SOURDOUGH DISCARD WHOLEMEAL PARMESAN CRACKERS

Hey guys! If you’ve been following me, then you know I’ve been in love with making sourdough bread after I recently tried it out for the first time.

Sourdough discard is something people generally trash but I found an interesting way to incorporate this into something very delicious and healthy. So I had put my discard to use and created these delicious Sourdough Discard Wholemeal Parmesan Crackers! Flavoured these with robust dried thyme leaves and full of super foods like flax seeds. Parmesan cheese added an extra oomph and bran makes it more fibrous and healthy. Sprinkling it with kosher salt turns this cracker into a perfect combination to serve with your favourite cheese! I tried these with a new cheese called Charnwood smoked paprika...and I absolutely loved these, and I bet you will too!

PREP TIME: 7 minutes

BAKING TIME: 20 minutes

PASSIVE TIME: 1 hour MAKES: 40-45

INGREDIENTS

• 185g sourdough discard

• 1 cup atta flour

• 1/4 wheat bran

• 25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

• 80g unsalted butter, room temperature but still slightly firm

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tbsp flax seeds

For topping:

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for sprinkling

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing

METHOD

1. In a bowl, add sourdough discard, flour, wheat bran, parmesan cheese, butter, flax seeds, dried thyme and salt. Mix them all together to form a firm dough. Do not over work the dough, mix until just combined.

2. Divide the dough in half, shape them into two rectangles. Place one rectangle on a large parchment sheet or silicon mat and roll it to 3 mm thickness. Don't worry if your dough seems crinkly from the sides, try to make it as much smooth as possible while rolling. Repeat the same with the other piece of dough.

3. Stick the rolled dough sheets in the fridge for an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5. With the brush, spread the olive oil on the rolled dough sheets. Sprinkle it with kosher salt. Using the pizza wheel, cut the dough into 2 inch by 2 inch squares or shape of your choice.

6. Lift squares with flat spoon and place them on lined cookie sheet keeping them 1 cm apart from each other. Bake it for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden on the sides. Remove and transfer on the cooling rack to cool completely. Preserve these in airtight container for up to a week.

COOK'S NOTES

• It’s easier to make this dough with hands but you can also use a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to mix the dough.

• I have used thyme, but oregano and rosemary goes really well too.

• Its important to rest the dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour as it makes the crackers more crispy.

• You can preserve these in airtight container for up to a week.

#sourdoughcrackers #Sourdoughdiscard #parmesancrackers #wholemealcrackers #easyrecipe #plantbased #bakesandbites #crackers #cheeseandcrackers

SUMMER BERRY PAVLOVA

Pavlova is one of my most favorite dessert cake of all. It’s one dessert where you get to taste contrast of textures from soft and airy to crispy and strong, from sweet and creamy to fruity and tangy flavours, all bursting at once in you mouth.

When I moved to Australia couple of decades ago, I got to taste this super light and delicate fruity dessert for the first time. The cloudy and marshmallowy texture from inside with super crispy structures on the outside of this dessert was quite intriguing for me when I first had it.

It’s fascinating structure led me to know bit more about it and searched by talking to locals and found a very interesting story behind this super scrumptious dessert cake called Pavlova.

Pavlova cake was named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who visited both Australia and New Zealand on her tours. It’s claimed that both Australia and New Zealand are still fighting for the rights on who created this cake. It is still a debate who the real creator of this dessert is as the recipe exits in the oldest cookbooks of both the countries.

I make this so often in my dinner parties or even on some special occasions as my family and friends just love it. Taught this dessert many a times in my baking classes as it’s a regular demand of my students...

Usually this dessert is topped with light and airy whipped cream, with fruits of your choice, but I like to top it with whipped Greek yogurt, as I particularly like the balance of sweet and airy pavlova with tangy and creamy yogurt.

