“I use a lot of spices, fresh veggies and fruit, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocado, soybeans and organic ingredients as often as possible. We need fat in our diets and using the healthier fats is key.” Todd English
Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.If you’ve been here often, you might have heard me say that garlic is my most favourite ingredient of all time, and more often than never, savoury is what my palette yearns for. I might bake a lot of sweet stuff, but when it comes to my taste-buds, it’s savoury all the way. I’ve attempted to infuse extra virgin olive oil a couple of times but I find the process tedious. I also find particles that get left behind which I fear might carry bacteria in the long run. So when Azafran Infusions came into my life, I was absolutely delighted.What’ s not to love about an infused olive oil? The flavours/aromas are rich, deep, earthy and add oodles to the dish. Also, the range is really nice. In the sense, I would use garlic, chili and basil most often and Azafran offers all three. However the brand scores even more brownie points. The infusions use organic products which is probably why the aromas are so deep. Great branding too.With this wonderful olive oil on hand, it was time to put it to test. Quick check of the pantry and fridge and I knew just what I wanted to make. Polenta crackers and a nutty eggplant dip. Both are simple, quick one bowl sort of recipes. A good handy stand mixer and blender can work magic in any kitchen. That magic can only come alive with quality ingredients. Both the crackers and dip turned out flavoursome and delicious. Paired together they created magic!!To get the cracker dough together, I threw in some grated cheddar. I love cheese in crackers. I always add garlic to crackers and this time my work was cut out! A generous glug of the garlic infusion from Azafaran and I was sorted. Gentle flavours of earthy garlic escaped from the oven the minute the crackers were done. So yum!!And what is dip without garlic. Yes indeed, another convenient glug into the blender brought out beautiful flavours. Make both the crackers and dip in advance. I have a mini pie pan so made some canapes as well. I love how pretty they look, and that they add an interesting dimension to a snack platter. I always try and make some while rolling out crackers. The dip gets thick once chilled, thick enough to pipe into canapes. Top the dip with slivers of fresh garlic, pomegranate pearls, fresh basil and a drizzle of the infused oil. Then sit back and enjoy!Other ways to enjoy oil infusions are in salad dressings, stir fries, marinades, over pizza, in bread, drizzled over bruschetta, as a dipping oil to serve with bread. Extra virgin olive oils in prettily packaged glass bottles are a charm. Always works for me. These make great gifts as well, don’t you think? I’m hoping the future sees more beautiful flavours added. On my wishlist might be rosemary, Italian herbs, orange, lime, sage …
…until then, I’m really loving using these three!
Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Polenta Crackers & Canapes
1/2cuppolenta
1cupall purpose flour
1tspbaking powder
1tspsmoked sea salt
1/4cupAzafran infusions (garlic)
50ggrated cheddar
1/4cupwater {as required}
Eggplant Melon Seed Dip
1eggplant, roasted, cooled
1/4cupAzafran infusions (garlic)
1/2cupmusk melon seeds
1/4cupyogurt
1limeJuice of
1/2tspsmoked paprika
Smoked sea salt to taste
Fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chilli flakes to garnish
Azafran organic garAzafran infusions (garlic) to drizzle over
Instructions
Polenta Crackers & Canapes
Place all ingredients except water in bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Add in enough water to make firm pliable dough. Leave to rest covered for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Roll out as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface and cut out with fluted cookie cutter {or in any shape you wish}.
Reduce oven temperature to 180C. Transfer cutout crackers to a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to get slightly golden.
Cool completely on cookie racks.
Note: You can make canapes the same way but in a mini pie pan if you like.
Eggplant Melon Seed Dip
Place all ingredients in bowl of blender and process until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a bowl, cover firmly and chill until ready to serve.
Garnish with fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chili flakes. Drizzle over Azafran Infusions (garlic)
Serve with crackers, or pipe into canapes.
