Nan Khatai (Indian Butter Biscuits)

Today marks a very special day in the Hindu calender, Diwali. Diwali is known as the festival of lights, and is a wonderful time of year for Hindu families. Little lamps are lit in homes to usher in good fortune and happiness in the Hindu new year. Vast amounts of sumptuous food is enjoyed as part of the celebrations, including an array of sweets!

Nan Khatai is a simple little sweet one often sees around this time of year in Indian homes. I have tasted many, and tried many recipes. However, this recipe is one I have come up with myself after a good bit of tweaking and now stick to year in and year out. I love the balance of flavours, and I love the tenderness of the crumb in these delightful (and addictive) little biscuits.

Although simple, there are a couple of things key to ensuring perfection in making nan khatai. First, only use freshly ground cardamom - pre-packaged cardamom powder doesn't even come close to the beautiful aroma of freshly ground cardamom. It is the most exquisite scent! Secondly, don't overwork the dough. Last but certainly not least, let the dough rest. Really, it is much like making pastry. If you overwork the dough and fail to let it rest, you will end up with a very tough final product.

Nan Khatai
An original Diary of a Ladybird recipe

Ingredients
90g salted butter
35g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
1/2 teaspooon freshly ground cardamom
150g plain flour
45g white rice flour

Method
1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butters, sugar and cardamom until pale and creamy.
2. Mix in combined flour until just combined, then tip out mixture onto a clean work surface. Squeeze together and shape into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Remove dough from the fridge and take teaspoon amounts of the dough and roll into balls and set aside. I keep in a spare plastic container with a lid. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
4. Place spaced apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees celsius. Bake for around 15 minutes or until just lightly golden.


And so to those of you celebrating, I wish you all a very happy Diwali! I hope you enjoy this recipe :)

xx

The joy of creating birthday cakes

It is always an honour to be asked to make a cake for someone for a special occasion, but to be asked to create a cake celebrating someone's birthday is truly special... A birthday marks the day you made your debut to the world - and there is only one of you in the whole world, so what a special debut it is! It is for this reason that I genuinely love creating birthday cakes and cupcakes for others, regardless of whether I know the birthday girl/boy personally or not. I do love the feel good vibe of being involved in a happy occasion, even if it is in a very small way by making a cake...

I recently had the pleasure of making this birthday cake for a relative celebrating her 20th birthday. The brief was simple and to the point. Flavour? chocolate. Colour? red. Simple briefs like that are some of my favourite because they just beg for a little creative thinking. In this case, I created a 7 inch eggless chocolate cake layered with a lovely milk/dark chocolate ganache. I then decorated it with RTR fondant in a 50s inspired polka dot and bow theme for a girl who loves the colour red... Her smile upon seeing it was well worth the effort :)

Here is my 'go to' recipe for a lovely eggless chocolate cake - a must in a baker's repertoire in case of allergies or eggless preference orders!

Eggless Chocolate Cake

An adpated recipe from Divine Taste

Ingredients

200 gm (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

50 gm (1/4 cup) cocoa powder*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate
4 teaspoons caster sugar
1 tin/400gm sweetened condensed milk
150g unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp good quality vanilla essence
150 ml water

* I have had most success with 'Cadbury's Bournville Cocoa' from the supermarket. My trials with richer cocoa powders such a dutch cocoa powder have been unsuccessful.

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 100 - 120 degrees celcuis. Grease and line the bottom of a round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper. I used a 7 inch cake tin, but an 8 or 9 inch would work equally well.

2. Into a mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Whisk together briefly to ensure a uniform mixture.

3. Add in the condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and water. Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon just until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps. This shouldn’t take more than a minute with an electric hand mixer/beater. Be careful not to over beat as this tends to stiffen the batter which might result into a harder textured cake.

4. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for an hour at 150 degree celcius.

5. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, then ice/decorate as desired.

Tip: When baking cakes without eggs, it is essential to ensure you cake is cooked all the way through before removing it from the oven. Failure to do so will sadly result in a sunken cake... To avoid this, do a cake skewer test in the centre of the cake, even if you're confident it's cooked properly.

And voila, a beautiful chocolate cake - here is an innards shot!

Of course, the overall result with the flavour was enhanced by both the sugar syrup and chocolate ganache I used in assembling the cake before covering it with fondant. For your reference, here are the recipes to each of these.

Sugar Syrup

Recipe from the Planet Cake book by Paris Cutler

100g apricot jam

100ml boiling water

2 teaspoons Cointreau (optional)

- Whisk together the jam and hot water in a small bowl, then pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Once cool, stir in the liqueur and use as required.
- Some people like to brush layers of cake with a pastry brush, however, I often prefer a small (and of course, clean) spray bottle -  it's quick, easy, and no risk of brush fibres being left behind in the cake!


