The Great Shiachat Bake Off

[Ruq]

Salams to all,

Who likes to bake? i recently got more into baking and am trying at least 1 new baking recipe a week; i shall share them here inshallah. I have 3 to start with: a banana bread, a milk bread and some tea buns. They were all well recieved and i have repeated the banana bread and buns several times without the need to tweak the recipes much. You might notice i always reduce the sugar in recipes; my palate has become more sensative to sugar since i virtually stopped eating refined sugar, so you may want to try the recipes as they are to start with, if you have a high sugar tolerance.

So, my favourite first:

BANANA BREAD!

• 
  285g/10oz plain flour
  
• 
  1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 
  ½ tsp salt
  
• 
  110g/4oz butter, plus extra for greasing
  
• 
  225g/8oz caster sugar
  
• 
  2 free-range eggs
  
• 
  4 ripe bananas, mashed
  
• 
  85ml/3fl oz buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with 1½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar)
  
• 
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Note: The first time i made this banana bread i halved the sugar to 4oz, i still found this a little over-sweet, so the second time i reduced it further to 2oz. This wasnt quite sweet enough, but on the 3rd attempt i put 3.5oz and it was 'just right' (as baby bear would say). I also used salted butter and didnt put the extra salt in. I replaced the vanilla extract with the flesh of a vanilla pod and added some spice: 2 powdered cloves, 1 powdered cardemon and a little cinnamon and nutmeg. I also added dates to this on one occassion (see pic), which was nice.

METHOD:

1. 
   Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
   
2. 
   Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
   
3. 
   In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
   
4. 
   Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture.
   
5. 
   Grease a 20cm x 12.5cm/8in x 5in loaf tin and pour the cake mixture into the tin.
   
6. 
   Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden-brown.
   
7. 
   Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
   

This was my result:

The one above is the one with added dates. Texture was very nice; very moist and springy, i think that was because i mashed the bananas well.

Original recipe source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bananabread_85720

[OsamaHatum]

That banana bread needs more chocolate chips!

[jannahismygoal]

That banana bread needs more chocolate chips!

lol, banana bread doesn't contain chocolate chips! I think those are raisins?

[OsamaHatum]

lol, banana bread doesn't contain chocolate chips! I think those are raisins?

I've had banana bread with chocolate chips before. I'm drooling just thinking about it :D

[Envir-Islam]

That looks really good!! I love banana bread. My mom has a similar recipe. And I've eaten banana bread with chocolate chips before too. Its really good, esp if it's all from scratch. :D mmmmm

[Ruq]

>.< Theyre chopped dates! i only had a few left and threw them in at the last minute.

p.s I forgot to mention, do please post your favourite baking recipes, with pics would be great!

[-Enlightened]

(salam)

Ruqayah, you should open a Shia Bakery TV show.

This is amazing, I'm gonna try it .

^{_{I need to learn how to cook before getting married}} :blush:

[Enchanted]

This looks so yummy :) I think I'll give making this a shot and then I'll put a pic up :) although I do tend to burn water while boiling it..

[Ruq]

Milk Bread

375ml whole milk

100ml cold water

2 tsp fast-action yeast

75g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin

625g strong white flour

25g caster sugar or honey

Scant 2 tsp salt

Oil for kneading

Note: I looked at a few recipes and this was the only one with water in it. Another one i saw used some cream, so instead of 375ml milk and 100ml of water i used 350ml of milk, 100ml cream and 25ml water. I didnt use as much salt or sugar either.

Boil the milk, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool, stirring in the cold water to bring down the temperature a bit quicker. When it is gently warm, beat in the yeast and leave for five minutes to dissolve. Melt the butter. Add the flour, sugar and salt to the yeast mix, then pour in the butter. Using your hands, work everything to a rough but evenly mixed dough. (At this point, you can adjust it, adding slightly more water for a softer dough that will bake extra-light, or slightly more flour for a dough that will hold its shape better.) Cover and leave for 10 minutes, then lightly oil a patch of worktop and knead the dough for 10 seconds. Return to the bowl and leave to rise for an hour, if you can giving it one or two brief kneads during that time.

Butter the inside of a large loaf tin and shape the dough into either two balls or a rolled-up sausage and place smooth side up in the tin. Leave to rise by half, flour the top, cut a slash down the middle and bake at 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4 for 50 minutes. Remove from the tin as soon as it's baked and leave to cool.

