Tag: Strawberry

Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake … with almond cream & fresh strawberries

“The great thing about cake is it doesn’t feel like work. You forget about work. Kids, adults, they all get the same look in their eye when they’re decorating cakes… That’s the magic right there.”
Duff Goldman

Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake

 Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake … made on the trot the other day before dashing off to Bangalore. There was a young, enthusiastic photographer coming over to shoot my profile for a newspaper feature on The New Indian Express … It’s a Feast For the Eyes. How could I not bake a cake?

There was plenty of stuff baked as I was going to be away for 2 days. Some Coffee Shortbread Cookies which I quickly turned into Coffee Shortbread Nutella Sandwich Cookies {absolutely divine}. Also on hand some recently baked Amaranth Oat Walnut Ginger Cookies {gluten free and eggless}, and a batch of Wholewheat Dark Chocolate Walnut Brownies. Of course, there is  always GF Multigrain Granola at home too …Yet, what’s a food porn photo-shoot sans cake? It was a mad rush that day so I had to keep it simple. Short on time, I reached for one of my most trusted recipes, a buttermilk pound cake which has evolved over the years. It’s a basic recipe that works with infinite combinations; a recipe never short on ideas!

I’ve made a buttermilk pound cake a million times in many avatars, my to-go recipe that lives in my head! Some of my favourites versions are the Buttermilk Chocolate Pound Cake, Whole Wheat Coffee Dark Chocolate Pound Cake and the Tres Leches Wholewheat Lemon Pound Cake.

This one turned out to be a hit too. Light, full of flavour with a silky almond whipped cream topping. Fresh sweet strawberries added the right oomph to it; a burst of colour too. You can use any seasonal berries, actually any seasonal fruit for that matter. Mangoes, litchi, kiwi, oranges, plums … all fruit pair well with almond and vanilla!

Photography is sacrosanct and as vital as the written content for Deeba Rajpal, a celebrated food blogger from Gurgaon, who churns out scrumptious recipes and snaps their exquisite replicas for her website Passionate About Baking.

“We eat with our eyes first cannot be understated in today’s increasingly visual and dynamic world. The photographs should complement the recipe and build a food connect with the reader,” says Deeba, who banks on her aesthetic sense, eye for detail and Canon camera for desired captures.… read the rest of the feature on TNIE

[print_this]Recipe: Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake

Summary: A healthier & delicious version of the pound cake, one that works with infinite combinations; a recipe never short on ideas! The good thing about the Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake is that is made of whole grain only. Another plus that it doubles up as a tea time favourite, a snack box filler AND a light, healthy dessert too!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:

  • Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake
  • 150g whole wheat flour
  • 55g almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 100g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 200g vanilla sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
  • 100ml cultured buttermilk
  • Almond Whipped Cream
  • 100ml low fat cream, chilled
  • 30g icing sugar
  • Few drops almond extract
  • 50-75 fresh strawberries
  • Handful fresh mint leaves

Method:

  1. Wholewheat Almond Buttermilk Pound Cake
  2. Grease and flour the sides of a 8″ ring tin, Line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.
  3. Preheat the oven to 170C.
  4. Sift the wholewheat and almond flour / almond meal with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve.
  5. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, almond extract and vanilla bean powder.
  6. With beater on low add the flour mix and buttermilk alternately in three lots.
  7. Bake for 50-60 minutes till golden brown on top, and the tester comes out clean.
  8. Top with almond whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
  9. Almond whipped cream
  10. Whip the cream, sugar and almond extract until medium peaks.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Dragon fruit & Strawberry Christmas Jelly … Merry Xmas

“Christmas, here again. Let us raise a loving cup:
Peace on earth, goodwill to men,
And make them do the washing up”
Wendy Cope

Dragon fruit & Strawberry Christmas Jelly … these were plenty fun to make and absolutely delicious {if I may so so myself}. Couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the bells, to colour our world with the red, white & green. They seemed so right!!

