Devnaa

Devnaa Sugar and Spice: Volume 1

2012-01-18T04:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year all! I know it's a bit late but the Devnaa team started 2012 busily planning lots of new and exciting products that we'll be developing and introducing to you throughout the course of the year - we're so excited!

First up we have our new year's gift to to you all - Sugar and Spice Volume 1 - a collection of 6 Indian inspired dessert recipes that we have created and put together in this free booklet for everyone to enjoy. From recipes like Chocolate and Rose Cake with Cardamom Cream to Chocolate and Cardamom Mousse Pots these 6 unique desserts are easy to prepare and provide great new ideas for sweet recipes.

We had so much fun putting this booklet together that not only will we be releasing volume 2 very soon, we'll also be releasing the official Devnaa Recipe Book later this year so watch this space!

Here's a link to our first recipe booklet, if you try the recipes let us know how it goes! We'd love to hear from you.

http://issuu.com/devnaa/docs/devnaa_sugarandspice_volume1?mode=window&backgroundColor#222222

Christmas 2011 - Limited Edition Honey Cardamom Fudge

2011-11-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone - we've been a bit quiet on the blog the last few weeks as we've been busy carefully creating a brand new product especially for Christmas - presenting Devnaa's Honey & Cardamom Fudge!

A beautifully creamy white chocolate fudge enriched with distinct notes of honey and the heady aroma of freshly ground cardamom, enrobed in silky smooth dark chocolate.

Cardamom, sometimes referred to as the Queen of Spices, is one of the most favoured spices used throughout Indian cuisine - in savoury dishes as well as sweet ones. Honey is also considered to be a luxury ingredient and in Hindu culture is said to be one of the five 'elixirs of immortality' (panchamrita') alongside ghee, milk, sugar and yoghurt.

This year we have exclusively produced 100 boxes of this regal fudge especially for the Christmas season. Each 16 piece box comes with a unique tag stating it's ID number so you know just how authentic it really is! Presented in a special purple edition of our award nominated 'tiffin' style packaging this fudge makes a unique Christmas gift that has it all.

We hope those of you that get a chance to taste our honey and cardamom fudge enjoy it as much as we have loved every second of creating it - from carefully developing the exciting flavour to lovingly wrapping it up in our tiffin boxes to present to you! :) xx

Recipe: Fragrant & Chocolatey Mousse Desserts!

2011-11-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I'd like to start today by wishing everybody a very happy Diwali & Eid - you guys kept us rushed off our feet during the festive period and we were really honoured by how many of you chose to include Devnaa as part of your gifts and celebrations - we hope that our sweets and chocolates added the perfect sweet touch to your festivities!

On with today's blog - having consumed endless amounts of delicious sweets and desserts over the last few weeks I have been inspired! The latest invention in our kitchen is this gorgeous chocolate, pistachio, cardamom and rose flavoured mousse cake which makes a stunning dessert, perfect for impressive dinner parties and is relatively really easy to make! For this recipe we're using a chocolate sponge which can be easily made or purchased with or without eggs but for a variation packed with more pistachio flavour, try making a pistachio sponge or joconde and using that instead.

Ingredients:
100g Shelled Pistachio Nuts
1 x 9" Square Chocolate Sponge Cake
600ml Double Cream
150g Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom
60ml Rose Water

You will need 6 x 2.5" Mousse Rings or Dariole Moulds

Method:

Place the pistachio nuts in a frying pan and dry roast over a medium heat, tossing occasionally until green and fragrant (about 5 minutes)
Leave aside until cool and then grind into a fine powder
Carefully slice the chocolate sponge cake into 4 thin layers
Cut 2 of the layers into 18 circles the same size as your moulds
Cut the remaining 2 layers into 3" x 8" strips
Press 6 of the sponge discs into the bottoms of the moulds and line the sides of each mould with the strips of sponge, trim to fit perfectly
Sprinkle about half of the rose water over the sponge in the moulds
Whisk the sugar and cream together until just past the soft peak consistency
fold in the pistachio powder and cardamom
Set aside 6 heaped tablespoons of the cream mixture
Divide half of the remaining mixture between the sponge lined moulds and tap to level
Place another disc of sponge on top of the cream in the mould and drizzle with half of the remaining rose water
Divide the rest of the cream between the moulds, level and top with the last discs of sponge and drizzle with the rose water
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
To demould - run a palette knife around each cake and carefully remove from the mould
Use dessert spoons to make 6 'quenelles' of the reserved cream and place on top of each dessert (or just decoratively arrange the cream on top!)
Garnish with rose petals and pistachio nuts and serve chilled.
Pictures to follow soon - the layers look amazing when cut into! :)

Now Available at Heathrow T4!!!!!!

2011-10-05T02:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been a couple of weeks since our last entry and we're back with some fantastic news!!!! Devnaa Signature Chocolate Tiffins, Chocolate Bars and Drinking Chocolate are now available at the Simply Chocolate shop in Heathrow Terminal 4 Duty Free, just in time for those of you who are travelling abroad for the festive season - Diwali in 3 weeks, eeek!!!
Not only will the chocolates be available to purchase but during the month of October there will be a tasting booth at the front of the shop allowing you to sample some of the goodies and if you're travelling via first or business class you'll also be treated to some samples in the lounges!

If you are passing through that way please stop by and take a look and don't forget to tell a friend to tell a friend to do the same! Lol! In all seriousness - thank you all for your support, hopefully we can continue to grow Devnaa together and make it much more widely available! :) xx

Rainbow Cupcakes!!! A Bright End To Cupcake Week :)

2011-09-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we cheated a little but what's cheating if it means you get extra cake? LOL! I'm going to excuse myself with the fact that it's Friday, it's fun and it's the last day of cupcake week! After all the hard baking work the Devnaa team have been doing I thought they deserved a treat (plus my inner child has been dying to make these for aaaaaages!), so Rainbow Cupcakes it is!

They are in fact just a batch of basic vanilla cupcakes, divided by 7 (I have been singing the 'Rainbow Song' to myself all day!), each bowl of batter was coloured and then a spoonful of each colour per cupcake case - simples! The flavour is not so much Indian but again - excuse at the ready(!) - the vibrant colours are so representative of Indian culture it just naturally fit!

Use whatever vanilla cake recipe you like with whichever colours please you, these are by far the happiest cupcakes I have ever baked, putting a smile on everyone's faces! :)

Cupcake Week Day 5 - Chocolate, Coconut & Cardamom Cupcakes

2011-09-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello All! For the last blog of cupcake week the Devnaa team thought that we'd quite like to base a cupcake on one of our signature chocolates - chai masala has been done before (by us and many others!), pisatchio and saffron.... Well, we did the pistachio thing on day 1 and so - Coconut & Cardamom it was! Yes we've used coconut icing on our gingerbread cupcakes (day 2) but this is a full on, chocolate cupcake with coconut filling (baked inside, not poured in after!) and coconut and cardamom icing, topped of course with a Devnaa Coconut & Cardamom Signature Caramel. We hope you like it as much as we do :)

Chocolate, Coconut & Cardamom Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients for Filling:
100g Cream Cheese
25g Fine Desiccated Coconut
25g Caster Sugar

Method

Simply beat the cream cheese until smooth, beat in the desiccated coconut and sugar until well mixed and leave aside until needed

Ingredients for Chocolate Sponge:
200g Butter
200g Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
150g Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Poder
100ml Soured Cream

Method:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and linbe a cupcake tin with cases
Cream the butter and sugar until white and fluffy
Beat in the vanilla extract
Scrape down the sides of your bowl and beat in the eggs one by one until you have a smooth mixture
Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and then slowly beat into the creamed mixture a little at atime, adding the soured cream as and when you need it until you have used all the dry ingredients and the batter is of a smooth and creamy dropping consistency
Divide half of the batter between all 12 cupcake cases
Now, using a teaspoon, divide the coconut filling between all 12 cupcakes, carefully placing it in the center of each cake
Top the filling in each cake with the remaining chocolate batter and then bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for Coconut & Cardamom Buttercream:
200g Butter
350g Icing Sugar
4 tblsp Coconut Powder
1/2 tsp Coconut Extract (if you have it otherwise add more coconut powder until the taste is right for you)
1/4 tsp Powdered Cardamom (grind it up as fine as you can - nobody wants to bite on a stony chunk, it can be really bitter!)

Method:

Beat the butter until soft and creamy and then beat in the cardamom and extract (if using)
Sift together the icing sugar and coconut powder and gradually beat into the butter, ensuring your icing remains smooth and creamy
Add a little more coconut powder if required and then swirl onto each cupcake
Top with a Devnaa Coconut and Cardamom truffle if you wish!
Enjoy :)

Cupcake Week Day 4 - Mint Chocolate Mango Cupcakes

2011-09-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we know we're starting to deviate a lot now from the Indian inspiration but after 3 days without it, we were craving chocolate sponge!!! Plus we had a little mango left over from yesterday and we thought why not be different and go with mint? Although it is quite surprisingly not used much in Indian cuisine, mint is used in India as more of a medicinal herb and is often brewed alongside black tea to produce a stomach relaxing brew.

Mint and mango are sometimes paired to make a savoury dressing or condiment but today, we at Devnaa quite liked the sound of this mint chocolate mango cupcake and it has turned out to be our favourite so far this week! Chocolate and mint are of course a classic combination and the mango comes through right at the end providing a delicate tang that fits in perfectly.

Mint Chocolate Mango Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients for Chocolate Sponge:
200g Butter
200g Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
150g Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
100ml Soured Cream

Method:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and line a cupcake tin with cases
Cream the butter and sugar together until white and fluffy
Beat in the vanilla extract followed by the eggs, one at a time
Scrape down the sides of your bowl and beat well until smooth
Sift together the flour and cocoa powder then slowly beat into the creamed mixture, adding the soured cream as needed until you have used up all of the dry ingredients and have reached a smooth creamy, dropping consistency batter
Divide batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Cool completely on a wire rack

Ingredients for Mango Filling:
2 tblsp Dulce de Leche (only if you have it)
2 tblsp Mango Puree
2 tblsp Cream Cheese (4 tblsp if not using Dulce de Leche)
1 tblsp Sugar (only if not using Dulce de Leche)

Method:

Mix together the dulce de leche (if using) and mango pulp until smooth
Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then beat in the mango mixture
Sweeten with sugar if using and keep refrigerated for about 30 minutes

Ingredients for Mint Buttercream:
200g Butter
350g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Peppermint Extract
Green Food Colouring (optional)

Method:

Beat the cream until smooth and then beat in the peppermint extract
Sift the icing sugar and gradually into the butter, a little at a time, making sugar it is completely incorporated and you have a smooth icing
Mix in a little green food colouring if you like, just enough to get a light green peppermint shade.

Assembly:

create a hole in the top of each cupcake using your finger to push the surface about half way down the cake
Fill each hole with the mango filling until oozing generously over the top
Allow to set in a cool place for 10 minutes
Pipe or spoon your mint buttercream on top and sprinkle with a little grated or finely chopped dark chocolate
Enjoy! :)

Cupcake Week Day 3: Mango & Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

2011-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

For today's tribute to cupcake week the Devnaa team decided that we really wanted to create a recipe using mangoes. Widely referred to as the national fruit of India, mangoes are cultivated there in masses - however our favourite variety - the Kesar Mango - is only available ripe for a very short period of time between May and July every year. Kesar mangoes have an incredibly intense, rich mango flavour and are so lovely and sweet. The colour is a vibrant orange, hence the name 'Kesar' referring to saffron. You can however buy tinned Kesar Mango Pulp throughout the year from most Indian grocery stores.

The cupcakes we created today were our first attempt at using mango in anything baked and as we read from a lot of bloggers who have tried this before, mango pulp just doesn't provide a strong hit of flavour when baked or even folded into icing. This can be remedied by using mango extract which is available on the internet and in some health food stores but this tends to be the flavour of West Indian mangoes and so we opted out, thinking lets see how we go. The result was a lovely soft cupcake, a beautiful bright yellow in colour with a light fragrance of mango. The addition of the dulce de leche lends a nice caramelly flavour which helps to lift the mango slightly.

