MERINGUE KISSES

Hello everyone

Though i am not a fan of baking with eggs but sometimes, few things attract you to such an extent that couldn't stop yourself from doing that. One such tempting thing was meringue kisses for me. Whenever i see these beauties , they lure me to make them. So finally i overcame my baking without egg rule and tried these awesome gorgeous beauties . And to my surprise they came out almost perfect, not only in look but in texture too. I am jumping with joy to see them. My kids are super happy to have these and are proudly sharing with their friends too. 
I am sharing my recipe here and hope you all will love to try it. It is so simple to try with minimum required ingredients.

MERINGUE KISSES

Time: 2-3 hrs
Yield: 40-45 pieces, depending on size

Ingredients

2 egg whites ( at room temp)
1/2 cup fine granules sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla essence
Gel food colours of your choice

Method:

First of all take eggwhites in a big bowl and beat at low to medium speed with a hand beater till it becomes little foamy. Add lemon juice and continue beating.

Add sugar little by little with your beater on. Now increase the speed of beater and beat till stiff peaks are formed.

Refer below pic for understanding stiff peak.

**Never over beat your egg mixture otherwise it will become runny .

Now take a big piping bag fitted with big round/star nozzel.

For colourful pattern , take little gel colours with toothpick and make vertical lines at some distance, inside the piping bag. Now fill it with prepared meringue.

On a baking tray lined with butter paper, pipe 1 1/2 - 2 inch size meringue kisses.

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 100°C for 1 hr 30 mins or till it can be easily lifted without sticking to the butter paper.

Let it cool inside the oven with door slightly open.

When it cooled down completely , store in an airtight jar.

*It will remain good at room temp for 3-4 days. You can keep it in refrigerator or freezer for longer life.

*If you want your meringue kisses of one single colour then can add colour while beating.

So bake these beauties and enjoy with your tea or give in kids snacks box. You can prepare a big batch and store in freezer and enjoy chilled crispies whenever you want.

Do try this simple yet delicious recipe and dont forget to share your experience with me. Your comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Hello everyone

Today I have a very delicious crisp chocolate cookies recipe with goodness of almonds and depthness of coffee flavour. If you are a chocolate as well as coffee lover then it is surely for you. you can have it any time without guilt as it is loaded with almond. Most intrestingly it's eggless too. Not only elders but kids too love this cookie.
You don't need any fancy equipment to prepare it. It is a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
Stepwise Recipe is given below. do try and share your experience with me.

EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Time: 30 mins
Yield: 25-26 medium size cookies

Ingredients


1 1/2 cup all purpose flour / chapatti flour
1/2 cup butter ( at room temp.)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar ( you can increase as per taste)
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp warm water ( leave for 10-15 mins)
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Method:

First of all preheat oven at 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix almond powder, flour and baking powder well . keep aside till needed.

Take butter in a bowl and cream it. Now add coffee powder and both sugar. Again beat till mixture become creamy.
Now add flaxseed gel and again beat till well incorporated.

Add flour and just fold. Now add choco chips ( reserve some for decorating) and just mix to get nice dough. Don't over mix the dough.

Make small balls of dough and flatten like peda. Place on baking tray at 2 inch distance between each cookie.

Place some Choco chips on each flattened cookies and place the tray in refrigerator for half an hour or in freezer for 10 mins.

Now bake it in preheated oven @180°C for 12-20 mins as different oven take different time for baking. So keep an eye after 12 mins.

When its base starts getting brown , remove from oven and let it rest for 5 mins. Then transfer on a wire rack and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

It will remain good at room temp for .a week ( If left) and for a month in refrigerator.

* You can add more sugar if want more sweeter cookies, as mine are mild.

* If you dont have brown sugar then replace it with white one.

* If baking for small kids then you can omit coffee powder, as some kids don't like it's flavour.

*If using strong coffee like expresso then add only 1 tsp. as it may turn cookies bitter.

So bake these divine cookies at home and surprise your loved ones. It's perfect snacks for your morning/evening tea or for kids tiffin. Enjoy whenever you want. Hope you all will love this simple yet delicious recipe and will definitely give it a try.

