White Chocolate Maple cookies

Hello Sweeties!!! I whipped some home made butter last week, so thought of putting it to some good use. With the holidays coming up, we all need some foolproof cookie recipe up our sleeves. These are one of the most tasty and melt in your mouth cookies!!!! So ready to bake some white goodness!!!

You will need;

1.5 cups-gluten free baking Flour - 

3 tbspn cup Custard Powder -  I used the one I had from the Indian store.

1 stick Butter  

1/2 cup Organic Maple Syrup

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 c mix of white chocolate chips.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the custard powder mix. Scrape the bowl again and add the egg and maple syrup. Add half of the pre-mixed dry ingredients to the batter and mix just to combine. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining half, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips. 

Using a tablespoon-size scoop, portion the cookies into balls. Place 2 1/2" apart on prepared baking sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden and set. Let cookies cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool fully.

Peanut Butter And Honey Bunches of Oats Cookies

Hello Sweeties!!! Summer break and kids at home means constant I am hungry and I am bored song. Cooking with kids is a fun activity and these cookies  are made just for that. Kids can help mix, drop and press the cookies with fork to make patterns. They surely love such activity.

I tried to make the cookies healthy by using powdered honey bunches of oats cereal instead of using flour entirely. They tasted yummy. I shared these with my school friends whom I met after 20 years.

You will need; Makes 18-20 
8 tbspn/1 stick butter at room temperature 
1/2 cup peanut butter butter 
0.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour
0.5 cups All purpose flour
0.5 Cups powdered honey bunches of oats cereal.
 1 tbspn Vanilla extract 1 egg  
1 cup Sugar-  **Mix white and brown or use brown entirely.
 
Preheat the oven at 350F. Line the cookie tray with some parchment paper. 
  In a bowl cream the butter, egg and sugar and then add in the vanilla extract, slowly add the flour + powdered cereal till everything gets mixed and the flour does not lump.
 
Drop the cookies and press with a fork. Bake at 350 F till they turn slight brown...for abt 9-10 mins.

Almondbutter Coconut cookies.

Hello Sweeties!!!! After the grand success and thumbs up form the husband and kids for the Cashewbutter cookies, I tried my hand at these Almond butter Coconut cookies.

You will need; Makes 18-20 cookies.  
1/2 cup oil
2 tbspn butter
1.5 cups Flour ** I mixed wheat flour and all purpose equally. 
1/8th tsp Baking powder
1 tbspn Vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup Brown Sugar-  1/2 Cup Sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup Almond Butter
I soaked 1/2 cup almonds in the 1/2 cup oil and then ground that into a coarse paste
2 tbspn Milk
** as needed for a creamy dough
 
Preheat the oven at 350F. Line the cookie tray with some parchment paper.
  In a bowl cream the butter, egg and sugar and then add in the almond butter, shredded coconut and vanilla extract, slowly add the flour+ baking powder till everything gets mixed and the flour does not lump. Use milk if you feel the dough is too dry. I needed about 2 tbspns milk.
 
Drop the cookies and press with a fork. Bake at 350 F till they turn slight brown...for abt 9-10 mins.
 
Enjoyy with a cuppa coffee or as snack on the way driving on some road trip, making small memories!!!

Cashewbutter Cookies

Hello Sweeties!!! Spring break and kids at home means constant I am hungry and I am bored song. Cooking with kids is a fun activity and these cookies  are made just for that.

I baked these after my cousin who likes to experiment made thse. These are super addictive and so not good if you are watching the weight, but for kids they are excellent source of energy. I am planning on making these with Peanut butter for my kids play dates. Lucky for me, no one we know are having any issues with nuts. Safely we can say we are "Nuts for nuts".

Source

You will need;
Makes 18-20 --2 inch cookies.
8 tbspn/1 stick butter at room temperature
 1.5 cups Flour
** I mixed wheat flour and all purpose equally.
1/8th tsp Baking powder
1 tbspn Vanilla extract
1 egg  
1 cup Sugar- 
**Mix white and brown or use brown entirely.
1/2 cup cashew butter  
** I used store brought

Preheat the oven at 350F. Line the cookie tray with some parchment paper.

In a bowl cream the butter, egg and sugar and then add in the cashewbutter, vanilla extract, slowly add the flour + baking powder till everything gets mixed and the flour does not lump.

Drop the cookies and press with a fork. Bake at 350 F till they turn slight brown...for abt 9-10 mins.

Enjoyy with a cuppa coffee or as snack on the way driving on some road trip, making small memories!!!

