Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies

My husband and I were inspired to do some holiday baking yesterday.

And being the hobby chef, all credit goes hubby dearest for these delicious Chocolate Almond Sandwich cookies. We found this recipe on Canadian Living and have adapted it.

The original recipe was for 100 cookies…but since we would be sitting up all night rolling a huge batch out we made our own judgement to bake less.

Bakes about 35 sandwich cookies 

Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup - Whole blanched almonds toasted and cooled
1 cup - icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup - butter softened
1 1/4tsp vanilla
2 cups- All purpose flour
225 g semi sweet milk chocolate

Garnish
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds

The HOW TO

In a food processor, finely grind together the almonds and 1/4 cup of icing sugar and salt. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with the remaining icing sugar until its light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and stir. Now add the almond mixture.

Divide the dough into 2 and wrap them separately and refrigerate in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm to roll into dough.

Make small balls and working between 2 parchment sheets or waxed paper, roll them to about 1/4 inch thick cookies. Use a flower shaped cookie cutter and cut the cookies. Spread them on an ungreased cookie tray keeping them an inch apart.

Bake on top and bottom rack at 350def F alternating and rotating the trays halfway for about 10 minutes. Meaning you bake for about 5 minutes at first and then rotate the trays again for 5 minutes.

Let the cookies cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make a double boiler to melt the chocolate. On one of the cooled cookies, spread this chocolate and then place another cookie to make the sandwich. Repeat with the other cookies.

Dip the almond cookies halfway and place it on the centre of the cookie. You may also drizzle the cookie with chocolate.

Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

You can store the cookies keeping them layered between waxed paper.

These are yummy and the smell of the almonds when they are baking is out of this world!

Enjoy!!!!

Picture courtesy: Taken by Reshma

Tomato and Cranberrry Chutney

For Indians, the chutney is an integral part of a meal.  In keeping with the Navarathri festive mood, and of course the Fall season, I decided to make some tomato chutney. This time around I tried something different. Instead of using dates, I used cranberries. A bit more on the tangy side. I hope you will try and let me know how you liked it.

So here goes:

Tomato and Cranberry Chutney:

Ingredients:

6 Plump round tomatoes
Fresh cranberries -  1 and a 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1/4 cup - you can add more if you like it sweeter
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Kalonji /onion seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - For tempering - I used about 1 tbsp

The How to:

Wash the cranberries and set aside. Wash and dice the tomatoes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, add oil. Add the cumin seeds, onion seeds, mustard seeds, dried red chillies and turmeric powder. Stir. When the mustard seeds pop, add tomatoes. Let the tomatoes become pulpy. You can cover the saucepan and let it simmer. When the tomatoes look all mushed up, add the jaggery and stir. Now add the cranberries and salt. Let is simmer for sometime. When the cranberries crack, the chutney is done. Let it cool.

Serve chilled or warm with rotis or rice and dal.

Let me know if you tried this recipe.

Seafood Recipe: Atlantic Cod with Dil

Atlantic Cod with Dil 

Here's a very easy Seafood recipe that you can cook with ease. This recipe is for 1 person, so please use your discretion when you would like to make for the whole family.

Ingredients:

2 Atlantic Cod Fillets

1 Large white onion

A small sprig of dil leaves

Salt for taste

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Pepper powder for taste

Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp

The HOW TO:

Dice the onions. Set aside. Cut the dil leaves and set aside.

In a large pan, add a tbsp of olive oil. Add the diced onions. Fry for a while and if you have a lid, cover  the onions. When the onions turn pink, add a bit of salt and cover again. Add a tsp of garlic paste and cover. When you notice that the onions are turning brown, add the dil leaves, pepper powder and place the fish on top of the onion and garlic mix. Cover again and cook for about 15 minutes or until you feel the fish is cooked and done. Place the Atlantic Cod on Sliced cucumbers. 

Serve Hot! This dish is best served with cooked rice.

Enjoy and do let me know if you have tried it!

Spicy Mango Masala Rice

Oh Boy! Its that time of the year when you see mangoes in abundance. I love raw mangoes more than the ripe ones. For those who are in India, you would understand what I am talking about - the Totapuri mangoes and the very small green mangoes that are made for pickles.

Anyway, today I will be sharing a favorite recipe of mine using raw mangos -

SPICY MANGO MASALA RICE

Here's the recipe

for

SPICY MASALA MANGO RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice

Salt for taste

Masala Paste:

1 Raw Mango

5 Dry red chillies

Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

Green chillies - 2 -3

Tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 10-12 

The HOW TO:

Cook the rice. Make sure that the rice is not mushy by not adding too much water. 

Dry roast the red chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. When you get a nice flavour, switch off the stove. Let it cool and set aside. Later, add this mix to chopped mango, coconut and green chillies. Add a bit of water so you are able to make a paste. Be sure not to add too much water.

