Guilt-free Cookies

Cross-posted here


I saw these cookies on a fellow Raveller's blog and Aadi caught me!And she demanded for some.I was drooling myself and decided to try the recipe.Only..I was/am on a diet and I didn't want to blow it.So,I decided to play around with the ingredients.So here's a dieter's version of the cookies..

You need-
3/4 stick of butter(at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar(I just had one kind)
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
2 cups flour.
(I just changed the quantity of butter)

And followed the rest of the recipe ,as is..from Here


1) Using a hand/stand mixer beat the butter till smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy.
2) Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the egg yolks, again beating till the mixture is homogenous.
3) Add the flour and mix using a spatula, until the dough looks uniformly moist. The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl nor will it come together in a ball. You want to work the dough AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
4) Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long.
5) Wrap the logs well and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
6) Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.[160Deg in Fan Forced oven]
7) Remove the log of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and place it on a parchment paper. Brush some yolk all over the sides of the dough- this is the glue then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with coarse sugar.
8) Slice the log into 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick cookies ( no thinner than 1/4 inch). Place the round on the baking sheets.
9) Bake for 17-20 mins. When properly baked the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden around the edges and pale on top. Remove from the oven and let it rest a minute before carefully lifting them onto a rack to cool to room temperature.

The cookies were yummy!!! I used the fan forced oven and heated it up too much..burnt the first batch!By the second batch,I realised my mistakeand adjusted the temperature.The cookies came out beautiful and were demolished in 10 minutes flat.I just got to taste 1 ..rest was gobbled up by the father-daughter!

I am going to try this again..I m thinking..if the diet version is sooo good..how good would the Real thing be??

Snacks for Kids

This is something I had posted on my food blog, and I am reposting it here, because both the recipes are great for kids. Many of my food memories center around summer holidays during childhood. One of the snacks that we loved the most was Hacchida Avalakki - something that I also began craving when I was expecting my son. I don't know whether it was because he had so much of it indirectly, but this is a favourite dish of my son's too.

Sometime that year, my cousins had come from Dharwad, and one of them had carried a delicious avalakki( poha/ flattened rice) snack which is ludicrously easy to make and low cal too. I often make it and store it during the summer, as it's light, quick to make and enjoyed by everyone.

Avalakki

2-3 cups flattened rice/ poha ( try to get the thinner variety)

1 cup shelled peanuts with the skin on

1 handful curry leaves

2 tsp black mustard seeds

5-6 byadgi chillies ( Karnataka chillies)

1/2 tsp asafoetida (heeng)

1/2 cup dessicated coconut cut into fine slivers

Salt to taste

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp oil

On a sunny day, spread the avalakki out on a clean paper and leave it out in the sun for 3-4 hours. It will get nice and crisp.

In a large bandley (wok), heat the oil.

Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.

Then add the turmeric, the asafoetida, the chillies and the curry leaves. Fry until the chillies and curry leaves are crisp.

Add the dessicated peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the skin darkens and any exposed bits turn pale brown.

Add the coconut slivers and fry until they turn light brown.

Add in the avalakki, the salt and the pepper and stir to mix everything well.

Store in an airtight jar.

I love the smell of heeng so I tend to add more of it than I've mentioned.

Hacchida Avalakki

1 cup avalakki ( plain poha)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp oil

2-3 green chillies, finely chopped

Handful grated fresh coconut

1 cucumber, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

Handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime ( or more, to taste)

Salt to taste

In a bandley, heat the oil.

Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.

Add the avalakki and stir briskly for a few minutes so it turns crisp, and turn off the heat.

Add all the other ingredients, lime juice last, and stir to mix well.

Serve immediately, and eat fast before it turns soggy! Omit the green chillies and reduce the quantity of onions for younger kids. Also, in the avalakki recipe, omit the nuts in case you are worried about allergies.