Eggless Mexican Sweet Rolls / Conchas - a Baking Eggless Challenge

Last year, in a spurt of motivation, I joined the Baking Eggless group, spearheaded by the wonderfully talented Gayathri of Gayathri's Cookspot.
Each month, the members selected a challenging recipe, tried the recipes out in their kitchen by replacing the eggs and then posting it on their blogs at the end of the month. It was amazing to see the innovative ways in which each member replaced the eggs and to see how creative they all got.
I got to learn quite a few new recipes and my family was able to enjoy delicious goodies !
Then, I started work after a gap of three years and all bets were off. My routines went helter-skelter, I was hip deep in trying to keep the household as calm as possible, while getting everything done at the same time. As a result, I wasn't able to participate in the baking challenge for a few months. Every month I would see the inspired creations of so many and would feel a little regret, some disappointment. I didn't want to let go in the face of hectic work schedules. So when Gayathri announced the May challenge, I had made up my mind to try the recipe, come what may.
Try I did, although it took me a while to do so and get it posted ! I will admit that its not my best effort and although I am creatively challenged, I could still do better, but on the other hand I am glad that at least I tried !
Onto the recipe  ! This month's challenge was the Mexican Conchas or shell bread.
I decided to make a quarter of the recipe provided and struggled a little to get the measurements right. The original recipe had the ingredients listed by weight, which incidentally is the best way to ensure that your baked goods come out perfect. But, having learnt to bake in the US, I am more used to cups and tablespoons ! Anyhow, I did the math and adjusted a little here and approximated a tough there.
The original recipe can be found here - Wild Yeast



Ingredients:

For Sponge :
1/8 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 T warm water
1 tsp egg replacer powder

For Final Dough:
1/2 - 1 C all purpose flour
3 T granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1 T softened butter
1/4 C yogurt
2 T water
1 tsp instant yeast
the sponge

For topping:
2 T all purpose flour
2 T sugar
3 T soft butter
flavorings and colors of choice.
(I used a combination of cocoa powder and cinnamon)

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients for the sponge in a medium bowl.
2. Keep in a warm place for about an hour.
3. Then mix in all the remaining ingredients, except for 1 T of sugar.
4. Knead well. My sponge was thinner in consistency, as a result I needed to add slightly more flour to get the correct consistency for the final dough. If you do need to add more flour, add in small increments, until you get a dough that is slightly sticky and soft.
5. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 8 - 16 hours.
6. Since I made this during the week and had to go to work the next day, my dough sat in the refrigerator for more than 16 hours.
7. When you are ready to bake the bread, prepare the topping first. Mix all the ingredients for the topping. If you plan to have multiple colors, then divide the dough and then mix in the colors and flavors. Knead lightly.
8. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Deflate slightly and divide into 4 portions.
9. Roll each piece on the countertop using your palm to form balls.
10. Pinch off a small ball of the topping dough. Flatten it on your hand and cover the dough ball. Flatten it slightly with your hand.
11. Score the top of the topping with a sharp knife, creating designs of your choice.
12. The topping might crack and separate during proofing or baking.
13. Place the bread dough balls on a greased cookie sheet or a baking sheet and let rise in a warm place for about 2.5 to 3 hours.
14. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
15. Bake the breads for about 20 minutes
16. The topping should feel set and the bread should be slightly browned. Cool on a rack and enjoy !

Results:
The butter and cinnamon topping gave off a very enticing fragrance while still in the oven.
Taste wise, when eaten while warm, the bread was slightkly sweet and slightly chewy, with the buttery sweet topping a nice contrast.
I am not sure why, but my topping broke and seperated quite a lot when the bread was proofing and baking. Either the consistency was not correct
or I got the thickness incorrect. {sigh} But, again..I realize that I need to put in more time and effort to plan out and execute the recipe, which I will...next month !

Eggless Coconutty Banana Bread

I love to bake..I mean, I am no expert, but I like to try out new recipes, especially when the results are yummy! I usually try and bake something every week, because granola bars and trail mixes can go only so far in satisfying my son's snack appetite.
This last weekend, I wanted to bake up some banana bread, because, you guessed it -- there were some pretty ripe bananas on my counter. I tweaked the recipe that I had for banana muffins and came up with a keeper..I have tried it out twice now and both time the entire loaf was gone within two days!




Ingredients: 
* 1 C Whole wheat pastry or whole wheat flour
* ½ C all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 3 bananas, mashed
* ¾ C sugar
* ⅓ C light sour cream
* ⅓ C coconut oil
* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
* ½ tsp ground cloves
* ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
* ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
* ½ C unsweetened coconut
* handful of chopped nuts
* handful of semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)
* a couple of drops coconut essence (optional)

 Method: 
* Preheat the oven to 350°F.
* Mix the flours, the baking soda, baking powder and the spices in a small bowl.
* In another bowl, add the mashed bananas, the oil, sour cream, sugar and essence, if using.
* Mix the wet ingredients really well.
* Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time and mix in gently.
* Be careful not to beat the batter to death, we want a light loaf, not a brick.
* Once all the flour has been incorporated, mix in the coconut, nuts and chocolate chips.
* Pour into a greased 9 X 5 loaf pan and bake in the oven for 50 - 60 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
* Cool the loaf completely before slicing it.

