Ragi Neer Dosa ~ Finger Millet Dosa

After all that Chocolate overdose,how about having something healthy?Ragi/Finger millet flour is something which became my friend very recently.Some time back,I used to associate Ragi only with Ragi Muddo,which obviously I am not very fond of.But of late I've started using it quite regularly in my cooking.


Once while in Bangalore,we were having dosas for breakfast.Everyone finished their breakfast and as me and ma-in-law sat down to have dosas,I noticed that the pristine white dosas had turned a pale chocolate color.There was absolutely no difference in taste though.I was intrigued and asked her what was the secret ingredient was and..yes you guessed it right,she had added a couple of tablespoons ragi flour to the dosa batter!


I tried out a similar method for Pan Polo/Neer dosa with ragi flour and am very glad to say it turned out great.





Ragi Neer Dosa


Ingredients


Ragi/Finger Millet flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water - 1-1 ½ cups[approximately]
Oil - as required to make dosas


Method


In a big mixing bowl,add ragi flour,salt to taste and enough water to make into a smooth paste.
Keep aside for 5 minutes or so.
Add more water[as required] to make the batter into a slightly watery consistency.[you could also pulse it in the mixer if there are any lumps].
In a seasoned dosa tawa,pour a ladleful of batter from the edges towards the centre to form a round shaped dosa[since the batter is watery,spreading dosa batter in the traditional way is not possible].
Let it brown on the sides and then fold the dosa into half then fold again.
Serve hot with coconut chutney,pickle or coconut-jaggery mix.

How did we like it - Except for the colour,the dosa tasted very close to its original counterpart Pan polo.Next time I am planning to grind together coconut and ragi flour and make a similar dosa as coconut imparts a very slight  sweet taste to the pan polo.


On a side note-This recipe was published on Hindu Metroplus in the feature My Grandmas recipe.Thanks to all of you who sent in their wishes for the same!!

Sending this across to Srivalli's blog anniversary event Breakfast Mela!

Death by Chocolate Cake

I find an opportunity to bake at the drop of a hat.A new appealing recipe with ingredients ready in my kitchen sees me rushing to line my pans and pull out my weighing scale and hand held mixer,switch on the music and bake to glory.But when someone asks me to bake something in particular,I am huffing and puffing and losing patience even if the slightest thing goes wrong.





It was Ajay's birthday on 26th and as usual,I started thinking about which cake to bake almost two weeks back.During a casual talk I asked him if he had any preferences and expected the usual answer -anything which you like or anything which is easy.But no,he HAD a choice after all.He asked me to bake a Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream and Chocolate Ganache,I rubbed my eyes in amusement-maybe married to a food blogger has rubbed on him too,I mean such precise choices,ganache did you say?


Being the chocoholics we are,there was no dearth of chocolate cake recipes in my repertoire,but I wanted something special as the birthday boy ought to have what he wants but in a special way.


I zeroed in on Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache.Now that is what I call a Death by Chocolate Cake!





Death by Chocolate Cake

Main Ingredients required

Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Whipped Cream [Filling]
Chocolate Ganache
Soaking Syrup


Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake
Recipe source - Hershey's


Ingredients


Sugar - 2 cups
Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup[I used Cadbury's]
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2
Milk - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Boiling water - 1 cup


Method

Preheat oven to 175C.Grease and line two 9' round cake tins.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. 
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Whipped Cream
Recipe source - Dorie Greenspan's BFMHTY


Ingredients


Dark Chocolate - 3oz [approximately 85gms]
Heavy Cream - 2 cups [I used 400 ml Amul Cream]
Sugar - 2-3 tbsp


Method


In a thick bottomed saucepan boil the cream along with the sugar.
In a big mixing bowl add the chopped chocolate and the boiling cream and mix well using a whisk.
Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
[The cream whips well if it is refrigerated for 4 hours or more,better still refrigerate it for 24 hours].
If you have refrigerated it for only 4 hours,it is better to whip it using an ice-bath otherwise,beat the cream well using a hand held mixer until it starts forming soft peaks.
Keep refrigerated until use.


Chocolate Ganache


Ingredients


Dark Chocolate - 200 gms[I used Morde]
Cream - 200 ml[I used Amul]


Method


Chop the chocolate and keep aside.
Heat the cream until it starts boiling,add to the chocolate and stir well using a whisk.
Let it come to room temperature and then refrigerate it.
Ganache thickens as it cools down,so if it has become too thick to be poured on top of the cake as a glaze,microwave it using 10 second spurts until it becomes the required consistency.