Mango & Dulce de Leche Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients for Dulce de Leche:
400g tin Sweetened Condensed Milk
Pinch of Salt

Method:

Start this recipe with the dulce de leche as it takes a while and then even longer to cool - pre heat your oven to gas mark 7/220C/425F and set your kettle to boil
Pour the condensed milk into a 25cm (approximately) baking dish and sprinkle on the salt
Set this baking dish into a larger one and fill the larger dish with hot water until it reaches half way up the sides of the smaller dish
Cover with foil and carefully place in the oven
Allow to bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking every 30 minutes or so and replenishing the water if necessary
When ready the condensed milk should look nice and golden and caramelly
Remove from the oven and carefully take the smaller dish out of the larger one
Allow to come to room temperature giving it a good stir every now and again to help it along and stop a skin from forming on top
Once you have finished with the dulce de leche in this recipe you can store it in the fridge, just warm it slightly whenever you want to use it

Ingredients for Mango Sponge:
120g Butter
150g Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
185g Self Raising Flour
150ml Mango Pulp

Method:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and line cupcake tin with cases
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and then beat in the vanilla extract (and mango extract if using)
Scrape down the sides of your bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time
Slowly beat in a third of the flour followed by half of the mango pulp, followed by another third of the flour and then the rest of the mango pulp ending with the last of the flour
Beat well to create a thick, smooth batter
Divide between the cupcake cases and bake for around 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Cool on a wire rack

Ingredients for Mango Whipped Cream
200ml Whipping Cream
50g Caster Sugar
100ml Mango Pulp

Method:

Whip the cream until it is thick and holding it's shape well
Fold in the sugar and mango pulp carefully - the mango pulp will make the cream slightly loose again
Refrigerate until required

Assembly:

Poke a hole into each cupcake, going about two thirds down but not too wide
Fill a piping bag with dulce de leche and pipe into each hole until it oozes out
Top each cupcake with a swirl of the mango whipped cream
Drizzle with more dulce de leche and even some mango pulp if you like (we sprinkled some edible gold glitter on ours)
Best served immediately otherwise keep refrigerated until dessert!

Gingerbread and Coconut Cupcakes for Cupcake Week 2011 (Egg Free Recipe)

2011-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ginger and coconut may be more widely regarded as West Indian flavours but they are just as prominent in India proper, especially in the South of the country where coconuts grow in abundance and are used in almost every local dish with ginger playing a strong complimentary flavour. Tea brewed from coconut water and whole ginger is one of the most invigorating, refreshing drinks one can have and is a specialty in South Indian states like Kerala, which is coincidentally on India's West coast!

Today in the Devnaa kitchen we thought we'd try and pair these two great flavours together in a cupcake for everybody to enjoy during cupcake week. The light, ginger sponge is delicately spiced and the addition of yoghurt means that this recipe requires no eggs, perfect for any vegetarians out there! The coconut icing is creamy and lightly flavoured - in fact although it tastes great on it's own, paired with the ginger sponge you do lose the coconut a bit so feel free to add a little more if you wish or do as we've done and add some coconut to decorate.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing
(makes 12 small cupcakes, for big ones just double the recipe)

Ingredients for the sponge:
55g Butter
100g Golden Syrup
130ml Plain Yoghurt
200g Plain Flour
1/4 tsp (heaped) Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Ground Ginger
3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
A pinch of Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tblsp Finely Chopped Stem Ginger (from syrup)

Method:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and line a cupcake tin with cases
Place the butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan over a medium heat
Stir constantly until it comes to the boil and then transfer the mixture straight to a mixing bowl and leave aside to cool for 5 minutes
In the meantime, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a separate bowl and mix together to combine
Stir the yoghurt into the butter mixture
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until you have a smooth batter
Fold in the stem ginger
Divide the batter equally between the 12 cupcake cases and bake in the centre of your oven for 15 - 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (leave for 25 - 30 minutes if making double quantity)
Cool on a wire rack before icing.

Ingredients for icing:
60g Butter
115g Cream Cheese
130g Icing Sugar
4 tblsp Powdered Coconut

Method:

Beat the butter until creamy
Add the cream cheese and beat well until combined and smooth
Sift together the icing sugar and coconut powder and gradually beat into the butter mixture until all of the ingredients have combined and you have a smooth, creamy, coconutty icing
Swirl or spoon atop your cupcakes.

You can then decorate your cupcakes with more coconut - fresh or dried if desired, here we've used dried coconut and some heart shaped gingerbread cookies. Enjoy! :)

Pistachio, Almond & Rose Cupcakes for Cupcake Week

2011-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

It's been a while I know but national cupcake week has inspired me to kick start my blogging once again and hopefully, fingers crossed I am going to stick with it this time!

To start me off - I'm going to create a fabulous new cupcake for each day this week to help celebrate cupcake week. In true Devnaa fashion the aim is to create a selection of Indian inspired flavours that look as good as they taste and then share the recipe and some pictures here with you at the end of the day.

Today's recipe is a new take on our classic Pistachio & Rose cupcake. We've pumped up the flavour by adding an almond cream filling for an extra dimension of scrumptiousness! The Devnaa crew seem to like it - I left one aside and came back 5 minutes later to find it had vanished! Give it a go and let us know what you think. Happy Baking :)

Pistachio, Almond & Rose Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients for the sponge base:
100g Shelled Pistachio Nuts
200g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
200g Self Raising Flour
125ml Milk

Method:

Start by pre heating your oven to gas mark 4/350F/180C and line your cupcake tin
Place the pistachio nuts in a frying pan and dry roast over a medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave the nuts aside to cool
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fuffy
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition and scraping the edges of your bowl as required
Add half of the sifted flour and gently fold it in until fully incorporated
Add one third of the milk and fold this in too
Add the remaining flour and fold in completely
Add the remaining milk as required, a little at a time until your batter becomes smooth and is of dropping consistency
Quickly grind up the pistachio nuts and fold them into the mixture
Divide the cupcake batter equally between the cupcake cases
Bake in the centre of your oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden, springy and the skewer test comes out clean
Cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for almond cream:
100ml Whipping Cream
2 tblsp Caster Sugar
2 tblsp Almond Powder (lightly roast some almonds and grind down into a powder)
1/4 tsp Almond Extract

Method:

Whip the cream together with the sugar until it reaches a soft peak consistency
Fold in the almond powder and extract

Ingredients for rose buttercream:
175g Butter
300g Icing sugar (sifted)
1 tblsp Rose Extract (the better the quality, the better the flavour!)
Food colouring if desired

Method:

Beat the butter until soft and creamy
beat in the rose extract
Slowly beat in the icing sugar making sure it combines well

Assembly:

Using your thumb, poke a hole into the top of each cupcake, pressing until about hal way down (if you prefer you can cut a small disc out instead of pushing it down but this way is easier and less wasteful)
Place the almond cream into a piping bag and fill the craters in the cupcakes until just oozing over the top
Fill a piping bag with the rose buttercream and swirl on top as you wish (if you don't have a piping bag you can use spoons just as well to fill and swirl!)
Voila!

(Excuse the poor quality of the images, Jay and his SLR aren't here!!! Lol!)

Chai Masala Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

2011-05-03T03:03:00.000-07:00

The perfect way to welcome summer, our uber cool chai masala chocolate cheesecake...

Ingredients

Base:

200g Ginger Biscuits

100g Butter

Filling:

600g Full Fat Cream Cheese

150ml Soured Cream

175g Icing Sugar

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

100ml Double cream

75g Devnaa Chai Masala Drinking Chocolate

Method:

· Start by greasing and lining a 20cm (8”) spring form cake tin

· Finely crush the ginger biscuits and then gently melt the butter and stir it into the crushed biscuits

· Using the back of a spoon press the biscuit mixture into the base of the cake tin – try and keep it as level as you can

· Place in the refrigerator to firm up whilst you prepare the filling

· For the filling place the cream cheese and soured cream into a large mixing bowl

· Beat together until smooth and well combined

· Sift the icing sugar into the cream cheese mixture, add the vanilla extract and mix to combine

· In a separate bowl whisk the double cream until thick and billowy

· Add the Devnaa Chai Masala Drinking Chocolate to the cream and continue to whip for a few more seconds until soft peaks form

· Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined

· Pour the filling over the base and level the surface using a palette knife or the back of a spoon

· Leave to set in the refrigerator overnight

· To serve, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to separate it from the cake tin

· Unclip the spring form tin and ease the cake out gently

· Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut the slices and serve sprinkled with grated chocolate or drizzled with melted chocolate.

Secret Sale!

2011-03-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

With a very special event coming up shortly in the UK I just thought I'd drop everyone a quick whisper about a sale we're planning. Your favourite Devnaa sweets and chocolates in lovely gift boxes, at special prices, especially for the leading lady in your life (you know who she is!) Sssshhhhh....!!!! :)

Pancake Recipe 2: Chocolate Ganache Filled Pancake Cake (Egg Free!)

2011-03-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

Here's the second offering from Devnaa's Pancake Day Kitchen - a chocoholics delight filled with yummy chocolate ganache and cheeky hint of Nutella :) once again, feel free to substitute the batter with a regular 'egg full' one if you prefer and we have used a small 15cm frying pan so if you want to make a bigger pancake cake just double the recipe. Enjoy :)

Chocolate Ganache Filled Pancake Cake:
For the pancakes:
200g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
25g Butter (melted)
400ml Milk

For the chocolate ganache:
200g Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces
50g Butter (at room temperature)
100ml Double Cream
3 tblsp Nutella

Start by making the ganache

Place the broken chocolate in a large bowl

Place the bowl over a saucepan over simmering water and allow the chocolate to gently melt, stir occasionally (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't come into contact with the water)

Once the chocolate has melted remove the bowl from the heat and carefully dry the bottom to remove any vapour

Gently stir the butter into the chocolate, a little at a time making sure each bit is fully incorporated before adding the next

Once all the butter is in pour in the cream and stir to combine

Fold in the Nutella

Leave aside to cool and thicken while you make the pancakes

Lightly brush your frying pan with oil and allow to heat up over a medium high setting

Once your pan is hot (and not a second before!) pour in some of your batter and swirl to thinly coat the pan - I found that using a 5cm ice cream scoop provided the perfect measure for this but if you don't have one - all in all you should get about 12 pancakes out of this batter (egg free pancakes will generally be slightly thicker than regular ones)

Once the edges of the pancake start to shrink inwards and the base is lightly golden you can flip it over, yay!!

Cook until golden (the egg free pancakes will need to be a little more on the browner side to make sure they are cooked through)

Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat the entire process (including brushing your pan with a little oil) until you have used up all your batter

By now the ganache should be cool enough to spread (if for any reason its not put your oven on a low setting, cover pancakes with foil and place on the bottom shelf to keep warm while your ganache cools)

Place 2 pancakes on a plate, apply a generously thick layer of ganache (at this stage you can sprinkle on some ground nuts if you like) and repeat until you have used up your pancakes or the cake is as tall as you want it

Leave the top layer plain and cut into slices using a sharp knife

Serve warm (microwave for a few seconds if the cake has cooled too much during the assembly procedure) accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and scattered with nuts (or in our case - pieces of honeycomb!) if you have them handy

These pancake cakes are so different and so versatile - you can stack with jam and top with cream and fruit or for a celebration - top with fresh sweetened whipped cream, lots of fruit and/or chocolate, add some candles and if it's really special, pipe on a message and make someone's day!

Pancake Recipe 1: Baklava Inspired Pancake Cake (Egg Free!)

2011-03-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Pancake Day Everybody!!!! This is one of our favourite days in the Devnaa kitchen as I don't think we ever otherwise make pancakes and yet today we eat them endlessly!

As ever, we've jazzed up our pancakes by taking inspiration from some of our other favourite sweets and desserts and today is a double blog treat as I post our two best pancake recipes for Shrove Tuesday 2011. As an extra bonus both the recipes are created using an egg free batter (although you can easily substitute this with a regular batter if you prefer). To start with, here's the recipe for our Baklava inspired Pancake Layer Cake:
(FYI we used a small, 15cm frying pan to make the pancakes as the slices can become quite rich and filling - especially if you're making lots of different types! Feel free to double the batter mix to make larger pancakes x)

Baklava Pancake Layer Cake:
For the pancakes:
200g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
25g Butter (melted)
400ml Milk

For the Honey Syrup:
80ml Water
85g Honey
50g Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Rose Water
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
A few strands of saffron

25g Shelled Pistachio Nuts

Start by pre heating your oven to gas mark 4 (350F/180C)

Now place the pistachio nuts in a frying pan and dry roast over a medium heat until aromatic, you will notice that they also become much more vividly green (you can do this in the oven but as it's just a few and you're using the pan anyway it only takes a minute or two this way)

Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool and rinse out the pan. Dry thoroughly and place ready for action on the cooker!

