tomato souffle

We are really excited to have 3 choices for the month. Chocolate mousse (with egg and eggless versions) and Tomato Souffle. I chose to carry on with Tomato Souffle as towards the savoury side and wanted take a break with baking chocolates for a while.

sweet punch

Recipe Source- Australian Women's Weekly via Marias menu

1. Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup firmly packed

2. Butter- 45 gms (refer healthier version)

Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped

Plain flour(maida)-2 tbsp

Milk- 1 cup

3. Tomato paste- 3 tbsp

Basil- 1 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)

4. Eggs- 3, separated

5. Grated cheese- a handful ( I used cheddar)

Grease 4 souffle dishes (1/2 cup capacity), sprinkle with bread crumbs. Melt butter in small saucepan, add finely chopped onion. Stir over low heat for 2 mins (or MW on HIGH for about 2 mins).Cook until onion is soft, it doesn't have to becosme brown. Stir in flour and stir over medium heat for a minute (or MW on HIGH for a min). Remove from heat. gradually stir in milk, return to heat, stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens and reaches a thick sauce like consistency (or MW on HIGH for about 3 mins).

Transfer to large bowl, stir in tomato paste and basil Leaves. Cover the dish and let it stand for 5 mins. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add egg yolks to the onion and milk mixture and mix well. Fold the egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bhake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until lightly browned.

Healthier version: use brown bread crumbs and low fat milk. Also use yolks of only 2 eggs and white of 3 eggs. Use only lesser qty of butter.

Notes: The above qty serves 2 adults served with garlic bread or soup. You can use any oven safe dish to prepare this. The original recipe calls for no spices, but you can add crushed pepper while cooking onion, if you wish.

Substitute for tomato paste: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/312148

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We are really excited to have 3 choices for the month. Chocolate mousse (with egg and eggless versions) and Tomato Souffle. I chose to carry on with Tomato Souffle as towards the savoury side and wanted take a break with baking chocolates for a while.

sweet punch

Recipe Source- Australian Women's Weekly via Marias menu

1. Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup firmly packed

2. Butter- 45 gms (refer healthier version)

Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped

Plain flour(maida)-2 tbsp

Milk- 1 cup

3. Tomato paste- 3 tbsp

Basil- 1 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)

4. Eggs- 3, separated

5. Grated cheese- a handful ( I used cheddar)

Grease 4 souffle dishes (1/2 cup capacity), sprinkle with bread crumbs. Melt butter in small saucepan, add finely chopped onion. Stir over low heat for 2 mins (or MW on HIGH for about 2 mins).Cook until onion is soft, it doesn't have to becosme brown. Stir in flour and stir over medium heat for a minute (or MW on HIGH for a min). Remove from heat. gradually stir in milk, return to heat, stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens and reaches a thick sauce like consistency (or MW on HIGH for about 3 mins).

Transfer to large bowl, stir in tomato paste and basil Leaves. Cover the dish and let it stand for 5 mins. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add egg yolks to the onion and milk mixture and mix well. Fold the egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bhake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until lightly browned.

Healthier version: use brown bread crumbs and low fat milk. Also use yolks of only 2 eggs and white of 3 eggs. Use only lesser qty of butter.

Notes: The above qty serves 2 adults served with garlic bread or soup. You can use any oven safe dish to prepare this. The original recipe calls for no spices, but you can add crushed pepper while cooking onion, if you wish.

Substitute for tomato paste: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/312148

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I happened to read somewhere that chocolate lava cake was the result of a major culinary disaster; the dessert meant to be individual chocolate cakes which didn't get cooked well resulting in a soft runny chocolatey centre. The resulting "uncooked centred" cake was duly favourited by the baker as well his guests!

Obviously being in my should-try-once list I was excited when Divya announced the recipe for October's sweet punch! The very Molten Chocolate Lava Cake!

So here we have to be careful not to cook the cake 'a little too much' thereby resulting in a 'well cooked centred' chocolate cake ;)

Preparing the batter was a breeze.For the very first time I enjoyed melting chocolates in my double boiler milk cooker, the baking bars brought down by my sister.

As mentioned earlier I wanted to cook them carefully to get used to the baking time and chose to bake them one by one. The first ramekin got cooked a little too much with 19 minutes, while the second one was too mushy with 15 minutes.Now I knew the time and controlled the time as 17 minutes. Remember, the baking time according to your oven model and setting.

Only when I placed the cake on the plate did I realise that the uncooked centre was sticking at the bottom, resulting in a 'not so smooth finished top part'. Besides all the cakes failed to hold its shape :( letting down my expectations of having that firm dark cake with the lava flowing out, beuatifully!

When the 5th ramekin hopped out hot from the oven, I couldn't wait any longer.....

..scroll down to the last picture, please ;)

Molten Lava Cake (yielded 5 ramekins for me)
Recipe source - showmethecurry.com

Ingredients:

Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate – 4 oz (113g)
Butter – 4 oz (113g)
Eggs – 2
Sugar – 1/3 cup (75 g)
All-purpose Flour – 1/4 cup (40g)
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Method:

Method:

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
4. Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
5. Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
6. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside.
7. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

The little 'over baked' lava cake on the farther end! The rest of them waiting to get in the oven!

A bit over exposed, but just to have a peep into the ramekin at that 'rightly baked' molten lava cake..

..confirmed by digging in a spoon and licking it clean ;)

Warning: Extremely Hot Product- No burning tongues please ;)



P.S - Some people find it gross to have cakes with uncooked centers[not me to Divya :)!!] and feel the lava is nothing but uncooked batter.I have a solution for that too--if you feel so too,just place a chocolate chunk in between--pour half the batter into the ramekin and place a chocolate chunk,and pour the remaining batter and cook for a longer time than mentioned.You could also place cold ganache in between,choices are numerous!!

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