The beauty of this cake is not only how gorgeous and impressive it looks but also how easy it is to make once you know how. Read the Cooks Notes under the recipe for better understanding of baking the meringue and achieving best results. Try this by following step by step instructions and I’m sure once you made it, you will instantly fall in love with this super scrumptious and light dessert.

If you are making this recipe, please do share your picture and tag me on my instagram page #simranskitchenoman. Or share your results in the comments section below. It means the whole world to me by knowing someone is trying out my recipes. 😊

PREP TIME: 20 minutes BAKE TIME: 1 hour PASSIVE TIME: 2 hours or overnight SERVES: 10

INGREDIENTS

For meringue:

• 4 egg whites, room temperature

• 225g caster sugar

• 1 tsp cornflour

• 1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence

• 1/8 tsp salt

For yogurt cream topping:

• 275g strained Greek yogurt

• 100g double cream

• 2 tbsp confectioners sugar

• Zest of one orange or lime

• 2 cups of mixed berries like strawberry, raspberry and red currants

• Few mint leaves

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C for fan 120° for gas oven.

2. To line a baking tray with parchment paper, using a cake pan, trace 8” circle on the paper with a pencil. Keep asking until used.

3. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with whisk attachment, start whisking eggs on a low speed, gradually increasing the speed from low to medium to medium high whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually until its glossy and no sugar crystal is felt when rubbing meringue in your fingers.

4. Now add sifted cornflour, vanilla, salt and vinegar, whisk for another minute to thoroughly combine them in meringue.

5. Place small dollops of meringue on four corners of the baking tray, place the traced parchment keeping pencil side down. With the rubber spatula scrape meringue and drop it in the center of marked circle. Spread to shape the meringue keeping it up to the marked circle. Make a little well in the center for the filling, about 3/4 inch deep.

6. If you wish to make the meringue look more pretty, make upwards stroke lines. With the back of spatula or spoon, gently move from bottom to top to create lines.

7. Place the meringue in the middle rack of the oven, bake it for an hour. Turn off and leave the meringue inside the oven for 15 minutes. Then slightly open door (ajar) for up to 2 hours or overnight until the meringue and oven are completely cool.

8. Carefully slide off the meringue on to the cake stand or a platter, removing the parchment paper.

For yogurt cream topping:

1. Just before serving, whip the double cream with hand whisk until soft peaks are formed. Add yogurt, sugar and orange zest, whisk to combine.

2. Drop the yogurt cream into the well of meringue and spread. Cut strawberries in quarters, arrange on top along with other berries. Garnish with some mint leaves.

COOK'S NOTES:

• It’s important to have the eggs at room temperature. Always start whisking at a low speed and increase gradually to ensure consistent formation of bubble size. Whisk the eggs until soft peaks are formed and then start adding the sugar. If the eggs are not whisked until soft peaks, it won’t have a steady and consistent structure.

• Add the sugar gradually in 4 batches, after the 45 second interval. Meringue is ready when you don’t feel any sugar grains when rubbed between your fingers.

• Meringue base can be prepared a day in advance but dress with cream and fruits only just before serving.

• Keep the oven temperature to 120°C. Higher temperature will brown your meringue exterior. Stay consistent in temperature throughout the baking. Do not mess with it once the cake is inside.

• Never be tempted to open the oven door once the cake is inside as it may deflate your meringue. Let the meringue set at consistent temperature and create structure behind closed oven door.

• Once the meringue is baked, turn the oven off, leave to cool inside for 20 minutes with doors closed. It’s important to cool the meringue inside the oven completely, leaving the door ajar for up to 2 hours or overnight. Sudden temperature change is the biggest cause of heavy cracks in the meringue.

• It is better to eat the cake the same day. If you must, to preserve some leftover, it can be refrigerated for one day but will lose some texture.

