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Ande Ka Funda!

Eggs have been one of the essential ingredients not only in baking and cooking but also in other walks of life ! Right as toddlers we have been listening to this nursery rhyme ‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall…’ where Humpty Dumpty is a personified egg. Eggs inspire philosophy as can be seen by the use of phrases like ‘Sunny side up’  and ‘all eggs in the same basket’ etc. They are a big part of nutrition ! They have managed to classify humans into eggitarian over and above vegetarian and non vegetarians! And if that wasn’t enough, the egg has touched geometry as well where it has a whole shape named after itself – yes the egg-shape!!!Last but not the least, egg has been party to this age old debate still raging that whether the eggs have come first or the hen! All in all it would be difficult to imagine life without eggs, especially in the culinary world!

It is very important to understand the role played by eggs in the culinary and baking world. Continue reading “Ande Ka Funda!”

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Rising Stars of Baking World

Science behind baking is as interesting as the art of baking itself. What causes breads and cakes to rise has been a topic of research for many. In the baking jargon, rising is often called leavening and the agents that help this are called leavening agents or leaveners. It is important to have a good understanding of these rising agents as it affects the rise and  eventually the texture of the cake. Through this write up, I have tried to give some insight into the natural and chemical leavening agents used in baking. The objective is to understand :

  • the role of the leveaning agents in baking
  • the leaveners that are available
  • how to choose the correct rising agent depending upon what is to be baked
  • the amount to be used and 
  • what other ingredients do they need to be paired with

Continue reading “Rising Stars of Baking World”

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Betty bought some bitter butter…..

Well, wasn’t that an interesting tongue twister we used to have fun with when we were in the school? The bitter part of it was just to make your tongue twist 🙂 Otherwise butter is one of the most flavourful ingredients used in baking in the fat category. Fats can be classified as solid and liquid. Apart from butter, shortening and margarine fall in the solid fat category. Oils that can be used for baking fall in the liquid fat category. In India, even ghee is used for baking and can be counted in the liquid category. This blog is all about the fat ingredients that can used in baking. Continue reading “Betty bought some bitter butter…..”

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Sweet syrups used in Baking

Every year in the season of strawberries, we make our annual trip to Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in the proximity of Pune. For me, apart from the strawberries and mulberries that grow there, honey sold in Mahabaleshwar is also a big attraction. Honey bee farming happens in the jungles of Western Ghats and Mahabaleshwar is a seat for Directorate of bee-keeping. So when I walked into the Government shop selling honey, I realised that they had a variety of honey based on the type of trees on which the bee-keeping happens.  My interest in honey stems from the fact that it is probably the oldest sweetener used in cooking and baking long before sugar was invented. This blog is not just about honey, it is also about all the sweeteners in syrup form.  Continue reading “Sweet syrups used in Baking”