CHOCOLATE CHIP DOUGH TO GO!

I don't drown my sorrows; I suffocate them with chocolate chip cookies.  

Author Unknown

Cookbooks are an addiction for me and my friends know that very well. Everytime I go shopping, I need to stop by Crosswords to check out the new books. I love Crosswords, you can sit on those soft sinking cushioned chairs , grab a book and just read on...no one bothers you!

Vasu, my best friend from college went to USA in 2007 on an educational tour got me a cookbook. I must admit that I have never baked anything from that book for her! ;) Now talking about the book...it is a winner!

CHOCOLATE CHIP DOUGH TO GO!

Recipe as adapted from Mrs.Fields I LOVE CHOCOLATE! COOKBOOK

Yields: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup quick oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter,softened

3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans/walnuts

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.
  
• In another medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars.
  
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.Gently beat in the flour mixture; then stir in the pecans/walnuts and chocolate chips.
  
• Turn half the dough into a wax/parchment paper. Shape into a log 2 inches in diameter. Roll up the log of dough in the wax paper and twist the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill until firm.
  
• The cookie dough can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 6 months stored in an airtight plastic bag.
  
• To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 300 deg. If using frozen dough, let it soften slightly at room temperature, then cut the dough log into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
  
• Place the slices on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 22-24 mins or until set.

This recipe is a keeper and the best part is that we can freeze the dough and bake it whenever we feel like! Isn't that a blessing for an all-time chocolate craving person like me? :)

Hope you all are having a beautiful season now! This is my fave month of the year! Love everything about it! :)

HOME MADE COFFEE LIQUEUR & Season's Greetings!

Remember

This December,

That love weighs more than gold!

~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

Nothing beats homemade stuff be it cookies,cakes or even liqueur. I must say that this is my first attempt at making a liqueur at home. But now I feel like kicking myself for not trying earlier! :P Anyway, it's better late than never ;)

I have seen quite a number of recipes online but never got around to trying out one. But in a recent conversation I had with an aunt of mine, she mentioned that she makes an after-dinner drink. I never let go of a chance of noting down a tried & tested recipe. So I got the recipe from her made it immediately.

HOME MADE COFFEE LIQUEUR:

Recipe source: Valsa ammamma

Ingredients

Sugar-1 c

Instant coffee granules- 1 tbsp

Water-1 c

Natural Vanilla Extract- 2 tsp

Brandy-1 c

Rum- 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

• Heat sugar,coffee granules and water in a saucepan till sugar dissolves, stirring continously. Once it dissolves, let it boil.
  
• Once it starts to boil, reduce and simmer uncovered for 8 mins.Remove from heat.
  
• When lukewarm, add vanilla,brandy and rum.
  
• Store in clean bottles and keep it in a dark place ( cupboard) .
  
• Use after 2 weeks.
  

 Took a small share of it for a  taste-test for my cousins and everybody loved it. I got one or two comments saying it was a li'l sweet. But trust me... I felt it was perfect :)

MYSORE PAK & an update after 20 days!

I'm back! :) with a bang from a 3 week shopping + no internet + a dead laptop charger scenario at home  :) A big thank you to you my dear readers for still being interested in my blog :)

I have to be honest that inspite of me travelling extensively in the last few weeks, I still managed to cook/bake a lot of stuff but I'm having a huge sugar craving right now hence none came out into the limelight :)

Mysore pak was something I always wanted to try and I did last year...before I started my darling blog. But the end result was bitter and what not! And you wouldn't believe how upset I was with the result...and Aparna knows the rest! I am still so sorry :)

But no matter how many days,weeks & months passed by, it was one thing that I wanted to perfect upon...and I did it! YAY! Thank you Aparna & Srivalli for helping me out with the one-thread consistency for sugar. You see, twitter SOS works like a charm! :)

MYSORE PAK

You can check Aparna's blog for the recipe

For all those who have never attempted making this sinful Indian sweet at home, please go ahead ! This recipe is a marvel! My pics haven't done justice to the ghee-yellow colour the sweet had. It does look a bit dry on the outside, but when you bite into it...it just melts in your mouth!

INDIAN CHICKEN SAMOSA for the soul!