Eggless Chai Spiced Gingerbread Man Cookies

Hello sweeties!!!! Can you believe that we are into the Holiday season of year 2013!!! Every year we kick start the holidays with shopping for gifts and setting up the tree.

After that comes the baking part, where we do bake an assorted varieties of cookies chocolate, peppermint and custard cookies. This year I tried my hand by tweaking the ginger bread man cookie recipe with some chai spice.

Original recipe for Ginger bread man cookie is here. I tweaked a few things to basically use what I had on hand.

I used Agave and chai spice to make my gingerbread man cookies more Indian and it did take the taste a notch up, for sure.

You will need;
1 stick butter at room temperature
2.5 cups All purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Agave nectar
1 tbspn Vanilla extract
1 tbspn Ginger powder
1 tbspn Chai spice mix-
** Powdered form of clove, dry ginger, green cardamon, black cardamom,  pepper corn, cinnamon.
1 tspn Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3rd cup milk--if needed

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients and keep aside. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar and then add in the agave nectar, and vanilla extract, slowly add the flour till the dough becomes easy to handle. Add milk if needed to form a dough, cover in the cling film/plastic wrap and chill for an hour or so.

Roll into a disc of half cm thick and cut  the gingerbread man shapes. Bake at 300 F till they turn slight brown...for abt 8-10 mins.

The cookies are ready to be shared with a loved ones and wish, " Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings to you"!!!!!

Custard Cookies

Inspiration; Cooking Unbound

My Laptop was feeling a bit unwell since December 25th. So we had to admit him to a repair center for a good 3 weeks. I do not know what was more difficult, surviving without a laptop or calls from the repair center and customer service. The way they acted is and was without our imaginative beings. The first and foremost thing was that there is nothing wrong from our side and the entire fault is with you people. I mean a Laptop which is barely 9 months old, and the display is gone, is my fault. Then I call them for servicing (because we paid for Warranty) on a Holiday is also my fault. Thanks HP for this kind of Customer service.

Coming back, I Finally have my laptop up and running and I could save few pictures makes my day. We made these cookies when we were invited for  a play-date making Gingerbread houses at my Best Friend V's House. I wanted to make something different than the old Chocolate chip cookies and that's when I came across the Cooking Unbound blog. OMG, Kristi is super talented girl, and It was my pleasure dedicating these cookies to her cookies. She used Brach's candy but it was a little more candy then I allow my kids to have at one time. I know my little doughnut is a cookie monster and he never ever stops at one. When I saw her post, I had some custard cookie dough freezing and thought of getting some colored candy to melt, but the day got better of me at work, and I remembered it only when I was ready to bake the cookies. I had forgotten to get the colored candy, So I switched plans. Could not afford the disappointed look on my munchkins faces, I made them crush the lolllipops that we had saved up from Dr.'s Visits and haircuts in the mall.. These cookies will be on our holiday baking now on, as we all enjoyed the  chatter and the banter while making these cookies.

You will need;
1.5 cups-All Purpose Flour -
1/2 cup Custard Powder -  I used the one I had from the Indian store.
1stick Butter  I used 1/2 cup oil and addntl milk to wet the dough.
1 cup Sugar
Milk-As needed

Crushed lollipop Candy- In red, green and purple ( get dark colored candy as light colour would be lighter after baking)

Cream the oil and sugar till sugar melts, then add the custard powder and flour, then as needed add milk, to form a soft dough, chill for 30 mins and roll out cookies.

**( If you want to skip oil use jello custard cups and add milk if needed-- This I have never tried, but unless you try, you never know, so next batch I bake these cookies, I will try this)

Once you roll out the cookies, use  the back of the icing nozzle and make holes in the cookie. Fill the holes with Crushed candy and bake for 9-10 mins in a preheated oven at 300 degree F.

How Cute is this??? Can it get any cuter? How about a tree with ornaments that you can see through..

The kids had  a blast eating these cookies and I enjoyed baking them with my munchkins.

