Red Velvet Cake: V-Day special

Red is the color of love that’s why Valentine’s Day means red color everywhere.  For V-Day special I made some spinach cheese tart so I thought to make something red which will make our day perfect. And without a perfect dessert any celebration becomes dull. So finally I made some RED VELVET CAKE to celebrate the special V-Day.

The specialty of the cake is the RED COLOR and this cake is layered with some cream cheese filling. As I told before baking is not my cup of tea so this time also I was little nervous but after seeing the cake my husband's expression was best V-Day gift for me.

Ingredients:

1.All purpose flour: 2 cup.

2.Sugar: 2 cup.

3.Eggs: 3.

4.Butter: 1 slice (softened)

5.Baking powder: 1 tea spoon.

6.Salt: ½ tea spoon.

7.Two table spoon: Brown sugar.

8.One table spoon vanilla essence.

9.Three table spoon coco powde

10.Butter Milk: 1 cup.

11.Red food color: 2 table spoon

12.Some extra butter and flour for greasing.

For frosting:

1.One cup Unsalted butter.

2.Two cup powdered  sugar

3.Half cup cream cheese.

4.One table spoon vanilla essence.

Process:

For Cake:

Pre heat the oven in 175C.

In a big bowl add the sugar and butter mix till it light and fluffy about 5 mints.

Now add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.

Then add the vanilla essence and mix well. Finally add the red food color and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and backing powder, coco powder, brown sugar nicely.

Now slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined.

Now flour and grease two same size cake pans and bake two same size cakes for 30 to 35 mints or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool it for 10 mints, then take out the cakes from the pan and place them in a cool rack.

Now make the frosting:

 In a bowl add the butter, powder sugar, cream cheese and vanilla essence and mix well.

Now in a plate first place one cake then spread the cream cheese on top of that like a layer now place another cake and same way spread the cream cheese all the sides of the cake smooth the surface.

I just decorated the cake with some crushed candy which makes the cake more tasty but you can use any other things to decorate your cake.

Enjoy your RED VELVET CAKE WITH YOUR LOVED one.

Cheese Spinach Tart

Any special day always makes us happy and some days are close to our hearts because most of us having memories with some special days. And like me all of you also have lots of good memories with this special day called “VALENTINE’S DAY”. The day to express love to your loved ones, for me every day is “Valentine’s Day “if your loved ones are with you. But still there is some special essence of the day which we can’t ignore. I wanted to surprise my husband with some special food which I never made before. I was not sure before making it but I was actually surprised after tasted the SPINACH CHEESE TART MY V-DAY special food for my husband.

Before trying any new baking dish I get so nervous but every time I become more and more confident or I can say it’s the best learning process.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1.1   ½ cup all purpose flour.

2.1 stick cold butter.

3.1/4 tea spoon salt.

4.1 tea spoon sugar.

5.Chilled water: half cup.

For the filling:

1.Two fresh bunch of spinach.

2.One medium size chopped onion.

3.Eggs:4.

4.Light cream: 1 cup.

5.One table spoon butter.

6.One cup cheddar and mozzarella  cheese shredded.

7.One tea spoon salt.

8.Pinch of ground nutmeg.

9.Pinch of cayenne pepper.

Process:

For the crust:

In a bowl add the flour, salt and sugar and mix well, now add the cold butter and mix well till the butter mixed completely.

Now add the chilled water one table spoon at a time and slowly make dough don’t over mix it.

Form the dough on to a round shape and wrap with a plastic wrap and keep thin refrigerator for 30 mints.

Now pre heat the oven in 450F, now in a oven proof bowl roll the crust dough and crimp the edges just like my photo.

Now partially bake the pie crust for 7 to 8 mints

Now for filling :

Finely chopped the spinach, now add the chopped spinach into some boiling water with  some salt just for 3 to 4 mints.

Now drain the hot water and squeeze all the extra water from the spinach, you can use some tissue paper to completely dry the spinach.

Now add some butter in a pan and saute the chopped onions till the onions are soft, now add the drained spinach and some salt and cook for few mints.

Now in a separate bowl whisked the eggs, salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg powder, cream and combine well.

Now pour the fried spinach and onions on top of the pie crust, now sprinkle the cheese on top of the spinach and onions.

Now pour the beaten egg mixture on top of everything.

Now bake it on 350F for 25 to 30 mints or until a knife inserted into the center smoothly. (Please check after 15 mints)

Now remove the tart from the oven and allow it to set up at least for 30 mints.

Now enjoy your SPINACH CHEESE TART with your loved ones.

Tea stall style "S" Biscuits

Few memories will never fade from our mind because almost with every memory we have lots of stories. Like I remember asking my parents to buy a cup of tea from any road side TEA STALL when our parents used to have tea while going for any trip and most of the time my parents used to give me bakery biscuits from the shop. I really love all those fresh bakery biscuits and among all the biscuits my favorite one is “S” shape biscuits. I don’t remember when the last time I had the biscuit. Today from the morning I wanted to prepare some plain flour biscuits so I started searching in the web but did not get any suitable recipe for it so I just made it in my way.

While eating the biscuits with a cup of tea I was floating on my childhood days. This one is a very easy recipe and you gonna love it.

Ingredients:

1.Plain flour: 1 cup.

2.Freshly crushed pepper: ¼ tea spoon.

3.Any seasoning I used Italian seasoning: ¼ tea spoon.

4.Baking powder: ½ tea spoon.

5.Baking soda: a pinch of.

6.Olive oil: ¼ cup.

7.Few fennel seeds.

8.Salt : ¼ tea spoon or as per taste.

9.Sugar: 1 tea spoon.

10.Water ¼ cup if you need more then use slowly.

Process:

Pre heat the oven in 350 degree F or 180 degree C.

Now in a bowl whisked the flour, salt, sugar, crushed pepper, seasoning, fennel seeds, baking powder and soda then mix all nicely.

Now add the oil slowly and mix with the flour mixture.

Now add the enough water to make smooth dough.

Now with the dough make 10 to 12 small balls, now with every ball make some long rope.

Now fold the rope like “S” and this way make all the biscuits like my photo.

Now spread a butter paper on top of the oven proof tray, now place the biscuits on that.

Now bake it for 40 mints, just flip it after 20 mints so both the sides bake properly. Now take out the tray from the oven and place the biscuits in a cold rack.

Enjoy your “S” biscuits with a cup of tea or coffee.