This is my result:

I was convinced it wasnt going to be cooked in the middle, esp when it seemed to sink a bit when cooling down :donno: but the texture inside was light and cakey. Its delish dipped into hot milk and honey btw!

Recipe source: http://www.guardian....ipes-dan-lepard

(salam)

Ruqayah, you should open a Shia Bakery TV show.

This is amazing, I'm gonna try it .

^{_{I need to learn how to cook before getting married}} :blush:

ws, ty :P yes please do and report back!

This looks so yummy :) I think I'll give making this a shot and then I'll put a pic up :) although I do tend to burn water while boiling it..

Great! please report back and let us know how it went :)

Edited February 17, 2013 by ~Ruqaya's Amal~

[Ruq]

What goes great with tea (apart from biscuits)?

TEACAKES!

375g/13oz strong white bread flour, ½ tsp sea salt flakes, lightly crushed, 7g/¼oz sachet fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp ground mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, ½ orange, zest only, 50g/1¾oz caster sugar, 50g/1¾oz butter, cubed, 150ml/5fl oz semi-skimmed milk, 1 free-range egg, beaten, 125g/4½oz mixed dried fruit, 2 tsp sunflower oil, for greasing, butter, for serving

Note: The first time i made these i didnt have mixed dried fruit, so used chopped dried dates (see pic). I reduced the sugar to 40g and used salted butter without adding salt.

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, spices, orange zest and sugar in a large bowl.

Put the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat very gently until the butter is melted and the milk is just lukewarm. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the warm butter, milk and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.

Turn out on a very lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes to form a smooth, pliable dough. Knead the fruit into the dough until evenly distributed, then place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours, or until doubled in size and spongy to touch.

Knead the dough lightly, divide into six portions and roll into balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten each ball to a circle about 1cm/½in thick and place on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for a further 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Remove the clingfilm and bake the teacakes in the centre of the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until well risen and golden-brown. Serve warm or leave to cool on a wire rack, then toast and serve spread thickly with butter. Eat within 24 hours to enjoy them at their best.

I was disappointed that they dnt look all smooth and shiney like the ones in the shops, but the texture inside was good and less dry than shop-bought.

This is the recipe source: http://www.bbc.co.uk..._teacakes_29429http://www.bbc.co.uk..._teacakes_29429http://www.bbc.co.uk..._teacakes_29429http://www.bbc.co.uk..._teacakes_29429http://www.bbc.co.uk..._teacakes_29429

Edited February 17, 2013 by ~Ruqaya's Amal~

[Ali Musaaa :)]

lol, banana bread doesn't contain chocolate chips! I think those are raisins?

My Mums Banana bread has chocolate chip! ^_^

[Ruq]

ok, im deffo putting choc chips in next time :D

[GreyMatter]

Stop you guys, this thread is making me hungry, really hungry.

[jannahismygoal]

Yesterday I baked some chocolate chip cookies, they weren't BAD but not chewy enough,and here is a picture of the finished piece:

Today Ibrahim tried to bake some more, and his finished product looks like it went through WWIII and ended up looking like Kabobs. Mashallah! -_-

Edited February 19, 2013 by jannahismygoal

[AlphaMale_ASAD]

This is why shia chat has come to.....amazing.

Edited February 19, 2013 by AlphaMale_ASAD

[Ruq]

CHEESE BREAD!

I put more cheese than the recipe said and inshallah next time i'll put even more cheese on the top. I was conservative this time becaus ei was worried about it burning and going black, but it just went nice and crispy :P ooo yumyum

1 pkg yeast

1 cup very warm water

2 T butter, melted

1 t sugar

1 t salt

3 cups flour, plus extra as needed for kneading

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (use your favorite)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Let stand for 5 minutes, or til the yeast is frothy. Whisk in butter, sugar and salt mixing well to prevent clumps.
   
2. Slowly add the flour to the yeast mixture mixing til a ball forms. Knead in bowl 5 minutes or til smooth and elastic.
   
3. Place the kneaded dough in a separate buttered bowl; cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, dry place til doubled, about 1 hour.
   
4. Punch down dough. Roll out dough into a large rectangle so that the long side is perpendicular to your body. Add cheese and roll back up.
   
