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Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

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Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

Are you thinking of entertaining family or friends this weekend? Do you want to try something new? Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita is the right choice to make your guests happy.

It is so comforting and fit to treat the Royals.

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

Long grain Basmati cooked in ghee and saffron, enhanced with the flavors of nuts like walnuts, cashews, almonds and rasins is the right call for the moment. Why? The weather is cooling down here and Autumn is blooming slowly. Such kind of weather calls for comfort and rich meals.

Also, the festival season is right around the corner and the evenings warm up between friends and family with some laughter and making memories around the dinner table. Therefore, when the dinner table will be studded with such a meal, it will bring the happy people around.

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Apple Mint Raita

Do you see the Apple Mint Raita up there? This is one of the most delicious raita ever that I have tasted and created! I can applaud myself at this master piece. Kashmir is famous for its Apple Orchards. People always refer Kashmiri Apple as the epitome of quality.

The hint of fresh mint and finely diced apples in yogurt, spiced with salt, red chili pepper and roasted cumin powder, is such a fresh breeze. My oldest said that she would like to try a smoothie out of it. Hmm…that sounds like a delicious idea.

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

I always believe in – Less is More! Sometimes your dinner table does not need tonnes of dishes to make it desirable.

When I started making this Pulav, the whole house smelled with love and desire. There was something very regal and pious about it at the same time. Amit was so pleased to devour it with delight and eager.

Every single bite was heavenly. The aroma drove me crazy, (good crazy) and I kept putting bite after bite in my mouth, without stopping and I am sure that I over stuffed myself. It was a pure foodgasmic moment for a glutton like me. I was in foodcoma.

There is a confession to make here – though the recipe says “Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav”, it is more of Kashmiri Cuisine inspired. I read so many recipes online, all of them had nuts and dryfruits for sure but vegetables were missing.

When I planned on this recipe, I wanted this to be complete meal and not just an accompaniment or another dish on the table. I added vegetables on hand and used the spices as are mandatory in Kashmiri cuisine. Fennel Powder (saunf) is an essential spice in the cuisine and is used liberally.

I have also used some Garam Masala to it which is not madatory in Kashmiri cuisine, but it added a lot of warmth in the recipe.

You have to try it to experience what I am saying.

Some other Pulav / Pilaf recipes from the blog are – Tawa Pulav , Jodhpuri Pulav , Wadi Matar Pulav , Gobhi Anar Pulav with Garlic Spinach Raita , Onion Pulav , Mint & Peas Pulav etc.

 

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav

The recipe is broken down into 6 main steps.

  1. Soaking the Basmati Rice.
  2. Chopping all the vegetables in equal size.
  3. Sauteing the nuts.
  4. Sauteing the Onions till brown.
  5. Cooking the vegetables with rice and saffron.
  6. Once cooked, layering with browned onions, nuts and rose essence and let stand (covered) for another 10 minutes for flavors to seep in.

This is how I made it.

Alert – A Slightly Long Recipe.

