Finnish Pulla : 'TWD : Baking With Julia'

As far as 2012 goes, we are in the home stretch now. Your time to ponder on what you could've, should've and would've done with the year, has come and gone ... You should have already done that by now! Now, all eyes are on 2013 and all that remains for us to do is bring in the new year with hope, excitement, optimism and of course, a party!!

 

And for the last 'TWD : Baking with Julia' post of the year, the group has chosen the Finnish Pulla. The book describes it as a celebration loaf, apt for the mood of the season. In this version, it is braided into a wreath which fits in beautifully with the Christmas theme.

 

I was quite excited to try my hand at this bread because of its Finnish origin. For us in India, Scandinavia seems so far away. It's not the physical distance as much as how different  the culture, the people, the climate, the landscape and the food is compared to ours.. it all seems so different and exotic to us. And am pretty sure, the feeling is mutual from their end towards India.

 

And yet, this Finnish recipe has a tiny Indian component, cardamom. Grown in abundance in southern India, cardamom is used extensively in Indian cuisine. I reckon, the spice trade of yore was responsible to taking it to Northern Europe. My guess is that coming from so far, it must have been considered exotic and used mainly for times of celebration, such as in this pulla. Do correct me if I've got it wrong!! 

 

Much like the brioche dough that was used to make these sticky buns, this loaf is also made from an egg and butter-rich dough. Fairly simple to put together, the stand-out feature of the recipe is the addition of crushed cardamom seeds to the dough.

 

The dough performs beautifully and even clumsy fingers like mine could shape it into a wreath without much fuss.

 

Pull the bread out of the oven and you know you are onto a winner. This bread scores the maximum when it comes to its visual appeal. That beautiful, golden-brown crusted bread accompanied with the faint smell of cardamom looks so impressive that you can't help pat yourself on the back. That's the beauty of this recipe and the book that a novice like me can attempt this bread and actually pull it off!!

While the egg and butter keeps the bread soft and light, it also makes this bread a wee bit rich. It is slightly sweet tasting with the flavour of the cardamom shining through. Although a familiar flavour for me, I can well imagine the cardamom being an exotic taste for others. If you've never tried cardamom before, you are missing a good thing!! A piece of this bread would be ideal with your morning coffee!!

If you are an enthusiastic baker, keen on trying out new recipes, I'd recommend that you make this bread atleast once. It is definitely one to be added to your repertoire! 
 

Some Of My Favourite Blogs...

December is 'rewind' month. A time when amidst all the partying, you look back at the year gone by. You relive the moments when things went your way and you ponder at those times when you can't fathom how you lost your way.

As I look back on 2012, this blog has been the surprising, exciting highlight of my year! It will have to be another post where I explain how what started out as a tentative experiment turned out be a definitive outlet to expressing myself.

 

But today, I am going to introduce you to some of my favourite blogs that I have discovered over the past year. Needless to say that each of these blogs has beautiful recipes and captivating photographs. But, they also had 'something else', something that got me hooked onto the blog and I now, look forward to each new post of theirs. In some cases, I got to know the individual behind them and in some, I remain a distant admirer.

 

So, in no particular order, these are some of my favourite blogs...

• Chef In Disguise : I discovered this beautiful blog from the Middle East within a few weeks of debuting my blog. I was 'googling' the name of my blog (Don't judge me.. we have all done it some time!!) and instead of 'Baker-in-Disguise', 'Chef-in-Disguise' popped up. Written by Sawsan, who hails from Jordan, this is a blog packed with all sorts of recipes. But what I most adore about this blog is how Sawsan introduces us to life and the cuisine of the Middle East (I have my eye on her Kibbeh, Barazek and Mamoul). She makes you want to try each of her recipes, the easy ones as well as the more complex ones. And be ready to be impressed, she's an orthodontist, home-maker, wife, mother and one of the most active bloggers I know!!
 
• Baker Street : Simply put, this blog is my 'Baking Wikipedia'!! Written by Anuradha, a Television executive from Mumbai, this blog has it all. If you are looking for some of the most gorgeous and eye-catching baking recipes on the Web, or if you want to know how to unmould a bundt cake from its tin, or if you want to know how various bloggers bake their bread or simply, want to know how to package cookies, this is the blog you go to. And if that's not enough, Anuradha has also initiated two unique baking groups - One, is 'Muffin Monday' and the other is 'Bundt-A-Month'. Drop by her blog and you'll understand what I am talking about.
 
