Valentine’s Day Special Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

 

I recently saw lots of recipes for Nutella cookies, which I absolutely love, but this time I picked up new Hershey’s Spread (chocolate and hazelnut flavor), so I thought why not try this recipe with a new ingredient.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Flour

2. 1 cup of Hershey’s spreads chocolate hazelnut (can use Nutella)

3. 1 Egg

4. Pinch of Salt

5. ¼ cup of M&M of your choice (I used Peanut)

6. 1 tbsp. of Thick yoghurt

7. 2 tbsp. of sugar

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees F.

2. Crush the M&M with help of any heavy spoon or kitchen tool. I used Peanut M&M as my valentine loves this one. You can use any M&M you want.

3. Mix all the dry ingredients first, Flour, crushed M&M , pinch of salt and sugar.

4. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl, egg, yoghurt and Hershey’s spread (main ingredient), you can use Nutella also.

5. Whisk together well and then mix the dry and wet ingredients well.

6. Make your cookie sheet ready with parchment paper or foil paper.

7. Bake them for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven.

Viola ! your delicious , sumptuous cookies are ready for your date night with your special someone.

Psst.. If you don’t have anyone for your valentines, make it for yourself and share with your friends and family and celebrate your day. You will soon get onesweet like this.

Please let me know if you try this and share this recipe with your friends and family.

-xoxo Chitra

Cauliflower/Gobhi Tikka

Ingredients

1. 1 kg of cauliflower florets

2. ½ cup of hung curd

3. Salt and Red chili powder to taste

4. ½ tsp of cumin/jeera powder

5. ½ tsp of coriander/dhaniya powder

6. 2 tbsp of oil

7. ½ tsp of turmeric powder

8. ½ tsp of pomegranate/anardana powder

9. ½ tsp of mango/amchoor powder

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl add curd, oil and spices

2. Wash the florets and marinate them for at least 2-4 hours

3. Preheat the oven at 400 F or you can do this on grill

4. Take the skewers and dip into warm water for 10 minutes, by this way you will not burn the skewers. It’s fine if you are using iron skewers.

5. Put at least 3-4 florets in each skewer and bake them or grill them till they are golden brown.

6. Serve them hot with mango chutney or cucumber raita and pickled onions.

-Chitra

Potatoes Biscuits

Ingredients

1. 2 boiled Potatoes

2. 2 cups of all purpose flour / maida

3. 3 tsp of baking powder

4. ½ tsp of seasoned salt / ½ tsp of onion salt

5. 3 tbsp of butter

6. ½ cup of milk

7. ½ tsp of red pepper

8. ½ tsp of toasted cumin seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 450 F

2. In a chopper mash the potatoes with butter

3. Mix Flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and cumin seeds.

4. Mash them well and make the dough by adding milk little by little.

5. Now flatten the dough upto ½ inch thick sheet.

6. After that cut the small biscuits with cookie cutter.

7. Now lay them on greased sheet.

8. Bake them until they turn golden brown in sides or till 20-25 minutes.

9. Serve these crispy cookies with tea or coffee.

10. You can also make it as a little snack like spread the hummus on biscuits.

11. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced black olives.

-Chitra

Brownie Biscotti

This semi-homemade biscotti is worth a try. Its amazingly good with coffee and tea or even iced tea.

Ingredients

1. 1 Pack of Brownie Mix (Chocolate Cappuccino)

2. 2 eggs

3. ½ cup of sliced almonds

4. 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour

5. 1 stick i.e. ½ cup of butter or margarine melted (unsalted)

6. ½ cup of chocolate chips (optional)

7. 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 350.

