#NovemberRoad comes to an end!

While I was determined to quit my job and start something I strongly believe in, I had some serious doubts about myself. Everyone in my family believed I could do it but I choose to believe that I will give up when pressure starts.

What is NovemberRoad?

It was a self challenge, more like Sid's challenge. 

It all started with an evening in my beautiful balcony and office's political debate. After listening to my endless cribbing, I landed myself into a challenge.

Sid thought I was ready to get over and move on, I wasn't so much. I had classics saved on my bookmarks without any intention of doing them anytime soon. For me if I have not covered the basics, I'm not ready to break any rules. Period. So moving on was a bit of an overwhelming thought. I was given an option to choose and complete 15 out of hundreds of the bookmarks I had saved in one month alone.

Is the project completed?

I still have 2 recipes to complete but the whole accomplishment of 13 recipes in a month with blog posts here had me over the moon. I never imagined that I will be doing them all in a months time, some in a same day...

Your learnings from the project.

Mind blocks are all they are, Nothing more! I came over that fear of failure and started believing in myself. 

Any regrets?

The only thing I regret was the timing of this beautiful project. I should have done it sooner, gotten over my mind blocks and planned properly. 

Conclusion 

The month of November is over but 2 recipes are still left untagged on the list. I have parts of tiramisu covered but due to unavailability of mascarpone around where I was living during that time left me in a rut. The second one is a cheesecake which was completed but was not posted on time. All thanks to the move from Pune to Delhi.

#NovemberRoad - Corn, Red Pepper and Cheese Roulade

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” ― Carlos Castaneda

I'm munching on the leftover of this beautiful and yummiest stuffed bread I've ever eaten.
I may not have taken beautiful pictures because I was exhausted by the time this came out of the oven but it is YUM.

Melting cheese oozing out from cracks on the sides, this wasn't supposed to happen according to the recipe but gave it ever more the temptation to eat as fast as I could.

Can you imagine baking nonstop for NovemberRoad on the last day and being hungry? The aroma of corn mixed with melting cheese getting crispy on a hot baking tray...

Nope! Can't wait to get the pictures done and dive onto that tray...

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Five and Spice

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Banoffee Pie

“I'm not telling you it's going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.” ― Art Williams

I had no clue what Banoffee Pie was until a friend from Delhi called to tell me that I owe her a treat on her Birthday (which she happens to share with Sid) since I have started this blog.

I started searching immediately and found this website with the prettiest Banoffee Pie pictures. In Chef Curtis words Banoffee is a Banana and Toffee Pie!

Yeah so back to the recipe, this one turned out to be the show winner. Everyone at home loved it and I had enough left over to serve my friends who came to give me a farewell. Tonight also happens to be the last night at our lovely hill view apartment. Nostalgia is in air...

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Curtis Stone

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Classic Apple Pie

"I think fearless is having fears but jumping anyway." -Taylor Swift

I did it! I did it!
You wont believe what I did today!

For years and years of reading the same recipe in almost all the cookbooks and blogs, I know it by heart now. The only thing was the fear of not getting the crust right.

I have heard too many comments about 'not flaky enough' or 'a soggy shell' that the scare of being a failure stopped me from even trying it once. Especially when I'm living with a pie lover. He must have eaten Apple Pie in almost every bakery its available. Even when I'm not around, he makes sure to send me a picture of the one saying "I'm still waiting for the right one!"

I guess I'll assume it was the right one as all I hear about is having one more slice before sleeping. 3 slices in a day is good right? And a major block lifted!

To think of it, this project has given me freedom from fifteen mind blocks and I am loving it. I would be loving it even more if I complete it on time. With moving cities, and Ozzy at home watching videos on my laptop instead of me writing my post, it just seems to be getting bigger challenge than expected.

I have 2 days left and 4 more recipes to go...sigh! 

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Sprinkle Bakes

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Rainbow Thumbprint Cookies

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:14-16New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Do you remember eating thumbprint cookies when you were just a kid? These cookies were the highlight of my day after school. I used to come back home to a glass full of milk (meh) and cookies like a ritual and I always would start with scratching the jam first.

When I told Sid about my ritual, surprisingly he used to scratch the jam first too. It seems like a universal act to do because I noticed Ozzy doing the same! Wah!

