Kesar Pista Cookies

This is the third variety of Cookie I made with the same Cookie dough but with a traditional twist of Kesar & Pista:

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 cup
Butter - 4 1/2 tbsp.
Powered Sugar - 1/3 cup
Saffron - 1 big pinch soaked in warm Milk
Pista - 2 Tbsp powdered & 20 to 25 for decoration 


Method:

1. Cream Butter & Sugar till Sugar is mixed properly
2. Add Saffron Milk & Pista Powder
3. Add Flour & knead to a soft dough
4. Divide the dough into 15 to 20 equal portions.
5. Make rounds & flatten each ball. Press it with a Pista piece
6. Pre-heat oven at 160 deg for 10 mins. Bake at 160 deg for 15 to 20 mins
7. Store it in air-tight container after cooling

Tips:

• You can cardamom powder for extra flavor
• The cookies might crack while pressing but that will add to the look of the cookies.

Mr. Brown & Mrs. Pink Cookies

This is the second variety of Cookie I made with the same Cookie dough but with a slight variation:

 

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 cup
Butter - 4 1/2 tbsp.
Powered Sugar - 1/3 cup
Rooh af zaah - 2 tbsp. (Rose sugar Syrup)
Cocoa Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Milk (as required) 


Method:

1. Cream Butter & Sugar till Sugar is mixed properly
2. Add Flour & knead to a soft dough
3. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
4. To one portion, add Rooh af zaah (Knead well & add Flour if required)
5. To second portion, add cocoa powder (Knead well & add Milk if required)
6. Roll each portion in elongated tube
7. Attach the two elongated tubes together & roll light till they stick together
8. Refrigerate for 45 mins & Cut into thin slices with a sharp knife
9. Pre-heat oven at 160 deg for 10 mins. Bake at 160 deg for 15 to 20 mins\
10. Store it in air-tight container after cooling

Tips:

• You can add nuts to enhance taste & texture  

 

Tutti Fruti Cookies with Marbled Chocochips

Its Cookie Time again... I made 4 different variations of Cookies with same cookie dough... I will share all of them with you....

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 Cup
Butter - 4 1/2 tbsp
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Tutti Fruti - 1/3 Cups
Marbled ChocoChips - 4 tbsp
Milk - 2 tbsp. (if required)

Method:

1. Pre-Heat Oven at 165 degrees for 10 mins
2. Cream Powered Sugar & Butter till sugar is mixed well with butter
3. Add Tutti Fruti & half of Chocochips
4. Add Flour & knead to a dough. (if the dough is too dry add milk otherwise not required)
5. Chill the dough for 10 to 15 mins.
6. Make 25 equal sized balls from the dough & flatten it.
7. Sprinkle & press the balance chocochips on cookies
8. Bake it for 15 to 20 mins at 165 degrees. Cool it on Wire Rack for 1 hr & store it in Air Tight Container

Tips:

• You can use other types of chocochip or raisins with this.

 

Strawberry Sponge

Hi.. I was kind of bored of preparing white & brown cakes... thought of going for colors.. My nephew loves strawberry cake.. so thought of trying strawberry sponge.

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 cup
Butter - 100 gms
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 1 cup (powdered)
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Strawberry Essence - 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp
Pink Color (edible) - 1 pinch
Milk - 1/3 cup

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven at 175 deg. Sieve the flour & baking powder twice. Line the baking tin with butter & dust with flour
2. Cream Butter & Sugar till it is light & creamy
3. Separately beat Eggs till it is light & fluffy along with Strawberry essence & Vanilla essence
4. Add eggs to butter & sugar mix.
5. Add Sieved flour & baking powder to it & mix it in cut-fold method. Add the Pink Color.
6. Add milk to loosen the mix. Pour it in the lined tin
7. Bake it for 35 to 40 mins till toothpick comes out clean

Tips:

• You can grind & add real strawberry puree to the cake mix to get real strawberry sponge
• You can also use strawberry preserve/jam to excite kids. :)  
• Goes very well with Vanilla Butter Cream or Chocolate sauce

Chana Dal Manchurian

Hi... I made Chana Dal vada during week end, however there was some batter of that Vada left over. I made small dumplings... fried them & made Manchurian out of it.. It was really tasty especially who love Chinese & South Indian food.

Ingredients:

For Chana Dal Dumplings:
Chana Dal - 1 cup
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 4
Salt to taste
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 medium sized
Asafetida -  generous pinch
Curry Leaves (finely chopped) - 10 leaves 
Ginger (finely chopped) - 1.5 inch
Oil for frying

For Manchurian Sauce:
Capsicum - 1 medium sized cut into 1/2 inch squares
Onion -  1 medium sized cut into 1/2 inch squares
Spring Onion (finely chopped) -  1 small bunch
Ginger - 1 inch (Grated)
Salt to taste
Pepper - 1 tsp
Sweet Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp.
Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp.
Tomato Sauce - 1 tbsp
Chilli Vinegar - 1 tbsp.
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. For Chana Dal Dumplings: Soak Chana Dal, Toor Dal & Urad Dal along with dry red chilli. Coarsely Grind above with Salt, Asafetida, and add Onion, Ginger & Curry Leaves. Make small dumplings & fry them and keep aside.
2. For Manchurian Sauce: Heat Oil in Kadai, Add Onion, Capsicum & Half of Spring Onion. Saute for 1 min, add salt, pepper, sweet chilli sauce, tomato sauce, soya sauce & chilli vinegar. Add 1 cup water and separately add corn flour mixed water to Kadai & let the sauce thicken. Add fried dumplings & cook for two minutes. Add balance Spring Onions & Serve Hot.

Tips:

• Loved by kids
• Can be made dried or with sauce so as to eat it as starter or sides for rice
• Very high in Protein because of Chana Dal dumplings 

 

Chocolate Pound Cake

Hi... The recipe is the same from my Marble Pound Cake. The Variation is that instead of using 100 gms of Flour. You need to use 75 gms of Flour & 25 gms of Cocoa Powder. You need to skip the step of Mixing cocoa powder to hot water & adding while baking for marble cake..

Tips:

• Serve it with vanilla ice-cream or hot white chocolate sauce
• Best for Kiddie Snack box

Crispy Corn Kernels

It is raining outside... Usually we make bajji, bonda, pakoras for rainy season snacks... I made crispy corn kernels.. Everyone loved it.. goes very well with a cup of tea or coffee on rainy/cold days.. or with chill juice/beer ;) in summers:

Ingredients:

American Corn (Boiled) - 1 cup

Maida - 2 tbsp

Cornflour - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Pepper (Crushed) - 1.5 tsp

Ginger (Finely chopped) - 1 inch

Onion (Finely chopped) - 1 (medium)

Green Chilli (Finely chopped) - 1

Green coriander (Finely chopped)- 1 small bunch

Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp

Chilli Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Make a thick batter (like bajji batter) from Maida, Corn flour, salt & 1/2 tsp of pepper (crushed)
2. Add boiled corn to the batter & drop them in hot oil one by one. Fry till golden brown & strain them.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of same oil in a separate Kadai. 
4. Add Ginger, green chilli, onion till onion turns transparent.
5. Add salt, pepper, soya sauce & chilli vinegar
6. Add the fried corn kernels & coriander & toss it for 1 min
7. Garnish with coriander & Serve hot

Tip:

•  Reduce chilli if it is to be served to kids
• Ensure you make a lot coz it gets over in a jiffy