Soaking Syrup
Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water along with a tsp rum or vanilla and mix well.refrigerate till required.


Assembling the cake


Poke small holes on the cakes using a toothpick and using a pastry brush,apply the soaking syrup all over.
Sandwich the cooled cakes using the chocolate whipped cream and crumb coat the cake.Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Apply the cream on top and sides to cover the cake completely.
Pour the ganache glaze on top and tilt the cake slightly so that it is equally distributed on top of the cake.
Make a spidey web pattern on top using the cream.
Pipe swirls on the sides of the cake using the ganache.
Serve chilled.





I had planned to make a lace border just like last year,but it wouldn't have looked that good since it was only chocolate all the way through.So made a small deviation from the original plan.I smeared melted chocolate very thinly on wax paper cut according to the border size of the cake and coated the sides of the cake with the paper.Chilled the cake for a while and then removed the paper.It hasn't come out that well but you'd hardly notice it once you start eating the cake!





How did we the birthday boy like it -I was keeping my fingers crossed as he cut his cake.One bite,as he closed his eyes and relished the cake,I got my answer.He loved it totally and had 3 slices!!For me,it was THE perfect chocolate cake in every ways possible.Don't go by the longish recipes,every element can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.Bake the cakes,make the ganache and make the prep work for the cream a day before and you are done.On the day of assembling,just put everything together and tada,you'll have a great cake!

Coconut Brownies & An Update

Having been born and brought up in Kerala and being from the GSB community,it is no wonder that I am kicked about Coconut.I've had numerous arguments with my non-malayali friends regarding the use of coconut oil exclusively for oiling hair.After all,the debate for the time being has come to a stand still what with The New York Times coming up with an article which gives Coconut Oil the much required Makeover.

Sometime back I saw a recipe for Coconut Brownies in Vanitha and as I was going through the recipe,there was a typo with regard to the amount of flour.I didn't want to the guess work and chose a basic Brownie recipe and tweaked it to make these Coconut Brownies.




Coconut Brownies
Basic Brownie Recipe here


Ingredients


Butter - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2
Cocoa Powder - 1/3 cup
Flour - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch[skip if you are using salted Butter]
Chopped Cashews - 1/2 cup
Dessicated Coconut - 1/2 cup


Method


Preheat oven to 170C.
Grease/line a 9' square baking pan.
Microwave the butter in a microwave safe bowl until melted[you can do this on stove top too].
Stir in the sugar and vanilla. 
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
Add the cocoa,beat well until well blended. 
Add the flour, baking powder and salt,beat well.
Stir in the nuts and the dessicated coconut.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the pan sides.

How did we like it -The brownies had a beautiful crust after baking and IMHO,that is a first brownie point[!].The flavor of coconut was not very dominant but the coconut flakes made it kind of chewy which we absolutely loved.I am planning to try adding shredded coconut by toasting it a bit before adding to the batter next time when I try it,that might give the brownies a more pronounced Coconut flavor.

Sending these Brownies across to my event The Best Brownie event and to Kerala Kitchen.


---

Update - Sometime back,I got a mail from Flipkart saying that they could not procure the book I had ordered[The Brownie book for the Giveaway].I tried getting it from some other sites too,but in vain.So unfortunately,I have to strike off that book from the Giveaway.


But worry not,I've got some other great choices for you.I have chosen 3 books from which you can make a choice if you win the Giveaway.They are

The Great Book of Chocolate By David Lebovitz







OR

The Big Book of Baking by Parragon Publishers[I'd highly recommend this one!]









OR

500 Cakes by Susannah Blake








Send in your entries quickly..

Paneer/Ricotta Cheese Pound Cake

I rarely make Paneer at home.Contrary to what people say about store bought Paneer being hard and tasteless,I find them quite good.Most of the times,soaking the paneer in hot water before adding to the curry does the trick for me and the paneer stays soft even when I reheat the curry.So I might be just lucky to get good quality Paneer or maybe I haven't come across those 'really hard and tasteless' paneer' yet!


On those occasions when the milk curdles,I end up with Homemade Paneer and I try to incorporate it into Stuffed Rotis or Paneer Bhurjis.Ever since I came across Aparna's recipe for Paneer Pound Cake,I've been waiting for my milk to curdle to try this out.[Ok,I could just go ahead and curdle the milk myself,but I preferred to wait].The recipe is a very simple one and gets done in a jiffy if you have the paneer ready.