Prepare your pancake batter by sifting the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl

Pour in the butter followed by the (cold) milk and whisk until completely smooth

Lightly brush your pan with oil and set over a medium high heat

Once your pan is hot (and not a second before!) pour in some of your batter and swirl to thinly coat the pan - I found that using a 5cm ice cream scoop provided the perfect measure for this but if you don't have one - all in all you should get about 12 pancakes out of this batter (egg free pancakes will generally be slightly thicker than regular ones)

Once the edges of the pancake start to shrink inwards and the base is lightly golden you can flip the pancake over, yay!!

Cook until golden (the egg free ones will need to be a little more on the browner side to make sure they are cooked through)

Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat the entire process (including brushing the pan with a little oil) until you have used up all your batter

Cover your stack of pancakes with foil to keep them warm while you prepare the syrup

Place the sugar, water, honey, rose water and saffron strands in a small saucepan over a high heat

Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then allow to come to the boil

Once boiling, leave to simmer for about 6-8 minutes, stirring ocassionally, until slightly thickened

Turn off the heat, stir in the cardamom and allow the syrup to cool a little

In the meantime grind the pistachio nuts

When the syrup is cool enough to handle you can start assembling the baklava

Unwrap your pancakes from the foil and place the stack on a plate

Line your baking sheet with the foil and place a pancake in the middle

Drizzle some syrup over and place a second pancake on top

Generously scatter with ground pistachio nuts and lots more syrup

Repeat the process - pancake/syrup/pancake/pistachio & syrup until you have used all your pancakes (or until your pancake cake is as tall as you like)

Leave the top pancake plain without any syrup or pistachios

Wrap in the foil and bake in your pre heated oven for 25 minutes

Allow to cool slightly on a rack

Slice using a sharp knife and serve warm alongside a scoop of your favourite ice cream, drizzle with any remaining syrup and scatter on any extra pistachio nuts.

:) xx

Devnaa In Dubai!!!

2011-02-28T03:27:00.000-08:00

Phew! Last week was manic here at Devnaa whilst we helped Jay prepare to exhibit at one of the world's largest food and drink shows that takes place annually - all the way out in Dubai!!!

Gulfood is possibly even the world's largest hospitality event attracting around 60,000 visitors over 4 days to see 3,200 exhibitors and in all of that, this year Devnaa is the only UK based confectioner taking part! Jay is the only member of our team that was able to go out there and host our stand so Jay - if you're reading this - all of us back at home are wishing you lots of luck and super leg strength to get you through the next few days!!

Here's hoping the exhibition goes really well so we can get Devnaa products out to even more of you and make it even easier for you to get them! :) x

I Lychee!

2011-02-18T06:07:00.000-08:00

This week in the Devnaa kitchen we've gone completely crazy over Lychees! Having picked up a large crateful of the delicately perfumed sweet fruit on a trip down to our grocer's we've since been trying to put them in absolutely everything! From a lychee cake with coconut and rosewater buttercream to a strawberry and lychee panna cotta, lychee and pistachio kheer, a subtle key lime pie with lychee and coconut whipped cream, and lychee and ginger sorbet - you name it we've tried it!!!!

More oriental than Indian , the lychee was originally cultivated in Southern parts of China. From there it travelled to Burma in the 17th century and is said to have arrived in India in the 18th century. Now India is one of the largest producers of lychees even though they are cultivated around the world in places like South Africa, Florida and Hawaii.

Our top tip for serving lychees is to keep them refrigerated or better yet, frozen! Lychees taste amazing when they're icy cold, especially when blitzed up into iced tea or cocktails - on the menu for this afternoon - lychee and ginger fizz and a green tea infusion with lychee and mint. Can't wait!

We'll post some pictures (and recipes!) soon, in the meantime stock up on some of this fantastic fruit! It does come in cans but the fresh fruit is always better if you are able to get hold of it.

:) xx

Happy Valentine's Day 2011!!!

2011-02-14T06:08:00.001-08:00

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day from The Devnaa team. Whether you're going to enjoy a meal with your loved one or share a sumptuous box of chocolates, enjoy some sparkling wine and beautiful flowers or just keep it simple with hugs and sweet thoughts we here at Devnaa hope you have a wonderful day. Lots of Love xxx :)

Spice Up Your Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen - Introducing the Devnaa Valentine's collection 2011!!!! Those of you who haven't had the chance to check out our website recently won't have seen our adorable Valentine's boxes especially created for the big day. Sweet heart shaped boxes filled with some of our favourite spicy caramels from our signature chocolate collection, I think I'm in love! Order by Friday afternoon and we'll make sure your sweetheart receives their box in time for the big day. Love and kisses, the Devnaa team! :) xxx

Wedding Favour Biscuits

2011-02-05T08:42:00.001-08:00

New for our 2011 Wedding Collection Devnaa have introduced our unique 'wedding favour biscuits'.

Buttery shortbread spiced with vanilla and cardamom, topped with icing and piped with intricate mehndi patterns and/or the initials of the bride and groom.

My personal favourite is the paisley shaped biscuit filled with tiny little mehndi detail but for a more romantic feel, the heart shaped ones with initials piped in the middle are so cute! Available in a variety of colours and designs these fabulous biscuits really will add that special final touch to your wedding. Contact us for more information.

Devnaa on Facebook

2011-01-31T05:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everybody!!!! It might be chilly cold here in London town but at least the sun is out to brighten up our spirits at the start of the week!

For today's blog I'm gonna take a minute to remind you all about the Devnaa Facebook page. Constantly updated with lots of pictures, sweet inspirational thoughts, lots of status updates and best of all - limited Devnaa discount offers especially for our Facebook family!!!! There are lots more images of all of our products as well as all the bespoke boxes and desserts created by us for special events and it's a great way to interact with us for answers to quick questions or to give us general feedback.

If you haven't already done so check us out at www.facebook.com/indiansweets and don't forget we're on Twitter too - www.twitter.com/devnaa

Have a great week :) xx

Happy (belated!) New Year from Devnaa!!!!

2011-01-28T04:30:00.001-08:00

I am embarrassed to admit that it's the 28th of January 2011 and I am only just getting around to my first post of the year! My sincerest apologies for my tardiness but rest assured that in our absence the Devnaa team have been busy away from the blog coming up with lots of exciting new treats for the new year.

Since our last post we had a crazy busy Diwali season (Happy Diwali too!) and before I say anything else I'd like to thank you all for making 2010 such a success for Devnaa. The response from all of you as customers and as friends on our social networking pages has been amazing and we hope that we can keep up the fantastic relationship we have with you for the new year and many more to come. Please keep sending in your ideas and requests for you'd like to see us do and we shall continue to do our best to meet and exceed all of your expectations.

As I was saying, last year ended on a particular high with an extremely busy festive season - you guys kept us on our toes over Diwali, Eid, Christmas and New Year and we did our best to overcome the excessive weather conditions and get your orders to you in time for the holidays. We hope you enjoyed all your celebrations and are having a fantastic start to 2011.

So far for the New Year we have just launched our new Weddings and Events brochure - just a little something we put together to showcase all the tasty delights we can create to help put the finishing touches to your perfect occasion.

You can see the brochure here: http://www.devnaa.com/Weddings%25252FEvents.htm?ESCID=53nps7og8lmntn8grtd75aqds5

Don't forget that for further information and to create perfectly matched gifts and favours for your events just call or email us and we'll do our best to put together something special just for you :)

I'm going to end today's blog with my new year's resolution - I pledge to update the Devnaa blog at least twice a week for the duration of 2011!!!! Whether it's updates on what we're getting up to in the kitchen, recipes for you to try out or even something completely tangent that I think you might find interesting, I'll make sure it gets here!

Once again, Happy New Year from all of us at Devnaa :) xxx

Devnaa's Guest Blog!

2010-10-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

With Diwali fast approaching Devnaa have been invited to guest blog on website www.gnaana.com. Founded by Aruna K Hathi, Gnaana is a fantastic website inspired by the idea of teaching young children about their culture. Being Indian and having grown up in London I can personally vouch for how hard it was for me to stay informed about my culture and roots, to this day I wish I had taken more time to learn how to read, write and even fluently speak more South Asian languages other than the limited bits of Gujrati I know!

Luckily I grew up amongst a largely extended family and was therefore surrounded by lots of heritage and culture enabling me to stay reasonably well educated about my roots and giving me the inspiration to always want to learn and experience more.

Today it is not as easy for children to stay in tune with their backgrounds and harder for parents to spark the interest. With families scattered across the globe and parents working harder than ever how can children easily be taught about South Asian traditions, culture and spirituality?

Gnaana.com has come up with amazing solutions to incorporate parts of South Asian culture into everyday life for children. From building blocks and puzzles to beautiful keepsake story books and recipe cards there are lots of fantastic educational tools which can easily be incorporated into a busy lifestyle to help your children learn about their roots. What's best is that they provide an experience which adults can enjoy together with their children enabling the likes of me to learn lots more too! Even though I'm not a parent yet I'm thinking of getting a few bits and pieces for my own benefit!!!!

The Gnaana blog is fantastic too in that it provides great support material for their products. Updated at least a few times a week there is always something new to see and learn - this month alone subjects have already ranged from Gandhi Jayanti to the how to do Garba providing not only ideas on things to teach your children but also a few reminders and some knowledge for you!

To check out our first entry (of three) go to http://www.gnaana.com/blog/ and whilst you're there be sure to check out the rest of this amazing website!

Happy Chocolate Week!!!!!

2010-10-11T03:14:00.000-07:00

Yep, its our favourite week of the year and to celebrate the Devnaa team are in a giving mood! Not only will Devnaa Dailies be continuing on Twitter (where every day a lucky follower will win one of our chocolate bars!) but we'll also be gifting a chocolate bar and a sample of our delicious new drinking chocolate with every order placed this week! Hooray for chocolate!!!!!!!! =D

Devnaa Dailies - Win Free Chocolate!!! :)

2010-10-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

What with the festive season coming up fast and our (very exciting!) best packaging award nomination, all of us here at Devnaa are beginning to feel a little bit jovial.... And to celebrate our good mood we're running a daily competition via our Twitter page on www.twitter.com/devnaa

Every day from today (October 1st 2010) up until the end of the year we will be selecting a lucky Twitter follower to win one of our delicious chocolate bars. All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is follow us on Twitter - So get following!!!! Wishing you all the best of luck, sincerely, the Devnaa Team!!!! :)

Our selection of chocolate bars - one up for grabs every day with Devnaa Dailies!!! :)

Memories and Legacies...

2010-09-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since our last blog, partly because we've been busy working away on new products and recipes and partly because mine and Jay's Grandmother, Baa, had been very unwell and we sadly lost her just over 2 weeks ago.

For us Baa is the real founder of Devnaa - not only are we inspired by how she was famously renowned throughout her village in Kenya for her delicious cooking she brought her skills with her to England and continued to feed lots of family and friends for years after they moved here. She passed her traditional recipes and methods on to my Mum who combined these with what she had learned from her own Mother (our Nan) and then all of this was passed down to me.

One of Baa's most famous culinary tales tells of how she taught herself to cook by watching everything around her. Having moved to Kenya, East Africa when she was very young she was surrounded by people from various backgrounds. Different cultures and backgrounds from India all gathered and mixed together, there were traditional African dishes being made by the people of Kenya, as well as new spices and vegetable that hadn't been available in India at that time. She watched and learned and then would experiment, making lots of dishes, old and new, and then she would test them out on her Dad, our Great Grandfather, until he signed them off with his seal of approval.

Back in those days there wasn't much of anything to go around so the women from the village would gather together to share their specialist utensils when it came to making fancy traditional Indian foods at festival times. Each woman would have brought just a few of the special kitchen tools required with them from India so they would help each other and do a lot of their cooking together which created a great sense of community and spirit. Through all of this, as Baa grew older she became the 'head chef' of the group - especially when it came to making sweets! By teaching herself and making the most of all the knowledge around her she had created and honed new methods and recipes which created the yummiest sweets and snacks in town!

Festival times, especially Diwali, were the times when this 'community cooking' would really come together and and create the most amazing celebrations with the most astounding feasts! When Baa had married my Grandad (Bapujii) they lived in an area the ended in a large cul de sac. At Diwali all the women would get together and cook up their own specialties, each taking charge of their favourite dish - one would be kneading pastry dough, the other rolling it out, another making the filling, sweet or savoury, whilst yet another would sit and stuff and wrap them all together. Daughters would be in charge of frying on camping stoves or baking in home made coal ovens. Dads would be sitting aside talking and laughing and the Sons would be running around playing games and lighting fireworks for everyone to enjoy. When the food was all ready (the preparation would have gone on for days), they would all come together to set up tables at the end of the cul de sac and feast on all the fresh hot treats!