Sending these to Kavi's Kids Delight event. Originally Started by Srivalli. and Tea Time Snack event

Teena's Valentine event

and Valentines Day event

and Gayathri's Walk down the memory event
http://gayathriscookspot.blogspot.com/2011/12/walk-through-memory-lane-event.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GayathrisCookSpot+%28Gayathri%27s+Cook+Spot%29

and Taste of Pearl City, Anyone can Cook Series 

Also sending them to Sizzling Tastebuds Valentine event 

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie

Come December and we all are set to welcome Mr.Santa and his tired reindeer Rudolph with the red nose.. After coming to the US and especially after having kids, it has become a tradition to mix some oats and coloured sugar and sprinkle it on the grass the night before Christmas.This is for the tired reindeer's, so they can rest and have a bite before they rush to their jobs of delivering toys to kids worldwide. My kids make it a point to keep some cookies with a glass of milk for Mr. Claus as well, hoping that this gesture will be remembered by Santa's elves the next year, when they account the good V. bad behavior.

So, Mr. Ash and myself gear up every December as Mr. Claus and Elf respectively and account for all the good deeds on behalf of our children and get them toys under the tree. Someone needs to be Santa's special helpers, you see.

Each year I make special cookies for Santa (Mr.Ash), and since this particular Santa dislikes peanut butter, I make Chocolate Chip cookies; But come on now, same cookies every year, makes zero sense, so to jazz it up, i have used three kinds of chocolate for my cookies here


Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies


2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
3.4 oz (96 g)-2 pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips. milk chocolate chips and M& M candies
4 Mini Marshmallows per cookie-Optional


Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and
fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the pudding
mix. Scrape the bowl again and add the eggs one at a time, beating
well and scraping the bowl after each addition eggs. Add vanilla. Add half of the pre-mixed dry ingredients to the batter and mix just to combine. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining half, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the mix of M& M Candies and chocolate chips.

* I prepared the dough and froze it for about 4 days. When I had to bake the cookies, I thawed the dough and then with one tbspn measure , portioned the cookies on the lined cookie tray and baked in preheated oven @ 350 for 9 mins. After the 9th Min mark, I added a smile with 4 mini marshmallows and let it sit in the hot oven for about 2 minutes. The heat was just enough to melt the marshmallows and the smile on my kids face to melt my heart.

 I am sending this entry to Edible Entertainment's event Jingle all the way!!

and to Tickling Palates Baked Goods Event

Roundup to this event is here

and to Bake Fest

Event Round Up

and  to Food Delicious Only Event

Love Ash.

Chocolate chip cookies and a Teachers Appreciation Gift!!!

My son's Daycare had Teacher's Appreciation week in the first week of May.. but I did not get time to post till about now...I was thinking hard on what to gift the teachers since they do so much for us that would show appreciation without breaking my bank....I landed on this cookie recipe which I found on the Reynolds parchment paper box...Only change I did was added pudding to it.. I don't remember exactly where, but I had read on some blog that adding Pudding to any cookie recipe will make it soft and chewy, just like I like my cookie to be...I like cookie in any way and form....but given a choice I go for soft and chewy cookies...

The same recipe was also found at WHISK KID blog.. I did not save the link, but copy pasted the rec with some changes, that I did

Vanilla Pudding Cookies


2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
3.4 oz (96 g)-2 pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and
fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the pudding
mix. Scrape the bowl again and add the eggs one at a time, beating
well and scraping the bowl after each addition eggs. Add vanilla. Add half of the pre-mixed dry ingredients to the batter and mix just to combine. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining half, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

* I prepared the dough and froze it for about 4 days. When I had to bake the cookies, I thawed the dough and then with one tbspn measure , portioned the cookies on the lined cookie tray and baked in preheated oven @ 350 for 12 mins.

* I REPLACED EGGS WITH MILK.--2%.. WORKED WELL...as per the need.I don't like eggy cookies...I feel the smell drives me up the wall...but you can stick to the rec and see what works for you....
Hand Printed Jute Bag

I also made small treat bags for the teachers with these cookies. sorry I was too excited to gift them that I forgot the take pictures.. But I added the cookie bags to this Plain Jute bag which, I found in a set of 3 at Walmart and with fabric colour I could make this awesome Semi Home made Gift!!!

The hand prints and finger prints are of my son!! adding a Little personalized touch never hurts!!!!

Dear Teachers, Thank You for all your support, love and guidance. We would have never been so happy without you in our lives!!!!

Love

Ash!!



Flax Seed Cookies

I have been trying to eat healthy, or least say, am trying to get my Two Cookie Monsters to get off Chocolate chip cookies and try something new and healthy.....but old habits are very very very difficult to break..so I try to sneak some health into the JUNK they are generally allowed.. although the elder Cookie Monster cribs and is always in doubt to any new cookie that I bake now...or for that matter whatever I cook....My 3 yrs old is still easy to please....I cannot blame them as I did shred Radish and disguise it with carrots and tell them that it was White Carrot..Smarty pants that I am....they both were or are still discussing and researching the aisles of the grocery store in search of the White Carrots.....I bless them with all my heart and even help them in this little research every now and then.....or lets just say.. that I do..I am a MOM after all....

