Snowman Pizza

It is December and Christmas is just round the corner. Not that I really celebrate it, but somehow this month brings in a lot of holiday cheer in me and makes me want to bake, bake and bake! Well, I guess its just another excuse to bake! ;)

The Christmas Fruit cake is a must-bake during Christmas and is on every body's bake list this season. I mean, how can Christmas pass by without an indulgence into a flavoursome, nutty, fruity cake right?! 

So having baked the much awaited fruit cake this year, I was in for more baking and wanted something savoury and different this time. Something cute yet festive.

That was when this little guy popped in my head. Having seen similar bakes on Pinterest, I have been long wanting to bake these cuties. Now was the right time! 

And also since I cannot make a snowman with snow, I thought I will bake a snowman with dough!! Teeheehee... thanks for bearing with me through that cheezy rhyme! :D

So this isn't a recipe post really, its more of how to shape and decorate a regular pizza into a snowman pizza. For measures on making a pizza dough, the link is in the ingredients list. For the rest, its totally up to you on how you want to decorate your little guy. I have mentioned here what I used to decorate my snowman. 

Happy Baking! :)

Pizza Rolls

Its 11:37 pm. Its a work-day night. I had to take a personal day off from work today and am taking a day off tomorrow as well. Things have been hectic on the home front today. It has been a very long tiring day and yet, here I am sitting and typing away on my blog post like I have a blog exam tomorrow! 

Blogging is like therapy for me. It calms me down and gives me the much needed recharge I want from a exhausting day. No, not always, not every single tiring day ends up like this. But today is one such day when in the evening all I wanted was for night to fall and to cuddle tight in my bed. But as night approached, I do not want to sleep and relax myself, but find the relaxation in doing what I absolutely love... write, blog and share a snippet of my life through words.

And there are the other extreme kind of days, When I have all day to my disposal. No agenda planned for the day. No chores. No outings. Just a home-idling day and yet, not a thought props up in my head to create a blog post. 

Sigh! Let us just leave along the ways this weird mind works :)

I have been meaning to publish this post for over 3 months now. I have no idea why it hasn't seen the light of day until now! I just had the pictures in her and couldn't get myself to type the post! 

Anyway, finally here it comes today amidst my chaotic mad day! A fun shaped pizza! 

Have you felt like you want to wrap all the goodness of a pizza into a tight hug and make it a roll? :) Here is how you do it!! :)

Butterflaps | Guyanese Butter Flaps

Baking is therapeutic. I have heard this so many times before I started baking and used to wonder what really did that mean? And now, I say it myself... baking is indeed therapeutic! 

There is something magically peaceful about working with the flours, yeast and marrying them into a bread dough. Kneading it with love and patiently waiting till it proofs and rises. And then, shaping the dough into fancy shapes, and stuffing it with lovely fillings or topping the dough with delicious ingredients... oh the options are endless! 

And every single time, the resultant bread comes out of the oven bringing along with itself a sense of joy and fulfillment. Yes, even now... it makes me grin from ear-to-ear every time I pull out a perfectly baked bread from the oven! :) 

I look for new bread recipes and ideas. By now you would have guessed, I like my recipes to be simple and easy to create... and this gorgeous beauty, the Guyanese Butterflaps, fit the criteria perfectly! I saw them at my dear friend, Namita's space and I knew what love at first sight felt like :)

I simply had to make them! And I did make them... that same night :)

Its a traditional bread of the Guyana. Its simply, bread dough smeared with buttered, folded and baked. The pretty shape that the folds give it look like flaps and hence the name... Butterflaps! This version has some garlic and some dry-herbs seasonings.

I loved everything about this bread - the preparation, the taste and that cute name! :) Try it and join the fan club :)

Pizza Minis | Personalized Baby Pizzas

It was just a 'pizza-kind-of-a-day'!!  

You know that feeling when you are somewhere in the mid day and a bell rings in your head and a sign board seems to be flashing right in front of you with the menu for dinner written in bold font! Yeah... some days are just like that for me, while there are some days when I would have to dig deep into my brains to settle on a menu! Well, lets forget those difficult days and talk about the fun days when the menu just calls out to you loud and clear :)

Oh, I love such days! :)

Last week I guess Thursday or so was one such lovely day when the food-indicators in my brain sent me pizza signals... I had to obey! So, homemade pizzas it was for dinner! 