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Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
A complete meal rice recipe from Kashmir, North India
Ingredients
Rice & Vegetables
  • Basmati Rice - 2 cups
  • Water - 3&1/2 cups
  • Ginger - 1 large piece, minced
  • Green Chili - 1, chopped really fine
  • Onion - 1 large, thinly sliced
  • Potatoes - 2 medium, cubed small into 1 inch pieces
  • Carrots - 2 medium, diced into small 1 inch pieces
  • Cauliflower - 1 cup, small florets
  • Green Bell Pepper / Capsicum - 1 medium, diced into small 1 inch pieces
  • Green Peas - ½ cup
Nuts & Dry Fruits
  • Almonds - 10 pcs
  • Cashews - 10 pcs
  • Walnuts - 10 pcs
  • Raisins - 2 tbsp
Oil & Spices
  • Ghee - 3 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • Fennel powder - 1 tsp
  • Garam Masala - ½ tsp
  • Bay leaf - 1 large
  • Cloves - 4
  • Cinnamon stick - 1 big
  • mace - 1 small
  • Green Cardamom - 2
  • Black Cardamom - 1
  • Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
  • Sugar - 1 fat pinch
Saffron - 2 pinches dissolved in 3 tbsp warm milk
Rose Essence - 1 tsp
Garnish
  • Mint leaves - 8 torn roughly
  • Fennel powder - ¼ tsp
  • Garam Masala - ¼ tsp
Ingredients for Apple Mint Raita
  • Plain Yogurt - 1&1/2 cups
  • Apple - 1 small, chopped into small fine pieces
  • Mint leaves - 8, finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • Red Chili powder - 1 fat pinch
  • Cumin powder, roasted - ½ tsp
Instructions
Soaking the Rice
  1. Wash and soak the Basmati rice for 20 minutes. Meanwhile work on the vegetables and nuts.
Preparing the Vegetables
  1. Wash and chop the vegetables, as mentioned above in ingredients. Set aside.
Sauteing the Nuts
  1. Take a heavy bottom deep and big sauce pan. Heat ½ tbsp ghee in it and reduce the temperature to low.
  2. Add cashews, almonds and walnuts to it. Saute on low heat for about 2 minutes, till they are pinkish brown. Add raisins now and toss in hot ghee with nuts.
  3. Take them out and set aside. The pan will still have some ghee in it. Let it be there.
Sauteing the Onions
  1. Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the same pan and heat. Add finely sliced onions to it. Sprinkle 1 pinch of sugar to it. Saute it on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, till golden brown. Sugar helps in caramelizing and browning the onions effectively and faster.
  2. Once golden brown, take the golden onion out and set aside.
Preparing the Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav
  1. Use the same pan and heat 1&1/2 tbsp Ghee to it.
  2. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves, mace, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick to it. Saute for 30 seconds on low flame, till aromatic.
  3. Now add all the vegetables to it along with 1 tsp fennel powder, ½ tsp garam masala. Saute for about 3 minutes.
  4. Drain the water from soaked rice and add the rice to the pan with the vegetables. Cook further for 1 minute.
  5. Now add the soaked saffron along with milk plus 3&1/2 cups water.
  6. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.
  7. Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes till all the water is absorbed. Switch off the heat.
Layering & Garnishing
  1. Open the lid. Spray rose essence. Sprinkle mint leaves, golden brown onions and lightly toasted nuts and raisins.
  2. Cover with lid again and let stand for 10 minutes.
Forking the Pulav for mixing and evenly distributing the flavors.
  1. Open the lid. Take a small fork and gently start forking through the grains of basmati, while folding the ingredients with light hand. DO THIS SLOWLY.
  2. Delicious Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav is ready.
Preparing Apple Mint Raita
  1. Take a bowl. Add yogurt and water to it. Mix well.
  2. Add mint leaves and chopped apple along with spices.
  3. Mix all the ingredients with a spoon.
  4. The raita is ready.
  5. Refrigerate till ready to use.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

If you have noticed the black background of the photos, it looks patterned. I have this beautiful black shawl (stole) which has original Kashmiri Embroidery on it. Kashmiri embroidery is a pattern made with chain stitches. The karigars (craftsman) make patterns inspired from nature. Flowers and Leaves rule the embroidery patterns.

Can’t make it now? Pin it for later!
Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n' Apple Mint Raita

Kashmiri Mix Vegetables Pulav n’ Apple Mint Raita

 

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

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Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies are perfect holiday bakes. These are rich & indulging cookies and the best part is that they are crisp, nutty and egg free.

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

Oh yes! It’s that time of the year! The Fa-La-La-La time! The Feliz Navidad time!

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless


This Sunday was dedicated to the holiday baking along with kids. As much as I dote on my girls, their “help” freaks me out! The good mother inside me says, “Ah well! They are kids. Get them involved in holiday baking”. The next minute, my OCD side kicks in and yells at me “Are you in your senses? Holiday Baking and kids? What about the mess and the clean up later and not to forget their constant bickering while helping.” The Libra in me comes to my rescue and says, “Cool down! You can do it! After all it’s about making memories. Get the kids clean up later under your supervision”. And I sweat and fret and call out to them, “Girls, holiday baking time! Let’s start it” and the madness starts.

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

Crisp Walnut Chocolate Cookies, Eggless

But I am telling you, amidst all the craziness and mess, it’s all fun with some madness, some yelling, lot of laughter and loads of licking spoons and specks here and there. And the best part is when they line up to lick my cookie dough covered fingers. 😂

 

I came across this recipe in a Chocolate book and adapted it to create these crisps after 1 failed attempt. To my good luck, the adapted recipe worked well and the crisps are just perfect to eat with a cup of coffee or tea. No eggs, Light, Crispy and oh so delicious.

 

This is how I made it!

Chocolate Walnut Crisp Biscuits, Eggless

  • Servings: 18-20 Biscuits
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Kitchen Equipments Required

A big mixing bowl, 1 stirrer or whisk, fork or pastry cutter, chopping board and knife to chop the walnuts, a plastic wrap, 2 cookie trays, parchment or butter paper, oven.

Ingredients

All purpose flour – 1/2 cup

Coco powder, unsweetened – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

salt – a pinch

Baking Powder – 2 tsp

Butter – 4 tbsp, cold and cut into small cubes.

