Dobos Torte - A Hungarian treat!

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

So, what is the Dobos Torta (or Torte) ? The Dobos Torta is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. (You may come across recipes which have anywhere between six and 12 layers of cake; there are numerous family variations!) It was invented in 1885 by József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker, and it rapidly became famous throughout Europe for both its extraordinary taste and its keeping properties. The recipe was a secret until Dobos retired in 1906 and gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, providing that every member of the chamber can use it freely.

I was really excited about this challenge and attempted it early in the month. Once again, because of time constraints, I decided to go with individual servings of the cake. I halved the cake recipe and the buttercream recipe in half. The individual layers were baked separately. I marked 10 circles on parchment paper using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter. About 1/4 cup of cake batter was spread on the parchment paper a bit larger than the cookie cutter outline. The cake circles were baked until they turned golden brown along the edges. The excess batter was spread as a rectangle for the cake-topper cutouts. Once the cake circles were baked and cooled, they were cut-out into uniform circles using the 2 1/2" cookie cutter so that the circles were uniform and even.

The preparation of buttercream went well, but I felt that the buttercream was a bit too thin (liquid-y). I refrigerated the buttercream for quite a bit before spreading. The circles were stacked on top of each other with a layer of buttercream icing in between. Because the buttercream was so soft it was tough holding the stacks together. I put the cake stacks in the freezer for a while. Once they were manageable, I put a toothpick through the center to hold the layers together.

The cake was frozen most of the time before it was eaten. I could really make the buttercream smooth and beautiful while decorating but I decided to put a ribbon around the cake just for presentation purposes. One of the stacks were done with a ribbon around it, and the other was done with two thin strips of ribbons.

I wanted the caramel coated cake piece to be stiff so that it would stand up on top of the cake. Instead of the caramel covered cake wedges, I cut out a piece of cake from the rectangle cake made from the excess batter and coated in caramel. The caramel was made by heating sugar with a bit of water until the melted sugar turned dark brown. The caramel was poured on top of the cake cut-out and allowed to harden.

The cakes were decorated with the caramel cake cut-out, chocolate pipings, chopped and whole hazelnuts and chopped almonds.

VERDICT:

We really enjoyed the Dobos torte, it was amazing!! They were actually fun to assemble, except for the fact that the buttercream was a little too soft. But it was sooooo delicious. This is the first time that I made buttercream icing with eggs. The flavors went well together especially the buttercream and the hazelnut combo. JM mentioned that he wouldve loved a bit of chopped hazelnuts between each cake layer. The whole thing was so delicious, our individual cakes disappeared in a couple of minutes. My only suggestion would be to moisten the cake layers with a flavored syrup/juice before stacking, as I found them a little chewy and dry. But all in all, the textures and the flavors went extremely well together especially the toasted hazelnuts with the buttercream icing. One more amazing challenge that I am happy about!!

I had some buttercream icing left over which LM really enjoyed the nest day as an awesome bread-spread, yes a spread for bread!! Actually I enjoyed the sandwich just as much as lil LM.

Equipment

• 2 baking sheets
• 9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
• mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
• a sieve
• a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
• a small saucepan
• a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
• metal offset spatula
• sharp knife
• a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
• piping bag and tip, optional

Prep times

• Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
• Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
• Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
• Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Sponge cake layers

• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
• 4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping

• 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
• 12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
• 8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches

• a 7” cardboard round
• 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
• ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Directions for the sponge layers:

NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).

2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing) sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4 cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.

2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.

5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

Directions for the caramel topping:

1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.

2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.

3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.

Assembling the Dobos

1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.

2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.

3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.

4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.

Storage

I (Angela) am quite happy to store this cake at room temperature under a glass dome, but your mileage may vary. If you do decide to chill it, then I would advise also using a glass dome if you have done. I should also note that the cake will cut more cleanly when chilled.

Variations

Shape: The traditional shape of a Dobos Torta is a circular cake, but you can vary the shape and size if you want. Sherry Yard in Desserts By The Yard makes a skyscraper Dobos by cutting a full-size cake into four wedges and stacking them to create a tall, sail-shaped cake. Mini Dobos would be very cute, and you could perch a little disc of caramel on top.

Flavour: While we both love the dark chocolate buttercream and this is traditional, we think it would be fun to see what fun buttercreams you all come up with! So, go wild! Or, you could brush each layer with a flavoured syrup if you just want a hint of a second flavour. Cointreau syrup would be divine!

Nuts: These are optional for decoration, so no worries if you're allergic to them. If you don't like hazelnuts, then substitute for another variety that you like.

Egg concerns

The cooking process for the buttercream will produce lightly cooked eggs. If you fall into a vulnerable health group then you may wish to use an egg-less buttercream.

