Desserts Archives - THE BAKING SKILLET

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

October 27, 2017 10 Comments

This mini pumpkin chocolate cake with brown butter frosting is a decadent little mouthful for fun and festive times. Two little layers of chocolate, two little layers of pumpkin, all covered in brown butter frosting! Why didn’t nursery rhymes go like that? I would have learnt them much more easily. I am so in love with this cake. It is decadent but the fact that it is so tiny, helps in alleviating some guilt – that is if you share. How are your Halloween preparations going?… this is only my second Halloween and I am as confused as ever. Last year we got around 200 kids and for 2 hours I was at the door with only a short a pee break. So I am like, will we have as many kids this year as well?? How much candy do I buy because, last year, our supplies started to dwindle pretty soon and then I had to be the ‘mean-boring lady who wore jeans and sweater and gave out one candy each’ Uggghhh! This year, we stocked up pretty good! What do I dress up as?? I have no ideas you guys.. is it time to hit Pinterest for Halloween […]

Cookies, Desserts, Indian Inspired

Maple Pecan & Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

October 3, 2017 14 Comments

Bringing classic combinations from North America and India for these delightfully addictive, maple pecan & pistachio cardamom cookies. Its officially thanksgiving season in Canada! And it is Diwali season in India. Yayyyyyy… I love festive months. What’s better than chilly days, accompanied by tons of cozy food and no taboo on sweets and desserts? Oh, I know! Leaves turning orange, red, yellow, Halloween and Stranger Things Season 2. Clearly, there is a lot to be excited about. And if you haven’t watched Stranger Things yet, you still have 22 days to catch up! I scrapped my initial blog calendar for this month and decided to do only desserts. Cookies and cakes – rich, indulgent, special, everything with cream and frosting! I remember, in India, if you visited someone during Diwali, you could without fail expect to be served a plate (or plates) of store-bought sweets and homemade deep-fried treats. I am not sure if it is still the same, if people still celebrate with the same fervor. If sweets are shared with neighbors and if the ladies (mostly) toil away in the kitchen to create a variety of homemade treats. I would like to think they do. […]

Cakes, Desserts

Blackberry Mousse Chocolate Cake

August 29, 2017 19 Comments

An intense chocolate cake contrasted by a light, summery, luscious blackberry mousse that is easy to make, low on sugar and can be eaten straight out of the refrigerator! Remember how I went on an on about having a busy summer, like I am the only one busy on this planet! I ended up taking a break from the blog after all so I could give my complete attention to other things such as intensive fishing in the hope of catching a big one for once in my life, finishing the never-ending Grey’s Anatomy and then realizing that the latest episode is out but not on Netflix.ca (are you kidding me!!!), saying a teary goodbye to Game Of Thrones and all the related nerdy podcasts, sending out 50 job applications, and racing through two James Patterson adventures during cottage weekends when I should have been relaxing, soaking up the sun and day-dreaming or atleast reading something more mature. Clearly, I have trouble relaxing. Do you have similar issues? This is part of my research on baker’s personalities that I will write my PHD thesis on because I have had a life long ambition to be Dr. Jenny John one way […]

Desserts

Mango Mint Parfait

July 25, 2017 26 Comments

If you like mango, mint, whipped cream and easy desserts, you will love this Mango Mint Parfait. It is perfect for hot summer days that call for a chilled seasonal dessert. Oh, summers make me so lethargic. I can barely get my butt out of bed in the mornings to workout (I have been playing hooky more often than I would like to admit). It is a good thing that it has been so busy or I would just be warming my butt on the couch in frontof a fan all day watching Grey’s Anatomy and reading some adventure fiction. We have been hosting guests for the last two weeks and our house is booked for this week and the next week and the week after! I am loving this. I never knew I enjoyed being a host so much. I can cook more, bake more and experiment more in general. Surely, I will suffer from empty nest syndrome once the guest deluge is passed. Any tips Mommy?? Also, there are 120 summer festivals going on in Toronto that we need to keep track of along-with the weather. Our calendars are full of events and you would have seen many […]