Note: makes 1 1/2 dozen crackers + 1 dozen canapes
“The best we can do, to paraphrase Pollan, is to eat whole foods, mostly plants, and not too much.” A. J. Jacobs
Peach Cherry Quinoa Crumbles…. that’s how my quinoa crumbled and we loved it! With peaches and cherries falling off carts this year, and my quinoa obsession, the options are unlimited! Honestly, this was my best crumble to date! Gluten free, wholegrain and addictive good! Also a great way to use whole foods, something that fits in with my current obsession #makehalfyourgrainswholeSummer only means exciting times. This year even more exciting as stone fruit are falling off carts. This year the crop seems to have been particularly good. The season began quite early since summer came early. I also have this strange obsession and cannot stop myself from buying the fruit each time I go to the market, which basically means I am constantly thinking of new ways to use them.And then there’s my new wholegrain obsession with quinoa. It began a while ago when a friend got me some organic quinoa from the US. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough to get me going. Find a Whole Foods near you, grab some quinoa and try something new today. A friend, Dolphia, just commented on my Instagram handle @passionateaboutbaking … ‘Quinoa – I never thought I could use that in dessert.’
I’ve done loads with quinoa of late. Interestingly, the more I do, the more I want to do. This time I decided to experiment with a crumble. To have a crisp crumble, the topping has to be dryish or rather dehydrated to begin with, made crisp with cut in butter. I didn’t have quinoa flour, and making flour from scratch is a bit cumbersome. Besides, I had a small portion of cooked quinoa waiting for somewhere to go…And here’s where it went, to top these crumbles. I have to say I make crumbles every year, and these were my best to date. The good thing is that they are wholegrain, gluten free and ever so delicious. Healthy of course. What else would fruit and wholegrain be? What’s your favourite way with quinoa?
GF Peach Cherry Quinoa Crumbles…. that’s how my quinoa crumbled and we loved it! With peaches and cherries falling off carts this year, and my quinoa obsession, the options are unlimited! Honestly, this was my best crumble to date! Gluten free, wholegrain and addictive good! Also a great way to use whole foods, something that fits in with my current obsession #makehalfyourgrainswhole
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Ingredients
Stone Fruit Mix
6-8peachespitted, diced
2cupscherriespitted, halved
2tspcornflour
1/3cupbrown sugar
Juice of 1 lime
Few drops almond extract
Quinoa Oat Crumble Topping
1cupcooked quinoadehydrated {note below}
1/2cupwalnutsfinely chopped
1/3cupquick cooking oats
1/3cupbrown sugar
1/4cupchilled buttergrated
Instructions
Stone Fruit Mix
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients for the fruit mix well to coat.
Assemble
Divide the fruit mix into 6-8 ovenproof ramekins, including the liquid if any.
Divide the crumble mix equally over each, pressing down gently to make sure the top is well covered and sealed.
Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is crisp to touch, and maybe the juices are bubbling out.
Serve warm {or chilled as we like it} with a serving of unsweetened single cream!
Notes
Note : Dehydrated cooked quinoa. I spread the cooked quinoa on a oven proof platter and microwaved it for 6 minutes, a minute at a time, since I was experimenting. I think next time I will put it on an oven tray and leave in a low oven for about an hour.
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream … and how easy it was to bring the whole thing together using one basic magic machine in the kitchen. I’m talking about the Tefal Masterchef Gourmet that I recently received to review, and I have to say it is fab! Any new kitchen appliance is JOY for me, the prospects of using it to create something I enjoy, immense. Add to the experience the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan, and the joy doubled. I really enjoyed using the two.I’ve used Tefal products for a long time. Years ago when I worked with BA, I bought a lot of my appliances from the UK, and it was Tefal more often than never. I still have the Tefal Coffee Maker & Toaster for the 1990’s though it might well be a museum relic now! Just the nostalgia and connect to the days gone by made me happy to try the brand again now that it’s been launched in India.Unpacking the Tefal Masterchef Gourmet is like entering a candy shop. It has everything and more. The good thing about the machine is that it includes JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING you might need in the kitchen. Leaves you no requirement to buy additional appliances. I had to take a deep breath while unpacking as the bits and bobs seemed never-ending. I’ve yet to see a gourmet station that comes with a blender, slicer/shredder, meat mincer and juice extractor.I had to put it to use, and tried to churn out a cake using a few of the attachments. I have to say that the powerful 900W appliance did not disappoint. Seemed to do its job effortlessly and efficiently, with hardly any noise. My favourites were many, but the die cast beater that whipped up the cream to beautiful peaks won me over. Living here in India, that has to be one of the biggest challenges to making a layer cake with single whipping cream. {My secret is in the recipe below.}
