Petits Pain au Chocolat - Mini Chocolate Croissant


These homemade petit (small) and flaky French-style croissants filled with chocolate were a treat for the eyes . When I made these delicious small pastries my hubby's favorite, it bought memories of our stay in Europe since last two summers. Pain au Chocolat were his breakfast daily which he simply loved. He was so surprised to see these beauties with his evening tea and they disappeared too quickly.

Sending these to the #Bread bakers event. This month’s theme, is hosted by Ruchik Randhap . Thank you Shireen for hosting this event.

Ingredients
2 Sheets Croissant Dough (8" x 6") -Homemade
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 Egg - for brushing
Mini Milk Chocolates as required

Method


Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened for 5  minutes.


Roll dough out to a 8 x 6-inch rectangle. Measure it with a tape or rule. 
  Place a chocolate piece  one inch away from the edge of the pastry.   Brush the edge of the sheet with egg wash and the sides of each croissant. Fold   the dough tightly, enclosing chocolate.   


Then cut them into pieces. Place pastry rolls on baking sheet.


Cover pastries with plastic wrap and refrigerate till they double in size or you can keep them overnight in the fridge and bake them next day. Cover and refrigerate remaining egg glaze.  


See the petits pain au chocolat -- the chocolate oozing out. Just waiting for them to cool, so that I can bite into these beauties.

When they double in size. preheat oven to 160°F.  Brush tops of pastry rolls with remaining egg glaze.  

Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. 


Serve warm or at room temperature.  Take a hot cup of chai and these beauties... enjoy...

Lables : Breads, French Cuisine, Bread Bakers, Chocolate, Croissant
Breads with Cocoa, Cacao or Carob in any form
BreadBakers Breads with Cocoa, Cacao or Carob in any form #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

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Lablabi - Tunisian Chickpea Soup


This is another Tunisian recipe for this month challenge with Mena which has my favorite harissa in it. This so delicious, light and hearty soup. We had this as a meal for supper and enjoyed it. The harissa in this soup gives a awesome flavor. Let's make this soup...

Servings 3
Ingredients

2 Cups Boiled Garbanzo beans / Chickpeas
2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Harissa - homemade
1 Teaspoon Roasted Cumin powder
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Veg Soup seasoning cube
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Croutons  - homemade

Method


Wash the dried chickpeas and soak them in water overnight . Boil them with water to the level of the chickpeas in a pressure cooker till done (After a whistle on high flame, then on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes). 


In a pot heat a teaspoon of olive oil add garlic, onion and fry till onion is lightly softened. Then add the chickpeas, harissa,  cumin powder, soup seasoning and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. To serve.. in a soup bowl lay croutons, ladle the soup on it add lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil.


Serve with extra Harissa and Croutons  . Enjoy this hot bowl of soup... delicious.. 



Labels : Chickpeas, Lentils, Tunisia, Soup, Mena Cooking Club, Lablabi


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Brique A L'oeuf - Tunisian Cuisine

Brique A L'oeuf is a Tunisian Cuisine which in English translates to Brick Egg. This is prepared during the month of Ramadan, Each household has its own recipe in Tunisia, the only common ingredient is an egg which is a must to seal the brique which is a fine(actually transparent) pastry sheet.

When Mena posted the recipe for this month challenge, was intrigued after reading the name. Since this pastry sheet is not available in India, raided You Tube - watched a all possible videos which would give me some insight on how to make this pastry sheet. Language was the biggest barrier since all videos were in local spoken, could not understand anything. There was one video which showed how this pastry sheet could be made at home. Could not understand the quantity of ingredients and also the name. But since cooking is a common language understood some what the ingredients. Took a gamble and made the pastry sheet with a very small quantity, got four small sheets (since its was a small pan) after numerous trial and errors. But the outcome was fantastic. Loved the final product. The last four sheets were perfect and now I can make these again. Sorry friends can't recollect the video link hence posting only how I made it. But surely if you try this method you too will succeed in making these sheets.

Ingredients 
To make the Pastry sheets 
1 Cup Level All Purpose Flour
1.1/2 Tablespoons Heaped Corn Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 - 1 Cup Water 
For the filling 
3 Eggs
1 Scallion - finely chopped white and greens
1 Tablespoon Parsley - finely chopped
A sprinkle of Fresh Thyme- Added this since I love this herb
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 Cubes Cheese - grated 
Oil for frying

Method  
To make the sheets 
Mix the ingredient together in a bowl the batter should be thin. 
On medium flame take a pot or kadai and fill it with water for steaming. Insure that it does not touch the the pan placed on it.

Bring the water to boil. Then place a nonstick pancake pan on it. When heated (Note - the pan should not be brushed with oil).

