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Vanilla Small Cupcakes

These are the cutest little treats that I made for my daughter’s 11 month birthday (yep! we are doing that). They are beautiful, easy to make and scrumptious.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup cold milk

Tips:

  1. For best results and easy maneuvering of the ingredients use butter and eggs at room temperature.
  2. Duration of baking may change with different ovens, so let the cupcakes cook for 6 minutes straight and from then on check every 1 minute so that cupcakes don’t burn.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

2. Line the cupcake tray with the cupcake liner or spray it with cooking spray.

3. Cream butter and sugar in a big glass bowl.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

5.Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix it with the butter mixture until it is smooth.

6.Gently fold in the cold milk until it’s a homogenous mixture.

7.Pour the batter in the tray.

8.Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, around 7-8 mins.

9.Let the cupcakes cool in the tray, then serve it with some flavored buttercream.

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Sour Cream Soft Cookies

Sour cream soft cookies

Sour cream cookies are one of the easiest tea time snack to make. I generally make these cookies whenever there is left over sour cream from some other baking experiment. I made this recipe from whatever I could find at home and no special ingredient was needed. Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3  cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt

Tips:

  1. Use butter, sour cream and egg at room temperature.
  2. You can add 1 tbsp of lemon zest to the dough  to cut the sweetness of cookies and bring a distinct flavor.
  3. Duration of baking may change with different ovens, so keep an eye after 7-8 mins.
  4. While storing these cookies, put a piece of parchment paper between each cookie otherwise they will stick to each other and break.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.

2. In a glass bowl, cream sugar and butter together.

3. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix well.

4. Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together so that there are no lumps.

5.Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and combine them to get a soft dough.

6.Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 30-35 mins so that it becomes manageable.

7. Prepare the baking tray by lining it with a parchment paper or cookie sheet.

8. Add just ½ tbsp equivalent of dough for each cookie on the baking tray.

12. Put it in the oven 7-8 minutes, until they are golden at the bottom.

13. Get it out, let it cool before serving.

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Mini Cheese Cupcakes

Mini cheesecakes are one of the easiest recipes and sophisticated looking desserts that I have ever come across. If you don’t want to make an elaborate dessert which would end up in leftovers or will take up too much of your time, this is the best looking and better tasting option to go with. So here it is.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

  • 15 Biscoff cookies
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/3  cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Tips:

  1. Use butter, cream cheese, sour cream and egg at room temperature.
  2. I have used Biscoff biscuits so that I don’t have to use sugar with the cookies and butter mixture but you can use any other cookies and add a little sugar to it.
  3. Duration of baking may change with different ovens, so keep an eye after 10-11mins.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320 degree F.

2. Crush the biscuits to a powder.

3. Add the melted and slightly cooled butter with the    powdered biscuits and mix well.

4. Prepare the cupcake tray by lining it with the baking cups.

5. Put the biscuit mixture in each individual baking cup and push it down to make the bottom layer plain and even. Keep it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

6. In a big glass bowl whisk the cream cheese until its creamy.

7. Add sugar, a little at a time, to the cream cheese and mix.

8. Add egg and then add vanilla extract with lemon juice to the mixture.

9. Sift the flour in the mixture, mix it well and then add sour cream but don’t overmix.

10. Put equal amount of mixture in each cup and make sure there is some space at the top.

11. Slightly tap the tray on a firm ground to get rid of any air bubbles.

12. Put it in the oven for 14-15 minutes, until they wiggle when shaken gently and the center is set.

13. Get it out, let it cool and refrigerate before serving.

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Chocolate Crinkles

This is our 4th of July weekend(Independence day of USA) and I felt this weekend needs some fresh sweet treats to nibble on late at night while watching the fireworks. These  are beautifully soft and utterly delicious. I will be filling a ziplock full of crinkles to enjoy with my family and hope you do too! Enjoy and happy 4th of July Everyone!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ salt
  • ½ tsp instant expresso powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup confectioner sugar

Tips:

  1. Use butter and eggs at room temperature.
  2. Try to keep the size of the dough balls same, using 2 tbsp spoon, so that each of them takes same time to bake.
  3. Baking time depends on the kind of oven you are using so keep an eye on the cookies after 9 minutes. They can easily get overbaked or burnt.
Chocolate Crinkles

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl, add the  vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder instant espresso powder into the same bowl and mix with the wet ingredients to form a dough.
  3. Cover the bowl with the dough with a cling wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the baking tray by lining it with a parchment paper baking sheet.
  5. Form little balls of dough and coat them with the confectioner sugar and place them on the prepared baking tray 2-3 inches apart.
  6. Bake them for 10-11 mins and let them cool completely before serving.
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one of the classic recipes that goes with anything and everything milk, tea, coffee or ice cream, liked by kids and adults alike. There can be a lot variations to this recipe depending on what kind of cookie you want dense, cake like or chewy. Here, is a very simple, quick and tasty recipe for a chewy chocolate chip cookie.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips (preferably dark chocolate)

Tips:

  1. Use the unsalted butter and egg at room temperature.
  2. After the mixture is ready keep it in refrigerator for 15 minutes so that it becomes easy to manage but if it still sticks to the hand lightly grease your hands with butter.
  3. Try to keep the size of the dough balls same, using 2 tbsp spoon, so that each of them takes same time to bake.
  4. Baking time depends on the kind of oven you are using so keep an eye on the cookies after 9 minutes. They can easily get overbaked and very hard to bite.
Chewy chocolate chip cookies

Directions:

  1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.
  2.  Mix the butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar in a big bowl with a whisk.
  3.  Add the egg and the vanilla extract to the mixture and mix well.
  4.  Sift the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt into the mixture and stir until the dough is smooth.
  5.  At the end, fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
  6.  Prepare a baking tray by lining it with a parchment paper baking sheet.
  7.  Arrange the dough balls on the baking tray about 2-3 inches apart.
  8.  Bake for 11-13 minutes until brown around the edges.
  9.  Let the cookies cool and then enjoy.
  10. Make balls of the leftover dough and freeze them. For baking them, thaw for 25-30 minutes and bake them.
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Chocolate Bread Loaf

Time and again I have found solace in baking. I never thought it would be possible to find so much satisfaction in the whole process – doing research, experimenting different things, and eventually baking something really amazing. Though, I found various recipes for simple bakes when I started, I had to try a lot of permutations and combinations to reach a perfect recipe, as a lot is dependent on available ingredients and type of oven. With time and practice I got to know some of smaller important things about baking that a seasoned baker would know. This is an attempt to share my experience. A lot of time baking is impulsive rather than planned, at least for me, that’s why I rarely go overboard with the ingredients. I try my bakes with as less ingredients as possible that are easily available. So, without further ado,  here it is – the very delicious Chocolate Bread Loaf – easy, scrumptious and beautiful.

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1tsp baking soda
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Tips:

  1. Put a parchment paper baking sheet in the loaf pan after greasing the pan and lightly grease the parchment paper also. This helps to get the bread out easily after its baked.
  2. For best results and easy maneuvering of the ingredients use butter, eggs and sour cream at room temperature.
  3. Duration of baking may change with different ovens, so let the bread cook for 35 minutes straight and from then on check every 5 minutes so that the bread doesn’t burn.
Chocolate Bread Loaf

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
  2. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Take a big glass bowl and add butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla, then mix until the mixture becomes smooth.
  4. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and mix until the mixture is smooth.
  5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
  6. Pour the batter in the loaf pan and tap the pan to settle the batter evenly.
  7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This should take around 50-55 minutes.
  8. Let the bread cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving with a hot cup of tea or coffee.