Small amounts of cream just don’t get whipped up in large bowls, and often I reach for the electric hand beater. I like to make small desserts often for the family that are enjoyed and devoured quick. It gives me an opportunity to bake more often, keep experimenting and have fodder for the blog! It’s only when we have folk over that I need larger portions, and the large 4.6 litre capacity bowl works well for both.Thanks to its die cast beater and Flex Whisk Technology, the Masterchef Gourmet effortlessly whipped up the cream to beautiful peaks and made me SMILE! For me, that has to be the best thing ever. The appliance also effortlessly whips egg whites that are ultra fluffy and ultra airy, even from 1 egg up. That’s huge for me and for people who do home baking and need small portions. That it caters to larger portions as well is great!So I decided to experiment with a healthy chocolaty quinoa layer cake with a frosting, something much in line with my latest obsession of using whole grains. Add to it, the recent discovery of a love for quinoa, this was going to be fun. I put the blender to use for the quinoa, dark chocolate and wholegrain flour. The blender seemed light, yet was so efficient. It fits on top of the machine. It took me five minutes to figure out where it should go, but the French designed appliance had me covered. One look at the manual, and I found a neat hidden cap on the top.The appliance is very intuitive and fun to use. Within seconds, I had a crumb mix which I transferred into the large mixing bowl. In the next couple of minutes, I had batter. Really that simple! If you’d like a lighter cake, feel free to whip the single egg white separately, and fold it in gently towards the end.Flourless and wholegrain cakes generally have heavier crumbs, and it’s all a matter of taste. We love the bite and luxury whole grains offer. That said, I’m not a purist and I can’t wait to try a light as air sponge cake with the machine! Maybe that’s next!
While the cake was baking, I turned to the cherries. What a breeze. It aint no secret that I love good quality frying pans and this one from Tefal, the Hard Titanium Pan is my new love. Its Thermo-Spot ring turns full red when your pan reaches the right temperature for perfect searing. Fancy! The range has a pancake pan, a wokpan and 2 frypans.Also, you can use a metal spoon to stir, which is just so convenient. I don’t need to constantly switch between metal spoons I use everyday to special spatulas. And did I tell you that it’s easy clean? Yes, and how. I’m one of those who work in the kitchen and wash up everything and put them back when I’m done. The pan was a breeze to clean.So here’s the recipe, much in line with my current obsession of baking/cooking with whole grains and my hashtag of #makehalfyourgrainswhole. Happily, this is a trend that Tefal promotes too, “the emphasis is on family, sharing, and healthy ingredients“. You can make this cake eggless. Skip the egg, add a tbsp of yogurt but do note that the cake must be chilled and preferably not layered as the crumb is very delicate.You can also make it gluten free using oat flour instead of wholewheat flour. Same thing applies re the delicate crumb. Lastly, make this vegan by using coconut oil, coconut yogurt and coconut cream to experiment. I haven’t tried that yet but think of the immense possibilities. Once you have a kitchen appliance that works like magic sorted out, you can experiment endlessly! Have fun!
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream
Flourless and wholegrain cakes generally have heavier crumbs, and it's all a matter of taste. We love the bite and luxury whole grains offer. This Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream is a simple one bowl cake. Topped with luscious whipped cream and seasonal cherries makes it a great tea or birthday cake. Recipe can be easily doubled.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours5 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
100gcooked quinoachilled
100gdark chocolatechopped, room temperature
50gwholewheat flour
50gclarified butter/ghee
100gjaggery
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
15gcocoa powder
1tspbaking powder
1tbspyogurt {dahi}
Balsamic cherries
300gcherriespitted
2-3tbspbrown sugar
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1/2vanilla beanscraped {optional}
Simple Sugar Syrup
1/2cupWater
1/4cupraw sugar
1tbspKirsch {optional}
Whipped Almond Cream
200mlsingle creamchilled
30mlclarified butter/ghee
2-3tbspraw sugar
4-5drop almond extract
Topping
Fresh cherries
Sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Preheat the oven to 160C. Line the sides and base of a 4" springform round tin with parchment.
Place the quinoa, dark chocolate and wholewheat flour {or oats} in jar of Tefal blender. Attach to top of food processor and process for 10-15 seconds at a time, scraping down each time, until you get a breadcrumb like mix.
