The Crave Bar Karachi

Review of The Crave Bar Dessert- A dessert shop in DHA, Karachi

On the left, stecco in lotus flavour. On the right, Pizookie

Have you ever had a craving for ice-cream that needed to be satisfied immediately? Asking this because I suffer from such cravings every now and then. I am a fan of cold desserts/ ice-cream and sundaes. As someone who has a sweet tooth, I’ve toured and tried almost every great dessert shop in Karachi.

Just the other day I and hubby set out for The Crave Bar, which is a small dessert shop in DHA, Karachi. They serve amazing gelato, sundae, cake jars and funnel cakes topped with yummy ice-cream.

Our go- to flavours for ice-cream at The Crave Bar Karachi are lotus and chocolate fudge. As a big fan of strawberry cheese cake gelato, I did not find this flavour up to the mark at crave bar. Furthermore, our latest visit to crave bar some what let us down, as the shop was out of a couple of our favourite ice cream flavours. Anyway, we still managed to get our hands over prepackaged ” Steccos” in lotus flavour. These were totally drool-worthy and satisfied our ice-cream craving.

The Crave Bar Karachi Video Review

To read more reviews of The crave bar Dha, Karachi, head over to the TripAdvisor.

Advertisement

Banana Cream Pie

 

 

This was an instant success with my family, when I first made it. I made a ghee(clarified butter) based pie crust for this pie since my mom believes ghee to be healthier than butter. And it is an extremely easy dessert to prepare and consumes little time.

 

Pie Crust Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3  cup+ 1 tbsp  ghee/clarified butter (you can substitute softened butter)

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 tsp salt

Pie crust instructions

Add the ghee/butter to  the flour. Add the cold water and salt. Knead it into a soft smooth dough. Spread it on your pie dish and set it to bake. Take it out when the crust begins to get golden brown.

Pie Filling

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cup milk

3 egg yolks- beaten

2 tbsp ghee/butter

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3+1 bananas sliced

1/3 cup cream(Optional)

Pie Filling Instructions

• Combine sugar, salt,flour and milk in a saucepan and put it on medium heat and stir gently until the mixture gets thick and bubbly.
• Add some of the hot mixture into egg yolks and whisk.
• Add the yolks into the milk mixture and stir . Cook this mixture for another 2 minutes.Remove from heat.
• Stir in butter and vanilla into the mixture.
• Now put three sliced bananas into the base of the pie crust. Top this with the custard mixture. Set to bake for 15 minutes.
• To the pie with cream
• Put the last sliced banana on top of the pie.

 

 

fiesta friday 

Beaded Easter Chocolate Pot

 

 

Ingredients 

A balloon

A packet colorful chocolate beans

200 g sweetened dark chocolate(tempered and cooled to room temperature)

200 g white chocolate(tempered and cooled to room temperature)

A piping bag

1 butter paper

Instructions 

• In a bowl take the tempered dark chocolate, and put the tempered while chocolate into a piping bag.
• Blow up your balloon(The size of the balloon will determine the  size of bowl)
• Spray balloon with vegetable oil.
• Use a spoon to cover 3/4 of the balloon  in a thick layer of dark chocolate.
• Put the butter paper on a tray.Set the balloon on the butter paper. Put in the fridge to cool until the chocolate is set.Scrape off excess chocolate with a blunt knife, taking care not to burst the balloon.
• Using a scissor make a very tiny hole in the balloon so the gas comes out slowly. DO NOT POP the balloon, the pressure may break the bowl.

 

• Using white chocolate, decorate your pot, as you wish.
• Apply colored chocolate beans, making them stick with a dab of white chocolate.

 

Éclairs

Choux Pastry:( for 12 eclairs)

1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

5 tbsp powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache

4 oz dark chocolate(or milk chocolate)

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp confectioners sugar

Instructions Choux Pastry

1. Place the butter and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat & with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined.
3. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball
4. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste

1. Fill your piping bag with the paste. Cut off the tip of your bag. You don’t need a nozzle here.
2. Place butter paper on your oven tray and pipe the eclairs 31/2 inch long and approx 2 inch far from each other
3.  In a preheated oven. 400 F/ 200C place the oven rack.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. (When the top begins to get golden-brown)
5. Cool for a few minutes.
6. Make two holes on each side of each eclair.Use a small nozzle to pipe in the filling from one hole until the filling oozes out of the other one.
7. Dip the eclair into the ganache.

 

Instructions- Filling

Using an electrical mixer mix the vanilla, sugar and cream into  a thick filling. Pour this into a piping bag fitted with a small circular nozzle.

Instructions Ganache

Melt chocolate in a microwave (or on double boiler). Add butter to the warm melted chocolate. Lastly mix in the confectioners sugar using electrical mixer.

