Chocolates – Page 2 – Astha's Kitchen

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

This super easy homemade hot chocolate mix is rich, and makes some of the best hot chocolate ever.

This homemade hot chocolate mix takes five minutes to prep, is easy to store, and makes a super-rich and decadent cup of hot chocolate. It’s easy to gift and simple enough for little chefs to make!

This recipe was perfect. Sweet but not overly sweet. The powdered sugar and the powdered milk really gave the hot cocoa a nice texture.

Make delicious mugs of hot chocolate at home with this homemade hot chocolate mix recipe. Made with real grated chocolate in the cocoa mix this is thick, creamy, delicious and an amazing treat!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 Cocoa powder
1/2 cup Milk Powder
1/4 cup Grated dark chocolate
1 tbsp Cornstarch
Spices (optional)
½ tsp Cinnamon spice
½ tsp Nutmeg fresh grate

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine ingredients in a mason jar. Shake until everything is well combined.
To make a mug of hot chocolate :
Add 3 tablespoons of the Hot Chocolate mix to milk or water into a saucepan and stir. Simmer on medium/low heat for 2 minutes.
Pour into a mug and serve with chocolates.
To make hot chocolate, add 1-2 tablespoons of homemade hot chocolate mix to hot water. Stir and enjoy!

NOTES:
This hot cocoa mix if stored properly in an airtight container can be used for about 6 months.
To keep it longer I highly recommend not adding the milk powder to the mix.

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CHOCOLATE COOKIES (eggless slice and bake cookies)

Chocolate Cookies {Eggless, Slice And Bake Cookies}

What is everyone’s favourite treat and comes in all slices, pies and cookies?
Yes, it is chocolate.
These eggless chocolate cookies or chocolate shortbread biscuits, call them what you may are a crispy, crumbly and a delicious treat along with some milk, tea or coffee. A handful of almonds thrown in for good measure, add a wonderful crunch for texture!

I baked some easy CHOCOLATE COOKIES for the very first time. They turned out just perfect and I am so happy to share this with all of you. Cookies are really a favourite item for all of us and handmade cookies are always the best. These cookies are for my daughter and all the chocolate lovers.
The base of this recipe is from EGGLESS FRUIT COOKIES (TUTTI FRUTTI COOKIES ) Karachi biscuits.
I modified it to make chocolate cookies and they turned out to be pretty great.

INGREDIENTS:

Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 200 ml,
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar/powdered sugar
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sift the flour and cocoa powder in a sufficiently large mixing bowl.
Place butter in the bowl (you can use your hand mixer or a whisk too), sift in powdered sugar, beat on low heat initially, until the powdered sugar is mixed with the butter, then increase the speed to medium and beat till light and creamy.
Add vanilla extract and mix well.
Now add the flour. Gently bring everything together until the dough is soft. Do not knead. If at all the dough is dry, sprinkle few teaspoons of milk at a time, do not add too much.
I didn’t require any milk.
Add the chopped almonds and fold in the cookie dough.
Divide the dough into two parts. Shape the dough into a log and wrap in a cling film. Refrigerate it for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Or bake in two batches. Remove the log from the refrigerator. Keep it on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch thick slices.
Lay the cookies on the sheet at least 2 inches apart as they expand when they bake. If you are baking in two batches, keep the sliced cookies in the refrigerator, let the baking sheet cool completely, then place the second batch of cookies and bake.
Bake for 13-15 minutes.
When the bottom of the cookies begins to brown, they are done. They will be soft in the middle but will firm upon cooling. Cool in the baking tray for five minutes and then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
If the dough seems too dry and crumbly, then add some milk(a teaspoon at a time) and mix until you have a soft workable dough.
You may skip the nuts for a nut-free version, or add any nut or a mixture of nuts of your choice.

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VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

A simple, moist chocolate cake with a vegan ganache – for the chocoholic vegan!

It is easy, deeply chocolatey and moist. And like most oil cakes, it keeps well for days. You would never guess it was missing eggs or dairy! As good as any “regular” chocolate cake.

This is a really simple, yet very tasty cake. You can use rice flour or something other than wheat. You can also add chocolate chips and, or nuts.