Place the above with remaining ingredients in the bowl of the Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet, with the paddle attachment fitted. Process on low speed for 30 seconds until you get a uniform mix. Don't overmix.
Transfer to prepared bowl. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then cool completely on rack. Cut into two horizontal layers.
Simple Sugar Syrup
While the cake is baking, place both the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts. Stir in Kirsch if using. Transfer to a small jug {or bowl}, and use same pan for cherries.
Balsamic cherries
Place all the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over low heat, stirring often. Feel free to use a metal spoon. Cook down until the syrup is nice and thick and the cherries are deep red. Allow to cool completely, transfer to a bowl. Chill.
Whipped Almond Cream
Place all ingredients in bowl of Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet with the whisking attachment fitted. Whisk on the highest speed for 4-5 minutes until the cream thickens and holds peaks. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Assemble
Place the lower layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake on a serving platter, and moisten with simple sugar syrup.
Top with half the Whipped Almond Cream, then half the Balsamic Cherries. Moisten the other layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with the sugar syrup and place on top.
Top with remaining cream. Garnish with fresh cherries and sprigs of fresh mint.
“There is not a thing that is more positive than bread.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Walnut Garlic Coriander Wholewheat Bread, another favourite artisan bread. It’s 100% wholegrain, the dough is beautiful, the bread tastes as good as ever… and it uses a beautiful new wholewheat flour mix from Aashirvaad that we’ve have used at home forever! For those who know me and follow me, I am still pretty obsessed with my #makehalfyourgrainswhole passion. I win some, I lose some, yet I LOVE experimenting.As you can see above, I bake a whole lot with wholewheat flour. So when this new variant of wholewheat flour, Aashirvaad Sugar Release Control Atta showed up at home I was pretty excited. We’ve used Aashirvaad Atta at home forever and ever. A lot of folk I talk to get their own grains and have them milled with a mix of lentils, fenugreek seeds etc. I tried that once but I found it difficult to sustain. We do use a lot of wholegrain flour at home.This new variant from makes me happy. The day it came, I baked bread! It was a 60% wholegrain loaf that turned out yum! Pretty too! It tasted just like what we use normally, so a little surprising that a stepped up variant is so within reach now. The GI value of the grain mix is 53, and the blend contains a portion of lentils, fenugreek and oats too!Nothing better than fresh home baked bread, and the success of the 60% bread made me bold enough to try a 100% wholewheat version. It didn’t disappoint. At all. Of course I like added flavour to my breads so in went some omega-3 rich walnuts, loads of fresh coriander, and a drizzle of fine quality extra virgin olive oil. That’s all a good bread needs in our home! Fresh herbs, nuts and olive oil and a wholegrain base!This Walnut Garlic Coriander Wholewheat Bread is bursting with goodness of the new wholewheat flour. Use herbs and nuts of your choice, play around with ingredients, but do make this. It’s healthy, it’s addictive, and bread baking is therapeutic. Above all, it’s so good for a 100% whole grain bread!! This is my new favourite wholegrain flour, and I’m loving it!There is so much and more you can do with it. Maybe wholewheat pita bread. All you need is falafals and hummus, a crisp salad, and you have a healthy balanced delicious meal! Or maybe bake wholegrain crackers! So YUM!! Serve them with some fun home made dips and you’re good to go!What would you make with a flour like this? I mean other than including it as an everyday pantry staple of course! I’ve used it quite a bit the last week or so. As basic dough for chapatis/flatbread, also for stuffed tandoori parathas. It behaves and tastes just like the regular flour. That it’s even healthier is a bonus. The low GI makes it diabetic friendly and an ideal pantry staple! I’m next thinking wholegrain chocolate chip cookies or cheese crackers.Oh, and did I tell you I baked a batch of Wholewheat Dark Chocolate After Eight Mint Cupcakes with the same flour mix two days ago? It’s a one bowl no brainer recipe filled with wholegrain goodness that I carried to the “Facebook: A Place to Connect” event at New Delhi. I was speaking there on Facebook Live, and you can catch me and my Aashirvaad Sugar Release Control Atta cupcakes on the link here!I’ll share that recipe soon as a WHOLE lot of folk have been asking me for it. Until then, here’s another peep into how good and moist the cupcakes were.
