Desserts

Chocolate Brownies with Whipped Cream

Cravings for chocolate and boredom together lead me and my friend to baking  these chocolate brownies. Very simple to cook yet everybody's all time favourite - The Chocolate Brownie - can be had with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, loads of chocolate sauce. Our choice this time was whipped cream, as it was not a pre-planned decision.

    The Ingredients:

• 
  
  115 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  
  
  170 g caster sugar
  
  
  2 eggs
  
  
  40 g plain chocolate 
  
  
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  
  2 tbsp warm water
  
  
  1 tsp baking powder
  
  
  55 g plain flour
  
  
  55 g cocoa powder
  
  
  Whipped Cream as per need.
  
  

  The Procedure:

  
  
  Preheat the oven to 180C
  
  
  Prepare the cake tin. Grease an 18cm/7in square cake tin and line with non-stick baking parchment.
  In a clean bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  Chop the chocolate and put to one side.
  Chop the pecans, if using. Gently fold the nuts and chocolate into the butter and egg mixture. 
  Add the vanilla extract.
  Add the baking powder, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Mix well; the mixture will be quite wet.
  Spoon the brownie batter into the prepared tin and level out the top with a spatula.
  Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. 
  Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool.
  Decorate with Whipped Cream or serve alongside.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Grapes Upside Down Cake

  
  

  The idea came to mind, when I suddenly came across heaps of bunches of black grapes, just sitting on the kitchen top. Must have been at least 2 kgs of them!! Having being bought in bulk, they came cheaper than usual. The problem - 'Nobody to eat them'. The grapes, turned out to be pretty sour, and as everybody is down with cold, nobody wished to pop them in their mouths, fearing the expected consequences. Somebody would wonder, why they were even bought in the first place. I did too. But if you go to see, the answer is, 'Grapes Upside Down Cake'. I have been wanting to bake this 'upside down' thingie, since, forever! Ever since I saw Bree baking a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, for Gaby, in the season 6 of Desperate Housewives, and also had the same urge when i saw Maggie Beer baking a 'Grapes Upside Down Cake' on Masterchef Australia. Of course hers was too exotic. Mine's a bit too simple. But Tasty. So here goes the recipe -
  

  
  

  The Ingredients:

  
  For the Sauce-
  
  150 gms grapes
  100 gms Sugar
  1 1/2 cup Water
  
  
  For the Cake-
  
  2 cups White Flour

  3/4th cup Milk

  2 Eggs

  100 gms Butter

  1 1/2 cup Castor Sugar

  A pinch of Baking Powder

  A pinch of Salt

  2-4 drops of Rose Pink Food Colour. (optional)

  Approx  20 grapes 

  
  
  

  The Procedure:

  
  For the Sauce-

  
  Cut the grapes coarsely and add them to a cooking pan. Mix in the sugar and when it starts melting, pour the water. Bring it to a boil till consistency is syrupy. Put aside and let it cool.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  For the Cake-
  
  
  Preheat Oven at 180 C. for 20 minutes.
  
  Beat two eggs in a mixing bowl. Add in the milk. Beat again. Then, add softened butter, and mix till smooth. Mix the castor sugar in the beaten egg, milk and butter, and keep mixing til the sugar melts. Sift the flour and fold it in this beaten mixture, along wit a pinch of baking powder and salt. Check the consistency and if too thick add some more milk.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  Once mixed thoroughly, gently fold in the grape sauce and put two drops of rose pink food colour (literally 2 drops, not a single drop more).
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Line the baking tin with butter paper and line it with whole grapes, until the bottom of the tin is completely covered. Then pour in the cake batter into the tin and place it in the oven, for about 30 minute.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Check if cooked evenly by inserting a toothpick. If it does not come out clean let it bake for some more time.Once ready, let it cool for a while before taking it out of the tin. Place a plate on top of the tine and invert it. the cake should come out along with butter paper. Peel it off, and you should have a lovely looking Grapes Upside Down Cake.
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Cut a piece out and inside will be a beautiful purple cake that looks straight out of Fairy Tale.