Made with love

This Mother’s Day, don those aprons and let mum know how special she is with a sweet token of appreciation

BENGALURU : CHOCOLATE TRES LECHES CAKE

INGREDIENTS
For the cake

•  All-purpose flour - 1 and 3/4 cup
•  Sugar - 1 and 3/4 cup
•  Cocoa powder - 3/4 cup
•  Baking powder - 1 tsp
•  Baking soda - 2 tsp
•  Salt - 1 tsp
•  Buttermilk - 1 cup
•  Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
•  Eggs (at roomtemperature)- 2
• Vanilla - 1 tsp
• Freshly brewed strong hot coffee - 1 cup

FOR THE MILK

•  Sweetened condensed milk - 4 tbsp
•  Milk - 3/4 cup
•  Evaporated milk - 1/4 cup
•  Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

FOR WHIPPED
CREAM TOPPING

•  Whipping cream - 2 cups
•  Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup

- Heena Poonawala (@F2Obakehouse on Instagram)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a baking pan approx (10*10) with butter and dust with flour.

For the cake, put flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Mix well and sieve.

In a stand mixer, beat eggs with sugar, add buttermilk, oil and vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients and use the cut and fold method. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-33 minutes on 160 degrees Celsius or until the centre of the cake springs back when you touch it. While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes all over the cake with a small skewer or a fork.

For the milk: Whisk sweetened condensed milk, milk and evaporated milk, and add the cocoa powder together in a bowl. The cocoa may not completely dissolve, but whisk until it is mostly incorporated. Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the warm cake.

For whipped cream: Beat the cream till it forms soft peaks. Add cocoa powder mixture and beat until it is fully mixed in. You can add a little powdered sugar if you want. Continue to beat until soft peaks form and the mixture is spreadable. It should be fluffy and light.

To assemble: Spread the chocolate whipped cream on the cooled cake. Drizzle with chocolate syrup or decorate as you like.

PEANUT BUTTER Instagram) BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS

•  Butter - 250 gm
•  Dark chocolate - 250 gm
•  Sugar - 350 gm
•  Eggs - 6
•  Vanilla - 1 tsp
• Flour - 150 gm
•  Roasted peanut- 100 gm
• Peanut butter -as per taste
•  Salt - a pinch

METHOD

•  Melt butter and chocolate together and keep aside to cool.
•  In the mean time beat eggs and sugar together until pail yellow in colour.
• Once that is done gently pour in the cooled chocolate and butter mix. Make sure it’s room temperature and not hot, otherwise the eggs will cook and curdle.
•  After mixing the chocolate, slowly fold in the flour, salt and vanilla. Do not beat the flour, fold it gently till it combines.
•  Line your baking tray, add the roasted peanuts on the base of the tin and then add your batter in.
• Baked at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-35 minutes
• depending on how gooey you like your brownie.
•  Before serving, spread some peanut butter on top of the brownie and eat away.

- Rhea Aaron (@klaakitchen on Instagram)

SUGAR COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

•  Maida - 2 and 1/4 cup
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
• Butter (room temperature)- 3/4 cup
•  Granulated sugar -3/4 cup
•  Egg - 1
•  Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

METHOD

• Whisk maida, salt and baking powder together and set aside.
• Using a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until completely smooth and creamy, for about two minutes.
• Add the egg and vanilla and mix on high speed for about a minute until combined
• Add the dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture and mix until combined. The dough will be a little soft. If it is too soft, then add one tablespoon of maida.
• Divide the dough in two halves, place it on a floured parchment paper (easier to handle) and roll out the dough up to 1/4 inch. Do the same to the other half. Lightly dust the rolled out dough with flour (to avoid sticking) and place the second dough on top of the first. Cover both with cling film or foil and refrigerate it for at least two hours up to a day or two.
• Once it’s chilled, pre-heat the oven at 177 degrees Celsius and line baking tray with parchment paper.
• Remove one portion of the dough and place it on the parchment paper and using a cookie cutter or anything circular or whichever shape you want, cut it out and place it in the oven.
• You can re-roll the remaining dough until all of it is used.
• Arrange the dough about three inches apart and bake it for 11-12 minutes or until the sides start to brown.
• Once it’s done, allow it to cook on the baking sheet for five minutes and then you can transfer it to a rack for it to completely cool down.  Sachitha Elavarasan (@thegirlnextdough on  Instagram)