I may have confessed to many things on my blog but I don't think I have ever spoken about my fear of baking cookies. They never seem to come right.

But now they do! Maybe because I'm baking more frequent or maybe its just the letting go of the frustration and doing it without thinking about its failure. whatever it is, it seems to be working.

These cookies came out so pretty. Ozzy could not wait to get her hands on!

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Love and Olive Oil

I just rolled them in a bowl full of sprinkles to create Rainbow effect.

Also used homemade Plum preserve in the middle of these pretty cookies.

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Almond Coconut Chocolate Scones

“Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey" -  Michael Josephson

Scones on my list! oh yeah! I love breakfasts, fancy breakfast but only at hotels. I don't make them at home but if served to me, I take the largest portion thinking I'll skip the lunch (sometimes I do, don't judge).

they only problem is that we at home have very limited options when it comes to breakfast. scrambled, french toast, omelette, did I say scrambled?

You get the gist?

This is why I'm trying to check out newer options. Scones were bookmarked because I am forever thinking of changing our breakfast menu and it never happens. Maybe now we look towards adding one more thing to 'limited ways to eat an egg'.

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Joy The Baker

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Pineapple Upside Down Cake

“Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls your life”― Akshay Dubey

I think I was in love with this cake until I had Pineapple upside down cake out of the oven and the aroma was all over my kitchen and home.

These days Pineapples are all over Pune. There are cart full of the ripest ones available in every lane and corner. Its a family favorite fruit (which is very rare) and I had to shoo away various attempts to steal slices every few minutes. I knew any further delay to this cake and I will have to make another run to the market for the fruit alone. That was motivation enough to get this cake off my list. 

The recipe procedure sounds complex, but its hardly any. The only tip I would give here is to make sure that you read the full recipe before starting and line everything in the right order, It will be a breeze to get this beautiful super soft and moist cake out of the oven. Did I say its quickly turning as my favorite...

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Joy Of Baking

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Surprise Inside Cake

Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently - Henry Ford

So finally I met with a disaster! I have been dreading this ever since I started NovemberRoad Project.

The List is a compilation of things I wanted to try and was just sitting in bookmark tab. The fear of messing these basic bakes could be the reason too.

Surprise inside cake has been on the list for a while now. I did try once before for fun and it turned out beautiful. That gave me confidence to try something more complex in design as this and I put it up on the list. 

Unfortunately it did not turn out the way I had planned. The good thing is that I know where I went wrong and know what to rectify next time to have the perfect cake.

But that will have to wait until the project finishes...

*This was supposed to be a green hillock with yellow sunrise <3

Recipe follows:    

I used Pound cake from Baking: From My home to Yours

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Pizza Pockets

“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.”  ― C. JoyBell C.

The other day someone from office wanted to know the reward I would get after completing NovemberRoad. It got me thinking...

There is none! If you don't count the fact that I would be much happier and confident about my future endeavor. But yeah, its no competition. Its just plain old me trying to get some grease back to old aching joints.

Seven days left and I am still left with 9 recipes from The List. Sometime during the week I will be updating two recipes as I'm very determined to complete this project before November ends.
Not to forget that I would be leaving Pune in a few days and movers will be picking and packing my kitchen first, leaving me with just my laptop and camera.

Now onto the recipe, pizza dough is a mixture of good and bad if you will. I have used it several times at home for Pizza nights and Pizza pockets were just the nicer way of saying that I Love Calzones! And it feeds veggies to Ozzy without her suspecting much.

Recipe follows:    

The Pizza Dough recipe was sourced from Joy the Baker

Pizza Sauce recipe was adapted from Kitchen Treaty

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Apple & Pear Crisp

"All Great changes are preceded by chaos" - Deepak Chopra


I thought I was prepared for the challenge, had it all down to the letter T.
I downloaded an interactive calendar thinking if I plan right, dedicate recipes to the day, it will be easy and fast. I completely overlooked the fact that it was my last month in the city and meeting friends threw that calendar out of the window.

Now I am left with 11 recipes from the list and 10 days to go.
I'd say, the actual challenge has started now. I was just testing the water earlier...

Why is this recipe on the list? Its simply because anything with the combination of Apple & Pear brings childhood memories. I love pears and my dad used to love apples. You see a pattern here...since I was not a fan of an apple a day concept, I always tried to bargain with having 2 pears instead of an apple. He never budged and I was always stuck with both...