5. Place dough in a buttered large loaf pan; cover and let rise til doubled, about 1 hour.
   
6. Preheat oven to 400°.
   
7. Bake bread about 30 minutes or til bread sounds hollow when tapped.
   
8. Invert and cool on a rack.
   
9. Slice and serve with lots of butter.
   
10. Variation: brush with butter immediately after removing from the oven.
    

This was mine:

[Ruq]

Spiced Carrot Coconut Orange Cake

I made this today and was a little disappointed tbh. I think i took it out of the oven too early. It is very crumbly. Also there is a bit too much cinnamon in it for my liking. I do like the addition on the coconut with the carrot though. I think, if i make this again, i will make a few tweaks.

Ingredients: (makes 2 loaf cakes, 8.5 inch long each)

1. 2 cups + 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2. 1/2 teaspoon salt

3. 1 teaspoon baking soda

4. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

5. 2.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

6. 1 teaspoon nutmeg

7. 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

8. 20 turns (in the pepper mill) of freshly ground black pepper

9. 2 eggs

10. 1 cup + 1/4 cup oil (I have used Olive Oil)

11. 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar

12. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract

13. 2 cups + 1/4 cup grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)

14. 1 cup freshly grated (or frozen) coconut

15. 2 small oranges or clementines, pureed with peels and the flesh – about 1 cup pureed

16. 3/4 cup nuts, divided (I have used a mix of toasted pecans, almonds and macadamia nuts)

For a light glaze:

1. confectioners sugar + more for dusting if you wish

2. orange juice

NOTE: I used fresh ginger and desiccated coconut. I think in future i will add ginger powder also as the fresh ginger doesnt really come through. I also added a clove. Will use less cinnamon in future.

Grate (use the food processor or the hand grater) the carrots and set aside.

Puree the oranges/clementines with the peels and set aside.

Combine the first 8 ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and the spices and pepper) in a large bowl.

Whisk/beat oil and sugar until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add one egg at a time and whisk them in until creamy and light colored. Add the vanilla/or the orange extract. Add the grated carrots and stir them in.

Add about 1/3 or the flour mix in to the egg-oil-sugar mix and beat until combine. Add the rest of the flour in 2 more shifts and whisk/beat until combined and smooth.

Add the coconut and the pureed oranges and whisk/beat until blended.

Dust the nuts with some flour. Add half the nuts in the batter and stir it in.

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Line cake tins with baking/parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper. Pour in the batter in the cake tin, sprinkle the rest of the nuts and gently stir them in, but only as deep as about 1/4 inch from the top. If you are doing the frosting/icing, you might want to save some nuts to sprinkle on the top of the cake after frosting it.

My effort:

Recipe source: http://www.ecurry.com/blog/starters-snacks/spiced-carrot-coconut-orange-cake/

[Guest Inaya]

^^^^

OMG cheese and butter <3 That bread looks perfect and so soft and cheesy from the inside :wub:

Few questions though, when it says 1 package yeast, how much grams is that? Also T= tablespoon and t= teaspoon? I don't know :blush:

[Ruq]

:) Thank you, yes i recommend it! the crispy cheese is so tempting though, i had to put it in a box to stop myself picking bits off :Hijabi:

I used 7g packet of dried yeast and yep, T is tablespoon, t is teaspoon.

[Guest Inaya]

Thanks! I will try it for sure, inshaAllah it will come out allright hehe :squeez:

I look forward for more of your recipes! :)

[King]

FALOODA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recipe 1:

1 glass milk (skim to full)

1 -2 ounce chinese noodles (or 1-2 falooda sev)

1 1/2 teaspoons rose water (or rooafzah)

1/2 teaspoon falooda seeds (or takmaria seeds) (optional)

pista, kulfi (Indian Store, $5 for a quart) or plain kulfi ice cream (Indian Store, $5 for a quart)

Directions:

1

Soak the Takmaria Seeds in water for at least 1 hour.

2

Boil the noodles/sev in water for about 15 minutes.

3

Drain the water, and boil the noodles in a little milk for about 5-10 minutes on low heat. Do not burn the noodles!

4

Turn off the heat and add lots of ice to the pot to cool the noodles for about 10 minute Stir them to quicken the process.

5

Put the noodles in the glass, add Rooafzah/Rose Water, pour in milk, add a little crushed ice and stir. (Rooafzah is a sweet syrup added to milk or water for a drink in itself).

6

Top it off with a scoop or two of the Pista Kulfi Ice cream and enjoy!