Really Cross my Toe fingers.....

....and just in case you are wondering where I got those cute Cookie Monster Containers.. They each cost me $6 for 5 strawberries with little cream....I got them on our last visit to Sesame Street Place.. It's so close for us NJ'ites.. that the heat and summer make it a compulsion to visit this water park at least once a year....there is elmo, Cookie Monster and BIG BIRD...and just for me.. the Count's splash....where huge huge.. bucket of water spills every now and then and its absolute delight to be under it.....Thts what I call a SPLASH!!!! Yipppeeeeee

Coming back to the cookie
I got the original Rec from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's cookbook.. I changed a few items and added Flax Seed...


Whole wheat flour (atta) 1 1/4 cups
Flax Seeed Powder 2 tablespoon
Refined flour (maida) 1/3 cup
Butter chilled-- 1 Stick broken into pieces
Light Brown Sugar, powdered 1/2 cup
Milk As required


Preheat the oven to 160°F. Take all flours in a bowl. Add chilled butter cut into small pieces and mix with fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. ..Add sugar and mix. Add milk if needed and knead lightly taking care not to overwork the dough. Chill the dough in plastic wrap for about 30 mins....Sprinkle some flour on the worktop and roll out the dough to one-fourth inch thickness. With Heart shaped cookie cutters cut out Cookies. top them with coloured sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes...Take half cup Choc chips in a microwavebale bowl.. add one Tbspn oil.. warm in a microwave for about 30 secs.. stir and if not completely melted.. adjust the timings.. melt again; taking care as to not burn the chocolate...once the cookies are cooled.. cover the mid section of the heart with melted chocolate.... cool overnite...once completely dry... store in an airtight container....

See I do allow JUNK food in an healthy cookie....just till the little cookie monsters don't know about our little secret we are all fine!!!!!


Love Ash.

Rusking it!!!!!

Ever since I read the post on Rusks from P of a cook@ heart glory, I had this in my head.. the idea haunted me and I was awed her smartness.. I had read  an article by Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor, that "out of disasters is Creativity born".. and how true for P to have proven it...Love you P for Daring such bakes.....

I had planned on visiting my brother this Xmas, but due to my laziness and not acting on time, I was stuck without having proper documents to visit him...Since my over confidence in the system and administrative process, I had already  baked the cake.. and as it always happens, Man proposed and God disposed......my trip was cancelled.. and we had the worst snow storm we could have ever had.. when the snow was measured it was about 22 inches....so I was really happy and glad with Gods Plan as we heard reports of people stuck in the Storm with little or no resources..I was happy to be at home in the warmth of my loved ones...Life is simple if only you let it be...I was bit sad when the trip was cancelled, but was very very happy with the extra time I had on hand...The idea had been already planted by P and the cake was staring at me from a distance....so there I had the Plan and the resources..so I went about rusking it.. I cut the cake into long strips like a  Biscotti.. and cranked up the oven to 450degreeF and about 10 mins baking on each side.. I had these pieces of heaven ready to be dunked into my T.. I get mad stares from my Mr. Right when I dunk my cookies/biscuits into my T... but that's what makes me happy..so I dare to dunk.....My find.. Is Britannia Good day dunked in Ginger T is my mantra for   a good day...whats yours?????

Happy New Year and Happy Postings to all my friends,

Love Ash.

Xmas Gifts....

Christmas time is the time for giving, sharing and gifting....Sometimes in the mad rush of commercialization and life getting in our way.. we forget the simple joys of giving home made and hand made gifts....The store brought cookies are loaded with fat, sugar and don't know what stuff goes in those while making them as good as they taste.....but ever read the label.. there are so many things.. whose names are so difficult to even read....that it has started to take away simple joy of giving someone a gift that will be remembered and cherished....so am getting back to the basics in a slow and steady way....not that I don't hit the stores...for gifts.. but when I can and have time, I do like to add these cookie bags to the gifts too.....I am in the process of making the gifts....First to be done are these Cookie bags....next am packing few Banana Nut Cake rusks.. M are you listening.....I did Finally RUSK it......and it does taste superb.. thanks a ton for gifting that post!!!!