This recipe is very versatile. You can add your combination of spices and make it yours. This is also a perfect after dinner dessert during the onset of wintry evening. And best to have it with wine after the little one has gone to sleep. Late night baking has its advantages too :P

The recipe was adapted from Sugarcrafter

Recipe follows:

For the filling:

2 Ripe Pear (peeled - cored - diced) 
1 Apples (peeled - cored - diced)
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon Powder
1/2 Cup + 1/2 Tbsp Flour

For the crumble:

1/2 Cup All purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Classic Oats
1/4 Cup Butter (melted)
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and grease ramekin dishes

In a bowl add diced Pear, Apple, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and flour. Toss to coat.

In another bowl mix flour with oats, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add melted butter to it and mix.

Transfer fruits mixture to the greased pan and Spread the crisp to cover.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until its golden and bubbling. Serve warm.

#NovemberRoad - Zebra Bundt Cake

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” ― Dr. Seuss

When I started working on my November list I had a couple of bookmarks to choose from. So I went around asking family members about what would they like to add to it.

Bundt cake was not there in the bookmarks because of the simple fact that its been done at home earlier. Mostly marble swirls. I stumbled upon one of the pins on Pinterest while looking for a surprise inside cake and was absolutely mesmerized by the colorful pattern. We had to add this to the NovemberRoad.

I didn't think I could pull it off until I reached YouTube looking for fondant cake tutorial and realized that its not as difficult as I made it up in my head.

And the best part?
No two slices are same. Surprise!

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Home Cooking Adventure

Along with Chocolate and Vanilla batter from the recipe, I made Yellow batter by adding 2 Tsp of Yellow color to 3/4 cup of vanilla batter in a small bowl. (You can add less color depending on the product you are using)

How to create the pattern, I followed the method as shown in this video

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Red Velvet Brownies

"I want to be different. If everyone is wearing black, I want to be wearing red."

Maria Sharapova

There's something about the color Red that keeps us enchanted. No matter how many forums and baking groups tell us about how Red Velvet has been done to death but come on, its Red! Its different!

Do you see Yellow behind the brownies? That is Ozzy's duck. She insisted her duck liked them the best and has to sit on the table. Umm..okay! 

These brownies were soft and crumbly and tasted awesome! They weren't very gooey like other brownies but they passed the yum test! So yay for me! 

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from How Sweet It Is

{Please note that I've cut down the sugar to 1 cup but the rest of the recipe remains same}

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad - Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

“Dream big dreams, but start small. A journey of thousand steps begins with a step.”  
― Israelmore Ayivor, Shaping the dream


Working with yeast has been my biggest fears. I have worked with no knead pizzas breads but they are no biggie. even if the yeast doesn't behave, thin crust will still be crusty!
But making a bread...wooo that's something I need to get over with!

I have downloaded Bread Bible on my kindle taking it to office often, reading on my way, but never got to try it. The simple things stop me...and that's just a single step towards it that I was scared to take.

This NovemberRoad project is just a means to overcome my mind blocks. And I can assure you that its working just fine.

My first attempt at Cinnamon Sugar Pull apart bread looks soo damn beautiful. I do not want to take apart the pieces and serve. I think I'll keep the loafs just like this...forever!

This bread is the easiest to make keeping in mind that you have enough patience to let the dough rise and rest. 

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Annie's Eats

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad ~ Almond Shortbread Bars

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~ Mark Twain

The first recipe I successfully completed for #NovemberRoad. This project is now giving me confidence that I can actually nail it. Should I add more to the list?

Well, let's not go over the board, I still have 14 more recipes to go...

These Almond shortbread have been my favorite. Everyone says that simple things are the most intimidating and this one was it. And it passed my Ozzy's yummy test, everything is on track I see :P

Recipe follows:    

The recipe was sourced from Love And Lemons

P.S. For NovemberRoad Project, all the recipes will be displayed as a link. I will not be writing about them until I make any changes to the same. Thanks.

#NovemberRoad Project ~ Lets Rock & Roll!

“I feel the need to endanger myself every so often.”  ― Tim Daly

Its not often that I am brought to an edge but I'm finding myself repeatedly cornered there. Its not a pretty place to be and I am fighting with everything in me to prove that I've not lost it.

