Cook N Bake

Viennese Walnut Cookies - eggless, this is !

Flour - 1 ½ cups

Butter - ½ cup

Sugar - 1/3 cup

Salt - ¼ tsp

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Finely chopped walnuts - 1 1/3 cup

Cream together butter, sugar, salt & vanilla.

Blend in flour & walnuts, using hands to form the dough into a ball.

Chill for 30 mins.

Roll on lightly floured board to a little less than ¼ “ thickness.

Cut with 2” cutter.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees (180 degrees C) for 10-12 mts, until very lightly brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 50 biscuits.

If preferred sandwich with butter icing ( cream together 50 gms butter & 100 gms icing sugar)

 

Eggless Doughnuts - Essentially a Bakery Item & hence is here !

For SBS photos, please go to
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/966557-post13.html

Maida - 2 heaped cups+1/4 cup

Milk - Slightly less than 1 cup

Salted butter - ¼ cup

Fresh yeast - 1 tbsp

Baking powder - ¾ tsp


Sugar - 1/4 cup


Salt &. any jam


Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup


Oil - to fry

Heat the milk & pour over ¼ cup sugar & !/4 cup salted butter.

Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile add 1 tbsp fresh yeast with little sugar to ¼ cup warm water & sprinkle ½ tsp maida & keep for 10 mts.

Add this & 2 cups maida to milk mixture.

Beat well after each cup.

Let rise until double in bulk.

Now add 1/4 tsp salt & 3/4 tsp baking powder to ¼ cup maida, mix well & add to the dough.

Let rise again.

Roll, make small balls with a little jam inside.

Deep fry & coat with powdered sugar.

The oil should be hot & the frying quick.


The colour is rich brown.


Cool a little & then eat – otherwise it may be “doughy” inside.

This makes about 20 doughnuts.


The dough is a little messy to handle, but keep a cup of water near & keep immersing your hand in water to manage the dough.

 

Eggless Chocolate Cake with Curds - with topping !

Sieve together:

Maida - 2 cups

Salt - ¼ tsp

Cocoa - 3 tsp

Sodabicarb - 1 ¼ tsp

Other ingredients:

Sugar - 1 ¼ cups

Curd - 1 ¼ cup

Odourless oil - 125 ml

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

To the sieved ingredients, add sugar, curd, oil & essence.

Blend everything Till smooth.

Bake at 350 degrees F ( 180 degrees C) for 30-45 mts or till done.

Topping:

Cashew - ¼ cup, coarsely powdered

Maida - 1/3 cup

Powdered sugar - ½ cup

Butter - ¼ cup, heaped

Mix together & spread on the cake with a palette knife.

Put in the oven for about 10 mins till done.

 

Apple Pie - Serve this with Ice cream, let people think you are a great Chef !

Please go to
Apple Pie using Food Processor

Apple pie one of the simple dishes using shortcrust pastry, that can be baked at home.

Pastry:

Flour - 200 gms

Cold Butter - 100 gms

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Ice water - to mix the dough

Filling:

Apples - 2, medium

Sultanas - 1 tbsp ( optional)

Sugar - ½ cup

Flour - 2 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp

Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp

Cinnamon powder - ½ tsp

Pastry:

Mix flour, salt & sugar together.

Add cold butter cut into pieces to the above &mix them both to breadcrumb consistency.

This should be done thoroughly – if you have a pastry cutter or a whisk, use it.

The idea is to aerate the mixture so that the pastry will be crisp.

Add ice water – enough for the mixture to just hold together.

Do not knead it much, just lightly.

Make into bigger & smaller portions.

This amount is correct for a 8” pie dish.

Lightly flour the surface & roll the bigger portion into a circle 10” diameter.

Fit it into the pie dish so that the sides are also lined with the pastry.

Keep it in the fridge for 30 mts.

Roll the smaller part into a small circle, cut into ¼ “ strips & refrigerate them also.

Peel, core & slice or grate the apples.

It is preferable to grate them eventhough slicing gives an attractive look.

Mix flour, sugar, spices & sultanas in a bowl.

Stir in the apples.

Take out the pie dish & pour the filling into the dish.

Dot with butter all over.

Place the strips on it criss cross.

Bake at 375 – 400egrees F for about 45 mts or till the strips turn brown & apple juice starts bubbling through.

Cut into wedges & servw with ice cream.


Given below is the photo of apple pie.
Mini apple pie is easy to serve.

 

The pleasure is not in eating !

Dear Sharada,
Thanks for your mail. The pleasure of baking is not only in the eating, but in the aroma that fills the house ! Last evening my whole flat was filled with the aroma of cinnamon, so pleasant ! Probably that also is a part of the energy, Varalotti talks about in his new thread !
3 days back, we went to Pizza Hut where we ordered apple pie with icecream - the
amount served was ridiculously small, compared to the amount they charged. So yesterday I tried applepie with a " vengeance" & realised that for a fraction of the amount, we all ate applepie to our heart's content (or stomach's content ?!).
Now, I am sure you are going to send me the feedback for applepie as well !
Love & regards,
Chithra.