Star Cookies

If there is something I love to do is cooking really elaborate meals. I love long  table filled with varieties for breakfast lunch and dinner. And having a large family to dine together and make a lovely feeling of being together. But things are not always the same . The minute college is over then kids move out. The west culture is happening in my place too. We have a bunch of them moving to cross countries and  living abroad . But seriously thanks to our tech gadgets we are still able to contact and keep in touch as much as possible. When my brother's get together being the only girl and who loves to cook I prepare sweets in plenty. Then plan out meals and dinners and an array of Kaddis( snacks) for tea . And bake some too.

This tine I made some cookies for them and they were soft and crunchy. But I did forget to put them in air tight containers which made them really softer.hemm shouldn't have done that though.

Star Cookies are one of many super old time aged  Christmas cookies that everyone seems to love so much . Especially this homemade version is times  better than what you’ll find in , at the stores during the holidays and the frosting white  chocolate takes them to a whole new level of yumminess.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups Flour
• 3/4 cups  Powdered Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 60 grams Unsalted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• Salt a pinch
• sprinkles as needed
• melted white chocolate for dip

Method

• Beat butter sugar and eggs till it turns creamy
• Add flour baking powder salt ginger powder and make it to a soft  dough.
• Divide dough to half and wrap in plastic cover.
• Chill for 1 hour
• Now preheat oven to 180 degree c for 10 minutes.
• Take the dough  and roll it between plastic sheets for easy rolling.
• Cut it with cookie cutter.
• Arrange on lined baking sheet on pan
• Sprinkle some edible  gold dust on top of cookie before baking
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes .
• Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes .
• Serve with desired frosting.

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Peanut butter cookies

Peanut butter cookies are soft and perfect with the sweetness that they are not going to overload the other ingredients. Thinking of overload .. some things I life are just full of overloads. Ever since we got watspp and Instagram Children  and adults are nearly 80 % overloaded with it. I have rules in my home that no one uses mobile phone over dining table and liesure time. It really gets on my nerves. My kids listen but AJ doesn't. He is and addict on the watspp and YouTube . It's either the 'no more grey therapy ' on the YouTube or watching and sharing on watsapp. I am ,for one good reason am not a complete addict as a foodie my phone even smells kitchen always. 

Coming to the recipe ,it's a genius one. I have a bottle of peanut butter as kids have for breakfast . I usually don't bake with peanut butter as I love to just lick finger clean off it. My watsapp foodie group once put up this recipe and it got many reviews on it. 

I wanted to make it instantly.. that's the ' thing about cookies ... Bakers always have the ingredients for any cookie that fits perfect of the family.
Here's the recipe for the day ...I baked these thee times in a row. ...

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 plain flour
• 1/4 milk powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1 egg for white wash

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degree c.
• Combine all the ingredients except for the egg .
• Make a soft dough . Divide equally to lemon size balls .
• Make a dent in the centre of the cookies .
• Place them one inch apart and brush with egg wash .
• Bake in a pan layered with butter paper .
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack
• The cookies are really soft and crunchy with peanuts .
• I would prefer to bake for another two minutes more for my oven as I would have loved it to be a little more dense.
• But it is really worth a try.  Totally yummy.

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Chocolate chip cookies

I am not a chocolate person at all but my bakes in my Instagram page is loaded with them and that's mainly because of my kids  has a soft spot towards chocolate, somehow it gets done in my kitchen . I am  someone who likes to make cookies. I feel it is the easiest form of cooking. Just a few  basic attention tricks they get done so well and best part it takes very little time . My cookies  usually never turns out well. But after getting to know the right temperature of my oven I have started baking some recipes that are trial tested ones, and they all turned super so far. I lack that patience, that usually needed in baking  but basically speaking That is why there are very limited cookie recipes on the blog , inshallah will work on it soon , gradually. I wish I could improve on my skills  but as long as I don’t keep my focus on blog , I don’t think the numbers will improve!

