Eid Celebration and Cookies

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim friends.

Besides scrumptious, yummylicious food served on Eid day, cookies, cakes and all sweet deserts are part of celebrating Eid in Malaysia,Singapore and Indonesia.  I so miss the festivity back home. The arrays of food from lontong, masak lodeh, satay, nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, serunding, and dozens of cookies and cakes is a feast to your eyes (and tummy)

In the mood of celebrating Eid, I made several cookies for my Indian friend for their Eid celebration. I made a modified version of London Almond kids savour on where instead stuffing with almond, I had it blended and roll into balls and covered with cooking chocolate and sprinkle with some chopped almonds.  This recipe is credit to my sister, Malini, she can't stand seeing the almonds wasted after the kids savour on the chocolate part and cookie throwing of the almond.

Next I made 3 types of cookies from one basic dough.  Its a recipe from https://resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com/2012/08/biskut-pistachios-delight.html

where I made pistachios, almond and also coconut cookies.  And to forget also made cornflakes cookies.

Almond Cookies

Before being baked

with almonds as deco on tray before baking.

Pistachio Cookies

London Almond

I have no idea how the term London Almond comes about, but its surely a favourite with kids.  My version is the modified one where instead of having almonds rolled into the dough, I add powdered almond into the dough and shape them.  This is a 2 step process, base the base or the almond balls, then dipped into cooking chocolate and decorate with chopped almonds

London Almond - picture courtesy of Google

Ingredients

for the dough

250gm unsalted butter
130gm icing sugar
450gm all purpose flour
350gm of powdered almond * (my modified version) otherwise roasted almonds
2 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
chopped almonds, roasted
cooking chocolate, double boiled
small paper cups

Method

1. Beat sugar and butter till fluffy and light
2. Add egg yolk and essence vanilla and beat further for another 3mins
3. Add flour, powdered almond and salt and mix well till well form into a dough.
4.  Shape into balls (If you using whole almond as filling, a ball and add in the almond into it and shape it , normally elongated shape like the almond)
5.  Bake at 160C for approximately 15-18mins depending on your oven.
6.  Let it cool
7.  Double boil your cooking chocolate. see info on how to do it
8.  Dip several balls into the chocolate, let it covered fully and then place into a paper cup and decorate with some chopped almonds.





What is double boil
http://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com/double-boiling.html
Double boiling is not like melting chocolate over boiling water. It is submerging a ceramic jar/glass jar containing the ingredients into a pot of boiling water.


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Melting Chocolate in a Double Boiler

https://noshon.it/tips/melting-chocolate-in-a-double-boiler

Since chocolate is so sensitive to heat, you have to be extremely careful when melting it otherwise it will break and separate. We’ve talked before about how to do this in the microwave but the more common approach that chefs use is called a “double boiler.” Here’s how to do it:

1. Add 1” of water to a medium saucepan or pot and bring to a very gentle simmer.
2. Place a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot so that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. You want the steam from the water to gently warm the bowl.
3. Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl and stir occasionally with a spatula until smooth and melted.
4. Remove the bowl from the heat and use. If the chocolate starts to become too hard, just put the bowl back over the simmering water.

By using the steam from the water to heat the bowl, you avoid direct contact with the chocolate and allow the chocolate to melt slowly so it stay smooth.

Coconut Cookies

Coconut Cookies

250gm butter (unsalted)

140gm caster sugar

1 egg
a pinch of salt

430gm of all purpose flour

40gm of corn flour

100gms of dessicated coconut
colourful sugar for decorations or dessicated coconut

3-4 drops of pink food colour (optional)

Method

1. Heat oven at 160C
2. Beat butter and caster sugar till fluffy
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Mix all the dry items and the colour into the butter dough. Mix all together till well form
5. Roll the dough into an even thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut the dough, decorate with dessicated coconut or colourful sugar.
6.  Bake at 160C for 12-15mins.  Timing varies for different oven.
7.  Once cool, store in airtight box

Almond Cookies

Credit to https://resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com/

Almond Cookies

250gm butter (unsalted)

140gm caster sugar

1 egg
a pinch of salt

430gm of all purpose flour

40gm of corn flour

100gms of almonds, roasted and powdered
slivered almonds

3-4 drops of pink food colour (optional)