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/falooda-easy-and-delicious-120560?oc=linkback

Recipe 2

Ingredient:

1.Milk 5 cups

2.Condensed Milk 1/2 tin or (as sweet you want)

3.Gulab Sharbat as required

4.Mix fruit 1 cup

5.Strawberry Ice Cream 1 scoop or as required

6.Sliced Almond,Pistachios,Cashew as required

7.Strawberry Jelly 1 Packet

8.Arrowroot (Corn Flour) 1 1/2 cup

9.Cold Water 3 cups

Method For Falooda:

• Mix Arrowroot (corn flour) 1 1/2 cup with 3 cups of cold water
  
• Cook stirring continuosly until its thick and glossy
  
• Put the mixture in a Falooda mould and squeezed into a vessel that has been filled with cold water and ice
  
• It will be like thin vermicelli take it out from the cold water and put it in bowl
  
• Next step is to take 5 cups of milk mix it with 1/2 tin of condensed milk or as sweet you require
  

To Serve:

• Take a Tall glass
  
• Put gulab sherbat (or rohafza),vermicelli,milk,scoop of strawberry ice cream,basil seeds and jelly
  
• Decorate it with sliced almonds,cashew and pistachios
  

Edited February 26, 2013 by Mutah_King

[Ruq]

^ er...thats great M_k, looks delish, but wheres the bit with the baking in it? :donno:

[theinfallibles]

I thought we were not allowed to eat chocolate chips because they contain vanilla extract, which has alcohol.

Anyone familiar with vanillin? Does that contain alcohol as well?

[Gotham]

make some of these gems please :wub:

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/07/14/white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/

[*Sayyeda*]

I thought we were not allowed to eat chocolate chips because they contain vanilla extract, which has alcohol.

Anyone familiar with vanillin? Does that contain alcohol as well?

I just answered that question in this thread:

Not sure about the contents of vanillin

make some of these gems please :wub:

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/07/14/white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/

That looks really tempting. I need to get some more sugar and then I'm going to bake them :)

Edited February 28, 2013 by *Sayyeda*

[Ali Musaaa :)]

make some of these gems please :wub:

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/07/14/white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/

No cheating! They look just like the subway cookies! :P

[Gotham]

No cheating! They look just like the subway cookies! :P

how could you compare that to subway! astaghfirullah, have some shame! :P

i was thinking cookies like these, not subway:

lovely things :wub:

[wonderer]

BANANA BREAD!

that looks nice mashallah sister

try chocolate banan bread it turned out really nice when I made it

I used this recipe http://www.joyofbaki...BananaCake.html but used double cream instead of milk lol I also used 3 ripe bananas instead of 2 it needed a bit over 40mins

Inshallah when I have more time I will do a lil more :D

Edited February 28, 2013 by wonderer

[GreyMatter]

If you guys can send me your end product, I would be honored to eat it all.

Sitting here and looking at these tasty pictures makes my stomach grumble, every time -_-

[Ruq]

Delish Apricot & Raisen Nutty Oat Biscuits

This is a recipe i adapted from this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfo...-raisin-cookies

Ingredients:

50g low-fat margarine or butter

35-40g caster sugar

1tbsp of maple syrup (the original recipe uses honey)

1 tsp allspice powder

50g wholemeal flour

1tsp baking powder

80g porridge oats

50g raisins & chopped dried apricots mix

small handful of roughly chopped nuts (i used brazils, almonds and walnuts)

ground almonds for dusting (optional)

Method:

(remember to take the butter out of the fridge well in advance to soften)

1.Heat oven to 180 C / 160 C (fan assisted) / gas 4. Grease a large baking sheet

2. In a large bowl, mix the margarine/butter and sugar together until soft, then beat in the maple syrup.

3. Add the egg and allspice powder, raisens & apricot mix and nuts - mix well

4. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and oats and mix together before adding to the butter mixture.

5. Shape small amounts of the cookie dough into rough cookie shapes, dip the top side into the ground almonds and place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. (mine took at least 15 minutes - ovens vary)

6. Remove them from the oven, they should be golden but will still seem a tiny bit soft to the touch. Leave them on the tray for a minute (this lets them settle slightly) before transferring them to a cooling tray to completely cool. Store in an air tight container or (if you're anything like me) dive straight in!

[Ruq]

Heres a link to a good lecture on baking cakes: http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/235012291-food-science-youtube-harvard-lectures/#entry2566827

[Ruq]

Not unless theres something called a Husband Cake... *Google*... what do you know!: http://asiansupper.com/theslurp/husband-cake-origins-of-hong-kong-lao-gong-bing-cake

Looks quite delicious too.

