Pistachio & Cranberry Clusters

This is a very easy candy recipe. Made with three ingredients in three easy steps.....

I got this recipe from the back of dried cranberries packet. It sounded simple to me and I had all the ingredients handy, so I tried it and it was really so good. Kids would love it. This can be made from both white and dark chocolate. In the same way the nuts and the dried fruits can also be altered according to ones creativity....

Actually the recipe called for cashew nuts, but I replaced it with pistachio for a colorful look(Red, White, Green). I also loved the combo of toasted almonds and raisins in semi-sweet chocolate.

Ingredients :

White chocolate - 1/2 cup
Dried Cranberries - 1/2 cup
Pistachio - 1/2 cup

Procedure :

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir in dried cranberries and nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Let harden at room temperature or chill in refrigerator.

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Traditional Buttermilk Pancake

As Feb 24 is National Pancake Day, I thought this is a right time to post these classic buttermilk pancake.

This is a very traditional pancake recipe. This is a basic pancake recipe.
Any fruit or any condiment can be added to the batter to make different types of pancake.

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Egg - 1
Sugar - 2 tablespoon
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Melted Butter - 2 tablespoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon
Maple Syrup for drizzling on the pancake

Procedure :

Mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl: egg, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla.

Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.

Heat the griddle and rub the butter on it. Then pour a medium ladle full of batter add let still for 1 minute. Then flip the pancake and cook for 1 more minute.

Repeat the steps until needed. In the meanwhile, warm the maple syrup. Stack the pancake and pour the warm syrup and serve hot.

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Valentine's Day Cookies / Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Belated Valentine's Day wished to all. Hope every one had a wonderful Valentine's Day..... Well we celebrated with these Cranberry Shortbread Cookies.

Basically Shortbread are type of crispy buttery dense cookies.They are very simple to make and tastes incredibly good. The real taste of short bread cookies comes from the butter, so the quality of butter is more important in this recipe. I have used dried cranberry as it comes from in lovely red color which is very apt for valentine's day. But any type for dried fruits can be Used. Dried apricots are my other favorite combination in this cookies.Even chocolate chips can be used.

Love short bread cookies a lot. But this is a fist shortbread cookies I am posting. Each time I make it, I never found time to click them. Finally this time I did it. I got this recipe from a food magazine. From the first time I tried these cookie it was a great hit among my family and friends.




I would like to send this recipe to Notyet100 of Asankhana , She is hosting this beautiful event named Cooking With Luv for Luv. All the best for the event.....

Ingredients :

Flour - 1 cup
Butter - 1 stick (1/2 cup)
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Dried Cranberries - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)

Procedure :

Combine all the above ingredients except cranberries. Make it as a crumbly dough. Next add the cranberries and knead the dough until the cranberries are equally mixed.

Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins. Then flour the board slightly and roll out the disk, about 1/2 inch thick.

Then using a heart shape cookie cutter cut out cookies and lay them on a baking sheet. Knead the left out dough and again do the same process and make as many cookies u need.

Bake the cookies in a 350 degrees oven for around 20 mins or until the sides of the cookies turn slightly brown.

Note : For perfect shortbread cookies do not over mix or over knead the dough.
Do not bake the cookies to a deep golden brown.


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Hot Chocolate

Who wouldn't love a warm and creamy hot chocolate, a chocolateeee romantic drink.

As we are about to celebrate valentine's day in a week, I thought this would be a timely post. This hot chocolate is not only great for valentine's day but it is awesome for any occasion. This can be made very easily with the ingredients in out own pantry.

Talking about the chocolate, the key ingredient in this drink, I love to use milk chocolate personally as i am not a big fan for semi sweet chocolate.
Traditionally semi sweet chocolate is used in hot chocolate.

I have used some marshmallows for garnish. Some time i also top it with fresh Whipped cream. In this recipe I have cut some heart shape out of the marshmallows using a mini heart cookie cutter(valentine's day special).I like to use whole milk for such special drinks, but as i am watching into calories nowadays I have used 2% fat milk which also tasted equally good as whole milk.

Though there are many instant hot chocolate mix available, this simple home made preparations makes a huge difference in taste and texture. YUM!

Ingredients :

Milk - 1 cup
Milk Chocolate - 2 to 3 tablespoon(Chopped or Morsels)
Vanilla - 1 teaspoon

Marshmallows for garnish

Procedure :

Combine milk and chocolate in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, keep whisking until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Using a milk frothier whip the hot chocolate. It will form some beautiful foam on the top. Pour the hot chocolate into cups with the foam and garnish with marshmallows.


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Akkaravadisal / Sweet Milk Pongal made from milk Pongal

This is a another version of sweet pongal. This is also made as a Neivedhyam / Prasadam.

 

Next pongal recipe in my list is Akkaravadisal. This is very similar to sakarai pongal recipe. They only difference is that rice is cooked in milk instead of water.

Ingredients :

Milk pongal - 1 cup 

Moong dal - 1/2 cup cooked and mashed 

Jaggery - 1 cup powdered 

Sugar - 1 cup 

Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon 

Saffron 1 pinch 

Ghee - 1/4 cup 

Cashew nut and raisins as needed - 1 tablespoon each

Procedure :

In a pan add the jaggery powder and 1/4 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Remove any dirt by passing the mixture into a fine sieve. Boil the jaggery to one string consistency. Add sugar and mix well. Now add the pal pongal/milk pongal and the mashed Dal and stir it without forming any lumps. Add cardamom powder, saffron and mix well with pongal In a separate pan add the ghee and fry cashews and raisins and add it to the pongal mixture. Cook the pongal until thick then remove form fire. 

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