Jay and I were way far off in the future but it is stories like these that have inspired us to create Devnaa, taking flavours from all the different aspects of our backgrounds and putting them together to produce the confectionery for people to share and enjoy and evoke sweet memories of family and friends and good times together.

Baa may no longer be with us physically but her legacy lives on through us and hopefully we can help to inspire others just as she inspired us.

Eid Gifts 2010

2010-09-06T03:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Just a very quick note to let you know the Devnaa Eid Gift Collection 2010 is now available online. For those of you who have been fasting for the last month - well done!!!! Not long to go now!

Eid marks the end of a religious month in the Islamic calendar - Ramadan. During Ramadan Muslims fast from sunrise up until sunset allowing them to focus on their spirituality. It is also seen as a period of thanks and humility.

Fasting begins on the first day of the month of Ramadan and Eid marks the first day of the following month. On this day Muslims give food to charity, pray, visit friends and family and celebrate. For more information visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

Best of luck to all those continuing to fast for the next few days and Happy Eid for the end of the week!

Devnaa Small Eid Gift Box 2010

Happy Raksha Bandhan!!!!

2010-08-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

Well, today's the day and I'd like to start by wishing all of you who are celebrating a very Happy Raksha Bandhan!! Our Special gift set with Rakhee included was so popular that we sold out just as the delivery deadline hit!!! Apologies to anybody who missed out - make sure to place your orders slightly earlier next time and we'll make sure to have plenty more rakhees ready to go!

As most of you already know, Devnaa was founded by my brother Jay and I and has developed into a family business so Raksha Bandhan is a very important festival for us. I'm going to keep today's entry sweet and simple by wishing Jay and the entire Devnaa family all my best wishes for this special celebration, looking forward to the family dinner later and eating all the yummy sweets we've made!!! Lots of love, luck, laughter and everything that goes with it - Roopa =) xxx

The Bars are Back!!!!

2010-08-23T01:56:00.000-07:00

2 new and 2 improved - the Devnaa chocolate bars are back on the website and available to order in three different selections - the Yatra (journey) selection consists of our new White chocolate bar infused with cardamom and saffron and a generous pinch of ground pistachio nuts alongside our milk chocolate bar infused with chai masala and an extra hit of ginger. The Uttam (excellent) selection combines our second milk chocolate bar, infused with orange oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and the crunch of puffed rice with our new dark chocolate bar flavoured with honey and roasted nibbed almonds. The Rajah (king) selection is a complete set of all four bars - fit for a king! We've also introduced a free delivery option to make those purchases even sweeter!!!

The Devnaa Raksha Bandhan 2010 Gift Box is Here!!!

2010-08-18T02:01:00.000-07:00

It's arrived! And with just 1 week to go before the festival on August 24th it is just in time for all you sisters to check out and count which of your brothers are special enough to receive it! This year we thought we'd keep it sweet and simple (pun totally intended!) with one of our Signature Small Mixed Tiffin Boxes packaged together with a Luxury Rakhee and of course, you can add a gift card at check out with a personalised message especially for your brother.

We have also now introduced Large tiffin boxes in our chocolate and mixed selections that are the perfect size for a family celebration.

Raksha Bandhan means 'bond of protection' and is celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus. Traditionally sisters tie a decorative thread around the wrists of their brothers, this thread is similar to a protection charm - blessed by the love the sister has for the brother. The brother in turn vows to protect his sister thus creating a bond which is sealed by the two feeding each other sweets. For more information on the festival see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan

http://www.devnaa.com/Raksha+Bandhan+2010/Raksha+Bandhan+Gift+Set.html

I'm Back!!!!!!!

2010-08-17T01:51:00.001-07:00

Wow... It's been an incredibly busy Summer here at Devnaa and whilst we've been fulfilling orders for lots of yummy desserts, barfi and chocolates we've also been adding to the Devnaa collection and making a few changes to make your Devnaa shopping experiences even tastier!!!!

Over the next few days you will see our brand new chocolate bars added to the website as well as a few new box options and updates to our wedding page. The pricing structure has changed slightly enabling us to provide you with a FREE DELIVERY service and reduced price recorded and special delivery options. Last but not least you will also see our special box promotion for the upcoming festival of Raksha Bandhan and shortly after that, our Diwali 2010 collection will be launched!! Exciting times!!!

We hope you enjoy our new products as much as we've enjoyed creating them for you, please bear with us over the next day or so while we update the website and if you have any questions don't hesitate to call us on 0800 612 20 40/020 8427 7110 or drop us an email via the enquiry form on the website.

Lots of sweet thoughts,

Roopa, Jay & the Devnaa Team :)

P.S. Don't forget you can also keep up to date with what we've been doing and receive lots of great offers by following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/devnaa) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/indiansweets)!

We've Won A Gold Award!!!!

2010-07-21T03:37:00.000-07:00

As a member of The Guild of Fine Food (a UK trade association for quality food and drink), for the last 2 years Devnaa has taken part in their coveted Great Taste Awards competition.

Food and Drink Producers from across the country enter their products to be judged by industry experts and food critics in the hope of being given a Great Taste accolade. With over 350 judges blind tasting over 6000 products entered into over 250 categories competition is tough and the Devnaa team is extremely happy to announce the acquisition of their 2nd Gold Award!!!

Awarded to our Chai Masala Truffle this is the second single gold star we've won (last year we were awarded one for our chai masala ice cream) and we are absolutely delighted!!! Its amazing to be given such credit from experts such as chefs, buyers, retailers and critics and also to be given an award when being compared with so many other brilliant chocolate brands. Thank you to the Guild and all of the Judges!! Fingers crossed that next year we'll get a double or maybe even a triple gold star!!!!!

To celebrate our award we've launched a limited edition chai and coconut truffles chocolate box, check it out!!! :)

Go DJ!!!

2010-07-05T03:32:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks here at Devnaa have been manic!! With so many weddings, parties and events to cater for I haven't been able to keep up with my blogging every day so firstly - apologies for my absences!!! Amongst a week full of hundreds of pieces of personalised barfi, wedding cupcakes and a few bespoke cakes for summer events the Devnaa team also celebrated a special birthday right here in our very own kitchen! Our younger cousin Krishan who is a DJ when he's not helping us out by taste testing recipes turned 23 last Thursday and here's the cake we made to celebrate...

Saffron

2010-06-29T02:04:00.000-07:00

The hot and hazy heat of this Indian summer has the Devnaa team thinking about lighter, fresher summer desserts infused with the flavours of India. One of my favourite spices is Saffron and today I came across a wonderful article about this mysterious ingredient, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I just did!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/29/saffron

Hot Chocolate!!!!!!!

2010-06-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

Its been an extra hot week here in London and the Devnaa team are feeling the heat!!! We've been working extra hard on new recipes and lots of cakes and desserts for all your summer barbeques and parties... Here's a few tips on how to make sure your chocolate treats hold up in the summer sun -

Although we don't normally keep chocolates in the fridge, in this heat we advise that as soon as you receive them - place your chocolates in a sealable plastic bag and pop them straight in the fridge - the bag will stop any moisture affecting your chocolates and if you take them out of the fridge 10 -15 minutes before eating them they'll taste just fine :)
Sometimes the heat can cause greyish patches to form on the surface of chocolates - this just means that the heat has caused the cocoa butter in the chocolate to separate and reset and although it doesn't look great, the chocolates will taste perfectly normal and it's nothing to worry about - this problem is far more common in darker chocolates as they contain more cocoa butter.
Keep chocolate cake in an air tight container in the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before serving - the air tight container will help prevent the sponge from drying out and the moisture in the fridge from affecting the cake.
Fresh cream is a favourite at this time of year but remember to only ever take it out of the fridge at the very last minute! The heat will cause it to spoil really quickly so keep it cool at all times before eating it.

We hope this information helps you enjoy your summer desserts more - if you have any questions please don't hesitate to drop us an email or phone call :) xx

Rose & Vanilla Rasmalai & Mango Fool...

2010-06-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

As well as busily working away on Father's Day sweets the Devnaa team have also found a little extra time this week to come up with new recipes for our surprise projects later in the year - we created a delicious mango fool - a whipped cream, yogurt and mango dessert perfect for summer, and a rose and vanilla rasmalai with strawberry compote, perfectly chilled for the warm evenings we've been having. Take a look -

Father's Day

2010-06-17T02:01:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (20th June) is father's day in the UK and as the perfect gift Devnaa have put together a special edition Father's Day gift box. Our great Chai Masala and Coconut Cardamom Truffles with Milk Chocolate Marvel Barfi spelling out the word 'Dad'. Available in a 9 piece or 18 piece set this really is the perfect gift this Father's Day - and he can share it with the family too!! :)

England VS USA World Cupcakes

2010-06-16T01:47:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday England played they're first game of this year's world cup tournament and it was against the USA. To help along the celebrations in the Devnaa kitchen we made some very English 'strawberries and cream' cupcakes and some very American 'rocky road' cupcakes...

Recipe of the Week - Malva Pudding inspired Cupcakes

2010-06-15T01:46:00.000-07:00

As we didn't post a recipe last Friday, here's an early one this week - these are the Malva pudding inspired cupcakes we made here in the Devnaa kitchen last week to kick off the world cup :)

Ingredients

1 Egg

1 cup of Caster Sugar

1 cup of Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 cup of Milk

4 tsp Melted Butter

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

4 tblsp Apricot Jam

300 ml Whipping Cream

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

80g Icing Sugar

Method

Pre heat your oven to gas mark 6 and grease the cavities of a 12 hole muffin tray
Cream the egg and caster sugar together for at least 8 minutes until thick, pale and fluffy
Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl
Mix half of the milk into the egg mixture followed by half of the flour and then the remaining milk followed by the remaining flour
Mix in the butter, vinegar and 2 tblsp of the apricot jam
Divide the batter evenly between each of the muffin holes (each one should be between two thirds to three quarters full)
Bake for 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the puddings comes out clean
Place the muffin tray on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes
Run a palette knife around the edge of each pudding, turn out onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely
Whip the cream until you reach soft peak consistency
Fold in the vanilla extract and sifted icing sugar (add a little apricot colour if desired)
Use your finger to poke a small hole into the top of each pudding and fill it with the remaining apricot jam
Swirl the whipped cream on top.

And they're off!

2010-06-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Devnaa Team got so caught up in World Cup Fever last week that we didn't get time to post a blog on Friday!!! Not to worry though - we've got pictures and recipes to share from the world cup kick off, Devnaa style!

The first official match was host country South Africa vs Mexico and in tribute we made Malva pudding inspired cupcakes alongside spiced chocolate. Malva Pudding is a common South African dessert - a moist sponge pudding flavoured with apricot jam and traditionally soaked with a hot cream and sugar syrup and served with whipped cream, we made miniature versions of the sponge pudding and topped them with a little more apricot jam and a whirl of vanilla whipped cream. The spiced chocolate cupcakes payed homage to the motherland of chocolate itself - Mexico! Intensely chocolatey cupcakes with a hint of orange and chilli and a kick of cinnamon.... Mmmmm...!!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for our Malva Pudding Cupcake recipe and later in the week find out what we made for England's first match which was against the USA! :)

Ready for the World Cup - Cakes!

2010-06-09T03:08:00.000-07:00

Having conducted a little research, the Devnaa team is good to go for the world cup - 1st match is the host nation South Africa VS Mexico, so in cupcake terms a rich chocolate cup cake spiced with cinnamon, chilli and orange VS a 'malva pudding' inspired cupcake with apricot and vanilla flavours... So, while everybody else is off watching the match on Friday, I think I'll stay behind and referee the cupcakes! Mmmmmmm...... De-licious!!! :)

Holy Crepes!!!!!!

2010-06-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

OK, apologies for the cheesey title but these delicious crepes really were something to shout about! Another successfully tried and tested recipe, created by us to be shared with you guys later in the year these paper thin crepes filled with caramelised banana slices infused with saffron and served with fresh cardamom ice cream and drizzled with honey were completely devoured by the Devnaa team in seconds! We can't wait to share this recipe with you alongside lots of others with the announcement of a special project we've been working on - thankfully we won't have to wait much longer at all - if all goes to plan, all will be revealed this Autumn! =)

Summertime..... And the weather is Cheesecakey!!!!!

