Tag Archives: fluffy

A Couple of Cream Cheese Frostings

March 17, 2015 Marsha 1 Comment

I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you a cupcake with cream cheese frosting – Me 🙂 ”

The Fact: Neufchatel cheese, the inspiration for conventional block cream cheese, originated in France in the 1500s. In 1872, William Chester, a New York dairyman, accidentally discovered a cheese making method that produced a creamy mild cheese while trying to duplicate the French Neufchatel recipe. He sold it as ‘cream cheese’ to the Empire Cheese Company, who in turn marketed it under the ‘Philadelphia’ brand.

The Inspiration: Who doesn’t like cream cheese? It’s the perfect in between for those who don’t quite get the cheese frenzy and think cream’s too fatty and tasteless to be loved as much. As for me … I love the soft, almost-smotherable, velvety-smooth texture and the lightly salted flavor of the cheese. But then I also love cream and cheese, independently, just as much.
I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad 🙂 The cream cheese in my home goes into cake and cupcake frostings more often than not. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂

Plain Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting has a more distinctive tang than the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe I share below, simply because it uses pure cream cheese and whipped cream. It’s wickedly delicious, less sweet and works better with cakes in general, where you want the cake to carry the main flavor and the frosting to complement it; for example, red velvet cake or carrot cake. This frosting is also relatively stable and forms firmer and steadier peaks and swirls than the second frosting recipe on the blog, below. Since this frosting uses whipped cream, it’s less stable outdoors and in the heat for long hours.

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 cupcakes

227 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
70 – 80 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
160 ml heavy whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and on slow speed, beat in the sugar until it’s smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
Add the cold whipping cream and whisk on high speed, until the frosting is thick and stiff peaks are formed. It should take no more than a few minutes. If it’s not yet stiff, add more sugar, tablespoon at a time. Remember that the temperature and brand of whipping cream is very important. The cream has to be absolutely cold, preferably being beaten in a chilled bowl. It should also be a brand you’ve tried and tested before. If it’s one that doesn’t form peaks easily, beat it separately and fold it into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.

Notes:

It’s the icing sugar and the whipping cream that gives this frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of the sugar, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you what to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar and stiffer whipped cream. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing outdoors or in the heat for a while, avoid this frosting because it won’t hold too long in heat.
Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Use this frosting when you want the frosting itself to be your highlight—sweet, yummy and addictive, like in most cupcakes. This one has a wicked taste and texture. It also pipes softer peaks and swirls and is easier to handle compared to the frosting above, simply because of its higher butter content, because of which it won’t last too long in the heat; however it can stand for hours at room temperature or in a relatively cool place because the frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 – 20 cupcakes

113 gms butter (softened at room temperature)
113 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
240 – 270 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
Add the cream cheese and vanilla and continue to beat until the entire mixture is smooth and you can no longer differentiate between the butter and the cream cheese.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat on high for a little less than a minute. Then, on low speed (stir speed), beat in the confectioners’ sugar until well combined.
Once you’re sure of the sweetness and stiffness, beat the frosting on high speed for about 2 minutes. At this point, the frosting should no longer feel grainy. It should be fully incorporated. If you need the frosting to be stiffer than what it is, add more icing sugar by the tablespoon. Alternatively, you can also add 1 – 2 tablespoons of whipping cream.

Notes:

It’s the icing sugar that gives the frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of it, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you want to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing in the heat for a while, avoid frosting altogether because it won’t hold too long. However, if your cakes/cupcakes will be standing in a relatively cool place, they will last for hours because this frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.
Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

Classic French Toast

March 13, 2015 Marsha Leave a comment

Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the hardest to do! Think about it—whipping up an egg until the peaks are stiff, making an omelette and flipping it perfectly, kneading the dough… And so, it occurred to me to dedicate some articles to the ‘simple’ things … things easy enough for the untrained husband or kids to do.

“I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time’. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. – Steven Wright”

The Fact: Contrary to popular belief, French toast was not invented in France. Earliest references date back to the 4^th century, Rome, way before France even existed as a country.