• The Patterned Plate: In her own words, Caroline, the lady behind this blog, is "Indian born, Abu Dhabi bred, married to 'The Scotsman' with two kids and is now based in Doha". Yes, her blog has a beautiful mix of recipes and eye-catching photographs but what attracts my attention with every post of hers is her evocative style of writing. She has a beautiful way with words, whether it is about reliving an old food memory or giving you a peek into her everyday life or sharing with you her travel memories, she holds your attention and invariably, will evoke a response. And lately, what's been catching my eye are her attempts at cake decoration. She has a beautiful, elegant and 'less-is-more' style that calls out to me. Why don't you go and see for yourself??!
 
• Citrus And Candy : This one comes all way from 'Down Under'! Born to Chinese parents from Malaysia and now, based in Sydney, Karen has this fun, informal and sometimes, irreverent way of writing that makes you feel as if she is talking to you in person rather than through the written word. Her recipes are a mix of Malaysian, Aussie, Italian and English food. But above all, it is her style of photography that enthrals me each time. Her photos are a knockout each time.. they will have you staring at the screen for a long time!  Just go and see her latest post on a Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake!!
 
• Passionate About Baking : I'll be surprised if you tell me that you haven't heard of Deeba Rajpal or this beautiful blog of hers. She is pretty much the Grand Diva of food bloggers, here in India. And yet what stands out most about her is her humility and generosity with which she shares her expertise. There is honesty when she talks about the odd baking mishap and how she salvages it and there is modesty amidst all the accolades that she receives and deserves. Hers is also one of the most beautifully photographed blogs. In fact, her blog was one of the few that not only got me thinking about writing a blog but also got me thinking about how one can get creative while photographing food. Yes, she's been an inspiration!!
 
• Verses From My Kitchen : This is the only blog on this list that is written by a man. Based in Toronto, Michael combines his love for food and writing in this blog. And boy, does he do a fantastic job at it!! His photographs have a clean, simple and sharp style that is riveting. While his recipes are a diverse mix, what I enjoy are the introductory paragraphs to each post of his. Written with his restrained and clean style of writing, they are expressive, redolent, evocative and reminiscent. A must-read!!

 

This is by no means, a complete list. There are so many other blogs that I enjoy reading and I will share those with you in the days and months to come. The list is so long that this would turn out to be a never-ending post. So, for now, I will leave you with these delightful blogs that promise to beguile, charm and win you over!! 

 

Ginger Lime Syrup

As a city dweller heading out to the countryside, the one word that will recur with frequency is, abundance. The countryside is about the abundance of space, the abundance of fresh air, the abundance of nature, the abundance of fresh produce and the abundance of spirit of the people who live there. And invariably, we humour them with our stories of how we, in the cities, pay an exorbitant premium for produce that is available to them freely and in abundance. We talk about how we search our cities, high and low, for organic produce that is, well, growing in their backyards.

 

And invariably, we come back home with our bags crammed with all sorts of fresh farm and garden produce. We profusely thank the host who waves us off with a bemused smile, shaking their head at the ways of the deprived, of us who live in the cities.

 

That's what happened to me recently. On a quick trip to a cousin brother's estate, I stood admiring the lime trees in his backyard. The trees were flush with fruit and the morning air was redolent with a slight, citrusy fragrance as you walked by the trees. The city dweller in me gawked, exclaimed and gulped down mouthfuls of that fresh air. The next morning, while we were leaving, we were promptly handed over a bag stuffed with fresh limes. We protested weakly that this was all too much and they ..well.. rolled their eyes and laughed us off!!

 

 

So, as always, as I pondered on what to with the limes, Ma came to the rescue. Out came a little book and the recipe for a ginger-lime syrup that was given to her by a friend. And in under an hour, we had a bottle of this beautiful, delicately-coloured ginger-lime syrup.

This is a concoction of lime, ginger, sugar and water that is boiled into a syrup. And how does it taste?? It has the kick of ginger, a zesty pickup from the limes and a certain amount of sweetness to stop it from being overpowering. The end result.. it will leave you refreshed and smacking your lips!!

Take a tiny peg of it with water, plain or sparkling. Depending on the weather, you could add ice or if you are down with a sore throat like me, top it off with some warm water as a soothing night-time tot. The ginger and lime are said to be a natural antidote to counter that nasty cough/cold. If the ginger is a wee bit strong for you, you could sweeten it with a dash of honey.

This ginger-lime syrup provides a winter-counterpart to the classic summer lemonade. It is also a throwback to a time when our mothers and grand-mothers made all this seasonal home-made produce that was not only enticing but packed with health benefits. Of course, these days we look for the very same stuff at independent, boutique organic-produce shops. So, on a cold, wintry day, when the Sun comes out and you are in the mood for a dainty drink from the days gone by, may I recommend a bottle of this ginger-lime syrup.

