When the cookie monster attacks you, you can't just eat one and leave it especially these cookies :),  That's how my kids feel when they eat these cookies.  My children have declared that  this is the best cookie their mamma makes.  This is the best oatmeal cookies you can dream off.  I mean you can think off.  I would actually like to dedicate this cookie to my dear friend Madhuri, she loved them so much, she kept pestering me to post the recipe ( this was around 2 years back!! ) at last I made it to the blog!. I have been making these from around 3 to 4 years back, I know I never posted it.  It was usually in a jiffy I used to make it for some reason or the other, either to pack it for my kids or gift it to somebody and never got time to take photos, Oh! No, I did once but they were crap so discarded them.

These cookies are a killer combination, I would say combination made in heaven. If you have visited my blog you would notice that I love orange and chocolate combination a lot, works out perfectly a match made in heaven. I would say just like Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil on a Bruchetta.

 I would actually like to dedicate this cookie to my dear friend Madhuri, she loved them so much, she kept pestering me to post the recipe ( this was around 2 years back!! ) at last I made it to the blog!. I have been making these from around 3 to 4 years back, I know! you did guess it right ? I never posted it.  It was usually in a jiffy I used to make these cookies either to pack it for my kids or gift it to somebody and never got time to take photos.  Oh! No, I did once but they were crap so I have discarded them.  Now, don't go there, I know what you are thinking :), do you (me) rate that these cookie photos are good? well, then I would say to my caliber I think they are Ok! Aha...

This is my top notch recipe. Everybody who has tasted my cookie love it.  I have always got a good feedback from everybody.  You should try it out and tell me if you like it.  Baking cookies is an easy peasy job and also kids would love to get involved, They are all grown up now and they don't get time to do things which they enjoyed when they were little.

Did I tell you, we had been getting some jobs done in our house and we had people working for various jobs and I fed them with my cookies and asking them about how they would rate it.  I remember one chap thinking!! he started munching and went on saying Mmm.., these are really delicious I can get the taste of orange and it really is crispy and chewy and very tasty.  This was my recent appreciation which I received from somebody whom I never knew before because I told them I was a blogger and would really appreciate their honest opinion.  what else would I need, one happy satisfied baker, they even asked me for the recipe!

Orange, Oates, Raisin and Chocolate chip Cookies

Recipe Author: Jayasri
Recipe Type: Breakfast/Tea-time snack
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Shelf time: 4 to 5 days
Makes: 15 to 18 cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¾ (175 grms) Cup Rolled Oats
50 grms ( 1/3 cup) Whole wheat flour (atta)
75 grm Butter
½ tsp Baking powder
1/8 th tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Orange Juice ( from 2 Oranges)
2/3 cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Raisins (dried grapes)
¼ cup Chocolate chips
2 to 3 tbsp of Orange zest

Method:

Zest the Oranges, Squeeze the Orange juice ( I got nearly one cup of orange juice minus 1 tbsp) and keep aside

Take a large bowl take butter and sugar blend them well until well combined.  To this add Oats, whole wheat flour mix them with your hand until they resemble like crumbs to this Baking powder and Baking soda. Mix well.

Mix Oats, whole wheat flour , Baking powder and Baking soda. Take these dried ingredients and mix well with the above mixture using your hands they will resemble like crumbs.

Add Orange juice and zest and make it into a dough-like consistency, to this add chocolate chips and Raisins.

The dough will be a bit sticky not to worry it will be fine.  At this stage put it in a refrigerator for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for  15 minutes.

Take a cookie sheet place a parchment paper, using a scoop make round balls and flatten them a bit and place them on the sheet with a gap of 1 to 1/2''.

Place the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes depending upon your oven temperature.  you will notice that it is turning into golden in colour.  Take it out and allow it cool, before munching.

Notes:

1. I have baked these cookies many  times in different ways.  I have used just oats only without any flour and it turns out really well.
2. You can bake it with one large Egg if you like to use egg in your baking.
3. You can substitute all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour.
4. So, which Oats to use? you can use any Oats, I use porridge oats or Rolled oats, If the Oats are thick just grind it into a powder and use it as needed.

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Orange, Oats and Raisin chocolate chip Cookies - Eggless

These cookies are so delicious with the goodness of Oats and Raisins and with bursting flavours from the Oranges

Course Breakfast/on the go

Cuisine International Cuisine

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 15 -18

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ 175 grms Cup Rolled Oats
• 50 grms 1/3 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)
• 75 grm Butter
• ½ tsp Baking powder
• 1/8 th tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Orange Juice from 2 Oranges
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Raisins dried grapes
• ¼ cup Chocolate chips
• 2 to 3 tbsp of Orange zest

Instructions

• Zest the Oranges, Squeeze the Orange juice ( I got nearly one cup of orange juice minus 1 tbsp) and keep aside
• Take a large bowl take butter and sugar blend them well until well combined. To this add Oats, whole wheat flour mix them with your hand until they resemble like crumbs to this Baking powder and Baking soda. Mix well.
• Mix Oats, whole wheat flour , Baking powder and Baking soda. Take these dried ingredients and mix well with the above mixture using your hands they will resemble like crumbs.
• Add Orange juice and zest and make it into a dough-like consistency, to this add chocolate chips and Raisins.
• The dough will be a bit sticky not to worry it will be fine. At this stage put it in a refrigerator for 1/2 to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Take a cookie sheet place a parchment paper, using a scoop make round balls and flatten them a bit and place them on the sheet with a gap of 1 to 1/2''.
• Place the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes depending upon your oven temperature. you will notice that it is turning into golden in colour. Take it out and allow it cool, before munching.

