Eggless Tutti Frutti Cookies | Karachi Biscuits

I had planned to blog this recipe well before Christmas because well,it is festive and quite apt for gifting.Now no excuses as Christmas came and went,but at least I can post this for New Years!!So how's your planning going on for the New Year party?Well,if you ask me,our plan is a good dinner at home,movie and cake cutting at 12.Oh,we are quite boring that way :)

So this recipe today,I made it first while we were visiting a new born and I had to whip up something quick for the family.The cookies were a hit and I was asked from where I brought it.If that isn't compliment enough,I don't know what is.It is a very simple recipe but requires a bit of time to chill so that you get perfectly shaped cookies.

Moving on to the recipe.

Eggless Tutti Frutti Cookies | Karachi Biscuits
Recipe source - DesiTadka

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 1/2 cups
Custard powder - 1/2 cup{I used Vanilla flavored}
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Tutti Frutti - 1/2 cup
Chopped Cashewnuts - 1/4 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup,softened
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Pineapple essence - 1/2 tbsp
Milk - 3 tbsp

Method

Sift together flour,custard powder and baking powder well.

Mix in tutti frutti and chopped cashews and keep aside.
Cream together butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.Mix in the essence and milk and give a good stir.
Slowly start adding the flour mix till you get a smooth dough.Add a tsp or so of milk if you feel the dough is not coming together.
Divide the dough into two.Roll the dough into logs,cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 160C and lightly grease your cookie tray.
Remove the cling wrap and using a sharp knife cut out about 1/4' slices.
Arrange them on the cookie tray and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly golden on the sides.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container once it cools down completely.

Step by Step Pictorial

Sift together flour,custard powder and baking powder well.

Mix in tutti frutti and chopped cashews and keep aside.

Cream together butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.Mix in the essence and milk and give a good stir.

Slowly start adding the flour mix till you get a smooth dough.Add a tsp or so of milk if you feel the dough is not coming together.

Divide the dough into two.Roll the dough into logs,cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 160C and lightly grease your cookie tray.
Remove the cling wrap and using a sharp knife cut out about 1/4' slices.
Arrange them on the cookie tray and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly golden on the sides.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container once it cools down completely.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!!

Cheesy Chutney Pull-apart Rolls

Pull-apart rolls took the blogosphere by storm a while ago.I remember,Suhaina posted it and soon after so many bloggers,including me,tried it with a roaring success.Those rolls are so popular in my home that I've tried it with so many different variations(fillings mainly).Whenever I chance upon a pull-apart bread recipe,I immediately take note and this one was one such recipe.

Though I've tried many a bread recipes by now,baking bread still makes me nervous and anxious which ends in happiness when I smell the bread baking in the oven.

The dough is an enriched one,with the addition of milk and butter and the resultant rolls are super soft and melt in the mouth.The original recipe called for a spiced cheese spread and since the one I had was plain I had this idea of adding my Mint chutney to it and hence the name cheesy chutney pull-apart rolls.This tasted almost like my mint chutney sandwiches but these were definitely tastier.

Also check out

• Nutella Pull-apart rolls
• Garlic Pull-apart rolls
• Spiral Mint rolls
• Whole-wheat Garlic Pull-apart rolls
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Herb and Cheese Pull-apart Bread

Cheesy Chutney Pull-apart Rolls
Recipe courtesy - Gayathri

Ingredients

All Purpose flour/Maida - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Instant Yeast - 1 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Milk- 1 cup
Butter - 1/3 cup
Cheese spread - 1/4 cup
Mint chutney - 1/4 cup

Method

Heat milk and butter until butter melts.Set it aside until it comes to luke warm.
In a bowl mix together flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
Add the luke warm milk and mix to form a sticky dough.
Transfer to the counter and knead for 10 minutes until it becomes soft,smooth and less sticky.

Use a bench scraper to handle the dough,do not add too much flour.
Once done, place it in a well oiled bowl and cover with cling film and set it aside.
Once it is double the size, transfer it back to counter, punch out the air.
Shape it into a rectangle.
Mix together the cheese spread and chutney and spread it out evenly.Roll it into a log.
Slice into 14 – 15 equal pieces.
Arrange them in a greased 10″ tin or a baking tray.I used two 7' round tins.
Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
By the time, preheat oven to 200°C.
Bake the rolls for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
Remove from oven, brush the top of the rolls with butter and sprinkle some coriander leaves.
Serve them hot or warm.