How delighted I was. My dinner was sorted, and I was still at work!! Why can't such days visit more often, I wonder :)

As soon as the clock struck 6, I rushed home and began work on my dough. Oh, I did not want to waste a second! I used my trusted wholewheat pizza base recipe and made a dough ball. While it sat proofing, I began planning on the topping... I simply couldn't settle for one! That was when the idea of making Pizza Minis struck me!

I decided to make tiny little bases and top each with toppings of my choice. Absolutely personalized baby pizzas. One had extra spice, while another had more capsicum, one had loads of sweet corn while one had extra sauce! It was exciting making these cute little guys. 

The husband was equally delighted when he came home to a plateful of these cuties, each with a personality of its own! :) Enjoy them as a lovely meal at home, or treat your friends and family at your next get-together. These little ones are sure a crowd pleaser... :)

Zucchini and Mushroom Wholewheat Pizza

Ever experienced that moment when you want to just jump with joy and maybe do a little jig to celebrate your achievement? Oh well, I had that moment, not once but twice the day I baked this pizza... first when I took this beauty out of the oven and had my first bite.... and then the moment came again, when the husband took his first bite and when his eyes became as big as saucers and twinkled in appreciation of the goodness that he had just bit into! :D His mouth was just too full to speak but his eyes said it all :)

Trying not to sound pompous, I have to let you all know that this is by far the best pizza I have made till date!! Right from the crunch in the base to the softness inside to the way the toppings paired with each other to the final look of the pizza.... oh, I loved it all! :) Please do try it out and I assure you, you will not be let down!

It was a weekend and I was home alone attending to my usual weekend chores. I had planned on baking a pizza for myself. Since the pizza was just for me, I had the liberty to add in the veggies that I preferred (...and were not really a favourite with the hubby!). So, I decided to use those beautiful zucchinis that I had lying in the fridge and also the mushrooms. I have been yearning to bake with Zucchini for ages and thought now was the time to do just that. I made Wholewheat Pizza Base and began my baking.

But like most Saturdays, my chores did not end until way past lunch and by the time this pizza was ready, I was home alone no longer! Having taken a bite of this beauty (...and having absolutely loved it!), I decided to offer it to hubby, (who had just come back after a full meal from a function). To my delight, he ate not one but two slices of this pizza!! He LOVED it! Considering the fact that he does not fancy mushrooms or zucchinis... you understand why this was a happy-dance moment for me, don't you?! :)

Garlic Bread | How to Make Garlic Bread With Homemade Bread?

Finally. Oh, finally I got around to make Garlic bread, with my own homemade bread! Oh, you have no idea how relieved I am feeling right now!

Having something on my to-do list for a long time and not being able to give the needed time and attention drives me crazy! Oh yeah... and this one has been sitting in the list, for like ages! I have been baking bread for a while now, and when we talk bread, garlic bread is one of the top on the list right? But no, it sank down on my list and waited patiently in my to-do list :(

Yes, I have made Garlic Bun Rolls a number of times. So that sort of tended to our cravings of garlic bread. But that authentic looking garlic bread... nah, had never been made... until NOW! Yay! :)

This has been one of our favourite orders at Pizza Hut. The ones we get at Dominos are good too, but they are more softer and chewy. They are actually Garlic Bread Sticks. So, the Garlic Bread that we get in Pizza Hut are the crunchy crispy yum variety. I simply love the buttery crunch that this bread has.

So, I am delighted by the way my version of the Garlic Bread turned out. Right from the shape of the bread, to the way they easily sliced, to the final baked bread slices... I was one happy baker beaming at my goodies that popped out of the oven :)

Minty Onion-Coriander Buns

I-am-back! :) And check out what I have brought along! Some yummcious goodies for you all! :) 

Its been more than a month since I spent some time here. Life has been keeping me busy and once there is a break, its hard for me to get back on track. Sigh! 

So, I was just waiting for that one recipe that I was hoping to bump into which would urge me to simply make some time and blog about! Something that is irresistibly yum and which cannot wait to be shared with the world! And... my hunt ended with this deliciously soft and YUM savoury buns flavoured with mint, coriander and roasted onions. 

The originator of this recipe is one of my college friends who also happens to be an awesome home baker. She has recently been posting pictures of some real yummy stuff she has baked and this one interesting bread caught my attention. The combination of ingredients that went into it fancied me and I simply had to try it out in my own little bakery!

