Merry Christmas and Happy holidays with some cookies- Vanillakipferl and Amaretto-chocolate kisses

Hello to all!! I want to wish everybody a very merry Christmas and happy holidays with family and friends. I baked many cookies yesterday and since I haven’t posted any Christmas cookie recipes yet, I want to share two of my favourites. Have a great time and take care…!!!

Vanillakipferl



Ingredients:

- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 13 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- about 1 cup blanched, ground almonds
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tsp. vanilla essence
- powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

Sift flour into a bowl and add butter on top. Mix almonds, sugar and vanilla essence and sprinkle over flour. Dust your hands with flour and knead the ingredients to make a smooth dough. Shape into a ball, cover bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form the dough into a 1-inch thick roll.and cut into slices. Form each slice into a half moon. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Take out from oven and dust with powdered sugar when still warm.


Amaretto- chocolate kisses


Ingredients:

- 18 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached white flour
- 1 Tsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tsp. orange zest
- 2 Tbsp. Amaretto
- 2 Tsp. vanilla essence
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ Tsp. baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 4 oz milk-chocolate, chopped

Method:

Melt butter and let cool. Combine with powdered sugar and vanilla essence and beat. Stir in Amaretto, orange and lemon zest. Mix flour with corn starch and sift over the batter. Dust your hands with flour and knead the ingredients to make a smooth dough. Wrap into a damp cloth and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into small portions and roll each to a ball between your palms. Place onto the baking sheet and with your fingertip press slightly down in the middle of each ball. (For filling in the chocolate later) Bake for 10-15 minutes. After baking dust with little powdered sugar when still warm. Melt the chocolate in a water bath and fill the middle of each cookie with a little dab. Let completely dry.
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Baumkuchen/ a layered cake from heaven-Tribute to my great-grandmother

Dear all! Hope you are doing well!! There are 8 more days to go until Christmas and today I thought of posting a recipe which is very valuable and dear to me. It was handed down from my paternal great-grandmother, an amazing woman, who reached a very high age and who I was fortunate enough to still get to know. Though I was only a child when she died, I still have very clear memories of her and the time I spent with her.
This cake is called Baumkuchen which can be literally translated as “Tree cake”. Tree as with its many layers it reminds of the annual rings in a tree. It is always baked under a broiler or traditionally open flame. It is never made with baking powder or soda. In Europe you can find this cake with a chocolate glaze as well. Since the cake tastes so good by itself, a little powdered sugar, dusted on top is enough, but you can try it with chocolate as well. It takes some time to prepare and you have to stay with it all the time but it’s worth the effort.
As a child I remember my dad, who is a great cook, preparing this cake and sitting in front of the open oven with a book, ready to spread out the next layer of batter.
So when I made this cake yesterday I remembered my great-grandmother and my dad very much and missed home a lot. But the cake was heavenly delicious, just what I remember from my childhood.
Wishing you all a wonderful evening and Christmas time…!!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 large eggs, separated
- ½ Tbsp. Lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Rum
- ½ cup finely ground almonds
- 1 cup pastry flour
- 1 cup corn starch

Method:

In a large bowl beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks along with lemon juice and rum.
Mix flour, corn starch and almonds. Sift over batter and fold in with a spatula just until mixed.
Beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the batter.
Grease an 8-inch spring form and turn on broiler.
Spread about 3 Tbsp. of the batter on bottom of spring form. Bake under the broiler with oven door half open until brown. It takes about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it all the time to be sure not to burn it.
Spread the next 3 Tbsp. over the first layer and bake again under broiler until browned. Repeat this step until all batter is used and the cake has 10-12 layers. Take out from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Carefully take out from form and let cool. When cooled completely, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Stollen (a German fruit bread for Christmas)

Hi to all!!! I am finally back and able again to post new recipes!! :-) I noticed there are just 10 more days to go until Christmas and I haven’t posted any Christmas recipes till now. So it’s about time…Stollen is a traditional German fruit bread made with nuts and dried fruits and is eaten during Christmas time. At my familys place it is eaten with tea or coffee and served mostly in afternoon. Traditionally it is made with candied orange peel and candied lemon peel, which, unfortunately I was not able to get in the US, so I substituted crystallized ginger and candied pineapple for it. Have a wonderful day..!!

