Chocolate Orange Shortbread

INGREDIENTS:
Yields:20 cookies
1 cup All purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Sugar
Zest of 1 Orange

1 stick Butter
2 tablespoons Orange juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Mix well flour, cocoa powder and salt. 

In a small bowl combine sugar and orange zest. Use your finger to rub the sugar and zest together to release the zest essential oils.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
Melt the butter, mix orange-sugar. Beat together till soft. Add orange juice and vanilla.
4. Pour flour mixture to wet ingredients mixture. Mix well with hand to form dough.
5. Using a rolling pin, form dough into a rectangle and place in between waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6. Cut them into equal sizes and place on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes.
7. Let it cool, before removing from the baking sheet; once you take them out of the oven.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - Spicy Treats
2. Roll the dough into 1/2 inch thickness. I have made it too thin, so it didn't turn out good.

3. Refrigerating dough is very important to avoid the breakage while transferring cookies to baking sheet.

Almond Cashew Cake

     

    

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 6 pieces
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/4 cup Almond powder (Grind in mixer)
1/4 cup Cashew powder (Grind in mixer)
2 Cardamoms (Grind in mixer with above)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda

3 teaspoons Ghee
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Milk

For frosting:
Few white chocolate pieces
1-2 tablespoons Heavy whipping cream

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add ground cashews, almonds and cardamoms.
4. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl mix well ghee with sugar. Add milk at room temperature.
5. Pour dry ingredients mixture to ghee-sugar mixture. Give it a slow mix.
6. Grease a baking pan with ghee. Pour the prepared batter in the pan. Tap the pan gently once or twice to remove any big air bubbles.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or the knife inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then invert the cake over an wire rack. 

8. For frosting: Using a microwave, melt white chocolate in cream. Do not make it thin syrup.
9. For chocolate curls: Using a vegetable peeler, scrape the white chocolate block for decorating the cake.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - NDTV Food.

Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 6 pieces
3 tablespoons Warm water
1 tablespoon Flaxseed powder

1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
A pinch of Nutmeg powder
A pinch of Salt

1/2 stick Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla essence
1/2 cup Curd

1 cup Grated Carrot (Heaped)
1/4 cup Almonds (chopped)

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Add flaxseed powder to warm milk and set aside for 5 minutes. This acts as egg replacer.
3. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt.
4. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl cream the butter with sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla extract. Beat well till the sugar dissolves. Add curd.
5. Pour dry ingredients mixture to butter-sugar mixture. Pour flaxseed mixture. Stir in some chopped almonds. Give it a slow mix with spatula.
6. Grease a baking loaf pan and grease it well. Pour the prepared batter in the pan. Tap the pan gently once or twice to remove any big air bubbles.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or the knife inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then invert the cake over an wire rack.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - Show me the curry.

Swirl Buns with Masala stuffing

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 8
3/4 cup Warm Water
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Active dry yeast

2 cups All purpose flour

3/4 tablespoon Flax seed meal
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2-3 tablespoon Olive oil
1/4 cup Water( if needed)

For stuffing:
1 teaspoon Oil
1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon Urad Dal
A pinch Asafoetida
A small piece grated Ginger
1 big Onion (chopped)
Salt as needed
3 medium potatoes (cut into small pieces)
1 big Capsicum (chopped) 

1 teaspoon Redchili powder

1 teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric powder

3 tablespoon Coriander leaves(chopped)
1/2 tablespoon Lemon juice

1/2cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Warm the water,add sugar to it and mix well. Add the yeast to it and mix well. Keep aside for 5 mins. It will froth and raise. This means your yeast is good to use in this recipe.
3. Take flour and make a dent,add water,olive oil,salt in it and the yeast completely dissolved in the milk. Mix and make a smooth dough,keep in a warm place covered with a cling wrap for an hour.
4. Meanwhile prepare the stuffing. In a pressure cooker add all the ingredients listed above in the same order and give 3 whistles in a medium flame. Once cools down add Lemon juice and coriander leaves.
5. Once the stuffing cools down mash and make a lemon sized balls out of it.
6. By now/after an hour, the dough we prepared would have doubled in size. Take it again and just give it a gentle knead.

7. Flatten them with a rolling pin as a large rectangular disc.

8. Spread the masala and sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese all over the dough and roll the dough tightly as a log.
9. With a sharp knife, cut the loaf as 8 medium sized pieces.
10. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil,grease with olive oil and arrange the buns with enough spacing between them. Brush with olive oil
11. When the preheat is finished, bake for 17- 20 mins or until the top crust turns golden brown in colour.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - Priya's Versatile Recipes

Dates Cornmeal Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 12
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/2 cup Yellow Corn meal
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda

1/2 cup Oil
3/4 cup Honey
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1/2 cup Dates paste (Using milk)

1/4 cup Hot water

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.

2. Soak a cup of pitted dates in milk for half an hour, grind them as fine puree.
3. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add cornmeal.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
Mix well Oil, honey and dates paste. Add lemon juice.
4. Pour dry ingredients mixture slowly to wet ingredients mixture and give it a mix adding hot water. Do not overmix.
5. Line the muffin tray with liners and spoon 3/4th of the liner with the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool over a wire rack completely.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here- Priyas versatile Recipes