Baked New York Style Cheese Cake #Bakingbloggers

The first attempt I, made this cheesecake, the base was the same quantity but filling I, doubled and made it in 6.1/2 inch loose bottom pan. This cake was wet in the center and the sides were perfect. Even after keeping it for an hour an a half, it was still very wet in the center. That was because the pan was small and the height of the cheesecake was way too much.

The next time I made the base same and the filling as given below. Made this for my friends birthday which we our trekking  group celebrated on Yeor Hills. They loved this cheesecake it was absolutely fantastic. Very soft, cheesy and mouth melting.

If you plan to make this filling in double quantity then use a 10 inch loose bottom pan..

Ingredients

For the Base
200 Grams Digestive biscuits
3 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
100 Grams Butter - melted 

For the Filling
3 Small Eggs
200 Grams Cream cheese -Philadelphia
1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 Teaspoon Heaped All Purpose Flour

 

Method

Loose Bottom tin lined (6.1/2 to 7 Inch ) well from outside with aluminum foil till the top rim. Grease the pan well from inside.

For the Base

Crush biscuits finely, mix in the caster sugar and melted butter, put in pan, spread the sides first, pressing it very firmly, spread biscuit on the base and level very well,by making a indent in the center it should be like it pie crust at sides. Cover the outside of pan with foil so water can’t go inside. Keep this tin in the refrigerator till the filling is ready.

For the  Filling

Beat the cream cheese well add sugar and continue whisking till well incorporated.
In a another bowl Beat 3 eggs very well, add essence , and whisk.  

Add in eggs in the cream cheese along with the flour and continue beating, add in the heavy cream and continue beating, for about a minute or two. 

Pour this  mixture in prepared pan, put to bake over water bath ( bain marie (ban mah-ree,  is the fancy term for a hot water bath) and steam bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 180 degree. 

This cake when you remove from the oven it will be wobbly in the center but not to worry, when it cools it will set, if you bake it too much then it will harden then you will not get the exact taste of a cheese cake it will be hard when completely cooled.  When still hot take a knife run it around the sides of the pan  - to looseen the sides of the cake. 

Place the cooled cheesecake in the refrigerator covered with a cling film  overnight.    

The next day spread with any pie filling of your choice. I used my Homemade Strawberry Crush ( which I, thickened a little more).

Slice,  serve.. enjoy..

Labels : Strawberry, Pie Filling, Cheesecake, New York Style Cheese Cake, Cakes, , Sweets & Desserts , Cream Cheese, Digestive Biscuits, Heavy Cream, Baking Bloggers 

Sending this to Baking Bloggers, our theme for the month is Cheesecakes .

Here are some of the different Cheesecakes prepared.

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: A Literal Cake of Cheese and Handmade Crackers
• Sneha's Recipe: Baked New York Style Cheesecake
• Trampling Rose: Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake
• Tara's Multicultural Table: Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
• Karen's Kitchen: Classic New York Cheesecake
• Cookaholic Wife: Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Individual Cheesecakes for 2
• Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Savory Salmon Cheesecake
• Palatable Pastime: Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
• The Redhead Baker: Tiramisu Cheesecake

Chicken Steaks with Mashed Potatoes & Buttered Vegetables #ImprovCooking

These were absolutely delicious, sumptuously moist, flavorful and tender Chicken Steak with creamy mashed potatoes , side of buttered veggies, a complete and filling meal. What else could one ask for more than this!

This month’s Improv Cooking Challenge is Steak And Potatoes – perfect for dinner date for 2. You and your Valentine. Takes hardly 25 to 30 minutes to prepare, provided you have marinated the chicken steaks and done the pre - preparation. 

Make this and enjoy the meal with your valentine in a candle light dinner at home. Sound's so romantic is'n it!!

