Pistachio cupcakes topped with chocolate glaze and pistachio nuts :)

Serves - 15 cupcakes

Prep time- 15 min

Cook time - 22 min 

Ingredients
For the cupcake

1.Eggs- 3.

2.Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup.

3.Pistachios (finely ground) - 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp for topping.

4.Milk- 1/2 cup.

5.Apple cider vinegar (or distilled vinegar)- 1 tsp.

6.All purpose flour- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp.

7.Corn flour- 1 tbsp.

8.Granulated sugar- 1 cup.

9.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.

10.Baking powder- 1 tsp.

11.Green gel food colouring- 4 drops.
For the glaze
1.Dark chocolate- 100g
2.Fresh cream - 200 ml.

Procedure

1.Mix all the dry ingredients ( flour, corn flour, pistachios,baking powder) and keep aside. Now add the vinegar into the half cup of milk and keep aside.

2.In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, i.e, for 5 min on high speed.

3.Add the eggs one by one and mix until just incorporated.Add the vanilla essence.

4.Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk ( milk and vinegar mixture) and mix until well blended.

5.Add the colouring and mix with a spatula.

6. Pour the batter evenly into cupcake moulds and bake at 180 c for 22 min or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cupcake. Cool them on a cooling rack.

7. For the chocolate glaze , melt the cream and chocolate in a microwave for 2 min, stirring every 30seconds.

8.When the glaze is done , holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip the cupcake into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off.
9.Top the cupcakes with the pistachio nuts and enjoy :)

Peanut butter filled dark chocolate cupcakes piped with dark chocolate ganache :)

Prep time - 25 min
Cook time- 25 min 
Serves- 30 cupcakes 

Ingredients:
For the cupcake
1.Eggs - 3
2.Granulated sugar- 1 cup
3.Demerara sugar - 2/3 cup
4.Unsalted butter-3/4 cup
5.Vanilla essence- 2 tsp
6.Cocoa powder - 1 cup
7.Instant espresso- 3 tbsp
8.All purpose flour- 1 3/4 cup
9.Buttermilk-1 cup
10.Yoghurt- 1/2 cup
11.Baking soda- 1 1/2 cup
12.Salt- 1/2 tsp

For the filling 
1.Peanut butter- 3/4 cup
2.Confectioners sugar - 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp
3.Unsalted butter - 4 tbsp
4.Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

For the topping
1.Chocolate ganache.

Procedure
1.Sift all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and keep aside.

2.In a bowl , cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy , 5 min.

3.Add in the eggs and one by one and mix until just incorporated.

4.Add the vanilla and espresso.
5.Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk.

6.Add the yoghurt and mix the batter for a minute on high speed.

7.Pour the batter in the cupcake moulds and bake in a preheated oven at 170 c for 25 min or until the the toothpick when inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.
8.Cool the cupcakes for 30 min .

9.Meanwhile to make the peanut butter filling , mix all the ingredients well until you get a creamy consistency . Place this filling in a piping bag fitted with a wilton 230 tip.

10.When the cupcakes are cooled, core them with a knife or a corer and fill the cupcakes with the peanut butter filling.

11.Pipe the ganache onto the cupcakes . Enjoy :)

Chocolate cake without oil or butter :)

Prep time - 15 min
Cook time- 25 min 
Serves - 6 

Ingredients:
1.Extra large eggs- 6
2.Sugar-3/4 cup
3.All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
4.Corn flour- 1 tbsp
5.Baking powder- 1 tbsp
6.Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Procedure:
1.Sift the flour, corn flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and keep aside.
2.Now in a large bowl , beat the eggs and sugar for about 15 min on starting from low and then slowly increasing the speed every 3 minutes.

3.Now add the dry ingredient mix slowly . Mix for another 5 min.

4.Pour the batter into an 8 inch round pan and bake for about 25 min in a preheated oven at 190 c .

5.Remove from oven and let it cool.
6.Cut the cake into layers , stack them up with chocolate ganache in between the layers and cover the whole cake with ganache.

7.Cool the cake at least for 2 hrs before serving.

Eclairs

Prep time - 15 min
Cook time-25 min
Serves-30

Ingredients:
For the pate a choux
1.Unsalted butter- 1/2 cup
2.Sugar- 3 tbsp
3.Water - 1 cup
4.All purpose flour-1 1/4 cup
5.Salt - 1/2 tsp
6.Eggs- 4 (large)

For the pastry cream
1.Egg yolks- 5 (large)
2..Sugar- 1 cup
3.Corn flour- 3 tbsp
4.Milk - 2 1/2 cups
5.Unsalted butter- 3 tbsp
6.Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

For the glaze
1.Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
2.Chocolate chips- 1/2 cup

Procedure:
1.Bring the butter , sugar , water , salt to a boil .