Now time for the Walnut Garlic Coriander Wholewheat Bread. This is just a new way of thinking food, or rather #EkNayiAadat with #Aashirvaad!
Nothing better than fresh home baked bread, and this Walnut Garlic Coriander Wholewheat Bread is bursting with goodness of this new wholewheat flour . It has great flavour. Use herbs and nuts of your choice, play around with ingredients, but do make this. It's healthy, it's addictive, bread baking is therapeutic and above all it's so good for a 100% whole grain bread!!
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour40 minutesminutes
Servings 1loaf
Ingredients
Walnut Garlic Coriander Dough
2cupsAashirvaad Sugar Release Control Atta
1tspyeast
1/2salt
1tsphoney
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1cupwater {approximately}
1tspgarlic powder {or 4 cloves minced}
1cupfresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2cupwalnuts, finely chopped
Topping
4-5walnut halves
Few sprigs fresh coriander
Himalayan pink rock salt
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over
Instructions
Walnut Garlic Coriander Dough
Add the wholewheat flour/Aashirvaad Sugar Release Control Atta, yeast, salt,garlic powder, honey and extra virgin olive oil to bowl of your stand mixer fitted with dough hook.
Stir to mix on speed 2, then knead for 5-7 minutes on speed 4 until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Add a few spoons of wholewheat flour if the dough is too wet, or a tbsp or two of water if too dense. We're looking for a soft dough.
Make a smooth ball, drizzle over some olive oil, and cover the bowl with cling-wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Place in a warm, draft free place for an hour or two until the dough doubles in size.
Form into a ball, drizzle over with a little olive oil, cover the stand mixer bowl with cling-wrap or a wet kitchen towel. Leave to rise in a warm, draft free place for an hour or two until doubled.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Take off the cling wrap or kitchen towel, add the finely chopped fresh coriander and walnuts to the same bowl and knead again briefly to mix.
Form into a loaf and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Topping
Paint top gently with damp fingers and sprinkle over some Himalayan rock salt and finely sliced garlic, push in walnut halves, and maybe add a sprig of fresh coriander.
Leave covered with a kitchen towel until the oven preheats to 200C. {20 minutes}
Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until golden brown and done. Serve warm or at room temperature.
“Remember, there are cookies waiting here for you.”
Dean Koontz
Eggless Wholegrain Buckwheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are cookies that come together in a matter of minutes, are fuss free and absolutely delicious. That they are 100% wholegrain makes them a winner. Swap the chocolate chips for raisins, maybe add some walnuts, or make them coffee chocolate chip cookies. Either way, these will disappear before you know it! This is pure comfort food.
While I shared the making of the eggless version in an instastory there the next day, I never really got down to sharing the recipe as I got busy with this & that. To cut a long story short, here you are – Eggless Wholegrain Buckwheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies! #healthy #indulgent #glutenfree
I love using buckwheat flour or “kuttu ka aata” while baking at home when fresh flour is available in the market. Often when the fasting season is on, the local market is flooded with freshly ground flour. Since buckwheat flour gets rancid easily, especially in warm temperatures, I buy a few bags and keep them in the freezer. A little goes a long way, and it’s always fun to experiment!
That this experiment also worked out quite well put me in a happy space. In any case, an eggless cookie experiment always behaves better than an eggless cake experiment! Often, using yogurt/dahi or flaxseeds work quite well.
Eggless Wholegrain Buckwheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Eggless Wholegrain Buckwheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are cookies that come together in a matter of minutes, are fuss free and absolutely delicious. That they are 100% wholegrain makes them a winner. Swap the chocolate chips for raisins, maybe add some walnuts, or make them coffee chocolate chip cookies. Either way, these will disappear before you know it! This is pure comfort food.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 20cookies
Ingredients
Dry Mix
75gquick cooking oats
75gbuckwheat flour {kuttu ka aata}
3/4tspbaking soda
pinchsalt
100gdark chocolate chips
Wet Mix
115gunsalted butter, room temperature
115gjaggery granules
15mlhoney
1tbspyogurt
1/2tspvanilla bean paste {or vanilla extract}
Instructions
Dry Mix
Place all the dry mix ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix.
Wet Mix
Place all the wet mix ingredients in bowl of stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and process for 2 minutes on speed 3.
