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

Recipe: Creme Brulee

My husband made Creme Brûlée  over the weekend.  I was the happy photographer! Here's the recipe!

Creme Brûlée


Ingredients:

12 Eggs yolks
150 g white sugar
1 litre cream
Vanilla essence

Here's the How to:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Separate the white from egg yolks

Heat the cream on sim in a large pan and occasionally stir it .

We had some fresh Vanilla beans so we added it to the cream. If you don't have vanilla beans, you can add vanilla essence 1 tsp should do.

Here's a  very aromatic Vanilla bean from Madagascar.

Fresh Vanilla beans scraped.

Add the vanilla beans to the cream and stir.

Add sugar and then the egg yolks. Tip: Whisk the egg yolks and then fold into the cream mix and stir. ( My husband forgot to whisk the egg yolks, but we managed to get a creamy mix )

Let the mix come to a boil.

Remove from stove top.

You will need tray where the bowls have to be placed on water. See picture below.
Transfer the contents in the bowl to 12 ramekins.  The mix should not be upto the brim of the ramekins. TIP: The contents should be enough that the water mark is. Place the ramekins on the tray. Pour water using a watering can onto the tray.

Bake for about 30 minutes

Let it cool on rack and chill in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours.

Before you serve, put a spoonful of sugar on each bowl and using a torch, flame the sugar.

And voila its ready to be served and eaten!

Enjoy your Creme Brûlée

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!

Happy Ugadi

I miss my days in Bangalore, India. I miss the Ugadi celebrations with our neighbours. My parents being from Assam, made Karnataka their home and my brother and I adapted pretty well to our birth place learning Kannada and truly making Bangalore our HOME.


Anyway, to those who have no idea what I am talking about, Ugadi is a Hindu festival celebrated by Indians. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh they call it Ugadi.  Yug means the new era and Adi means the beginning and hence the words conjoin to make Ugadi. It is also known as Gudi padwa in Maharashtra .

I remember having a feast eating  Moongdal Kosambri (a mix of moong lentils with cucumber) Holige (sweet rotis made with jaggery and flour) and Hulianna (lemon rice)

Image courtesy: PaakaShaale

Get the amazing and mouthwatering Holige recipe at Paaka Shaale

Baked Chickpeas and Brown Rice Patties

Okay, its a week of being gluten free and here's one Gluten free recipe I really really liked. I've made it twice over the past week and its been a  hit with the family.

Baked Chickpeas and Brown Rice Patties

Ingredients:

1 cup Brown Rice cooked
1 cup Chickpeas boiled
2 Shallots
1 pod garlic minced
1 tsp of ginger minced
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder
1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 egg
For those who like it spicy, you may add 1 or two green chillies
Olive oil to grease the oven pan

The How to:

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas and brown rice together. I used my hands to mash it all up.

Grate the shallots into this mix. Add the minced garlic and ginger. Add salt and pepper and coriander leaves. Add the egg and let it settle. 

Lightly grease the pan on which you will place the patties.

Make your patties and place on the greased oven pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 def F.

Place the patties on convect mode for 15 minutes or until the top of the patties look brown.

Cool on rack for a few minutes.

Serve hot with ketchup, mango chutney. 

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

A Scrumptious Cottage Cheese and Peas Mini Galette Recipe

Hello everybody. Hope you are all doing well! Today I have invited my sister-in-law, Sharada Parashar, a hobby chef to get our tastebuds charged with-

A Scrumptious Cottage Cheese and Peas Mini Galette Recipe by Sharada Parashar. Find her easy Indian mouthwatering recipes here

According to Sharada "My first attempt at making a galette and that too a fusion one! The crispy taste of the Gallete cover is combined with the Indian curry filling of Cottage cheese and Peas".

Serving: Makes 4 Galette of about 3 inches

Ingredients:
For crust:
1 and 1/2 cups of All purpose flour
3/4 cup salted butter - chilled and cut into small pieces OR
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces + 1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
6-8 tbsp chilled water or as required

For filling:
350 gm or 11 oz home made cottage cheese
1 and 1/2 cup green peas
5 tbsp tomato puree
1 medium sized onion - finely chopped
1 tbsp - Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp cream
2 tbsp cheddar cheese, shredded

Coriander/Cilantro to garnish

Method:

• Mix together flour, sugar and salt (if using unsalted butter). Mix in the butter chunks and combine till the flour looks like breadcrumbs. Sprinkle ice water and bring the dough together. Don't knead. Add more ice water little by little if you prefer pliable dough.
• Cover this dough with cling foil and keep it in fridge for an hour.
• Parboil the peas with a little water, a pinch of sugar and salt.
• Roughly cut the Cheese into small cubes.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add Asafoetida. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add Onions and cook till they are slightly brown.
• Put Tomato puree and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add Peas. Add Salt, Red Chili powder, Coriander powder. Stir. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, so that Peas absorb the spices.
• Add Cottage cheese. Mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Switch off the flame. Add Garam masala. Add cream. Let the mixture cool down.

• Preheat the oven at 180C/350F. Take out the dough. Divide into 4 equal portions and make round balls.
• Place the ball between two plastic sheets (I cut ziplock bags and used them for this). Roll out the dough into 1/8" thick disk.

• Line a baking tray with butter paper. Place the rolled out disks on the tray. Scoop out the Cottage cheese-peas mixture and spread on each disk, leaving 1 inches on the sides. (You can leave more or less)

• Fold in the sides. (I avoid eggs, hence I have used milk to brush the surface. You can brush the surface with egg mixture). Bake for 35-40 minutes or till sides are brown. Just 2 minutes before baking time gets complete, open the oven and sprinkle some cheddar inside the opening of the galette. Move the galettes to rack. Let them cool a bit.

• Garnish with Coriander/Cilantro and serve.

Note: A lot of folks use 200C but I was concerned about over browning of Cottage cheese filling, hence tried it at 180C, which worked perfectly for me. You can use the setting suitable for your oven.

About Sharada Parashar  

Sharada is a Software professional and is based in India. Before she got married, she was a novice in cooking.  She started exploring food blogs and realised that when she started to cook, she really enjoyed it so much that she started her own blog -Cinnamon N Chillies. You can find some simple and easy to whip up recipes on her blog. Look it up, you may find an inspiration just like I did. 

Thank you and hope you like this recipe! Let me know.

Masala Chai

Indians love their tea and every Indian home will have a unique way of preparing Masala Chai.

Chai means tea and Masala is the Hindi word for spice and therefore Masala Chai means spicy tea.

My husband is a hobby chef and this is how he makes Masala Chai and its oh so damn good!

Ingredients:
1 whole green cardamom pod
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 clove
1 black peppercorn
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 /2 tsp fresh ginger
1 cup water
milk
sugar
1 tsp black tea leaves/tea bag

Putting it together:

Dry roast the cardamom, cinnamon stick, clove, black peppercorn and fennel seeds so that they leave their natural oils.Lightly crush the roasted spices using a mortal and pestle.

In a saucepan add water, transfer the crushed spices, ginger and bring it to a boil. Add your tea leaves/teabag, cover the saucepan and leave it to your desired strength. Now add desired milk and sugar. Stir!

Strain it and pour it into a teacup.

Your Masala Chai is ready!

This recipe is for 1 cup of tea

Note: Use a good black tea.
If you plan to make for more than one person, then adjust the spices accordingly because the spices can be pungent.