Milk, cold – 3 tbsp

Walnuts – 1 cup, chopped roughly

Method

  1. Take the big mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, coco powder, salt and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients well.
  2. Add the cubed cold butter to the flour. Incorporate it well in the floor either with hands or with pastry cutter or fork. When it is well mixed, the flour mixture will start looking like a bread crumbs.
  3. Add coarsely chopped walnuts to the flour and mix.
  4. Start adding milk, 1 tbsp at a time. It should take 2 tbsp to 3 tbsp milk to bring the flour mix together in a crumbly dough.
  5. Take a big piece of plastic wrap. Drop the crumbly dough in the middle of the plastic wrap. Shape it roughly in a long log. Bring the crumbs together. Wrap the plastic tightly around the dough, from the 2 long sides and then 1 short side. Continue shaping the log evenly by pressing it down gently with hands. It should roughly be 2 inches x 10 inches long. Close the 4th side of the plastic wrap tightly around the dough.
  6. Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can store the dough like that for 1 day or overnight to bake later.
  7. When ready to bake,  Preheat the oven at 375*F / 190*C. Line the cookie trays with parchment or butter paper.
  8. Take the chocolate walnut log out. Cut 1/2 inch thick slices out of the log. It should give approximately 18-20 slices.
  9. Lay these chocolate walnut slices on the cookie tray, at least 2 inches away from each other.
  10. Bake these chocolate walnut crisp biscuits for 12-15 minutes. They will expand as they bake and become crispy thin.
  11. Take the cookie trays out. Let the crisps be on the trays for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to wire racks for cooling.
  12. Once cooled to room temperature, store them in air tight containers. These make excellent gift for holidays or a great hostess gift as well.

Notes

  1. You may use any kind of nuts in this biscuit like hazelnut or macadamia or pecans.
  2. These store well at room temperature for a week or so. They won’t last that long either ;).
  3. The dough can be frozen and when ready to bake, just slice and bake.

Enjoy making these eggless crisp biscuits in your kitchen with your kids, as did I with my children in my Indian American Kitchen!

Happy Holidays People!!

Sonal

 

Whole wheat & Jaggery Banana Bread, eggless!

by 13 Comments

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I have to say this today loud and clear. If you are new to baking or intimidated by baking, then Banana Bread should be the first baked goody in your oven. You can never go wrong with it. I have so many kinds of banana breads on my blog and not even one recipe has disappointed me. Well, I keep the basic recipe with some tweaking changes of added ingredients here and there. The best part is that it can be easily done without any eggs.

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This bread came out of the oven and more than half of it was gone within the first 20 minutes. I kept slapping the approaching hands to let it cool off and save some to click, but of no use. The husband and the kids kept roaring with laughter as I kept chasing them away from it and they kept coming back like honey bee. Does that say anything about the quality of the bread? Well, this is not a leavened bread, neither a cake but a sweet bread that goes perfectly well with your cup of tea and coffee. With the added benefits of whole wheat and jaggery, it was of lesser guilt and absolutely delicious.

Adding the jaggery was a last minute idea, after I remembered seeing Ruchi’s Ginger Gudh Cake on Facebook. And it worked well. Next time, I might substitute with it completely. Let us bake the gorgeous now.

Eggless Banana Bread (Whole wheat & Jaggery)

  • Servings: 1 loaf of 9x4 inches
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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Kitchen Equipments Required : 2 big bowl and 1 small bowl, fork, electric egg beater, oven, a bread loaf tin of 9″x4″, parchment/butter paper, spatula.

Ingredients :

Whole wheat flour : 2 cups

Baking soda : 1 1/2 tsp

Salt : 1/2 tsp

Bananas over ripe : 4, almost 1&1/2 to 2 cups mushed

Jaggery (Gudh) : 1/2 cup, grated fine or in powdered form.

Sugar : 1/2 cup

Vegetable Oil : 1/4 cup

Yogurt, whipped : 1/2 cup

Vanilla extract : 1 tsp

Walnuts : 1 cup, coarsely crushed or chopped in food processor

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 350*F / 180*C and line the loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

3. Mash the bananas with a fork in another bowl. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the bananas, jaggery and sugar together for a good 3 minutes. We want a light and fluffy banana cream.

4. Add the oil, yogurt and vanilla. Beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated, no need to over blend. Fold in the 3/4 cup of walnuts with a spatula.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts evenly on top of the bread.

6. Bake for about 45-55 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don’t get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that’s no mistake, it’s typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

7. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.

Storing : As it reaches the room temperature, wrap in either foil, plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator in a box or brown paper bag. This will avoid the drying out. It is good outside for one day.

Enjoy this healthier version of banana bread this season with the goodness of whole wheat and jaggery.

Sonal

 

Dark Chocolate & Walnuts Brookie

by 19 Comments

   
Brookie? It’s a casp between a cookie and a brownie. Yes sir! Yes Ma’m! That exists.

