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Strawberry Flognarde

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries

½ cup sugar

1 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter , melted

1 pinch salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp butter (to grease the pan)

3 Tbsp sugar (for the garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease a round 10-inch pan with butter and arrange the strawberries.

In a bowl, blanch the sugar and eggs. Then add the flour and salt. Stir in melted butter. Then pour the milk and stir to obtain a light and smooth dough. Pour the mixture over the strawberries.

Bake the flognarde for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle with sugar as you take the flognarde out of the oven.

Serve warm or cold.

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Lavender Macarons

For the Macaron Shell

Ingredients

100g Powdered Sugar

100g Almond Flour

70g Egg Whites

65g Castor Sugar

Food Colouring

Instructions

Whisk the powdered sugar and almond powder so that there are no lumps. 

Beat the egg whites and, once they start to froth, add in the castor sugar until you get firm peaks. 

Mix the still egg white meringue and food colouring with the powdered sugar and almond powder. Use a spatula to mix till the batter flows freely. Pipe this batter on to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, in circles around 1 inch wide, evenly spaced 1 inch apart. Set the tray aside for 30 minutes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 165 C.

Cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.

For the Lavender Filling

Ingredients

120ml (1/2 cup) whole milk

1 1/2 tbsp (4 1/2 tsp) all-purpose (plain) flour

small pinch salt

115g (1/2 cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

100g (1/2 cup) granulated (white) sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk flour into milk and place over medium heat in a small saucepan. Heat until thickened, whisking constantly. It should have the consistency of béchamel. Whisk in salt and pour mixture into a small bowl, then cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface to avoid a skin forming. Set aside to cool completely, chill if the weather is particularly warm.

In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix in well.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the cooled milk mixture one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated and you have a thick, fluffy frosting.

To Assemble

Pipe or spoon a generous blob of filling onto the flat side of half the shells, top with the remaining shells and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to mature for at least 24 hours before eating.

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Croissants

Ingredients for the croissant dough

500 g French Type 55 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour / plain flour (extra for dusting)

140 g water

140 g whole milk (you can take it straight from the fridge)

55 g sugar

40 g soft unsalted butter

11 g instant yeast

12 g salt

Other ingredients

makes 15

280 g cold unsalted butter for laminating

1 egg + 1 tsp water for the egg wash

I would recommend referring to https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/classic-french-croissant-recipe/ for the Instructions as they have been given in extreme detail, accompanied with pictures. 

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For the Caramelised Pineapple

Ingredients

50 gm Brown Sugar

20 gm Butter

8 slices pineapple

Instructions

Melt butter and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a medium to low heat. Pour the melted mixture into the lined tin, and arrange the sliced pineapples on top of it, in a circular pattern.

For the Cake

Ingredients

200 gm Flour

200 gm Yogurt

100 gm Castor Sugar

100 gm Butter

5 gm Baking Powder

2.5 gm Baking Soda

10 ml milk

10 ml Pineapple Syrup

Juice of half a lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a 7-inch cake ring with foil.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the butter and castor sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft and fluffy. Mix in the lemon juice and pineapple syrup, followed by the milk.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Fold it into the butter and sugar mix. 

Add yogurt and whisk to make a batter.

Pour the batter over the pineapple slices and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the knife comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

Let the cake cool to room temperature, and demould by turning it our onto a plate. 

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Deconstructed Neapolitan Cake

I love playing around with different textures, and so when strawberry season came around, I decided to use the basic ingredients of a Neapolitan Cake and put my spin on it by layering all the flavours.

 For the Vanilla Sponge

Ingredients

120 g All Purpose Flour

200 g. Condensed Milk

60 g Butter

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Soda-bi-carb

Milk as required

Instructions

Sieve the flour, baking powder & Soda-bi-carb together.

Beat condensed milk & butter till it becomes fluffy.

Add sieved dry ingredients and milk alternatively and make the batter.

Pour this batter in a dusted tin and bake it at 180*C for 30-35 minutes.

After baked, demoulded and cooled, thinly slice five times. 

For the Chocolate Discs

Ingredients

100g Dark Chocolate Compound

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or at 30 second intervals in a microwave.