Notes

I have baked these cookies many times in different ways. I have used just oats only without any flour and it turns out really well.
You can bake it with one large Egg if you like to use egg in your baking.
You can substitute all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour.
So, which Oats to use? you can use any Oats, I use porridge oats or Rolled oats, If the Oats are thick just grind it into a powder and use it as needed.

The post Orange, Oats and Raisin chocolate chip Cookies - Eggless appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Making a dessert is time-consuming don't you think? but after it's made and  if you have a sweet tooth you are bowled out to both the virtual and real treat.  I am not a dessert person, I love pineapple pastry though, I go weak in my legs I have a special love for them and all milk based Indian sweets.  I don't like sweets which are too sweet and surprisingly this pannacotta is not too sweet, well of course you can make it sweet if you add more sugar but, panna cotta aren't too sweet but wickedly delicious.  Panna cotta is an Italian delicacy, panna cotta is an  Italian dessert made with thickened cream and moulded with gelatin, as I don't use gelatine I have subbed it with Agar Agar.  These days panna cotta can be made skinny, dairy free and whatever way you want to enjoy it!

It's that time of the year your palette changes from warm food and soups to something refreshing and cool, Fresh salads either with veggies or fruits or a combo of both and something thandi (cool) to drink.  Spring is slowly settling to Summer,  brings your senses to a galore of tastes tingling your taste buds craving for something fresh and juicy.

Strawberries and summer come hand in hand, you can see loads of strawberries in the market a punnet would cost you a pound, not all strawberries are sweet, talking to local people here I found out strawberries from Hertfordshire are very sweet, and when I find them in the market I never miss to buy them my daughter loves them, both us wander a lot she is a foodie friend to me.  Last time when we went to Gym we found these British strawberries I forgot from where it came, they weren't too sweet, we were a bit disappointed so we decided on munching some cherry tomatoes instead walking back home, Ahh.., I didn't  tell you did I? there is a little farmer's market we often go to whenever we go to Gym pick up some fresh fruits and veggies, Cherries are my favourite, I just can't stop eating with one  by the time we come back home I would finished the whole lot.

I first thought I will make some lemonade then decided otherwise as I had just made it a few days back.  I had put my grey cells to work, I remembered that I had to do a dessert this month for #cookingwithfriends theme and had already planned on making Mango pannacotta  which I changed to strawberry instead and made Mango milkshake (Seekarne).   As the strawberries weren't that sweet I thought of making  this with a combination and decided upon vanilla and some chia seeds  to go with it.

We never had strawberries as kids.  I can only think of Melons and Mangoes when summer set in, in our part of the world, we loved eating loads of watermelons and mangoes and sometimes eat Ice cream when there used to be a man who used to bring in his cart all these Lollipops and sometime Kulfi's,  mother never made them at home looking after three kids and her full-time job was enough for her to manage.  My parents never liked us buying Ice creams from him, and was a rare treat. I still remember my first Ice cream I made was when I was in year 11, for a first timer it was a great success and as eggs were a no-no at home I made it eggless as well.

Time changes so many things in life, never thought  I would be here eating strawberries instead of Mangoes!, how we change our food habits and adapt to what we get.  Mango milk shake to a pannacotta, that's what has changed when you are blogger best of all, with all the love in the world you prepare it.

STRAWBERRY-VANILLA CHIA SEED PANNA COTTA (GELATINE FREE / VEGETARIAN)

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Recipe source: Jayasri
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes (20 min each)
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS: 
For Strawberry pannacotta:
500 grms Strawberries
(2 Cups pureed strawberries)
1/4 cup very warm water
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
1/2 cup Brown sugar

For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
2 Cups milk
1/2 cup double cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
1 tbsp Chia seed
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
1/4  cup very warm water
1/3 cup Suagr

METHOD:
Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender  with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.

In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes,  Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod  and blend them all together.  Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.

Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of  the fridge.  Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

NOTES:
Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is  vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin.  It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises.  It does not have any taste, odour and smell.  You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc.  1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if  you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste.  My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

Do you like panna cotta, which is your favourite and tell me why it is your favourite?