Take a pastry brush.  Dip it in the batter and brush it on the pan to make a fine sheet, cover all the spaces if left in between. 
Let it cook till the sides starts peeling. Lift it up and place it on a plate.   
In same manner make the remaining sheets.
These sheets are really thin / transparent. Use a big pancake pan to make the sheets since the ones I made were small.
To make the Brique A L'oeuf  
Lightly beat the eggs and  salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, scallion and give it stir.  Keep aside. 
Heat  2 - 3 tablespoons oil in  a frying pan. 
Take a deep plate according to size of the sheet.  Place the filling in the center, place the cheese on top. Gently fold the sheet in half, lift it carefully and place it in frying pan.   
Fry  till the underneath side is crisp and brown then flip, fry this side too till crisp.  
Serve hot... enjoy..these are so crisp and yummy.. craving for more will make these again with some fishy filling. I believe these are served as appetizers in Tunisia, we had this for our supper with a hot bowl of soup
Lables : Pancakes, Egg, Appetizer, Tunisia, Mena Cooking Club, International Cuisine

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Chinese Shrimp Wonton Soup #FishFridayFoodie


This a light 'Chinese dumpling' soup ... comforting for this cold weather. I love this clear wonton soup. 

We had this soup as a complete meal and were blissfully satisfied...mmm.. yum..

Serves 3
Ingredients

For the Filling
100 Grams Shrimps - - peeled, deveined & chopped
100 Grams Whole Shrimps - made to a coarse paste 
Wonton wrappers as required
1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Ground Pepper
1 Spring Onion - white and greens Chopped
A pinch of Salt
For the Soup
A drizzle of Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Spring Onion - white chopped
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Fish sauce
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Small Carrot - sliced in roundels
3 Button Mushrooms - cut into big pieces
1 Cup Water - from the cooked wontons
500 ML Chicken Stock - I used homemade
1/2 Teaspoon Vinegar - optional - I added
Salt to taste

For Garnishing

1 Spring Onion - chopped
1 Fresh Red Chilly - crushed or paste

Method




To make the Wontons
In a large bowl, mix shrimps chopped and the paste with green onions, fish sauce, , sesame oil and salt. Stir it until the filling becomes sticky and you get a paste texture.
Spoon  in a teaspoon of  filling,  in the center of the wrapper. Wet the edge with your finger and seal the wrapper.  Assemble the wonton one by one, keep aside.
Boil 3 -4 cups of water in pot - bring it to a rolling boil add wontons in to cook for around 3-4 minutes or unitl the wontons begin to float. Spoon them out and place them in individual serving bowls. Reserve this water for making the soup.

To Make the Soup
In a pan drizzle some sesame oil add the chopped white part of the onions fry till brown and crisp. Keep aside,

In large pot / vessel heat sesame oil add the onion, carrot, mushrooms and saute for a minute then add the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, browned onions and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off flame. Add vinegar and the soup is ready.

In serving bowls, pour the soup over the wontons, garnish with spring onion and a little red chilly paste... Serve and enjoy this hot comforting soup on a cold day.... yum....

I am enjoying this ...




Sending this to Fish Friday Foodies - Hosted by Wendy Klik and Stacy Livingston Rushton - theme for chilly February - seafood stews and soups of the world.

Labels : Soup, Fish Friday, Shrimp, Wontons, Healthy, China, Chinese Shrimp Wonton Soup


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Masala Roti #BreadBakers


Hearing this name masala roti, you might think it is spicy but let me assure you that this is a flavorful  and flaky roti.

Ingredients
2 Cups Whole wheat flour   

1/2 Teaspoon Carom seeds / Ajwain
1/2 Teaspoon Salt 
1 Teaspoon Chaat masala
1 Teaspoon Red chilly powder 
Ghee as required  
Extra flour for dusting / rolling the rotis
Water as required for kneading

Method


Mix together wheat flour, salt and carom seeds and knead into a dough with sufficient water in to a soft dough. Cover and keep aside  to rest at least for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into equal portions and roll into balls. Dust with a little dry flour and roll into roti.




Apply little ghee on the roti, sprinkle red chilly powder, chaat masala and dry flour.




Make a cut in the roti from the centre outwards and roll it in the shape of a cone to make layers.



Then twist the cone and roll it into a ball see pic 



Press this cone and roll it back into a roti.



Heat a tawa. 




Place the roti on it and cook till the underside is done. Turn it over and cook on the other side too. Apply a little ghee on both sides and cook till golden.



Remove from tawa, sprinkle some chaat masala, hold the  roti in your hands and crush it lighlty so that the layers 
 separate. Transfer into a serving plate and serve hot with any sabzi or have with a hot cup of tea.



Sending these to Bread bakers event for the month theme Breads made on Girddle.   Host blog: SpiceRoots http://www.spiceroots.com/. Thank you dear for hosting this month's event.
Here are the Griddle Breads of our group ...
BreadBakers #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com

Labels : Rotis, Bread Bakers

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