Butter Cookies - With Whole Wheat and Oats - Dunk them...Eat them

Baked to a Golden Perfection

Summer is here and so are mangoes in bright hues and shades of yellow..Cant have enough of it ever... and summer also brings with it appetizing cold salads and fresh juices, smoothies and milk shakes. And when you want a dose of carbs with all these fruity treats, it has to be this crunchy, crispy and buttery Vanilla Cookies.

Believe me when I say that cookies are a comforting treat, whether just eaten on the go or dunked into a glass of warm milk....or coffee, as in my case...and you definitely can't stop at one...so thank heavens it comes with the goodness of  Oats and Whole Wheat. And even though its whole wheat and oats and butter, this cookie is so light but at the same time filling.

Don't believe any of this?? Try it out for yourself and you will make sure your cookie jar never goes empty again.

This dough can be refrigerated and baked as and when you need.  It can be frozen upto two months if  sealed in an airtight container. Just remember to thaw the dough till you can work with it comfortably. So next time you have  someone over for tea just take the dough out of the refrigerator and treat your guests with warm cookies right out of the oven.

Technically, these are molded cookies, where you would use a mold to give them shape or, instead, you can mold them into small balls or shapes with your hands and bake them and here's how...

Ingredients:


100 gms Butter, at room temperature ( Unsalted would do)
1 Egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup Whole Wheat (6 fl.oz.)
3/4 cup Quick Cooking Oats ( like Quaker) (6 fl.oz.)
3/4 cup white sugar (6 fl.oz.)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder

Optional Ingredients:
1 tsp Cardamom Powder for a subtle flavor. My kids do not like Cardamom so its an absolute no-no in my house, but Cardamom gives a very Indian twist to the otherwise American Cookie !!

Method:

1. Beat the egg and the vanilla with a spoon. Don't beat air into it. Just mix with the spoon till the yellow and white and the black vanilla combines together.
2. In you electric blender, powder together the sugar and oats to a coarse powder, about 1 minute. Add the whole wheat and baking powder ( and cardamom, if using) and blend untill all the dry ingredients are mixed well, about 30 seconds.
3. So now you have a coarse mixture of all the  dry ingredients.
4. Take the butter in a  deep mixing bowl, add the dry mixture and work the butter into the dry ingredients. Use the dough attachment of your electric mixer , if required.
5. Add the egg-vanilla and knead it lightly into a dough. Do not over work teh dough, just bring it all together into a soft ball.
6. It will be very sticky and messy. Don't get disheartened, because it is a good sign. Thats the way the dough should be.
7. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate, untill the dough firms up. It should take around one hour. You can make the dough in advance and put it in the refrigerator the previous night and bake it the next morning for breakfast...Perfect !!

 9.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and make small balls ( lemon sized, not too big) and place them on the baking tray, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Do not flatten them, they will flatten as they bake. 

10.  Also, do not grease the baking tray, line it with baking sheet if required.

11.  Put the moulded cookie dough back into the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes for it to firm up again, because while you were handling the dough it might have lost its firmness.

12.  Preheat the oven to 250 degree Celsius. 

13.  Bake the cookies at 180 degree Celsius for 12 -15 minutes or till the edges are golden brown and the        center is still slightly soft to touch. (Soft, not uncooked).

14.  Cookies must be taken out of the oven while they are still soft at the center, because they harden as they cool. Don't let them bake till they get crispy in the  oven, then you will end up with rock hard frisbees !!

14.  Turn them around with a flat spatula and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Handy Tip : Cookie dough is always refrigerated before baking, because the butter in the sticky dough (at room temperature) is in melted form. Refrigeration solidifies the butter and when its put in the hot oven for baking, the butter takes time to melt down and meanwhile the basic cookie structure forms. Once the structure is formed your cookie wont ever go flat.

Resist the temptation to eat straight out of the oven !!

Happy Baking !!!

Cinnamon Crumb Cake with Cinnamom Filling - Casting a magic spell inside the cake

Crumbly Streusel Topping interspersed with a sticky cinnamon filling...

Hibernating?? ..No....that would be for a much longer period of time....but yes its been quite some time now since I last visited my virtual world. Been vacationing much more than my usual share and yes, also been busier than usual with family and friends to take care of and with the usual routine stuff.....but, for me, what makes it interesting is that each of these mundane sounding everyday jobs revolves around lifestyles, people that we meet from different strata, friends, my family, my two children who are helping me evolve everyday and my dear husband who has made my life come alive. I am not trying to make it sound like an acknowledgements coloumn nor am I trying to sound too repetitive, but I guess all of this together makes every second worth living.

And then there is Food...put in simple words, it sustains life and a lot of times also sustains the soul....could be a lavish festive spread or a calorie sensitive health platter or a quick grab-a-bite fast food or just your simple home food ...you will surely agree with me that there is nothing more heartening than your favorite food at the table. So here is one of my very favorite Crumb Cake which everyone likes...haven't come across any exceptions.

This a beautiful Golden Crumb Cake with a  lovely Streusel Topping and hiding in between the cake is the cinnamon filling. The cake itself is so soft and moist , it is just waiting to melt into your mouth...believe me, I am not exaggerating...that's the way it really is...those who have tasted it can vouch for it.