Disclaimer:
Cooking With Friends: This blog post is part of the monthly “Cooking With Friends” themed blog post challenge. This challenge was started by a bunch of virtual friends united by their love of food, with the aim of tackling a different food-related theme each month. If you want to try this month’s theme, please feel free to do so and link your recipe in the comments section. We’d love to check it out. Meanwhile, check out what the others in the group have come up with this month.
Anjana from At the Corner of Happy and Harried, Garima from CafeGarima,  Jyothi from Curry Tail, Madhuri from MADaboutkitchen, Subhasmita from The Flavors of Kitchen, Sujatha from Spice n Treats, Dolphia from Story of cooks

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Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatine free/Vegetarian)

An Italian delicacy made with thickened cream and chia seeds with Agar-Agar and delicious strawberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• For Strawberry pannacotta:
• 500 grms Strawberries
• 2 Cups pureed strawberries
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
• 2 Cups milk
• 1/2 cup double cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
• 1 tbsp Chia seed
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1/3 cup Suagr

Instructions

• Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.
• In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes, Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod and blend them all together. Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.
• Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of the fridge. Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
• Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

Notes

Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin. It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises. It does not have any taste, odour and smell. You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc. 1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste. My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

The post Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatin free/ Vegetarian) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everyone! How’s everyone been? I’ve been great, and for the past few day’s I’ve been getting back into writing out my recipes and working on my blog. On the last Sunday of March, which was the 29^th at 1am the clocks went forward one hour. In England this means, it’s the beginning of summer, which means we have more light in the evening Yay! Ah but the thought of summer brings joy, I am one of the happiest people today. I do enjoy winter, it has its own beauty, and sadly the only boring part of winter is the darkness that arrives too early. I hate to photograph my foods as I cook most of the time at night. Night photography with no special equipment and not having any perfect spots for my photo shoots becomes a tedious job… not that I am a pro in photography but natural light is a plus point. When it is not available I lose interest, compiled with all these natural disasters and my lack of knowledge using my camera to its full extent is a long road to tread, one such example is the photos of my cookies which I have published here.

Anyway let’s not go too much into my photography adventures. Summer is around the corner, I love the sunshine and the beautiful gardens I see where ever I go.  Britain looks glorious love the gardens, the nature, the greenery, beautiful flowers and most importantly the people become bright and smiling.  Hmm.., I can go on and on.  Sometimes when we are lucky in this part of the world the beautiful early morning rays of the sun peeping through my window curtain makes me bake something, makes me feel I want to create something. Play around with the ingredients in my pantry.

When my kids are around I feel very energetic and crave to cook and bake something different (they are here now again for their Easter Holidays). I need somebody to taste, be a critique and tell me if I can blog my recipe with confidence. Now I keep giving my bakes to friends who would tell me what they think, I have got a few bakes I will be posting approved by my family and friends, I don’t know how you like it as I have played with different flours and it might not be everybody’s cup of tea, it will be a taste acquired.

To tell you the truth, I have been going through a bloggers block, somehow I keep postponing to write anything. Today I decided if I don’t do it I will never do, I will keep piling up my photos and they will never see the light of the day, I mean literally. Also, I have few followers and subscribers who like my style and I don’t want to disappoint themJ.

These cookies I made for my eldest she loves citrus flavour and pistachios, first time when I made these my kids who live away from home said they needed something to munch on when they are studying late in the night! And took everything away, kind off my eldest she packed them away saying that mum will anyway bake again. I baked a few different cookies for them, I will post the others soon.  So, I had to bake for my eldest again and this time I took some photos, I even shared these cookies with my neighbours and friends they all said it was lovely. Now my friends have also come to know I don’t use plain flour and I think they have started liking the taste or should I say they are getting used to the taste 🙂 and enjoy my bakes.

Recipe Source: Jayasri
Cuisine : International
Prep time : 10 minutes
cook time : 15 minutes
Yields : 20 to 25

Ingredients:
100 grams Rice flour
75 grams Quinoa Flour
75 grams Pistachio powdered
40 grams Plain flour
75 grams Butter
1 Lime zest
Juice of 1 Lime
3/4 th tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
200 grams Sugar
A pinch of salt
1 Egg (optional / if you want to make it eggless omit egg from the recipe)
1/3 cup chopped pistachio kernels for decorating

Method:

Preheat the over to 350 F (175 degrees)
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
First mix all the flours together with salt, Pistachio powder, Baking powder and Baking soda, sift 2 to 3 times well enough and set aside in a bowl.
Take sugar and butter and cream them well together, If using Egg after creaming butter and sugar add Egg at this stage and beat well together add the grated zest of Lime and also Juice of 1 Lime as well.
Now add the mixed flours into these creamed batter, mix well together no need to over beat, blend everything well enough it comes into a dough like consistency.
Roll little balls in your hand and place them a little away from each other
Press the balls slightly and brush them with milk or water then top them with chopped pistachios and press them a little so they get stuck to the cookie dough.
Bake these cookies for 15 minutes max
once done take them out, slide the next tray for baking, meanwhile once it is cooled store them in an airtight container and stays for a week

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Eggless Quinoa Lemon and Pistachio cookies

These cookies are not too sweet, but delicious with lemony and pistachio flavoured

Course snacks

Cuisine International

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 20 to 25

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 100 grams Rice flour
• 75 grams Quinoa Flour
• 75 grams Pistachio powdered
• 40 grams Plain flour
• 75 grams Butter
• 1 Lime zest
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 3/4 th tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking soda
• 200 grams Sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 Egg optional / if you want to make it eggless omit egg from the recipe
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachio kernels for decorating