Divide into five parts and spread onto parchment paper in 6 inch round circles. (Tracing the circles beforehand helps).

Let cool and harden at room temperature

For the Strawberries

Ingredients

200g strawberries

1 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

Thinly slice the strawberries.

Mix in the sugar lightly with your hands and let sit.

For the Whipped Cream

Whip one cup of whipping cream and keep aside.

To Assemble

Starting with the vanilla sponge, add a layer of whipped cream, and stick the chocolate disc atop it.

Add a layer of strawberries.

Repeat for the next four layers.

Best eaten a few hours  or the day after assembling, so that the sponge has soaked in the strawberries.

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Dinner at Table No 13, at Le 15 Café, Mumbai

From the Chefs:

At this Chef's Table, you won't be dining in the kitchen, but Pablo Naranjo Agular and Pooja Dhingra will cook a surprise menu with what's currently catching their fancy. These menus are inspired by travels, conversations and even market visits and we hope you'll enjoy dining with us.

For Table No.13, the chefs take a break from the usual cafe style fare but still maintain the no-fuss environment for a gourmet multiple-course meal. There are only 8 spots at the table.

At the first event in this series, we're keeping it green with an all vegetarian meal.

Why No.13?

It might be superstitious or just common practice, but at most restaurants, Table “13” doesn’t exist. We’ve decided to explore the cafe’s creative and culinary boundaries through it’s fleeting existence that will pop-up only 2 times a month at Le 15 Café, Colaba

On the Table:

Liquid

Croque

Tempura

Yogurt

Tomato

Greens

Gyoza

Potato & Leek

Veggies

Dessert

+ bonus surprise dessert :)

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Lost in Lavender Fields

For the Lavender Honey Cake 

(2 batches of below recipe used for above picture)

Ingredients

120 g All Purpose Flour

200 g. Condensed Milk

60 g Butter 

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Soda-bi-carb

Milk as required

2 tsp Lavender Extract 

4 tbsp Honey

Instructions

Sieve the flour, baking powder & Soda-bi-carb together. 

Beat condensed milk & butter till it becomes fluffy. Add the honey and lavender extract.

Add sieved dry ingredients and milk alternatively and make the batter. 

Pour this batter in a dusted tin and bake it at 180*C for 30-35 minutes.

For the Lemon-Basil Shortbread

Ingredients

125 grams granulated sugar

zest of 1 lemon

4-5 large fresh basil leaves

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

270 grams all-purpose flour

Instructions

In a small food processor, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and basil leaves. Pulse and process until the sugar is very fragrant and resembles wet sand, and the basil pieces are very, very small. The sugar will be lime green in color. Set aside two tablespoons of the lemon basil sugar in a small bowl for dusting the cookies during baking – cover with plastic wrap to prevent the sugar from clumping.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and salt over medium speed for until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining lemon basil sugar to the bowl with the butter, and beat over medium-low speed for 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl once or twice with a spatula to ensure that all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

On low speed, add the flour in two additions, mixing over low speed until the flour is just absorbed, scraping down the bowl once or twice. The dough will be shaggy and loose.

Scrape the dough onto a clean work surface. Using the “fraisage” technique, use the heel of your hand to press down and ‘smear’ the dough onto the countertop. Push back together and repeat until smooth and the dough comes together. Using a bench scraper (preferably one with a ruler for measuring), press the block of dough into a 5-inch square block. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.

Preheat the oven (convection or gas) to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 C), with one rack in the lower third and one rack in the upper third position in your oven. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone mat. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and place the block between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, hit the dough evenly with a rolling pin, until it begins to flatten. Turn and repeat. By hitting the dough, you are warming and flattening it slowly, and preventing the dough from cracking. Roll the dough into an 8-inch circle. If the dough gets too soft during this process, slide the parchment onto the back of a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm.

Sprinkle the tops of the dough lightly with the set aside lemon basil sugar. If the remaining sugar has started to clump, loosen it with your fingertips or re-process it in the food processor. Bake for 14-17 minutes (convection) or 15-18 minutes (standard), rotating and turning the pans halfway through, or until the edges of the shortbread are a pale golden brown. Allow the cookie to rest on the sheet pans for 5 minutes, than transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the Basil Mascarpone and Lemon Mascarpone

Ingredients

400g (14.1 oz) mascarpone

400ml (1⅔ cups) heavy cream 

150g (1⅓ cups) powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Finely chopped basil

1 tsp lemon juice

1 lemon rind

Instructions

in a large bowl beat mascarpone and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Add vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat to stiff peaks. 