The Inspiration: “Who doesn’t know how to make French toast?” was the response from my husband, on being asked to take over breakfast, one morning; the outcome, unfortunately, began with “Okay! What do I need?” :)Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the hardest to do! Think about it—whipping up an egg until the peaks are stiff, making an omelette and flipping it perfectly, kneading the dough… And so, it occurred to me to dedicate some articles to the ‘simple’ things … things easy enough for the untrained husband or your kids to do. Here’s the first of those dedications on how to make the much-famed French toast.

The Ingredients

Makes 6 – 8 slices

1 egg
1 cup milk
½ tsp pure vanilla
A pinch of salt
1.5 – 2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup softened butter
Stale bread or relatively dry bread (or bread dried out in the microwave—that’s how I do it)
Optional: Caster sugar
Optional: Cinnamon powder (take a few sticks of cinnamon and dry roast it on a pan or in the microwave; grind it to a fine powder)

The Method

Lightly whisk the egg. You don’t need stiff peaks or anything fancy, so don’t try really hard. Season it with a pinch of salt.

Add in the sugar and continue to whisk it until the sugar melts. Notice that the colour of the mix changes to a pale yellow.

At this point, add the vanilla and continue to whisk.

Pour in the milk and stir.
Dip the dried bread slice in the egg mixture, for about 5 – 7 seconds on each side.

Heat your pan to medium heat. Pop in a quarter tsp of butter in the pan.

Carefully place the soaked bread slice into the pan. Remember to take the bowl holding the egg mix and the bread slice as close to the stove as possible; if not, you’re going to have a lot of the eggy mixture on your counter/stove. Attention: Cleaning. Wastage. 🙂

Here’s what I do with my optional ingredients. While the slice is sitting in the pan, I sprinkle a very small amount of caster sugar and cinnamon powder on the top-facing side of the slice. Remember to do this before you’ve flipped the slice. Caster sugar works to get you the beautiful brown and the slight crust or crispiness; while cinnamon powder is simply for the taste.

Each bread slice takes about a minute or two to develop the perfect golden brown. If you’re not sure, lift the corner of the slice to check the colour. Then, flip only when you’re sure of it.

Serve hot and eat away! A serving of beautifully roasted/fried bacon on the side or over the bread is a sinful, but delicious addition 🙂 Bet you can’t stop at one…

Sausage Potato Quiche

June 1, 2014 Marsha Leave a comment

The quiche has always been one of those fascinating kitchen creations that has an exotic appeal with a sprinkling of humility. I’m not sure whether it’s the many variations of the dish, its humble beginnings in Germany and France, its popularity after World War II, or the sheer simplicity of the dish. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it…

“Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”— A book by Bruce Feirstein; a bestseller satirizing stereotypes of masculinity

The Fact: Why is the Quiche Lorraine named so? It is believed that Quiche Lorraine is a recipe traditionally from Lorraine, France, near the border with Germany. In reality, the classic Quiche originated in Lothringen, Germany, a region initially under German rule; however, it was renamed Lorraine when it came under French control. In fact, the word ‘quiche’ is derived from the German word for cake, ‘kuchen.’

The Inspiration: My fascination with the “quiche” began when I was 16 and was introduced to a quaint little French café that opened up next to the college I went to. A little late, I agree, but quiche was just not a regular in my house. I still remember spotting the quiche as a cute little something with pretty, wavy edges, and beautiful, golden brown bacon bits sprinkled over it… I just had to give it a try! And with that introduction, began my love affair with quiches and tarts and pies and short crust pastries, and the eagerness to master them all. To me, this dish is really not so much about the taste; it’s about the beauty in its simplicity—the simplicity in the ingredients, the preparation and the result.

The Ingredients

This dish makes 6 – 8 servings.

Pie Crust or Short-Crust Pastry

1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup butter (115 g or ¼ lb) frozen or chilled butter
¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water
½ teaspoon salt

Quiche Filling

3 large potatoes; grated, using a regular cheese grater

2 cups of diced, chopped or minced sausages
1 cup of chopped bacon

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

½ cup of diced bell peppers (Use a combination of yellow and red for a pretty quiche)
1 cup diced mushrooms
About 15 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.)