Instructions

• Preheat the over to 350 F (175 degrees)
• Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
• First mix all the flours together with salt, Pistachio powder, Baking powder and Baking soda, sift 2 to 3 times well enough and set aside in a bowl.
• Take sugar and butter and cream them well together, If using Egg after creaming butter and sugar add Egg at this stage and beat well together add the grated zest of Lime and also Juice of 1 Lime as well.
• Now add the mixed flours into these creamed batter, mix well together no need to over beat, blend everything well enough it comes into a dough like consistency.
• Roll little balls in your hand and place them a little away from each other
• Press the balls slightly and brush them with milk or water then top them with chopped pistachios and press them a little so they get stuck to the cookie dough.
• Bake these cookies for 15 minutes max
• once done take them out, slide the next tray for baking, meanwhile once it is cooled store them in an airtight container and stays for a week

Notes

These cookies can be made with just plain flour but don't forget to add powdered pistachio
Substitute butter with oil or coconut oil but will have a coconut flavour for a vegan variation.

.

The post Eggless Quinoa Lemon and Pistachio cookies appeared first on My Veg Fare.

I love baking cookies; they are no hard work, fuss free, few ingredients and Lo! Bite sized, fulfilling on the go & all time favourite sweet something’s, what do you say? Do you like cookies? What’s your favourite?

This post has been in my draft for some time, I have been away from my blog  for a long time. Days just go by without me knowing it, well I could blame it on my kids now.  They are in University now, excited that they came back,  I have been quite busy past month, been cooking and baking non-stop.

So, they have been here for a short break for  Christmas vacation and I am so excited about it, from past few months I haven’t baked much at all, After they joined University this year, baking has taken a back seat.  Every week, sometimes twice a week I used to bake breads, they loved home-made breads for their Lunch box and also I used to bake cakes, muffins etc, just for munching / snacking.    I have been thinking about this from past year wondering what I would do when they go away, probably stop baking and stop blogging too.

Well, I don’t think I can stop blogging now as my kids are cooking on their own and always ask me and look at my blog for recipes, I have planned to blog basic & simple recipes just for my kids for their reference.

Coming back to the recipe, I baked these when my kids were here, they were very tasty, and if you want you can increase more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.  They were quite tasty I ate quite a lot as my two favourite Ingredients are in that, Coconut & Pistachio two of my favourite ingredients.

Recipe Source: Jayasri
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

100 grms Pistachio Nuts
100 grms Fresh Coconut
100 grms Caster Sugar
100 grms Icing Sugar
2 tbsp Rice Flour
2 tbsp Corn Flour
1/8 th tsp Baking soda
2 tbsp Oil
Pinch of salt
Few Pistachios for decorating

METHOD:

First of all powder pistachios coarsely, take Fresh coconut and give one  whiz in your food processor or mixie don't do it too much it will start giving milk which we don't want, as we want the taste of coconut , Now mix this with Icing sugar, salt and Baking soda and keep aside. In a bowl beat Rice flour, Corn Flour and oil beat them together, to this add the dry ingredients mix well.

Make small balls, I made around 27 balls out of the dough,  flatten them out and bake them for 20 minutes in a preheated oven Gas mark 3 on a baking sheet (I have a gas oven and gets hot,  even in low temperature so I always bake in a low temperature).

Once done take it out and cool on a wiring rack,
You just can’t stop with one  enjoy it with your Cuppa ya Chai

C you soon
Bye

The post Eggless, Gluten, Dairy & Soya Free Coconut Pistachio Macaroons appeared first on My Veg Fare.

It's nearly Christmas, kids are thrilled, adults are happy ah! sure :), yeah! are you ? most say yaaaaahh.., the long yaaaah and give a big smile, whatever it is I love Christmas, I love the festive season, makes me very happy when I see the little kids chatting away delightedly  in the gifts they are going to get and lots of pampering  from their thick and thin family, rich or poor everybody try their best to please the kith and kin around them.

I don't celebrate Christmas as I am Hindu, But, I do celebrate it in my own way, Have I ever told you my little story about why I celebrate Christmas, I have told many of them here, when they keep asking me are you ready for Christmas ? and I would go with a stupid smile on my face and start saying with "well,  I don't have Christmas but I do celebrate in my own way as my kids love it" , of I go with  my story and after hearing they would be bemused!, The story yes.., when I was in India, my children were very little and every Christmas my MIL used to bring them a small Christmas tree, it was not exactly "The Christmas tree" it was a branch but she wanted the kids to believe it was and she used to pot it and  keep it in our Lounge.
Next with totally excited kids towing behind her take them in a rickshaw to shop,  she used to buy little trinkets, fairies, colourful balls and all the little things to decorate the tree, and definitely a Santa and she used get them chocolates and spoil them with all the sweets and savouries.  when I asked her about this she used to say how she used to think of Santa and presents when she was a kid and she would say let them enjoy.
Even today I keep wondering about the things she used to do on a whim to please them and her Grand children adored her and miss her very much,  every Christmas I remember her. when my kids put up the tree and decorate they think of their Grand mother just like me.  Those days I hadn't seen any of the families around us would celebrate Christmas this way. It was a bit out of the way.