Naan Khatai

Naan Khatais have a special place in my heart. Because they are a part of my beloved grandmother’s (Who passed away this year.God grant her peace) childhood in Delhi(India). I used to stare at her in fascination when she used to talk about the monkeys who used to snatch things from unsuspecting victims. For example once my great-grandmother fried(they didn’t have ovens,therefore didn’t bake) a batch of naan khatai and left it in her veranda to cool. Since they were already tired of monkeys snatching stuff, she was keeping a close eye on that batch of naan khatais. However somebody called from inside the house and she turned her back towards the tray to answer the person. And when she turned back. ……….. no tray,no naan khatais. 

 

A pair of monkeys was sitting there munching naan khatais with the tray in their hands. And these monkey-cum-thieves stole about everything they saw. And they were damn smug about that. When people make movies depicting monkeys imitating people, they aren’t using special effects. Monkeys not only imitate humans but they also make fun of them after stealing their stuff. I recently asked a friend in Delhi about these guys.And she says, that the population has decreased due to authorities being on a monkey-chase. However they are still there. I feel thankful that the only monkeys we have are the ones in the zoo or in a circus. I wouldn’t like them steeling my naan khatai or other cookies for that matter.

 

The other memories of naan khatai involve my mum and the aunts. The way they used to sit on the ‘takhat’ (kind of like an extended bed minus the mattress, so it was hard) at my grandma’s house and gossip around their cups of tea, samosas and naan khatais. I would sit there (being a huge sucker for gossip) and would dunk my naan khatai in my mother’s tea. And let it there for longer than neccessary. So the naan khatai would break and settle at the bottom of the cup. And somebody would have to get her another cup of tea. So, baking these always brings about the best memories of my life. These large gatherings occur rarely now, now that grandma isn’t there to hold us all together!

 

Bake Time: 25-30 minutes
Makes: approx 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter or Ghee – (1/2 cup, 4 oz) at room temperature
• Powdered Sugar – 1/2 cup
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
• All Purpose Flour  – 1 cup
• Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – 1/8 tsp
• Sliced pistachios- For garnishing

 

Instructions:

•  In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and softened butter/ghee.Mix well with a spoon.
•  Add Cardamom Powder and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, sift All Purpose Flour with Baking Powder and Salt.
•  Knead Flour mixture with Butter Mixture to form a soft dough.
•  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and leave it for 10 minutes in the fridge.

• Now heat the oven to 300 degree F or 150 degree C.
•  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
•  Roll each portion into a smooth ball with no cracks and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper .(Or sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil spray).Leave ample space between dough balls.
• Garnish each ball with sliced pistachios.

• Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes (keep an eye on them– naan khatai should remain white).
• Remove the naan khatais  from the baking tray and cool on the cooling rack.

Caramel Filled Chocolates

 

Ingredients

 Chocolate Shell

• 200 gm dark chocolate (chips or bar)
• 2 tiny dairy milk bars(or any other milk chocolate)- (optional-only dark chocolate will also do)

Caramel Filling

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup butter(salted)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Step By Step 

Chocolate Shells 

Melt your chocolate in a microwave or a double boiler.

Mix the chocolate to avoid any lumps.

Take a silicone mold and fill it with chocolate. Just enough to cover sides and the bottom(Tap out excess)

Place the mold in the fridge for 5 minutes. The chocolate will harden. 

Fill the mold with caramel sauce. Again refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Lastly Cover the caramel with another layer of chocolate. 

Refrigerate it for 5 minutes.

“Pop” out the chocolates filled with caramel, one by one. Taking care not to break them.

Caramel Filling

Add Sugar to 5 tbsp water and let all the sugar melt on very low heat. Keep stirring on regular intervals to prevent sugar lumps forming.

 Add the butter and the cream. Keep Stirring until the caramel sauce forms. Don’t let this get too thick, since it thickens more after cooling.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/daily-prompt-lets-go-crazy/

Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup powdered white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or substitute by putting 1/2 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling it half up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot coffee  

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting:

(Mix the following ingredients in the stand mixer and let a thick frosting form)

• 4 oz unsalted butter
• 4 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 oz powdered sugar
• 2 oz whipping cream
• 4 oz sweetened dark chocolate(melted)

How To Go About It

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Flour and grease your baking tin.
• In the stand mixer add all the ingredients(except coffee) and mix until a smooth batter forms.
• Stir in the hot coffee with a spatula.
• Pour the batter in the tin and set to bake.
• Bake until the knife comes out clean with just a few crumbs.
• Let the cake cool in a fridge for half an hour.
• Smother the cake in fluffy chocolate frosting.