2010-06-07T02:56:00.000-07:00

The gorgeous weather this weekend had the Devnaa kitchen in a buzz with lots of gorgeous summery desserts being made! Mini cheesecakes and desserts containing the likes of limes, strawberries, raspberries, coconut, saffron, cardamom, vanilla, whipped cream... So many delicious summer flavours, this has got to be our favourite time of year!! It feels so good to know that clients all over London were celebrating the weather and ending their barbeques, parties, weddings, birthdays etc with a special little Devnaa dessert created just for them. Our signature Strawberry Saffron cheesecake - a light cheesecake flavoured with saffron, cardamom, almonds and pistachios to taste like the classic Indian dessert 'Shrikhand' and topped with whipped cream and strawberry - was as popular as ever... =)

Recipe of the Week - Coconut Limeade

2010-06-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a twist on a classic! Deliciously refreshing and a great alternative to lemonade on hot, hazy, barbecuing weekends like these! The Devnaa family are going to love this!

Ingredients
2 Limes, chopped into eighths
4 tblsp Caster Sugar
500 ml Sparkling Water, chilled
250 ml Coconut Water, chilled
Lots of Ice

Method

Place the chopped limes and sugar in a blender and blitz until pureed
Pour in half of the sparkling water to loosen the lime mixture and blitz for a few more seconds
Sieve the lime mixture into a large mixing bowl and pour in the rest of the sparkling water and the coconut water
Whisk together, add a little more sugar if required and pour into glasses filled with ice
Enjoy!!! :)

Double Chocolate Kheer

2010-06-03T02:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, even if we say so ourselves we really out did ourselves in the Devnaa kitchen yesterday - the Double Chocolate Kheer was amazing!!! An Indian style rice pudding infused with white chocolate and covered in milk chocolate shavings - delicious!! :)

And the 'beat' goes on.....!!

2010-06-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

Right, now that the madness from bank holiday weekend has finally settled the Devnaa team are back on the ball! This week we're going to continue to create new recipes to feature in our videos and share with you later in the year so if there's anything in particular you'd like to see - let us know!! Our younger cousins just got back from a high flying dj-ing trip to LA last night so what better way to welcome them back than with a big bowl of kheer - Devnaa style with a little chocolate mixed in!! Pictures tomorrow! :)

Purple and Silver Mini Cake Tower

2010-06-01T03:45:00.001-07:00

Its been a few days since we last updated our Devnaa blog but we were so busy over the bank holiday weekend we just didn't get a second away from the kitchen! From strawberry cheesecake to cookies and cream cake and black forest numeral cakes and lots of our signature cakes and cupcakes it was one crazy weekend - seemed like everyone was out enjoying the weather and having a party with the perfect Devnaa dessert to help along their festivities :)

Our favourite cake from the weekend was most definitely a purple and silver mini cake tower created for a wedding reception, it was just sooo pretty!!!!

Serious Seera!!

2010-05-25T02:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the Devnaa kitchen we were trialing a recipe for Seera. Seera is a semolina pudding often served at temples to the patrons after they they have prayed. It can be served hot or cold, most people have a particular preference - in our house we always had it hot with lots of raisins which my sister hated so I'd get to eat all of hers!! Whether hot or cold Seera is one of those comfort foods which takes you right back to your childhood and will always bring a smile to your face :)

As it is such a traditional dessert we at Devnaa thought we'd try to update it a little but without changing it too much and whilst we are still playing with the recipe, here's something we made yesterday - Seera, but prettier!!!! :)

Congratulations Chandni & Rakesh!!!

2010-05-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

My favourite Devnaa project from last week was the cake created for my best friend's wedding engagement. Green and gold to match her saree, egg free and different flavours in each tier!

I hope she and her fiance enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed creating it! Congratulations Chandni & Rakesh!!!

Recipe of the Week - Quick Chocolate Honeycomb Ice cream

2010-05-21T03:13:00.000-07:00

As the beautiful weather continues here in London the Devnaa team is making the most of it by creating lots of quick and easy summer desserts... Here's on of my personal favourites - chocolate honeycomb ice cream.

Ingredients
600ml Double Cream
200g Icing Sugar
50g Milk Chocolate
2 Crunchie Bars
1 tblsp Orange Blossom Water

Method

Very gently melt the milk chocolate in the microwave
Crush up the Crunchie bars
Whip the cream until it reaches o soft peak consistency
Sift the icing sugar over the cream and add the milk chocolate, crushed Crunchie and orange blossom water
Fold all of the ingredients together
Transfer to a freezer container and leave for a few hours or overnight - if you leave it overnight take it out of the freezer about 20 minutes before serving so that it can soften a little
Serve with extra Crunchie on top and enjoy :)

Indian/Western Recipes

2010-05-20T02:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, this week as we continue to experiment with a new dark chocolate recipe we are still always trying to come up with new 'fusion' recipes to add to our collection and share with you. About a week ago we made the fruit tartlets with Indian style creme patissiere and this week we're thinking of Danish pastry with some kind of Indian spiciness added to them.... What we'd like to know is if you have any funky fusion combos you'd like us to try? Experimenting with new recipes is our favourite thing to do in the Devnaa kitchen so if there's anything you'd like to see us try - let us know! We'll be more than happy to give it a try and hopefully we'll be up to the challenge! :) x

Dark Chocolate With....???

2010-05-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

This week the search is on in the Devnaa kitchen to create a deliciously different dark chocolate bar to add to our collection.... How to keep it 'Indiany' whilst not using a flavour combo we've used before and making it taste so good that everybody wants a piece is proving to be quite a challenge!

Almonds are looking to be a favourite but what to use with them? I like rose, Jay likes mint, Mum and Dad like honey... This is going to take a lot of fine tuning to please everybody!! Let us know your ideas!

Right... Back to the kitchen with me... I have a lot of dark chocolate to eat - I mean make!!! =)

A Vending Machine Which Dispenses Gold!?!?!???

2010-05-17T02:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a trusty vending machine - they might not be filled with the gourmet delights you'd choose to treat yourself to when given the option but in times of desperate need, when all other food outlets are closed or far off in the distance you can always rely on there being a vending machine just around the corner - ready and willing to provide you with a good old bar of chocolate, bag of crisps or can of fizzy drink at double the price of what you would normally pay!

In the same way, everybody loves those little chocolate gold coins we used to get as children. Fabulous stocking fillers no Christmas went by without one or two of those being tossed our way in the Devnaa family home and we used to get such pleasure out of the thought that we were holding real gold coins and even more from the fact that we could unwrap them and eat them!!

The latest in vending machine technology takes both of these things and puts them together to create what is possibly one of the most unnecessary inventions I have ever come across!!! A vending machine which dispenses gold bars and coins as opposed to chocolate ones!!! Recently installed in the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi this machine allows people to walk in and purchase bars and coins of gold which weigh up to 10g each! A high tech computer system provides real time updates on the price of gold so that it matches that of the international markets and soon enough if you happen to be staying at the Emirates Palace you will be able to purchase a personalised coin as a souvenir of your visit! Random, yet strangely fantastic and an insane way of bringing the good old chocolate vending machine into the future!!!

Recipe of the Week - Iced Masala Chai

2010-05-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

It's a hot sunshiney day in London town today and so I'm going to surprise the Devnaa team with a jug of refreshing iced tea - Devnaa style of course! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
7 Tea Bags
1.5 tblsp Chai Masala
1.5L Water
3 tblsp Caster Sugar

Method:

Place all of the ingredients into a pan over a high heat and allow to come to the boil
Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 6 minutes
Turn off the heat and strain the tea into a serving jug
Allow to cool slightly and then refrigerate to chill
Serve thoroughly chilled in iced glasses alongside a box of yummy chocolates! :)

World Cup - Cakes: Part 2

2010-05-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

Ok so the World Cup is growing ever closer and it has now been brought to my attention that the first match, to be played on June 11th is going to be South Africa VS Mexico. This brings me back to a suggestion we had from one of our Facebook fans a little while ago that Devnaa should create a cupcake to represent the flag of each team... And then me deciding to make life difficult and take things that step further by creating cupcake flavours for each team too... Well... South Africa and Mexico!!??? I don't know where to start!!! The flags are straight forward enough but I think its about time i started a little investigation into South African and Mexican desserts as right now all I can think of is 'Churos'!! The little doughnuts you get in Mexican restaurants!

Actually, no! What am I saying?? Mexico is where chocolate comes from!!! Ok... So how about an intensely dark chocolate spiced cupcake to represent them? That just leaves South Africa for now... I should really have a better idea seeing as my parents grew up in East Africa! My Dad once told me a story about how he and his brother trekked all the way from Uganda, right down the East coast of Africa through countries like Zambia and Mozambique all the way down to South Africa. That must have been almost 50 years ago now! Can you imagine - 2 Asian boys (they would have been about 17 at the time) hitch hiking, camping and trekking through Africa in the early 60's, right in the middle of apartheid, without a penny to their names! Dad still says it was one of the best experiences he's ever had though - that you didn't need anything, everyone was so friendly and happy to help - it must have been amazing!!! Right, time for me to go and quiz him on South African cuisine!!

Finally!! The perfect Gulab Jamun Recipe!!!

2010-05-12T02:26:00.000-07:00

Exciting news!!! After many trials and lots of errors resulting in gulab jamuns that just weren't soft enough, or too dry or they would fall flat... etc etc the Devnaa kitchen has finally come up with what is possibly the perfect recipe for gulab jamuns! Perfectly round, they puffed up beautifully, had a soft and spongy texture and just soaked in the right amount of syrup to be sweet and flavourful without giving us toothache!!!

You'll have to wait until later in the year for us to publish the recipe but rest assured - it is most definitely on the way!!! We can't wait for you to try and it and tell us what you think! :)

A new take on ice cream cakes!

2010-05-11T02:02:00.001-07:00

News just in... This summer, well loved cake brand Mr Kipling is giving us something new to try with a range of cakes based on traditional ice cream flavours! With treats such as tutti fruitti slices, neapolitan bakewells and raspberry ripple slices to look forward to the Devnaa team can't wait for these to get onto the shelves of our local supermarket!

Possibly not the most exclusive or 'gourmet' cakes on offer so many of us have grown up on this household brand and their cakes are still just as good as they've ever been! It will be great to see and taste the new line of products! That said my favourite always has been and always will be their yummy Angel Slices!!!! So heavenly!!!

Pistachio Rose Cupcakes

2010-05-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

Last week ended on a good note as we created another yummy recipe which we all agreed will be great to share with all of you when we get around to putting up our video tutorials - pistachio rose cupcakes :)

Rose is not a traditional Indian flavour but it filtered in to the Northern parts of India with the Mughals who brought it with them from the Middle East. Known for its cooling properties, rose water is especially common in places like Morocco where iced rose water is drunk as a revitalising tonic in the blazing heat. In India it is more often combined with milk to create delicious 'lassis' and desserts fragrant with the essence of rose - perfect refreshment during the hot Indian summers!

You'll have to wait a little while for the recipe, but here's a glimpse of the first trial of the Devnaa Pistachio Rose Cupcakes... :)

Lemon Chai???

2010-05-06T03:09:00.001-07:00

Over the last few days we've been busy experimenting away in the Devnaa kitchen - improving, trialing and best of all creating lots of new recipes to feature in our video tutorials and share with all of you. Most of the time we all agree but yesterday we came up with a recipe that had us all torn - chai cupcakes with lemon butter icing. The concept - lemon tea - definitely works. The cupcakes with the chai masala blend definitely work, the lemon icing works... But put it all together and we're just not sure! Some of us like it, the others aren't so sure... What do you think - lemon masala chai anyone?

Cake Pops!

2010-05-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

For a little while now I've been hearing about cake balls - cake crumbled up, mixed with a little icing, rolled into balls and then dipped in more icing - you can't go wrong! However now more and more I'm hearing about these perfectly decorated little spheres being made into lollipops!

Fun, easy to make and eat these are the perfect treats for a children's party - you can even make up different coloured icing and get them to decorate their own! For ideas, inspiration and to maybe even try a few check out www.popbakery.co.uk - a fantastic creation by a talented baker/decorator, Clare O'Connell has created a whole world of beautifully iced cake pops that almost look too good to eat!!

Devnaa Family Reunion!!!

2010-05-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Phew! What a weekend!! For the first time in around 35 years mine and Jay's Dad was reunited with all four of his brothers and three sisters, all in the same country, under the same roof, at the same time!!! That's some family affair! Although they've all seen each other now and again they haven't all been together like that in so long it was only right we threw them a little reunion - and of course it wouldn't be a family reunion without plenty of food and in our family - desserts!!!