May be coming over here and celebrating Christmas has become religious and part of our life now, like the same way we did back then, I used to buy them presents and buy presents for my friends and my kids do the same, particularly my youngest girl she has all packed and kept it ready a week back, I don't buy them presents any more as they are grown up now and choose to buy things whenever they like anything.  But, they do enjoy visiting family and enjoy eating all the treats I bake.  I enjoy baking cookies, Biscuits and cakes during this festivity season.

These cookies are the tastiest cookies I have ever baked, (so I say to most of them I think :)), I myself couldn't resist eating them they are utterly butterly delicious.  These are one of the quintessential  cookies for Christmas I suppose.
Linz is a biggest city in Austria, Linz is the reputed home of the famous Linzer torte, This tart is made up of a pastry rich with butter, almonds and cinnamon, and the tart is originally filled with Black currant preserves and topped with Lattice crust. It is one of the oldest know tarts, this was given a makeover by making the pastry to little cookie shapes and jammed with Jams/preserves/conserve/jellies you can make use of any of these to make these cookies and dusting with Icing sugar.
I did not know which recipe to follow exactly so I took it from here and here and made it into Eggless and it turned out superb.

EGGLESS LINZER COOKIES
Makes around 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS:
2 and 1/2 cup ( measured 275 grms) All Purpose Flour
1 Cup  ( measured 225 grms) Butter
1 Cup (measured 150 grms) Almond meal
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
1 tsp Baking powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Raspberry/Black currant/Apricot any choice of your filling

METHOD:
In a large bowl take Flour, Almond meal, cinnamon powder and salt, mix them all well together.
In an other bowl beat together softened butter, vanilla essence with sugar until well incorporated to this add the above said dry ingredients until they resemble bread crumbs.

In a little bowl take Baking powder, 1 and 1/2 tbsp of water, lemon juice and Arrowroot powder mix them all together you will see them bubbling up now add this to the buttery flour, combine them to a dough ball, it might be a bit sticky just flour your hands lightly and make into a ball.

Now half the dough ball into two and cover them separately with cling film and put it into the fridge and let it harden up for at least an one to two hours. ( you can even leave it in the refrigerator overnight and bake it next day).
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/ Gas Mark 5
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and keep it ready.
Take the dough out one part of it, roll into a circle or Rectangle in between two cling films do it quickly before it becomes too soft because of your hand heat or you can lightly flour the surface and roll out to an 1/4 inch thickness.

Now using your cookie one big and one small round, square, hearts or whatever shape you like cut out the circles, equally divide them into two parts and cut out 1/2 of them in the center with smaller cutters and place with 1" apart put them back in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, this helps in the dough hardening up and when baking them in a preheated oven cooks them quickly and does not leak or spread and bake them in the preheated over for around 8 to 9 minutes. Half way through turn the cookies and bake them.
Once they are baked remove them on to a cooling rack, adapt the same procedure to the rest of the dough, re roll the left over dough and make similar cookies
I used some of the left over dough and made little cookies.

ASSEMBLING COOKIES
Dust Icing Sugar on the eyed cookies (that is the cookies which are cut in the center) and lay them out.
Once the first batch comes out fill in the cookies with Jam/jelly conserve or anything of your choice and spread it on to the base of the cookie then using the cut out cookie top it out on to the base and sandwich them together lightly.
If you store it in an airtight container the cookies will become soft and if you store it in an airtight container and leave it in the fridge, they are good to stay for several days.

NOTE:
Remember to preheat the oven  10 minutes before you would plan to take the dough out and get them ready to bake. Preheating ensures that the cookies are cooked evenly, quickly and will not melt away.
You can make your own Almond meal spread the Almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes remove, cool it and dehusk the almonds next blend them to a powder form using /14 cup of sugar, adding sugar in the process helps in the almonds becoming a paste.
Do not forget to refrigerate every time you take them out to roll or cut them into cookies put them back, and don't bake until it is firmed up.
I have used Arrowroot powder if you can't find you can use Corn flour/corn starch instead or Potato flour or Chickpea flour / Soya flour / Quinoa flour hope this helps.
My cookie cutter was a bit out of shape I was so concentrating on cutting them out I wasn't looking how they turned out, my daughter noticed it they were not exactly circle but a bit oval in shape ah!, noted point
You can also use Hazelnuts instead of Almonds to make these cookies. That is my next in the agenda baking these cookies with Hazelnuts

These cookies are so delicious, when my photos weren't too good I was so disappointed, I love natural light I struggle get good photos were it gets dark, I get upset as it goes dark so quickly in winter and as I was moaning about it, my eldest was telling it's ok you can always bake them again we don't mind eating them.., there goes the verdict on my cookies.  If you try these out do tell me... Enjoy c you soon again

The post Linzer Cookies - Eggless appeared first on My Veg Fare.

EGGLESS VEGAN ORANGE CHOCOLATE NUT BROWNIES 

 

Chocolate and Oranges in a brownie is the most addictive dessert to Indulge, These are Vegan and Eggless as well! I love this combination and I keep using it always in my bakes!