2. In a mixing bowl add flour and brownie mix ( I used Archer Farm’s Chocolate Cappuccino flavor with chocolate chips)

3. Add chocolate chips and almonds, sift it.

4. Now in a separate bowl add butter and eggs and whisk.

5. Then add vanilla extract to egg mixture.

6. Now add wet ingredients in dry slowly and mix with hand or mixer.

7. Mix it well to the extent of firm dough.

8. Form it in a ball and cut in two halves.

9. Now take the first half and make it as vertical stick and press it lightly to form a long thin rectangle.

10. Do it for the second and place both of them on baking sheet on the parchment paper or foil.

12. After baking it for 30 minutes remove them from oven and let it cool for 6-8 minutes.

13. Now cut them diagonally for about 1 inch.

14. Place them on the baking sheet again and bake them for another 10 minutes.

15. Now turn off the oven and let the biscotti’s sit there in warm oven for about 30 minutes. This will crisp the biscotti’s.

16. Take them out now, and cool them for 2 hours before serving.

17. Store in air tight container and serve with coffee and milk.

-Chitra

Almond Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1. ½ cup of granulated sugar

2. ½ cup of brown sugar

3. ½ cup of peanut butter (chunky optional)

4. ¼ cup of shortening

5. ¼ cup butter softened

6. 1 egg

7. 1 ¼ cup of all purpose flour

8. ¾ tsp baking soda

9. ½ tsp baking powder

10. 1 cup of sliced almonds

11. ¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix wet ingredients peanut butter, shortening and egg and butter in a bowl.

2. In a bigger bowl add sugar, salt and flour and almonds.

3. Add baking powder and baking soda into the dry ingredients.

4. Now mix all wet ingredients in dry ingredients, add slowly and mix well.

5. Form the dough, cover it and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Take the dough in 1 tsp of round spoon and keep dropping on ungreased cookie sheet.

8. After all the balls are made, flatten with fork in crisscross pattern.

9. Bake the cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes or until the sides are golden brown.

10. Cool for 5 minutes and then remove from cookie sheet.

11. Store in air tight containers and serve with milk, tea or coffee

-Chitra

Oil free Gobi Mussallam

Ingredients

1. Cauliflower / Gobi 250 gms

2. Salt to taste

3. ½ tsp of red chili powder

4. ½ tsp of garam masala powder

5. 2 tbsp of besan/ chick pea flour

6. 2 tbsp of curd/dahi

7. 1 tsp of coriander powder

8. ½ tsp of turmeric powder

9. Cilantro/dhaniya leaves to garnish

10. 1 tbsp of maida

Directions

1. Separate the cauliflower florets and keep aside.

2. In a deep pan fill half with water and boil. When the water starts to boil add salt.

3. Put the florets, and parboil them so that it does not lose its crunch.

4. Take out the florets and put them in ice cubed water this way they will not turn mushy and retain their color and crunch.

5. In a non stick pan add all spices and gram flour and maida except curd and make a masala and roast it on low heat.

6. Now add curd to it and add the florets to masala and smear them properly.

7. Put them in tray and spread them and bake it until golden brown.

8. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped cilantro leaves.

-Chitra

Orange Cake

 

Ingredients

1. 1 big ripe orange, zested and juiced

2. ½ tsp of vanilla essence

3. 2 eggs

4. ¼ cup sugar

5. ¼ cup all-purpose flour

6. ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

7. ¼ tsp of soaked saffron in ½ cup of water (use only water)

8. ½ cup of skim milk

9. ½ cup ground blanched almonds sliced thinly

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray the baking loaf tray with nonstick cooking spray

2. In the mean time, set 4-5 cups of water over medium heat.

3. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a separate bowl and egg yolks in separate bowl.

4. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks and set aside.

5. Add the sugar and ½ tsp of vanilla essence to the yolks, and beat until the sugar is dissolved and the color has turned a pale yellow.

6. Sift in the flour and salt and mix well.

7. Add the milk and stir until combined with hand mixer.

8. Add the orange zest and juice and saffron water and mix well.

9. Now fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.

10. Mix egg mixture into flour mixture and add almonds. Toss into the mixture well but do not over mix it.

11. Pour the batter in a baking loaf tray. Place the tray into slightly baking dish and pour in hot water until iin t reaches halfway up the sides of the baking loaf tray.

