Christmas Spritz Cookies | Christmas Butter Cookies | Christmas Cookie Press Cookies

Spritz cookies are light and airy cookies. They are very buttery and melts in the mouth. This generally made using cookie press or pastry piping bag.

I have themed these cookies Christmas by coloring the cookies in red and green and decorated them with colorful sprinkles.




Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cups

Butter - 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Egg yolks - 2

Vanilla - 2tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Gel food coloring 

Sprinkles


Equipment: 

Cookie press with 3 different disc shape





Procedure : 

Add 1 cup butter to a mixing bowl and cream the butter until pale in color 



Now add 3/4 cup of sugar mix it until light and creamy



Next add 2 egg yolks and mix well



Next add 2 tsp of vanilla



Sieve 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour and 1/4 tsp salt




Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in batches and mix until it forms a dough




Divide the dough into 3 half



Add red gel food color in 1 half and green gel food color in another half and mix well. Leave the other half plain






Add the dough to cookie press one color at a time and start pressing cookies on cookie sheet. 1 press = 1 cookie





Decorate cookies with sprinkles 




Bake all cookies in 350 degrees oven for 10-12 mins or until the bottom of the cookies turn light golden brown. Cool them completely and remove to cooking rack 




Step by Step Video:








Christmas Rose Cookies | Eggless Achu Murukku | Achappam

Back in India Christmas goodies are not completed without Rose cookies / Achu murukku. Achu murukku is a light and crunchy mildly sweet snack. They are very airy and melts in mouth in ease.

Achu Murukku is made in different ways in each part of south India. I have made an eggless version today. I have flavored this achu murukku with cardamon. In some places achu murukku is flavored with vanilla. 




Rose cookies / Achu murukku needs a special mould. Traditionally these moulds are supposed to be seasoned well by soaking it in oil of few hours. While making the murukku first few murukku will usually stick to the mould and needs to be pulled out with a skewer or fork. Once the mould is used for the while cookies releases from mould by itself. I bought a non stick version of this mould which makes the process very easy as no seasoning is needed and cookies releases from mould very easily right from the 1st cookie.




Ingredients :

Rice flour / idiappam flour - 1cup

All purpose flour / maida - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 1/4 cup 

Coconut milk - 1 cup 

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil for

Deep frying 

Coconut Milk: 

Fresh coconut pieces 1/2 

cup or shredded coconut - 1cup

Cardamom- 3 

Warm water - 2 cups

Equipments:

Achu Murukku / Rose Cookie mould (Preferably non stick mould)




Procedure : 

Step 1 : Extract coconut milk

Add 3/4 cup chopped or 1 cup of shredded fresh coconut in a blender, Add 3 cardamom pods and add 1 cup of warm water and blend well. 


Strain the mixture and squeeze the pulp to extract milk. 



This is 1st coconut milk / thick coconut milk.



Add the strained pulp again to the blender and add 1 cup of warm water and blend again.



Strain and squeeze the milk in a different bowl. This is thin coconut milk / 2nd coconut milk.


Step 2 : Prepare Batter

In a wide bowl add 1 cup rice flour or idiappam flour




Next add 1/4 cup maida / all purpose flour.




Next add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt and mix well.



To this dry ingredients add 1 cup of thick coconut milk (1st coconut milk)




Mix well until we’ll combined. If the mixture is thick add some light coconut milk (2nd coconut milk). I have added 2 tablespoons, this totally depends on the quality of rice flour and coconut. So adjust more or less coconut milk as needed.



Check the consistency of batter by dipping a spoon or knife into the batter. Batter should the coated on the spoon.



Step 3 : Frying the Cookie/ Murukku 


Heat oil for deep frying in medium heat. Once the oil is hot, drop the achu Murukku mould into the hot oil and let it for 5 min (since this is 1st time keep it for 5 mins)



Once the mould is heated well, remove from hot oil and dip it in batter. Did not immerse the mould into the batter. Jut dip halfway through into the batter.



Wait for 3 to 4 seconds. You must hear a sizzle sound. Now remove the mould from batter. Batter must the coated on the mould. Now drop the mould into hot oil. 


Once the Murukku / cookie is cooked it will release from the mould by itself. If it does not release use a skewer or fork to release the cookie from mould. 



Fry both sides until golden brown. Once it’s light golden brown and bubbles stops remove and drain in paper towel.


Add the mould in hot oil agin. This time only for 3o to 40 seconds as mould is heated already. Now repeat the same process to make rest of the achu Murukku/ rose cookies



Tips: 

Each time before making cookies make sure to dip the mould in hot hour for 30 to 40 seconds at-lest.

Use a wide pan for deep frying so that once the cookie releases from the mould, we can leave the mould in hot oil so that it will be ready for making next cookie.

Use processed rice flour like idappam flour or kolukattai flour


Step by Step Video:








Christmas Cakesicles

December is the month of preparation and celebration!
Christmas is a big and happiest festival celebrated with family and friends. For me Christmas is full of colors, glitter and lights. 




Cakesicles are nothing but a cake pop in a popsicle shape. I have made cake pops with plain vanilla cake and vanilla butter cream icing. And decorated them with Christmas theme sprinkles and fondant.





Ingredients :

Candy Melts 

Plain Vanilla cake (any cake can be used)

Butter cream icing 

Fondant and Christmas sprinkles


Equipments:


Cakesicles Mould

Popsicles stick




Procedure : 

Melt some candy melts as per the instructions 



Coat a layer of melted  candy melt on the cakesicle mould. Mould must be coated fully without any gap. Let it dry and set. 


Crumble some plain cake (any flavor of plain cake can be used). 



Add some butter cream icing and start mixing. Add butter cream icing until the mixture becomes like a dough.


Stuff the cake mixture in the mould on top of candy melt.




Insert a popsicle stick in the slot until marking on the mould. Refrigerate this until the cake mixture is firm a bit.


Top it with melted candy melt. cover the sides properly and let it set completely.




Unmold the cake pops from the moulds very carefully/slowly.




Trim the edges if needed





Decorated the cakesicles with fondant and Christmas theme sprinkles.













                                                                                                              
             
                                             

Chocolate Turkey | Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a Harvest festival here in US. Usually this is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving is not completed without turkey. Each family has their own recipe for grilled turkey. For this thanksgiving I made chocolate turkey in my kitchen.

Basically I have used various sizes of Reese's peanut butter cups candy for turkey body and head. Yellow and Orange M&M candies for turkey feathers. Eyeball candies for eyes and orange egg shape candy for beak.






Ingredients :

Reese's candy cups - Assorted sizes

Yellow and Orange M&M

Eyeball candies

Tiny egg sprinkle (for beak)

White chocolate few



Procedure : 

Melt some chocolate chips to glue the candies




Add a big drop of melted chocolate on top of big Reese's candy






Add a mini Reese's candy on top of the melted chocolate





Add a tiny drop of melted chocolate and add M&M





Add yellow and orange M&M alternatively to replicate feathers of turkey




Add a very tiny drops of melted chocolate on the mini Reese's for eyes and beak




Attach eyes and beak




Allow it to cool and set




Step by Step Video:






 

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