Vegan why?

Because I love trying out baking Eggless and vegan, it’s like an adventure to me! But, to tell you the truth, being born in a vegetarian house hold we never had eggs. That’s the reason I try to bake eggless, when venturing into eggless baking I wanted to try if I could make it vegan!

I was not planning on baking these, when my thinking was loud  that I am thinking of baking something, immediately kids called out from upstairs Brownies please...., Kids..? Uhh.,  don't get confused they are teenage children, anytime every time they love brownies especially my twins.
My eldest doesn't care for chocolates (Just like me!), can you believe? I have completely stopped eating chocolates from past 2 months.  I never used to eat chocolates before, coming here I had kind of got addicted to it, and I was eating chocolates everyday like a tablet! Now I have come back to my normal phase, (senses I mean!)  my only favourite chocolate was snickers, yeah you know why ! Because I love nuts, I love to eat anything with nuts from chocolates, cakes  to Ice creams but everything in limits though.

 

The days are getting shorter, and its becoming colder, weather keeps changing all the time, sometimes I think cold is much better than rain,  the worst part is the daylight, it doesn't seem to wait for me at all.  Baking becomes an obsession especially in winter.

Here comes my recipe, a quick brownie which is eggless and delicious.

EGGLESS ORANGE CHOCOLATE NUT BROWNIES
Recipe : Jayasri

Prep time : 20 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes

In an other bowl take all the wet Ingredients and mix them well enough to this add the dry ingredients blend them all well together do not over mix.

Scrape this on to the prepared pan smooth it  and spread some nuts on top of it and bake it in the middle rack of the oven, until the skewer comes out clean for around 20 to 25 minutes.

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GREEN TEA MOUSSE

140 gms  Whipping cream
70 gms white chocolate
1 tbsp Green Tea Leaves
1 tbsp Dolce de Leche
1 tsp Agar powder
2 tbsp of warm water

CREAM-LESS STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
140 grms Strawberry Puree
140 grms Sugar
1 tsp Agar
3 tbsp Warm water

Whipping cream as required
Pistachio Nuts as required

METHOD
TO MAKE GREEN TEA MOUSSE
In a thick bowl heat cream and tea Leaves until boiling set aside for 30 minutes, strain the tea leaves from cream then whip to soft peak melt chocolate and mix into tea infused cream and set aside.

TO MAKE CREAM-LESS STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
Soak Agar powder in  warm water beat keep it aside for few minutes then beat again , Puree strawberry and sugar together heat them in a bowl, add this to the puree and boil for few minutes keep it aside.

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks are formed. chop pistachios and keep aside.

ASSEMBLE

In a glass bowl or any thing you wish to arrange, layer whipping cream, add chopped pistachios, then layer them with Strawberry mousse then layer it with Green tea Mousse then layer it with Whipping cream and pistachios again then top it with Green tea mousse and top it with pistachios again, leave it in the refrigerate an hour or two and serve it cold.
Recipe source from these two blogs with minimal changes from here and matchachocolate.com
It was very sweet said my kids, hope you like it...

The post Eggless Green Tea mousse with Pistachio and Strawberry Verrines appeared first on My Veg Fare.

FOR THE PASTRY CASE:
1 cup Plain flour
65 gms butter
1/8th tsp salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 + 1 tbsp water

FOR THE FILLING :
1/2 cup Plain Flour
3 tbsp of melted butter
1/2 + 3 tbsp sugar
1/8th tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp Yogurt
2 tbsp Soya Custard**
1 tbsp Hot water
1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
A pinch of Yellow food colouring (optional )

FRUITS FOR DECORATING
125gms Blue Berries
1/2 cup Rasberries
2 Fresh Apricots
1/4 cup of Melon
1/4 cup of Persimmon
6 Large Strawberries
1 Kiwi
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp water

METHOD:
TO MAKE THE PASTRY
First of all Mix everything under Pastry except water they will be like crumbles now start adding water until it is well combined to make it into a dough not too soft or not too stiff. cover it with a cling film and allow it to chill in the fridge.

TO MAKE THE FRUIT DECORATION
Meanwhile In a large sauce pan take 2 tbsp of Honey and water to this add 1/4 cup of sugar and start warming it up keep stirring until all the sugar dissolves now add the Blue berries and cook carefully until they are soft but doesn't loose their shape when 1/2 way through add chopped Apricots ( I added Apricots as they were tart, if they are quite sweet you can just use it as it is).
After few minutes switch off the stove and drain them out through a strainer and keep aside.  To this sauce add Raspberries, shake them a bit so all of them get coated, now leave them in the pan.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
Meanwhile take little Tart tins apply butter all over  and keep aside until need. Now Take out the dough from the fridge make little balls and roll out  little disc shapes, Take these little rounds and carefully place them on the tart tins and press all over the sides, with the help of a fork prick the bottom of the tarts, don't make holes just give a prick all over.
Top all the 6 Tarts with Baking parchment and add Baked bean balls on top of it and bake these Tarts for 15 minutes on Gas Mark 3 / 170 degrees
once done take out these Tarts on to a wiring rack to cool down, after 5 minutes, remove the baked beans and the baking parchment and allow it to cool down a bit.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3
Meanwhile when it is cooling down In a bowl take Plain flour, to this add Bicarbonate of soda and Baking powder, a pinch of salt mix well and keep aside. In another bowl take melted butter, sugar, soya custar, yogurt and mix well together, add a tbsp of Hot water and mix well.
Scoop this above cake mixture in a spoon and spread them evenly on all the tarts, Put them back in the oven and allow them to cook for an other 20 minutes,
Beautiful cake forms on top of the tarts, once done, switch off the Gas and take them out leave them on a cooling rack.after 5 minutes remove them all from the tart tins.