 
Deliciousness of a cookie and the chewiness of a brownie. Can you ask for more, when that comes together?

 


I have adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart. If I may say so, I am slowly becoming a Martha Convert. There was a time, when I had a preconceived notion about Martha which wasn’t very pleasant for some reason (my apologies to her fans). But slowly and slowly I am becoming a fan of her baking recipes. They are simple (most of the time), made with easily available ingredients and always successful. 

 
Another special thing with this recipe is that I am visiting Angie’s Fiesta Friday after along gap. I hope that lovely co-hosts Kaila and Jenny get a glimpse of it and enjoy as much my family enjoyed these! 

 
Look at the wonderful brownie like texture inside the delicate cookie shell. Amazing! Isn’t it?

 
A good walnut chocolate brookie is best eaten with a cup of cold milk! Agree?

For original recipe, click on this link!
This is how I adapted it!

Dark Chocolate & Walnut Brookies

  • Servings: 24-25 cookies
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

 

Kitchen Equipments Required

Chopping board, 2 baking sheets, parchment or butter paper, 1 big mixing bowl, 1 medium bowl, 1 microwave safe bowl, electric beater, oven, fork.

Ingredients 

All purpose flour / Maida – 1&3/4 cups

Dark coco powder – 1/2 cup, unsweetened

Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Chocolate chips – 1 cup

Butter – 8 tbsp, unsalted

Sugar – 1&1/2 cups

Eggs – 3 medium

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Walnuts – 1 cup, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325*F / 180*C. Line the baking sheets with parchment papers.

2. Take the medium bowl and add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in it and set aside. 

3. Take the microwave safe bowl and add chocolate chips with butter in it. Microwave for 30-45 seconds. Take the fork and mix well.

4. Transfer chocolate mixture to the big bowl. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined. 

5. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in walnut pieces.

6. Scoop batter using a big spoon and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. 

7. Bake until Brookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack, about 15 minutes. Transfer on parchment to wire racks. Let cool 5 minutes. 

Note – Brookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.



Enjoy this yummy treat over the weekend.

Sonal


Eggless Walnut Brownie

by 42 Comments

 
Brownies have become hot favorite dessert in my house lately. After the success of perfect Fudgy Brownie, last time, I thought of experimenting with eggless version of brownie. It came out beautiful. Though can’t compare the textures of eggs included and egg-less brownies, nonetheless, it was delicious and my kids loved it!

 
Many of you are in treat for this one…the ones who do not eat eggs and the ones who do not have eggs handy. You can whip this up with minimum ingredients and least work. These can be your “to-go” brownies. Nutty Walnuts add amazing bite and texture to these.

Taking these to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted by Loretta and Caroline!


This is how to make these!

Eggless Walnut Brownie

  • Servings: 25 small squares
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

  
Kitchen Equipments Required

1 big bowl, 1 microwave safe bowl, a wore whisk, 9×9 cake pan, parchment or butter paper, a spreading knife, fork, sieve.

Ingredients

Semi sweet chocolate chips – 1&1/4 cup
Butter – 1/2 cup 
Sugar, regular – a little more than 3/4 cup 

Thick Yogurt – 1/2 cup

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

All purpose flour – 1/2 cup+2 tbsp 

Coco powder, unsweetened – 2 tbsp

Salt – a pinch

Walnuts – 1 cup, chopped roughly

Method 
Preheat the oven at 350*F/180*C. Line the cake pan with parchment paper.

1. Take the microwave safe bowl. Add butter and choco chips to it. Microwave on high for 20 seconds. Take it out. Stir with a fork and microwave again for 20-30 seconds till it is warm enough. Take it out. Mix well with fork. Transfer to the big bowl. Set aside to cool for 2 minutes.
2. Now add sugar to the butter chocolate mixture. Whisk it well with wire whisk until well incorporated, for a minute.

3. Add thick yogurt to the bowl. Whisk until blend well. Add vanilla essence and stir well.

4. Sift the flour, salt and coco powder through sieve in the bowl. Use the whisk and incorporate everything together. Add chopped walnuts to it and stir again. It is a tight batter.

5. Pour this batter in the pan. Spread with the spreading knife evenly. 

6. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. Bake till the wooden tooth pick comes out clean with little crumbs.  

Notes

1. Make sure that yogurt used is not sour at all and is thick. You may use Greek yogurt as well!

2. Cool it to room temperature and then store in air right container in refrigerator. 

Bake this super easy and yummy brownie this weekend for the family and have some chocolate love!