It smelled so good while baking that I just couldn't wait to cut and eat it.The texture is very soft and melt in the mouth.It is more like a simple tea-cake you can have with your cuppa.Do try it out since unlike Pound cakes,this one is not loaded with pounds of sugar and butter!!




Paneer /Ricotta Pound Cake
Recipe source - Aparna


Ingredients


Cake flour - 3/4 cup[make your own-add a tbsp of cornflour into your measuring cup and top it with flour-sift well]
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salted Butter - 60 gms
Fresh Paneer[drained] - 3/4 cup
Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
Egg - 1
Lime juice - 1 tsp


Method


Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease and line an 8' round cake tin.
Sift together the flour and baking powder,keep aside.
Make a smooth paste of Paneer by blending it in the mixer.
Cream the paneer and the butter till soft and fluffy.
Mix in the sugar and beat till the mixture is creamy.Scrape down the batter from sides of the bowl in between.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well till mixed.
Spoon in the flour mix and beat on medium speed till you get a smooth batter.Add the lemon juice and beat again.The batter might look slightly curdled,but that's alright.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or till the top has turned a golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the tin for 5 minutes and then gently transfer to a wire rack for further cooling.
Slice and serve.


Notes

• For this cake,it is better to use homemade paneer.For making your own,refer Aparna's post for detailed steps.
• I used a 8' round cake tin and felt my cake was thinner than Aparna's,so planning to use a smaller tin next time.[I like tall cakes!].
• If you have access to store bought Ricotta,you could substitute that with Paneer.

Ulli Sambhar

I am sure there are tons of recipes for Ulli Sambhar on the net,so contemplated a while before posting this.But I believe with each recipe you follow,you add your own touches to it and make it 'your' special dish,so why not post my version,which might be similar to other recipes but is a special in my home.Did I confuse you there?


I've been planning to make this sambhar for a while now,ever since amma followed a recipe from a Cookery show and tried it out.No complicated steps and gets done in a jiffy,of course only if you have peeled pearl onions stored in the fridge,and you need a lot of them for this sambhar!



Ulli Sambhar


Ingredients


Ulli/Pearl onions - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 big,chopped
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - a lime size ball
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp[I used Eastern]
Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp,finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil/ghee - 1 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp[optional]


For seasoning


Oil/Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig


Method


Add enough water to cover the toor dal and cook in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles or till it becomes soft and mushy.
Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract about 1 cup of pulp/juice.
In a thick bottomed kadai add oil/ghee and saute the onions till they start to brown[about 5-7 minutes].
Add the chopped tomato along with the tamarind juice and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Mix in the mashed dal,sambhar powder and salt to taste.
Let it come to a boil,then simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the coriander leaves and crushed jaggery.
Prepare seasoning in a pan with oil/ghee and splutter mustard seeds and jeera.Add curry leaves.
Add the seasoning to the sambhar and add a tsp of ghee before serving[optional].





Notes

• You could substitute Toor dal with Moong dal with great results.A friend of mine who is not very fond of toor dal tried it with moong dal and loved it.
• Soak the pearl onions in water for about 10 minutes and then peel it,this makes peeling easier.
• Adding jaggery is optional but highly recommended since jaggery balances the flavor.
• Depending on whether you are serving the sambhar with dosa or idlis,you would need to add less/more water.Since I was serving it with dosa,I made a slightly thicker version.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen,an event hosted by Magpie and Ria.

Eggless Brownies with Toffee Sauce

I had decided to bake at least one Brownie per week for my Best Brownie event,but seems like it is not happening.I have bookmarked a few recipes to try within the next few days,lets see if it sees the light of the day!I came across this simple,eggless brownie recipe in Nita Mehta's Eggless Desserts book.After I went through the book at home,I realized I had bought the book only for this recipe.There are many cheesecake recipes[which I am not very fond of] and pudding recipes and there was this brownie recipe with toffee sauce and I got the book,me and my impulsive shopping!!


The recipe is a very simple and basic one to start with.It baked beautifully,sans the crust,but still delicious.I did not make the toffee sauce as I had frozen my leftover Toffee sauce from this cake and I felt it would be a great substitute.I had also planned to smear the sauce over the brownie as soon as it came out of the oven,but last minute decided against it.Instead,I refrigerated the Brownie and while serving,warmed both the brownie and the sauce for a delectable dessert.