3 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Egg Custard

3 large or 4 small eggs
2/3^rd cup milk
A pinch of salt for each egg

The Method

Making the Short-Crust Pastry or Quiche Crust

Click here to read up on how to make the perfect short-crust pastry, pie crust or quiche crust.

Making the Filling

Heat a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to simmer lightly. Do not burn the butter or allow it to turn brown.
Toss in the finely chopped garlic and allow it to brown slightly.

Add the bacon and let it release some lovely flavor into the pan as the fat melts. Allow the bacon to brown.

If you haven’t already grated the potatoes, now’s the time to do it. Remember to sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the grated potatoes. Give it a toss. Keep it aside.
Add the mushrooms and let them cook in the butter and fat, while absorbing the flavours in the pan. Mushrooms also release a lot of water. Allow the water to dry up as much as possible.
Now, toss in the chopped/minced sausages and the shredded potatoes.
After about 2 minutes, add the diced bell peppers.
Sautee the ingredients for a few minutes, or until all the water has dried up.
Season the mixture with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of sugar. You could even add a soup cube for more taste, but if you do, remember to adjust the salt.
Take the skillet off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down a little

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Making the egg custard

Whisk the eggs, the milk and the salt together. You’re done.

Assembling the quiche

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Take the ready pie base. Sprinkle the sausage filling into it. Pour the egg custard over the filling.

Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over it. This is completely optional 🙂
Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the egg custard is set.

Serve hot and enjoy! You can refrigerate leftovers for later as well.

Bon appétit!

Better Buttermilk

April 13, 2014 Marsha 1 Comment

I swear by butter and cream and milk too; buttermilk was new and certainly was a welcome change!

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” – Woody Allen

The Fact: To get the amount of calcium in an 8-ounce glass of milk, you’d have to eat one-fourth cup of broccoli, seven oranges or six slices of wheat bread.

The Inspiration:So my research began when I visited about seven dairies and four supermarkets in search of buttermilk, and still didn’t get any. They blamed it on the winter—“Nobody drinks buttermilk in winter, ma’am—and the lack of demand in the winter. And so I gave up. I decided I’m going to make some and I’m going to make it better. And I did.Buttermilk sits right in the middle of milk and cream; it’s slightly thicker than milk and not quite as thick as cream. It’s also more acidic than milk, has a lovely flavor, and is a super alternative for lactose intolerant people because much of the lactose has been broken down to lactic acid. Buttermilk has quite a few benefits—it’s low in fat and calories (lower than that in milk—a cup of buttermilk contains 2.2g of fat and 99 calories while a cup of whole milk contains 8.9g of fat and 157 calories), is cooling for the body (which is why it’s perfect for summers), aids digestion, makes the yummiest, lightest, and softest pancakes and cakes, and lasts much longer in the refrigerator because of its acidity, which inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria.Since most store-bought buttermilk is quite fake and not quite the real thing, here are some easy ways in which you can make your very own homemade buttermilk.

#1 Super easy, all of 10 minutes, but rather watery kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is very easy to make at home and takes a maximum of 10 minutes. And although you can use this buttermilk in your baking recipes to make cakes, biscuits and pancakes, I found this version to be very light, watery and rather tasteless. But if you need a substitute, it works.

The Ingredients

1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar
1 cup of milk (minus 1 tablespoon)

The Method

Pour the lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup.
Add enough milk to bring the mixture up to the one-cup line.
Stir once and let the mixture stand for 5 – 10 minutes. You’ll notice tiny curdled bits in you measuring cup. If you do, you have your buttermilk. If you don’t, add a further half tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and try again.
Refrigerate.

#2 Easy, perfect and yummy, but takes 1 – 2 days to make kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is easy to make, requires cultured buttermilk (thick, real, buttermilk preferably from a health store or an organic store) and takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is perfect to drink and use as a substitute in your baking recipes.

The Ingredients

1 cup of cultured buttermilk
3 cups of milk
A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)

If you want smaller quantities, you can do so by reducing the quantities of the ingredients but maintaining the proportion, which is a 1:3 ratio.