That they turned out goblet scraping good was an added bonus. Everyone, young & old, loved them. The kids begged for seconds. And thirds. Goblets, glasses, shooters. All fun!Remember my very recent the Tropical Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Thai fruit? These jellies were what I had in mind initially, yet the rice pudding came first. This a little later. Both eggless and both held their own spot in the dessert world. While I fell in love with the colours of the former, the latter played some more magic. Kid sorta magic!

Of course the Dragon fruit & Strawberry Christmas Jelly dessert is inspired. Inspired by the Strawberry and Vanilla Macaron Trifles I made in Dec 2010 adapted minimally from a Donna Hay recipe. They were absolute crowd pleasers then. The story the same this year as well.

The magic lies in the beauty and simplicity of the fruit juice jelly with suspended fresh fruit within. One look at the dragon fruit, the black and white contrast, and the luscious strawberries in the fridge … and a small voice in my head said “Why not? Why ever not?”

So to keep with the flavours, I did a mixed jelly … litchi juice for the dragon fruit and cranberry juice for the strawberries. How good can good get? The result was fab. I know because I could hear the goblets being scraped clean. Thankfully there was plenty.

There is nothing like glassware to set jelly in. I used a variety of glassware just because I wasn’t in the mood for monotony. I used brandy goblets, stemmed glasses and a few shot glasses too. I think stemless brandy glasses would work well too. Or maybe these beauties from Urban Dazzle which are one of my favourites.

The dessert needs a little pre-planning. Since there are two flavours of jelly, one needs to set first, then the other follows. I was a bit impatient so the colours merged a little. No issues though. They still tasted brilliant. I think I managed one a little closer to how I would have liked them all to be.

Dressing up the jellies is the fun part. Pipe over some barely sweetened low fat pillowy soft cream {I used an Ikea funnel}, garnish with colourful fruit, add a sprig of fresh mint … and go HO HO HO!!

Have a safe, delicious and fun holiday season. Joyeux Noël dear readers, Merry Christmas!

[print_this]

Recipe:Dragon fruit & Strawberry Christmas Jelly 

Summary: Light, healthy, delicious Dragon fruit & Strawberry Christmas Jelly holiday desserts for the young and old alike. Serve them in an array of glasses to keep the mood fun and joyful! Use other seasonal fruit paired with juice of your choice for a variation.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes, plus setting time
Ingredients:

  • Litchi Dragon fruit Jelly
  • 500ml litchi juice
  • 2tsp gelatin powder
  • 50g sugar
  • 1 dragon fruit, skinned, diced {reserve some for topping}
  • Cranberry Strawberry Jelly 
  • 500ml cranberry juice
  • 2tsp gelatin
  • 50g sugar
  • 200g strawberries {reserve 2-3 for topping}
  • Cream topping
  • 200g low fat cream, chilled
  • 1/4t strawberry essence
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • Fresh mint for garnish

Method:

  1. Litchi Jelly
  2. Place the gelatin and ½ cup {125ml} litchi juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the remaining litchi juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
  3. Cranberry Jelly 
  4. Place the gelatin and ½ cup {125ml} cranberry juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatin is absorbed. Place the remaining cranberry juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
  5. Assemble
  6. Divide the dragon fruit in the base of the serving glasses/bowls and pour over the litchi jelly mixture. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours until set. {I put mine in the freezer for a little bit}.
  7. Once the jelly is firm and pretty set, divide the strawberries over the set litchi jelly. Gently pour the cranberry jelly over the strawberries. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours until set. {Mine took almost overnight to set}.
  8. Top with whipped cream {pipe or funnel into the glassware so that the edges don’t get messy}.
  9. Garnish with fresh cut fruit, sprigs of mint and chill until ready to serve.
  10. Note: You can set the jellies 2-3 days in advance. Add the fresh fruit and mint closer to serving or it may lose its appeal.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Red Berry Crumbles … Around the World with the Tadka Girls {a book review}

“Each individual has a unique food personality. The key is finding the balance point at which you feel great and are healthy.”
Rachel Frank

Red Berry Crumbles from a chick lit cookbook. A youthful, racy, around the world in 80 recipes cookbook with a catch to every name. The Tadka girls who blog at Tadka Pasta present fresh and imaginative recipes from their repertoire of travelling the globe. From the bylanes of Shanghai to the farmers market of Santa Monica, they leave no stone unturned. Their experiments in different cuisines have a personal touch … the inimitable Indian Tadka style of their own kitchen.