Method

1. Heat oven at 160C
2. Beat butter and caster sugar till fluffy
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Mix all the dry items and the colour into the butter dough. Mix all together till well form
5. Roll the dough into an even thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut the dough, decorate with slivered almonds.
6.  Bake at 160C for 12-15mins.  Timing varies for different oven.
7.  Once cool, store in airtight box

before baking with almond slivers

Almond Cookies

before baking

Pistachio Cookies

Credit to https://resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com/

Pistachio Cookies

250gm butter

140gm caster sugar

1 egg

430gm of all purpose flour

40gm of corn flour

100gms of pistachios, roasted and powdered

40gm of colourful chocolate rice

3-4 drops of apple green food colour (to enhance the pistachio's green in the batter)

Method

1. Heat oven at 160C
2. Beat butter and caster sugar till fluffy
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Mix all the dry items and the colour into the butter dough. Mix all together till well form
5. Roll the dough into an even thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut the dough.
6.  Bake at 160C for 12-15mins.  Timing varies for different oven.
7.  Once cool, store in airtight box

p/s : I did not add together the colourful chocolate rice into the dough, instead I use as decoration.

Pistachio Cookies

Chocolate Treasure

Another of my favourite...it has two steps, first with the base and then the topping..a little work but worth the effort.

I have this cookies a few time and this time I decided to make a little change...ie by adding rice bubbles and instead of drizzling with cooking chocolate I sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. 

Chocolate Treasure

Mama Zieza @ www.resipi.net

For base

250gm butter
25 g milk powder
65 gm castor sugar
250 gm flour
65 gm corn flour
50 gm cocoa powder

For topping
2 cup of cornflakes
500 gm white chocolate
50 gm almond nibs.
50 gm golden raisins/blackcurrants/ kismis
cooking chocolate for drizzle

Method

1.     Beat butter and sugar till mix well, add the rest of the dry ingredients, mix well and make balls and place in paper cup and press lightly.  Bake and let it cool.

2.  For the topping - melt white chocolate double boiler (its best to do it in small batches), once melted add the cornflakes, almond nibs and golden raisins.

3.  Mix well till all are well coated - ensure that not many cornflakes as it will not stick.

4.  Lined the baked cookies on a tray, scoop out the topping and cover the base. 

5.  Melt cooking chocolote and pour into piping bag and drizzle on the topping.  Let it dry and store them.

p/s - well received by the kids as they look inviting with colours.

Snowball Cookies

This is a another quick and easy cookie making courtesy of Wan Noor Baya of US.  Thanks Baya for sharing.

What you need :

2 cups of flour (250gm)
2 cups of finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecan) - I used walnuts 
1/4 cup fine sugar (55gm)
1 cup of softened butter (226gm)
1tsp vanilla
icing sugar for coating/rolling

How to do :

• Pre-heat oven at 180C
• Mix flour, nuts, sugar, butter and vanilla essence.
• Mix on low speed till mix well (3-4 mins)
• Using teaspoon, scoop and make balls.
• Place on cookie sheets 1 inch apart
• Bake at 18-20minutes or till it turns light colour.
• Remove ASAP from cookie sheet.
• Roll over icing sugar, let it cool and roll once again. (I put them into small paper cupsfor easier handling)
• Store.

Note - this is a soft kind of cookie so beware.

Cornflakes Cookies

A crunchy cookies worth trying from http://citarasawan.blogspot.com/  I used honey nuts coated cornflakes so it was a little sweet otherwise they were excellent. 

What you need :

250gm butter (I used unsalted ones, so add 1tsp salt to the batter)
150gm sugar
2tsp of vanilla essence
250gm of flour
4 cups of cornflakes - crushed

How to do :

• Beat sugar and butter till white and fluffy.
• Add in vanilla essence, stir.
• Mix salt, flour and cornflakes, stir till well mix.
• Using teaspoon, scoop each teaspoon on a baking sheet.
• Bake 15-18mins at 180C or till golden colour.
• Store once cooled.

p/s : will be uploaded later...

 before baking

after baking and ready to be eaten....

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daughter was looking for a big size, crispy and yet chewy chocolate chip cookie.  She found one at Martha Stewart's.   She tried them, she likes it (me including) and since then she has baked them a few times....

Its so so simple that any one can do it...My personal verdict for this...simply fabulous. 

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup of unsalted, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 180C, whisk together flour, baking soda,salt and set aside.

2.  In a different bowl, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.  Add egg one at a time.  Mix well add vanilla extract mix well.