Milk/dark chocolate ganache
This is an original Diary of a Ladybird recipe which I believe is ideal for cakes/cupcakes for children or those who don't like dark chocolate very much)

400g dark chocolate, finely chopped
400g milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups pure cream

1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream to boiling point then remove from heat.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until combined.
4. Allow to cool and set (ideally) overnight.

Tips

- You can store extra ganache in the fridge for up to a week, but ensure your cream has at least a week's shelf life from the date you use it. Then when you need to use it, remove it from the fridge and soften it by warming it up in short bursts (10 - 15 seconds) in the microwave.

- If you are make a larger amount of ganache, you can store it in the freezer in smaller containers. Then just take it out and let it come up to room temperature before you need to use it. You can then soften it in the same way you would if it were straight out of the fridge.

Until next time, dear readers...
Ladybird xxx

How to make an eggless cake

Actually... let me make that - How to make a good eggless cake!

My mission to find a good, basic eggless cake recipe goes back years. Many of Mr Ladybird's family don't eat eggs, and as an avid baker I have always been on the lookout for baked goodies that they can enjoy without eggs, but without sacrificing on flavour and texture. I can't tell you how many eggless cake recipes I've tried in the past only to be disappointed by sometimes bad/sometimes mediochre results. It is quite a challenge to create a tasty eggless cake that exhibits all the qualities you'd expect of a nice cake - good flavour, texture, height and crumb. I thought it an impossible task - until now! The result is a little denser than your average cake, but certainly a good result nonetheless...

Last week I came across a basic eggless cake recipe that struck me as being a little different to those I'd trialled in the past. Unlike others that included vinegar, yoghurt, egg replacement powders and a myriad of other ingredients, this one was a little different. The secret ingredient...?

Sweetened condensed milk!

I was so pleased with the result that I knew I had to share this recipe with you straight away. This recipe is one I've slightly adapted from a fantastic blog I've found called Divine Taste - well written posts with great recipes, and always accompanied by beautiful food photography.

This is a useful recipe to know in case you ever need to make an eggless cake - be it because of someone's allergy, personal preference, or even if it's because you don't have any eggs left in your kitchen! Using a good quality vanilla extract makes all the difference here - so please don't use the artifical stuff (i.e. vanilla essence) if you can avoid it. It is well worth paying a little more for real extract. You can get creative with this recipe too. You could even adjust the baking time and use the batter to make eggless cupcakes. This time around I simply cut it into 2 layers and sandwiched it with warmed strawberry jam and whipped cream before showering the top with icing sugar.

Basic Eggless Cake
Recipe adapted from Divine Taste

250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda / sodium bicarbonate
1 tin (395g) sweetened condensed milk
100g unsalted butter, melted
175ml milk/water (I used 175ml low fat milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Grease and line the bottom of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. Preheat your oven to 100-120 degrees celcuis.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and sodium bicarb into a bowl and whisk to combine and ensure the mixture is uniform.

3. Add the condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and milk/water into the mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients one at a time, using an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon to mix until the batter comes together and there are no lumps. This shouldn’t take more than a minute with an electric hand mixer/beater. Be careful not to over beat the mixture as this could result into a hard cake.

4. Inrease your oven temperature to 150 degrees celcuis and pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for
50 - 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and use as required.

Have you ever tried making eggless cakes? If you know of any good recipes, why not share your links here!


Ladybird x

PS - I thought I might also mention that I had a media mention on a UK news site earlier this month! You can read the full article here.

Salted caramel, peanut and chocolate tarts

We all know that the food world is overflowing with professional talent - for amateurs such as myself, there is plenty of inspiration to be found out there, and I take great pleasure in immersing myself in cooking TV shows, books and magazines. It's something I never tire of.. So, in a way, I think you'll agree with me when I say that it can be quite easy to spend much your actual time in the kitchen following others' recipes rather than trusting your own instincts. And perhaps sometimes, recipes can become a little bit of a crutch when you get into the habit of using them all the time. I have been thinking about this a lot of late, and have realised that this over-reliance on recipes is in part a  symptom and a cause of my lack of confidence in the kitchen. Sure, I've baked and baked for many years, but it is quite rare that I set about creating something entirely of my own invention.

And so it was very timely that I heard about the Lurpak Challenge calling for submissions of original recipes incorporating the iconic butter (I just know you've heard me rave about this product before, so I'll spare you the repetition!). With the added incentive of great prizes at stake, I decided to take a leap of faith in my baking. I lifted my hand from the safety railing, put away all the recipes, and step by step, created something I can call my own. It was a little scary at first, and there were mistakes.. oh yes, and mistakes involving caramel are rather sticky and a pain to clean up... but after three attempts I think I've managed to create something worthy of entry into the competition (I hope!)