Sonal

Apple & Nuts + Chocolate & Nuts Mini Hand Pies – 2nd Blog Anniversary

by 56 Comments

 Time just flew by and I found myself stumbled at the door of my 2nd blog anniversary! Didn’t realize that it was that time of the year, that’s why stumbled ;). 
I panicked since I remembered it just last night. I panicked because I had nothing in my mind. I panicked because it just happened and I was not prepared. I thought of letting it go. But it’s my baby’s 2nd birthday, so couldn’t just let it go!

Thank Goodness that I had the galette dough that I had prepared this weekend and then forgot about it after putting it away in the refrigerator.  


 
Aanya loves apple pies and had been begging me since sometime to make some at home. I make the same kind of dough when I have to make either a pie or a tart or a galette.  

 
For those of you who are not aware of galettes, these are rustic tarts folded in an old fashioned way with hands, irrespective of their shape. I like the ease, charm and antique feel they bring to the table. Shruti of Cooking Diary by Shruti had blogged these mini apple galettes recently. Those inspired me to create the single serve portions, hence the mini versions instead of my Apple Galette that I blogged for Jhuls

 
No celebration is complete without Chocolates, so some were turned into Apple honey nuts mini galettes/tarts and some were transformed into dark chocolate and nuts mini galettes/tarts. Swooning over the aroma and textures and flavors of these exotic and highly exciting mini beauties!  

 
So a very happy 2nd Blog Anniveraary to simplvegetarian777 and let’s jump on to the recipe wagon!

Apple & Nuts + Chocolate & Nuts Mini Hand Pies

 
Kitchen Equipments Required

A big bowl, a cup, plastic wrap, oven, baking tray, parchment/butter paper, rolling pin, Rollin board or clean surface. 

Ingredients 

For Pie dough

Whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup + more for rolling.

All purpose flour/maida – 1/2 cup

Cold butter – 4 tbsp, cut into small cubes and chilled.

Water – 2&1/2 tbsp, chilled.

Sugar – 2 tbsp

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Salt – a small pinch

For Apple Nuts Pies

Apple – 1/2 cup, peeled, thinly sliced and then cut into small pieces.

Honey – 3 tsp or to taste

Pistachios and walnuts – 1 tsp each, crushed

Cinnamon powder – 3 pinches

For Chocolate Pies

Chocolate chips – 3tbsp

Walnuts and pistachios – 2 tsp each, crushed

Method to make Pie Dough

1. Take the bowl. Add flours, sugar, salt to it. Add small chilled butter cubes and work quickly with either fingers or pastry butter or a chilled fork. Rub the butter into the flour mixture, without melting the buyer with the heat of friction. That means, just incorporate enough.

2. Add vinegar and add 2 tbsp chilled water to it. Bring it together in a dough. No kneading at all. Just collect the mixture in a log form. Wrap into a plastic wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 1hr atleast. This dough canbe easily stored in the fridge for a week, for later use.

Rolling and Baking the Pies 

*Preheat the oven at 400*F / 200*C. Line the baking tray with butter paper.

1. Take out the chilled log of the pie dough.

2. Cut into 6 equal portions with a sharp knife. 

3. Now work quickly. Roll one piece of dough into dry flour and roll out into 3&1/2 to 4 inches wide disc. Edges will be tattered. It’s okay. Refer to pictogram given below.

4. For Apple pies – Pile up apples in the center. Drop a tea spoon of honey and sprinkle with both kind of nuts. Bring the edges of the disc to the center, wrapping all around. It will be a rough cup or pocket. Press the edges down. Place on the lined baking tray.Refer to the pictogram below.

5. For Chocolate Pies – Pile up 1 tbsp of chocolate chips in the middle. Add 1 tsp each of nuts on top. Bring the edges of the disc to the center, wrapping all around. It will be a rough cup or pocket. Press the edges down. Place on the lined baking tray. Refer to the pictogram below.

6. Baking Apple Pies – These need to be baked for 23-25 minutes, till edges are golden brown. 

7. Baking Chocolate Pies – These need to be baked for 18-20 minutes, till edges are golden brown.

Notes

1. The difference between the baking time for both is because of the moisture content in both the fillings. The apples have more moisture and so these pies take lo her to pick up the color. Chocolate on the other hand is dried ingredient so it bakes faster with the crust.

2. You may use berries, pear, peaches as filling too.

3. You may omit using nuts or use nuts of your choice.

   
 
Enjoy this weekend with these mini bites which are rich and indulging and oh so sinfully delicious!
Sonal


Classic Coffee Layered Bundt Cake

by 43 Comments

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It was one of those days when I was so tired that baking was the last thing on my mind. I could have skipped it completely but I had to bake! Has this ever happened with you?

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Had kept the eggs and butter out in the morning to bring them at the room temperature so that I could use them to bake cookies for the holidays. The whole day went by in a blink and it was already 8:00 pm and those 4 eggs still sat there on the counter looking at me, waiting for their fate.