Do share your experience with me, as your feedback motivates me to serve more and more interesting delicacies to you. Your comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS OATS AND JAGGERY CHOCO CHIPS COOKIES

Hello everyone

Today I have a very delicious yet healthy cookies recipe to share with you all. My this recipe is inspired by Nishchita Thejas's oatmeal raisin cookies with eggs. It was so delicious but I thought to give it my own twist as I generally make eggless ones and with some healthy ingredients to add on some more nutrients for my kids. That's why replaced little butter with peanut butter to give my cookies a nutty flavour and some health too. I tried four different texture of the same cookies by adjusting baking time and added some chocolate wheat flakes in my last batch of cookies to add some extra crunch. Basically these are chewy at center and crisp at edges.
My this mix and match of ingredients to main recipe turned out really delicious and for this I would like to thank nishchita for giving her recipe.
Stepwise recipe is given below. Hope you all will love and definitely give it a try.

EGGLESS OATS AND JAGGERY CHOCO CHIPS COOKIES

Time: 30-40mins
Yield: 16-18 medium size cookies

Ingredients 

1 cup instant oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour ( I used chapatti flour)
1/2 cup - 2 tsp butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp peanut butter ( completely optional, but then use whole 1/2 cup butter)
1/2 cup grated jaggery ( used grainy texture golden jaggery not sticky ones)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant coffee powder ( completely optional)
1/4 cup thick yogurt
1/2 tbsp corn syrup ( can be replaced with honey)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup semi sweet choco chips ( you can use any)


Method:

First of all preheat your oven at 180 degree C.
Add flour, baking soda, salt and cofffee powder. Mix well and keep aside for later use.

Take butter and peanut butter in a big bowl and beat with a hand whisker or electric mixer till nice creamy. Now add grated jaggery and sugar and again whisk till fluffy. Add yogurt and again whisk till nicely incorporated.

Now add corn syrup and vanilla essence, mix well.
Add prepared flour mixture to it and mix well.

Now add oats followed by choco chips and fold to get nice lumpless sticky scoopable mixture.

Take a baking mat or baking pan lined with parchment paper. Scoop dough ( as per your choice of size preference) by icecream scoop or any spoon and place on baking sheet at reasonable distance ( as cookie will spread while baking). Now press each dough a little and give nice clean round shape with hand. 

Bake for 14- 20 minutes or till you get nice golden colour on edges of cookies.
Remove from oven and wait for 3-4 mins so that they will become easy to handle. Then transfer to wire rack and let them cool completely before storing in an air tight jar.

**Baking time will depend on your preference of texture of cookies.

* If you like chewy , then bake for 14-16 mins.
* If you love crispy crunchy , then bake for more time till you get your desired texture ( approx 18-20 mins)
* For crispier cookies, spread the dough thinner while pressing to give shape.


*** Note: The cookies will be still little soft when touched immediately after removing them from oven. They will get firm on cooling.  take care of this while baking so that not to burn them in making crisp.

** You can also freeze its dough and bake fresh cookies whenever you want.

I made four different texture from this same dough mixture :

1. Spreaded scooped dough thick and baked for 16-17 mins. It gave nice chewy and thicker cookies.

2. Spreaded scooped dough thin and baked for 15-16 mins. It gave nice crisp edges and chewy center.

3. Spreaded thin and baked for 18-20 mins. It gave overall crisp cookies.

4. Added 2 tbsp of choco wheat flakes to my final batch and spreaded as much I could. Baked for 18mins. It gave super crunchy cookies.

*** Baking time may vary oven to oven , so keep an eye on your cookies while baking.

Try whichever suits your taste buds and enjoy.

These can be stored at room temp for a week and for  a month in refrigerator. You can also freeze them to increase their self life .

These cookies are so delicious and healthy that you can munch any time to satisfy your sweet craving in a healthy way as well as for small hunger sprangs. Ideal for kids tiffin and travel snacks.
So enjoy these eggless delicious beauties as you like .  It's best accompaniment with  chilled milk .

Hope you all will love this yummy cookie recipe and will definitely going to give it a try. Do try and don't forget to share your experience with me.
Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EGGLESS CHOCO VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE WITH COLORFUL PATTERN

Hello everyone

Yesterday I got a note I my kids diary that next day they have to bring some food item for sharing with their classmates. As their 9 days long vacations are going to start from this weekends. Suddenly baking a cake idea stuck to my mind but thought why not to bake some different than usual but attractive cake for kids so that they will like it even more. My kid like chocolate and vanilla flavour most. So to use it , tried my old tried and tasted recipe of zebra cake but with some more colours to make it even more presentable and eye catching and it turned out so soft, moist and yummy that no one can resist eating another serving. My kids loved it a lot and finished nearly 1/3rd of cake at home only😀.Best part of it is , that it's eggless too. Easiest recipe with handful of ingredients and result is awesome delicious beautiful stripped cake.

Stepwise recipe is given below. Do try and don't forget to share your experience with me.