Step by Step Recipe

Heat milk and butter until butter melts.Set it aside until it comes to luke warm.

In a bowl mix together flour, salt, sugar and yeast.

Add the luke warm milk and mix to form a sticky dough.

Transfer to the counter and knead for 10 minutes until it becomes soft,smooth and less sticky.

Use a bench scraper to handle the dough,do not add too much flour.

Once done, place it in a well oiled bowl and cover with cling film and set it aside.
Once it is double the size, transfer it back to counter, punch out the air.
Shape it into a rectangle.

Mix together the cheese spread and chutney and spread it out evenly.Roll it into a log.

Slice into 14 – 15 equal pieces.
Arrange them in a greased 10″ tin or a baking tray.I used two 7' round tins.

Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
By the time, preheat oven to 200°C.
Bake the rolls for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
Remove from oven, brush the top of the rolls with butter and sprinkle some coriander leaves.
Serve them hot or warm.

P.S- As I was writing the post,I realized that I had missed to add one main ingredient ie Sugar,was wondering how I missed it.But the rolls were delicious and the texture was also spot on :) so no complaints!

Cinnamon Sugared Almonds

If you are a regular here,you'd know my fascination for Cinnamon.I love Cinnamon and do not skip a chance to add it in a recipe.Of course the top favorite being these delectable Cinnamon rolls.I love the flavor and the earthiness of this spice and can go on and on singing praises for the same.

It was no wonder then when I came across this idea of pairing Cinnamon with nuts,I fell for it.A while back,during a party a friend brought along a bunch of candied nuts.I am not so much a nuts person,so believe me when I tell you,those nuts were damn addictive.Especially the almonds.I wanted to recreate it and searched for a recipe.

These sugared almonds are indeed a breeze to make and takes just under 20 minutes from start to finish.How cool is that?

As a kid,I used to relish sugared cashews which were made by making a sugar syrup first with strings and then nuts added to it which created a lovely sugar coating all around the cashews.This one is pretty similar,with less work and an added flavor of cinnamon.I hope you do try it out for your next party!

Cinnamon Sugared Almonds
Recipe source - AllRecipes

Ingredients

Almonds - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Method

In a non stick kadai,mix together sugar,water and cinnamon and let it come to a boil.

Mix in the almonds.Stir and cook the mixture till the sugar syrup thickens and coats the nuts evenly.

Grease a plate and pour the nuts into it.Separate almonds using forks and let it cool down for about 15 minutes.

These Sugared Almonds taste delicious warm and in room temperature as well.Store in an airtight container once completely cool.Planning to try a mixed version,like I tasted,next time :)

Other Cinnamon Favorites on the blog

Cinnamon Cookies
Apple Cinnamon Braided Bread
Orange Marmalade Cranberry Pull apart Loaf
Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Eggless Vanilla Choco-chip Bundt Cake

There was a time when eggless baking gave me jitters.Maybe because I started baking with eggs and struggled a bit to perfect my baking that anything less than a super hit success recipe makes me gasp a little.Initially I had a problem with using condensed milk too{call me crazy}.I could finish a whole can all by myself if I had my way,but using it all in a cake made me apprehensive.

Of course,some recipes stick with you and I do have my go-to eggless cake recipe which gives me foolproof results every single time.

However,the baker in me gets all excited when a new recipe comes up and I just cannot sit still until I try it out.Last time when I was in Ernakulam and wanted to bake for family,I came across this recipe.I had all ingredients ready{even if one ingredient was missing,I could just hop off to Staines,right opposite my home and get it!}.The cake was a super hit and got polished off in no time.

I tried it again after coming back to Chennai with the addition of chocolate chips.Arjun,who gets excited the moment I take out my bowls,measuring cups and whisk loved it and gobbled down a couple of pieces with his glass of milk.So next time you are looking for an eggless recipe with simple ingredients I recommend you try this one.