Ranjini Rao and Ruchira Ramanujan offer you flavours galore, sometimes quirky enough to make you sit up. Real life stories accompany each recipe, setting the scene and connect that make the book more interesting. At times however, the written word tends to get cumbersome. You want to get to the recipe quick.

With the book nicely divided into interesting sections – like bites n brews, sweet treats, signature tadka, funnibles etc, there’s plenty in it for everyone. The Red Berry Crumbles was a recipe I enjoyed. Good for an everyday dessert. Go a step further, perk it up a little and make it special for the holiday season!

The layout and design of the book is something I like; the simple scrapbook layout which adds to the appeal. Not overpowering, yet aesthetic. Notes with almost every recipe are quite welcome. It is thoughts like this that make a difference!

What should I try first from the book? I thought I’d hand it out to junior. NOT something sweet I ‘gently suggested’ {read instructed}! He came back within minutes mumbling Red Berry Crumble. When I said there aren’t the sort of local berries here that we you see in the book, he was quick to retort … they say you can use strawberries! Kids grow up faster than you can imagine. Smarter too. “I checked the ingredients,” he said.

At times the recipe title font {and dual headings} confuse. Different fonts and different header designs salt and pepper the book. I think fun stuff like this is possibly targeted at the younger reader, new adventurous cooks in the kitchen. The recipes infuse new life into old classics, a pinch of chaat masala here, a tadka there!

Multigrain tortillas, DIY Oatnut bread, green chutney pesto, cawliflower soup, Tadka’s own chicken curry, chocolate bark, sundried tomato and herb crackers, Tadka style baklava dessert … yumminess aplenty. An African touch here, a Persian footprint there. Interesting indeed!

The Red Berry Crumbles offer a burst of colour, texture and fun! They bring alive the holiday season. A crumble is right up our street. This looked and smelt fab as it stepped out of the oven! I added some extra fruit to accommodate an extra serving. I also substituted the plain flour in the crumble topping with whole wheat flour.

That’s just how crumbles are … very accomodating and simmering in rustic goodness. In a few recipes, I find some basic standardisation missing. It’s best to either go with cup measurements or weight. A combination of the two in the same recipe makes me want to retype and correct!

A serving of light cream on the side, or some ice cream as suggested by the girls, will dress up this simple weekday dessert for guests. I think you can assemble it in advance and pop it into the oven about an hour before dinner! The red juices that spill out of the ramekins will win you over!!

The crumble was delicious. The flavours paired beautifully. We loved it!! You could use frozen berries if you like! I threw in some frozen mulberries too. I leave you to dive into the recipe, while I go to explore the book some more!

Before I sign off I’d like to thank Praveen for including Passionate About Baking in the list of the Top Indian Food Blogs of 2013. I am honoured to be part of the list. Humbled too!

[print_this]Recipe: Red Berry Crumbles 

Summary: A bubbly dessert which is sweet, tart and even mildly spiced. This rustic red berry crumble is a melange of flavours and textures from Around the World with the Tadka Girls

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:

  • The Berry filling
  • Juice of 1/2 orange
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped orange zest
  • 1 tbsp all -purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • A dash of chaat masala powder
  • 12 strawberries {fresh or frozen, {do not thaw}
  • 100g raspberries or blueberries
  • The crumble topping
  • 1/3 cup maida {I used whole wheat flour & it worked just fine}
  • 60g cold, unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp oats
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method:

  1. The berry filling
  2. Stir together the orange juice, zest, flour sugar, salt and chat masala in a medium sized bowl.
  3. Slice the strawberries and mix gently with the other ingredients in the bowl.
  4. Set aside while you prepare the crumble
  5. The crumble topping
  6. Place all the ingredients except the walnuts, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  7. Refrigerate till it’s ready to go into the oven
  8. To assemble the crumble
  9. Preheat the oven to 190C
  10. Divide the berry filling into four buttered ramekins, or use a larger baking dish
  11. Sprinkle the topping evenly on top of the filling.
  12. Scatter the chopped walnuts over the filling.
  13. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The tops will be browned crisp and the berry juies might bubble over slightly.
  14. Bring the crumble over to the table, and serve while it is still hot from the oven.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Lime Marzipan Mini Bundt Cakes … fresh and exciting ‘one bowl cakes’ for summer!