EGGLESS  CHOCO VANILLA ZEBRA CAKE WITH COLORFUL PATTERN

Serves: 10-15 ( depend on serving size)

Time: 50-55 mins

Ingredients 

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour/ chapatti flour ( I made big cake , you can make it half or 1/3 easily)

2 1/2 cup yogurt ( curd), beaten 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla Essence 

1 1/2 cup sugar ( you can add more as per taste, I kept mild)

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Few drops of orange and blue edible colours

Method:

First preheat the oven at 180°c.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together, keep aside for later use.

Add baking soda to beaten yogurt and give a quick stir and keep it aside for 8-10 mins or till it become nice frothy.

Now mix  vanilla essence, sugar and oil together till sugar dissolves and mixture become smooth and fluffy. Don't over mix otherwise all the bubbles will sink.

Mix dry and wet mixtures together and fold to get lumpless smooth batter . 

*** Batter should neither too thin nor too thick. If needed add some milk/water , little at a time to get proper consistency.

Now divide the batter in four equal parts ,add cocoa powder to one , orange and blue colour to other two and leave fourth one as it is. Mix well but don't over do.

*Add some milk/water in Cocoa batter to get same consistency of all the batters. 

In a greased baking pan , lined with butter paper , pour one big spoon of one batter and tap the pan to spread .then pour  one big spoon of other batter over it and again tap the pan and do it alternatively till batter finished. 

**Now using a knife or skewer make 6-8 lines on cake starting from center of cake towards edge, at equal distance and cleaning knife/skewer every time. 

Now again makes lines, in between these lines but in reverse direction, from edge of cake towards center. This will give a nice pattern on the cake. This step is completely optional, you can skip it without getting any change in final product.

Then bake it for 50-55 mins. But keep an eye after 40 mins on it as baking time may vary oven to oven.
I baked on convection mode for 55 mins.

Check it with knife or skewer by inserting in middle of cake ,for doneness. If knife/skewer comes out clean then cake Is done otherwise bake for some more minutes.

Let it sit for 5-10 mins then invert on wire rack and let it cool completely.

Its so soft and moist cake that you cannot have just one piece.

*You can also use half or 1/3 the quantity as I made bigger cake for kids sharing day.

Enjoy this scrumptious Cake and do share your experience with me. Your valuable comments and suggestions are always welcomed, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

SPROUTED MOONG AND PEANUTS KACHUMBAR SALAD

Hello everyone

Almost 9-10 years back, I tasted kachumbar salad for very first time in a restaurant and from that day I became a die hard fan of it. I frequently prepare it at my home and everyone loves it. But the day my doctor told me of hypothyroid and elevated cholesterol level , I decided to replace atleast some of my meal with some zero oil healthy version. And the first name came to my mind was kachumbar salad. Then I started to wonder , how I can add some more health and taste to my regular salad to make it more delicious as well as healthy too. I never liked sprouts but when I added moong sprouts in my salad then it really tasted far better or you can say much delicious to resist it. From that very day, this became a meal replacement for me in a healthy and yummy way.

If you are looking for a diet recipe with deliciousness at the same time then this is for you. Just try it , you will love it to have anytime without any second thought.

Recipe is given below, do try and don't forget to tell your experience with me.

SPROUTED MOONG AND PEANUTS KACHUMBAR SALAD

Serves: 2 ( big)

Time: 10 mins

Ingredients 

1 cup sprouted moong

2 medium cucumber, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

2 slices Apple, finely chopped ( optional)

1-2 green chiles, finely chopped

1 tbsp green coriander leaves, finely chopped

Black pepper powder, as per taste

1/4 tsp Black salt

Chaat masala, as per taste

Lemon juice, as per taste

Salt , as per taste

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Method:

First of all steam sprouted moong till semi cooked or microwave with some water for 4-5 minutes. Drain all water from sprout and let it cool.

Now add all ingredients together and mix well. Adjust seasoning according to your taste.

While serving ,add peanuts and serve immedietly. Your super yum and healthy dish is ready to fill you .

You can have it with evening tea/ breakfast or replace your dinner or lunch with it. If you are willing to loose some extra pounds then this is best meal replacement for you. So delicious yet healthy and zero oil dish , you can prepare in minutes.

** Don't add peanuts too early, otherwise they will get soggy and will not taste as good as you want.

So always add peanuts while serving.

** You can also add onions, capsicum , spring onions etc as per your taste to make your salad more personalized to your taste buds.

Do try this delicious treat and share your experience with me. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....