Ingredients
2 Chicken breast 
¼ Cup Oil
1 ½ Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Mustard paste 
3 Tablespoons Worcester sauce  
2 Tablespoons Ginger Garlic paste 
Salt to taste
½ Teaspoon Red chilly flake 
1 Tablespoon Black pepper powder
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon powder  

For the Buttered Veggies

Parboiled Carrot sticks

Julienne Capsicum

Boiled Corn Kernels 

Butter as required

Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes - see recipe below

Method 
Pat dry the chicken breast , then fork it well.

In a bowl mix together oil, lemon juice, mustard paste,  Worcester sauce, salt, black pepper powder, chilly flakes , cinnamon powder and ginger garlic paste. Mix well.

Marinate chicken breast with the mixture, keep aside for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Heat oil  in a grill or frying  pan place the chicken steak and cook on high flame  till its color turn to golden brown, flip the chicken steak and cook the other side.  Now reduce the flame and drizzle the remaining   marinade  a little at a time.  Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till done.

For the Buttered Vegetables

Heat butter in a pan and saute each veggie separately, season with pepper and salt to taste. The buttered veggies are ready.
Serve the chicken steak on a bed of  boiled mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables at the side. Enjoy this  romantic meal your valentine!!  yum yum...

How to Make the Mashed Potatoes

This creamy mashed potatoes recipe is so  good and yummy.
Ingredients
2 Cups Mash Potatoes
¼ Cup Hot milk
50 Gram Salted Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper Powder to taste

Method

Boil the potatoes whole till done. When cooled then peel and mash them well till smooth. 

Place the mashed potatoes on to a sauce pan add hot milk and whisk it well till incorporated, now add the butter and cook it till smooth and the butter melts, continue whisking till it is smooth. Add salt and pepper powder to taste. Serve warm.

My Notes 
Potatoes must be cooked whole (do not chop).
Lots of butter and don’t skip here , it works but it taste incredible with the amount called for.

Hot milk incorporates very well into the potatoes and keeps the potatoes warm.

Labels : Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Buttered Vegetables, Improv Cooking Challenge, Pan Fried, Steaks, Vegetables

The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients. If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page.

You can also read more about the event on our home page. If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.

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Homemade Chocolate Praline Easter Eggs #Foodieextravaganza

Easter and no Easter eggs that's not possible! When I was small my mother use to make marzipan Easter eggs for us. Now the trend is changing, children prefer chocolate Easter eggs.

Ingredients

150 Grams Milk Chocolate150 Grams Dark  Chocolate

1 Teaspoon Unsalted Butter

For the Praline

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Almonds

Method

To make the Praline

Oil a plate / tray well and keep aside.

In a pan on low flame heat melt the sugar till it starts to caramelize, when the sugar fully melts and turns golden add the almonds and immediately with a wooden spoon give it a quick stir and pour this on the oiled tray.  Let this cool completely.  When  cooled , take this out on to zip lock bag and bash it till it is coarsely powdered.  Ta.. da praline is ready.

To make the eggs

To temper the chocolate you will need a, a heat-proof bowl and saucepan of hot water. Break the chocolate into small, even pieces and melt gently in a bowl over a saucepan of hot, not boiling, water, till the chocolate melts.  Take off the heat and add the butter and stir it well to make it smooth.  Now it is ready to use.  

When lightly cooled  take half of the chocolate into another bowl and add 2 to 3 tablespoons full of praline mix it well.

Pour spoonfuls of the chocolate praline into each mold.  Cover it with the other chocolate. Draw a clean ruler or the flat edge of a knife across the chocolate mold to ensure a clean edge.  This is important so that the two sides of the egg stick together evenly.Leave to set,  in a refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes .  Fill each mold in the same way. 

   Carefully un-mold the egg halves and place on a clean surface taking care not to handle the chocolate too much as it will start to melt from the heat of your hands.

To stick the two edges of an egg together, heat a baking sheet and then place the edges of two halves on it for a few seconds, then gently push the edges together.

Wrap  the eggs in cellophane  or chocolate wrappers and label them to give away or place them in a basket and offer them to guests.

My Notes 

You can make this praline a week ahead and store airtight container at room temperature.

