SINGLE SERVING EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE | MICROWAVE NO BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Woohooo…It has been “1 year” since I started foody-buddy and it has been an amazing experience …
I sincerely thank all my fellow bloggers, enthusiasts , friends, foodies, casual visitors, family members and critiques as I progress in this virtual world of blogging …This certainly has enriched my life, added color and has certainly given me something useful to share back with the community . Besides sharing my recipes , I have also learnt a lot in cooking techniques and has enriched my knowledge in food photography and presentation skills …Finally it is certainly a feeling of joy and comfort to learn that the recipes you share is appreciated by folks from the far corners of the world and I do want to thank my husband and my family for their constant support and appreciation …

To enjoy this beautiful day I have posted a fast and simple dessert , which is so tasty and delicious. I thought of making big chocolate cake, but I ‘m not feeling good. So I did some google search for single serving eggless cake. Finally I got a recipe from here. I love this site and her recipes, also I bookmarked some of her recipes. Try this amazing 1 min chocolate cake, it is so soft and a melting cake with no butter and no eggs added. If you are chocolate lover like me, then I bet you fall in love with the taste and soft texture of the cake.

      Recipe Source : you can find the original recipe here.

   Ingredients

3 Tbsp of All Purpose Flour / Maida
1 Tbsp and 2 Tsp of Cocoa Powder / Hot Cocoa Mix
1 Tbsp and 2 Tsp of Sugar
   1/8 Tsp of Salt
1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp of Milk
3 Tsp of Coconut Oil
   Instant Chocolate Pudding for Frosting

     To Garnish

Chopped Almonds
Cherry

Method

In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, stir well. Then add vanilla extract, milk and oil, mix well with a fork without any lumps. Transfer this mixture to a microwave (safe bowl or mug), here I used ramekin. Before pouring the mixture to a bowl, grease it well with oil.

Microwave for 40 secs. Single serving microwave chocolate cake is ready. Let it cool down for 5-10 mins.
Invert it to a plate, for frosting, use chocolate pudding to the outer layer of the cake and sprinkle some chopped almonds to the top. Finally garnish with cherry.

Tips

If you don’t have cocoa powder, then use hot cocoa mix. I tried with hot cocoa mix and it tastes good.
Keep an eye on microwave after 30 secs, if it exceeds 40 secs, there are chances for overflowing.
You can also eat cake as such without frosting.
You can also frost the cake with cream cheese or peanut butter or almond butter. Or else enjoy with vanilla ice cream.
Use vegetable oil in place of coconut oil
Add any nuts of your choice for toppings.

WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS – HOW TO MAKE BAGELS AT HOME WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Bagel is a bread product, made with whole wheat flour/ white flour, knead it and shaped it into a ring and baked it in a oven. They are dense, chewy on inside and browned, crispy on outside. You can make bagels with wheat flour or white flour. For health reasons, here I used whole wheat flour to make bagels. Also you can top the bagels with sesame seeds or poppy seeds or oats or any choice. If you make bagels at home, then your breakfast will be ready in mins with some butter and jelly, very filling and yummy:-)

     Ingredients

            2 Cups of White Whole Wheat Flour / Wheat flour
            2/3 Cup of Water
            1 Tsp of Salt
            1.5 Tbsp of Sugar(white or brown)
            1/2 Tbsp of Instant Yeast
            Sesame Seeds for topping

Recipe Source : TheWellflouredKitchen
Method

Mixing :

Now in a wide bowl, combine all the ingredients except sesame seeds, stir well till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl

Kneading:

Transfer the dough to the counter top, knead it for 10 mins with hand, until you get soft and smooth dough. (You may also knead the flour in a food processor).

Rising:

Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel and place the dough in a warm place for 2 hrs.
To provide a warm place for the dough to rise, place the dough on the top rack of a cold oven. Dough should be double in size, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.

Punch:

Punch down the dough by pushing your fist into the center of the dough. Again, knead it for 5 mins.

Shaping:

Shaping a bagels starts with placing the dough on a counter top.
Then, roll the dough into a cylindrical shape as shown in picture.
Cut them into a desired number of pieces using knife.
Take each piece of dough and shape it like ball by joining all the sides towards the centre as shown in picture.

Making holes in the dough balls

Now place all the balls in a greased baking plate.
Punch holes in the middle of each balls with your finger and allow it to rest for 20 mins.
Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Cooking the bagels in sugar water

In a heavy bottomed pan, add few inches of water and a tbsp of sugar. Allow it to come to a boil. Now drop bagels 3 at a time. Cook 90 seconds on one side, flip it and cook 90 seconds on other side.
In the mean time, grease the baking plate with some oil. Carefully take bagels from the pan, and place it in a greased baking plate.
If you eat eggs, brush the top with beaten eggs. If you don’t eat eggs like me, just sprinkle the sesame seeds at the top of the bagels.

Baking

Now place the baking plate in a oven. Bake about 10 mins on one side, flip with spatula and bake for another 10 mins on other side.

Bagels are ready to enjoy with butter and jelly. Slice it and store it glass cake dome or any container.

