Basbousa – A Middle Eastern delicacy

For me a semolina cake is reminiscent of my childhood! Mom baked it often to celebrate our small  successes or on joyous occasions. What set this semolina cake apart from the flour cake was its distinctive texture as a semolina has a coarser texture than the all purpose flour. 

I wanted my daughters to have the semolina cake and decided to tweak the recipe a little bit to make it more exotic. Actually, this semolina cake is really a take on the Middle Eastern cake made with semolina called Basbousa. In fact it is found in Middle East, Balkans and North Africa under different names : in Arabic it is called as Basbousa or Basboosa or Nammoura or Hareesa, in Armenian it is Shamali, Greek and Turkish it is Revani.  Continue reading “Basbousa – A Middle Eastern delicacy”

Easy-Peasy Brownies!!!

Eat them warm or cold, eat them iced or plain, eat them with chocolate chips or nuts, eat them with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, eat them when you are sad or happy, brownies make you happy every single time you eat them!  I am yet to meet someone who hates brownies! 

Every baker has his or her version of making these ambrosial chocolate treats!  I am sharing a very easy-peasy recipe of brownie using cocoa powder. Not only can this recipe be made quickly but it is also literally a single bowl kinda recipe. I often bake it to satiate my late night sweet cravings ! Here you go: Continue reading “Easy-Peasy Brownies!!!”

Yule Log – Perfect Cake to Welcome Santa!!!

One of my favourite festivals is just around the corner. I love Christmas because it is filled with the warmth of the loved ones against the chill in the air, it is filled with festivity and positivity and last but not the least it is a festival for the sweet tooth! One such cake that I love baking and decorating is the Yule log or the Buche De Noel as it is called in the European countries. This cake is actually a swiss roll or a roulade made from sponge filled with a sweet filling and decorated to resemble a log of wood. Continue reading “Yule Log – Perfect Cake to Welcome Santa!!!”