12. Bake the cake until set, about 20 to 22 minutes.

13. Remove the tray from the water bath and let cool a bit before serving.

14. Slice them and serve with hot tea or coffee.

Chitra

Marble Cake

 

Ingredients

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour

2. 2 tsp. baking powder

3. 2 tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder

4. ½ teaspoon salt

5. 1 cup sugar

6. ½ cup of unsalted butter

7. 2 eggs

8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9. 1 cup milk

1. In a mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk.

2. Beat it well until the mixture is smooth.

3. Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.

4. Reserve ¾ cup of batter; pour the rest into pan.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

6. In the reserved mixture, stir cocoa.

7. Drop the cocoa mixture with the help of spoon over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

-Chitra

Walnut Coffee Biscotti with Orange Chocolate drizzled

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of chopped walnuts

2. 1 ½ cup of All purpose flour/Maida

3. 1 tbsp. of coffee

4. ¼ cup of melted Unsalted Butter

5. 1 cup of Sugar

6. 1 tsp. of Vanilla essence

7. ½ tsp of Baking Soda

8. 2 Eggs without yolk beaten

9. 2 tsp of flour

10. 2 cups of Chocolate melted

11. 2 cups of orange juice

12. 2 tbsp of orange zest

13. 2 tsp. of orange essence

Directions

1. Mix Flour, Baking Soda and Sugar in one bowl with fork.

2. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla in melted butter. Mix Vanilla essence in Butter slowly and keep stirring until whole mixture is smooth.

3. Beat the Egg white and slowly add sugar, 1 tsp. of orange essence and 1 tbsp of orange zest till it turns little foamy.

4. Preheat the Oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

5. Mix all wet ingredients in dry ingredients slowly one by one and stir it continuously.

6. Now add walnuts.

7. After they are mixed the ingredients will be turn it dough, if it is sticky add little dry flour.

8. Now form the dough into two vertical loaves and place on Cookie sheet or parchment paper or greased foil paper.

9. Bake it until it is golden brown for 20 - 30 minutes.

10. After it is baked take out and let it cool down for 5 minutes.

11. Now cut the loaves into diagonal pieces and bake for another 5 minutes.

12. Melt Chocolate in microwave or melt it on stove top. For Stove melting:-Boil 3 cup of water and keep another bowl on top of it with chocolate cubes to melt.

13. When Chocolate is melted add 2 cups of orange juice and 1 tbsp of orange zest and 1 tsp of orange essence.

14. Take out the biscotti’s and drizzle the chocolate with spoon.

15. Cool down and serve with Milk, Coffee or Chocolate milk.

You will forget the store bought Biscotti and it will be everyone’s favorite.

Merry XMAS and Happy Holidays

-Chitra

Semi Homemade non fried Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1. ½ bell pepper and ½ onion chopped finely

2. 1 carrot grated or chopped thinly

3. 1 tsp. soy sauce

4. 1 ½ teaspoon red hot sauce

5. 1 tsp. of oil

6. 1/ cup of cabbage chopped thinly

7. 1 tsp. of lemon

8. 1 store bought packed Spring Rolls sheet

9. 1 tsp of sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a non stick pan add oil and let the pan get really hot.

2. Now add all the vegetable, onions, carrot and bell pepper and cabbage.

3. Stir with tongs in between till they turn golden in color.

4. Now add soy sauce and hot sauce.

5. Turn down the flame off and add lemon and let it cool.

6. When the mixture has cooled down completely take one tsp of mixture add to the spring roll sheet.

7. Now turn the spring roll sheet in desired shape and close down the corners by brushing with water.

8. Heat the oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes.

9. Add the spring rolls on non stick and spray oil on them (if you don’t have non stick baking sheet, put some foil paper with one teaspoon oil to grease the surface)

10. Bake one side till they turn golden brown on one side and turn to other side and spray oil on other side with sprinkle of sesame seeds on the top.

Serve with tomato sauce and enjoy spring rolls with guilt free.

- Chitra