Here is my recipe for salted caramel, peanut and chocolate tarts. This recipe combines three things that I absolutely can't live without eating now and then - sweet shortcrust pastry, salted caramel and chocolate. The salted peanuts add a great crunch too. This recipe makes ten 8cm tarts, however, you can easily adapt the method to make one larger 22-24cm tart.

Ingredients

Pastry
250g plain flour
50g icing sugar
pinch salt
150g unsalted butter, cold and chopped into chunks
iced water

Peanut & Salted Caramel filling
1 cup white sugar
70g Lurpak unsalted butter
1/3 cup thickened cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Chocolate ganache
1/2 cup thickened cream
110g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
90g milk chocolate, finely chopped


Method

1. Start with the pastry by adding the plain flour, icing sugar, pinch of salt and 150 grams of butter (cold and roughly chopped into chunks) and pulse until breadcrumbs start to form. Add around 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to come together. Tip the mixture out onto a clean work surface and gently bring together with your hands. Wrap with clingfilm and refrigerate until ready for use.

2. To make the salted caramel, place the white sugar and a few tablespoons of water in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, which will then start to form white lumps. At this point, reduce to low heat and stir regularly as the sugar begins to caramelise and darken. As soon as it reaches a golden-amber colour, remove from the heat immediately and stir in the remaining 70g of butter, 1/3 cup of thickened cream and the salt flakes. Take care doing so as it will spit and splutter. Once smooth, transfer to a bowl/jug to cool.

3. Next, preheat your oven to 200 degrees celcius and start on your pastry cases by lightly greasing ten 8cm loose-based tart tins. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to around 3mm. Cut out 10cm rounds and fold the pastry into the cases, gently pressing the pastry into the grooves. Prick the base of each with a fork and transfer to the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Line each tin with baking paper or foil then fill with pastry weights or dried beans/rice and blind- bake for around 10-15 minutes. Remove the paper/foil and weights and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tins.

4. Divide the chopped peanuts between the tart cases and pour over the salted caramel. Place in fridge to set.

5. Meanwhile, to make the ganache heat 1/2 cup of cream in a small saucepan until it is about to boil. Remove from the heat and stir through the chocolate. Allow to cool slightly before diving among the peanut and caramel filled tart cases, then return to the fridge to set.

So there you have it - my original recipe for salted caramel, peanut and chocolate tarts. If you like what you see please, pretty please, vote for me in the Lurpak Challenge! To vote, go to: http://www.lurpak.com.au/lurpakchallenge/recipe/salted-caramel-peanut-and-chocolate-tarts and register your vote.

Till next time, dear readers

Ladybird x

Strawberry Shortcake

With strawberries so tasty and such good value at the moment, I am always on the lookout for new ways to showcase those plump red gems. Of course, strawberries are great on their own, but they are great with other things too. They're fantastic with the ricotta hotcakes I made recently, but they are also great in a strawberry shortcake - an old fashioned, classic dessert.

I actually made this strawberry shortcake for my mum-in-law as she was visiting for Singapore. She loves trying new types of foods, but she doesn't eat eggs, so this recipe was perfect for the occasion. Delicious along with a dollop of double cream or creme fraiche as part of a special afternoon tea or dessert.

Strawberry Shortcake
Recipe adapted from AWW's Sweet Old-Fashioned Favourites

This recipe made quite a lot of mixture for the base so I had leftovers. I used my leftovers to make little shortbread biscuits and stored them in an airtight container. Just refrigerate any leftover dough for a couple of hours and then roll it out and cut into desired shapes.

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
pinch salt
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c caster sugar
1/3 c rice flour
1 c self raising flour
250g punnet strawberries (washed, hulled and halved)
1/2 c strawberry jam

Method
1. Lightly grease a tart tin approximately 25cm in diameter.

2. Have butter at room temperature. Beat butter, salt, zest, juice and sugar until creamy, but not too fluffy as you would aim for if making a cake. Stir in sifted flours in 2 batches. Press ingredients together gently, knead lightly until smooth. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Roll out dough and lay over tin, pressing it in neatly. If the dough breaks whilew doing this, don't worry too much, just continue pressing it in until you have a thin even layer. Prick the base with a fork, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for another hour.

4. Remove tart base from fridge and remove clingfilm. Bake in a moderate oven (180-190 degrees celsuis) about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in tin.

5. Transfer tart base onto serving plate, decorate with berries. Warm jam in a small pan (or even the microwave briefly); strain and brush evenly over the strawberries.

And to sweeten Monday just a litte bit more, I am please to announce the winner of my 1st Birthday and 100th Post Giveaway.

Congratulations to Jen of Truffled Pink!

You have won a copy of '200 Cupcakes' by Joanna Farrow :)

Thank you once again to all of you, my valued readers. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Ladybird x