Tips

If you use active dry yeast, you need to activate. For that, you have to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar. Water temperature should be around 105 degree to 110 degree Fahrenheit. If the water is cold, yeast will not work. If the water is hot(130-140 °F), the yeast will die. So make sure to maintain the favorable temperature.
If you have ground flaxseeds, add a tbsp of it to the flour.
Adding sugar, not only for flavor, but it provides food for the yeast to grow.
Adding salt, controls the growth of the yeast and also contributes the flavor to bagels.
You can top the bagels with oats, finely chopped vegetables or Italian seasonings.
Shelf life is very less for bagels. So finish it within 2-3 days.

Health Benefits of Whole Wheat Bagels

Rich in fiber, helps in proper functioning of digestive tract and lowers the cholesterol and metabolic syndromes.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Reversing the weight gain process.
Lowers the risk of diabetes.
Excellent laxative properties.
It has powerful antioxidant, which is vitamin E, good for skins.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread / How To Make Whole Wheat Bread From Scratch / No Egg Bread Recipe

Making bread is not only fun but also gives great satisfaction. I always prefer whole wheat bread than white bread , as whole wheat bread is rich in fiber and other healthy nutrients. I love brownberry wheat bread which they sell in nearby grocery stores. Most of the day I start my breakfast with sandwiches or toast. My favourite is almond/peanut butter-jelly sandwich. You can also see lot of sandwich recipes in my recipe index. When I was searching for whole wheat bread recipe in google, I saw lot of recipes which has all purpose flour in it in addition to whole wheat flour. At last, I got this recipe from King Arthur flour company website which uses 100% whole wheat . I tried making bread 3-4 times, and it always turns out good with this recipe and the aroma of hot bread being baked fresh which I dearly love is enchanting . In this recipe, I added milk and oil, which makes the dough soft and smooth and the addition of honey gives a rich taste to the bread. You can make 1 loaf of bread from this recipe.

Ingredients

3.5 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 and 1/4 Cups of Lukewarm Water (110 Degree F)
2 Tbsp of Honey
2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of Vegetable Oil
2 1/2 Tsp of Instant Yeast / 1 Packet Active Dry yeast dissolved in 3 Tbsp of Lukewarm Water(105 Degree F)
1/4 Cup of Baker’s Special Dry Milk/ Non-Fat Dry Milk / 2% Cow’s Milk
1 Tsp of Salt
1 Cup of Flour for dusting
Thermometer

Method

In a microwave bowl, heat 3 tbsp of water for 15 secs, test the temperature, if it’s around 105-110 degree F(if the temperature is higher than 130degree F, yeast will die), now add a pinch of sugar and active dry yeast, mix well, you can see foam at the top. It’s a sign that yeast got activated.This process is called proofing. Allowing the yeast to metabolize the sugar and propagate. Foam indicates yeast are healthy and working.
In another bowl, boil the water in microwave for a min, temperature should be around 110 Degree F.

Mixing :

Now in a wide bowl, combine all the ingredients, stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.

Kneading:

Transfer the dough to the counter top, dust the surface with some flour and knead it for 10 mins, it is accomplished by folding the dough over and push down with the heel of the hand, curving your fingers over the dough, until you get soft and smooth dough. (You may also knead the flour in food processor).

Rising:

Transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel and place the dough in a warm place for 2 hrs.
To provide a warm place for the dough to rise, place the dough on the top rack of a cold oven. Dough should be double in size, depending on the warmth of the kitchen.
Ready to shape, lightly press two fingertips quickly 1/2 inch into dough and if indentation remains.

Punch:

Punch down the dough by pushing your fist into the center of the dough. Again, knead it for 10 mins on a lightly floured surface.

Shaping:

Shaping a loaf of bread starts with placing the dough on a floured surface.
Then, roll the dough into a rectangle shape. Roll up tightly, starting with the one end. Seal with the finger tips as you roll.
After rolling, seal the edges by pressing down on each ends. Now place it in a greased baking pan, folded ends down and cover the pan with a towel, allow the bread to rise for another 1 to 2 hrs.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Baking

Bake the bread for 30 -35 mins at 350 degree F.

Test

Test the baked bread for doneness by tapping the top crust with your finger. If there is a hollow sound, the bread is thoroughly baked. Remove the bread from pan at once; cool on a wire rack.
If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter, this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing.

Storage

Storing the bread properly necessary to keep them fresh tasting. Wrap the bread in foil or clear plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag. Then, store in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate baked breads.

Tips

You can also add 1/4 cup of honey instead of adding sugar.
If you have instant yeast, add it directly to the flour. It does not need activation.
If you use active dry yeast, you need to activate. For that, you have to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Water temperature should be around 105 degree to 110 degree Fahrenheit. If the water is cold, yeast will not work. If the water is hot(130-140 °F), the yeast will die. So make sure to maintain the favorable temperature.
Adding sugar,not only for flavor, but it provides food for the yeast to grow.
Adding salt, controls the growth of the yeast and also contributes the flavor to bread.
Kneading the dough for a longer time, is an important step in bread making.
To avoid over browning of bread, lightly cover the bread with aluminium foil after 20 mins of baking.

Health Benefits of Whole Wheat Bread

Rich in fiber, helps in proper functioning of digestive tract and lowers the cholesterol and metabolic syndromes.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Reversing the weight gain process.
Lowers the risk of diabetes.
Excellent laxative properties.
It has powerful antioxidant, which is vitamin E, good for skins.