Notes : 
You can substitute yogurt for the sour cream.
I added about 1/2 C of sugar instead of the 3/4 C in the recipe. If you want the bread to be sweeter, then you can add the entire amount.
For an easy vegan version, just replace the sour cream with tofu sour cream or soy yogurt.
The riper the bananas, the sweeter they will be and richer the taste of the bread. You could also use less sugar.

Enjoy!

Low Fat Coco Pudding

At the beginning of the year, I had promised myself that this year I would try and be more active on my blog...having been ridiculously slow with posts the previous years. But as the first month drew to a close, I realized that I haven't really made much progress ! My children's colds, then my own ...catering to the needs of an active kindergartner and a baby, cooking and cleaning and a few other activities leave me with no time...I also know that these are just excuses...other bloggers out there juggle far more than I do and manage to post wonderful , creative posts quite regularly..but it is what it is and all I can do is do better next month!
The following recipe came out of a low fat dessert cookbook that I had purchased from a library sale. I had perused all the recipes but had never cooked from it before...but one evening, while my son and his friend romped through the house, I felt like making a decadent pudding for them to snack on and chanced upon this recipe !
It turned out delicious and pretty easy to make...Of course , I did need to spend some time at the stove and then the finished pudding did need to be cooled a little in the refrigerator, but if you have an hour or more then you can easily delight your family and friends with this pudding.



Recipe :  Coco pudding
Vegetarian, Low fat


Ingredients :
1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
2 T cocoa powder
1 can evaporated skimmed milk
1/2 C pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract


Method:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, evaporated milk and maple syrup. I didnt have any maple syrup on hand and used 1/2 a cup of sugar instead.
2. Bring this mixture to a low boil over medium high heat . Reduce the heat and cook until mixture thickens. This took me about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. A little flavoring goes a long way, so use the extracts judiciously.
4. Cool slightly and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Garnish with chocolate shavings and watch as it disappears !
The whole wheat pastry and the skimmed milk amps the nutrition content of this dessert.


The two young food critics for whom I made this pudding polished off their plates in a jiffy !
This is one recipe that I know will become a staple at my house.

Vegan / Dairy Free Option: Replace the evaporated milk with an equal quantity of non dairy milk like almond or soy milk. Unflavored and unsweetened milks should be preferred.

Gluten Free option: Replace the whole wheat pastry flour with a gluten free flour, preferably one with a mild taste, such as oat flour.

Do try this out and let me know !

An Evening in Frisco

As evenings went, there wasn't anything extra special about this one..It had been an ordinary day replete with the usual chores and toddler management experiences at my end :D ..Nothing worth celebrating or making a fuss about, really..But if you get down to it,almost every day is like that, isn't it ? Except for the occasional birthday or a festival..But why wait for a day circled on a calendar to bring out the special china or do something nice and special with your family ? I think we should try and celebrate every day for what it is worth ! Doesn't have to be extravagant or anything that requires a lot of advance planning..Sometimes all it takes for a day to be special are simple touches..like maybe a special meal with all the family members present, gathering everyone and taking spontaneous pictures, sitting together and playing board games (any games, for that matter !) and talking and laughing !!
Its true that we remember the big bashes for a long time, big gatherings, lot of people, rich food...they are the big pearls that adorn the golden chain of life..but the other moments,spent in the warm company of close family, where you feel safe and loved and contented, these are the moments that make the strands of that golden chain!
TH and I decided to make such memories for ourselves and our toddler P. We decided to
have a small celebration on account of P's 18 month birthday :)
I baked a cake from this recipe..It turned out great..although I made modifications to substitute the eggs..Along with the cake, I also made an easy savoury snack..no drum rolls needed here ...A snack made with puffed rice and grated carrots might not sound very appetizing , but once you eat it..you will be tempted to make it every day !
Healthy, easy to put together, delicious ! What else could I want from a snack !


Healthy Puffed Rice Snack







Ingredients:

2 C plain puffed rice
3/4 C grated carrot
1/2 onion, diced small
finely chopped coriander
1 small tomato, diced (optional)
cayenne pepper and salt to taste (very little salt is needed)

Tempering:
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 C unsalted peanuts
pinch of asafoetida

Method:
1. Take a wide mouthed bowl and put in the puffed rice, carrots, onion, tomato, cayenne pepper and salt. Add a little sugar (optional). Mix well.
2. Prepare tempering by heating the oil and then adding the mustard, coriander seeds and peanuts. Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, switch off the heat and add the
asafoetida.
3. Add the tempering to the puffed rice mixture. Mix well.
4. Garnish with the chopped coriander.

This dish is best eaten fresh. The puffed rice tends to get soggy if kept too long.

Variations:
The same snack can be made by substituting puffed rice with puffed wheat or even
cheerios or any combination of the three.
For added crunch and colour, sprouts or even boiled corn will be a nice touch.

Enjoy and Hope you make good memories for yourselves today :-)