Labels : Chocolate, Festival Sweets, Sweets & Desserts, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Almond, Easter Eggs

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly food fest, where a group of bloggers all create and share a recipe around one of the monthly food 'holidays' as detailed in The Nibble. This month Sneha from Snehas Recipe is hosting, Peanut Butter is our theme. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

See all the other Chocolate Lover's recipes for today's Foodie Extravaganza hosted by Ellen Folkman:

Brigadeiros by Caroline’s Cooking
Browned Butter Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Muffins by Food Lust People Love
Chocolate Dream Whoopie Pies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Chocolate Nonpareils by Family Around the Table
Chocolate Pots de Creme by Palatable Pastime
Chocolate Tart with a Shortbread Crust by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Dark Chocolate Date-Nut Balls by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos
German Chocolate Macarons by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Homemade Chocolate Praline Easter Eggs by Sneha’s Recipe
Homemade White Chocolate with Strawberries and Rose Petals by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Sachertorte by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Salted Juniper-Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Chocolate Mole Soup by Faith, Hope, Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Eggless & Gluten Free Orange Pots - No Bake Dessert

This is a quick & easy eggless desserts, which is gluten free too. Chill and enjoy this delicious pots with the goodness of orange segments and fresh juice.

Ingredients

1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 Tablespoon Heaped Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Heaped Agar Agar powder
A Pinch of Orange color
¼ Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Orange zest
¼ Cup Fresh Cream
Few Orange segments - chopped and de seeded

Method 

In pan add orange juice, water, sugar and agar agar powder, place it on medium low flame and cook till it comes to a boil and sugar melts. Take off flame, add the orange color and zest, when lightly cooled add the cream, mix well.

Into the orange pots , place segments of orange, pour the mixture cover with a lid, place it in the refrigerator to chill. Enjoy them chilled. 

Labels : Sweets & Desserts, No Bake Desserts, Gluten free, Eggless, Agar Agar powder, Orange Pots

Vietnamese Pork Pho / Pork & Rice Noodle Soup #Soupswappers

Phở  is pronounced variously as "foo" is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles called bánh (bún) phở, herbs and meat.

Today we in Soup Swappers will be post Vietnamese Soup recipes. Our Host for the month Sue Lau gave us this theme.

I have never tried to make Vietnamese dishes, this is the first time made a soup and enjoyed having it too. Thank you Sue for hosting this event and choosing this theme.   

Serves 2

Ingredients 

100 Grams Rice Noodles
1 Tablespoon Oil
150 Grams Pork tenderloin (skinless ,fat-less &boneless)
1 Scallion  -  chopped 

1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger - finely chopped

1 Green chilly - finely chopped - optional
1 Large  Tomato - chopped
1 Teaspoon Fish sauce  - can add more according to taste
Salt to taste
3  to 4 Cups Water

1 Chicken Stock cube

A Handful of Bean Sprouts
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime juice 

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper powder

Lime wedges for serving
A few Leaves of Mint and Basil

Method

Cut the pork  into thick strips, keep aside.

Chop the scallion and keep  the white and greens  separately.

In  large pot, heat oil add the chopped onions, green chilly, ginger and saute for a minute then add the  pork, saute stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, salt, water, and stock cube. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is just done ( transferred it to a pressure cooker and cooked it for 8  minutes after  the first whistle on low flame ).  When the pork is done,   taste for salt, add paprika, black pepper powder and give it a quick stir.  

This is homemade sprouted  beautiful Beans.

Add the bean sprouts, and  greens of the scallion, let it simmer for a minute.  Take off flame.  Add lime juice  and rice noodles into the soup and let it rest covered for 10 minutes. 

Ladle into bowls, top each serving with some mint, basil and bean sprouts.  Serve with the lime wedges. 

 Enjoy this filling and delicious soup.

Labels : Soup, Vietnamese Pork Pho, Rice Noodles, Paprika, Pork, Vietnam, Soup Swappers, Healthy

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