From traditional desserts like Ormoo - a rich, creamy dessert made with sweetened roasted Bulgar wheat and milk; Shrikhand - somewhere between a thick set set yoghurt and a loose cheesecake mix flavoured with nuts, saffron and cardamom; to more modern, western desserts like cranberry, almond and white chocolate rice crispy cakes and the infamous chocolate orange cheesecake back by popular demand from last week! The show stopper however was something that sort of fell together almost by accident - Raspberry, coconut and white chocolate mousse...

I had meant to make a white chocolate and raspberry mousse cake but becoming pressed for time I had to think of a quicker alternative I could make with the ingredients I had to hand. The raspberry jam which had been meant for the cake was combined with some Vege-gel to make a quick raspberry jelly which alongside some of the fresh raspberries I had bought for the cake was filled into the bottom of little canape glasses. Topped with a quick and easy white chocolate and coconut mousse and more fresh raspberries, these little desserts were made so fast that I didn't even get a chance to try any before serving them but just my luck - they disappeared even more quickly than it took me to make them - with some cheeky relatives having at least 2 or 3 each!

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

2010-04-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

If yesterday's blog left you wanting more then try out this recipe for a quick and easy chocolate orange cheesecake :)

Ingredients:
8 Chocolate Biscuits
1tblsp Orange Marmalade
50g Butter
100g Cream Cheese
150g Icing Sugar
450ml Whipping Cream
1 Chocolate Orange
1/2 packet Orange Jelly
Extra whipped cream to decorate

Method:

Finely crush the biscuits so that no large lumps remain
Melt the butter and stir in the marmalade
Mix butter, marmalade and biscuit crumbs together until well combined and then press into the bottom of an 8" loose bottomed cake pan
Refrigerate while you prepare the filling
Sift the icing sugar into the cream cheese to form a smooth paste
Gently melt half of the chocolate orange
Whip the cream to soft peak stage and gently fold in the cream cheese mixture and melted chocolate orange
Pour filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth out the surface
Make the jelly according to the manufacturers instructions and allow to cool slightly before pouring on top of the cheesecake filling
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before removing from the pan
Decorate with a little extra whipped cream and the remaining pieces of chocolate orange
Serve cold

Jay's Chocolate Orange Birthday!

2010-04-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was Jay's birthday and so the Devnaa kitchen was a buzz of exciting experimentation (like we need an excuse!). Having created a rich chocolate orange cake for an event the week before and then the coconut and lime cheesecakes in the early part of last week we decided to go down the chocolate orange cheesecake route and even I have to say it was probably one of the best ideas we have ever had!!!

A chocolate biscuit base spread with orange marmalade, topped with a zesty chocolate orange cheesecake, a layer of chocolate orange jelly, orange jelly and then chocolate whipped cream and slices of chocolate orange!!! Truly a taste sensation!! Stay tuned for the recipe tomorrow :)

Food with an 'Indian Accent'

2010-04-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

Its great to see how other people use their different cultural influences to 'accent' their lifestyles - here at Devnaa we integrate our Indian heritage with our English upbringing to create sweets and desserts inspired by both of these cultures and its so interesting to us how food and drink from across the world is adapting and changing as people and dishes and ingredients travel from one side of the world to the other and then of course, come back around again.

I have just come across a restaurant located in South Delhi by the name of Indian Accent - a brilliant name for a brilliant concept! Combining traditional Indian dishes with ingredients and flavours from around the world and in the same way, dishes from around the world with Indian ingredients and flavours this restaurant highlights the cosmopolitan, fusion flavours that are slowly beginning to emerge across the globe. Dishes like Tandoori Foie Gras and Summer Vegetable Salad with Tadka Dressing show how as people have travelled and learnt about different cuisines they have been able to come back and combine these flavours and ideas with what they already knew in order to create tantalising and different new cuisines.

I haven't eaten at Indian Accent (yet!) but if you are in South Delhi check it out and let us know what you think! The website is www.themanordelhi.com or to read the review in the India Times follow http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/food/food-reviews/With-a-desi-twist/articleshow/5840048.cms

World Cup - Cakes!!!!

2010-04-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

Today's blog has to start with a great big 'thank you!' to all the Devnaa fans on the Facebook page for the great response you gave to our St George's Day cupcakes - you guys truly inspire us to do more and better! One comment in particular has given us the inspiration to create a series of World Cup cupcakes decorated with the flags of all the different participating countries - great idea! We're even going to try and take it a step further so that the cupcake for each country not only represents their flag but also their flavour! How about an Italian Tiramisu cupcake for example? That was off the top of my head but rest assured we'll be working on ideas and you'll be seeing them soon enough!

Whilst we're on the subject I'd like to quickly mention the limited edition world cup Mars bars that are on sale - the wrappers have been changed to represent the English flag and three lions emblem to back the team and show support for the tournament which starts on June 11th.

Happy St George's Day!!!!

2010-04-23T02:22:00.000-07:00

The patron saint of England is Saint George and he is celebrated each year on April 23rd. Famous from the legend of Saint George and the dragon in reality he was actually a Christian soldier, born to a noble family in Palestine. Being such a good soldier it did not take George long to rise through the ranks of the military and become an Imperial Guard, well known and respected amongst his peers. The Emperor of Palestine at that time however believed in Pagan Gods and although he had been close friends with George's family and of course George, in AD302 he was influenced by his advisers to rid the army of all Christian soldiers unless they agreed to convert by offering sacrifices to the Pagan Gods. George refused to convert and tried to compromise with the Emperor but the Emperor's mind was set - he offered George bribes of land and wealth to convert but George continued to support his Christian faith - and that too loudly in front of his fellow soldiers! Eventually the Emperor realised that although he did not want to, if he was going to enforce his ban of Christian soldiers he would have to make an example of George. This led to George being tortured and later beheaded, martyring himself for his faith.

The veneration of George spread east and west in the fourth century through the Roman Empire and in 494 he was given his sainthood by Pope Gelasius I after which Saint George became a well known and inspiring mark of faith, leading to his name being used as a battle cry and his symbol - the red cross being used on the English flag.

Today we celebrate Saint George's day in England by waving the national flag and wearing red roses in our lapels - it is known as a feast day so tradition is to gather, feast and rejoice! Traditional roasts are the main meal followed by trifle and the season's first strawberries in fresh cream... Yummy!

Lime & Coconut Cheesecakes

2010-04-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

Just as a quick follow up from Tuesday's blog here are the Lime & Coconut (Yes, Coconut!!! I managed to convince them once they'd tried it!!!) Cheesecakes - Yummy coconut cheesecake with a little lime juice and zest topped with a lime jelly and sprinkled with edible glitter - Deeeeelicious!!!! =)

Cakes In Space!!!

2010-04-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

To be completely honest I'm not at all clued up about space food - up until now I thought astronauts survived on a diet of freeze dried compounds they had to consume through some kind of tube or... I don't know - nourishment milk shakes or something so when I just stumbled across news of a Japanese confectionery company sending out cakes to astronauts I felt that I had to share it today on my blog!

It really is incredible - here at Devnaa we've been trying to figure out a way to be able to courier our cakes safely across the country and these guys are sending theirs into space!

Japanese confectionery company Imuraya has delivered three types of specially adapted cakes to a Japanese astronaut who has been working on a space station since December. They were hand delivered by a fellow Japanese astronaut who travelled up on space shuttle Discovery. It gives a whole new perspective to mail order! With space travel becoming more and more accessible who knows - it might not be long before you're enjoying your favorite Devnaa confection at a picnic on the moon!

You Put the Lime in the Coconut & Mix it All Up!!!!

2010-04-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

This week at Devnaa we've been asked to create a lime inspired dessert for a client and our aim is to come up with something which looks amazing, doesn't contain eggs and will have broad appeal across a wide age group, oh and not forgetting the slightly Indian twist! I'm so excited to get into the kitchen and get started! The difficult thing is really going to be creating a flavour that everybody here in our office likes - my first reaction was to go along the lime and coconut route but I'm having a hard time persuading the others it will work! Immediate next thought would be lime and chilli but I don't think that's going to have that general mass appeal... Lets just say it's going to be a fun day at Devnaa today while we experiment and do lots of taste testing!!! Any volunteers??? =) xx

Here Come the Macarons

2010-04-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

Having written about the Whoopie Pie trying to steal away limelight from the Cupcake last week it has now been brought to my attention the the Macaron has now also joined the race. The French version of the more widely known Macaroon, Macarons have up until now remained so elite that they are still little known to the general public although the version as it is now has been around since the 1830's.

Composed of two little light and airy meringue and almond powder discs sandwiched together with a ganache filling. They come in a variety of colours and flavours and were created by the French patisserie Laduree who continue to be renowned for their Macarons although there is an argument that those by French master chef Pierre Herme are better!

I would assume that the elite and fairly rare quality of Macarons comes from the fact that they are notoriously difficult to make correctly - the consistency of the meringue has to be perfect and a matter of a few seconds here or there could lead to disaster when baking as the shells of the Macaron must be perfectly airy and light to avoid a stodgy or dry mess. That said with the title race for the ultimate sweet treat still running strong the Macaron seems to be becoming a contender.

Macarons are known for being hand made delicacies but mass manufactured are now coming to light with Parisian branches of McDonald's cafes offering 'McArons', American Starbucks' also have them on offer as do Whole Foods. However, the French master minds behind the original Macarons are holding their ground - trying their best to protect the Macaron's elite reputation by making their own artisan wares more widely available - Herme's are now in Selfridge's and are about to open a boutique in Knightsbridge and Laduree is available in Harrods and for those who prefer a more convenient treat Raymond Blanc has launched a range at Waitrose - far from the best but you could do a lot worse!

Recipe of The Week - Carrot Cupcakes

2010-04-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Still reeling from the yummy Gajar Ka Halwa on Vaisakhi yet craving cupcakes after my last blog, today's recipe is for carrot cupcakes! Need I say more...?

Ingredients
225g Butter
225g Light Brown Caster Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour (use wholemeal if you prefer)
4 Eggs
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
100g Chopped Walnuts
150g Grated Carrot
2 tblsp Sultanas (optional)
200g Cream Cheese
200g Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4 and line 18 muffin cases
Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in well
Fold in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, carrots and sultanas
Spoon the cake batter into the muffin cases so that each one is 3/4 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean
Allow to cool in the trays for 5 minutes and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack
For the icing beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy
When the cupcakes are cool generously spread the icing on top and garnish with more chopped walnuts or some grated carrot.

Whoopie for Pies!!!!

2010-04-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

Since the rise of cupcakes a few years ago there have been many miniature baked goods brought into the limelight which have tried to steal away some of the attention from cupcakes but not quite managed it. The latest entry into the competition is the 'Whoopie Pie' which undoubtedly seems to be doing quite well but whether it's staying power will match that of the cupcake has yet to be seen. I for one am not convinced!

Said to have been created by Amish farmer's wives in the 1920's the Whoopie Pie consists of a generous amount of vanilla buttercream sandwiched between 2 firm and rather dry domes of cake. Apparently the farmer's wives would make these from left over cake batter and when the farmers came home from a hard day on the fields they would shout 'whoopie!' at the sight of their yummy treats.

Yes, Whoopie Pies do taste yummy - I'm not denying that, but they are given the term pie because of the dry, almost biscuit like (similar to a dense pie crust) 'sponge' used to sandwich the filling and when put up against a moistly delicious, light, soft cupcake... Well, I know what I'd pick every time! That said, the generous amount of filling does balance the dryness a little bit and I can understand why some people may prefer the sturdier, almost 'no frills' way of the Whoopie Pie but I think for the most part they may just be a fad and once most people have had a try they'll faithfully return to the good old cupcake!

Who knows, maybe we'll give Whoopie Pies a try in the Devnaa kitchen in the next few weeks and see what we can do with them! =)

Vaisakhi Celebrations at Devnaa

2010-04-14T03:33:00.000-07:00

Phew... After all that hard work helping everybody else celebrate Vaisakhi it was only right we kept a little sweet something for ourselves!!! Presenting our Signature Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding) sandwiched between 2 fresh Jalebi, served hot and topped with fresh Vanilla Ice Cream - mm mmm mmmmm!!!!!!

Gajar Ka Halwa is an extremely popular dessert in India, especially the northern parts as the cooler climates help cultivate the growth of deliciously sweet, intensely orange carrots. Bright orange Jalebi are also popular Punjabi sweets, I'm not sure but I think this has more to do with the colour than anything else as Orange is one of the main colours associated with Sikhism.

