Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was during one of my visits to the Williams-Sonoma Cooking demos that I walked by Paradise Bakery. It was the only store open in the huge food court, and there was long line. That was no surprise, especially with the aroma of freshly baked goodies wafting in the air.

I decided to check out their ware on my way out. An hour and a half later, I walked past and there was still a long line. This made me even more curious, and I joined the queue. As I neared the counter, I kept peeking at their display to find out what all they had. There were about 10 varieties of cookies and a few breakfast pastries. There was also the smell of freshly brewed coffee to complement the goodies. It was finally my turn and after taking a few moments to decide, I ordered one coconut-chocolate chip cookie and one white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Both were fresh, warm and oh so inviting. But I decided to wait until I got home to indulge in the goodness…you see, I did not want to end up eating both the cookies and leaving only crumbs for my husband!

Fast forward 30 minutes, I was home and taking my first bite of the coconut cookie…bliss!!!

Ingredients (Makes 2 dozen)
Wheat flour – 1 cup

All-purpose flour – 1 cup
Olive oil – 3/4^th cup
Light brown sugar – 1 ¼ cups
Baking Powder – ½ tsp
Milk – 6 tbsps

Toasted coconut – 1 cup

Chocolate chips – ½ cup

Method
In a pan placed on low to medium heat, toast the coconut until it turns light brown. Remember to keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid burning.

Add all the ingredients, except milk, to a bowl and mix well. Slowly add the milk and knead to soft dough. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes. As the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet/baking tray with parchment paper or foil (takes the hassle out of cleaning burnt on stuff).

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into balls. Flatten with your palms, place on a lined sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them though; the cookies might get done faster in your oven. 

Don’t worry if they feel soft when just out of the oven, they will harden a bit as they cool.

Even though these weren’t as sinfully delicious as the ones from the bakery (considering the fact that these don’t have butter), they were still really really good. Bon Appétit.

NOTE:

• I used frozen grated coconut but dried coconut flakes would be a better option.
• You can make it with all-purpose flour only too. But making it with whole wheat alone may not give it the desired texture.
• If you like crunchier cookies, leave them in the warm oven for a few minutes longer. 

Cran-Ginger Biscotti

Baking is always fun, especially during the holidays. It really doesn't matter whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or neither…it’s the joy of the season that is best shared with friends and family.

I had never heard of a biscotti until seeing them at a Starbucks, few years back. I fell in love with their chocolate biscotti and the seasonal gingerbread flavor. I also, of course, had to make it at home. And I did,Gingerbread Biscotti.

This cranberry biscotti has been in my head ever since I bought dried cranberries for my fruit cake about three weeks ago. I was just waiting for the right time. It is not very often that my husband agrees to take food items to share with his colleagues, and I was thrilled when he agreed (without any fuss) to take cookies to work. 

Ingredients (Makes 48 small cookies approx)

Vegetable oil – ½ cup

Eggs – 3

Sugar (white/brown) – 1 cup

All purpose flour – 3 ¼ cups (can be a blend of wheat and APF too)

Baking powder – 1 tablespoon

Ginger powder – 1 tablespoon

Freshly grated nutmeg (optional) – 1 tsp

Dried cranberries – 1 cup (can be substituted with nuts and other dry fruits as per taste)

Method

Preheat the oven to 375⁰F.

In a bowl, beat together the oil, eggs and sugar. In another bowl, combine flour(s), baking powder, ginger powder and nutmeg. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough.

Divide the dough into half and roll into the length of your cookie sheet. Press down to ½ inch thickness.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Once the cookies are cool enough to touch, slice them into ½ thick slices. The longer slices can then be cut into half or left as is.

Place the cut side facing down,  and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until both sides are crisp and toasty. Enjoy with a cup of coffee of tea. Bon Appétit.

Butter Biscuits and a Special Request

A friend of mine had asked me if I knew the recipe for butter biscuits; you know the ones that we get in bakeries in India? I had no idea but I promised her that I would find a good recipe for it. After a couple of trials, I think I have found a match. These buttery cookies are super indulgent, because of all the butter in them (go figure!), but will that stop us from eating more than one at a time???

Ingredients
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Powdered sugar – ½ cup
Melted butter – ½ cup
Baking powder –  ¼ tsp
A pinch of salt (not required if butter is salted)
A pinch of cardamom powder
Method
Melt the butter and keep it aside to cool. In a bowl, mix the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and cardamom powder and mix well. Pour in the melted butter, slowly, and knead to make soft dough. The dough will be slightly crumbly, so keep working it until it forms a smooth ball. Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350⁰ Fahrenheit.

Layer a cookie sheet with parchment/foil and keep ready. Divide the dough into equal sized balls, press lightly and arrange them on the cookie sheet. Leave at least an inch between them, as they will expand.
You can make a design on them by pressing with a fork (just an added touch). Bake the biscuits for 18-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool completely before putting them away in air tight containers. 

Note

1. I have noticed that confectioner's sugar is very expensive compared to regular sugar, so I just powder the regular sugar that I use at home as required.
2. Place the biscuits in the middle rack; else the bottom could turn dark brown.
3. If you do not have a cookie sheet, use any baking dish. Just turn the pan upside down and use the bottom of the pan like a cookie sheet.

Recipe sent to Delicious Dish Tuesday Recipe Link Up