The Method

Pour the buttermilk into the glass jar.
Next, add the milk, screw the lid on and shake the jar.
Leave the jar to rest in a relatively warm place for about 24 hours. You can check whether your buttermilk is ready by tilting the jar slightly. While milk does not coat the glass, buttermilk will (as you can see in the image right at the top of this post).
Now pop it into the refrigerator and it will stay for a few weeks.

#3 Not-so-easy, the best, but takes about 5 days to make kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is still easy to make, however, it involves you making your own buttermilk culture from raw milk and then takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is the best buttermilk you could ever have, is perfect to drink, use in your baking recipes, and will make you a buttermilk addict (yes, that’s possible :)).

The Ingredients

1 cup of raw milk
1 cup of regular milk
A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)

The Method

Let a cup of raw milk sit covered, at room temperature, until it has clabbered or thickened. This usually takes about 2 – 3 days.
Take a quarter or one-fourth of the clabbered milk in a glass jar and add a cup of regular milk to it.
Screw the lid on and shake the jar. Now, allow the jar to sit at room temperature until clabbered.
Repeat this sub-culturing process several times until the milk clabbers within 24 hours. To know that you’ve got the right buttermilk, taste it. It should be tart (not bitter), thick, and should not have a bad or off taste. If it’s perfect, you’ve got your buttermilk culture.
Now use the buttermilk culture with milk in the 1:3 ratio that was used in the Method #2 above, mix and allow to stand for 24 hours.
Refrigerate and use.

#4 Easy, quick, not the best, but makes butter and buttermilk

This method is lovely because it gives you lovely homemade butter and buttermilk. The method is simple, quick and gives you buttermilk that’s nice to drink. I haven’t yet used this buttermilk to bake, so you could be my judge??

The Ingredients

Heavy cream (as much as you want)

The Method

Pour the heavy cream into a blender and blend the cream (with the lid on)
When you notice the yellow butter starting to separate from the now formed buttermilk, stop the blender and let the cream sit for a minute or two to allow the butter globules to rise to the top.
Pour out the buttermilk. Use a spoon to squeeze out as much buttermilk as possible. You have your buttermilk.

Now for the butter. Your homemade butter is already ready, but if you want it to last longer, wash it with ice-cold water by pouring ice cold water into the blender and blending it for a minute. Pour/squeeze out ALL the water, add a little coarse salt (for salted butter) and mix. Voila! You have your yummy homemade butter ready for use.

#5 Insanely easy, super quick, only for drinking kinda buttermilk

This method is everything I’ve called it. All you have to do is use store-bought curd, add some water to it to lighten the consistency as much as you want. Stir or blend. You have your buttermilk. Once again, I haven’t used this buttermilk to bake, so let me know if you do.

So that’s it from me. I know it’s easy to simply go out and buy fake buttermilk, but you really should give these simple methods a try. I’d love to hear from you on these 🙂

Red Velvet Cake

Image February 26, 2014 Marsha 1 Comment

Some find a little bit of heaven in their red velvet cake; others think it’s overrated. My thoughts—I love red. I love cake. So, why not?

“You’re only human. You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake!” – Emma Stone

The Fact: The Red Velvet Cake was invented during the Great Depression when food was a rare commodity, let alone cake and food colouring agents. To up their sales, the food colouring company Adams Extract lured customers by creating the Adams Red Velvet Cake recipe. They also gave away free Red Velvet Cake recipes at grocery stores to sells the red extract. The ploy worked. The cake became an overnight hit.

The Inspiration: With Valentine’s Day just round the corner and every website and restaurant featuring their oh-so-glorious red velvet cake, I just had to give this advertised cake a try… especially since I’ve never made the cake before. So, irrespective of the grief I got from some of my friends about conforming to tradition and expectations and all the clichés surrounding this day, attempt it I did. The outcome, though not the ideal ‘red’, was a pleasant surprise and a lovely dessert for just about any day of the year.