OK, focusing back your eyes  to these delicious stack of cookies that I have cooked couple of days ago actually , as it was hot it tasted so yummy and cracky . First batch got over very soon and the second set was almost done. It was warm and I had let it cool a bit before storing  it away from containers. As gorgeous as it looks it looks and tastes wonderful as well .I guess the other aspect of baking them is that's it is super crunchy and slightly soft within . I added the chocolate chips that I had leftover from the birthday cake that I had baked for my kid. I love baking them as I have sure instincts that it will turn out fine .

Ingredients

1/2 cup  Unsalted Butter

3/4  cup sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

1 and 1/2 cup  All Purpose Flour 

1/ 2 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup chocolate  Chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

Take a bowl and mix butter, sugar,  vanilla .

Add in egg and mix well.

Add in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Shape it into a dough.

Take small portion of dough. Roll it into a smooth ball.

Arrange it in a parchment lined paper. Bake for 17 mins.

Remove and cool completely.

Store and enjoy.

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Almond cookies

Cookie day and the beginning of a new month this year .Without much happening these days we had minimal cooking day today but that goes without saying how as much as I enjoy cooking, but some days I really temper my mood down that you do not want to do anything at Home for the many  days to come! So today  I am thinking of something light  at home  for dinner rather than something home made… but also its rainy season we would prefer to have warm soup or cozy ginger tea .

My kids love cookies, munchers! They love to munch on biscuits, chips and cookies any time my pantry has always stock of whatever they like. Nowadays, I am trying to push myself to bake them at home, so that I know what they are eating is home made and free of preservatives, cakes and  cookies are always welcome here.I had eyed these almond cookies for a long time now , and I have baked these a couple of times. I kept it in a little jar inside my hidding place that's  in my kitchen store as I knew the minute they get hands on it it will vanish in no time . Yes, it had disappeared by the time I was back from office, As guests have come form my uncle's place it was served with along the other kaddis and they were delighted . Packed and given off too.  I would hopefully bake them again…

Ingredients:

300 gms or  3 cup flour

200 gm butter

1 cup Powdered Sugar-1 cup

1/2 cup Cashew powder

1/2 cup almond powder

2 teaspoon Baking powder-2 tsp

2 teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cold Egg

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large  bowl beat together butter,sugar and vanilla till well combined.Add in egg and mix well.

Now add in almond and cashew powder and mix well.

Add in the flour,baking powder and mix till it gets combined and forms a soft ball.

Divide to equal sized balls and place them  on a well oiled baking tray. Centre each cookies with a almond  piece.

Put in oven and let  bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown.

Remove it from the oven and let it cool in the wire rack for 30 min.

Store in air tight container.

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Bakery style biscuit recipe

Very standard biscuit recipe post. I should have set the title as such . We love home baked goodies . And especially when its biscuit that are taken fresh out of the oven ..their is no escape to reserve any for tomorrow.  I love it. But my family eat them as desserts . You could say three times a day.. breakfast lunch and dinner. 
These are very tricky but very easy to prepare.
Some pointers while baking them .
Oven should be Preheated well .
Temperature should not vary.
Do not over cook . And i really mean it.
Cook till dente .. as the French always say.
Your buscuits may seem a little soft  
And even softer in the centre.. but dont mind.
On cooling you will realise it.
For this biscuit recipe .. i would demand .
Do not add any liquid .
Do as the recipe goes.
For beginners.. just follow the recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Palm oil
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup  powdered sugar

Method

Take a  large bowl . The bowl should be clean and dry.
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Add the oil gradually and mix well to a soft dough. Do not add any liquid. 
It will be slightly crumbly in texture .
Make small 'golf ' shaped balls.
Press slightly in the centre just to make a dent .
Bake in preheated oven 170c for 12 minutes.
Let it rest in  the oven for at least 10 minutes after the baking time.
Cool completely on a wire rack .
Store in clean dry containers.

Note 

Do not over bake.
Cookies may be soft . It will harden after cooling.

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