Choco Blocks

By Chef Amrita Raichand

From Mummy Ka Magic

Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Method: Moderate

Course: Dessert

Type: Fusion

Key Ingredients:

Oats and honey make these chocolate blocks healthier

Ingredients

Dark chocolate, grarted ½ cup
White chocolate, grated ½ cup
Brown sugar ½ cup
Refined flour 1 cup
Oats ½ cup
Cinnamon powder ½ tsp
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Chopped nuts and raisins ¼ cup
Honey ½ cup
Oil ½ cup + to grease
Vanilla essence ½ tsp

Methods

Preheat the oven to 170º C. Grease a baking dish with some oil
Mix together brown sugar, refined flour, oats, cinnamon powder, baking soda, ¼ cup dark chocolate and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add nuts and raisins, honey, oil and vanilla essence and mix well.
Put this mixture in the greased baking dish and press the mixture well.
Keep the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or till the top turns brown.
Take the baking dish out of the oven and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Take the remaining dark chocolate and white chocolate in two separate bowls and melt them on a double boiler.
Demould the cereal bar from the baking dish and keep it inverted on a large plate with its smooth surface facing up.
Pour melted white chocolate all over it covering the total surface. Put the melted dark chocolate over the white chocolate in a few places and make a zig-zag design with a toothpick. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour to set. Take it out of the refrigerator, cut into slices.
Arrange them on a serving platter and serve.

American Apple Pie

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 35 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Method: Moderate

Course: Dessert

Type: Fusion

Key Ingredients:

Apples

An all-time favourite – apple pie gives a lot of comfort

Serving Suggestion : Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Green apples / cooking apples, peeled, sliced and cored 6
Refined flour (maida) 1½ cups + 2-3 tbsps
Frozen butter cubes 1 cup
Sugar 2 tsps
Cinnamon (dalchini) powder 1 tsp
Nutmeg (jaiphal) powder ¼ tsp
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Soft butter ¼ tsp + as required
Salt to taste

Methods

To make pastry dough mix 1½ cups refined flour, salt and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl. Add frozen butter cubes and rub it in with your fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 5 tbsps water and knead gently to make smooth dough. Wrap in moist muslin cloth and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Take apples, 2-3 tbsps refined flour, 1 tsp sugar, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder in another bowl and mix gently so that the apple slices do not break. To prevent apple slices from turning black, pour lemon juice over them and mix gently.
Bring out the dough from refrigerator and divide into 2 equal parts. Knead both halves lightly.
Spread a plastic sheet on the worktop and place one portion of dough in the centre. Fold the plastic over and roll out the dough into a disc an inch bigger in diameter than the 9 inch pie mould or pie dish. Similarly roll out the second portion of the dough.
Preheat oven to 200 ºC.
Remove the plastic gently and place 1 disc in the pie dish. Flatten it on the base and along the edges of the mould so that excess dough sticks out. Trim the extra dough and put the pie dish in the refrigerator to set.
Once firm, pierce it all over with a fork. Spread 1 tsp butter and then spread apple mixture evenly on the base. Sprinkle 2 tbsps of the sweet apple mixture water on top and dot with some butter.
Place the second disc over the filling, covering it completely. Trim edges. Make a few slits in top so that the steam can escape. You may use the leftover dough trimmed from the edges to make a design on the top.
Brush the top crust with butter before baking. Place the pie dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.