The Ingredients

Serves approximately 12 to 15 people

Cake

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
2 large or 3 small eggs
1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some in a few minutes; read here)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liquid red food colour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’, icing or caster sugar, sifted
1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream (or any cream that forms stiff peaks when whipped)

The Method

Making the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) with a rack in centre. Ready your baking pans (either one or two 9 inch pans) by spraying them with grease or lining them with butter. Preferably, also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, using a hand or electric mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes or until soft.

Add the sugar and beat for about 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Then, add the eggs, one by one. Beat well after each. Finally, add the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
In a measuring cup, preferably a glass or stainless steel one, whisk the buttermilk with the red food colour. The red colour stains easily. Try to use glass or stainless steel equipment as far as possible to prevent staining.
Alternate the flour mixture, the buttermilk and the butter mixture and combine by whisking on low speed (to prevent you and your kitchen from bring splattered with the mixture). It’s a good idea to begin and end with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. The combination will fizz; before the effervescence dies down, quickly fold it into the cake batter.
No work quickly. Pour the batter into your pan (divide your batter evenly if using 2 pans). Smoothen out the top with a spatula and pop the pan(s) into the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake(s) on a wire rack.
After the cake has cooled sufficiently, use a blunt knife and pry the cake away from the cake tin. If you’re not a fan of the frosting, you can eat it right away.

If you’re going to frost it, refrigerate the cake after wrapping it in plastic or shrink wrap for at least an hour, if not overnight. A chilled cake is much easier to frost because it doesn’t crumble as easily.

Making the frosting

In the bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is rich and thick. If you don’t have heavy cream and it doesn’t form stiff peaks easily, beat the cream separately and then add it to the cream cheese. Taste the frosting and add sugar or cream as per your liking.

Assembling the cake

If you’ve baked two separate cakes, you can assemble them straight away, and build a two-layered cake, with one layer of frosting in between. Alternately, using a serrated knife, you can cut your cake into four layers, horizontally. You can also use twine, wrapped around the cake, and pulled together to cut the cake evenly across.

Place the top of the cake onto your serving plate (since this is the least even layer of all). Spread a layer of frosting over it. Place another cake layer over the frosted layer and add a layer of frosting to the second cake layer. In the same way, frost the remaining layers. You can serve the cake as is if you want the lovely red layer to stay on top, or then, you can go ahead and frost the outside and top of the entire cake stack. I don’t like too much frosting or decoration. I love the plain ‘ol cake, or then, with one layer of frosting. You can do it as you like it.

Top the cake with anything you like. Some of my options are cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, red velvet cake crumbs (the easiest to do), strawberries, and so on.

I would eat this cake any random evening, but make sure you have someone to show it off to. The hard work’s got to be worth it! 🙂 Bon appétit!

Chocolate & Sautéed Banana Crepes

Image January 29, 2014 Marsha Leave a comment

Speaking of comfort foods, who’d have thought that decadent chocolate and a fruit wrapped inside a soft crêpe would be my new favourite dessert… breakfast item… comfort food…?

“In a big family the first child is kind of like the first crêpe. If it’s not perfect, that’s okay, there are a lot more coming along.” – Antonin Scalia

The Fact: Crêpes originated in Brittany, France and are considered as the country’s national dish. Crêpes can be compared to the African injera, the tortilla, the Indian dosa and the Mexican sope.

The Inspiration: So, let’s be honest. I’d like to believe that I’m a serious health-conscious freak, but I’m really not. I have my days. It was one of these days that led a few friends and me to this quaint little patisserie, “Le Plaisir”, which had opened up close to our work place, one August afternoon. Since I wasn’t in the mood for a serious, heavy dessert, I thought about trying out their crêpes. Apart from the regular crêpes (considered as the French-styled pancakes) with whipped cream or maple syrup, I spotted a Nutella and Banana Crêpe. While the Nutella satisfied the dessert craving, the fruit led me to believe it was healthy, which it wasn’t of course! And so I ate… And fell in love… And the banana-chocolate combination became my new favorite duo… So much so that I recreated the dish, rather perfectly, I dare say, the very next day.So unoriginal… right? But like they say… “Love is blind” 🙂

The Ingredients

Makes 10 – 12 crêpes

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
1 ½ cups milk (for slightly healthier crêpes, use 3/4^th cup milk with ½ cup water or buttermilk)
2 large or 3 small eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 large bananas
Nutella or readymade chocolate sauce or a few bits of semisweet chocolate melted

The Method

Making the crêpes

Whisk all the dry ingredients—the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder—in a bowl. Remember to add the baking powder only if you’re making the crêpes immediately. If not, add just before use.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then, add the milk to it. Use room temperature milk—not too hot or too cold. At this point, you could also add a quarter teaspoon of vanilla essence if you don’t like the egg smell.

