Viennese Rosettes

With basic ingredients, you can simply mix and bake these lovely rosettes. And they'll just melt in your mouth. Yum!!! 

Recipe adapted from Pepper, Chilli & Vanilla

Ingredients: (Makes ~ 35 cookies) 

125 gms butter (@ room temp)

125 gms maida 

50 gms icing sugar 

25 gms corn flour 

1\2 tsp essence

1 tbsp milk 

Method:

1. Sieve maida and cornflour together.

2. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

3. Add Vanilla essence and maida-cornflour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well. 

4. Add milk and mix till the dough becomes thick, but still sticky.

5. Fit the piping bag with star nozzle.

6. Pipe the rosettes on a baking tray,  lined with parchment paper and bake at 180 ° Celsius for 12-15 mins.

7. Remove from the baking tray and place on wire rack to cool.

My Notes:

1. The cookies were mildly sweet, so I sandwiched them with buttercream.

2. If you want to have them as plain cookie, you may add more sugar. 

3. My cookie batter/dough was quite thick and so it was difficult to pipe the rosettes. You can add more milk to get the right piping consistency and use a bigger nozzle. 

4. I'd like to try this one too... 

http://www.premascook.com/2011/06/vienese-fingers.html 

Will update soon... 

A Special Cake for my Junior!!!

I had recently made this cake for my son's birthday. I was so happy with my work, I felt I ought to share this creation of mine with you guys.

This cake is actually a chocolate chiffon cake. It has then been iced with whipped cream frosting. These delicious looking roses are piped with whipped cream frosting as well. The cake is bordered with my son's favorite chocolate twisted wafers.

Happy Baking!!!

Bitter Gourd Thokku

Bitter Gourd Thokku

It's a spicy, tangy thokku with a hint of sweetness. A yummy way to eat the "BITTER" bitter gourd. 

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 1 (big) 

Small onions - 25 gms 

Tomato - 1

Garlic - 3 cloves 

Tamarind - Half lemon-sized

Warm water - 150 ml

Salt - 1 tsp + ¼ tsp (divided) 

Oil - 5 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Green Chillies - 1

Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Jaggery - 10 - 15 gms 

Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. First, slit the bitter gourd, discard the seeds, and chop it finely. Add 1/4 tsp salt to it, mix well and keep it aside for 10 mins. Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 mins. Mash the garlic slightly. Chop the onions and tomato and slit the green chillies. 

2. Later wash the bitter gourd and drain any excess water. Add chilli powder, Coriander powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder and 1tsp salt to it and mix well. 

3. Heat the Kadai, add oil, mustard and fennel seeds. Let it splatter. Next add onions, garlic and green chilles and cook till the onions turn golden brown. Then add the bitter gourd mixture and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir for 5 minutes or until the raw smell goes and oil separates. 

4. Next filter and add the tamarind extract water and let it boil for 5 minutes. Finally crush and add the Jaggery, and let it cook until the mixture thickens and oil separates. 

Note:

1. My 5 tbsp oil is a mixture of groundnut oil and gingelly oil.