Traditionally both of these sweet dishes are served hot, fresh from the pan and devoured immediately and although Jalebi are normally served alone, Gajar Ka Halwa and Vanilla Ice Cream served together has become a popular dish served all over the world. Although the ice cream is really just there to balance the heat of the halwa and add creaminess to the sticky texture it also ties into tradition as northern Indians are also very much known for their love of milk based sweet dishes.

When the Devnaa team were asked to create a special Vaisakhi dessert we were half tempted to go with Seera - a semolina based sponge pudding served in Sikh temples (Gurdwaras) and offered to all patrons throughout the year but we couldn't resist the festive cheer of the colourful halwa and jalebis!! That said, watch out for a Seera recipe soon! =)

Happy Vaisakhi!!!!

2010-04-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

Every year on April 13th/14th Northern India celebrates the Spring harvest festival of Vaisakhi. Not only does this date mark the beginning of a new solar year, it is mainly celebrated by Sikhs as the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa by the 10th Guru - Guru Gobind Singh. Khalsa is the term used to refer to all baptised Sikhs who follow the Khalsa Code of Conduct. Vaisakhi is recognised as the day that Sikhs were given a formal identity by the Guru.

Celebrations include prayers, offerings and visits to the Sikh temple - the Gurdwara to give thanks and worship, often followed by melas - fun fairs, fireworks, singing and dancing accompanied of course by lots of food!

Popular sweet dishes on the day include Jalebi (yeahy!), Seera (a semolina based spongy dessert), Coconut Ladoos and Gajrella (Gajar Ka Halwa - a sweet pudding made from carrots).

Today in the Devnaa kitchen we'll be whipping up a feast of theses delectable dishes to celebrate this special occasion - Happy Vaisakhi everybody!!! =)

What would you like to see???

2010-04-12T02:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, as I mentioned in one of my blog entries a little while ago, Devnaa is going to be starting a series of online video tutorials demonstrating lots of sweet recipes for fellow foodies to follow! As we are hoping to film the first one and have it uploaded in the next week or 2 we would like your suggestions on what you would like to see us make. From traditional Indian sweets like penda or jalebi to more western desserts like apple pie or cinnamon danish with an Indian twist.. The choice is yours - the most popular recipe across our Facebook, Twitter and Blog responses will go first and following on from that we should be able to cover most other requests too - so let us know what you'd like to see and we'll get onto preparing our first video tutorial! So excited!!! =)

Cadbury's Chocolate Cafes!!!!!

2010-04-09T02:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read correctly! Chocolate brand Cadbury's is going to be launching high street chocolate cafes - with the first one coming maybe even before the end of the year!

The 'Cadbury's Chocolate Houses' are going to be serving afternoon tea and have in house chocolatiers whipping up some classic favourites like Twirls and Curly Wurlys in extra big sizes which can be gift wrapped and will undoubtedly make the recipient's day!!!

Apparently, plans have been in discussion for a few years and with the ball now finally being set in motion I'm sure we can expect these chocolate cafes be filled with chocolatey goodness!! I think it's time to plan another Devnaa field trip!

Read more at: www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/kraft-backs-cadbury-high-street-cafes-plan-1940149.html

Devnaa Spiced Chocolate Bars

2010-04-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

Our Indian inspired spiced chocolate bars are finally here!!!! Over the past few months we've been busily working away in the Devnaa kitchen perfecting a range of delicately spiced chocolate bars and after lots of trialing and tasting we've finally launched the first 2 editions: Milk chocolate with chai masala and ginger; and Milk chocolate with cinnamon, nutmeg, a burst of orange and the crunch of crispy rice! There are definitely going to be more flavours to come - a white chocolate one is already on its well on its way so in the meantime check these out at www.devnaa.com/Chocolate+Bars.htm

There's a great offer on at the moment too - 10% off all orders if you use the discount code offered on our Facebook fanpage and the first 10 people to order the chocolate bars will receive a free surprise gift! Enjoy :)

Jalebi & Chocolate Messi!!!!

2010-04-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

Everything's getting a bit hot and messy in the Devnaa kitchen today as we experiment with one of my all time favourite Indian sweets - Jalebi!!!! Mmmm.... No taste testers required today - I'm more than happy to devour each and every one these sticky, sweet fritters!!! Almost like a fried pretzel dunked in sugar syrup and sprinkled with nuts, Jalebi are often referred to as India's national sweet dish as they come in many varieties across the country and are almost as well known for their bright orange colour as well as their delicious taste!!! We're trying to come up with our own chocolate partnered variety... Its hard work, but someones gotta do it!!!

Speaking of chocolate and MESSI-ness we can't let today go by without sharing a link to this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/06/chocolate-lionel-messi-li_n_526909.html

Not that I'm hating on Arsenal fans after last night's epic football match, there are a fair few Arsenal supporters on the Devnaa team, but with Messi in mind I had to take the opportunity to share this amazing tribute to the soccer playing hero - entirely made of chocolate it really is amazing!!! =)

Tonights TV Treat...

2010-04-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

Still in the spirit of Easter weekend which has just passed (far too quickly!), today's blog is all about putting your feet up in front of the telly and indulging in some Willy Wonka-esque antics whilst finishing what's left of the Easter chocolate! Heston Blumenthal is a chef mostly known for his slightly weird but wonderful methods of cooking. Owner and head chef of a 3 Michelin starred restaurant 'The Fat Duck' his eccentricity in the kitchen has awed if not inspired many food enthusiasts since he came to the attention of the mass media in around 2003. Having demonstrated his modern, scientific ways of preparing food on various TV series and through a number of books, tonight at 9pm on channel 4 he will be treating the UK to 'Heston's Chocolate Factory Feast'. With promises of everything from lickable wallpaper to duck confectionery and chocolate waterfalls this is definitely going to be the one to watch tonight - the Devnaa team can't complain about their homework today!!

Easter Recipe 1: Hot Cross Buns with a Twist

2010-03-31T02:13:00.000-07:00

Continuing the Easter theme for this week I'm going to get straight into a recipe for Hot Cross Buns but in true Devnaa style I've given this recipe a slight Indian twist, I hope you enjoy... =)

Ingredients:
150 ml Warm Water
55g Caster Sugar
1 tblsp Dried Yeast
450g Plain Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp (heaped) of Mixed Spice
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
80g Currants
25g Chopped Almonds
20g Chopped Pistachio Nuts (Shelled)
50ml Warm Milk
1 Egg, beaten
50g Melted Butter

3 tblsp Water
3 tblsp Caster Sugar
1/4 tsp crumbled Saffron Threads

Method

Stir 1 tsp of the caster sugar into 150ml luke warm water. Sprinkle in the yeast and leave until the surface develops a good layer of froth
In the meantime sift the flour, salt and mixed spice into a bowl and add the cardamom, remaining sugar, currants, almonds and pistachio nuts. Lightly toss these together
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture, warmed milk, egg and butter and mix together with a spoon
As the mixture comes together use your hands to combine it and transfer to a floured surface. Knead for about 5-7 minutes to produce a smooth, stretchy dough
Dip your fingers in a little oil and lightly grease the surface of the dough
Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size
Bring the dough back onto your work surface and knead back to its original size
Divide the dough into 12 portions, forming each portion into the round bun shape and use a knife to mark them each with a deep cross
lightly oil the surface of each bun, cover with cling film and leave to rise again for about 30 mins
Bake for 15 minutes in an oven that has been pre heated to gas mark 7
While the buns are baking make the glaze by gently warming the 3 tblsp of water and sugar and the saffron together in a pan over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted
When the buns have baked brush them with the glaze whilst they are still hot. Allow to cool and then enjoy warm or cold =)

The Easter Bunny, Hot Cross Buns and the Saxon Goddess Eostre

2010-03-30T02:37:00.001-07:00

I love how festivals are so intertwined with feasts!!! Following on from yesterday's blog here's a little more background on Easter food traditions...

Eostre was the Anglo Saxon Goddess of Dawn and she was celebrated during spring time as a sign of rebirth and renewal. Her symbol was the Hare. This celebration period is now known as Easter and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead of the hare the bunny rabbit is used as a symbol as rabbits are more common everywhere - especially in spring! The tradition of the Easter bunny is much more prevalent in America than England as it was taken over there by German settlers in the 18th Century. It is common in America for children to be told tales of an Easter bunny who will distribute baskets of Easter eggs and chocolate treats on Easter day. They even organise treasure hunts of brightly coloured eggs with lots of yummy treats for the winners!

Hot cross buns are also a tradition derived from Eostre. The Saxons used to bake these little round buns marked with a cross as the bun was supposed to represent the moon and the cross marked each of the moon's four quarters. In relation to Easter the cross represents the crucifix.

With all this talk of Easter goodies I think tomorrow I'll have to post a recipe for hot cross buns - with a slight Indian twist!!! =)

Why we eat Chocolate at Easter...

2010-03-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

This week is the lead up to Easter and with that in mind I'm going to try to stick to an Easter theme in my blog.

The first investigation had to be into why chocolate is so strongly associated with Easter and why the eggs and bunnies???

Easter Sunday is the day upon which Christian's celebrate the end of Lent - a 40 day fast (beginning on Ash Wednesday) which marks the period that Jesus Christ spent in the desert prior to the events leading up to His crucifixion. It is also a time for penitence and reflection. Traditionally people used to give up meat, dairy and other animal related food products as well as any rich and luxurious foods. Easter is the festival which marks the end of this fasting and the resurrection of Jesus with feasts and celebrations.

Although as times have moved on fewer people now fast through the duration of Lent it is still common for believers to give up certain things and mark the period in their own ways.

As chocolate was introduced to the Western world it was very much considered a luxury product and as it also contains milk it was often one of the things people gave up for Lent (and some people still do). With this in mind chocolate became one of the key components of Easter celebration feasts with people gifting each other chocolate eggs, bunnies and even cakes!

The cakes are understandable as they are also a very indulgent item but the eggs and bunnies? They represent the celebration of Jesus's resurrection by symbolising life and rebirth - the bunnies being symbolic of spring (when Easter is celebrated).

So there you have it - this year when you receive your Easter treats take a second to remember the tradition and roots of the festival - it will make them all the more delicious!!! =)

Cross Cultural Community!!!

2010-03-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

It makes me really proud to say that earlier this week Devnaa was featured by BollyInStyle (www.bollyinstyle.com). A lifestyle blog committed to Asian inspired arts, fashion, style and of course - food!

It's amazing to see how other people with a combined Eastern and Western influence in their lives have embraced that and used it to create such different and wonderful products with truly unique and revolutionary style. From jewellery and fashion to children's toys and homeware BollyInStyle features the cream of cross cultural Asian influenced art and provides a treasure trove of inspiration and information to all of us.

Thank you BollyInStyle for bringing to our attention not only all of these fantastic cross cultural products but also the fact that we're part of a growing community of people trying to incorporate old traditions and culture with our modern day western lifestyles and it's all coming together with fabulous results! I for one am hooked and will definitely be checking back often to see whats new in the world of BollyInStyle!

www.bollyinstyle.com

Limited Edition Chocs!!!

2010-03-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

As a prelude to the fantabulous chocolaty surprise we've got coming up for you (hopefully next week!) we've launched a limited edition 18 piece chocolate box only available until April 4th 2010. It's on the Devnaa website now so hurry to try these delectable little hand rolled truffles in milk chocolate with orange and nutmeg, white chocolate with saffron and cardamom and our classic milk chocolate with chai masala. Give something different this Easter! :) x

Chocolaty Surprises En Route!!!!!

2010-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

We've been busily working away here at Devnaa recently to come up with innovative new products to tempt and tantalise you with and I'm pleased to announce that our latest creation will be joining our product list very very soon!!! In the next week or 2 we'll be launching a chocolaty new product that we've been working hard to perfect and produce... We've just had word that it's fancy new packaging is almost ready and so we'll be able to present it to you in no time at all! I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet... Going to keep you in suspense until we're ready to show you!!!! It won't be too long, I promise!!! :) xx

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!

2010-03-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend was all about celebrating my birthday!!! The Devnaa kitchen came to a standstill as I decided what kind of cake I wanted and then swiftly set about making it (I say 'swiftly' but it somehow managed to take most of the day on Saturday!!!) The obvious choice had to be a cupcake tower - just a 2 tiered one for little old me! I could not for the life of me pick the cake flavours though, I wanted everything! Instead I went by colour - it had to be pink and white so the cakes had to be pink velvet and vanilla sponge! The muffin sized cupcakes around the edge of the tower were decorated with a glace icing and lots of mini marshmallows, the mini cupcakes in the middle with pink and white butter cream and the top cake was a traditional velvet cake cream cheese frosting. Delicious, even if I do say so myself!!! :)

Recipe of the Week - Springtime Shortbread

2010-03-19T03:23:00.000-07:00

With Spring finally setting in here in London town we here at Devnaa are excitedly preparing for the return of fresh, light flavours and yummy fruits to wake our palettes up from the heavy but comforting, winter warming flavours of the last few months!