Hope you all liked my version of Dobos torte. If you would like to see how I did in my previous DB challenges, click here. Please do take a moment to go through some of the fellow DB members blogs.

Thank you for visiting me today. Have a great day!!

Milan Cookies and Mallows - Being a Daring Baker!!

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. Oh yes, this month we had two challenges - two recipes to battle it out with, or choose one of them as we please. I have always loved the Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies and so I had no question in my mind about the recipe that I will definitely try out. After the delectable pictures of the mallow cookies posted on our private DB forum, I was tempted to try those out as well!!

But once again, I was pressed for time to complete my challenge this month! Being sick for almost half the month of July didnt help matters either. So I decided that I will make the Milan cookies and then attempt the mallow cookies with store-bought marshmallows.

My experience :

I started my challenge just this last weekend. The batter for Milan Cookies was pretty straight- forward to prepare and was easy to pipe out. I used only vanilla extract to make the cookie batter and used 4 tbsp of that. I reduced the oven temperature to 325F. At first I piped them out on wax paper, but it started smoking a lot. The cookies were also a bit tough to separate from the wax paper. So I asked JM to get me some parchment paper, which he did quickly. Thanks to him, I had an easy time getting my cookies off the baking tray.

I also attempted to pipe the batter in several different ways using the 1/4" piping tip and found that three lines made the cookies the right size with the perfect oval shape. But I should say that the cookies baked on the wax paper were much crispier than the ones on the parchment paper.

I used Lindt 70% cacoa chocolate to fill the Milan cookies. Since I read from the forum that many DBers had cookies with cake-ish texture the next day, I left the cookies out so that they may remain crisp. But still, the next day, many of them were chewy rather than crisp. Nevertheless, the cookies were delicious and in great demand. Eventhough the dark chocolate ganache was a little too bitter when tasted on its own turned out excellent when coupled with the sweet Milan cookies. I omitted the orange zest in the cookie filling.

My only concern is the consistency in the shape of the cookies which may be helped if a stencil is used. Maybe the next time I will try spreading the batter using a stencil, rather than piping on the baking tray.

Milan Cookies

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.

2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.

4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.

5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.

6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.

7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.

8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).

9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.

10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

The second element of our challenge, if we opted to do, was to make Mallows which were Chocolate covered marshmallow cookies. Once again, the cookie recipe was very easy to follow and great to work with. I used a star shaped cookie cutter and a small wine glass mouth to cut out the cookies. I just didnt want to attempt the home-made marshmallows because I just couldnt find the time. So I bought some jet-puffed marshmallows and some marshmallow cream.

I halved the cookie recipe and proceeded to make the cookies. I baked the cookies for about 7 minutes in a 350F oven until golden brown. The cookies were allowed to cool and I placed small mint melts on them. I piped the marshmallow cream so as to cover the mini-kisses shaped mint melts. Immediately I could see that the marshmallow cream was not going to hold its shape. The cream overflowed from the top of the cookies. So I just sprinkled a bit of round sprinkles on them and they looked stunning (but no pictures, though). Most of the star shaped cookies were done in this way, so I have none of them to display.

Then I decided to experiment with the jet-puffed mallows. I cut them in half, placed them on top of the cookies with a chocolate covered raisin on top. Then I put them in microwave for 3 seconds each so that the mallows would stick to the cookies.

I didnt have any more semisweet or dark chocolate at home, so I decided to use the cherry chocolate chips that I had at home. I wanted to make a cherry - white chocolate swirl on top the mallows. But when I mixed the white chocolate with the cherry chips, there were no swirls left. By then, my patience was also running thin, so I just dipped the mallow cookies in the melted cherry chips and left them to dry/harden (which they didnt as much as I would've liked). Some of the dipped mallow cookies were topped with sprinkles as well. Anyways, once they were easier to handle, I melted a bit more of the white chocolate and drizzled on top of the cherry mallows.

Eventhough I am not very happy with how my mallows turned out (I know, I shouldve gone with home-made marshmallows!), they were surprisingly very delicious. I am saying this because I really dont like the marshmallows alone, but the whole thing works well and is just an explosion of flavors and textures in your mouth! I feel a bit guilty saying this, but I think this turned out to be my favorite in taste and texture, though not in execution or ease.

Check out my final picture to see the cherry chocolate glaze, the white marshmallow, the chocolate covered raisin and my mallow cookie which all came together to make this wonderful flavorful piece of heaven!!

Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.

2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.

3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.

4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.

8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.

11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.

12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.

4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.

5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.

6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

* You can either do both recipes or just choose one.

