Butter Cookies

This is a very crunchy, buttery cookies. It goes very well with a glass of milk. My kids love it with their evening milk.  The dough can be prepared before had and kept in the refrigerated. 

 

 

Ingredients

Unsalted butter  – 175gm

Caster sugar – 90 gm
Flour – 250gm
Demerara sugar – as required

 

 Method

 1.    Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy 

2.    Add the flour, mix with hand, and gradually work in the crumbs until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

 3.    Roll into a long log and then flat the side to form a square log.
 

4.    Sprinkle a thick layer of demerara sugar on all the 4 side of the square log and press. 

5.    Wrap and chill for 30 min until firm. 

6.    Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. 

7.    Cut it into thick slices. 

8.    Place apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

9.    Preheat the oven to 160⁰ c. 

10. Bake for 20 min.

 

Inji Curry

 

Ingredients

Ginger – 100gm

Tamarind – lemon size
Jaggery – 2 tbsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric  – ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder/seed – ½ tsp
Green chilli – 2 finally chopped
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Whole red chilli – 2
Hing/ Asefatadia – ¼ tsp
Coconut oil – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

  

Method

1.  Clean the ginger and cut them into small pieces.
2.  In a medium heat, fry them in oil till it becomes light brown.
3.  Crush or grind the fried ginger coarsely when it is cool.
4.  Make tamarind pulp.  Soak the tamarind in 1cup of water for 15min. mix well and strain the pulp.
5.  In a kadhai/deep cooking pan heat the oil ( oil remaining after frying ginger can be used).
6.  Add the mustard and let it crackle, then add the curry leafs and whole red chilli.
7.  Switch of the flame and then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek seed powder.
8.  Then add the tamarind pulp and mix well.
9.  Now start the flame and bring the pulp to boil.
10.  Add the crushed ginger, mix well and lower the flame and cook for some 1 min.
12.  Now add the jaggrey, salt & hing. At this point if you want to add water to adjust the consistency. Cook for 5 min.
13.  Note : The consistency will thicken when it cools down.

Spooky Witches' Fingers Cookies

This hallow-en will it be a trick or a treat ? Surely a deadly treat !!

Ingredient

Salted Butter – 250gm

Powdered Sugar - 150gm

Egg – 1

Almond extract – 1tsp

Vanilla extract – 1tsp

All purpose flour – 400 gm

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Almond – ½ cup ( skin peeled and halfed)

Icing sugar – 5 tbsp

Red colour – 1 to 2 drops

Fruit jam – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together.
2. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, continually beating;
3. Knead it into a dough, cover and refrigerate for 30 min
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time. Roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie.
6. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance
7. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Remove the almond and apply some jam at that portion and then press the almond back.
8. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 minutes. Let it cook
10. Mix the icing sugar with colour and few drops of water to make a thick paste ( a consistency that it drips a little)
11. When the cookies are cooled, drop 2 to 3 drops of red icing sugar on the other end of the cookies, let it drip a little                      
12. Your delicious, scary cookies are ready.