1st BLOG ANNIVERSARY- CHOCOLATE MUD PIE

Finally my baby has turned 1……yes amazing…..Culinary Xpress has completed one year on this day…24th  August,2015. It seems a dream….the year long journey has been wonderful.

It is rather incredible to believe that, only one year ago, I embark on this blogging journey, extending my forays into the world of food by learning about technology which is alien to me like CSS and html coding, embracing a new medium through which I could share my love of cooking and photography and, most important of all, embracing a whole new community out there who are just as passionate as I am about all things related to food.

I am immensely happy by the shape and form which my blog has evolved in the past year, and hope that you too had a great time visiting my space. Every day I am surprised and amazed at all the wonderful people and opportunities that this blog has brought into my life. I look forward to seeing what’s to come and continuing to share it with you for many more years.  

To my subscribers and regular readers, a big THANK YOU  for your time in visiting and reading my blog, cooking your way through some of my favourite recipes, and leaving your valuable feedback along the way. It is truly your appreciation which motivates me to further progress and improve Culinary Xpress.


 

The most wonderful aspect of food blogging has been the interaction with fellow food bloggers and photographers who have definitely shaped the way I am today in the form of adopting various new cuisines and Photography techniques.


 

Over the course of this one year, I have learnt so many things about blogging…which I had no clues about before starting this Blog. When I started food blogging by the end of August,2014 I knew nothing about how to start a food blog, about food photography, search engine optimization, monetizing my blog or even traffic generation. I just knew it would be something I would love and have fun learning  – and I was right. I can’t say I’ve mastered them but I am very happy with what I have learnt in the process.

• Being passionate about your purpose of starting a food blog is the foundation of all success. Nothing is more magnetic than Passion which comes through your passionate writing and stunning photographs.

• Look out for every available resource . Invest in downloading tutorials and food photography books because every penny you invest will yield a harvest.

•  Keep doing what you love and that is all you need to get to where you are going. Keep writing, practicing, learning how to improve your photography, traffic generation and SEO.

• Take the time  to comment on other blogs every day. Not only does this help the blog community as a whole but it increases the number of back links to your web site. 

• Enjoy the journey called Food Blogging. Don’t rush blindly towards the finish line without taking the time to learn and master the basic things.

I had so much plan for the day but due to a unforeseen mishap , decided for this simple but decadent Chocolate Mud Pie. And how was it in the end? Well, if you are looking  for something really, really chocolaty, then this is the excellent choice for you! Beautiful taste of chocolate in combination with a thin pie crust – yummy :)Chocolate Mud Pie is a homemade fudge pie with rich and dense, moist chocolate filling….

To make the pastry shell

• 1 cup of all purpose  flour
• 50g of butter
• Ice Cold water enough to make a smooth dough

For the filling

• 4oo gms hung yogurt
• 200 gms of Condensed milk
• 50 gms of heavy cream
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ cup dark chocolate  broken into pieces
• ¼ cup walnut kernels for toppings

Let's learn how to make Chocolate Mud Pie........

• To make the pastry cell,  butter was cubed and rubbed in the flour lightly with finger tips. To make the pastry crumbly start by adding a tablespoon of ice cold water, gradually increasing to make the dough. 

• Once the dough is ready, cling film it and place it in the fridge to chill for half an hour.

• Roll the pastry on a dusted surface and place it in the tart tin.  Press the dough into the corners of the tin using your fingers. Prick the pastry base with a fork so that it doesnot bloat. Trim the edges and Chill for 30 mins in the fridge.

• Preheat oven to 200C. Fill the pastry case with a circular sheet of baking paper and add beans to weigh it down. Bake for about 20 mins, then carefully remove the paper and beans and cook the pastry for 5 mins more.

• For the filling mix together hung yoghurt, condensed milk and keep aside.

• In a double boiler, melt the chocolate stirring continuously till the chocolate melts, add the butter and heavy cream. Stir it well and take off the heat. let it cool for some time. Then add this to the yogurt and condensed milk mix and pour into the  slightly cooled tart shell baked earlier. 
• Sprinkle lightly toasted walnut kernels over it .

• Bake the above at 180 degree for 30 to 35 minutes or till the filling sets properly. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Me and my son had a great time relishing this Pie........Do try this one at home and you will start to fall in love with this simple Mud Pie .....  

 

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