Eggless Brownie with Toffee Sauce


Ingredients


Flour - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips - 1/4 cup
Fresh curd - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp


Method


Preheat oven to 200C.Grease and line a rectangular baking tray[or a 8' or 9' square baking pan].
Mix together curd and sugar with a whisk till the sugar dissolves.
Add baking powder and baking soda,mix well.Keep aside for 3-4 minutes till bubbles start to appear.
Sift together flour and cocoa and add the walnuts and chocolate chips,reserve.
Add oil and vanilla to the curd mix and whisk well.
Add the flour mix 1 tbsp at a time and mix well to get a thick and smooth batter.[If the batter appears too thick,you can add a tsp or more curd to loosen it].
Pour the mix into the greased pan and level the top with a spatula.
[I added blobs of Dulce de Leche as I had some leftover in the fridge,though it can be skipped completely].
Bake at 200C for about 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 150C and bake for 20-25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the brownie cool in the tray for 5 minutes and then cool in a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
Slice and serve with toffee sauce.

Notes

• This brownie is more cakey-like,due to the initial whisking and the addition of baking powder and soda but delicious nevertheless.
• If you want to avoid the toffee sauce[though I'd highly recommend not to]increase the sugar to make 1 cup of sugar total.
• Refrigerate the brownie once it is cool to the touch and then warm in the microwave just before serving.

These Brownies are off to my event The Best Brownie Event.Have you sent in your entries yet?

Gova Kanya Paysu ~ Cracked Wheat Payasam

I am not a big Payasam fan.Yes,I do slurp down the last bit of Paalada from my glass[or the banana leaf in which it is served] and I love amma's Paal payasam,but I actually do not crave for it enough to make it myself.I have not made Payasams that often too.Earlier,the only dessert option for me when we had guests over was Ice-cream or Payasam and I did my share of Semiya Payasams and Instant mix ones.Of course,now I show off my baking skills when it comes to desserts!


Being in Chennai,I miss all those once-a-week-at-least-weddings that happen in Ernakulam.Or the friendly neighbour who makes Payasam because her son got a job/his wife had a kid/or the kid is celebrating her birthday.Very often,when Amma talks about these things,I feel home-sick.It was during such a phone-call with amma that I decided to make this payasam.Amma makes it often at home and it is a favorite with all of us.It made me happy,temporarily at least!!

Gova Kanya Paysu ~ Cracked Wheat Payasam
Recipe source - Amma


Ingredients


Cracked wheat - 1/4 cup
Milk - 5 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron strands - a few,soaked in warm milk
Nuts - to garnish


Method


In a thick bottom kadai add milk and let it come to a boil.
Mix in the cracked wheat and let it cook till soft[about 25-30 minutes].
Add the sugar and let it cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Mix in the cardamom powder and saffron strands.Garnish with nuts
Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

• Depending on the cracked wheat,you may require less/more milk.I started with 3 cups milk and added more as the payasam started drying up.
• You could also cook the cracked wheat in water first and then add milk and sugar.
• This Payasam tastes best served warm,but if you like,it can be served chilled too.We had it both ways and loved each version.

On a different note,this recipe is featured in the HomeAway.co.uk Travel Cookbook'.

Vegetable Ishtoo

Does the name Ishtoo bring a smile to your face?I like the way it sounds,much better than saying Stew.Amma has been following the same recipe for Stew ever since I can remember and not surprisingly,I followed the same too.Once,when we had some friends over for dinner,I was told that "this" is not the way it is made traditionally.I was offended,but I didn't show it.Maybe it is not the traditional recipe,but this is how we like it,I wanted to tell her,but kept quiet.

When Kerala Kitchen was announced by Magpie and Ria,the first recipe I checked was the Stew.To my amusement,it was named Traditional Syrian Christian Coconut Milk Stew,can it get better than that?I decided that I would try it out once and then decide if I was doing something wrong with my recipe.


I made it few days back with Appam and I tell you,it makes a delicious combo.Do I like this one more than the other?I should say this one tastes amazing,with the delicate flavor of the spices steeped in coconut milk.Perfect with Appam,Idiyappam or even bread,while my version is more like a Konkani style stew.I love both and I would continue making both to pair with their respective counterparts.