One of my favourite spring time recipes is for Strawberry & Mascarpone Shortbread Slice. Crumbly biscuit with a cool, creamy topping fortified with strawberries and a hint of spice. The great thing is that you can mix pretty much any flavour you like into the topping - in the Summer try folding in some lemon curd and sprinkling with a touch of finely chopped mint.

Strawberry & Mascarpone Shortbread Slice:

Ingredients:
175g Unsalted Butter
70g Caster Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
250g Plain Flour
300g Mascarpone
60g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4tsp Cardamom
300g Chopped Strawberries

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a 20 x 30 cm baking dish with grease proof paper (leaving it long enough to hang over the sides)
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add the egg yolk and beat well
Gently fold in the flour until you are left with a well combined dough
Press the biscuit dough firmly into the baking dish and prick all over with a fork
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown
Remove from oven, place tin on a wire rack and allow the biscuit to cool completely
Beat the mascarpone, sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth
Fold in the strawberries and cardamom
Spread this mixture over the biscuit base and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (until firm)
Use the long sides of the grease proof paper to lift the shortbread out of the baking dish and place onto a chopping block to allow ease of cutting
Cut into pieces and enjoy! :)

Whiff of Chocolate!

2010-03-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

This is just far too strange!!!! I'm just not sure how I feel about it!!! Breathable Chocolate!?!?!?! I'm going to need to try some!!!

Le Whif is a new aerosol development which allows us to eat by breathing. Developed by a Harvard professor, Le Whif is a little lipstick sized spray which contains millions of little food particles which we inhale - allowing us to breathe in our food minus any calories but plus a caffeine hit equal to a small shot of espresso! It comes in a few different flavours including coffee and yes, chocolate! We're definitely going to have to try this one to believe it! Check it out at www.lewhif.com :)

Happy St Patrick's Day!!!

2010-03-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland is possibly the most widely recognised saint all over the world! Every year on March 17th celebrations are held in countries across the globe to mark the Irish icon - A priest most commonly known for his method of teaching the Irish about the holy trinity using a shamrock, a three leaved plant similar in appearance to a large clover.

The festivities are as infectious as the good humour and spirit of the people celebrating - all dressed in green and with plenty of green accessories to represent the 'emerald isle' and some places even rivers and lakes are dyed green! Here in London there is an annual get together in Trafalgar Square where over 100,000 people meet and enjoy traditional Irish music, dancing food and of course drink!

Traditional Irish foods include potato champ, soda bread, black pudding, rock oysters and Gaelic stew. As here at Devnaa we like to keep things sweet we decided to celebrate in our own little way with St Patrick's Day cupcakes! Happy St Patrick's Day!!! :)

Recipe of the Week - Irish Potato Pie!

2010-03-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

We were so busy designing our new cupcakes here at Devnaa last week that I completely forgot to post a recipe! Turned out to be a blessing in disguise however as with St Patrick's Day coming up tomorrow I thought I'd investigate into some traditional Irish desserts and came up with this very unusual recipe for a dessert pie made of potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 cup of Mashed New Potatoes
2/3 cup of Sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
9" Pie dish lined with uncooked Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Whilst the mashed potatoes are still hot stir in the sugar, butter and a pinch of salt and continue to stir until they've melted in
Next stir in the milk, followed by the eggs and vanilla
Pour this mixture into the pie dish and bake at 450C for 10 minutes
Lower the heat to 350C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the pie comes out clean
Enjoy whilst warm :)

This tastes great served with an intense cinnamon ice cream and a little nutmeg grated on top! The Irish take on sweet potato pie... Mmmmm!

Introducing the new cupcakes!!!

2010-03-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

Hello my blog family!!!!! Today I'd like to introduce you to the newly designed Devnaa cupcakes. Colourful, traditional and reminiscent of Indian festivals, celebrations, weddings and culture all combined with one of my favourite western treats - cupcakes!! It gets no better! These colourful cupcakes will be available for delivery inside of the London M25 and there will be the option to customise them for your special occasion - you choose the colours and leave the rest to us here at Devnaa! The egg free cupcakes come decorated in sumptuous soft icing and the the cupcakes containing egg have a rich butter cream swirl.

Mehndi inspired egg free cupcakes

Double colour swirl cupcakes inspired by the colours of India

Edible Mehndi...

2010-03-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd update you all on the progress I'm making in the Devnaa cup cakery...

After a few days of experimenting and agonising over different methods of icing cupcakes I've gradually got better at icing little mehndi designs onto the cakes - its taken ages but slowly and surely I'm mastering a few different patterns to decorate the cuppies with in yummy milk chocolate - just the right colour for mehndi! Combined with traditionally Indian bright colours the Devnaa kitchen here in London is starting to look like a festive scene right out of Mumbai!!!

Anyway, back to the kitchen with me, just a few finishing touches to go and soon I'll be able to share them with all of you :) xx

3 Days to Go!!!!!!!

2010-03-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

With only 3 days left it seems appropriate to gently remind everyone about Mother's Day. In the UK we honour our Mums every year on the fourth Sunday of Lent but other countries have different days for this special occasion. It doesn't matter though, whats important is that all over the world regardless of race, colour, culture, religion it is widely recognised that Mums deserve at least a day to be honoured, appreciated and celebrated! In fact, it might even seem trivial to have just a day or 2 dedicated to something so important but the dedicated day serves to remind us what we should know all year round - Mums are special and should be treated so!

Now that the Devnaa website is up and running why not spoil your Mum with one of our special Mother's Day gift boxes. The ideal gift to send to your Mum if you can't be with her on the day or to share with her alongside a nice cup of tea and some quality time :)

Aim.... Fire Cupcake!!!!!!!

2010-03-09T02:26:00.000-08:00

Now that the new site is almost complete and the packaging is here and a sense of calm has returned to all of us at Devnaa I'm back to experimenting in my kitchen! Task for this week is to perfect some unique designs for our eggless and eggfull cupcakes. Simple enough you might think but no - nothing is ever that simple! Soft icing or butter cream? Chocolate or glace? Bright colours or subtle ones? What will hold better? What looks great but is fairly quick and straight forward to do? I love this but how do I make it more straight forward??? How to get them to cupcake cravers all over London and beyond??? So many questions, such indecision! Its gonna be a loooooong week with a lot of cupcakes flying around - I'm gonna have to take a few hits for the team! :)

DEVNAA DEVNAA DEVNAA!!!!!!!!

2010-03-08T02:46:00.001-08:00

It's finally here! After months and months of to-ing and fro-ing, disapproving and approving, laughing and crying and of course blood, sweat and tears Devnaa is finally up and running!! Our initial selection of Indian inspired sweets and chocolates is now available to buy - in our fancy new packaging- online at http://www.devnaa.com/ :)

We've provided a choice of just Indian sweets, just the Indian inspired chocolates or a mixed selection of the two all available as a box of 9 or in a 'tiffin' style double stack (18 pieces). Soon to follow will be our weddings and celebrations section (please bear with us while we put the finishing touches to the web page), comprising of favour boxes, alternative gift boxes, personalised barfi and the delicious cupcake towers (eggless or with egg!).

In the coming months we'll also be introducing a great new range of chocolate bars and some other exciting new products but for now, we're up and running with our first lines - check them out at devnaa.com, Indian inspired sweets and chocolates (from London!) :) xxx

Recipe of the week...

2010-03-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today the new film version of Alice In Wonderland (directed by Tim Burton) opens in London and here at Devnaa we can't wait to go and see it! Well, maybe not everybody here - I don't think Alice In Wonderland is quite Jay's cup of chai but personally I love all things film and fairy tale, combine those with a mad tea party and in my eyes you can't go wrong!

So, taking inspiration from the Mad Hatter himself today's recipe is for scones, the perfect tea time treat :)

Ingredients:
225g Self Raising Flour
a pinch of salt
75g Butter (at room temperature)
40g Golden Caster Sugar
1 Egg
2 tblsp Buttermilk

Method:

Pre heat your oven to gas mark 7
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl
Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour
Rub butter and flour together with your finger tips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Mix in the sugar
Beat the egg and buttermilk together in a measuring jug and add gradually to the flour mixture, combining the two using a palette knife
When the milk is all in and the mixture begins to hold together finish the mixing with your hands and shape into a circle
Place the dough on a floured surface and roll until 2.5cm thick
Use a 5cm round cutter to press out your scones (this recipe should make about 10)
Grease a baking sheet and lightly dust it with flour
Place the scones onto the baking sheet and brush them with a little more buttermilk
Dust with a little more flour
Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown
Cool on a baking rack and serve warm with plenty of jam and clotted cream :)

Mother's Day

2010-03-04T02:39:00.000-08:00

That time of year is coming up again which Mum's across the country look forward to! Rightly so considering that in most cases it's the only day, aside from their birthdays, where they get to kick back, put their feet up, relax and be looked after by the rest of the family - yep, that's right - Mother's Day is upon us!!!! This year it falls on Sunday March 14th, just over a week from today so if you haven't already it's time to start thinking about gifts!

The launch of our new website at Devnaa will come with this year's Mother's Day collection - 6 & 18 piece boxes with the word 'MUM' spelled out across some of the pieces and gorgeous little gold and pink 4 piece boxes - the ideal 'pocket money gift' from the kids. The site will be up by the weekend so go on... Spoil your Mum, she deserves it! :)

Egg Free Cupcakes

2010-03-03T02:32:00.000-08:00

Just in time to coincide with the launch of Devnaa I have finally come up with an egg free cupcake recipe that passes the taste test! Having struggled through trials and errors resulting in 'rock' cakes (literally!) and cakes with hard crusty tops, others that didn't rise and some that worked but just didn't taste that great I have come out at the other side with what I (and my regular taste testers) think actually works - woo hoo! Spongy, light and tasty!

So, for those vegetarians out there who like the idea of a cupcake tower at your wedding but thought it couldn't be - don't fear! They are on their way! (also available in vegan) :) xx

The Final Countdown!

2010-03-02T03:15:00.000-08:00

Its all systems go at Devnaa right now as we are getting everything finalised and ready to go for launch - the website is being fine tuned, products are being photographed, packaging is due to arrive in the next day or two - everything is slowly coming together! Its been a long journey but seeing all the different pieces of the puzzle ready and falling into place I can definitely say it's been worth it, truly a labour of love! Now its just a matter of days before the website will be up and our selection of Indian Inspired Sweets & Chocolates will be ready and available to purchase - just in time for Mother's day!

We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak at some of our finished packaging and I can't wait to show it off! Brightly coloured boxes with a matt finish and a touch of gold foil for that extra luxury feel... I'm so excited that I get to show you all in a few days!!!!

These next few days are going to be excruciating! I'm literally playing a waiting game while the last few tweaks are tweaked and the packaging is sent out but fingers crossed, Devnaa will be live and kicking by the end of the week!! Good times!!!! :)

Chocolate - The Life of the Party!!!

2010-02-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

Since blogging about the Chinese chocolate expo a little while ago I've begun to notice more and more 'chocolate-centric' events happening around the world - it seems that wherever you go people are drawn to chocolate and always associate it with having a good time!

One of the best examples I've come across is happening this weekend - the 7th annual Chocolate Fantasy Ball in Arkansas, USA. This event occurs on Valentine's weekend every year to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities that provide accommodation and support for families who have to commit themselves to looking after children in hospital. Not only does it play on chocolate to bring people together and experience an indulgent, chocolatey Valentine's day it's for a really good cause.

The night starts with a chocolate themed cocktail reception - heaven! Those of you who have managed to get a taste of the Godiva Liqueurs will agree with me there! Dinner will comprise of chocolate themed dishes and there will be auctions and dancing throughout the night all accompanied by lots of delicious chocolate creations to nibble on. Now that's a party!!!!

Sweet Video Tutorials

2010-02-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

Its finally arrived!! My very fancy new HD camcorder that I'm going to use to film a series of video tutorials on Indian sweets =) As soon as I've figured out how to use it I'll be filming short, easy to follow recipe guides in an attempt to bring Indian sweet making to the masses!

From simple barfi to the slightly more complex rasmali I'll hopefully be able to show that making these dishes really isn't as daunting as it may seem. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see leave a comment and I'll see what I can do. For now, I'm gonna figure out how to use this thing...!