Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour-1 and 1/4 cup,
All purpose flour-1/4 cup,
Butter 100 gms-cold and cubed,
Milk powder-2 tbsp- (optional)
Icing sugar-1/3 cup,
Baking pwd-1 tsp,
Milk-1/4 cup,
Almonds - a handful.
Method:
Line tray with butter paper.
Take a bowl and put 1 and 1/4 cup of flour in it.
Sieve 1/4 cup of flour in it.
Mix and then add the butter.
Mix the butter with flour using your fingers into a coarse crumb and it holds together.
Add milk powder and sieved icing sugar to remove any lumps.
Gradually add milk and make a hard dough ball.
The dough has to be hard and not soft.
Cover and leave it for 10 minutes.
Pre heat oven to 180 C.
Chop the almonds on a cutting board into small pieces.
After ten minutes,knead the dough again.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter.
Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness.
Dip the cutter in the flour to avoid the cutout biscuits from sticking to it.
Place the cutout biscuits in the tray leaving some distance in between.
Prick the biscuits with a fork or toothpick.
Place the chopped almonds in the center of each biscuit.
Press lightly for them to stick together.
(You can first brush the biscuits with butter or milk for the almonds to stick to the biscuits)
Bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are brown and the top has a light brown colour.
Take out from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
Remove the tray and place the biscuits on wire rack to cool completely.
Keep in airtight containers.
Makes 25 biscuits.
Ingredients:
Condense milk-1 tin or 400 ml,
Digestive biscuits-1 packet or 250 gms,
Melted butter-6 tbsp plus 1 tbsp of ganache,
Dark chocolate-180 gms,
Light cream-1 tetra packet or 180 ml.
Note:Not many ingredients are needed to make these bars,but some patience and time needed to make the caramel.
You can layer with any milk chocolate of your choice.
There is no need to add cream,just melt it and add little butter for shine and spread it on the caramel.
Method:
Spread aluminium foil in an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan or tray.
Keep some extra foil hanging to lift the chocolate caramel from the tray or pan.
Brush the sides and bottom of foil with butter and keep aside.
Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
Transfer the crushed biscuits to a bowl and then add 6 tbsp of melted butter
.
Mix the butter and the consistency is right if it binds together.
If it crumbles then more butter is required.
Pre heat oven to 180 C.
Transfer the coarse biscuits to the tray.
Press firmly the coarse biscuit all around the tray.
Smooth the top.
Put the tray in the oven for 5 minutes for the biscuit to lightly firm up and harden.
Take out and leave it to cool on wire rack.
Caramel- Take a pan and heat little water in it.
Place a heatproof bowl over it but keeping in mind that the base should not touch the simmering water.
Pour the condense milk and cover with a foil.
Let it cook for 1 hour in simmering water in low heat.
Check the water in the pot too and add if required.
Keep stirring in between until the condense milk starts to caramelize.
Close gas once the caramel is ready.
Remove cover and with wire whisk beat the caramel to smooth paste if there are any lumps.
Pour the hot caramel on the biscuit layer.
Smooth and fill all the sides and corners.
As it cools the caramel will harden.
Cover and put in the fridge as you make the chocolate ganache.
Chocolate ganache:
Chop the chocolate with knife on a cutting board and keep in a bowl.
Heat cream in microwave for 1 minute or until boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
Add 1 tbsp of butter and leave it for 5 minutes.
Stir with a spoon after 5 minutes to make a smooth shinny ganache
.
If there are still some chocolate pieces left to melt,then heat for 20 seconds again.
Mix with a spoon to get a smooth paste.
Leave it to cool for 15 minutes.
Once the ganache has thickened,pour it over the caramel.
Smooth the top with spoon or knife.
Cover with foil and leave it in the fridge overnight to set.
Next day,lightly lift the foil and place the chocolate caramel on a cutting board.
Slice the caramel into squares or bars using a sharp knife.
Make sure to clean the knife after every cut.
Makes 24 bars.
Ingredients:
Atta or wheat flour - 1 cup or 140 gms,
White sugar(powdered)-1/3 cup or 70 gms( you can less the sugar for mild taste)
Cold butter-100 gms-cut into cubes,
Cold milk -1/4 cup,
Cardamom or elaichi - 2 or 3.
Method:
Pre heat oven to 180 C
Place butter paper on the tray.
Take a bowl and mix atta or whole wheat pwd,powdered sugar,elaichi pwd and cubed cold butter.
Mix using your fingers and make into a coarse mixture,crushing the cold butter.
Gradually add the cold milk,using 2 tbsp at the start.
Use only so much milk as to bind the dough.
Make a ball and leave it for ten minutes.
Cover with a cloth.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness.
Using a cutter or any top of a bottle,cut out cookies.
Place the biscuits on the tray.
Since the dough does not have any soda or baking pwd,it will not expand.
Place the biscuits closely,leaving little space in between.
Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes or till you see the bottom edges brown and the top edges has some colour.
Take out from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes,remove the tray and take out the biscuits from the butter paper.
Let the biscuits cool on wire rack.
Once the biscuits are at room temperature,keep in air tight containers.
Makes 24 biscuits.