For the cookies.. run after;

http://indulge-ashscorner.blogspot.com/2010/12/xmas-cookies.html

and for the Rusk..Grab this;

http://acookatheart.blogspot.com/2010/12/so-i-decided-to-rusk-it.html

The pictures of more gift bags will follow when I am finished wrapping them....

Till then Happy Holidays and Goodwill and Peace from my heart!!!!

Love Ash.

Xmas Cookies

Christmas time is for Secret Santa's.. Baking and Much more.....when we were kids we never had any of this at home.. but being form a Church school.. Christmas was celebrated in my school every year.. with class parties followed by a week long vacation.....When I came to US, I was always amazed at the Christmas spirit... shopping in COLD... for days and weeks ahead....going home and baking the treats....then gift wrapping and the parties........it was surely a lot of work for one and all....we never had it at our home.. till.. we had KIDS..... then when my elder one turned 3-4...my Hubby became his secret Santa..and now we also follow this tradition.. of exchanging gifts, baking cookies for Santa and keeping sugar for his Tired Reindeer's.... and The TREE!!!!!!! how can we forget that...Although I am against cutting trees; so we GO GREEN by using the same tree every year.. till the time I can.. at least.....

Coming back to my version of Xmas Cookies

2 cups-All Purpose flour
1.5 sticks Butter chilled
1 cup Sugar
Juice of one Lime and Zest from that lime..
Milk As required
Coloured Sugar for Decoration


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take flour in a bowl. Add chilled butter cut into small pieces and mix with fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  add the zest of the lime and the juice..Add powdered sugar and mix. Add milk if needed and knead lightly taking care not to overwork the dough. Chill the dough in plastic wrap for about 30 mins....Sprinkle some flour on the worktop and roll out the dough to one-fourth inch thickness. With Heart shaped cookie cutters cut out Cookies. top them with coloured sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes...Cool and enjoyy...

Happy Holidays.. HO Ho Ho!!!!
Love Ash.

Nankhatayi

Nankhatayi means 6 ingredient fix.. I had read some time back that Nankhatyi was  a Persian Delicacy and not an Indian origin...when Perisans settled in Surat, Gujarat of India, they made these biscuits local and a part of Indian food ever since.

Indian homes seldom have ovens at home.. I still remember there was this bakery called Persian Bakery where my mom lives.. it is still there and has catered the same items to it's loyal customer over more than 40 yrs now....they would bake the cookies and cakes at nominal charges.. I was always in awe of other moms ( and even a little jealous of their kids) who would make and prep the cookies at home and carry it to this bakery and get home boxes of goodies..those were such times.. now everything has changed,, globalization and modern means have reached even remote places and Indian food has gone changes and even adopted grilling and baking as means for cooking food...

Coming back to my version of Nankhatyi...i.e 6 item fix biscuits is

Shortening-1/2 cup

Sugar- 2/3rd cup

Whole Wheat Flour- 2/3rd cup

Elaichi or Cardamom Powder--1 Tspn

Milk-2 Tbspn

Sooji-1/2 cup

Eno or Baking powder- 1 Tspn

Nuts/ Saffron strands--Optional

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.. then cream shortening and sugar till it is light and fluffy.. add milk and cream with Hand again..( I like the effect the shortening leaves after I wash my hands).....Add ENO or bkg powder to the flour and sooji mix.. then add the flour to the creamed mix.. add elaichi and knead into soft dough... You can add saffron strands or nuts or both and roll about 18-20 small balls...of about one tsbspn dough each.. Line the baking tray with parchment paper and bake for 12-14 mins till they turn slightly brown.

cool and store in a airtight container and enjoy anytime...

Till I bake again,

Love Ash.

Peppermint Cookies

I know this is long due rec.. I had made them in December.. after the Christmas party my kids had at school. I ended up with so much candy cane, that I could not let it stand on my counter, as candy left alone is itself a sign of danger when kids are aroundddd......so i decide to make these cookies...
You will need;
8 tablespoons Butter
1 and 1/2 cup sugar
approx 2 cups All purpose Flour
Orange extract
Candy cane crushed
Vanilla Essence
Little milk

Take cold butter and make small pieces of that. to this add sugar and cream well. then add the flour and the orange extract. little vanilla and mix to form soft dough. Add milk if needed.
Cover in plastic wrap and chill for abt 30 mins...
After that roll into half cm thick and cut cookies of the desired shape.... I chose Heart as my little Helper wanted hearts that day...and bake at 300 F till they turn slight brown...for abt 7-8 mins...
enjoiiiiiiiiii