Nankhatai

As a child, nankhatai was my first introduction to homemade cookies. Mom used to make them often and me, without caring about the calories, would simply gobble them up. However, as I grew up, the calories consumed then starting showing up on my waistline. Nankhatais became non-existent in the household. Time passed by and while I got busy with other stuff, I almost forgot about this simple Indian cookie until recently when I came across a few blog posts posting its recipes. My husband is not a big fan of baked goodies but I decided to make them anyway, if not for anyone else but for myself.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup semolina (sooji)

1/2 cup gram flour (besan)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup ghee (or as much required for kneading the dough)

Cardamom and pistachio crushed

Directions

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour the ghee. Make a soft crumbly dough with just enough ghee to put it all together. Cover the dough in a cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Prepare a baking sheet and make small balls. Slightly flatten the balls with your palm and make an indentation in the center. Put some crushed elaichi and pistachio and arrange it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the dough. Keep the baking tray again in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while pre-heating the oven at 175 degree celsius. Bake the nankhatais for 12-15 minutes and cool on a wire rack before transferring to air tight containers.

                                         

Fresh Blueberry and Almond Biscotti

The other day my Chinese neighbour gifted me a pack of fresh blueberries in return for the Diwali sweets I had given for her family. Since then, I have been getting anxious to do some baking with them. However,there is a family wedding coming up in December and I want to look a tad thinner in the saris that I would be wearing. So I asked my best friend (read Google) and pat came the answer. A healthy, nutritious alternative to cookies with no butter or oil required to bake them. Easy to make and guilt-free indulgence!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (maida)

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp almond/vanilla essence

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (this can be replaced with dried/fresh cranberries, raisins, dates, etc.)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp lemon/orange zest

Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius.

Mix the dry ingredients together with the almonds and the blueberries.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and almond essence. Add the dry mix little by little till a moist dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and slightly wetting your hands knead the dough for few more minutes. You may do this in the working bowl as well. Line a baking tray with cookie sheet. Make two giant sized cookies and place it on the tray. Make sure not to flatten the cookie much. At this point, you may dust the top with a bit of sugar for a crystallized effect (I skipped it). Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until firm and golden from outside. 

Take out the giant cookies from the oven. By now, they must have risen to a small mountain-like structure. With the help of an oven mitt, take a bread knife and gently cut out fingers from the cookies while they are still hot. Place the cut biscottis on a cookie sheet bottoms down for another 20 minutes at 150 degree celsius. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before transferring to an air tight container. Enjoy your guilt-free indulgence with your favorite cup of tea or coffee or as your mid-morning snack.