Eggless Vanilla Choco-chip Bundt Cake
Recipe source - YummyTummy

Ingredients

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup / 210 gms
Sugar - 3/4 cup / 150 gms
Milk powder - 3/4 cup / 100 gms
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup /100 gms
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Thick curd/yogurt - 1/2 cup / 120 ml
Milk - 1/2 cup / 120 ml
Water - 1/2 cup / 120 ml
Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Grease a 6 cup bundt pan and sprinkle with flour and coat all sides. Tap off the excess flour and set aside.

Mix together milk, water, curd in a jug,keep aside.

Sift together flour, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder and set aside.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl till creamy.

Add in half of the flour mix, all the milk mix and fold gently. Add the remaining flour and fold gently.Mix in the chocolate chips.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and then invert to a wire rack and finish cooling.

Cut into slices and serve.The cake keeps well in room temperature for 2-3 days if kept in an airtight container.

Arjun is TWO!

It really feels surreal to post this birthday update of Arjun as I'm still reeling over the fact that he did,indeed turn two years old!I mean,how is that even possible?Time is flying at an alarming rate as I'm struggling to soak it all up.The cuddles,bear hugs and kisses with which I begin my day to the non-stop activity throughout the day and some more cuddles and kisses with which the day ends,I couldn't ask for more!

We decided to have a low-key birthday party this year,with just a very few close friends.A cake cutting,a beach outing and a dinner at our favorite restaurant.

The cake was a simple one too.Being home alone with a playful and hyper active toddler,I couldn't dare to think something out of the box.He's fascinated with Elephants these days and the design I took is from his favorite pillow.His reaction after seeing the cake was priceless,a big elephant roar :)

Cake flavor - Eggless Marble and Chocolate cake filled with Dark chocolate ganache and frosted with whipped buttercream.

Spicy Green Vegetable Pulao | Easy Rice Recipes

There's something about a mixed rice recipe,be it Pulao,Biryani or BBB,that makes me look forward to meal times anxiously.The whole concept of rice with vegetables served in a single meal is exciting on its own,so imagine the fun with so many different recipes for the same!I make the simple vegetable pulao,with minimal spices almost every week.Ajay loves it and so does Arjun.But I want some spice :) A spicy pulao with cool cucumber raita and papad on the side ticks every box for me.

Few days back,my SIL posted a recipe for this pulao on FB and I immediately wrote it down.It sounded very interesting with the green chutney being the main ingredient.I decided to try it and reduce the spicy-ness a bit so as to make it interesting for Ajay and Arjun.

I have to admit,the whole process of chopping the vegetables,preparing the masala and the cooking part(along with taking pictures)excites me to no end.The resulting dish was,without doubt delicious and toddler approved as well.I paired it with a cooling cucumber-pomegranate raita,pappad and a tall glass of Mango milkshake.

Spicy Green Vegetable Pulao
Recipe courtesy - Sarita Bhat

Ingredients

Mixed vegetables - about 1 1/2 cups { I used carrots,cauliflower,beans,green peas,paneer and capsicum }
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Tej patta - 1
Onion - 1,chopped
Tomato - 1,chopped
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste

For the masala paste

Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chilly - 2-3 {original recipe uses 5}
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 4 {original recipe uses poppy seeds}
Saunf - 1/4 tsp
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 3
Cinnamon-1' piece

Method

Wash the rice well under running water and soak in enough water for about 15 minutes.
Prepare the masala paste by blending the ingredients mentioned to a smooth paste.
In a rice cooker,add ghee and tej patta.Mix in the onions and saute till the onions turn golden brown.
Add the masala paste and saute until the raw smell leaves and the paste becomes dry.
Add in the mixed vegetables along with the tomato and stir well to coat the masala.
Add the drained rice and give a good mix.Add water and salt to taste.
Close the cooker and cook till done.
Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.Serve hot.

Step by step procedure

Wash the rice well under running water and soak in enough water for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the masala paste by blending the ingredients mentioned to a smooth paste.

 

In a rice cooker,add ghee and tej patta.Mix in the onions and saute till the onions turn golden brown.

Add the masala paste and saute until the raw smell leaves and the paste becomes dry.

Add in the mixed vegetables along with the tomato and stir well to coat the masala.Add the drained rice and give a good mix.

Add water and salt to taste.Close the cooker and cook till done.

Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.Serve hot.

You can try the same recipe in a pressure cooker as well.Follow the same method and pressure cook for exactly one whistle.Let the pressure settle down and then open the lid and fluff up the rice.