Vegatable Ishtoo
Recipe adapted slightly from Magpie

Ingredients


Potato-2,cubed
Carrot - 1 big,sliced
Beans - 3-4,sliced 
Onion - 1 big,sliced
Green chilly - 2,chopped finely
Ginger - 1' piece,chopped finely
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cinnamon - 1' piece
Clove -2
Cardamom - 2,whole
Coconut Milk - 
Thin coconut milk - 3/4 cup
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste


For the final garnish


Ghee - 1 tsp
Small onions - 5-7,whole
Curry leaves - 1 sprig


Method


Pressure cook the vegetables-potato,carrot,beans till done,keep aside.
In a kadai add oil and splutter the whole spices-cinnamon,clove and cardamom.
Mix in the curry leaves,green chilly and ginger,saute for2-3 minutes.
Add the onions and saute till the onions start turning golden brown.
Add the cooked vegetables,salt and the thin coconut milk and mix well,let it come to a boil.
Simmer for a few minutes covered till the stew starts thickening.
Add the thick coconut milk,mix well and switch off the flame.
In another pan,add ghee and saute the small onions and curry leaves and add it to the stew.
Serve hot with Appam,Idiyappam or Bread.

Sending this over to Magpie who is hosting Kerala Kitchen this month,thanks to whom this recipe was found.

Urulai/Potato Roast

Sometime back,during my regular blog hopping,I happened to read a post on a Tam-Bhram blog about the special foods prepared to welcome the new son-in-law to the family,I was intrigued.I have heard about the feast for "puyaaplah",which literally means new son-in-law in Kerala Muslim families,but this was something new.If I remember correctly,Urulai Roast/Potato roast is a very popular dish in this regard.


Now being a potato lover,I was all ears eyes and searched many blogs for a recipe which I could try.Almost all the recipes sounded very similar,in fact looks like I already tried out a version some time back.Keeping this is mind I got a bag of those cute baby potatoes,specifically for the blog.Now come on,they look better any day than sliced/cubed potatoes,don't they?

The recipe is quite simple and straight forward.Half boil the potatoes and roast with spices/masala.It cannot get any easier than that.Whether or not you are trying to impress someone,this makes a great addition to your food plate,that I can guarantee!!


Urulai / Potato Roast
Recipe adapted from here and here


Ingredients


Baby Potatoes - 1/4 kg 
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander/Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste


Method


Cook the potatoes in the pressure cooker for about 10 minutes or 3-4 whistles.
Let it cool,peel them and keep refrigerated to firm up.
Make a paste of onion and tomatoes,keep aside.
In a non-stick kadai add oil and splutter mustard seeds and urad dal.When the urad dal starts browning,add curry leaves and the onion-tomato paste.
Keep stirring for 3-5 minutes and then add the powders-chilly,coriander and haldi.
Stir for about 2-3 minutes or till the raw smell of the masala subsides.
Tip in the potatoes,add salt to taste and mix well so that the masala coats the potatoes.
Keep on simmer for about 15-20 minutes and stir once in a while taking care not to mash/break the potatoes.
Switch off the flame when the potatoes are evenly roasted and coated with the masala.
Serve with rice or chapathi.

Notes

• You could substitute baby potatoes with normal ones.Just cut them into big chunks and proceed with the recipe.
• It is preferable to use a non-stick kadai as it requires less stirring and doesn't get stuck to the bottom.More stirring would cause the potatoes to mash/break.It would not affect the taste in any way though.
• The spice powders can be substituted with Sambhar powder for a different and more pronounced flavor.

Eggless Whole Wheat Almond Cookies

I have a fetish for some select recipes.Like Chocolate cakes.Over a period of time,I have baked quite a few Chocolate cakes and have my go-to Chocolate cake recipe too,but if I see a new recipe,I have to bookmark it,or even jot it down.A photo of a tall slice of Chocolate cake is the first one I notice among the many other pictures in a cookbook.Similarly a Nankhatai or Butter cookies are part of the same story.I have recipes from my trusted sources and have baked them too but when I see a new recipe,I am tempted to try them immediately.


So I was delighted when Ria chose this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen for A Sweet Punch for March.The recipe by itself is a very simple one and the video makes things easier.The best part I liked was that this was baked using whole wheat flour/atta.Kind of makes you feel less guilty when you chomp down the cookies one after the other.The ingredients can be found easily in your pantry,so go bake them immediately,I bet you cannot stop at one!!


Eggless Whole Wheat Almond Cookies
Recipe source - Manjula's Kitchen

Ingredients


Whole wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup*
Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup /100 gms [softened]
Sliced Almonds - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 2 tbsp[if required]


Method


Preheat oven to 180C.
In a bowl mix together the flour,sugar,almonds cardamom powder and salt well with a spatula.