• #pavlova #meringue #australiandessert #dessert #newzealanddessert #glutenfree #nutfree #glutenfreedessert

MARBLE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

I was craving for a simple cake without getting into the fuss of whipping gluten-free or a vegan allergen cakes…went back to my memory lane and thought of this marble cake which I used to whip quite regularly decades ago, and after experimenting with a tons of new things, sometimes you wanna go back to those simple pleasures which were so familiar.

When I first started baking as a little girl, marble cake was one of the first things I learnt from my mum. At times we would also play with colours to make those rainbow swirls in the cake. When I was whipping up this cake I had those flashbacks and vivid memories of the time I use to spend with my mum when I was a little girl. It’s truly such a family favourite and for a good reason! It’s a treat for all senses - it looked beautiful and tasted divine, with the classic flavours of chocolate and vanilla topped with the luscious chocolate buttercream frosting that’s as good as a warm and comforting hug!

I planned to serve and photograph it with icing, as soon as I pulled this cake out of the oven, the marble effect looked too captivating to not to capture. So I took the picture when it was still warm without any frosting ( swipe left to see that pic), but by the time it cooled and I frosted it, the sun moved and I got a bit stressed.... but it was actually fine, as the moment I clicked a shot, it looked gorgeous! “That’s the one” I said to myself, and sat down to enjoy this luscious and super delicious cake!

Though I must admit this isn’t the healthiest cake but it truly serves your indulgence cravings. I sooo enjoyed baking and digging into this heavenly cake - cutting the first slice and seeing the contrasting swirls is a true delight that you must experience too — learn how to make this amazingly delicious cake and enjoy those simple pleasures!!

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PREP TIME: 20 minutes BAKE TIME: 25 minutes PASSIVE TIME: 2 hours FROSTING TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 12-5 slices

INGREDIENTS

For Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup cake flour

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 185g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup whole milk/buttermilk, room temperature

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
  

For Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 125g unsalted butter, room temperature (soft but not sticking to fingers)

• 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp cold milk or cream

• 1/6 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

METHOD

For Cake:

1. Grease and line a 25cm long x 4cm wide loaf pan with parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium high speed until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time while the mixer is still running, whisk well after each addition until well combined, at least 3-4 minutes. Add milk and blend on low speed to mix with butter mixture.

3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Remove bowl from the stand, and fold in half of the flour, once its well combined fold in rest of the flour until well combined.

4. Take 1/3 of the cake batter in a bowl and fold in the sifted cocoa powder.

5. In a prepared pan, pour half of the white batter, drop spoonful of the chocolate batter on top leaving a little gap in each spoonful of batter dropped. Cover it with rest of the white batter. With a clean table knife, create a swirling pattern by running it through the batter to create a marble effect. Do not over do it as your swirls will mix too much and your swirls will be lost.

6. Bake it in pre-heated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out on wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add confectioners sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, milk and salt with mixer running on low. Once mixed, increase the speed to medium high and whisk until light and fluffy. Taste the frosting, if needed add a pinch more of salt if the frosting is too sweet. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of sugar if the frosting is bit soft, add bit more milk if the frosting is too thick.

2. On a cooled cake, spread the frosting all over sides and top with the offset spatula or a pallet knife. Serve immediately.

COOK'S NOTES:

• I used cake flour to make a fluffy soft texture of the cake but if you do not have cake flour you can make it at home. Measure one cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons of flour from the measured cup and replace it with two tablespoons of cornflour. Sift the flours together 3-4 times as it’s an important step to fully incorporate with each other.

• Adding cornflour helps make the cake light and soft in texture. All-purpose flour has more protein than the cake flour which makes the cake bit denser in texture like a bread.

• I used dutch processed cocoa powder which is alkaline treated. It’s best to use dutch processed cocoa powder for richer chocolate taste and deeper luscious colour.

• Always use the cocoa powders as mentioned in the recipe for best results.
  

#marblecake #chocolatecake #baked #baking #cake #buttercream #chocolatebuttercreamfrosting #vanilla #chocolate #vanillacake #frosting