[Ruq]

Thanks for removing it, but my last post looks like im talking to jinn now. :donno:

Edited March 26, 2013 by Ruq

[3laweyaZainabiya]

How did i not know this existed??

Hmm... I haven't made apple crumble in a while... 0.0

[Ruq]

^ Feel free to post any recipes you think others may enjoy.

Come on peeps! get baking! its fun i promise :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, ive been watching a lecture series on food science, which i posted a link to in the science section of this site (and theres a link to that thread on post #31 of this thread)

Here are my notes so far:

Leaveners in cake/bread : Leaveners make batter/dough rise (puff up). There are 4 main ways to create this rise:

- air

- steam

- yeast

- chemical

Ways to create air in batter:

-creaming butter (room temp) and

sugar creates air pockets

- adding egg after acts as an emulsifier

which helps to hold in the air

ways to create steam in batter:

- butter is 18% water, which turns to steam in the oven

- egg whites are 90% water

yeast:

Yeast are single celled organisms that feast

on sugars in bread dough. They

emit gas which creates rise in

dough. yeast needs certain temps and

time to emit gas (not too cold or hot). too much salt

kills yeast.

Chemical leavener baking soda:

Baking soda reacts with an acid

ingredient in the cake, like

cocoa/chocolate, lemon juice,

buttermilk, sour cream, brown sugar and

yoghurt, to create bubbles and a rise

in the batter.

Baking powder is composed of baking soda mixed

with cream of tartar (which is

acidic). There are 2 kinds: single

acting baking powders that react

with liquid straight away and double

acting baking powder with a 2nd heat reactive acid.

You get an initial reaction when mixed with liquid, then

a second reaction with the heat whilst its baking.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Importance of other ingredients:

Eggs

Brings together water and oil into

homogeneous liquid, which helps the

batter to hold more air. Egg yolks

have alot of fat which contribute to

texture, crumb, mouthfeel and

smoothness of batter.

Egg whites are full of protein that

unravel with heat or agitation

(beating).When whipping egg whites,

adding sugar helps the protein to

stiffen and hold the air better. If

you over-beat the egg whites the

protein strands snap and they

release water and go clumpy

(bad). Egg whites expand the cake more

in the oven when the water in them

creates steam.

Tip: It is better to add room temperature

eggs, as theyre added after the

butter, so if theyre cold they

solidify the butter again, making

harder to mix. Add them a little bit

at a time to create good

emulsification. If you have a dry

product and want it to be more moist, a

good option is to add a little more

egg yolk.

Flour

strong bread flour - more protein

(gluten) reacts with water and is

elastic and creates chewyness

All purpose flour - can use for

bread (but it wont be as chewy) and

cake (but it wont be as tender)

Cake flours - less protein (gluten), so more tender result.

Butter

Contributes to taste and mouthfeel.

It coats the flours particles which

protects the flour from the water

(which creates the stretchiness).

sugar

Attracts water, so the baked good

will be more moist. Helps create

air pockets with butter. Sugar

cuts through gluten strands, which

is good in a cake (less chewy, more

tender). Contributes to colour

(browning).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to get a crispy/chewy biscuit/cookie:

-Use melted butter (no creaming = no

creating air) and melting reduces some

of the water content in the butter

-browning the butter before hand

adds greater flavour

-a mixture of brown and white sugar

is best for a chewy and cripsy

cookie

- brown sugar creates a more chewy

cookie because the molasses in brown

sugar doesnt crystalise as well and

holds onto moisture and draws it in

from the air. White sugar creates a

crispier cookie because it

crystalises so much easier.

- Resting the batter 10 or more

minutes lets the sugar dissolve a

little and the sugar caramelises in

the oven quicker, creating toffee

notes with a brittle/crispy edge and

chewy centre.

- leave out the baking powder if you

dont want a cakey cookie with more

rise in it.

-add baking soda. Baking soda also

contributes to browning. Its also

creates more spread, it raises the

ph of the dough and weakens the

gluten.

- get rid of the white which creates

more cakey structure and add the

yolks for the fat/mouthfeel.

- turn the baking tray around half

way through as ovens can vary with

heat.

- A flat baking sheet/tray (without

a rim) cooks the cookie quicker

(because of airflow).

Edited March 30, 2013 by Ruq