@ the Wokker with Grandma

3 X the chocolate!

Three decadent chocolate treats.

Recipe for cookie here I've added frozen Milk dud chocolates (chocolate coated caramel balls for those who are not familiar) and chopped pecans this time.

The Cupcakes is a red velvet recipe using beet juice and a bit of food colouring. I made up a bit of buttermilk using yogurt and beet juice. One tiny bottle of food colouring went in as well.

The frosting is a chocolate sour cream frosting, which is probably my favourite new thing!

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting (for 12-15 cupcakes)

• 170g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 1/2 tablespoon (64g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. (I melted my chocolate in the microwave, stir every 30s to avoid burning the chocolate!)
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale.
3. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt, beat until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.
5. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
6. Frost cupcakes immediately.

Thanks to Kwanster blog for the frosting recipe and Pinch My salt for the original red velvet cupcake recipe

Chocolate Nemesis Tort

Ingredients:
1 cup butter

5 eggs

1 cup 1 tsp sugar

340 grams chocolate pieces - 70%

less than 1/2 cup of water. (less than half)

OR:

340gms chocolate pieces or choc broken up – 70% dark couverture

225gm unsalted butter

5eggs

210gm caster sugar

This is how you make it and don’t worry if any of it sounds odd or unfamiliar, it will work out.

- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees c (yes it seems very low)

- Butter and line a inch cake tin with baking paper (if you are using a spring form cake tin, wrap some foil around the cake tin so as to prevent any water leaking in)

- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a bowl which is set over some boiling water, but don’t over heat and don’t allow the bowl to touch the hot water and remove from heat as soon as the chocolate is almost all melted. (I've added 2 tbsp of cocoa powder to the mixture)
- Then stir off the heat until its all melted (a good quality chocolate will melt easily and quickly as I learned on the Lindt petit gateaux course)

- Beat the eggs and 2/3 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer until the volume expands to roughly 4 times

- Heat the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar with less than 1/2 cup of water until dissolved and allow it to boil for about 1 -2 minutes (it will be a light syrup)

- Pour this syrup into the chocolate and butter mixture and allow to cool a little bit

- Pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and mix through until all combined and then pour into the baking tin

- Put a folded tea towel into the bottom of a deep sided oven dish and place the cake on this (top tip which prevents the cake from slipping)

- Pour hot water in to the pan so that it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan (I used mainly boiling water but also added tap water to bring the temp down from boiling to hot)

- Bake for 50 minutes until set and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 3 hours in the pan of water before removing and turning out.

Dust with cocoa powder

Courtesy of Drizzle and Dip with some of my own alterations.

Enjoy!

Eid Al Adha!

As usual when it comes to our family Eid traditions having starbucks after the Eid prayer, two frappachinos here
And a hot mocha espresso with whip for my second youngest sister


Headed over to pick up grandma and to a new Afghani restaurant we tried out this year:

Mango Yogurt drink (lassi, dough) my youngest sister orders every single time!

Delicious beef afghan curry !
Grilled meat platter
More meat!

Salad, and bread, we had rice too of course!

At the very top is a quail south african style biryani we whipped up last weekend after Eid, thanks to my youngest sister Munch n' Crunch for all the great photos covering the holiday.

I'll miss you Apricot Girl

Today I lost my dear companion kitten, eight month old bengal lost to Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
She was sweet, loving, very talkative and a foodie cat, she reminded me of myself in so many ways, we used to prep cook and photograph food together, she always made her way into the shots somehow though she was camera shy compared to her lovely sister.

We lost her sister in August after a month long battle with wet FIP.

I miss you both <3