ATTA BISCUITS

ATTA BISCUITS
Buttery short-crust whole-wheat cookies

Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
Whole wheat flour (atta) 1 1/4 cups

Bran 2 tablespoon

Refined flour (maida) 1/3 cup

Butter chilled110 grams

Sugar, powdered 1/2 cup

Milk As required

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Take whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add bran, refined flour and mix. Add chilled butter cut into small pieces and mix with fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add powdered sugar and mix. Add cold milk (or water or a mixture of the two) and knead lightly taking care not to overwork the dough. Sprinkle some flour on the worktop and roll out the dough to one-fourth inch thickness. With different shaped cookie cutters cut out biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking tray keeping a little space between each. Bake in preheated oven at 160°C till done. Cool and store in airtight tins.

ALMOND COOKIES

ALMOND COOKIES
Crisp and delicious – these cookies are simply irresistible

Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
Almonds 36

Refined flour (maida) 1 3/4 cups

Baking powder 1 teaspoon

Soda bicarbonate 1/2 teaspoon

Salt 1/4 teaspoon

Butter 1/2 cup

Sugar 3/4 cup

Eggs 2 large

Almond essence 1/2 teaspoon

Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease cookie sheets (baking trays). Blanch almonds in two cups of hot water for ten minutes. Drain and peel. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Sieve the mixture. Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until light.Add one egg and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in almond and vanilla essences. Gradually add dry ingredients and knead lightly to make a dough. Beat the remaining egg lightly. Divide the dough into one and a quarter inch diameter balls. Arrange them two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten each slightly with the palm of the hand and brush lightly with the beaten egg. Gently press an almond in the center of each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for ten to twelve minutes at 350F or until golden brown. Cool on racks and serve.

Oatmeal Cookie

Oatmeal Cookie

Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins


Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except oats, flour and raisins, in a large bowl. Stir in oats, flour, and raisins.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown.

Immediately remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack for cooling.

The cookies will overcook if left on cookie sheet.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs,beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• if desired, 1 cup chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl by hand. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be very stiff.

You can even use a Kitchen Aid mixer for this first step. I use the batter attachment and mix on a lower setting. Just be sure that the dough is well mixed before moving on.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand. You'll need to use a sturdy wooden spoon for this and a bit of muscle. You can add the pecans, or other nuts, at this time if desired. Keep stirring and folding the chocolate chips and nuts into the dough until they are evenly dispersed. (This makes sure you have enough chocolate in each cookie!!)

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. The chocolate chip cookies need to be this far apart because the dough spreads during cooking. No one wants to cut the cookies apart after baking.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. You may even think that the chocolate chip cookies are underdone, but they will finish cooking through out of the oven. If you leave them in too long, the cookies will be tough or crispy.

ICED CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

ICED CHOCOLATE BISCUITS
Bicuits made interesting by coating them with chocolate syrup.
Preparation Time : 2-3 hours
Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS
Sweet biscuits 10-12

Milk 2 cups

Cocoa powder 4 tablespoons

Cornflour/ corn starch 2 tablespoons

Castor sugar (caster sugar) 1 cup

Vanilla essence 1/2 teaspoon

Chocolate, grated 2 tablespoons

METHOD
Place milk, cocoa powder, cornflour, castor or powdered sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and whisk well ensuring that there are no lumps. Place the mixture in a saucepan and cook, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool. Place the biscuits in a plate and pour the chocolate mixture over each biscuit. Refrigerate them for two to three hours. Sprinkle some grated chocolate over the biscuits just before serving.