PISTACHIO SAFFRON COOKIES

Tried this new recipe the other day and came out just so good …a perfect crunch bursting with great Indian flavours which reminded me as if I’m biting into a mithai (Indian sweets). The cookies are infused with saffron and cardamom, dragged with pistachios for that extra nutty crunch. You've got to try this recipe to believe me!

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PREP TIME: 10 minutes

BAKE TIME: 22 minutes

YIELDS: 25-30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 180g all-purpose flour

• 150g unsalted butter, room temperature

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 60g pistachio, roughly chopped

• 65g dark brown sugar

• 65g caster sugar

• ½ tsp saffron strands

• 1 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ tbsp green cardamom powder

• 50g slivered pistachios extra for top

METHOD

1. Prepare a large cookie sheet with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. In the microwave heat milk for 20 seconds. Grind the saffron strands in a small mortar and pestle and add to the warm milk. Let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Sift flour in a bowl, add baking powder, salt, cardamom powder and mix. Keep aside.

4. Cream butter for couple of minutes, add sugars and vanilla and cream them together for another couple of minutes. Add flour mixture, chopped pistachios and mix to combine.

5. Add saffron milk to the mixture and combine to form the cookie dough.

6. Divide the dough into 26-30 balls. Take a ball and press gently in the slivered pistachios to dredge some pistachios on top. Place the dough ball on the tray keeping the pistachios side up. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough balls and place them at least 2 inch apart as the cookies will spread.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. Check after 18 minutes and give more time if you feel the cookies are still pale. They should have a slight golden colour. Remove and let them cook on tray until they are completely cooled to the touch.

8. Transfer on the cooling rack and let cool completely. Transfer in an airtight cookie jar.

COOK'S NOTES

• Use the room temperature butter and do not overwork the dough as you don’t want to incorporate too much air.

• Grinding the saffron strands makes it release more flavour so it’s essential to do that step.

• I added half of the dark brown sugar just because I like the extra depth of molasses-like flavour it brings to the cookies…but if you don’t have the dark brown sugar…you can always add more caster sugar instead or light brown sugar.

• I like extra crunch on top hence I dredged some extra pistachios on top but you can skip this step if you don’t want to.

• As soon as they cool completely store them in airtight cookie jar as leaving them out for too long will make them slightly soft if the weather is humid.

• These cookies can be stored in airtight jars for up to a week. But believe me, they won’t last even 2 days, they are that good…😊

LEMON BLUEBERRY CHIA SEED CAKE

Times are really tough and the raging pandemic in India has put us all in a questionable state in one way or the other. My husband started his travel back from India after completing his mum’s last rights to reach Muscat and spent 15 days in institutional quarantine in Turkey....undergoing yet another one in Muscat(Oman) for a week until he finally reaches home. Gone are those days when you could reach home (Muscat ) from India in just 3.5 hours. 😌

It seems far-fetched living up to a normal life after this catastrophe hit the world. Wishing everyone to be safe and praying this shall all pass quickly and we all live peacefully in a happy world again.

Baked a quick Lemon blueberry and chia seeds cake for my hubby the day he landed in Muscat to munch on while he is quarantined in his homeland away from home... Cake was baked in angel cake pan and I had to cut it into slices to pack it for hubby. Time felt short and had no time to capture the full image. Luckily few slices were left over after packing the whole big box and thought of capturing it for my audience. Guys I promise I’ll post that full styled image soon but until then enjoy these virtual slices of this delicious cake. Do give this recipe a try and I'm sure you will fall for it. Its just perfect as is and preserves better at room temperature in your air-conditioned kitchen for up to 4 days. You can also dress this cake with cream cheese frosting to make it an extra edge and making it a bit more special for an occasion.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

BAKE TIME: 1 hour

SERVES: 20-25 slices

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp, divided

• 1 3/4 cup caster sugar

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large lemon zested and juiced (2 tbsp juice is used)

• 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

• 3/4 cup or 200g sour cream, room temperature

• 2 cups blueberries

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Thoroughly grease the 10 cup capacity angel cake pan or bundt pan. I lined the base of angel cake pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Keep aside until used.

3. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest together until fluffy, creamy and pale in colour.

4. Add one egg at a time and blend on medium high speed until all eggs are added and well combined.

5. In a small bowl add sour cream and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix them together. Add it to the egg butter mix, blend for couple of minutes to combine.

6. Add the dry flour mix to the wet mixture in three batches until just combined, keeping the mixer on a medium-low speed. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula, to ensure the batter is well combined. Give a quick blend again for few seconds.

7. Add chia seeds and gently fold into the batter with a spatula.

8. In a bowl, toss the blueberries with remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Gently fold them in the cake batter and drop it in the prepared pan and level it with spatula.

9. Placing it in the middle rack of the oven and bake it for 50-60 minutes turning it once halfway through baking.

10. Insert the tooth pick to check. Bake couple more minutes if the batter is still slightly sticky.

11. Leave to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the outer and inner edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan to make sure its not stuck to the pan. Invert it gently on the cake plate. Remove parchment paper and let it cool slightly.

12. If you wish, brush the lemon syrup on the slightly warm cake if you want strong citrus flavour or tartiness in your cake. It’s not mandatory. To make lemon syrup check cook's notes.

13. You can serve the cake as is or can also ice it with cream cheese frosting to make it for a special occasion.

COOK'S NOTES

1. If you wish, brush the lemon syrup on the slightly warm cake if you want strong citrus flavour or tartiness in your cake. It’s not mandatory. Make sure your cake is still warm if you want to add lemon syrup else it will not penetrate inside the cake.

2. To make lemon syrup add 3 tbsp water with 3 tbsp lemon juice, bring to a gentle boil in amicrowave. Add 1/4 cup of sugar in it and mix until it’s completely dissolved. Brush it on the exterior edges of the cake until it’s all penetrated.

CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS

Chocolate cake rum balls are an absolute delight and so so easy to make and a best use of your leftover cake shavings. A very versatile recipe which will come together in just minutes with the ingredients you have at hand in your pantry.

I make lot of boutique and sculpted cakes for weddings, birthdays and special occasions but often you are left with lots of cake shaving leftovers from designing or leveling your wedding cakes. Found the best solution by converting these shavings into much more decadent and interesting dessert to serve. I save these shaving tightly wrapped up in the freezer and make use of them for many different recipes later as and when needed.

These chocolate rum balls are the result of those preserved cake shavings and are so so delicious that you can fix up a decadent and enticing dessert to impress your friends and family within no time. This time I wanted to experiment with different flavours so I made pistachio as well as cocoa dusted Truffle Rum Balls. Don't they look amazing?? Couldn't keep my hands off of them and stop myself at just one. Do give it a try and leave the comments below after trying out this recipe at home. I would be really delighted to hear your comments below. Happing Baking!

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PREP TIME: 15 minutes

ASSEMBLY TIME: 20-25 minutes

MAKES: 25-30

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg chocolate cake crumbs

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 50g dried cherries, finely chopped

• 150g chopped nuts,(I used pistachios, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts)

• 90 ml rum

• 1 orange, zested

For coating:

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts

METHOD

1. In a food processor, pulse the cake and make the crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

2. Add maple syrup, cranberries, nuts, rum and orange zest. Mix them all together and stick it in the fridge for 2 hours.

3. Now using the small ice-cream scoop, make the balls slightly smaller than the golf balls.

4. Blitz the pistachios into a grinder to a crumb.

5. Roll the balls into pistachio crumbs or cocoa powder and serve.

COOK'S NOTES

• I made this recipe with leftover cake shavings. But to make these you can use a store bought chocolate cake or make your own to make these rum balls.

• Run can also be replaced with another liqueur of your choice to make it boozy.

• Skip the alcohol to make it for children or adults who do not consume alcohol. Infuse with orange juice instead.

• Any nuts you have in your pantry like almonds, cashews, walnuts etc.or dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, prunes or candied peels can be added instead of the nuts and fruits mentioned in the recipe.

• You can also roll the balls in desiccated coconut or toasted sesame seeds or walnut crumb as a variation.

• These can stay fresh until a week in refrigerator.

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