Home Made Peanut Butter

I have been reading a lot on health benefits of peanut butter .  When eaten in moderation its supposed to be an excellent source of protein. Fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants making it a good alternative over butter.  In addition to that peanut butter has a tendency to keep you satiated for a longer time making it an excellent mid morning snack.  Its just in recent years that the consumption of peanut butter has become fairly popular in the Indian markets .  It is a  great alternative to butter ,can be used as a icing I have used peanut butter icing for my chocolate beer  cupcakes http://veena-cakesbakes.blogspot.in/2014/01/chocolate-beer-cup-cake-with-peanut.html#links as chocolate and peanut butter is a classic combination.  If nothing else you can simply spread it on a brown bread , it makes a yummy sandwich .

Peanut butter is nothing but plain peanuts.  It’s also extremely easy to make .  Which gives you all the more reason to make it at home rather than going for the store bought one which is not only expensive , A jar of 350 gms of American Garden peanut butter will cost you around Rs 280 but also you don’t have any control over the amount of sodium , sugar , oil and preservatives added to it.  So go the healthy way and make your own peanut butter it hardly will  take 15-20 mins of your time.

 

Ingredients for making Peanut Butter

 

Peanuts -250 gms
Sea Salt ½ tsp
Honey-50 ml or alternatively Jaggery 75 gms
Good Quality Vanilla 1 tsp
Peanut oil/Olive Oil- 50 ml.





Method

Roast the Peanuts in a Microwave for 5 mins.  Remove the outer skin alternatively you can purchase the skinned variety.

In a coffee grinder add all the ingredients together and grind it.  Initially it will be all grainy but you need to go on grinding it

Till you start getting a smooth paste this process will take atleast 4-5 mins of blending in the mixer.  Instead of vanilla you can add cinnamon, chocolate chips etc.  Store it in a dry bottle .

 

 

CHOCOLATE FANTASY

Chocolate Fantasy was the only name I could think of for this yummy ,gooey concoction, for  this cake  is a chocoholic’s ultimate dream come true, each bite it  reminds you as to why chocolate is considered such an aphrodisiac and sinful dessert   I have tried million different recipes of making a chocolate cake, this recipe in my opinion rates the best for the ultimate chocolate experience and the extreme ease of making it generates an extra brownie points.  

Ingredients

Cake Base                                          

Cocoa Powder 45 gms

Oil 60 ml

Flour 110 gms

Butter milk 115 ml

Water 115 ml

Egg 2no

Baking powder 3.5gms

Baking Soda3.5 gms

Powder Sugar 200gms

Salt 3 gms

Icing

200 gms Dark Chocolate

150 ml Fresh Cream

50 gms butter

Garnish

Chocolate eggs (Cadburys have come out with this recently and which I find an  extremely easy garnish in today’s busy world but you can get creative and use fruits , white chocolate etc)

Method

For the base mix together all the dry ingredients that is flour, cocoa powder, baking powder ,baking soda and sugar in a bowl.

And separately in a bowl mix together butter milk, oil and eggs.

Now mix together the dry ingredients with 
the wet ingredients that is the flour mixture with the butter milk mixture except for water.  

Separately boil the water.

Lastly add boiling water the mixture that you get will be a little runny but don’t panic this how it should be.

Prepare a oven tray by lining it with butter paper keep two cake rings on it . Apply  some oil on it.

This cake base is very delicate and will break easily so I prefer using two 8inches cake rings to and dividing the mixture in to two for baking that ways this is easy to handle.

Bake it in the oven for 15 mins at 160 degrees.  Let the cake cool down completely.
Tip:  Its best to bake this cake a day in advance.

Now for the icing in sauce pan pour the milk and chocolate together and heat over slow fire till all the chocolate is melted.  

You will get a thick gooey mixture add the butter and mix it thoroughly with a spatula let the mixture cool down at room temp it takes about hour or two to set 

 

Now keep one cake base on a plate or a cake board.  With the help of a palette knife spread the chocolate icing on the cake. Sandwich the second base on top and cover that with the chocolate icing completely.

I have used Cadbury’s chocolate balls as a garnish because that’s just convenient.

 

With the left over icing have piped some design on the cake.  The Cake tastes best when served warm

 

CHOCOLATE AND MINT BROWNIES

Now that I have started blogging about chocolate recipes just can’t seem to stop my self, this week I came across this box of After eight chocolates this being one of my favorite flavor thought of combining this luscious, gooey, chocolaty brownie recipe.  Brownies are a favorite across the world not only are they yummy but absolutely easy to make. 

Ingredients

100 gms Chocolate ( I like using the Cadbury Bournville)

45 gms Cocoa powder

50 gms Flour

1Tsp Baking Powder

175 gms Sugar

2 Eggs

50 gms walnut/pista
100gms butter

6 pieces of After eight chocolate ( I have used Mint based Chocolate you can use  any of your favorite flavour)

Melt  chocolate and butter together in a sauce pan over low heat

Sieve Flour, Cocoa powder and Baking powder together in a bowl.

Stir in powder sugar and mix it together.

Slowly add the melted butter and chocolate mixture.

Mix properly.

Now Start adding one egg at a time & mix.

Add the nuts and mix.

Take a 8 inch tray and line it with butter paper. Pour the brownie batter in the tray

Now place the After Eight mints over the batter.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20  mins at 160 degrees C.Remove let it cool completely and cut it in to squares.

Brownies taste the yummiest if eaten hot with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.