P.S. Here I used whipped cream for decoration, but one can use vegan ganache in its place.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cups cocoa unsweetened

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

80 ml or 1/3 cups vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vinegar

1 cups of water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 160 C/ 325 F . Butter and flour a 6 inch round pan. Line the bottom with parchment (optional).
Whisk together all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
Add all the wet ingredients – oil, vanilla, vinegar, water – and whisk until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 160 C/ 325 F for 30-35 minutes until top springs back when touched and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack.

NOTES:

This cake keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Get to room temperature before serving.

EGGLESS MINI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Happiness is always a cupcake away.

I love these cupcakes always, as it gets baked in less time and it is the most preferred one for any kids parties and best for individual servings.

Made these mini chocolate cupcakes by using a new brand of cocoa powder by ‘Blue Ingredients’. I tried this cocoa powder for the first time and loved it- it makes the cakes so flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup maida
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Half tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 cup milk (warm)
1 tbsp vinegar
1/3rd cup melted butter or oil
2 tsp vanilla essence

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Mix the milk with vinegar and keep aside for 5 minutes. The milk will curdle to form buttermilk. This makes the cake spongy.
In a mixing bowl sieve all the dry ingredients together – maida, sugar, red food colour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix them well.
Separately whisk the wet ingredients – prepared buttermilk, melted butter or oil, and vanilla essence.
Add it to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula till there are no lumps. You can add more sugar according to your preference.
Now pour the batter in a cupcake mould and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until done. Remove and cool.
Decorate with chocolate Ganache.
GANACHE recipe How to make Chocolate Ganache (Truffle)

If you like my recipe of chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate ganache, then do let me know in your comments below.

NOTES:

Sifting the dry ingredients is a must to avoid lumps and it helps in even mixing.
Don’t skip the vinegar, as it gives fluffiness to the cupcake.
Vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Use any odourless/neutral oil only, otherwise, the cupcake smells different.
Don’t over whisk the batter, else the cupcakes turn hard.
Also, don’t over bake the cupcakes (maximum 20 minutes), else it turns chewy and burnt on top.
Baking time varies from oven to oven, so read the manual carefully. I used Morphy Richards OTG and my cupcakes were done in 18 minutes.
Stays good for 2 to 3 days outside and 1 week under refrigeration.

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MANGO DRYFRUIT CHOCOLATE

Mango Dryfruit Chocolate
And here I have chocolate which will put you in a MANGO -nificent mood! As Diwali rolls in, I have a yet new flavour of chocolate to show to you. Its taste is quite different from normal chocolate and is just perfect for gifting.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pack Mango Chocolate Compound
Assorted dry fruits(cashew, almond, raisin) chopped
Chocolate mould(as per your choice)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt the mango compound(I used Morde brand’s)using a double boiler method or microwave.
Stir continuously with a spoon to soften it.
Next, fill the melted chocolate in a piping cone which has a hole for piping on the front.
Fill 1/4 of the mould with chocolate and place dry fruits on it. Cover with more mango chocolate.
Keep in the fridge for about 10-mins.
Remove from fridge, unmould and serve fresh.

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PAAN CHOCOLATE

Paan Chocolate is a beautiful marriage of Paan and Chocolate; It’s fresh, its minty and yes its chocolatey. You have all the rich flavours together in this amalgamation of Paan and Chocolate, blended so well that it’s going to blast like an aromatic chocolate bomb in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS :

Dark Chocolate 1/2 cup (you can use milk or white chocolate too)
Sweet Paan ( Betel Leaves ) chopped 2-3
Gulkand 2tbsp
Desiccated Coconut 1/4 cup
Grated Sweet Supari/tutti fruity
Chocolate mould

INSTRUCTIONS :

Put the Cooking Chocolate in a double boiler. Temper it with a Spatula or microwave it for melting.
Put the chocolate into a Heart shape chocolate mould and then make chocolate shells by luring out the excess chocolate. Refrigerate it for 5 min.
Make a mixture of gulkand, desiccated coconut, tutti fruity and chopped sweet paan ( betel leaves)
Put the mixture in the chocolate shells and cover with the tempered chocolate.
Let it chill for 20 Min and its ready to eat.NOTES:
You can use any mould of your choice.
You can use white chocolate or Milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.

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