care and let her what she wants to be...We try to explain even if she cant stop doing naughty..She luvs socializing and learning new things..She also luvs locking me inside the room..Yes..My daughter is my biggest challenge that i ever faced in my life...She is the one who turns me more polite and attentive..And happy to welcome her birthday as she can grow and mature....

My father is so fascinated about birthday parties...I had very grand parties till my sweet sixteen...Later,I stopped him,as i felt more shy to continue every year..Instead,We planned to spend a lunch in old age home(Vijaya old age) in thanjavur...Till now,my parents are going there for my every birthday and having a lunch with them...For,Hansika's first birthday,I felt she is my best gift from god...I wanted to celebrate it...So,It was a grand party.....Then,It became closed  door celebrations..For Second one,We gifted food to kakum karangal in chennai...This year,my DH helped paying educational fees for many people...But we got to cut the cake in one of our usual socializing club....Hansika enjoyed the cake and her birthday a lot.. She was dancing till the midnight...

Finding a needy person is difficult..But still ,there are some...Help poor and See the god through their eyes.. Even if u dont believe in god,pls help others...There are still loads of unpaid medical/school fees and starving poor people.... If we cant care them, who else.. I kindly request each of u to help others and be peacemakers.. 

The cake theme was decided by me...Every year this girl had black forest,this time i planned for princess cake...and first time,i am making the cake with buttercream icing....

My husband hates icing ,he complains its too sweet to all icing recipes i ever tried...
but my daughter,she is just crazy of it...

Here is how to make princess cake and buttercream icing for kids......

Ingredients

Cake Mix-2

Icing Sugar-500 gms

 White Butter-250 gms

Milk-2-3 tbsp

Vanilla essence -2 tsp

Utensils

Star nozil/tip-16 and 21

 Piping bag

Pink color

Spatula knife

Turn and Trim rotating tray

Some Sprinkle goodies

Icing Tips

*Buttercream icing is very basic icing

*I used icing sugar(from store),cos of its fine texture..

* The icing should be not flowing like batter nor like a dough

*Icing Sugar and Butter tends to react with room temperature faster

So..keep it cool :-)

*The Swirls and the lines are the basic decorating skills on icing

*Bake the cake,cool it and freeze it to avoid more crumbs while decorating

*The butter may contain water,spoils the icing....so buy the best one

I luved it...It made me work really fast and handy for the cake to decorate

I used disposable bag

I dont get wooden base,so i used this cake stand and covered it with cling form..

Layer the cake and trim as u like

Add the icing sugar ,milk and vanilla essence

Add the half quantiy of butter and mix it well(dont beat)
I used yellow butter,since i didnt get the white butter

Add some more butter and make thick consistency like this

Rest it for 5 minutes to go well incorporated
So...it doesnt mean u have to use all the butter

Add the food color 

When u wipe the cream,it should be like this...

Apply around the cake,with spatula knife

Leave for five minutes to shape up well ;-)

Now its almost done...

If u find any uneven icing,apply some more icing and shape it with spatula knife

Now it is piping time..

Fold the piping bag to reach the tip and add the buttercream..

Pull the cream towards the end and fold the edges

Practice with similar size of stars and swirls..

if the icing is too watery,u cannot do piping well 

Learn to write some letters...work on ur not-so good letters

I did the swirl piping in ends

This pale pink icing was little watery than the icing i made for entire cake

The swirls started spreading out

I did the stars around the cake

Insert the doll and Pipe a dress for the princess 

which is censored here ;-)

Once done ,move it to fridge...

Yummy Princess Cake is Ready for a cut!!!

Dindigul Thalappakatti-Restaurant Review

Food is the biggest asset of chennai,U name it,they have it.Chennai is the most multi-cultured city ,next to bangalore...For every ten steps,there is a chat shop.Like infinity tea stalls,there are biryani stalls and kaiyethi  bhavans...From Mexican to udipi,the city is so versatile and became foodie's best paradise...