ASSEMBLING THE MIXED FRUIT TART
Slice of the top portion the cake nicely, and remove the top portion, take the cooked Blueberries, Raspberries, Apricots and arrange them on the tart shell as you desire.
Now either serve them just as it is otherwise with the help of tea strainer, sprinkle some Icing sugar on top of it and serve them.

These little Individual tarts were not only beautiful to look but also tasted very nice.
The sweet tart and cake inside the tart and the sweet fruit filling was divine..

Sending this to Blogger's Buzz, I am joining them and so looking forward to it...

The post Eggless Mixed Fruit Tart with a surprise filling.. appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Cauldron cake? In the first series of Harry Potter, these cauldron cakes were in the Hogwarts express! These cakes consist of devil's food cake cupcakes dipped into a rich chocolate glaze and filled to the brim with marshmallow filling.
A year has gone by cannot believe it at all, so I say every year, wondering how did it go? where did it go? what did I do ?.  Every Important day, Festivals etc.., I never come out to blog about it, nor write any post which should be something interesting to people who might come here to read about, that's just a thought though.  Every year I keep thinking I will write something that might be Interesting, catchy, cheeky, etc.., but dear God I am happy I am not so talented.
I decided eventually I will write and recollect all my 2012 posts the best ones or the worst ones.  Oh! no, I really don't have that much patience, reminiscing about the things of past year. Personally, I haven't done much,   Well, coming to the year 2012 has been had its own ups and downs.  I have been very happy with my kid's progress, only me I have been having a lot of ups and downs with my health. well, let me not get into my everyday moaning, This will be my last post of the year Hoping that this year will be really a Happy one, for each and everyone of you, bringing you all the joy and things which you wish for, Hope the world sees better things in future, Lots of things which has saddened lives of lot of people happened hoping that they never get repeated again.

Wishing you all a very Prosperous and a Very Happy New Year 

Coming to this recipe, this was our last post of this year's Baking eggless group challenge, Archana of  The Mad Scientist's Kitchen suggested that we make these Cauldron Cakes for this month's challenge.

I was enchanted by the beauty of these cakes. They looked awesome, the more interesting thing for me in that was the Marshmallow fluffs.  I was so interested in making them.  I just googled and googled and then I remembered that I had a photographic recipe of the marshmallow making in my phone!, well went and checked into that as well, and at last, I made my own Marshmallow fluff.  Honestly, I really don't know how good it is, neither it is anywhere near a fluff but anyway I am going to post it. Well, it was very sweet that much I know as they sticky, gooey and I kept licking and washing my hand few times.  My daughter said it was sweet, and she doesn't mind finishing off.  well, I have to update you about it tomorrow.  well, now you know that I made these cakes just today morning for New Year.  well, I got so tired of all the things, and I hadn't checked I had no more chocolates left and I couldn't make the handles for the cauldron. So here are my cakes without the handles :)), and I also got a bit lazy to do the exact way to fill up the fluff. Oh! no I was wrong I did it perfectly the way it had to be filled up, read in between the lines of the recipe.

EGGLESS CAULDRON CAKE

Recipe source: The Pastry Affair

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKE

Makes 6 Cakes

Baking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Cake Flour and 1/4 cup All purpose flour

1/2  Cup Sugar**

1/2 Cup Cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/2  cup oil

1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp Instant coffee powder***

1/2 cup Milk

3/4th tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

2 tbsp Buttermilk

FOR THE GLAZE:

Bittersweet chocolate 250 gms

FILLING:
Eggless Marshmallow fluff Homemade
1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

FOR THE DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKE

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree. Take all the dry Ingredients and sift them well enough at least thrice., and In another bowl take all the liquid Ingredients together.  Make a well in the centre pour in the liquid Ingredients until everything is thoroughly incorporated, bake for 10 minutes on Gas Mark 4 then reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 3 and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and cool it on a wire rack.

TO MAKE YOUR GLAZE

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stir until smooth. remove from heat, with the help of piping bag, Pipe out handles for the cauldron draw another line on top of them once the first one gets dried out. so that the handles are stronger.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Beat together all of the Ingredients under the filling until light and fluffy.

TO ASSEMBLE CAULDRON CUPCAKES
Dip in the cupcakes in the chocolate glaze and place them upside down stick choco chips to make a stand for them until they dry up.
Core a whole in the centre of the cupcake and fill it with the Marshmallow Filling.
Then pipe a line around the filling and place the handles on top and serve it...