In a pan, add a tbsp of oil and transfer this masala paste. Fry until the water evaporates a bit and the raw smell of the masala disappears. Add salt.

Now add rice to this paste and mix well.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add the dals and peanuts. When the dals turn a golden brown, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Switch off the stove. Add this mix to the rice.

Enjoy!

Hope you like this recipe. 

Let me know if you have tried it. Would love to know hot it turned out!

Wordless Wednesday: Going Gluten free

I've taken the gluten free pledge and I hope to have the will power to curb my cravings for all that is you know what! Will keep you dated when I cross a milestone!

via Pinterest

Apple cinnamon and walnut muffin

Fall is here! And this one is a great recipe that I tried this morning. We had bought some apples from the farmer's market and I thought I should put some of it to good use.

I think its  a great breakfast recipe that has apples, oats, cinnamon and clove spices and walnuts and its really yummy!

So here's what you will need

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup walnuts
2 grated apples

The HOW TO:

Preheat the oven to 390 deg F

Cream  the butter, oil, sugar and maple syrup.
Add the egg to the above mix.
Add grated apples, cinnamon and cloves, vanilla and salt.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, add in the oats and baking soda. Now add this mix gently to the egg and butter mix.
Mix all of them well. Add sugar and mix again.
Fold in the walnuts.

On a greased muffin tin, line the muffin cups.
Place the muffin tins in the oven and bake at 390 deg F for 10 mins. Lower the temperature to 350 deg F and bake until a knife or fork comes clean out from the muffins.

Cool on rack and then serve.

Picture courtesy: Me

Food Map: India

Here is a Food Map of India.  Not sure about the accuracy, but its  a great guide. I was born and raised in Karnataka and I must say, I absolutely l o v e the dharwad pedas (a sweet)  and bisi bele baath (a spiced mix of lentils and rice)

picture courtesy tastingcultures.blogspot.co.uk

Rava laddoo recipe (Semolina sweet balls)

Happy Diwali to everyone! 

Diwali or the festival of lights is incomplete without sweets or "mithai". 

Both my daughters love their sweets, the elder one loves rasmalai and the younger one likes the motichoor laddoos. Now for somebody who is not a great cook, making these 2 sweets is like asking me to climb Mt. Everest! Yea, indeed its a big deal. So I had to get cracking and try something lest I look like those moms who keep telling their kids...try beta...if you don't you will never succeed! 

So I remembered my mother who would make gulab jamuns and rava laddoos. So I decided to make the rava laddoos.

Rava laddoos

So here is the recipe. Its rather easy and you can make about 15 laddoos.

Ingredients

Rava or Semolina -1 cup

Sugar  - 1 cup

Unsweetened grated coconut -1/2 cup

Ghee or clarified butter - 6 tbsp

Milk - 1/2 cup (boiled and cooled)

Cashewnuts - 3 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp

Ice cold water to make the laddoos

Directions:

****Cook this entire thing on low heat. 

In a big kadhai or saucepan, add 2 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. To this add cashewnuts. When the cashewnuts turn a bit brown, add raisins. When the raisins get a bit plump, add the coconut. Now add the rava or semolina. Stir. Now add 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter. Stir the mixture for about 5- 7 minutes until its turning a golden brown. Now add sugar and stir. Again add 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. Stir for another 5-7 minutes. Remember this must be cooked on low heat. So don't burn it, and see that you have no distractions! (Smiles). Now add milk and stir and add the last 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. Add the cardamom powder. Stir once more. Switch off the stove and transfer this mixture to a plate to cool down. 

While the mixture is cooling down , dip your palm in the cold water and then take a small portion of the mixture in your palm to make an 8" laddoo. The ice cold water will help you to make the laddoos,because the mixture is rather hot. (You cannot make the laddoos if the mixture cools off, because the mixture will harden). Follow the same procedure to make all the laddoos.You should be able to make about 15 laddoos in all. Depends on how big you want them to be.

Keep aside for about 30 minutes before you serve. Store in airtight container and consume within 5 days.

Enjoy and impress your loved ones like I did.

Let me know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you.

Mango Salsa

Today, we had a recipe exchange play date at my place. All moms had to bring 3 recipes and out of that one recipe we had to make and share. I chose to make Mango Salsa.

Here is the recipe

Preparation:10 minutes

Ingredients

4 ripe roma tomatoes

4 raw mangoes

1 red onion

1 green onion

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil 4 tbsp

Dash of hot sauce

Cilantro Freshly cut 1 cup

Garlic optional

Preparation

Cube the tomatoes, raw mangoes, onions. Add the juice of the lemon, olive oil, cilantro and hot sauce. Mix it up well and have it with your favourite corn chips or tositos.