Sunday 29 December 2013

Orange marmalade butter cookies

These cookies are a delight to eat,each bite has a slight crunch due to the rice pwd.The texture is soft inside and the center filled with home made orange marmalade adds a unique flavour to the freshly baked cookies!

Ingredients:
All purpose flour-2 cups,
White rice flour-1/4 cup,
White sugar-1/2 cup,
Baking pwd-1 tsp,
Salted butter-200 gms-chilled and cut into cubes,
Egg -1,
Vanilla essence-1 and 1/2 tsp,
Water-50 to 70 ml for binding,
marmalade or jam of your choice-1/3 cup.


Method:
Place flour,sugar,rice flour and baking pwd in a bowl.
Mix and then combine chilled butter.
Mix till they are like crumbs.
Add beaten egg and vanilla essence.
Mix and add 50 ml of water and make a stiff dough.
If required add more water.
Make a ball and divide the dough into half.
Roll each half between two sheets of butter paper or cling film which ever is convenient.I have used both to see the difference.Not much of a difference.
Roll about 1/4 inch thickness.
Place the sheets on a baking tray along with the butter paper in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Once chilled remove the top piece of paper and using a cutter cut out the cookies( can use 3 inch to 2 and half inch cookie cutter)
Use a small cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half the cookies.
Lightly brush the top of the whole cookies with the beaten egg and then gently press the cookies with the cut out on top.
Place on butter paper lined baking sheet,spacing the cookies about 2 inch apart.
Fill the cut out cookies with marmalade or jam.

Put the baking tray with the cut out cookies in the fridge while you pre heat oven to 400 F or 200 C.
After 10 minutes,take out the baking tray from the fridge and brush the top with beaten egg.
 Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Gather the scraps and re roll again.
Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
 Remove the tray and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes,then remove the butter paper and let the cookies cool completely.

Makes 18 cookies.
Can be kept in a container for a month.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Breadsticks(grissini)


Breadsticks are pencil sized crisp dry bread,originating in Italy where it is known as grissini.
This is a Italian recipe from yellowsaffron!
Served with soup or can be had as an appetizer!

Ingredients:
All purpose flour-250 gms or 2 cups and 3 tbsp,
Salt-1/2 tbsp,
Sugar-1/2 tsp,
Yeast-1 packet or 7gms,
Water-luke warm-140 ml cup plus 100 ml was required for the dough to be sticky,
Semolina-2 tbsp,
 Olive oil-25ml plus 2 tbsp for brushing the unbaked sticks.

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds or carom seeds can be used for sprinkling the top!

Note:
The recipe said 140 ml or 1/2 cup,but had to add 100 ml more for the dough to be sticky,so add according to your requirement.

Method:
You can make the dough by hand or knead the dough using an electric beater using a dough hook.
Heat 1/2 cup or 140 ml of water in microwave for 20 seconds to luke warm.
Add yeast and sugar to the luke warm water.
Stir with a spoon to dissolve the sugar.
Leave aside for 10 minutes to foam up.
Sieve flour and salt in a bowl.
When the yeast mixture has foamed up,add olive oil.
Pour the yeast mixture into your mixer bowl and add flour to it.
Mix the dough till your dough is sticky.
Had to add 100 of warm water as the dough was not sticky.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes  by hand or with a  dough hook beater for 5 minutes.
The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a loaf.
Lay butter paper on the baking sheet tray and sprinkle one tbsp of semolina on it.
Place the dough on the sprinkled semolina.
Flatten the dough slightly.
Brush the dough thoroughly with oil.
Sprinkle semolina on top and leave it to rise for an hour or double in size( cover with a cloth and keep in warm place)
Take a wide knife and cut a strip of dough 1/2 inch wide from the long side of the dough.
Take the strip and stretch it out on the counter by rolling it with your fingers.
You can make it as long as your baking sheet.
Line butter paper on the baking sheet.
When you have reached the desired length,break the dough with your hand and keep the extra aside.
Place the unbaked sticks on the baking tray.
You cannot  knead the broken dough sticks as they have to be baked as they are.
Brush the sticks with olive oil and sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds or carom seeds. (according to your liking)
Pre heat oven to 390 F or 200 C
Bake the sticks for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are light brown in colour.
Take out from oven and leave it to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Remove the tray and leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the butter paper and let it cool completely. 
Had to use 3 baking sheets to bake.

Makes 2 dozen.
You can break them into half  and keep in a container.
Enjoy with hot soup or with a dash of butter on it.


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