Desserts, Pies & Tarts

Pimm’s Summer Fruit Crumble

July 11, 2017 17 Comments

It is summer and everyone wants to be out and about. I get it! So, I won’t blabber on too much coz I have some sun to soak up, patios to be at and summer cocktails to sip! Do people here drink Pimm’s Cup? Or is it just an English thing? My sister-in-law, who is not a big dessert person, made a Pimm’s fruit crumble and she loved it. I trust her taste buds so I had to make it! But not before I made a couple of drinks for myself and I discovered I quite enjoy the herby, citrusy flavour. I haven’t had one of these since I first tasted it in a small town outside of London while visiting some friends. I am an Aperol Spritzer person and that is usually my summer drink of choice. However, it is nice to change it up and since I have purchased a bottle of Pimm’s now, I think I will be drinking Pimm’s long drinks with lots of fruit this summer! Since everyone is looking for easy summer desserts, this is a great option, especially to make good use of all that gorgeous fruits we are buying in bulk! And since I am a big sucker for mini / individual portion desserts and adding alcohol in my dessert, this one hits all the right notes. I mean, I am pretty sure that 80% of the time you have a chilled drink at hand while cooking so why not add some to the food right! From start to finish this takes about 45 mins with actual standing-at-the-counter time being 10 mins. Really, every amateur baker / cook should have a crumble in their repertoire because it is so easy, delicious and fool-proof! And intermediate / advanced bakers need not feel shame in making such a delightfully easy dessert because sometimes you need to chill with everyone else without having to fret over a show stopping 4-layer cake in a hot kitchen! Notes - I used rhubarb and cherries because that is what I had at home, but you can substitute for your choice of fruit. Make sure to chop into small pieces. - Use all AP flour if you prefer, I like the mix of the two and the nutty taste of whole wheat. - Baking the crumble topping in two layers helps all of it to crisp evenly – ref. Fine Cooking - The crumble is ready when the fruits is bubbling and overflowing. Make sure to place the ramekins on parchment lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Pimms Summer Fruit Crumble Ingredients – makes 4 individual servings For the Rhubarb Cherry Filling 1 cup (135g) Rhubarb – chopped into ¼ inch pieces 1 cup (170g) Cherries – pitted and chopped into half 3 tbsp Pimm’s ½ tbsp Cornflour 1 tsp lemon zest 3 – 5 tbsp fine granulated sugar (at 3 tbsp, it is slightly tart. Go up to 5 tbsp for a sweeter filling) For the Crumble Topping ¼ cup (55g) butter – medium soft ¼ cup (40g) brown sugar ¼ cup (25g) AP flour 3tbsp whole wheat flour ¼ cup pecans – chopped Make the Fruit Crumble Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 4 ramekins slightly with butter. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Mix all the crumble topping ingredients in another bowl with two forks or your fingers till it comes together in chunks. If it seems to wet, add some more whole wheat flour – 1 tbsp at a time. It should not be too dry and grainy and not too wet like a dough. You need whole pecan sized chunks. Divide the filling equally amongst the ramekins. Top with a thin layer of topping. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Add the rest of the topping and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes till the filling is bubbling over and the topping is golden brown. Enjoy warm with a chilled Pimm’s drink!

A super easy summery dessert with rhubarb and cherries and a to die for pecan crumble, this Pimm’s Summer Fruit Crumble is great for summer entertaining! It is summer and everyone wants to be out and about. I get it! So, I won’t blabber on too much because I have some sun to soak up, patios to be at and summer cocktails to sip! Do people here drink Pimm’s Cup? Or is it just an English thing? My sister-in-law, who is not a big dessert person, made a Pimm’s fruit crumble and she loved it. I trust her taste buds so I had to make it! But not before I made a couple of drinks for myself and I discovered I quite enjoy the herby, citrusy flavour. I haven’t had one of these since I first tasted it in a small town outside of London while visiting some friends a couple of years back. I am an Aperol Spritzer person and that is usually my summer drink of choice. However, it is nice to change it up and since I have purchased a bottle of Pimm’s now, I think I will be drinking Pimm’s long drinks with lots of fruit […]

Desserts, Indian Inspired

Mango Ginger Popsicles

June 28, 2017 22 Comments

Mango ginger popsicles for mango lovers! These are refined sugar free, dairy free and so so easy to make! I have highly sensitive teeth. I could never bite into anything that is sub-zero degrees even when my permanent teeth had newly popped and were probably at their strongest! As a kid, when we got to treat ourselves to kulfis i.e. the Indian street food ice-cream on a stick I’d slowly suck on it while half of it melted in streams down my hands, and invariably the last few bites would drop to the floor. All these years later, my teeth have obviously not become less sensitive; it’s a miracle they are still there after all the sugar attack they endure. As an adult, I stick to ice-creams in bowls (boring? Trying having sensitive teeth!) Watching others bite into popsicles gives me goosebumps! But its #popsicleweek and I had to participate, because we want to constantly be part of something, even if it is a virtual summer party exploding with happy, colorful ice-pops. Last summer when I started using Instagram seriously i.e. started using the explore feature and following a bunch of bloggers is when I first heard of popsicle week. […]