Divide the cream in half in two bowls.

Add the lemon juice and rind in one half and combine.

Add the chopped basil in the other half and combine.

For the Basil-Sugar Paste

Ingredients

125 grams granulated sugar

zest of 1 lemon

4-5 large fresh basil leaves

Instructions

In a small food processor, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and basil leaves. Pulse and process until the sugar is very fragrant and resembles wet sand, and the basil pieces are very, very small. The sugar will be lime green in color.

To Assemble and Decorate the Cake

Assemble the cake as demonstrated in the picture and serve.

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Summer, Kind of Wonderful (Part 9)

South of France wasn’t a place on my bucketlist, and the vibe of Nice was one I enjoyed much, much more than I expected to. It was hard to believe that such a small city could have so much variety, with calm bliss so close to hustle of shopping. 

1. Les Amoureux - A cute pizzeria that offers heart shaped pizzas to all girls that dine here. 

2. La Merenda - A small restaurant with hard to get reservations and mouth watering food.

Pesto Fettuccine

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Chocolate Mousse

Stawberries with Sugar

Lemon Tart

3. Fenocchio Ice-Cream - A local favourite with unique flavours, even cactus.

Lavender

Cactus

Citron

Rose

Jasmine

Chewing-Gum

4. Saint-Paul-de-Vence - Lavender Ice-Cream. A quaint cobbled romance waiting to be discovered. 

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Summer, Kind of Wonderful (Part 8)

Back in the Paris: The City of Lights, Love, and most importantly, food.

Although this was only my second time in this city, something about it speaks to me, and had spoken to me before my flight landed at CDG Airport back in 2015. I just knew I had something in common with it, and knowing me, it’s probably the fact that this city, like me, is obsessed with food. The romance of the city from books and movies may have been the reason I wanted to go the first time, but its the food that draws me back to it. In the three short days I was here, I ate possibly more than I should have, but absorbed every second of enjoyment and every bite of love the city has to offer. 

1. Gérard Mulot - When I say we were here within the hour of reaching our apartment, I���m not exaggerating. Gérard Mulot has a wide range of bakes, but its amaryllis will always be my favourite.

2. Café de Flore - The wait to visit one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris was one that was more than worth it. We had a classic Strawberries and Cream and a French sandwich ‘Le Jockey’.

3. The Greatest Macaron Debate: Pierre Hermé versus Laduree

Although I’ve had Laduree before, this was the first time I’d had a Pierre Hermé. Needless to say, it didn’ t disappoint at all.

4. Godiva - If the city I’m in has a Godiva, you will spot me with chocolate-dipped strawberries. 

5. Berthillion - Raspberry Cassis with Vanilla and Noisette (Hazelnut) with Caramel.

6. Cristal Room Baccarat - 

White Chocolate, Red Fruits Heart, Raspberry Sorbet

Mirabelle Plum Soufflé from Lorraine

Mint Chocolate Pastry

Classic Crème Brûlée

7. Assortment of Bakes

Croissant, Paul Bakery

Pain aux Raisins, Paul Bakery

Lemon Meringue Tart, Gérard Mulot

Chocoalte Tart, Gérard Mulot

Financier Cookie, Carton

Raisin Gugelhupf, Carton

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German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz)

For the Sponge Cake

Ingredients

2 large eggs (separated)

1 tablespoon water (cold)

1/2 cup/100 g sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or a few drops of rum or butter flavoring)

1/2 cup/60 g flour (all-purpose)

1//3 cup/40 g cornstarch (or potato starch)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat egg whites with water on medium speed until foamy. Increase to high speed and beat while adding the sugar a little at a time until the meringue is stiff and white, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Remove the meringue to another bowl and add egg yolks to the mixing bowl. Beat on high until light yellow and fluffy. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes.