2.Reduce the heat and add in the flour slowly stirring it , for about 1 minute.

3.Transfer the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the eggs one by one , until well incorporated.

4.Transfer this mixture into a pastry bad fitted with a large plain round tip and pipe about 3 inch long and 1 inch wide on a baking sheet fitted into a cookie tray .
5.In a small cup whisk in an egg and some water and apply this mixture onto the piped mixture with the help of a pastry brush.

6.Bake for 20 -25 min until the eclairs become golden brown .
7. In the mean time , prepare your pastry cream.
8.In a medium bowl , combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk and corn flour and keep aside.
9.Transfer the remaining milk and sugar into a medium saucepan and set it over moderate heat without stirring.
10.Transfer the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture and place this mixture over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens , about 1 minute.Add the vanilla.

11.Cool this mixture and place it in the refrigerator. Make sure the pastry cream is very cold when you are using it .
12. Take out the eclairs and let them cool.

13.Heat the cream and chocolate in a double boiler whisking constantly for about 2 min.Cool the mixture and keep it aside.
14.When the eclairs cool down and when the pastry cream is ready to be used , transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and whisk in the butter making sure the pastry cream gets creamy.Now transfer this pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with Ateco 230 tip.

15.Now , split the eclair lengthwise and pipe the pastry cream into the eclair .
16.Now pour the chocolate glaze onto the eclairs . Serve immediately

Churros :)

Prep time - 20 min 
Cook time - 10 min 
Serves- 6 

Ingredients :
1.Unsalted butter- 1/2 cup
2.All purpose flour- 1 cup
3.Sugar-1/4 cup
4.Salt-1/4 tsp
5.Eggs- 3 (large)
6.Cinnamon sugar - For dusting

Procedure:
1.In a medium saucepan , combine water , butter , sugar and salt and bring it to a boil.

2.Turn the heat down and sift in the flour and stir for a minute.

3.Transfer the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the eggs , one at a time , making sure they are well incorporated.

4.Transfer this mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe the mixture into the oil and fry them until golden brown.

5. You can also bake your churros as it is a healthier option . I have baked my churros here .

6.Once they are done , roll them in cinnamon sugar and serve.

Vanilla pound cake

Prep time - 15 min 
Cook time -1 hr 
Serves- 12-15 

Ingredients:
1.Eggs - 5 (large)
2.Unsalted butter - 1 cup
3.All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
4.Sugar- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp.
5.Vanilla extract- 2 tsp
6.Salt - 1/4 tsp.

Procedure:
1. Beat the butter until its softened. Next add the sugar and beat this mixture for about 8 to 9 min. This allows the loaf to become light and fluffy without actually adding the baking powder and soda.

2.Now make a well in the centre of the butter/sugar mixture and crack the eggs so that they are placed in the well.

3.Beat the mixture just until the eggs are incorporated.

4.Add the vanilla extract.

5.Add the flour and beat the mixture for another 2 min till light and fluffy.

6.Pour the batter in a greased and dusted pan of 4"x8" and bake for 1 hr in a preheated oven at 160 c.

Simple vanilla cake topped with ganache and chocolate chips:)

Prep time - 20 min
Cook time- 35 min 
Serves- 10 -12

Ingrediets:

For the cake 
1.Unsalted butter-1/2 cup
2.Sugar- 1 1/4 cup
3.Eggs- 4 (medium sized)
4.Salt-1/2 tsp
5.Flour -2 1/4 cups
6.Yogurt- 1 cup
7.Baking powder- 2 1/4 tsp
8.Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
9.Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

For the topping 
1.Dark chocolate ganache frosting - 1 1/2 cup
2. Chocolate chips- 1/2 cup
3.Caramel filled chocolate bites - 10 (approx)

Procedure 
1. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy , until 5 min .

2.Add the eggs one by one until just incorporated.

3.Add the vanilla extract and salt
4.In a separate bowl, sift the flour , baking powder , soda, and add this mixture alternating it with the yogurt to the egg mixture.

5.Beat the mixture for an extra 1 min.
6.Pour the batter into a 9x13 in pan.

7.Bake in a preheated oven at 160 c for 35 min or until a tooth pick when inserted into the cake , comes out clean.

7.Cool the cake completely before spreading the ganache on top , and decorate it with chocolate chips and caramel filled chocolate bites. Enjoy the cake :)

8.Keep the cake refrigerated for 4 days or at room temperature upto 2 days .