Cakes, Desserts

Triple Coconut Cake

June 14, 2017 20 Comments

A deliciously light and moist coconut cake, lightly covered in coconut swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with coconut caramel sauce. This Triple Coconut Cake is a delightful tropical party in your mouth. Triple Coconut Cake has been sitting on my list of things to bake for months now. However, I kept procrastinating because I felt that a cake so gloriously delicious (in my head) should be baked for a special occasion to feed many people. This week my sister suddenly decided to visit from New York and she loves cake almost as much as I do and what is a more special occasion to make a Triple Coconut Cake than when you are meeting your sister after 5 whole months! I did think of dedicating this to my dad since Father’s Day is around the corner, but a coconut cake is hardly what a Keralite man will be thrilled about! I mean, coconut is our staple food. The flesh, the milk, the water go into almost every dish we prepare at home. From our breakfasts to our desserts, everything has coconut. So much so that, when I was in school, I would hate being on coconut grating duty especially on […]

Desserts

Chocolate Whisky Caramel Pots de Creme + Blog Anniversary!

June 6, 2017 29 Comments

Dark chocolate, coffee and whisky come together in this chocolate whisky caramel pots de crème, guaranteed to satisfy the most intense chocolate cravings! May 22, 2016, I put up my first blog post – it was more a mini thesis on pound cakes. The simple, basic, humble pound cake so fascinated me. It was the perfect beginning to my baking journey. I was so green and so obsessed with the idea of starting at the very beginning. Getting my foundations right. Ahem… all that went out of the window after a couple of wins in the oven! Soon my experiments were dictated by my cravings and whims rather than the structured list I had set out at the start which involved tackling one baking basic after another. There are no regrets. I am sure that most bloggers struggle at the start to find their true niche, their area of expertise. It is a journey of evolution, we grow with it, we learn new things, discover new paths and new interests along the way. By the time we have been blogging for a year or maybe even two, we may have found something we know from the bottom of our tummies that we want […]

Desserts, Leftovers

Cardamom Coconut Panna Cotta and Turmeric Cake Crumb

March 1, 2017 28 Comments

A delightful dessert for two, this light, smooth, cardamom coconut panna cotta is accompanied by crunch from some leftover turmeric cake. I read the Momfuku Milk Bar book and fell inspired by Christina Tosi’s philosophy of using all sorts of things from your pantry and freezer in your baked goods. The idea of repurposing leftovers speaks to me, because I really dislike wasting food. It is one of the main reasons why I bake in small quantities as much as possible and without resorting to using 1/4th of an egg because really the quantity of egg decides how small my baking project will be. Trust me it is a pain to measure out 1 ½ tbsp of egg for something. I have tried. One of the first google searches I did when I was tinkering with the idea of starting a blog was “what do food bloggers do with excess food”, coming in after “how do food bloggers stay fit?” Well I did not find any satisfactory answers to both questions. I suppose everyone tackles it in their own way. So, I picked going small where my baking was concerned. We are two people so I had to think about […]

Cakes, Desserts

Chocolate Stout Cake w Brown Butter Frosting

February 7, 2017 15 Comments

This decadent chocolate Guinness cake slathered with a speckled, deeply nutty brown butter Swiss buttercream and doused in a whiskey caramel sauce is truly a celebration cake that is sure to make you feel happy! 30 is not the birthday that launches you harshly into your middle age. 30 is the birthday where you celebrate the end of an era – the 20s – where mistakes were made (lots of ugly ones), lessons were learnt (mostly in a bad way), discovering who you are felt impossible and highs of first real job, first serious relationship, first real apartment, first independent foreign travel were only dimmed by the lows of those ‘firsts’ not living upto their expectations. But there is a delicious excitement in goofing up and blaming it on lack of experience and naiveté. There is mystery and intrigue and desperation in finding out how your life will turn out when you are a grown up. When I turned 30, I told everyone that next year I will celebrate 29 and subsequently keep moving the clock backwards. Well, I didn’t do that. Forgot to buy 2 and 9 numbered candles. So here I am 31! Anyhow, who wants to repeat […]