BORDEAUX COOKIES

For february month's IFC Saraswathi suggested us some Bordeaux cuisine from France. Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne river in southwest France. Bordeaux city is also an upscaleplace - a city for shopping, drinking and eating. It sits in the center of the world famous wine region that bears its name and thus tourists come here to eat, drink, experience wine and be merry.

Bordeaux cookies is very delicious and simple cookies with just few ingredients.

Recipe source : Grandma bees

Ingredients ;

1. Unsalted butter - 100 g
2. Brown sugar - 1 cup
3. Milk - 2 tbsp
4. Baking powder - 1 tsp
5. Flour - 1 cup

Method :

1. Beat the butter and sugar till creamy.

2. Add milk and baking powder. Mix.

3. Finally add flour and mix well.

4. Transfer to a butter paper and shape into a log. Chill for 2 hours.

5. Preheat the oven for 180 degree. Slice each cookie about 1/4 '' thick and place on a parchment paper or baking pan.

6. Leave space around each cookie. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes or until they are golden.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

BLACK FOREST BUN

I am a part of we knead to bake group, host by Aparna of Diverse kitchen. For this month choice is Black forest bun.  Black forest bun is all about chocolate cake, cherry compote and cream. But these buns use chocolate cake and cherry compote. Since these are the Black forest buns the obvious choice of jam to use would be cherry. If you don't have that you can use strawberry compote/ jam. 

The method of kneading, rolling out the dough, covering it with the filling, and then rolling it back   is just like cinnamon rolls. You can also add chopped nuts or chocolate chips if you like. Just make sure you roll the dough, with the filling, as tightly as you can because these buns swell up quiet a bit. 

Ingredients for the dough :

1. Milk - 1/3 cup
2. butter - 50 g
3. Water - 1/2 cup
4. Sugar - 1/4 cup
5. egg - 1
6. Salt - 3/4 tsp
7. Instant yeast - 1 1/2 tsp
8. Flour / Maida - 3 to 3 1/4 cup

For filling :

1. Chocolate sponge cake - 3 cup
2. Strawberry / cherry jam - 3/4 cup

For drizzling ;

1. Semi sweet chocolate - 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Pour the water and milk in a sauce pan, and heat  till hot but not boiling. Pour this mixture into a bowl and add butter and sugar.  Stir till the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

2. Cool the mixture into lukewarm. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast and curdle the egg. 

3. Pour the butter mixture into a large bowl. Then add egg and yeast.. Mix with a fork.

4. Then add salt and 1 cup of flour and mix well. Add more flour, as much as necessary , And knead the dough until it smooth, elastic but not sticky.

5. Continue to knead for 10 minutes till the dough is smooth and elastic.

6. Place the kneaded dough into a well oiled bowl , turning the dough till lightly coated with oil and cover loosely. Allow to rise double in volume for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

7. Now place the  dough on a working surface and roll out into a rectangle. 

8. Spread the jam over the dough leaving a 1/2 inch.  Sprinkle the chocolate cake on top of this.

9.  Roll the dough tightly as possible. Try to pinch the dough closed as best as possible, or dampen the edge with a little water to seal well. 

10. cut the roll into 12 pieces. ( like cinnamon rolls )

11. Place them on a baking tray. Otherwise place them in a cake tin leaving enough space to expand .

12. cover loosely and allow to rise, for about 1 hour or till almost double. 

13. Bake at 180 degree for 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

14. Melt the semi sweet chocolate and drizzle over the buns.

BAKED BROWNIE PUDDING

For this month Home Bakers Challenge,  Rafeeda of The Big sweet Tooth  is hosting and she challenged us with some baked puddings.  I choose  brownie pudding. This is a smooth and tasty dish which everyone gonna love. This dessert is between a brownie and pudding. very rich and delicious.  Thanks Rafee for your great selection.

Recipe source : Barefoot contessa
Ingredients : 

. Butter - 200 g
. Egg - 4
. Cocoa powder - 3/4 cup
. sugar - 1 1/2  cup
. Flour - 1/2  cup
. Vanilla essence - 1/2  tsp

Method :

1.  Lightly butter a pudding dish and preheat the oven to 180 degree.

2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder and keep aside. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

3. Beat the egg and sugar with an electric beater at high speed, until very thick.

4. Then lower the speed and add vanilla essence and flour cocoa mixture. Beat only until combined.

5. Finally add melted butter and beat only until combined.

6. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared baking dish and place it in a large baking pan.

7. Add enough hot  water to the pan to come half way up the side of the dish.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

SWEET CORN CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients :

. Cream style corn - 1 tin
. Chicken - 1  cup ( cooked and shredded )
. Water - 4 + 1/2 cup
. Cornflour - 2 tbsp
. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
. Light soya sauce - 1/2 tsp
. Beaten egg white - 1
. Salt - to taste
. Pepper powder - to taste ( i used freshly ground )
. Coriander leaves for garnish

Method :

1. Mix the cornflour with 1/2 cup water and keep aside.

2. In a large saucepan combine cream style corn, 4 cup water, shredded chicken and salt. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the flame to very low and add cornflour mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Pour the beaten egg trough a strainer over the soup and  gently stir.

5. Then add soya sauce and vinegar. Again simmer for 2- 3 minutes.

6. Add pepper powder and adjust the salt. Turn off the gas.

7. pour into bowls and garnish with coriander leaves and pepper powder.

WALNUT / AKROT BURFI

Ingredients :

1. Walnut - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Ghee - 2 tbsp
4. Milk - 1/2 cup
5. Walnut pieces - 4-5 ( opt )

Method :

1. Soak walnuts in milk for 1 hour.

2. Grind the walnut along with the milk into a fine paste.

3. Heat ghee in a non stick pan. Then add walnut paste, sugar and walnut pieces.

4. Mix well and cook with constant stirring until it leave from the sides.

5. Remove from fire and pour into a greased pan.

6. When the mixture is still warm cut it into squares.

MALAI PEDA

Malai peda  is a famous  indian dessert. Mainly its served in festivals like holi and diwali. Traditionally Malai  Peda  is made out of  whole milk and sugar. But here i used milkmaid. So its very easy to make. Pedas are very soft and melt in your mouth. 

Ingredients : 

1. Milkmaid - 1 tin
2. Cornflour - 1 tsp
3. Milk - 1/2 cup
4. Milk powder - 4 tbsp
5. Lime juice - 1 tbsp
6. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Combine all the ingredients and give a good stir.

2. Take a heavy bottom pan and heat the milkmaid milk mixture. Cook with constant stirring on medium heat till thick and mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.

3. Remove from fire and cool. 

4. Once the mixture is slightly warm, take small portion and make desired shapes and garnish with chopped pistachios.

CARROT HALWA

Carrot halwa is one of the most famous indian desserts. Mainly which served in festivals like diwali. This Punjabi traditional recipe uses milk, carrot and sugar. Carrot halwa can served warm or cold.
Recipe source : here

Ingredients :

1. Milk - 2 cup
2. Ghee - 2 tbsp
3. Sugar - 1/4 cup
4. Shredded carrot - 2 cup
5. Cashew - 8
6. Raisin/ kismis - 8

Method :

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan on medium high heat until it reduced to about  1 cup.

2. Heat ghee in a large pan, then  roast the cashews and set aside for garnish.

3.  Add shredded carrots and stir fry till it tender and slightly change in colour.

3. Add milk and cook until the milk dries. This will take 10 - 12 minutes.

4. Add sugar, cashews and kismis and keep on stirring until the halwa starts to leave the side of the pan.

5. Serve carrot halwa hot or cold.