“Cake is happiness! If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!”
C. JoyBell C.

Lime Marzipan Mini Bundt Cakes … charming little tea cakes and a nice departure from my recent adventures with bittersweet chocolate. These little babies came together thanks to all the yummy food gifts I get ever so often. I am eternally grateful for them, they offer a constant source of inspiration.

Finla sent me some marzipan when Haan was visiting India a while ago. She sent me sacks full of stuff actually. So much that I think of her every time I bake because there is always a connect at the baking level. I was also at the receiving end of loads of other baking ingredients that another visiting friend from the UK brought for me.

It’s a touching feeling, nice to be at the receiving end I mean. Growing up, being at ‘that‘ end wasn’t always nice. Now it’s all good! For the baker in me, it can’t get better than this.

Summer has arrived in North India with a vengeance. Not yet into May and we are already hitting the 40C mark. The promise of stone fruit, summer berries, litchis, mangoes and melons lures me, but there’s work to do. I need to get the perishables into the fridge. Can’t leave even chocolate out as ‘room temperature‘ is another story!

 Everything melts … E V E R Y T H I N G! Even poor Coco looks like she will melt, eyes and all! 

So as I sat settling stuff into my ‘baking fridge,‘ I found many yummy ingredients. So rather than settling stuff, I settled down to bake something I had bookmarked – A Lemon Marzipan Cake. It would need to go the lime way though, as we are not a ‘lemon country‘.

My penchant for mini servings and petite cakes cannot be understated. I reached out for my sweet little mini bundt cake tin that I had bought from Old Delhi in 2009. For some reason I didn’t use it until 2 weeks ago. That was the first time {post yet to see light of day} but I was smitten! A mini bundt tray is a brilliant idea.

I loved the Lime Marzipan Mini Bundt Cakes.  The batter gave me a bakers dozen – 12 mini bundts and one a little bigger! The texture of the batter was interesting; almost thick and sticky. Must have been the golden syrup doing something in there. The consistency was somewhere in between a cake batter and a cookie batter! It did get me a little unsure but then again, it was ready to bake!

This is my first time using marzipan in a cake. It added delicious new dimensions to these petite cakes. The lime and marzipan paired beautifully, the glaze adding a nice touch to them. I like mini bundts because you have the choice of adding a teeny helping of fresh fruit, or a dessert sauce, or whipped cream, maybe even preserves. For food on the go, a picnic or snack box, they are good to go as is!

It’s always fun when the kids get back in from school. The first question always is – what did you do {as in make in food terms} today. All roads lead to the kitchen! From sudden peace and quiet, it’s always a burst of activity, dog happier than ever that the kids are finally home!

So I served them mini bundts with fresh fruit, strawberries and mulberries, and strawberry & mulberry smoothies on the side! Colourful, pretty and fun, I was glad I made these little bundts! Simple, ONE BOWL {yes indeed} and fuss free, it’s a great recipe to have on hand.

[print_this]

Recipe: Lime Marzipan Mini Bundt Cakes 

Summary: Lime Marzipan Mini Bundt Cakes … charming little cakes that seem perfect for a tea table, picnic, snack box or as a gift. Simple one bowl petite cakes that are fresh and exciting. A Tate & Lyle recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 125g golden marzipan
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 115g soft butter
  • 115g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Caster Sugar {I used 100g}
  • 75g Lyle’s Golden Syrup
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 2 large lime {or 1 large lemon}, grated zest
  • Icing:
  • 1 tbsp lime juice {lemon juice}
  • 75g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Icing Sugar

Method:

  1.  Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 12 mold mini bundt tray or line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.
  2. Cut the marzipan into small pieces and toss in a teaspoon of the flour. {It’s easier to chop marzipan when it’s chilled}
  3. Sift the remaining flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the butter, Tate & Lyle Fairtrade sugar, Lyle’s golden syrup, eggs, milk and lemon zest and beat together until well mixed and smooth. Fold in the marzipan bits gently.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes {or 40-45 minutes for the loaf tin} or until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
  5. Mix the lime juice and icing sugar together and stir until smooth, when the cake is cool drizzle over the top and leave to set.
  6. Note: Serve with fresh seasonal fruit if you like.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas … sweet indulgence!

“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
Ernestine Ulmer

Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas! They weren’t for V Day; coincidentally just got made the same day. Himanshu messaged early in the morning on FB and we began discussing feet, macarons, failed feet, Mactweets and what not. I had a batch of egg whites in the freezer. The egg whites ex the Kumquat & Strawberry Tiramisu Charlotte were frozen for tempting times like this. I had some more frozen ex a batch of lime curd I had made for a recipe feature in Good Housekeeping. Egg whites are sweet creatures, maintenance free, and ever obliging. Happy to be frozen, and equally happy to defrost! I got mac-nostalgic and brought them down. Then the day got real, took on proportions that were very macaron unfriendly…I almost convinced myself to make macarons with the whites, the only problem with the beauties is the high risk of failure. That day had already had a tiring beginning. I was in no mood to punish myself. Besides, I find macarons really pretty to look at but sometimes too sweet to eat. Is it only me? Anyone else? I’ve had Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas on my mind for long! I’ve made others before – Tropical Fruit Pavlova  and Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse, Brandied Cherries and Peaches. However, the double chocolate ones at What Katie Ate dance in my head almost every time I see strawberries! Must be something about the V Day over-hype but the passionate red strawberries did shout out to me. India isn’t raspberry country yet something tells me that in the years to come, raspberries and blueberry punnets might flood the market. There was a time when we used to crave good fresh strawberries. Now we are spoilt for choice twice or thrice a year! I made Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas instead. There’s no recipe for chocolate pavlova that is as often used as Nigellas, and I found it a couple of years ago at WKA! If you want to indulge yourself in goodness and spoil yourself silly, look no further …

The Domestic Goddess does it the best, and in indulgent style. Pavlovas are pretty simple creatures. A few basics under your belt and you can churn them out with your eyes shut. Do read Katies post for some pearls of pav wisdom!

[print_this]

Recipe: Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas 

Summary: The crisp exterior of meringues, the marshallow gooeyness of chocolate within make these Double Chocolate Strawberry Pavlovas a combination made in heaven. Dark chocolate, whipped cream and balsamic strawberries offer a stunning passionate dessert! Adapted minimally from Nigella.com via What Katie Ate 

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus cooling time
Ingredients:

  • Double Chocolate Meringues/Pavlovas
  • 6  egg whites
  • 300g raw sugar {or Castor sugar}
  • 3tbsp good quality cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
  • 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces
  • Topping
  • 3 punnets of fresh strawberries
  • 2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
  • 45g brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier {optional}
  • 500ml whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with a 1 tbsp of raw/Castor sugar
  • Dark chocolate

Method:

