PECAN CHOCOCHIP COOKIES

The baking time was the only time taking process. They vanished within no time!!

My daughter loves the colour and appearance of pecans. I prepared these to see that smile on her face.

Pecans are close relative of walnuts. They can be replaced with walnuts with not much change in taste. Pecans have a wrinkled structure, crunchy texture and buttery flavour. They are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals with wonderful health benefits.

Toasting the pecans is an important and should not be skipped. It does make a lot of difference in taste.

I have used the regular salted butter. Ensure that butter and all other ingredients are at room temperature before use. Add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter.

Half and half combination of white and brown sugar imparts a very nice taste. If you wish white sugar can be completely avoided. Replace it with another half cup of brown sugar.

Recipe for Pecan Chocochip Cookies

Ingredients for Pecan Chocochip Cookies

• 100gms butter
• 1 cup cooking chocolate (roughly chopped)
• ½ cup pecans (roughly chopped)
• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (maida)
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ baking soda

How to make

Lightly toast the pecans on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Cream butter, white and brown sugar till light and pale in colour.

Add an egg and vanilla essence. Beat again till well combined.

Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking soda.

Fold it gently until well combined.

Also fold in the chopped pecans and chocolate.

Divide the cookie dough into 16 equal portions. Roughly shape them into balls.

Place the cookie dough balls on your baking tray. As the cookies are going to rise and spread on the tray, space them such that they are 2 inches apart.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg Celsius for 20 minutes.

CASHEW ATTA/ WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR BISCUITS

I love my tea with biscuits. Whenever shopping for groceries I always make an effort to choose a healthier option in biscuits. My couple of trails with wheat flour have not been so good until I got this recipe. My biggest critics- my kids have approved it. So very proudly, I share my version of cashew atta biscuits, not very sweet with right amount of crispiness. 

I have tried to keep the measurements as simple as possible. These atta or whole wheat flour biscuits are simple to make with assured results.

Few things to be taken care of like avoid over kneading the dough, always preheat your oven before baking and baking duration can vary with different ovens. All the ingredients should be taken at room temperature.

Cashew atta biscuits can be prepared in idli cooker or pressure cooker with similar results. Layer the bottom of your cooker with salt or sand to ensure even baking.

Recipe for Cashew Atta Biscuits

Ingredients for Cashew Atta Biscuits

• 100gms butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup atta or whole wheat flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 8 to 10 cashews (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp milk
• milk for brushing

How to make

Cream the butter and powdered sugar for two minutes or until pale yellow in colour.

Add vanilla essence. Mix well.

Sift together atta, baking powder and baking soda. Add the bran left in the sieve back to the flour.

Fold in sifted flour mixture and cashews.

 Add milk one tablespoon at a time and bring together the dough with light hand. Do not over knead the dough.

Cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 Roll the dough on a dusted surface to a thickness of 5mm. Cut out round biscuits with a cookie cutter. I have used a steel glass.

Place the biscuits one inch apart on a baking tray.

Brush the biscuits with milk.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20 minutes.

Completely cool the biscuits before storing them in an air tight jar.

Enjoy these guilt free whole wheat flour biscuits with milk or tea.

SHREWSBURY BISCUITS/ SHREWSBURY CAKES/ ALL BUTTER SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Recipe for Shrewsbury Biscuits

Shrewsbury biscuits or cakes are the buttery English cookies which came to India from Shrewsbury, a small town in Shropshire, England. In England they are known as ‘All butter shortbread biscuits’.   It is a popular snack in India. Kayani Bakery in Pune bakes the best Shrewsbury biscuits. Like many other non-resident-puneites I also use to pick up these to gift away to my friends in other parts of our country. These cookies have a nice and unique taste which can only be experienced and not explained. This recipe has given me the results closest to the original ones.

Ingredients (yields 20 biscuits)

• 120gms butter
• ¾ cup castor sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1½ cup plain flour
• Grated rind of one lemon

How to make

Preheat the oven at 180^oC. Grease a baking tray.

Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light. Add one egg yolk and beat well. Add another yolk and beat again.

Fold in the flour and lemon rind to form a soft dough.

Roll out the dough to the thickness of ½ cm. Cut into rounds with diameter of 4 to 5cms. Use a cookie cutter or a sharp edged round container.

Place the rounds in the baking tray. As all the rounds couldn’t fit in the tray. I baked 10 at a time.

Bake at 180^oC for 20 minutes or until light golden in colour. Let them cool on the wire rack. 

Store in an airtight container.

Tip

• Do not knead the dough much. Just bring together all the ingredients with light hands to form a soft dough. 

DELICIOUS MELTING MOMENTS COOKIES (EGGLESS)

Recipe for Melting Moments cookies

 

This recipe has been adapted from a famous chef. I have made minor changes to it.

Recently I prepared these cookies when my daughter wanted to gift her dear friend with some homemade cookies on her birthday.

As the name suggests these cookies melt in the mouth. The procedure is simple without any complications. No sifting is required.

 Ingredients

•  100 gms yellow butter (softened),       
•  200 gms plain flour,
•  75 gms vanilla custard powder,
•  80 gms icing sugar,
•  1 cup white butter (softened),
•  1 ½ tsp baking powder,
•  1 tsp vanilla essence.

 

How to make

Soften both the yellow and white butter in a mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar and essence. Mix well.

Add all the other ingredients one by one and bring them together with a light hand. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Lightly dust the baking tray. Make 30 to 36 small balls and keep them in the baking tray (not very close to each other as they will rise when baked).

I have baked these cookies in a 32 litres microwave in convection mode. As I couldn’t fit all the cookies in one tray I used my small cup cake moulds for each cookie.

Mark the cookies with a fork. Bake in a preheated oven at 180^oC for 20 minutes.

Let them cool. Store in an airtight container.

Tips

• Handle the dough with light hands.
  

  
  
• Do not knead the dough.