However, this month is going to be amazing! I feel it already!
This November, I am going to challenge myself.
Do a project, just like Julie did! With the number of times I have watched that movie thinking this is soooo me, it seems like the right thing to do...
So yeah to bring my sanity back, I do what my soul needs.

About this project:

I have 30 working days remaining in this pretty bakers city ~ Pune. A shame I never used it to the fullest, but its still not very late...
I have 15 recipes listed below that I am going to bake and put it up in November alone.

These are the recipes on my "To Do recipes" bookmark since ages. I have picked random ones and they will be done in no order. As and when I get to it...

So to me and to my sanity! Here goes nothing!

1. Apple & Pear Crisp

2. Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

3. Pizza Pockets

4. Almond Shortbread Squares

5. Surprise Inside Cake

6. Pineapple Upside Down Cake

7. Classic Apple Pie

8. Tiramisu

9. Bundt Cake

10. Roulade

11. Thumprint Cookies

12. Chocolate Coconut Almond Scones

13. Red Velvet Brownies

14. Bonaffee Pie

15. As you / I wish :P


With a published list and #NovemberRoad as my hashtag, I am ready to rock and roll babe! ;)

Chocolate ~ Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you believe in destiny or fate?

I think I have started believing in cosmic energy. This universe has its way of giving you signs and considering the amount of rubbish and doubt that's filled inside one's head, we just simply choose to ignore it.

My cousin told me a while back that if I really need something, I NEED to believe that I need it!

I laughed at it, of course because for me it has always been me fighting for something and never getting it or finally receiving a call only when the needs over.

And the reason why I'm writing about my insight exploration is that I NEED that belief to make my dreams come true. 

Do I want them to come true? 

But its never this easy. Nothing is easy and for that its time to prove that I'm over easy and need to win. From my doubts. From Me!

Its time to make the changes and these chocolate ~ chocolate chip cookies ;)

The recipe was adapted from VeryBestBaking

Recipe follows:

1/2 Cup + 1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

5 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

85 Gms Butter, room temperature

1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cups Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt ( if using unsalted Butter)

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Eggs

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 Degree F (180 degree C)

In a large bowl beat butter with sugar until mixed. Add egg and vanilla mix well.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and chocolate chips and add to butter mixture.

Mix well to get rid of any lumps.

Drop a rounded scoop on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake to 10- 12 minutes. Let the tray sit for 2 minutes and remove the cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

No - Bake ~ Blueberry Cheesecake

Many a times my family and friends question my blogging? What exactly it does for me?
I do not answer them straight. I just laugh it off or better still give them some vague answer which keeps them on their toes.

But for me I have always known what this blog started with and where it is taking me. It did take a major turn when I finally wrote it down in an interview for Homegrown Magazine.

For this dream to come true, there are many milestones, many doubts within my mind that needs to be addressed. One of the biggest is..."What if they don't like my cake?"

To overcome my fear, I did what I do best. Put myself on the line and wait for the consequences.
This Blueberry cheesecake was also conceived in similar fashion. I received message on my twitter from an acquaintance if I could make a cheesecake for his dear friends birthday.

As bored as I am at work, the only 'high' I get is from the challenges I set for myself . This was something out of my comfort zone and I took it without overthinking. {thinking leads to missed opportunities} 

And beauty it was!

While I made several with different flavors at home to test the recipe, I was still on the edge and kept waiting for that one text saying that it was awesome ;)

And awesome it was! Yay for recipe follows!


Recipe follows:


For the Base:
12-14 Digestive Biscuits
4 Tbsp Melted Butter
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (Optional)
For the Cake:
1 Cup Cream cheese
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp Water {normal temp}
2 Tsp Gelatin
1/8 Cup Condensed Milk or Desired Sweetness


Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 Degree F (170 degree C) and grease eight inch spring form pan.

Crush digestive biscuits to fine crumbs, add sugar (optional) and melted butter to it. Press down the crumbs to a greased spring form dish.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until light brown.

Soak Gelatin in water for 2 minutes and melt on double boiler.

On a medium speed, whip heavy cream until it reaches soft peaks stage. Add condensed milk or desired sweetness.

Add melted gelatin and mix cream cheese beating the mixture until smooth.

Pour this mixture to the biscuit base and refrigerate until firm. (Minimum of 4 hours till overnight)

Move cake mixture to fridge from chiller for 30 min before serving.

