Something warm, something fuzzy

Winter is here and so are the 'pitha-poolies.' Indulge your taste buds to the fullest with these 'deshi' delights, but also heat up your oven and treat yourself with some baked goodies. Here are two wholesome and comforting winter treats for you to try and fall in love with. 

SPICY TEACAKE 
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup powdered milk
1½ cups brown sugar 
4 tbsp olive oil 
1tsp baking powder 
2 eggs and one egg yolk 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
Half tsp ground nutmeg
Half tsp ground mace  
1 tsp finely chopped ginger 
2/3 cardamom
Walnuts (optional)
Prunes (optional)
Jaggery (optional)
Honey (optional)

Method:
Boil ginger and cardamom in 1 cup water and reduce it a little. Lower the heat and mix powdered milk, stir well so that no lump is left. Reduce the milk to one cup portion. Leave at room temperature to cool down. 

Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and baking powder together in a bowl.  Whisk eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl. Incorporate milk, oil, flour-mix and egg-mix together into a thick and shiny mixture. 

Line a loaf-tin with parchment paper and olive oil. Pour in cake mixture. Bake in a pre-heated oven in 160 degree temperature for one hour or until a knife comes out clean after inserting into the cake. 

Cut into quarter to one thick pieces and serve hot with tea or coffee and enjoy a comforting winter morning. 

You can put walnuts chips or chunky prunes to your cake mix if you want but do try pouring warm jaggery (leave honey for the rest of the year) on your cake slice! 

OLD SCHOOL CHOCOLATE CAKE 
Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup choco powder 
2 cups white sugar 
100g butter and some more for greasing 
1sp baking powder 
3 eggs 
1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla essence 
Coconut shavings (optional, for garnishing)

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Whisk eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl. Soften the butter and cut into cubes. 

Incorporate butter, flour-mix and egg-mix together with a wire whisk into a thick and shiny mixture. 

Line a loaf-tin with parchment paper and butter. Pour in cake mixture. Bake in a pre-heated oven in 180 degree temperature for one hour.

Serve with tea, coffee or with crème fraīche to jazz up the chilly evenings. You can make a layer cake by adding chocolate ganache in between layers. This will  turn your old school chocolate cake into a great dessert. 

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Ingredients:
Dark chocolate (milk chocolate can be used too)
Heavy cream

Proportion:
1:1; equal parts chocolate and cream

Method:
Weigh out the amount of chocolate. Chop into small pieces. Weigh the amount of cream in a separate bowl.

Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place it over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the cream — it's not necessary to boil or simmer it. It just needs to get hot. The cream is ready when you can place a finger in the cream and keep it there for 3 to 4 seconds. Turn off the flame and remove the cream from the stove.

You can do this in a microwave oven or by placing the saucepan on a pot of boiling water. 

Add the chocolate: Scoop the chocolate into the cream. Stir gently to distribute the chocolate through the cream and then let it sit for a few minutes to give the chocolate time to soften and melt.

Stir the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon. At first it might look spotty and broken but keep stirring until it comes together in a creamy mass.

Cool the ganache until it is thick, but still soft, and then beat in a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer, until the ganache is 
fluffy and has lightened in colour, about 1 or 2 minutes.

Photo: Sharmin Rahman