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I didn’t have the heart to throw them in the trash and I wasn’t sure if putting them back in the fridge after their outing for the whole day, would be fine (any ideas?)…so started looking for the newer recipes to bake cookies. I made a batch of Suzanne’s Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies. They came out super awesome. Thanks Suzanne for such a good and rich recipe.


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But baking cookies is more time consuming for me than the cake so looked for a coffee cake recipe and found a really good one at Martha’s. Such a rich coffee cake and layering takes it to another level. Rich! Decadent! Nutty! Soft! Crumbly! Flavorful! Aromatic! Bursting with Holidays!

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Here is how I made it, which is originally adapted from Martha Stewart’s Aunt Patty’s Coffee Cake.Click on the link (in blue) for original recipe. Here is my version!

Makes : 1 big Bundt Cake OR 2 medium loaf cakes OR 4 small loaf cakes

Kitchen Equipments Required :Loaf pan or cake pan of your choice. I used a big Bundt pan, chopping board & knife or food processor, 1 small bowl, 1 medium bowl, 1 big bowl, electric egg beater, spatula, whisk, fork.

Ingredients :

All purpose flour : 2 cups. You may use whole wheat flour or 50/50 of both.
Baking soda : 1 tsp
Baking powder : 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder : 1/2 tsp
All spice powder : 1/2 tsp
Instant coffee powder : 1 tsp
Coco powder, unsweetened : 1 tsp
Salt : 1/2 tsp
Butter, unsalted and at room temperature : 8 tbsp or 1 stick
Sugar : 3/4 cup
Eggs : 2 large, at room temperature
Yogurt, plain and thick : 1 cup at room temperature
Orange juice : 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract : 1 tsp

Filling :
Granulated sugar : 3 tbsp
Instant coffee : 1 tbsp
Cocoa powder, unsweetened : 1 tbsp
Walnuts : 1/4 cup chopped roughly
Pistachios : 1/4 cup chopped roughly
Almonds : 1/4 cup chopped roughly
Cinnamon powder : 1 tsp
All spice : 1 tsp. you may use the combination of clove, ginger and nutmeg powder.

To grease the pan : butter and flour

Method :

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan or pan of your choice.

  2. In a small bowl, make the filling. Mix together the sugar, instant coffee, cocoa, cinnamon powder, all spice powder and chopped nuts.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant coffee powder, coco powder, cinnamon powder & all spice powder.

  4. Using an electric egg beater, cream together the butter and sugar in the big bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating until just combined.

  5. Beat in one third of the flour mixture, then half of the yogurt, then another third of the flour mixture. Beat in the remainder of the yogurt and the last third of the flour mixture.

  6. Add the vanilla essence & orange juice and mix for another minute or two. Make sure that no dry ingredient are left so scrape well from all the sides.

  7. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle half of the filling on top.

  8. Pour in the remaining batter (save 1/4 cup to top later) and sprinkle the remaining filling on top of that.

  9. Now pour the saved 1/4 cup of the batter.

  10. Take a spoon and level the batter. If the filling is showing up at some places, then it’s fine. Let it be!

  11. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean.

  12. Keep it in the pan for 15-20 minutes and then gently flip it on a cooling rack. Tap it on the top to loosen it. If it still doesn’t come out. Flip it again back to normal position. Run a plastic knife on the edges to loosen it. The flip and tap again to take it out. I used my gorgeous Simpleware Flow Board to rest my cake and then drizzled it with weak sugar frosting! All the drop went through the pores and I had a mess free working counter.

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    Enjoy with family and friends! Make smaller bundts and use for gifting :).
    I am going to make it again and again! Are you?

Don’t forget to enroll in Holiday Give away of Simpleware Cutting Board Flow

Taking it to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted by Indu and Jhuls. I hope that the lovely ladies like it :).

Sonal

Oats Whole Wheat Chocolate Walnut Pistachio Biscotti, Eggless

by 8 Comments

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I had been thinking of baking biscottis since long time. It was November of 2013, when I baked my last batch.

These are Crumbly! Crunchy! Light! Delicious! Nutty! Heart healthy! Eggless! Festive!


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A super easy recipe which doesn’t need much prep but is bursting with flavors and textures. If you ask my why another eggless recipe? Then my friend, this time because I ran out of eggs and the family wanted another batch, now and then! Yes these were made in 2 days Biscotti Marathon ! The first day I made a batch, it had eggs and much more cocoa powder and were much richer in color. Shared some and finished the rest…the same day…and when everybody was eyeing that last biscotti, I knew I had to make another batch. Here is a click from my first batch with eggs and more chocolate! Will put down a special note using eggs and richer chocolate tips.