The only variation that I did was to shape them into buns and oh my, did I love them?! Yes yes oh YES! :)

The little bit of cheese that goes into it, gives it an enjoyable flavour and softness. Well, this recipe is so simple and fun to work on, that it definitely is a keeper. These adorable guys are so photogenic that I enjoyed clicking these pictures! Cute, aren't they? :)

Focaccia - 3 ways | Tomato-Cheese-Basil | Potato-Rosemary | Caramelized Onion-Chilly

Focaccia (pronounced as 'Fo-ka-tcha') is an Italian flat bread that looks very similar to Pizza, yet tastes slightly different. Of the few differences between a Focaccia and a Pizza, the shape probably would be the top of the list. Pizza is universally known to be round in shape, whereas a focaccia can be in any shape that you fancy! Square, round, oval, roughly hand shaped... any shape really! Focaccia also uses more oil than pizza. Oil goes into the dough, and is drizzled on top as well. And this very aspect, makes a focaccia is a little more spongier than a pizza.

So, this year's first bread of 2014 for the We Knead To Bake baking gang was Focaccia! And Aparna came up with a brilliant recipe that uses a super flavoursome herbed oil to make Focaccia Caprese - Focaccia with a topping of Tomato - Basil - Cheese. Basil is one of the most scented herb I have come across and one of my favourites! Oh so divinnnnnne. 

The dough is very similar to my trusted yeasted dough recipe... except that this is entirely made of maida and also used more olive oil. I couldn't stop with just that that one topping. I had to try some more. 

So, with the same dough, I went on to make a Potato-Rosemary Focaccia.....

..................and a Caramelized Onion-Chilly Focaccia. 

It was Focaccia galore at home! Oh yum yum yum... I still cant pick a favourite of the three! :D So, here is probably the longest post of mine so far... and I had loads of fun putting it together... hope you enjoy it as much :)

Kidney Beans and Potato Patties Burger with Mayo Coleslaw | Homemade Veggie Burger

So here we are, the final leg of our burger journey. For all of you who have been a part of my Burger odyssey... hope you enjoyed the ideas and thanks for sticking around! :) For the rest of you, here is a sneak peak of what you have missed: 

We made our own burger buns with a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour topped with some lovely sesame seeds.

Homemade Burger Buns

Then, we made some healthy kidney beans and potato patties. 

Kidney Beans and Potato Patties

Click on the images to view the recipes and then get back here to check out how to put up a gorgeous Kidney Beans and Potato Burger.

The pairing of the patties with those burger buns was a winner by itself. This combination however, was bettered by some simple accompaniments.  My choice of condiments to go with my burger were:  a cabbage leaf, some ketchup, Mayo Coleslaw, English mustard, salt and pepper. Except for the Mayo Coleslaw, the rest of the condiments as you see, are things you can use right off your pantry. It takes but 5 minutes to put together that yummilicous Mayo Coleslaw which uplifts the flavour of the burger to a new high! 

The whole meal was enjoyable to put together and eat... oh yeah, I totally enjoyed the process and was satisfied beyond words by the way it finally shaped up :)

How to Make Burger Buns? | Homemade Burger Buns

Are you a burger fan? Well, I am not sure if I am!

Yes, I do like burgers. But am very choosy about the kind of burgers I like. You know, those humongous mammoth burgers with overflowing fillings which could easily be divided into two smaller burgers; or those from which the sauces ooze out from every corner; or those into which you bite and the filling pops right out from the other end and those that makes you open you mouth wide, I mean reaaaalllly wide! Well, I am not a fan of such burgers.

The thing is I am not fond of food that is difficult to eat. I prefer my burger to be simple, easy to handle and mess free. Okay a little mess is allowed, after all being messy is one of the main characters of the burger isn't it!!?

The part I love about burgers is that they are customisable. You can chose exactly what you want in there and the proportions of your filling. An ideal burger for me would be a yummy pattie filling, lettuce or cabbage leaves, tomato ketchup a generous serving of coleslaw and finally some mayo!

So, when I decided one day that I want to make my own burgers at home, I wanted it to be completely customised. Right from my burger buns!

Interested in riding along with me on this fun burger journey? Let's begin with making the burger buns then! :) No surprises there, that I added in some wheat flour to up the healthiness of the buns and loaded them with loatsssa sesame seeds as that is how I like it! I was delighted with these as they came ou exactly how I wanted them to! :)

.....Stay with me to check my choice of patties that I paired with these guys and finally my personalised Burger :)

Paneer Bun Rolls | Cottage Cheese Stuffed Buns



Paneer or Cottage Cheese has been a family favourite. 