Add the dry mix and stir with paddle attachment on slowest speed for 30 seconds.
Let the mixture stand/rest while you preheat the oven to 180C {15-20 minutes}
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Use good quality heavy duty cookie trays, else use 2 trays at a time for even baking.
Place scoops of cookie dough on the parchment, 2 inches apart, 12 on each sheet. Flatten gently with the tines of a fork. {Sprinkle over a few more chocolate chips if you are feeling particularly indulgent}
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the edges are done, light golden brown, and the centre is still a little soft. {Bake further 5 minutes if you like crisp cookies}. Watch closely towards the end so they don't get burnt.
Remove tray from oven, allow to stand for 5 minutes, then cool the cookies completely on the rack. Best eaten in a day or two.
“But don’t forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.”
Clarice Lispector
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries might well be my best cheesecake to date. Smooth, rich, indulgent, satisfying and quite impressive for something made so simple. It’s inspired of course by the Dark Chocolate Cheesecake which is an absolute winner recipe by Ruchira.I had to bake dessert the other day, another late decision, another fast track recipe. I wanted something different this time, something lighter, something more Spring. This was experimental, and we waited with baited breath while it was cut. One bite … and I knew it was a winner.It’s not always easy to throw in this and that, hoping things will work out. Sometimes stuff like this works, sometimes it’s a total disaster. This time around it was surprisingly a 100% success. There was nothing I’d change about this Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries recipe, and I’m glad I took notes as I threw things in.As I mentioned earlier, I was really short on time. I first put the white chocolate into the Thermomix and blitzed it into a fine powder, then just added the remaining ingredients and stirred everything together. Ideally, like most cheesecake recipes with chocolate, you need to first melt and cool the chocolate before adding it to the batter. Well, this worked fine for me, so I think that’s yet another chocolate cheesecake shortcut will turn too often. If you have a sturdy food processor, then it takes less than a minute to grind chocolate really fine. Do try it this way too someday!This Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake is the easiest as the base doesn’t need to be baked separately. Leaves you a ton of time to figure out how to top it. Maybe too much time because I went a little indulgent. Well, to be honest, it was a special occasion bake, so some luxurious vanilla bean spiked mascarpone was much in place. Then of course the strawberries. So much you can do with them! This season in North India has seen an EXCELLENT strawberry crop, possibly the best ever. I’ve used them in just about everything, and they’re still falling off carts in the city. A quick jam like reduction, some balsamic, some vanilla, a dash of lime juice and sugar of course yielded a beautiful topping for the Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake.
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone &; Strawberries
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries might well be my best cheesecake to date. Smooth, rich, indulgent, satisfying and quite impressive for something made so simple. A quick jam like reduction, some balsamic, some vanilla, a dash of lime juice and sugar of course yielded a beautiful topping for the cheesecake.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 9 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Biscuit base
185gdigestives biscuits
25gjaggery {or brown sugar}
55gbutter
White Chocolate Filling
200gwhite baking chocolate melted
300gcream cheese
400mlsingle cream
20gcornflour
4eggs
1/2tspvanilla bean paste {or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract}
100graw sugar
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
150gmascarpone cheese
25graw sugar
1/2tspvanilla bean paste
Strawberry Topping
250gstrawberrieschopped
Few sprigs fresh rosemary
100gsugar
1/2tspvanilla bean paste
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
Biscuit base
Whiz the biscuits and jaggery in food processor until you get a fine meal. Add butter, whiz again to mix. Press into 7-8" loose bottom tin. Chill in the freezer while you get the filling ready, and the oven preheats.
White Chocolate Filling
Preheat oven to 160C.
Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor, and blend well to mix, 1-2 minutes on medium speed.
Pour into crust, and bake for an hour.
Cool completely in the oven, then chill covered in the fridge, preferably overnight.
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
Place all ingredients in a large bowl an whisk until just mixed and smooth. Don't overmix. Spread over chilled cheesecake.
Strawberry Rosemary Topping
Place all ingredients except lime juice in a non reactive sauce pan. Simmer over low heat until it becomes jam like and reaches the desired consistency. Taste and adjust sweetness. Discard rosemary. Add lime juice if desired. Cool completely {Can be made a day ahead}. Top the Vanilla Mascarpone Cream with this.
Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.