Thanks for reading my post. You can check out my previous Daring Bakers Challenges - all 13 of them here. Please do visit the other Daring Bakers to check out their cookies at the Daring Bakers blogroll.

Thanks again and have a great week ahead!!

Spinach Cheese Swirls

Things are definitely getting more hectic around here... I am going to start volunteering at the U for a couple of months. So each day is packed with actvities like preparing for the work, finding a pre-school for lil LM and finishing up the house-hold stuff before things get real crazy around here!! I am trying to enjoy the last few days of freedom and savoring the time alone with my lil girl. Even before starting work, all those days whining about sitting at home have started to seem like a bad idea ;-). Eventhough I know that if we were in India, LM would've started Kindergarten, it feels hard to let go!! SIGH!! JM is wondering why I am sad about sending her to pre-school for the whole week. Well, it might be because I am used to being with her 24/7!! I am so sorry, am I bringing you all down? I just had to let it out somewhere..... Anyways, lets get into our recipe for today!

I got this recipe from a small recipe booklet of Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets. This is a very simple and straight-forward recipe made easy with the ready made pastry sheets (Check out the home-made flavored pastry sheets for Daring Bakers challenge here). I substituted a few of the ingredients with my own. Check out the original recipe here. These cute lil cheese swirls were simply irresistible. "No one can eat just one" if I could quote the Lays potato chips ad! This is one delicious hors d'oeuvre or appetizer that you can serve your guests which is guaranteed to be an instant hit! Sorry for the not so great pictures, we just didnt have the patience to wait around for re-taking the pictures!!

We all are not-so-great spinach lovers and these made me doubt if I am missing out on something! The spinach goes well with the cheese and other ingredients in these savory cuties and the flavor and texture of spinach is well pronounced, but wonderful! Try these out and you will be definitely making more of these - thanks to the puff pastry sheets!! :-)

PS: A special thanks to everybody who dropped me a word appreciating my song in the previous post.

Recipe:

Puff pastry sheet - 1/2 of a package (1 sheet)
Egg - 1
Water - 1 tbsp
Colby & Muenster Cheese - 3/4 cup
Parmasen - a dash
Green onion - 1, chopped
Italian seasoning - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Frozen Spinach - 10 oz, thawed and drained well

Method:

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or according to package instructions.

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Beat the egg and water in a small bowl.

Stir the cheeses, green onion and seasoning in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.

Brush the pastry sheet with the egg mixture.

Top with the cheese mixture and spinach.

Starting at the short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll.

Cut into 20 (1/2-inch) slices.

Place the slices cut-side down on the baking sheets.

Brush with the egg mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the swirls are golden.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

1. The actual recipe use Parmesan and Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese.
2. I have omitted the garlic powder in the actual recipe and added some Italian seasoning.

Enjoy the recipe! Have a great day!!

UPDATE:

I would like to send a few of my archived recipes to Sudeshna's First Blog Birthday event : Event for eggs.

Egg Biriyani
Egg Curry with Coconut Milk
Pineapple Fried Rice
Onion-omelette-sandwich with mushrooms

Happy 1st Birthday to your blog, Sudeshna!!

"Lets go nuts : Almonds" - Round-up

Hey Friends,

Welcome to the round-up of Lets go nuts : Almonds. Today, I have 56 entries including one entry of mine, for your culinary pleasure. It was amazing, getting a chance to guest-host the fun event Lets go nuts, started by Aquadaze of Served with Love. Thanks Aqua, for this wonderful oppurtunity.

I received a very good response all through the month of March, with many talented bloggers sending in their wonderful entries with almonds. They comprised of an awesome array of dishes ranging from snacks, cakes, sweets and beverages, to salads and even curries. I think this round-up gives a fair representation of the range of recipes showcasing Almonds. I've divided the entries into a few categories for your convenience. I thank everybody who sent in their wonderful dishes made with the nut-in-the-spotlight! In the unlikely event that I missed any entries, please let me know by sending an email to jz.tastytreats@gmail.com.

For a change, in addition to the pictorial round-up, I've also included a movie with the entries. It plays a song from the movie Delhi-6, a new favourite of mine, along with the slideshow. For those who dont know, the music of this song was done by the Oscar winner A. R. Rahman. The movie contains the entries that I received until noon, March 30 because I had to leave on a trip in the evening. I sincerely apologise for this drawback. But the picture round-up include those entries received the day after as well. I will be returning home by next week, but dont forget to check back because I will be posting regularly. I will update the movie with the missing entries when I get back home, I promise!! ;-)

Without further delay, feast your eyes on the entries showcasing the delicious nut, Almonds!! Dont forget to leave me a word if you loved the movie and the round-up.