Tres Leches Mexican Flan

Tres Leches means “Three milks”. We make this flan from three milks, namely condensed milk, evaporated milk and regular milk. This flan is super perfect in every way from taste to texture. It’s better than the  Spanish flan and the other kind of flans I’ve made in our kitchen. From now on it’s going to be my top  go-to dessert recipe.

Ingredients 

• 5 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• The zest of 1/2 orange
• A pinch of salt
• 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz / 354 ml)
• 1 can condensed milk (14 oz / 397 grams)
• 500 ml (a little more than 2 cups) of regular milk
• Caramel Ingredients: 1 cup of granulated white sugar
• Boiling water for baking the flan

Directions

Put all the ingredients for flan in a blender and blend 

Remove the foam from the top of the blended flan ingredients

After this put sugar in a non stick pan to make caramel.

Initially the sugar will harden.Do not worry,eventually it will all melt

Caramel is now readyImmediately pour caramel into a bowl.

Otherwise it will continue to cook and will burn.

• First Pour caramel into the baking pan(Put in hot caramel otherwise it will harden as soon as it begins to cool)
• On top of this pour the flan
• Put this baking pan in a larger baking pan
• Put this in the preheated oven.
• AFTER putting the baking pan in oven, pour the boiling water in the larger pan till it goes half way up the smaller pan.
• Bake the flan for an hour or so. The flan will still be jiggly(Slide in a knife to see if it comes out clean)
• Refrigerate for 2 hours,before un-molding.

recipe adapted from cookingwithalia.com

Basbousa: Middle Eastern Mini Cakes

           I have previously raved about how much I love middle eastern recipes. The best part about these recipes is that they don’t use many synthetic products, sauces, array of weird food colors that we’re all fond of  using in our day to day life. I first had this little arabic cake, Basbousa on my very first  flight back from Saudia Arabia many years ago. Once I knew about it, I kept seeing it time and again, and not just in Saudi Arabia but other places as well. Needless to say that I love this, since I love all things sweet and moist. I also love savory. So, I guess I love everything that goes into the mouth. Except the things toddlers tend to pick up from the floor and eat( My youngest sister is famous for having put a baby cockroach in her mouth as a toddler,she probably would have chewed it  if my mom hadn’t seen this and forced her to spit the creature out . Personally, I think this just shows her food preferences.Once a cockroach,always a cockroach)

What You Need For The Cake

1 1/2 cup semolina flour

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup plain or Greek yogurt

1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

Almonds

For Syrup

On Medium heat add 1/2 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar, let it simmer until sugar dissolves.

Add 1 tbsp rosewater and 1 tsp lemon juice to the sugar syrup

How to go about it

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Flour and grease the baking pan.

Sift flour,baking powder and baking soda and sugar in one bowl

Whisk egg, butter,vanilla and yogurt in another

Beat all the ingredients together and fold in shredded coconut

Add the mixture to a baking pan

Sprinkle almonds on top

Set to bake.

Right after baking,add hot syrup over this.Let the cake absorb this.

After cooling cut the cake diagonally from left to right for diamond shaped mini cakes

Strawberry Cheese Cake

      One can either make a cheese cake or break it. Mind you, I’m not using ‘break it’ metaphorically here. I mean actually break. As in break it to bits and pieces.Not intentionally of coarse. You never do such things intentionally. Now when I first made a cheese cake (Plain New York cheese cake). It was quite easy to make,and looked very pretty resting in the cake mold and I just couldn’t understand exactly why we had to leave it in the fridge overnight or for six hours. So I just waited for half an hour, being an impatient cheese-cake love sick person I am. And….er, tapped the cake mold on the back to get the cake out. And whooosh…..here came out the cake. Which wasn’t beautiful. Actually you couldn’t identify it as a cheese cake. It had fallen out in pieces. Big white cheesy chunks. It was delicious but ugly. Anyway, I learnt a lesson that has made future baking en devours successful. Never(never ever) be impatient with a recipe. If you can’t follow it to the T, don’t follow it at all. Because the results just make you sad. 

Ingredients for a mini Cheese Cake

• 1/2 cup finely ground graham crackers/cookies/ginger snaps
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 pot strawberry jam
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• Boiling water(for roasting pan)

How To Go About It

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a  springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.
2. Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tbsp sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 315 degrees.
3. Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add egg, mixing until incorporated. Pour cream cheese filling over crust.
4. Add strawberry jam by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl jam into filling.
5. Set cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, around 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Transfer cake pan to rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or more. Unmold by running a sharp knife around the edges of the mold.

Topping

• Apply a layer of cool whip on the cheese cake
• Make Strawberry Jam Swirls on top.

 

tasty tip:Unmolding a Heart-shaped cheese cake took a little more concentration than a round cheese cake. Round cheese cakes are the easiest kind. So if you’re not good at unmolding, I recommend a circular mold.