Add butter and start kneading lightly until you get a smooth dough.
If the dough is crumbly,you could add few drops of milk as required to form a smooth dough.[I had kept the butter outside for about an hour and hence the butter was very soft,I did not add milk at all]
Divide the dough into 24 equal parts and shape into balls.
Flatten a little by pressing each ball between your palm[about 1/2' thick].
Place the cookies in an ungreased cookie sheet/baking tray with enough space between each cookie[about 1' apart].
Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes or till the cookies turn golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 2-3 minutes,then transfer to a cooling rack.

Store in airtight containers.


Notes

• *Sugar mentioned in the recipe is fine granular sugar,so if you only have access to the regular granular sugar,pulse it in the mixer in 2 second pulses till you get fine textured sugar.
• Butter should be very soft so that it makes easier to knead the dough.If the butter is not soft enough,you would need to add more milk to bind the dough,which would in turn make the cookie hard.
• The baking temperature and time depends entirely on your oven.I baked mine at 150C for 20 minutes and the cookie was baked perfectly,though the recipe says to bake at 180C.So bake according to the oven type you are using.

[If you want to be a part of A Sweet Punch,send a mail to asweetpunch@gmail.com]

Dulce de Leche Brownies..To celebrate 3rd Bloggiversary & an Event + Giveaway!!

As I mentioned in my last post,this one is going to be a special.Easycooking turned One,Two and now Three.I am excited and happy and full of joy.Something which was started on a whim is alive and kicking even today only because of YOU.Thank you all of you,my regular readers and my friends and my silent readers and every one in between.A BIG thank you to all of you who made this space come alive!!


It only seems like yesterday when I announced the BIG Chocolate Cake event to celebrate my 2nd Bloggiversary.I was out of ideas this time and I almost skipped on the event part.But the only way I can reach out to you by giving you a month long treat is through an event,and as expected by me of you-a full fledged baking event,this time a Brownie!





Bake Brownies/Blondies/Bars of any kind-With eggs/without eggs,with chocolate/with cocoa,with nuts/without nuts,in short anything brownie and it is acceptable.I am a self confessed Brownie freak and would love to have a folder full of brownie recipes when the craving strikes.So would you join me on a month long Brownie event as I celebrate my joy??[March 1-April 5th]

All you have to do is bake a Brownie,link it to this post and add the link to the comment box of this post.Yes,it is as simple as that!!Non-bloggers can mail me the photo along with the recipe.If you have baked some lip-smacking brownies in the past and would like to send that too,do not hesitate-just add the link!!

And what would you get in return,well a round-up full of brownies for sure and a Brownie book to continue your brownie baking.I am giving away "The Ultimate Brownie Book" to one lucky reader*I have updated the Giveaway details here.[who will be picked in random].So don your aprons and start baking some brownies!!!





So to kick start the brownie fest,I have baked a batch of Dulce De Leche Brownies.No celebration is complete without a sweet and I couldn't let this mile stone pass without baking these wonders.I used Homemade Dulce de Leche which I had such a trouble saving without eating up the whole can myself.





I chose the very popular recipe by David Lebovitz.The recipe is quite simple and I could get everything done in less than 10 minutes.One thing did went wrong though,after about five minutes into baking,we had a power shutdown for about half an hour.I did not open the oven and let the brownies rest inside and started baking immediately after the power resumed.No worries,they still came out perfect!!


Dulce De Leche Brownies
Recipe source - David Lebovitz


Ingredients


Salted/Unsalted butter - 115 gms / 8 tbsp
Bittersweet/Semisweet Chocolate - 170 gms / 6oz
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 3,large
Sugar - 1 cup
Flour - 1 cup
Dulce de Leche - 1 cup


Method


Preheat oven to 175C.Grease and line an 8' square baking tin.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. 

Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. 

Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan.

Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Notes

• My brownies were baked in 35 minutes[excluding the first five minutes before the power shutdown].Do check after 30 minutes as the brownies continue to cook after they are out of the oven.Overcooking would result in hard brownies,you do not want that!!
• Let the brownies cool completely before you slice them to get neat slices.I let it cool on the counter top and refrigerated it overnight.Slice it and before serving,just warm it in the microwave for a couple of seconds..absolutely divine!!
• You could also add some walnuts or chocolate chips in the batter,though they taste just as good without them!

So what are you waiting for..whip up some brownies fast and send it across to the event!!You can browse here for a start!

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