Gingerbread Baby Cakes : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

So, I've been noticing a trend among food blogs. October was all about a pumpkin overdrive. November went by with everyone wondering where the year had gone by and how it was November already. No prizes for guessing what December is going to be about ... why, Christmas of course!!!

In keeping with the mood of the month, the 'TWD :  Baking with Julia' group zeroed in on Gingerbread Baby Cakes for our first recipe of the month. Gingerbread recipes, with their Christmas association, are the quintessential December recipes. The list includes gingerbread cakes, gingerbread houses and everyone's favourite, gingerbread cookies aka the gingerbread men and women. 
 

In this recipe, the gingerbread is in the avatar of baby cakes. For someone, who enjoys petite-sized individual cakes and desserts, this recipe was written for me.

The recipe was much like the other gingerbread cake recipes that I've seen. The standout points were the generous helpings of coffee powder, molasses and of course, ginger (powder as well as fresh).

 

Fifteen minutes into baking and the aroma of the coffee and ginger will take over your kitchen. Out of the oven, unmould these dark and moist baby cakes and as promised by the recipe, you will be deceived into thinking that these look like harmless, little chocolate cakes.

 

 

One bite later and you'll be proved wrong. This is a ginger cake and ginger is what will hit you from the very first bite. There is also the hint of the coffee that comes through. Apart from that, there is a certain denseness of flavour that unless you've made these cakes, will hold a certain mystery for you. The molasses, black pepper and cocoa powder provide a certain depth and darkness that is not easily identified.

These cakes promise a punch and they deliver a punch. I'd recommend these cakes for an adult and mature palate.

 

 

These can be served with some whipped cream and candied lemon. Instead, I served these with vanilla custard. It was a good choice. It helped mellow the overt spiciness of these cakes.

White Chocolate and Dried Cranberries Cookies

Food blogs are more than a collection of recipes. In their unique, individual style, each blogger allows us a little peek into their lives, homes and thoughts. They share with us the excitement of the special days and the mundaneness of every day. They tell us about the joy of their happy times and their anguish during the hard times. They take us along with them on their travels, from a journey back to their roots to some of the most beautiful places in the world. They reveal what is occupying their thoughts from the philosophical and sublime to the humdrum and banal. As a reader, you smile, discover, empathise, identify and move on.

 

And then you come across someone whose story stays with you. Their life is about channelling their toughest adversity for a greater cause. Of a personal loss that has inspired a lifelong mission. Today's post is about one such couple.

 

Sometime last year, Dorie Greenspan wrote about the launch of a book on bake-sale recipes by Gretchen Witt. It led me to their website and to the inspirational work they do. In 2007, Gretchen and Larry Witt's two-year old son, Liam was diagnosed with Stage-4 Cancer. As they grappled with their son's illness, they discovered that one of the main reasons why children with cancer do not survive is because of lack of funding for research into effective therapies for them. So, during the holiday season in 2007, Gretchen along with 250 volunteers organised a larger-than-life bake sale with the goal of baking 96,000 cookies. That event raised US$ 400,000 for paediatric cancer research.

 

Inspired by the success of that bake sale, the Witts founded 'Cookies for Kids' Cancer' in 2008. Sadly, Liam lost his battle to cancer in 2011. However, his parents remain committed to continue their work, to raise funds for research and support through bake sales. Drop by the website to learn more about them and their  work. It is also full of information on how to organise a bake sale.

 

While browsing through their website, I came upon the recipe section that has a little collection of cookie recipes that one could use for a bake sale. That was when I decided I would try one of their recipes as a way to introduce you to the Witts and their work.

 

I zeroed in on the white chocolate and dried cranberries cookies. For the past month, this 'trendy' combination of white chocolate and cranberries has caught my attention from almost every second blog I've visited.

The recipe is as straightforward as any cookie recipe. Being a bake sale recipe ensures that it is easy to follow and the results will be a crowd-pleaser. The tart, dried cranberries provide a beautiful counter-balance to the sweetness of the white chocolate, something my palate really appreciated.

 

What I enjoyed most about these buttery, slightly crumbly cookies is the abundance of the white chocolate and cranberries in each cookie. This is not one of those cookies where you have to go searching for the chocolate chips or the cranberries. Much to your delight, you will encounter them generously with each bite. If anything, I should have made them smaller. Mine turned out slightly on the jumbo side. Not that anyone complained!!