  1. Double Chocolate Meringues/Pavlovas
  2. Preheat oven to 180˚C
  3. Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and whisk until soft peaks form.
  4. Using a tablespoon at a time, add sugar into egg white mixture and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff and glossy. Be careful not to over-beat as it can start to separate. The mixture is ready once it forms stiff, glossy peaks and you can hold the bowl upside down without any of it falling out.
  5. Sift in the cocoa powder, add the vinegar and chopped up chocolate, using a large spoon slowly and carefully fold these into the egg white and sugar mixture until fully combined. It will be a light brown colour.
  6. Line 2 large, flat oven trays with baking parchment.
  7. Place a 9″ or 10″ dinnerplate on the middle of each tray and draw firmly around the edge with a pencil or pen to form a circle to help keep both pavlovas the same size. Flip the paper over so the ink/pencil lead is touching the tray side as opposed to the pavlova side, you’ll still be able to see the line through the paper. {I made smaller pavs}
  8. Load up each circle with the mixture, smoothing it out to the edge of the line you have just drawn, try to divide the mix equally so both have same volume of mix. A pavlova is not supposed to look perfect so feel free to form a few points and peaks if you want, when cooked they’ll crisp up and add a bit more interest visually.
  9. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 140˚C. Bake for 1hr to 1hr15mins. Do not open the oven door whilst the pavlova is baking.
  10. The pavlova is cooked when it looks crisp at the edges which will have started to crack slightly. The top will be dry but if you press on the underside it’ll give a little as the centre should be still a little squishy/soft. Place the pavlova back in the oven and leave the door slightly ajar, leave the pavlova to cool completely inside.
  11. Balsamic Strawberries
  12. Place strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan, and simmer till the strawberries become a little squishy yet still retain their shape somewhat. Strain the mixture and reserve the strawberries in a bowl. Return the liquid to the pan and reduce it to a thick sauce. Pour over the strawberries and cool completely. Stir through the Grand Marnier if desired or zest of 1 orange. It becomes thick and jam-like. Cool completely.
  13. Assemble
  14. When the pavlovas are completely cool, place one disc on a serving platter or cake stand and spoon a big wallop of cream on top followed by half the balsamic strawberries, and then place the second meringue disc on top. Again pile on a good amount of cream and the remainder of the balsamic strawberries  Grate some dark chocolate over and serve immediately.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India


Sweet Orange, Roasted Strawberry & Chocolate Buttermilk Rolls … the best of The Pioneer Woman

“I wanted to make a cookbook full of food that you’d absolutely love, because I love all of you.”
Ree Drummond

Of course I got tempted again! What’s not to love about Sweet Orange Rolls? The day I saw these delicious rolls from Rees new cookbook, I was in a trance. 24 hours later, my kitchen was enticingly orangey, deeply strawberryish … and like the best bakery in town. These Sweet Orange, Roasted Strawberry and Chocolate Buttermilk Rolls were winners.I knew they would be! I am a huge fan of The Pioneer Womans cinnamon roll dough, a dough I have endlessly experimented with outstanding results each time. If the Apple Cranberry Almond Olive Oil Pull-Apart Loaf & Popovers weren’t a screaming success enough, these Savoury Chili Cheese & Garlic Olive Oil Pull-Apart Bread reconfirmed it!So when I saw the dashing and talented {in Rees words of course, but seriously, it’s true} Brians post on  A Thought For Food, I knew my homemade bitter tangerine marmalade had found a new destination. This has turned out to be the yummiest one yet. It was a bread dessert waiting to be baked, and while I worked on the dough I made changes, just a few changes.Nothing radical as the basic recipe is a winner. I had some buttermilk on hand, so in it went instead of milk. Then, when I opened the fridge to take out the jar of marmalade, I couldn’t resist thinking the oranges might enjoy some colourful company …So the marmalade got slathered over with some roasted balsamic strawberries I had made the day before. These are delightful to have in the fridge. For times when you buy too many strawberries in temptation and then panic that they will spoil, this is a good recipe. It keeps them safe for at least a few days longer. I make small portions at a time and put them into fruit bakes, sandwich and top a cake with cream, or drizzle a few spoonfuls over a parfait or ice cream. You can see them in these – Quark Mousse Cake, Quarkauflauf, Eggless Caramel Cream Cakes. Just yesterday I topped a cheesecake with the left overs. So many ways and so much fun; taste, colour and variety all packed into one jar! Because they are oven roasted, they are nice and thick, they don’t ‘leak‘ extra liquid into the dough to make it soggy. To keep the ‘not so terrible any more’ teen happy I threw in some dark chocolate too. Orange, strawberry and chocolate together worked some magic in there to serve up some darned delicious dessert rolls! We loved them … LOTS! {I made 2 individual pop over rolls too with left over dough}.How do I describe something bursting with the freshness of orange, seduced by the heady combination of deep roasted strawberries and dark chocolate … ooeeey, gooeey, wonderful. They were fabulous warm, and very very good at room temperature. And with obligatory lashings of unsweetened low fat cream, even more DELICIOUS!This is my new favourite dessert – light, eggless, fruity, chocolaty. I love it! Dark chocolate only makes good things even gooder better. It’s adapted minimally from the Rees new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Food From My Frontier. If the recipe is anything to go by, the book has to be a winner.I made a half quantity and am glad I did. Half was hard to keep away from, how could we have  justified digging into 48 rolls? Next 24 to be made soon, and more bitter marmalade making coming up just for these! Yes, they were that good! Thank you Brian for the inspiration to bake this ‘miracle‘! Loved your ‘thought for food‘!

