BAKING PARTNERS #5 – SHAPED DINNER ROLLS & HOLIDAY CAKES

We are a group of home bakers helping each other to achieve baking perfection.  Baking partners was begun by Swathi at Zesty South Indian Kitchen.

Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a  perfect recipe and the right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love to bake and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group. The main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic procedures if there are ways to improve and to eat delicious food.

 
I’m making up for last month, which was shaped dinner rolls and we had to choose 3 shapes, and I failed to post during the move.  This month’s theme is holiday cakes and I chose the Brazil Nut cake. 

For the dinner rolls I chose Lion House, Clover Leaf and small braid knots.  I loved the Lion house and small braid knots, but my clover leafs were embarrassing.

Loved the Brazil Nut Cake!

Faye Levy Chocolate Sensations, HP Books Inc., USA, 1986, p.22-23

Chocolate –Brazil Nut Cake

1-1/2 cups Brazilian nuts (about 7 oz)

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup Sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup (6 oz) unsalted butter slightly softened

6 eggs separated, room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Honey Frosting

½ cup whipping cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

6 tablespoons (3 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool

3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon honey

Garnish

¼ cup Brazil nuts chopped

  • Preheat oven to 350F(175C). 
  • Toast nuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer nuts into large strainer. Rub nuts against the strainer with a towel and remove most of the skin and keep aside.
  • Melt chocolate in double boiler or heatproof medium bowl over hot, not simmering, water over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, remove and set aside to cool.
  • Butter 9”x3” springform pan, line base with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides of the pan.
  • Grind the nuts with 2 tablespoons sugar into a fine powder. Transfer into a bowl and sift flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.
  • Cream butter and 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat till all 6 are blended and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate.
  • In another bowl beat egg white and cream of tartar in medium speed until it forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat till white are stiff and shiny but not dry.
  • Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the chocolate flour mixture, repeat folding in batches until batter is blended.
  • Transfer batter into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Using a spatula go around the cake gently and invert onto a cake rack and allow cooling completely.

Frosting

  • Bring cream to a full boil in a small saucepan remove from heat and immediately.
  • Add the chopped chocolate. Stir quickly till the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature. 
  • Whip this at high speed till it thickens and becomes pale.
  • Cream butter in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, gradually add the chocolate mixture and honey and beat well
  • Using a long spatula spread frosting evenly on the side and top of the cake. 
  • Fill the center with chopped Brazil nuts.

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

 

Baking Partners: 
A new Baking Group

A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nooks and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  
Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.
Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critique the procedure(s) if there are ways to improve, and to eat delicious food.
Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by the 16th of every month and the reveal date will be the 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.
First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will be able to learn more.
All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.
We appreciate the use of our logo or worded link that will help to spread the word.  A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo.
If you want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

Baking Partners are
1.    Reeni  – Cinnamon spice and everything nice

2.    Julie – Erivum Puliyumm
3.    Tina  – Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner
4.    Priya – Priya’s Versatile Recipes
5.    Suja – Kitchen Corner Try It
6.    Archana – Tangy Minds
7.    Reshmi  – EasY Cook
8.    Prathibha – Cook Ezee  
9.    Priya R – Cook Like Priya
10.  Sweatha – Tasty Curry leaf
11.  Vidhya – A Portion to Share
12.  Usha Rao – My Spicy Kitchen
13.  Divya Prakash – Divya’s Culinary Journey
14.  Swasthi Blank – Swasthi The Health Freak 
15.  Sanoli Ghosh – Sanoli’s Kitchen
16.  Pam Capone – Live Ranch Delux 
17.  Mirellie – Gourmet Global Creations
19.  Reshwani – Daily Cuppa
20.  Peachy – Peach Kitchen
21.  Aparna  – Mis(S) adventures of 3 cookies
23.  Gayathri – Gayathri’s Cook Spot
24.  Lorraine – Joy’s Misadventures
25.  Jayasri – Samyalarai
26.  Sowmya – Nivedhanam
27.  Anuja – Simple Baking
28.  Janani – Red Chilly Curry
29.  Ivy- Kopipaste
30.  Janaki – Janakidiary
31.  Samantha – SamanthaMenzies
32. Sarawathi –Sara’s Kitchen
33. Tamy- 3 Sides of Crazy
And
34. Swathi – Zesty South Indian Kitchen – Creator and Owner

BAKING PARTNERS

 

Baking Partners: 
A new Baking Group

A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nooks and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  
 
Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.
Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critique the procedure(s) if there are ways to improve, and to eat delicious food.
Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by the 16th of every month and the reveal date will be the 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.
First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will be able to learn more.
All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.
We appreciate the use of our logo or worded link that will help to spread the word.  A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo.
If you want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

Baking Partners are
1.    Reeni  – Cinnamon spice and everything nice

2.    Julie – Erivum Puliyumm
3.    Tina  – Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner
4.    Priya – Priya’s Versatile Recipes
5.    Suja – Kitchen Corner Try It
6.    Archana – Tangy Minds
7.    Reshmi  – EasY Cook
8.    Prathibha – Cook Ezee  
9.    Priya R – Cook Like Priya
10.  Sweatha – Tasty Curry leaf
11.  Vidhya – A Portion to Share
12.  Usha Rao – My Spicy Kitchen
13.  Divya Prakash – Divya’s Culinary Journey
14.  Swasthi Blank – Swasthi The Health Freak 
15.  Sanoli Ghosh – Sanoli’s Kitchen
16.  Pam Capone – Live Ranch Delux 
17.  Mirellie – Gourmet Global Creations
19.  Reshwani – Daily Cuppa
20.  Peachy – Peach Kitchen
21.  Aparna  – Mis(S) adventures of 3 cookies
23.  Gayathri – Gayathri’s Cook Spot
24.  Lorraine – Joy’s Misadventures
25.  Jayasri – Samyalarai
26.  Sowmya – Nivedhanam
27.  Anuja – Simple Baking
28.  Janani – Red Chilly Curry
29.  Ivy- Kopipaste
30.  Janaki – Janakidiary
31.  Samantha – SamanthaMenzies
32. Sarawathi –Sara’s Kitchen
33. Tamy- 3 Sides of Crazy
And
34. Swathi – Zesty South Indian Kitchen – Creator and Owner