Category: Chocolate

Chocolate Date Cake

I baked a chocolate-date cake for two adorable little girls last week. Charming chocolate and demure dates, energizing and detoxifying at the same time, they just seem to belong together. It was a moist, dense cake and the girls liked its comforting taste.

Chocolate-Date Cake Batter

Chocolate Date Cake
(for 12 generous servings)


2 cups, all purpose flour (unbleached)
1 cup, semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup, fresh dates, pitted and chopped, soaked in a cup of warm milk for 30 minutes
1 cup, pecan pieces (or walnut pieces)
1 1/4 cups, cane sugar
2 eggs or 1 ripe banana, mashed, about a cup
1/2 cup, ghee or peanut oil
1/2 cup, fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon each – baking powder and baking soda
1 teaspoon – vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously apply ghee or oil to a cake or bread pan.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs or ripe banana, sugar, vanilla extract, orange juice and ghee or oil into smooth mixture. Then add and fold in the flour, chocolate chips, dates plus the milk they soaked in, pecans, baking powder and baking soda. Pour the batter into cake pan.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake is firm and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then invert on to a wire rack or plate to cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Date Mini Cakes
Chocolate-Date Mini Cakes

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Chocolate Gulab Jamuns

One can say sugar stimulates thinking. And one does not even need to be very active, the thoughts simply come when one eats sugary desserts – such strong thoughts that they even generate powerful dreams. In one such sugar induced dream, a chocolate chip in jamun belly was visualized. Follow your dreams. So, chocolate jamuns for a birthday bash were prepared. They were so easy to make, no fussy ingredients or procedures, and cooks right on the stovetop.

My twist in classic jamuns was a hit. Jamuns’ refreshing taste and texture is enhanced, but not overwhelmed, by an excitingly sweet chocolate center. Served with gulab flavored syrup, the jamuns tasted superb. I hope you too try the twist and enjoy this dessert with family and friends during the holiday season.

Chocolate Chip in Jamun Belly
Chocolate Chip in Jamun Belly

Chocolate Gulab Jamuns

Gulab jamun mix
Mini chocolate chips
Sugar
Rose (gulab) syrup

Prepare Jamun Dough: Prepare the jamun dough following the instructions on the box. Add water to jamun mix and make a firm dough. Rest the dough for 15 minutes. Then divide it into small portions and roll each portion into a perfect round using your clean hands.

Add Chocolate Chips: Make a dimple with your finger in each jamun round and add a chocolate chip. Bring the edges together and roll the dough into a smooth round, covering the chip completely. Prepare all jamuns in this way. Place them in a tray and cover.

Prepare Rose Syrup: Add sugar to water and bring to simmer. The ratio I follow is 1:1, for one cup of sugar, one cup of water is added. When sugar dissolves in water completely and starts to simmer, turn off the heat. Stir in few drops of rose(gulab) syrup.

Make Jamuns: Heat oil in a wide skillet and deep fry jamuns to deep burgundy color. Add them to rose flavored sugar syrup. The jamuns soak up the syrup, expand, almost double in size in an hour.

Enjoy: Serve the chocolate jamuns warm or chilled with some rose syrup.

Chocolate Gulab Jamuns
Chocolate Gulab Jamuns ~ for Cheerful Occasion

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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