Ten years back,South indians dont eat outside food ,not even in weddings they attend...But now,It is must to eat which is more affordable and tasty too...

People have changed a lot...So ,here I am..Ready to give Restaurant reviews in chennai...I will be strict,not going to compromise for any reason....But,It doesn't mean I am going to hate all the places i visit :-P

    My First (controversial) place is Dindugal Thalappakatti(3 star nonveg restaurant) ,Which opened a year ago in Annanagar.Chennai got loads of Thalapakattu biryani (francised )stalls in almost every single km....This restuarant took legal rights on naming their biryani on stalls.....

It is a big question whts in the name?..People going to come back only if the food tastes good.The Thalappakatti won the case and also people's heart with their good culinary skills

The restaurant is crowded like a theater in weekends...It took almost an hour to get a seat....That doesnt stop me being there,thrice .My most favourite dishes are Karimeen Porichathu,Thalappakatti Chicken curry and their biryani

Usually,we never order biryani ,because most of the hotels got bland biryani in chennai....But here,worth a try...Its made with jeera rice and ghee....The quantity is far enough for single person,served with onion raita,thalsa and kurma..

We tried the south indian mutton soup which tasted like my pepper rasam

We ordered for Tandoori platter which sounds too much for two and all rounder

It had Tandoori chicken,Chicken tikka,fish tikka,Malai kebab,Tangri kebab,green prawn kebab and also had some mutton kebab...The mutton kebab tasted funny(Sounds weird as such...kebab with mutton pieces??!!) and also the malai kebab is not as tasty as the rest...Loved the fish tikka and Tangri Chicken...

They had jigarthanda served in small glass ,luked like some mocktail,but tasted yummy...My daughter didnt eat anything,so we ordered for icecream which was also good...People loved their icecreams and milkshakes...but not the fruits and fruit juices....Might not be too fresh...Cleanliness and Ambiance were crown of  the place...Serving time was short ,except for desserts..

About the Menucard....

The Menu has got completely different options ,they dont have regular south indian nonveg dishes,as every chettinad restaurants copies.....For example,Chicken Idichu Varutha curry,Karandi Omlette and Scrambed egg liver fry...My cousin told they have excellent mutton side dishes,while i loved their karimeen... 

At the end they served Sweetened Jeera and the Pakku goes missing,which is our tradition :(   The bill came around six hundred with taxes.....

Overall I rank this thalapakattu , four out of  five...

Check out

Dindigul Thalappakatti 

Restaurant F- 11 , 2nd Main Road Anna Nagar East Chennai # 26192323 / 26194300 / 26194200

Thalappakatti on faceook

Route Ideas -Take right in annanagar round tana signal(if you r from anna arch),Take first left to reach in.... 

Stuffed Chappathi

Big deal of making chappathi is,it has to be soft and layered...people try the dough with adding hot water,bananas to make best ones...But to me it is always,how u knead ..I use just normal water and salt...If it is fine,use Pillsbury Brand...Try to make soft dough(knead it for 2-3 minutes until it is well incorporated) and rest it for 10-20 minutes....The dough should be not too hard and not too sticky...

Better buy 100 percent atta that has no maida...If it has maida,U can find out while rolling the chappathis,it shrinks and when cooked,it turns rubbery(and ur shoulder pains)..so,dont believe the cover...

Roll the dough into thin chappathi

Apply some oil and sprinkle some wheat flour

Fold the chappathi 

Bring the edges together... Or u can also fold it like a hand kerchief

Roll them into chappathis again,without much pressure...

(U can do it by practice)

Cook the chappathi on tawa,wait until it pops..Turn over...

Apply oil once both sides r cooked

Slit one side of chappathi with knife or ladle

It luks like big pita bread....

I added the beaten half egg and onions 

Add anything u want and cook it for another minute in low flame

Stuffed chappathi is ready for happy eating without spilling...