Pour the egg yolks over the egg white meringue, add the vanilla and fold carefully a few times.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder over the egg mixture and continue to fold until all the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.

Butter the bottom, but not the sides of a 3-cup pan. The most traditional form has a hole in the middle (an angel food cake pan or a springform pan with a special insert, but some people choose to bake this in a small loaf pan). Spoon the batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

For the Croquant

Ingredients

3/4 cup nuts (chopped hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, or other nuts)

2 tablespoons/30 g butter

2/3 cup/120 g sugar

Instructions

Chop the nuts fine. Toast them in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes. Or skip the toasting step and use them raw.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan and add the 2/3 cup sugar. Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar begins to melt.

Keep stirring until the sugar is melted completely and the sugar turns light brown.

Add the nuts, stir, and remove from heat.

Spread the candy on an oiled cookie sheet. Use only a spoon, not your hands, as the candy is very hot.

Cool the candy, then chop into small pieces on a cutting board and store in an airtight container.

For the Frosting

Ingredients

1 (3-ounce) package vanilla pudding (prepared with 1 1/2 cups milk only and cooled)

1 1/2 cups milk

10 tablespoons/140 g butter (room-temperature)

2 tablespoons/30 g sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla (or rum extract)

Instructions

Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, if possible, beat the 10 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the pudding, a spoonful at a time, stirring at medium speed after each addition until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring for 5 to 10 minutes total, until the buttercream is completely smooth.

It can be used immediately or refrigerated until use, although it might have to stand at room temperature again to be spreadable.

To Frost and Decorate the Frankfurter Kranz

Garnish: 1/2 cup tart red jelly Optional: 3 to 4 cherries (candied)

Instructions

Cut the cake horizontally into three pieces. Place the bottom layer on a cake rack over a cookie sheet.

Spoon some tart, red jelly over the bottom layer, then some buttercream frosting about 1/4- inch thick.

Place the middle layer on top of that and add another, thick layer of buttercream.

Place the top layer on that and frost the sides and top of the cake thinly with the buttercream. Leave at least 1/2 cup of buttercream for the decorator bag.

Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the croquant. Sometimes you can angle the cake up and press some of the candy onto the sides. Press in lightly to stick.

Using a decorator bag and a star tip, pipe 10, small rosettes on top of the cake.

Quarter the candied or maraschino cherries and place one piece on top of each rosette. Press lightly to stick.

Transfer the cake to a cake stand.

Serve the cake or chill until serving time.

Note: The longer the cake sits, the more it will soak up the cream and jelly and the moister it will be. Some people let it sit overnight before serving.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Ice-Cream Cake

For the Chocolate Base

Ingredients

100g butter

100g chocolate

2 eggs

75g castor sugar

30g flour

Instructions

Microwave 100 g butter and 100 g chocolate at 30 second intervals.

Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time.

Once cool, add 75 g castor sugar and 30 g flour.

Bake at 180 C until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

For the Hazelnut Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

400g condensed milk

100g melted chocolate

250g crushed hazelnuts

Instructions

Whip cream till it forms soft peaks

Mix the hazelnuts and melted chocolate with the condensed milk

Lightly fold the whipped cream with the condensed milk mixture

Pour into a shallow pan and refrigerate 6 hours

For the Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

Heavy Cream

Chocolate, roughly chopped

20g butter

Instructions

Heat cream and butter over a flame

Pour over the chocolate once it comes to a boil and leave it standing for five minutes

Mix until combined

To Assemble

Scoop Ice cream over the cake base and even out with a spatulla

Pour the ganache on top and freeze for another hour before serving

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Lemon Curd

Ingredients

Finely grated zest and juice of 4 large lemons

½ cup (4oz/115g) sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 whole eggs and 3 yolks , mixed (at room temperature)

1/3 cup (6 tablespoons) (21/2oz/71g)) butter

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, add in the lemon juice, zest and sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Mix a little hot lemon juice with the cornflour, whisk and add it back into the saucepan.Whisk well.

Reduce heat to low. Add whole egg and remaining egg yolks and butter. Cook for 3 minutes or until thick.

Pass through a sieve to take out zest and any cooked egg. Put into a clean bowl and cover surface with a butter paper (or rub with a little butter and cling film). Set aside to cool.