NOTES:  I changed a few things like I increased the oil, otherwise the muffin is very dry in texture.  ** I have marked star against sugar to tell you the cake was not sweet enough increase with another 1/4 cup for normal sweetness or increase by another 1/2 cup for a very delicious cake.
To my surprise the muffin rose so wonderfully high I was surprised, that is why I took the photo and posted it.

well, my cupcake misses its handles...
Enjoy....

** will post my recipe for marshmallow filling.
This is my last post for Bake-a-thon event by Champa and check out my friends priya, preethi, srivalli, veena and sumana.

The post Eggless Cauldron Cake appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, Oranges and me have a great connection I think you might have noticed I have loads of Orange recipes in my blog, Oranges as we all know is good source of vitamin C, and I think this time of the year we definitely need it, Consuming Vitamin C rich food keep the cold away.., This also helps in the absorbtion of Iron when you are eating Iron rich food as well,  keeps the Haemoglobin content well.
Coming back to this cake, This is suppose to be a  Greek Cake which I got from a cakes and bakes Magazine, People in Greek bake this often and they love and enjoy it.  I searched few websites for this cake but ended up making from this magazine, as I liked the Idea of it.  Hope you like the Idea and enjoy it too.. as my family and friends did...
My Children loved it, they said it was sweet and moist, I made few changes adapting it to my way of baking, I have used silken Tofu in my bakes, but not to this quantity,  I tried and was quite satisfied, This particular cake was more interesting to me as I had  fruit in it and later on I decided to use cocoa powder in it so I could send it to Kalyani's Monthy mingle Chocolate and fruits, which I am posting it a bit late.  Check my notes for the changes I have made in this cake.
This cake stays moist for at least 5 days, no need to refrigerate it either (well I am talking about this climate)

KEIK PORTOKALI - ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE - EGGLESS
Minimally adapted from Cake & Bake Magazine

INGREDIENTS: 
FOR THE CAKE
2 Medium Organic Oranges well Scrubbed
1/2 cup Olive oil
1and 1/2 Cup soft brown sugar
200 grms fine Semolina
1 Cup + 3 tbsp Mori Nu Silken Tofu ( around 300 gms )
50 grms Almond meal ( Powder )
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp milk

FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 tbsp Butter / vegan Butter
1/2 cup Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1 tbsp of Milk / soy milk
1 tsp of Orange Blossom water
1 tsp of Orange juice

METHOD:
In a very hot water add two oranges in intervals of 5 minutes for 4 to 5 times keep changing the water that is after every 5 minutes throw away the water, use fresh hot water again and do the same way at least 4 times, this will remove the sourness of the orange skin. (even though not completely )
In a thick bowl boil the whole oranges in plenty of water until softened, almost about 1 hour in a low flame, with a closed lid which had a little hole in it. keep checking that they are well covered and keep adding hot water as needed.
Once it is cooked take out the Oranges, once they are cool, Quarter the oranges to ensure that there are no pips and seeds,  Puree the oranges skin and all in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth orange puree.
Grease a Bundt pan and coat it with flour and set aside.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree**.
Take all the dry Ingredients and sift them well together except cocoa powder and keep it ready.
Meanwhile Blend Tofu**  in a blender or Mixer until smooth with 2 tbsp of milk (see notes)
In a large bowl, pour this Orange puree into it, to this add oil, sugar and well blended Tofu puree also into it.
blend them all well together.

To this Blended Liquid mixture add the dry Ingredients until well incorporated.
Divide this mixture equally into two bowls to one of this bowl blend cocoa powder to this set aside.
Take your Bundt pan pour one spoonful of the white (not exactly) batter next the cocoa next to it then the white batter and next the cocoa batter on the next step alternate each batter on top of it as the batter is not very stiff but bit liquidy it spreads.
Once all the batter is used up.
Place it on the middle rack and bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes**.
Once done remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack, after 10 minutes, remove it from the tin and allow it to cool.
Then I made the Glazing and poured it on to the top of the cake and leave it cool down.
Slice and enjoy the cake...

NOTES:
Blend Tofu in a blender or a mixer without any lumps, then add 2 tbsp of milk blend again so it is smooth and silky.
I always bake my cakes and other baked products in Gas Mark 3 as my oven has very high temperature, even though I have given the universal cake baking temperature.
You bake with your oven temperature and also check the timings as well.

ORIGINAL RECIPE IF YOU WANT TO TRY OUT:
Original Recipe calls for 5 eggs, 185 ml Olive oil, 140 gms caster sugar, 250 grms fine semolina, 80 grms almonds chopped and few chopped almonds for decoration.
This recipe also uses syrup to pour on to the cake after it is baked. for this syrup 125 grms caster sugar, juice of 1/4 lemon and 1 tsp orange blossom water

This recipe goes to my Bake-a-thon event by Champa and check out Priya, Suman, srivalli and Preethi

Sending this also to Kalyani's Magic Mingle - Chocolate and fruits 

The post Orange Semolina Cake - Keik Portokali - Revani (reh-vah-NEE) - Eggless appeared first on My Veg Fare.