I am home alone... YES it isn't me who is travelling now! YAY! So definately I am a free bird now and can experiment in the kitchen as much as I want! :D But it does have it's pros & cons. I woke up to a cooking gas-less day! What a wonderful Monday! :D I had to seek the help of our neighbour to boil a packet of milk :D

This is a tried, tested and trusted recipe from my fave cook on earth-Amma :) She is the best! :)

These samosa's are one of her hits along with Mini Chicken & Bell Pepper Spring Rolls.

INDIAN CHICKEN SAMOSA

Recipe source: Amma

Ingredients:

For the wrapper:

Flour-500g

Water-as required

Salt -to taste

For the filling:

Boneless chicken-200g, boiled and shredded

Onions-4 big, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp

Chilli powder-1/2 -1tbsp [depending on your spice level]

Coriander powder-1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil-3 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

A thick paste made using flour & water [for sealing]

Method:

For the wrapper:

• Mix all the ingredients together and form a smooth dough.
• Divide the dough into lime-sized balls and roll them out into thin discs.
• Heat a flat bottomed pan and cook the discs slightly (only on one side) so that it doesn't taste raw anymore.
• Continue the same process for the other wrappers.

Spicy chicken filling: Recipe & video can be found here

Assembly:

• Cut the wrappers into semi-circles.
• Make a paste using water + flour to seal the edges.
• Form a cone with the cut wrappers and fill it with the chicken filling. It can also be filled like 'turnovers'. But for that you need to roll out the dough into rectangles and not circles.
• Seal it using the flour paste.
• Deep fry in hot oil.
• Serve with sauces of your choice.

These can be stored in the deep freezer,thaw and use them as needed. It is a simple but delicious make- ahead snack. If you need to serve it along with cocktails, make small samosa's which can hold a teaspoon of the filling.

So what are you waiting for? Dig in! :D

I am sending this post as an entry to Meeta's Monthly Mingle -BRUNCH

CHOCOLATE YOGHURT CAKE ~ for lil Appu ~

'Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today.That way, at least you will get one thing done. "
Author unknown

\Appu, 3 yrs old is my nephew. Yes, I am a lucky aunt to be blessed with 6 niece's and 15 nephews( and the list will have 2 more very soon! )! And each one of them have their own likes and dislikes . My mom, is very observant when it comes to each one's likes and dislikes and she asks me to help her make something accordingly. Last time it was a 1-2-3-4 Nutmeg Cake with Mocha Ganache for Navya, Neev and lil angel Nial.

Appu L.O.V.E.S our good ole chocolate cake. So the moment Amma knew that he would be coming over, she asked me to bake a chocolate cake for him. But somehow I couldn't make it ahead of their coming, instead made it with him. Sorry, I don't have any pics of the making...since managing a child + whipping up a cake batter + clicking pics would drive me insane!But I must mention that he is one the calmest , mature 3 yr old that I have ever seen!

A lil more about him... He is Neil and we fondly call him as Appu . He lives in Dar e Salam, Tanzania. He is in India with his Mama, who actually came down for her delivery ( which can happen in 2 weeks from now!). He adores & dreams all day n night about Spiderman! He even sings the title song of Spiderman movies for you!

Since Spiderman is his hero, he is always on the lookout for spiders . If you are not watching him, he is bound to catch hold of one and make it bite him so that he can become another Spiderman and make webs by pressing a button on his wrist... look at what the media can do to a 3 yr old! :)

Now, let's get back to the cake :) I made a bunny shaped cake for him.

CHOCOLATE YOGHURT CAKE

Recipe source: Valsamma aunty

Ingredients:

Flour-2 3/4 c

Sugar-2 1/2 cup

Butter-3/4 c

Yoghurt-1 1/2 c

Cocoa-3/4 c

Eggs-3

Baking powder-1 tsp

Baking soda-2 1/4 tsp

Boiling water-1/2 c

Salt-1/4 tsp

Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp

Frosting:

Chocolate Ganache

Method:

• Sift flour with baking powder and baking soda.
• Make a paste using cocoa powder and boiling water.
• Cream butter with eggs, sugar and salt. Beat till the sugar dissolves.
• Add flour, yoghurt and cocoa powder in one go and beat well.
• Pour into a prepared tin and bake for 45-50 mins or till done.
• Cool in tin for 10 mins and transfer onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

It was truly a soft, moist cake. He ate a few pieces with us and packed some to take back home with him :) Okay, now I am waiting for the next niece/nephew to come home! :)