Store in the fridge for 2 weeks.

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Mango Trifle

For the Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 cups (1 pound) butter, room temperature

2 cups (1 pound) sugar

9 large eggs (1 pound)

3¼ cups (1 pound) flour

Instructions

Lightly grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until smooth.

Add in eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Slowly add in flour, mixing in between additions.

Pour in prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Tent with aluminum foil to prevent over browning. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut the cake into thin slices

To Assemble

Ingredients

Mangoes, sliced thin

Whipped cream

Instructions

Layer a slice of cake.

Top it with a generous spread of the whipped cream, using a spatula.

Place the sliced mangoes on top.

Repeat until done.

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Nutella and Strawberry Choux Pastries

For the Profiteroles

Ingredients

80ml (1/3 cup) water

40g butter, at room temperature, cubed

50g (1/3 cup) plain flour, sifted

2 eggs, at room temperature

Vegetable oil, to grease

Instructions

Place water and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.

Add all the flour to the butter mixture at once and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball and begins to come away from the side of the saucepan. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. 

Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, then add it to the flour mixture, beating well with a wooden spoon. Gradually add a little of the reserved egg and beat until the mixture just falls from the spoon but still holds its shape.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a baking tray with oil to lightly grease. 

Spoon 25-30 teaspoonsful of the mixture onto tray, about 3cm apart. Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a 1.5cm-diameter plain piping nozzle to pipe the profiteroles onto the baking tray. Brush the tops with a little of the remaining egg.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the profiteroles are puffed and golden.

Remove from oven and turn the oven off. Using a skewer or a small knife, pierce the base (or top) of each profiterole to release the steam. 

Return the profiteroles to the oven and leave them for 15 minutes to dry out.

Remove the profiteroles from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the Nutella and Strawberry Fillings

Ingredients

100 ml heavy cream, whipped

3 tbsp Nutella

6 strawberries, diced

Instructions

Beat half the whipped cream with Nutella and the other half with the diced strawberries.

Fill two piping bags with the two creams.

To Assemble

Ingredients

Half a cup Nutella

10 Strawberries, cut in half

50 ml heavy cream, whipped

Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

Poke a hole in the profiteroles and pipe the fillings into them.

Using a spatula, cover the strawberry ones with plain whipped cream and half a strawberry.

Using a spatula, cover the Nutella ones with Nutella.

Dust with icing sugar.

Note: Using small cookie cutter,s you can cut the strawberries in various shapes like hearts (as shown above).

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Netflix and Bake🍿

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Summer, Kind of Wonderful (Part 7)

I had gone for a Summer School program at Harvard University and it left me with probably the best two weeks of my life. The food was just one of the million amazing things. Over the two weeks, we’d fallen into a sort of routine, of eating breakfast at the great ‘berg before class, (where we had the Veritas waffles on Sunday), having the usual tomato basil mozarella panini from Tatte, or some Starbucks or Chipotle after class and either J.P. Licks or Insomnia Cookies at night, just making it in time for curfew. We went to some restaraunts like Border Cafe, which rightfully deserves all the star recommendations it has received. My dormmates took me to The Cheesecake Factory as soon as they heard that I had never been to one. I always thought, they only served cheesecakes and was super surprised to see how great their food was!

1. J.P. Licks Ice Cream - Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream, Lime and Lemon Sorbet

2. Tatte Bakery - Tomato, Basil Mozarella Paninis, Nutella Cookies, Chocolate Chip Brownies

3. Insomnia Cookies - Chocoate Chip all the way

4. Border Cafe - Known specifically for its brilliant Mexican food

5. The Cheesecake Factory - A classic Strawberry Cheesecake

6. Home - The Annenberg and Dunster Dining Halls

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Summer, Kind of Wonderful (Part 6)

Around the 30 closest members of my family had gone to a small hillstation called Mussourie to celebrate my grandparents 50th Anniversary, and one of the places all of us were very very excited to go to was this bakehouse. Needless to say, we ordered practically every item from their menu considering how many we were in number, and we weren’t disappointed by a single one. With no less than 12 sweet and savoury crepes, teas, coffees and breads, this place was quite literally a piece of heaven.