Ruchika Sharma, Celebrity Chef
Butter-and-Herb Roast Turkey
Ingredients
1 turkey
Salt to taste
1 tsp pepper, freshly ground
3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large bay leaves
2 medium oranges
2 medium onions
2 lemons
2 to 3 tbsp unsalted butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.
Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper; stuff with few herb sprigs, bay leaf, and half the oranges, onions, and lemons.
Truss the bird and place, breast side up, in a pan.
Mix remaining fruits and vegetables in a bowl. Mix butter, salt, pepper and chopped herbs and spread over the turkey.
Place the turkey on the lowest rack of the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Baste the bird with pan drippings. Continue to roast, basting every 20 minutes until done, for about 2 hours. Remove turkey from the oven; remove filling from the cavity and discard. Let the turkey rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Note: Dry herbs can be used if fresh herbs are unavailable. Also, duration of cooking, depends on the size of the it. Hence, keep checking till done.
Marble cake.
Marble cake
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup maida
½ cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Take maida and baking powder and sieve. Keep the mixture aside. Grease the baking dish with butter and sprinkle maida. Dust out the extra flour. Now, in a large bowl, mix butter and eggs and beat till the mixture is light and fluffy. Add sugar and maida and mix thoroughly. Put half the batter in another bowl. Add vanilla essence and cocoa powder in one of the bowls and mix properly. Now pour a little of each batter into the greased cake pan. You will see two colour swirls. Put the baking dish in the oven without shaking or mixing.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Fruit cake.
Sangeeta Pamnani, Master Chef India contestent
Fruit cake
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup maida
½ cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ all colour tutti frutti
½ tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp assorted dry fruits
Method:
Take maida and baking powder and sieve. Keep the mixture aside. Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Now, in a large bowl, beat butter and eggs. Add powdered sugar and beat till the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, maida, tutti frutti and dry fruits. Mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Banana choco muffins.
Banana choco muffins
Ingredients
1½ cup maida
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup oil
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Bake at 175 degrees centigrade for 12-13 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Keep checking in between.
Cakes
The Art and Science of Baking
Love Baking, but need help with it? here is a basic guide for you
Smita Dugar, Celebrity Chef
Baking is… love made visible. The whole house smells wonderful and welcoming. And while cooking may not be rocket science, baking is certainly a science!
The most important rule of baking is to follow the recipe meticulously. Measuring spoons and cups are inexpensive and easily available. For forgetful people like me, who sometimes forget the baking powder and at other times the sugar, a great way to stay on track is to keep the ingredients you will be using on the left of your working mat or bowl and transfer them to your right as you put them in so that you do not forget anything.
Generally the ingredients for a cake should be at room temperature and ingredients for a pie or short crust should be chilled. While mixing the cake batter or the short crust, the flour should be worked as little as possible so as not to develop the gluten and make the product chewy.
Breadmaking however, is a totally different story where the yeast needs heat to rise and the dough should be super worked to get the gluten going. The size of the pan or tray is also important as it will affect the cooking time. A properly greased and dusted pan will ensure nothing sticks to it.
Always preheat the oven and bake at the specified temperature for the mentioned time. The cake or pastry should be allowed to cool slightly in the baking pan or it might break when you take it out.
Egg free cakes generally use baking powder or soda as a raising agent. About a teaspoon of vinegar (depending on the size of the cake) could be added in the final mixing of the batter. The soda reacts with the vinegar to give a spongier texture to the cake. I hope these tips will help you and encourage you to bake.