WARNING : CHANCES OF FLASH FLOODS IN YOUR MOUTH!!

(For those who might be checking this out at the office - the slideshow has a music playing, so you might want to turn off the volume ;-))

Fried Snacks

Daktyla from Ivy of Kopiaste... to Greek Hospitality
Kajjikayalu from Vijaya of Daily Meals
Gujhia & Thekua from Priyanka of Asankhana

Cakes & Muffins

Eggless Orange Almond Cake from Gopi Shah of Health N Taste
Chocolate Almond Muffins from Apu of Annarasa - Essence of Food

Eggless Banana Muffins from Trupti of Recipe Center

Dundee Cake from Poornima of Tasty treats

Armenian Chocolate Cake with Almonds from Bindiya of In Love With Food

Cherry Almond Cake from Bhagyashri of Taste Buds

Sacher Torte from Aquadaze of Served with Love

Almond, Flax & White Chocolate Nutella Pizza from Jennifer of Savor the Thyme

Puddings, Halwas, Burfis & Brittles

Rose Kalakand from Priya of Priya's Easy Tasty recipes

Pineapple Pudding from JZ of Tasty treats

Almond Cashew Pista Slices from Shree of ShreeZ
Cashew - Almond Halwa from Anupama of Mitho Limdo
Almond Choco- brittle from Gayathri of My Adigemane..

Carrot Halwa from Sharmilee of In my passionate world.... :)

Almond/Badam Burfi from Poornima of Tasty treats
Almond Burfi from Aparna of Sumi's Weblog
Coconut ladoos by Uma of Essence of Andhra
Almond Cashew Choco Burfi by Madhumati of Madhu's Food Journal

Almond Halwa from Shri of Ecouter
Dates and Almonds Sweet from Vidya of Delectable Vegetarian Recipes

Almond Pedas from Trupti of Recipe Center

Kheer/Payasam from Aquadaze of Served with Love

Cookies

Almond & Oat Cookies from Poornima of Tasty treats
Spice Cookies from Swapna Pravin of Cooking with Swapna
Eggless Almond Cookies from Trupti of Recipe Center
Almond Crescent Cookies from Divya Kudua of Easy Cooking

Lemon Snaps from Bharti of Veggie Foodist


Beverages : Shakes & Kheer

Almond - Carrot Kheer from AnuSriram of Chandrabhaga
Masala Milk (Saffron and Cardamom scented Almond Milk) from Usha of Veg Inspirations
Beets n' Broken Wheat Kheer from Priya of Priya's Easy Tasty Recipes
Strawberry Jam Badam Milk from Priya of Priya's Easy Tasty Recipes

Dates and Almonds Milkshake from Vidya of Delectable Vegetarian Recipes

Badam Milk from Madhu of Madhu's Cooking Gallery
Strawberry Power Shake from Mahimaa of Indian Vegetarian Kitchen

Watermelon Almond Smoothie from Priyanka of Asankhana

Savouries

Apple - Almond Salad from Divya of Dil Se..

Carribean Rice from Uma of Essence of Andhra

Murgh Nizam from Asha of Foodie's Hope

Chicken with Almond and Coriander Sauce from Superchef of So I Married a Meat-a-holic..
Spiced Almond Powder from Uma of Essence of Andhra

Chivda from Bhawana of From My Palate

Badaami Tangri from Swapna of Swapna's Cuisine
Almond Pate from Yasmeen of Health Nut
Shahi Badam Shorba from Curry Leaf of Tasty Curry Leaf
Cucumber-Almond Soup from A&N of Delectably yours,

Rice Krispies Snack from Uma of Essence of Andhra

Shahi Vegetable Kurma from Madhu of Madhu's Cooking Gallery

Microwave Chivda from Vidya of Delectable Vegetarian Recipes

Crustless Asparagus Mini-Quiches from Bee & Jai of Jugalbandi


Navaratna Kurma from Mahimaa of Indian Vegetarian Kitchen
Chilled Almond Soup from Priyanka of Asankhana

Almond Pilaf from Hema of Simply Spices

Baked Chicken Tenders / Fingers from Jennifer of Savor the Thyme

Meyer Lemon & Almond Green Beans from Jennifer of Savor the Thyme

Thank you once again for your enthusiastic participation and making this round-up a beautiful collection of awesome recipes!! The next "Lets go nuts" will be hosted by Poornima of Tasty treats.. and the theme is "Lets go nuts with Cashewnuts". Check out her event announcement.

Signing off from "not-so-sunny" California, JZ @ Tasty treats! Have a great day!!

PS: To those who sent in entries after the 30th, I'm so sorry for not responding to you till now, I will be visiting you all as soon as possible. Thanks for understanding!!