Layer the top with desired crush or preserve. Here I have used Blueberry Preserve.
 

Cardamom Cinnamon Plum Preserve

Anyone makes list here?

I need some tips!

I recently tried giving it a go but its so hard to follow it through, like every good habit. My memory is now rivaling a fish's memory. I travel to the nearest grocery shop twice or thrice a day and yet not have that one essential ingredient while cooking dinner or a late night dessert. 

The strange part is that I love collecting stationary. All sort of post its, stick on, list makers, different color markers, you name it and I have it. :P

Two days before we were due to leave for IFBM and Ooty trip, I thought why not put in a second recipe for a plum contest that I daydreamed about in office. excited and all ready, I started with the preparation only to realize that half of the plums in refrigerator are now down to only 2 pieces. (now you know why I was talking about lists)

Most kids at the age of Ozzy start with tangy and citrus fruits, but this kid never cease to amaze us. Her favorite fruit is Strawberry but you give her a lemon and that's it. Its gone even before you even think of taking it back from her to add it to the salad. 

Plums were no different. As far as I can remember, I have hardly ever had plums with the peels. They are just too sour for my taste. Ozzy takes all the peels first. Like shes savoring the flavor and eating the best first.

Turning seasonal fruits to jams without pectin is turning out to be a new obsession with me these days. I see them rolling in the market and my research to turn them starts.

For Plums, I took the easiest way out. It is the easiest recipe I have ever worked with. And the results were amazing.

This recipe was adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

Recipe Follows:

12-14 Ripe Plums, Quartered and pitted

1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Cinnamon stick 

1 Tsp Cardamom seeds - crushed 

Lemon Peels ( you can use zest)

Procedure:

Toss sugar and plums together in a large pot.
Let it stand for an hour or so until all juices are released.
Add Cardamom, cinnamon and lemon peels and put it on medium flame to boil.
Once you reach a boil, put the pot on slow flame and let it simmer for about 30 mins. Stirring occasionally.
Continue to let the syrup simmer until thickened.
Remove from heat and let it rest for 30 - 40 mins.
Repeat boil on medium and simmer on slow flame until the syrup thickens.
Let the jam cool before pouring into sterilize jars.

To sterilize jars:

Wash the jars and preheat the oven to 160 degree C. Keep the jars in oven for a
bout 20 minutes.
Do Not pour hot jam in cold jars. The glass will shatter. Seal jars when they both reach room temperature.

Poached Plums ~ In wine and water!

I have had Peaches and Plums as my comfort fruit ever since I am back from Delhi.
But that was summers! Come July and it hasn't stopped raining in Pune.
That means more comfort needed. Sigh!

Peaches are now very hard to find and Plums are now becoming scarce...slowly and steadily...

But fear not! I have the most amazing and perhaps the easiest of the plums recipes in hand this time.

Not that I had many options! With a full time job and a toddler who demands me to play ringa ringa roses with her every evening, the luxury of time spent in kitchen is getting questioned. And you would never hear me complaining! :)

I ended up making two batches. First one was in Red Wine by Sula ~ Satori ~ sweet and spicy!
The second batch was in water and brown sugar for our little Ozzy.

This recipe was adapted from The Kitchn

Recipe Follows:

In water

3 Ripe Plums

3 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 cup water

Few Cinnamon twigs ( you can use whole as well)

1/4 Tsp Cardamom seeds - crushed 

Lemon Peels ( you can use zest)

In wine

4 Ripe Plums - halved and pitted

4 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar

1 cup Red Wine { I used Satori from Sula}

1 Whole Cinnamon stick 

1/4 Tsp Cardamom seeds - crushed 

3-4 cloves, crushed

3-4 Pepper corn, crushed

Procedure:

for water:

Combine water, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small pot on slow flame and bring it to boil.
Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Add whole Plums and lemon peels. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove plums from the pot and continue to let the syrup simmer until thickened.
Allow the plums and syrup to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Serve warm.

for wine:

Combine wine, brown sugar, peppercorn, cloves and cinnamon in a small pot on slow flame and bring it to boil.
Place halved plums facing up into a pot and cover. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove plums from the pot and continue to let the syrup simmer until thickened.
Allow the plums and syrup to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Serve warm.