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Biscotti is nothing but a double baked Italian cookie which is bar shaped and originally baked in a log, which is then cut and double baked for crispier texture. The best part about this recipe is that you can choose not to double bake it since after the first bake, it is a perfect fudge brownie.

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Here is how I made it !

Yields : 18-20 Biscottis

Kitchen Equipments Required : a big bowl, chopping board or food processor, a microwavable cup, fork, cookie tray, butter or parchment paper, oven, knife, measuring spoons n cups.

Ingredients :

Oats Meal : 1 cup. See notes.

Whole wheat flour : 1/2 cup

Instant coffee powder : 2 tsp

Coco powder, unsweetened : 3 tbsp

Cinnamon powder : 1/2 tsp

Baking soda : 1 tsp

Baking powder : 3/4 tsp

Salt : a pinch

Brown sugar : 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. see notes.

Walnuts : 3/4 cup, roughly chopped or processed

Pistachios : 1/2 cup

Vegetable Oil : 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence : 2 tsp

Flax meal : 2 tbsp dissolved in 6 tbsp of warm water. See notes.

Notes :

  1. How to make Oats Meal : Take 1&1/4 cup of quick cooking rolled oats. Put them in the grinder and grind them super fine. It won’t be stone ground fine flour but a nice fine meal. This leads to the crumbly texture instead of dense texture. You may use oats flour instead.

  2. Sugar : I don’t like my dessert too sweet so this was just perfect. You may use 1 cup for that extra sweet tooth ;).

  3. Flax Meal : This acts like eggs in our recipe. If you have flax seeds, then grind them fine to obtain meal. Or if you want, use 2 eggs instead. In case you don’t want to use eggs or flax, use 1/4 cups more of oil.

Method :

  1. Preheat the oven at 350F/180C. Line the cookie sheet with butter/parchment paper.

  2. Keep the flax meal jelly ready.

  3. Take a big bowl. Add oats meal, whole wheat flour, coffee powder, cinnamon powder, coco powder, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chopped walnuts and pistachios to it. Stir with a fork. Make a well in the middle.

  4. Add flax jelly, oil, vanilla essence in the well. Take a fork and start bringing everything together in a rough dough. It is not at all of batter consistency. It is a dry dough. I used my hands here since hands work better. We are not kneading it but gathering it.

  5. Divide in 2 equal portions and stretch them out in 2 logs of 3 to 4 inches width and 3/4 to 1 inch thickness.

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  6. Bake them in the oven for 30 minutes. Take the tray out and let it rest for 5 minutes. Do not touch them fresh out of the oven. Do not switch off the oven. The baked logs look like the picture below.

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  7. Take a sharp knife and cut the logs into 1 inch thick bars.

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  8. Separate them and bake them again for 10 minutes in the oven. Switch the oven off. Open the door slightly. Let the tray hang in there for 15 more minutes in cooling oven.

  9. Take them out and enjoy them warm or cool them down completely at the room temperature and then store in air tight container.

It seems like a long post but super easy and super yummmmm! Do try it! You will be glad that you did :).

Happy Holidays!
Sonal

Banana Bread and Walnut BonBons

by 18 Comments

My family loves Banana breads, so much so that we buy bananas to only let them over ripe and use them in a good loaf of a banana bread.

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I think it was too soon this time. I was hosting a party on Friday so thought of using the banana bread loaf in making these cute bonbons.

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I am not going to share a particular recipe with the measured ingredients etc, but a general idea to bring them together.


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What do you Need ?

Walnuts : 1cup or more, chopped coarsely.

A Banana Bread Loaf : For the recipe, click here or use this Recipe. You may choose any banana bread, store bought or home made, egg free or with eggs, nuts free or with nuts. You may use a plain chocolate or vanilla cake too.

Chocolate Ganache : I warmed 1/2 cup of heavy cream in microwave in a microwavable cup, for 1&1/2 minutes. Added 1 plus choco chips to the hot cream. Mixed them together with a fork till the chips were completely melted and the ganache becomes a thick sauce consistency. Bring to a room temperature for the use.

Putting it together !

  1. Take a big ziplock plastic bag. Add the sliced banana bread. Close and crush with your hands from outside.

  2. Now add the chopped walnuts to the bag. Mix them all together.

  3. Take the mix out in a big bowl. Line a baking sheet with butter paper or parchment paper.

  4. Now grab 1 tbsp full of mix and press between hands to make a tight ball. Finish the banana bread and walnut mix similarly. Place them on the lined baking sheet.

  5. Take one ball at a time and keep it on a fork. Dip each bonbon or ball completely at a time in the ganache cup. Take it out and put it on the lined baking sheet back at its place.