These cookies are a welcome change to the regular chocolate-chip cookies and warrant that you give them a shot. But more than that, drop by the website of 'Cookies for Kids' Cancer' and be inspired. As for me, a bake sale just got on my list of things 'to do'!!  

Baked Methi Puris (Baked Whole Wheat Mini Flatbreads)

This week, Indians will celebrate Diwali, our biggest festival of the year.  It is a special day devoted to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth. And for all those who think of wealth only in terms of 'benjamins', this festival celebrates the Goddess as a provider of wealth in many forms : Knowledge, intelligence, strength, valor, beauty, victory, fame, ambition, morality, wealth, food, bliss, happiness, health and progeny.

 

Diwali is a time for tradition and celebration, a time for prayer and hope, a time to go back home, a time for family and friends, a time for lamps and fireworks and of course, a time for good food!! And Indians love their food. Food is about sharing, love, abundance, tradition and definitely not for the weight-watchers. And for all the sweet that is made for such times, there is the savoury too. Because, thats what Indian food is all about.. balance!!

 

And yet amidst all the bonhomie and madness, balance is the last thing on your mind. And everyone knows how tough it is to shed holiday weight gain. So, lately a number of Indians have tried to make healthier versions of their favourite sweets and snacks without compromising on taste.

 

The oven does not find a place in traditional, Indian cuisine. Yet increasingly, as a lot of us have become more health-conscious, we use the oven as a way to achieve the same results with a lot less oil. So, today I attempted to make a baked version of these puris, a popular savoury snack, that would otherwise be deep-fried.

The recipe is courtesy, one of India's best-selling, most popular cookbook authors, Tarla Dalal. Before the Internet and the food blogs, her books, largely focussed on Indian cuisine and catered to India's vast vegetarian population. And at a time when the world was not such a small place as it is now, she introduced Indians to global cuisine, even if it was a vegetarian, Indianised version!!

These puris are made from whole wheat and flavoured with a few powdered spices and methi (fenugreek) leaves. And the best part, there is only a teaspoon of oil. To serve, I paired it with some coriander chutney.

 

The results were as I hoped they would be. The puris were crispy, spicy and just the thing needed to counter the avalanche of sweets during this time. And no, you do not miss that they are not deep-fried. And it hardly takes any time to make them, making them a perfect tea-time snack, all-year round.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Diwali. May this festival of lights brighten up every part of your life with joy and happiness!!!

** Over the next two weeks, I will have sporadic Internet access and will respond to your mails with a lag or when I get back home!!
 

Buttermilk Crumb Muffins with Rum-Soaked Raisins : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

Is anybody else wondering, where did 2012 go?!!? How have we already reached November, when I can clearly remember reading those cheesy newspaper horoscopes at the beginning of the year?? As a close friend wrote on Facebook the other day, "Even when it feels like nothing is happening . . . something is happening."

 

Anyhow, getting back to the post of the day. After a month of dealing with yeast, the 'TWD: Baking with Julia' group decided to go for something simple and easy. The choice for this fortnight is Buttermilk Crumb Muffins.

I really enjoy baking muffins. I see them as one of the easiest things to bake and with zillions of muffin recipes on the Web, there's a muffin to suit every occassion and every mood. So, I was intrigued to find out if the book could come up with something interesting, in terms of flavour, texture or technique. Unfortunately not!!

Reading the recipe, I felt a bit underwhelmed. It didn't seem to have anything to excite me enough to want to give it a shot. Don't get me wrong, you know me enough to know how much I enjoy a fuss-free recipe but this recipe just seemed a bit old school. I think it was the use of vegetable shortening that first got me all sceptical.

And as I said earlier, at a time when muffin recipes have gotten so interesting with the addition of fruits, spices, vegetables, dried fruits, oil and now gluten-free, these muffins just seemed to lack the necessary pizzazz. But considering how wrong I can be, more often than not, I thought I reserve judgement until I gave the recipe a shot.

Substituted the vegetable shortening with butter and to jazz up these muffins, I added a few tablespoons of rum-soaked raisins. The muffins turned out as the book said they would, "sweet, tender muffins with a light, open crumb", with a very subtle hit of the cinnamon and nutmeg. There is the addition of a crumb on top of each muffin, but am not sure if mine turned out looking as it should have. I would have preferred a more interesting streusel topping, if any!!

These are good, fuss-free, no-frills muffins, probably best made and consumed for breakfast. But my initial thought about them proved right. They just didn't excite me enough to put them in my folder of "keeper" recipes!! I like my muffins to have more depth of flavour. In this case, even the rum-soaked raisins didn't help!!