3.  Mixer on low speed, add flour, mix till just incorporate, with a spatula stir in chocolate chips.

4.  Drop 1 tbs full heap of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 4 inches apart and away from edges of pan, spread around the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Bake 15-18 mins, remove.

5.Cool 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Apricot (Orange) Sesame Cookies

The original recipes calls for apricot jam - i changed it to orange jam instead.

Apricot (Orange) Sesame Cookies..
courtesy of Wan Noor Baya of http://www.resipinet.com/

Ingredients
1 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of almond extract (I use vanilla essence)
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of salt
7 tbs of sesame seeds
6 tbs of apricot jam

Method

1. Cream butter, sugar and almond extract till fluffy.
2. Add flour, salt and mix together further.
3. Roll into 1 inch ball, roll over sesame seeds and make an indent to fill the jam.
4. Bake at 10-12mins or till slightly brown.

Note : Place apart the cookies as they tend to expand graciously.....

Sugee (Semolina) Cookies

This is another biscuit or cookies usually we entrusted to bake for divali when we were kids......another version of quick and easy baking....

Sugee (Semolina) Cookies

What you need
2 cups of semolina
1 cup of sugar castor
a pinch of cardamon
a pinch of salt
ghee, melted - enough to make a dough.

How to do

1. Preheat oven at 180C
2. Grind both semolina and sugar to a fine powder
3. Mix all the dry ingredients and gradually add the melted ghee till a soft dough is formed.

4. Roll into a small ball, indent slightly, place on baking tray and bake for 12-15mins.

Peanut & Almond Cookies

Ok the long awaited cookies that I made for Divali. 

This is one of the cookies which we do diligently every year when we were kids.  Remember sitting around to make balls of the dough.  It is quite easy and can be quite additive once we starts to snack on them.  Original recipes calls for only peanuts, however I decided to add on almond powder.  No regrets as it turned out very well indeed.....

Lets see the what you require for Peanuts & Almond Cookies.

PEANUTS & ALMOND COOKIES

2 cups of ground almonds
2.5 cups of ground peanuts - slight roasted and powdered
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt
soya oil, sunflower oil or mazola oil enough to bind the flour

Method

1. Preheat oven at 180C for 10mins.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Gradually add the oil and mix well till they form a dough.
4. Take a small amount of dough and roll into a ball and slightly flatten with a fork.
5. Brush with egg yolk onto the cookie and if you wish to decorate can place a small groundnut on it.
6. Bake at 180C for 15mins or till it is golden in color.
7. Remove from oven, leave it for a few minutes before removing from pan.

Honey Cornflakes

I have been doing this cookie for Divali for the last few years.  I just fancy those cookies which are simple, easy and quick to do and yet delicious.

Honey Cornflakes

What you need:
90gm butter
1/3 cup of honey
1 1/2 tsb of sugar
4 cups of cornflakes
1/2cup of cashewnut (I used chopped almond)
1/4 cup of dessicated coconut - roast lightly
1-2 tbs of sesame seeds - roast lightly
cherry - chopped finely for deco (I did not use)

How to do:

1. Melt butter and honey together with sugar over slow heat till well mix and starts to boil.
2. Let it cool.
3. Add all others - mix well and scoop into small paper cups.
4. Bake 10-13 minutes till golden brown.

Smartie Cookies

this is a recipe that I tried from http://resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com. Sis Wan has alot of simple and yet easy to bake cookies. Thank you Sis Wan..

I just made a few changes to suit the ingredients at home. I substituted brown sugar to castor sugar and add cocoa powder too as my daughter loves anything that is chocolaty....

Source : resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com

Ingredients A
250gm of butter
30gm of shortening
250gm of brown sugar (I used castor sugar instead)
2tsp of essence of vanilla
2 eggs

Ingredients B
460gm of flour - sieve
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1tsp of emplex
1/4tsp of salt
60gm of almonds-coarse and roasted slightly

Decoration :- M&M chocolates/smarties

Method

Beat sugar and butter till creamy, add essence vanilla, egg at a time. Beat till well mix.

Add in all of ingredient "B". Mix well till it is soft dough. Rest for about 10-15 mins.

Scoop a small quantity of the dough, round it, pad flat and decorate with a few pieces of M&M/smarties.

Preheat over, greased baking trays, place the cookies on the tray. Give a gap between the cookies as it will expand.

Bake at 150C for about 15-20mins or till done.