Mum, Bro and I.... are all fans of this succulent cheese and any kind of paneer preparation, is welcomed by the three of us. I recollect those days, when a family dinner out would have to have a Paneer Butter Masala in the order list and Dad, sportingly joined in the Paneer-lovers party :)

So yeah, it was only predictable when a request (or 'order' should I say?) came in from the brother for Paneer Buns. 

Big B recently moved into the same town as me. This meant we get to meet more often and he gets to be treated to my baked goodies! The few variants that he has already tasted, he seems to have enjoyed (oh... at least I would love to assume so! *wink* Well come on... how else would you explain a request from him for a baked goodie I have never made before! ;) ).

I love it when I get requests like these. I mean, it really gives me joy to pour my heart and soul over the dish to ensure it turns out good and ultimately when I end up making the person happy, I feel simply lovely. So, when this request came in from bro, I was only too glad to oblige and waited for our next meet up, to please his royal highness.

The filling I chose to make here is very simple as I did not want to go wild on the experiment ride. You see... after all my baking reputation was at stake and I had to shine through my first request! So, my approach was to keep it simple, yet pretty and yum!

So, finally when he bit into it and said 'Mmmmm....!! It is like the ones we get in Hot Breads!' my heart did a somersault and in my head I was dancing like this! :D

How to Make Pav Buns? | Homemade Pav Bread

Chat or Indian Street Food has its own unique charm. Ready in minutes, it is magical how just the right mix and combination of simple ingredients make these dishes delightfully tasty. It is one of my favourite cuisines and I can gleefully clean out a serving (or two!) of well made chat at any hour of the day! :D

Now when you combine two of my favourite food items... Bun + Chat together, what do you get? Yes... Pav Bhaji. Vada Pav. Dabeli... to name a few simple yet tasty bun based chat items. In other words, a plateful of yumminess! These dishes, are a combination of mildly spicy sides/filling teamed with a soft and moderately sweet bun... ah, the pairing is blissful!

So, to kick out my baking slumber, I decided to try out making these super simple Pav buns at home. They have been in my to-do list for a long time now and I felt they were just the right ones to work on to get back on the baking track! 

And the benefit of making your own Pav buns at home? 

1. Easy to make. Trust me when I say they are simple to prepare at home.... they really are!
2. You get to sneak in some wholewheat flour and make them healthier! :)
3. And the best part..... you really can make as many as you want! :P

I was pleased with the result and the whole process was extremely gratifying. Even though, I haven't baked for more than 2 months now, my baking friend 'yeast' didn't seem upset with me at all. It made my dough rise beautifully to give me fluffy Pav buns :) 

We enjoyed these Pav buns along with some bhaji to make a wonderful Pav Bhaji pairing.

Baked Doughnuts [Eggless]

It was around 4 years back, during my stint in the USA when my affair began.

All I needed was just 10 minutes to sneak out of office, for a quick break and head to the street corner to meet my love. 

It was not a secret affair. In fact, couple of times, I took my best friend along on our date. Most of my friends knew about our pairing - Me and Krispy Kreme doughnuts! :)

 

Glazed doughnuts were my favourite. Anytime of the day, I could down 3-4 of these with utmost joy.  I was truly.madly.deeply in love with them. Soft, mildly sweet, melt-in-the-mouth yummies! :) I did try the other variants as well. Chocolate glazed, cream-filled, jam filled, topped with almonds etc. I liked them... but after each experiment, I would come back to my first love and then... it was love and pure love in every bite :)

My joy knew no bounds when I knew Krispy Kreme was venturing into Bangalore. I was there in the first few days of he store's opening to grab my share of love. Fond memories came flashing back as I munched into them :)

 

Doughnuts, are usually deep-fried and then coated with sugar glaze or topped with toppings of various kinds. So, when I heard of this baked version, wasn't I truly delighted?! Yes, I was skeptical about how a baked version would taste like, especially after having some serious feeling for those deep-fried doughnuts ;) 

But these little beauties are equally yum! I wouldn't say they are better or can be a substitute for the original ones. They definitely are an interesting variant which I absolutely loved... making, serving and eating! :)

The best part is you can get creative with the toppings. Make them as pretty as you like, as colourful as you like. And I so loved working with those adorable little doughnut holes! Aww... super cute little things :)