Kesar Pista Cookies (Eggless) | Christmas Cookies

Christmas went by pretty well. We had loads of fun with friends, went to a movie, not to forgot a bunch of cookies I baked along with the Christmas Rum Cake. I also tried something new with the condensed milk I had in my fridge leftover from making this Doodh Peda. These cookies are incredible easy to make and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Now, how easy it is for a homemade-from-scratch cookie.

Ingredients:
Makes 18-24 cookies based on size
All purpose flour - 1 cup + 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 1-1/2 tsp
Pistachios, raw - 1/4 cup
Butter, room temperature - 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 2 Tbsp 
Warm milk - 2 tsp
Saffron strands - 4-5

Method:
Sprinkle the saffron strands in the warm milk and set aside to steep. 
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Chop the pistachios into tiny pieces. Sieve 1 cup flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk the butter, sugar and condensed milk until well mixed. Add the milk and the flour mix and knead to form a smooth dough. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle the remaining flour as needed to make it smooth. Pinch 1 inch balls of dough and roll. Place in a lined baking sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes. When done allow to cool in the baking pan. When almost cool transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chai Spiced Cookies | Cookie Recipes

Today is the first day of Autumn. It is time to dress up in layers and add some warm munchies to the evening snacks. Nothing defines Fall season than adding cozy aromatic spices in food. Ever since I tasted the Chai Spice / Tea Masala at home, I had been thinking of using it in a recipe other than Chai. I stumbled upon this chai spiced cookies recipe and tried it one fine day. I was planning to serve it to my friends who were visiting for tea.

Ingredients:
Makes 20 cookies
Recipe from here
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Chai masala - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter, softened - 1/2 cup
Powdered Sugar - 1/4 cup
Egg yolk - 1
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Spice Coating:
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the ingredients for the spice coating in a wide bowl.
Whisk the flour, chai masala and salt until well mixed. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the flour mixture, in 3 batches and beat to combine. When the dough comes together, scoop tablespoonfuls of dough and place in the baking sheet at least an inch apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes turning the pan once midway. When done, allow to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. When the cookies are still warm, drench the cookies in the spiced sugar mixture and place in the cooling rack. When all the cookies are coated, repeat the spiced sugar coating for all the cookies and allow it to cool completely. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Cookie Recipes

It is Valentine's day week and it is all things CHOCOLATE!! This chocolate crinkle cookies will surely fit your mood if you are a cookie person. Sure, it is not something like a dessert for two, but is a simple and easy thing to make for your loved ones. It is a goodie which you can send to your kids' school.. (Psst.. It is nut-free). 

Ingredients:
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Recipe slightly adapted from here

Preparation time - 10 mins; Setting time - 2 hrs; Baking time - 10 mins
All purpose flour / Maida - 1-1/4 cups
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Baking powder - 1-1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1/4 cup, cubed
Semisweet chocolate, chips or chopped - 2/3 cup (4 oz by weight)
Instant coffee powder - 1-1/2 tsp
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Pure Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2 (room temperature)
For rolling:
Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup

Method:
Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt well. In a microwave proof bowl, place the butter and chocolate chips and melt in the microwave oven in 20 second increments, whisking well with a fork in the intervals. When completely melted, add the instant coffee powder and mix. Allow to cool. When it cools down, add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix until completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture little by little until no streak of flour remains and the cookie dough comes together. Cover with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. 
When the time is up, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Coat the balls with granulated sugar and then coat in powdered sugar. Place about 12 cookie balls in the baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. The cookies will be soft when removed from oven but will harden as it cools. Cool completely on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Tutti Frutti Biscuits / Candied Fruits Icebox Cookies | Cookie Recipes

I had been waiting to make these tutti frutti (alias name for candied fruits and peels) biscuits for Christmas this year. Last year we visited our friend Denny in Seattle for Christmas. She had made this and lots of other goodies for us to munch on while we spent the holidays there. Now, DH not a big fan of cookies, or sweets for that matter loved these cookies and asked me if I could make these when we came back home. I searched high and low for the candied fruits in the supermarket aisles but couldn't find it. Turns out these were seasonal and are only available around the holidays.. huh.. should've known it.. So this year I ordered the candied fruits online a couple of weeks before Christmas and was all set to try it out.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour / Maida - 3 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
Butter - 1 cup (2 sticks) (see notes below)
Sugar - 1 cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla - 1 tbsp
Candied fruits / Tutti Frutti - 1-1/2 cups

Method:
Cut 4 sheets of wax paper each about a feet long. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder three times. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again. Add the flour the little by little and mix slightly. Add the candied fruits and mix with your hands to make a dough. Divide the dough into four parts. Place one portion on one of the wax sheets and form a log, cylindrical or square. Roll the wax paper over and seal the ends with a twisting motion in the overhang pieces. Repeat for the remaining portions. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. This dough can frozen for a month. 
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice the logs into 1/4" thickness and place cut side down the sheet. These cookies does not spread much and so can be placed fairly close. For frozen dough, allow it to thaw for an hour or two before slicing. Bake for about 12-14 minutes. When done, the cookies will still be soft to touch. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool in the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
Notes:
The butter should be slightly softened. It should yield when slightly pressed but not too soft.
Make sure the cookie sheet is cooled completely before repeating for the next batch. If you are running against time (aka 'being impatient') like me, remove the parchment and show the bottom of the cookie sheet under running tap water. Wipe with a towel and place the parchment again to repeat.

Butter Biscuits - Bakery Style / Fake Butter Biscuits | Vegan Cookies Recipes

I totally love these white, puffy biscuits which we get in the bakeries in India. My grandma even used to make this with her small electric oven she had at home. I honestly did not even think of attempting to make these at home. But with the holiday season and all the cookies I have been planning to bake, I thought why not try this. I came across this recipe and gave it a go. As the name indicates it is not made with butter but with oil or shortening. 

Ingredients:
Makes 12-15 cookies
All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt -  a dash
Oil - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp (see notes below)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sieve the dry ingredients together for a couple of minutes. Add the oil little by little to form a crumbly mixture (not a dough exactly). You may or may not need the 1 tbsp of oil, if you could form firm balls with the crumbly mixture do not add the 1 tbsp. Make small balls and place them on the baking sheet. Flatten it ever so slightly. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes. When done, the cookies will appear a little cracked at the top but still be too soft. It will harden as it cools. 
Notes:
Use shortening instead of oil if desired. If the specified amount is not enough try adding more teaspoon at a time as needed.

Coconut Macaroons | Cookies Recipes

Christmas season comes with joy! It is the season to believe in love and sharing the love. It is the season for miracles, which I seriously need one now. I did say that this month I am gonna blog many wonderful drool worthy recipes. I did not forget. But what kept me away from this space was the health concern of a family member back home in India. That is why I said I need a miracle, to help her get better. Hoping everything goes well, I thought I will give my little space here some attention and also help me take my mind off of it for a bit.
With just a few ingredients, this coconut macaroons is a breeze to make. It can be put together in minutes and if you have a cookie scoop it makes your job more easier. I packed these along with Tutti Fruiti Cookies to for my DH's office holiday cookies and it received rave reviews.

Ingredients:
Makes 35-40 macaroons
Finely shredded coconut / Coconut powder - 2-2/3 cups (8 oz by weight)
Egg whites - 1/2 cup (from 3 large eggs)
Granulated Sugar - 1 cup + 2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1-1/2 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar and whisk again until smooth and the sugar is melted. Add vanilla and mix again once. Add the coconut and mix with a wooden spoon. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture in the pan. It can be placed pretty closed since the macaroons wont spread much. Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. Stores well for a couple of days in an airtight container.