  6. Refrigerate for 2-3 hrs. Take it out! Spoon the ganache and drop a bit on top of each bonbon for smooth finish. Place them in mini muffin liners / boondi Laddoo liners :), for clean pick.

  7. Top with chopped nuts or sprinkles. Refrigerate for another 2-3 hrs and serve when ready!

Hopefully you will enjoy making these as I did! My guests loved it :). It’s okay to indulge in wine and chocolates at a party ;).

Taking these to Angie’s FF#38, co-hosted by Hilda and Juliana. I hope they like it as much as my family did.

Sonal

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

by 18 Comments

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe.

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

It’s been a while that I have been to Angie’s Fiesta Friday. Hello Everybody! Today I bring Dessert Tartlets filled with some chopped walnuts, sugar and allspice. Also made some with chocolate filling for my kids. Don’t these Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe look delicious already?

With so many festivities approaching at the end of the month like Teej, Eid and Rakshabandhan, these sound like a fresh breeze amongst traditional sweets. Prudy and Jess, I hope you will like my bite or 2 bite sized walnut tartlets. Sorry couldn’t get the chocolate ones since my girls finished them all.


This post will have 2 Recipes. One with a basic dessert tart recipe and another with the filling!

Basic Dessert Tart Dough/Shell Recipe 

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Yields : 12 -16 small tartlet shells or 1 big shell

Kitchen Equipments Required : big bowl, small circular Cookie cutter or a bowl of 3 to 4 inches diameter, fork, small muffin tray, rolling pin, plastic cling wrap.

Ingredients :

Refined flour or All purpose flour : 1&1/4 cups
Sugar : 3 tbsp
Butter : 6 tbsp, cold or chilled, right out of the refrigerator and cut into very small cubes.
Salt : a pinch
Water : 5 tbsp, chilled

Method :

  1. Take a big bowl. Add flour, sugar and salt to it and mix well.

  2. Now add cold butter cubes to the flour and mix into the flour gently. Don’t rub too hard since you don’t want the butter to melt. The flour and butter would look like bread crumb consistency.

  3. Now add cold water 1 tbsp each at a time. Bring the flour together in a dough. Just gather. Don’t knead at all.

  4. Now take the plastic cling wrap. Place the dough in the middle. Wrap it right from all the sides.

  5. Refrigerate the dough for 1/2 to 1 hour atleast.

Making the Tartlet Shells

The best lady about these shells is that they can be prepared in advance and stored in air tight container after cooking them completely to the room temperature. They can then be used as desired :).

  1. Preheat the oven at 400*F and grease the muffin tray lightly. Take the refrigerated dough out. Lay down a big square piece of plastic sheet on a clean counter surface. The plastic sheet makes it easier to roll without sticking.

  2. Place the dough in the middle of plastic sheet. Place another plastic sheet (of the same size as the bottom one), on top of the dough.

  3. Take a rolling pin and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness or thinner if you like crispier or thicker of you like more of the biteful pastry. Mine were biteful. You have to roll the dough out quickly or else it will become too soft to handle.

  4. Now take the cookie cutter and cut out the circles.

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

  1. Place these circles inside the muffin tray. Take a fork and pierce them in different angles so it doesn’t puff up while baking.
Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

  1. Place the rack towards upper half of
    the oven. Bake it for 12-15 minutes, till it gets little golden.

  2. Bring these out and cool them on the cooling racks.

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Let us make the Walnut Filling Tartlets now.

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Filling

Ingredients :

Walnuts : 1/3 cup, finely chopped or ground coarse.

Brown sugar : 2 tbsp. You may use more but dessert tarts are already sweet. Also, I like my desserts less sweet.

Allspice or Cinnamon : 1/2 tsp

Note : You may add 1 tbsp of milk powder too. I didn’t. Many recipes use egg for binding but I didn’t use any since sugar set up fine.

Method :

  1. Preheat the oven at 425*F.

  2. Mix walnuts, sugar and spice with a fork.

  3. Spoon 2 tsp of walnut mix in each tart shell.

  4. Place these shells on a baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes till the sugar melts a bit and settles down.

Enjoy these warm or at room temperature! I enjoyed mine with a cup of tea and these were delicious.

Notes :
1. You may make them either cold or hot.
2. Fill them up with nuts and sugar and bake. Almonds and Pistachios go very well too.
3. You may add custard, jams, jellies, lemon curd, any pie filling to these.
4. You may use chocolate in combination with nuts too.

Some other Baked recipes from my blog are – Apple Honey Nuts Galette , Chocolate Nuts + Apple Nuts Mini Hand pies and more.

Can’t make these now? PIN IT FOR LATER!

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

Walnut Dessert Tartlets with Tart Dough Recipe

In my kitchen, EAT HAPPY & STAY HAPPY!

Sonal

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