Everybody, or most people at least love to gorge on a or any confection that has oodles of chocolate in it. What better way to indulge than making it, feeding others and eating it too. Here are some ‘chocolatey' recipes.
Chocolate Cake
Soft n' fluffy for that mild chocolate flavour...
Makes one 8-inch cake...
Ingredients
Maida – 120 gm
Milk powder – 60 gm
Sugar, powdered – 90 gm
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
Butter, at room temperature – 60 gm
Milk- 150 ml
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda - One-fourth tsp
Salt - A pinch
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Method
Grease an eight inch cake tin. Sieve maida, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In a bowl, whisk the softened butter well. Add 70 gm sugar and cream this till light and fluffy. Separately, sift the remaining sugar and the milk powder together. Add this to the creamed mixture, stir in milk. Fold in the flour mixture add vanilla essence. Blend well. Transfer contents into the greased cake tin. Bake at 150 degrees C for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Sticky, Chewy Choco-Squares
For those times when only 'fudge' will do!
Makes two dozen...
Ingredients
Milk powder - 125 gm
Sugar – 60 gm
Water – 150 ml
Butter – 50 gm
Cocoa powder – 4 tbsp
Method
In a bowl, sift the cocoa and the milk powder till well-blended. Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook to one- thread consistency. Remove from fire and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the cocoa-milk powder and mix well.
Add one tbsp of hot water and place on the stove again. Cook until it leaves the sides. Line a pan with foil. Grease well with a dab of butter. Transfer the mixture to the greased pan. After 5 -10 minutes, place the pan in the freezer for 30-35 minutes.
Cut into squares with a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Return to the freezer for the chocolate to firm up as desired.
Chocolate Cookies
Crisp, buttery, sweet and also homemade...
Makes a dozen.
Ingredients
Maida -100 gm
Drinking chocolate powder – 2 tbsp
Sugar, powdered – 50 gm
Butter – 100 gm
Baking powder – Half tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Sift the flour and cocoa. Beat butter till soft and creamy. Add sugar and cream this well. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, lemon juice and vanilla essence. Knead into a smooth dough. Divide this into a dozen even-sized balls. Flatten the balls in the centre and bake in a baking sheet in batches of four, spacing the rounds at least an inch apart as they are apt to spread while baking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies will harden on cooling. Store the cookies in an airtight container.