Very cinnamony, but you'll be surprised to know that it is just the topping and the filling that have the cinnamon..the cake itself is a lovely golden vanilla cake. I came across this recipe long ago, accidentally, on www.nigella.com, when I was searching for Apple Strudel. Not that I was keen on baking the strudel, but just curious enough to know why it is one of the favorite things. The original recipe called for a lot of sugar in the topping, the cake and the filling. I can do with very less sugar all the time....So I have cut down the amount of sugar in my version.

Make room for some leisure time for yourself in the kitchen before you start off on this one. It calls for some extra preparation time than any other normal cake because you need to keep the  topping and the filling ready before you start mixing the cake batter. So get set going for a pleasurable baking experience, the results of which are so rewarding that you will find excuses to bake this one again...

Ingredients

The Streusel Topping


3/4 cup Sugar (6 fl oz)
3/4 cup Quick rolled Oats (like Quaker) (6 fl oz) (Can use ordinary flour instead)
1.5 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1/3 cup melted butter (3 fl oz) (Either Salted or Unsalted)
1/2 cup Coarsely ground Almonds , optional

You can use this Streusel topping for any other cake or any fruit crumble.

The Filling

3/4 cup Brown Sugar (6 fl oz.)
1.5 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tsp Cocoa Powder, for a deeper colour, optional

The Cake

3/4 cup soft butter (6 fl oz) (Either Salted or Unsalted)
1 and 1/2 cup of sugar, powdered (12 fl oz)
2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 cup curd/yoghurt (6 fl oz) (the original recipe used sour cream, I have substituted it with home made curd)
1 and 1/4 cup milk (10 fl oz)
2 cups Atta (Whole Wheat flour) (16 fl oz)


Method


For the topping
        

Mix together all the dry ingredients with a fork. Add the melted butter and mix well till well combined. Set aside.
For the Filling

Mix together all the ingredients together and set aside.


To make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degree Celsius.
2. You will need at least a10" x 12" x 3" pan for this cake. This cake is definitely for a large gathering or as in most cases a "store in the fridge cake" which gets better with every passing day.
3. Sieve Atta and baking powder and set aside.
4. Mix the curd and milk and whisk with a fork till it mixes well. You don't need to whisk out all the lumps. It takes care of itself while baking.
5. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition ( beat till the egg is completely mixed into the batter).
7. Add a tsp of Atta in between each addition of egg to prevent curdling.
8. Add half the Atta and mix into the flour. This ensures that most of the flour is covered in fat before the liquid is added and yields a lighter cake with maximum volume.
9. Add the remaining Atta and milk-curd mixture alternatively and beat well to ensure a smooth batter.
10. Beat only till all the ingredients are mixed well. Do not overbeat otherwise you will end up with a dense cake.
11. Now comes the assembling part.
12. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan spreading all the way up to the edges. You might want to use a wooden spoon for this.
13. Sprinkle the filling evenly on top of the batter. Make sure you cover the whole surface.
14. Pour the remaining batter on top of the filling and spread it evenly.
15. If required, you can take a knife and gently swirl the filling into the batter like in a marbled cake.. Again, don't combine it thoroughly otherwise the filling will mix with the batter.
16. Sprinkle the topping on top of the cake and cover the whole surface evenly.
17. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 55 to 60 minutes. The topping would have turned into a golden brown sheet and a toothpick should come out clean from the center of the pan.
18. Cool the cake for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm right put of the pan. Cover with a cling film and refrigerate.

Instead of a one large cake pan you can use two smaller pans and make two of these cakes for giveaways.

The golden brown Streusel right out of the oven

A closer look

Happy Baking !!

Simple Vanilla Cake...Made with Atta ( Wheat Flour )

Light and full of flavour

Best thing about all my cakes is that I bake them using wheat flour (Atta). I substitute the same amount of Maida ( Cake Flour), sometimes when I am using this cake as a base for some icing.

So presenting before you...The Classic vanilla Cake...Simple, yet elegant...

Ingredients:

1 Cup Atta ( Substitute with the same amount of Maida, if desired) (8 fl oz)

1/4 cup Butter, softened (2 fl oz)

3/4 cup sugar, powdered (6 fl oz)

2 eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup milk, at room temperature (6 fl oz)

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla (Essence or Extract)

Optional Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Cinnamon Powder / Nutmeg Powder ( Sieve it along with the flour for some extra flavour)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.

Grease and Dust a 6 inch Cake Pan. Alternatively line with baking paper.

Sieve the Atta and the baking powder 2-3 times and set aside. Sieve the Cinnamon/nutmeg along, if using.

Cream the Butter and Sugar till light and fluffy.Click on the link and follow instructions on the Creaming Method.

Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, making sure that the each egg is fully incorporated before adding another egg. Basically, what is formed is a fat - liquid emulsion. If the egg is not beaten well into the batter, the batter will curdle and all air bubbles created during the Creaming Method will be lost. Addition of one tsp of sieved flour in between the addition of eggs will prevent the batter from curdling. After all the eggs have been added, you must have a creamy batter  which will hold the air bubbles in.

Add the milk and the sieved flour mixture alternatively. Do not add all the flour together, otherwise you will end up with lumps in the batter and moreover, the idea is to coat most of the flour particles in fat. The more the flour comes in contact with liquid more gluten is formed resulting in a hard and tough cake. 

Do not over beat the batter otherwise you will end up forming more gluten...blend till all the ingredients have just been incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Unmould while still warm. Cut and serve.

Happy Baking !!