[print_this]Recipe: Sweet Orange, Roasted Strawberry & Chocolate Buttermilk Rolls

Summary: Sweet dessert rolls bursting with the freshness of orange flavour, seduced by deep roasted strawberries and then given the kick of dark chocolate … all ooeeey, gooeey, wonderful. Adapted minimally from The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Food From My Frontier

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes {plus resting time}
Ingredients:

  • Buttermilk Dough
  • 240ml {1 cup} buttermilk
  • 70gm {1/4 cup} granulated sugar
  • 60ml {1/4 cup} vegetable oil
  • 1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
  • 270gm {2 1/4 cups} all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Filling
  • 50gm {1/4 cup} unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 tbsp orange marmalade
  • 1 serving roasted balsamic strawberries {recipe follows}
  • 100gm dark chocolate chips {good quality}
  • 1/2 cup {1 stick} butter, melted
  • Icing
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 60gm {1/2 cup} powdered sugar
  • 50gm {1/4 cup} unsalted butter, melted
  • 2-3 tbsp milk, room temperature
  • Dash of salt
  • Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
  • 225gm strawberries
  • 30gm  {2tbsp} brown sugar
  • 15ml {1tbsp} balsamic vinegar

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan over low heat, heat the milk, granulated sugar, and oil until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and 2 cups of flour, then mix and transfer to a bowl. Cover and let it rise for at least an hour.
  2. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. {Thermomix: warm milk, sugar,oil, yeast and flour in TM bowl. Mix at Speed 6 for 5 seconds. Knead at intermittent speed for 2 minutes. Leave dough in TH for an hour until it doubles. Cover TM if weather is cold. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on reverse speed 2 for 10 seconds.}
  4. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 15 inches wide by 10 inches deep. You’ll want it to be as thin as you can get so that you can add plenty of goo.
    Drizzle the melted butter all over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to smear it all around so that it coats evenly.
  5. Spread the orange marmalade all over the buttered dough, distributing it as evenly as you can, followed by the roasted balsamic strawberries.  Sprinkle as much good quality dark chocolate all over the two …
  6. Using both hands in a back-and-forth motion, gradually roll the dough toward you into one long log. {I took a little long getting here, so the dough began to rise. It’s a slightly shaggy dough, so might be a good idea to roll it on parchment, especially if you fill it ‘up’ like I did!}
  7. Pinch the seam to seal it. Slice the log-o’-dough into 1/2 inch pieces.
  8. Preheat the oven to 190C. Place the rolls in a buttered baking dish and allow them to rise for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until nice and golden.
  9. While the rolls are baking, make the icing.  Add the zest and juice of 1 orange to a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and salt, some milk.
  10. Then some melted butter and whisk it together until it’s nice and smooth and lovely.
  11. Pull the rolls out of the oven when they’re golden brown and drizzle on the icing right off the bat. The piping hot rolls will suck that gorgeous icing right down into their crevices and the whole thing pretty much becomes a miracle.
  12. Serve them warm.
  13. Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
  14. Toss the quartered strawberries well with the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bake at 180C for about 45 minutes until nice and bubbly, stirring once or twice. Cool completely, transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate.

[/print_this]

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Please wait...

Subscribe to my newsletter

Want to be notified when the article is published? Do enter your email address and name below to be the first to know.
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER NOW
Exit mobile version