Using your spatula, create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into it. Gently whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until the mixture appears smooth and without lumps. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and whisk gently. Remember not to over-whisk the mixture or you’ll lose all the air from it, making your crêpes slightly tougher than the soft, fluffy ones.

It’s a good idea to check for lumps using the back of a spoon, before you proceed.

Allow the batter to sit for about 30 – 60 minutes, covered properly (make airtight), in the refrigerator. Note that if you’re making the batter in advance, you can store the batter in an airtight container for up to 1 day. But, when you do so, remember to add the baking powder about 5 minutes before you actually make the crêpes; not earlier.

After refrigeration, whisk the batter to get a smooth, slightly more fluid consistency.

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium flame and add a drizzle of the butter. Don’t let your pan smoke.

Now, add about 1/3 cup batter and swirl it around to completely cover the bottom of the pan or until it reaches the desired size. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes, until the crêpe looks slightly transparent or until the underside of crêpe is golden brown. Then, using a spatula, loosen the edges slightly and flip the crêpe once, using your fingers.

Let the crêpe cook for another minute, then slide it into a plate. Remember, the key is to flip it only once and not more. Give it a try and you can’t go too wrong (and even if you do, you can still eat it).

Repeat the procedure until the batter lasts.

Making the topping/stuffing

With the pan still on the stove, quickly slice the bananas. Add the remaining spoon of sugar to the pan and just when it begins to melt/caramelise (don’t go too far or you’ll be left with hard caramel), toss in the bananas until they are lightly coated and golden brown. Take them off the pan.

Note: You can avoid this step altogether and use plain sliced bananas (without the caramel coating). That’s what I did since the caramel makes the dessert too sweet for my taste.

Serving the crêpes

You have various options here…

Lightly brush the smooth side of the crêpe with some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce. Line up some of the banana slices in the centre. Roll up the crêpe and serve.
Lightly brush the smooth side of the crêpe with some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce. Line up some of the banana slices in one quarter of the crêpe. Fold the crêpe into that quarter and serve.
Fold a plain crêpe into a quarter and place it on a plate. Toss a few banana slices onto the crêpe. Drizzle some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce over it and serve.

Bon appétit! I hope this comfort food gives you all the comfort, joy and heavenly bliss it gave me!

The Chill Grill

Tag Archives: fluffy

A Couple of Cream Cheese Frostings

Plain Cream Cheese Frosting

The Ingredients

The Method

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

The Ingredients

The Method

Classic French Toast

The Ingredients

The Method

Sausage Potato Quiche

The Ingredients

The Method

Better Buttermilk

I swear by butter and cream and milk too; buttermilk was new and certainly was a welcome change!

#1 Super easy, all of 10 minutes, but rather watery kinda buttermilk

#2 Easy, perfect and yummy, but takes 1 – 2 days to make kinda buttermilk

#3 Not-so-easy, the best, but takes about 5 days to make kinda buttermilk

#4 Easy, quick, not the best, but makes butter and buttermilk

#5 Insanely easy, super quick, only for drinking kinda buttermilk

Red Velvet Cake

Some find a little bit of heaven in their red velvet cake; others think it’s overrated. My thoughts—I love red. I love cake. So, why not?

The Ingredients

The Method

Chocolate & Sautéed Banana Crepes

Speaking of comfort foods, who’d have thought that decadent chocolate and a fruit wrapped inside a soft crêpe would be my new favourite dessert… breakfast item… comfort food…?

The Ingredients

The Method

I did it my way