Ingredients:

- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup curd/quark ( you can use drained yoghurt as well)
- 1 Tsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tsp. vanilla essence
- 3 ½ cups unbleached white flour
- 2 Tsp. baking powder
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup crystallized ginger
- ½ cup candied pineapple
- 1 cup rum raisins
- ½ cup chopped hazelnuts
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F and butter a baking sheet.
In a bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla essence. Combine curd and lemon zest and whisk until smooth. Stir into batter.
Combine flour with baking powder and sift over batter. Incorporate to a smooth dough. Mix all dry fruits with nuts and knead into dough. Shape into an oblong form and place onto baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, brush the melted butter on top and dust with powdered sugar.
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Kala channa (black chickpeas) for the 8th day of Navratri

Today being Ashtami the 8th day of Navratri the fast is broken. On this day a special menu is prepared in the morning, consisting of Kala channa (black chickpeas), sooji halwa (semolina pudding), puri and fresh coconut. In my family in India nine girls, who represent the different forms of the female divinity, are invited to the house. As honouring of the goddesses the prepared meal is served to them as a Prasad (offering to god).

I made chapatti instead of puri for this meal as S. isn’t supposed to eat too oily food.
You can see a snap of the whole meal here and I have given the recipe for Kala channa (black chickpeas). I wish everybody a very nice rest weekend!!! :-)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup black chickpeas (kala channa)
- 1 Tsp. cumin seeds
- Pinch hing/ asafoetida
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tsp. cumin powder
- 1 Tsp. coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste
- 2 Tbsp. ghee
- 2 Tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Drain, rinse and place with 1 cup water in the pressure cooker. Cook for 7-8 whistles. Wait for steam to release.
In a pan heat ghee and add cumin seeds. When they turn golden-brown add bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and hing/asafoetida. Fry for some seconds. Add the chickpeas along with cooking liquid. Then add salt and other spice powders. Mix well and let simmer till all liquid has evaporated. Add the coriander leaves and serve.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Simple aloo sabzi (potato vegetable)

Today being the 6th day of Navratri, I am posting one more dish suitable for fasting. My mother-in law makes this simple potato dish every day during fasting, except she doesn’t add tomatoes. If you prefer your dish without tomatoes as well, go ahead and skip them.

Oh btw before I forget, I am now a member of Petitchef, a site with many nice recipes and blogs. Do check it out some time http://en.petitchef.com/.

Ingredients:

- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee
- 1 Tsp. Cumin seeds
- 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- ½ Tsp. Coriander powder
- 1 Tsp. Cumin powder
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt or sindalu salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat ghee in a pot and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the tomatoes, salt, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes along with 3-4 Tbsp. water. Cover and cook till potatoes are soft. Stir couple of times in between to prevent potatoes from sticking to bottom. Add coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix and serve.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Sabudana kheer

Hi to everybody on this nice and sunny day. Fall already started but it is still very warm over here.

Today I am posting one more recipe which is common with my family in India for Navratri. Sabudana kheer or tapioca pudding is made from tapioca pearls and is a nice alternative to the common kheer made with rice.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup sabudana/ tapioca pearls
- 5 cups milk
- 1 Tsp. Cardamom powder
- ¾ cup crushed jaggery

Method:

Wash sabudana and soak in 1 cup of water for about 5-10 minutes. Heat milk in a pot on medium heat and add the sabudana along with the soaking water. Let it come to a boil and turn heat to medium-low. Add cardamom and jaggery and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. The kheer will be ready when the sabudana pearls are soft but not mushy. Serve hot or cold.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Happy Navratri...!!!

I am a bit late but still didn’t want to miss to wish everybody a happy Navratri. It already started on Saturday and for all who don’t know, Navratri is a festival celebrated for 9 days in which the female divinity in her different forms is worshipped. In these days many people keep a fast or at least abstain from certain foods. In my family in-law most of the people keep a fast either for all days or just 2-3 days. In this fasting time only some foods are allowed and just one meal per day is consumed. Foods that are allowed include dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, buckwheat and some spices (rock salt or sindalu salt, black pepper, coriander and cumin seeds).

I will be posting some Navratri recipes over the next days which are common with my family in India. On our first fasting day I made kuttu roti, tomato-cucumber raita, aloo-mutter sabzi (potato- peas vegetable) and sabudana kheer (tapioca kheer) and was also able to snap a picture of this for you to see.
Today I start with the recipe for Kuttu roti (Buckwheat roti) which is made every day in my mother-in laws house during fasting time.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups buckwheat flour ( kuttu atta)
- 2 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
- Pinch rock salt or sindalu salt
- 2-3 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
- Ghee for brushing

Method:

Mash the potatoes without any lumps in a bowl. Add salt, flour, coriander leaves and water. Knead to a smooth dough. Heat a pan or tava on medium heat and form the dough into 7-8 balls. Grease your hands with some drops of ghee and flatten one ball, flipping from one hand to the other to make it bigger and rounder. You won’t be able to roll this dough with a rolling pin as it is very fragile and tears easily. Cook the roti on the tava till small bubbles appear on one side, then flip and brush some ghee on top.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.