Spiced oats cookies

When I lady baked a batch if butter cookies, the hubby wanted oats cookies. This one is for him!

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup maida

1/4 cup granulated sugar*

2 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder

A pinch of salt

1/4 cup raisins 

Method:

Mix the oats, flour and sugar well. Add the spices and mix well. 

Add the butter, and mix well till crumbly. 

Add milk one spoon at a time, mixing well. 

Add the raisins and mix well. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175 degrees. 

Grease the baking tray. Till the dough into balls, flatten and place on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking to ensure it doesn't burn. 

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container. 

Sheera, with jowar rawa

Sometimes it gets a little difficult to keep inventing things for the kids to have when they get back from school. Left to themselves, they will happily have biscuits every day, but you can't really allow that, can you. This is something I whipped up for them, and was pretty happy with because it introduces a whole new flour into their diet.

1 cup jowar rawa

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp raisins

4 tbsp sugar

Method:

Heat the oil, and fry the raisins till browned. 

Add the rawa, and on a low flame, roast till the raw smell goes. 

Add sugar and 2 cups water, mix and bong to a boil. Cover, and let it simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes*

Serve hot. 

*- jowar takes longer to cook than normal rawa, so you need to check before serving. 

Hot Cross Buns

"Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns.
One a Penny, Two a Penny.
Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns."
On a lazy Sunday a few weeks back, I sought to find the origin of the nursery rhyme, and learnt that there was indeed something called Hot Cross Buns that were traditionally baked on  Good Friday. I decided right then to make it this year, and then promptly forgot all about it. Till two days back when I remembered my resolution, and took stock of my ingredients. My active dry yeast had been lying unused for so long, the bottle was covered in mould. I no longer remembered the provenience of either the baking powder or the baking soda. And the last of the raisins had been consumed by me awhile back.
All of yesterday went in collecting the ingredients, and making the dough, and despite not having a day off today, I baked the Hot Cross Buns.
The icing was an unmitigated disaster, but the Hot Cross Buns are divine!

2 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
4 cups maida/ flour
1/2 cup (additional) Flour
1/2 tsp (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 tsp (scant) Baking Soda
2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom, nutmeg, allspice (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Glaze1 whole Egg White
Splash Of Milk

Icing1 whole Egg White
Powdered Sugar
Splash Of Milk


Method:Combine milk, oil and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to nearly boiling, then turn off the flame, and let it stand for 30 minutes
Sprinkle yeast over the milk. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.
Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is "plain" again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won't use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)
Pinch off ping pong or golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes...an hour-plus is better.
Preheat to 180 degrees
Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each roll.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops of buns have turned nice and golden brown.
Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

IcingMix 1 egg white with enough powdered sugar for icing to be very thick. Splash in milk as needed for consistency.
Add icing to a small Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on each roll, making sure they're completely cooled first.

Oatmeal cookies, variety is the name of the game

"Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.”
- Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
One basic recipe, three variations. Can anyone ask for more?

3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp milk

MethodDry roast the oats till they smell toasty.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.
Add the butter, and mix it so it resembles breadcrumbs.
[This is the basic mixture- you can personalize it in many ways]
Add 2 tbsp milk and mix well, so you get a dough that holds together, but breaks away when pulled- you might need to add 1 tbsp more till you get the consistency. Do not knead beyond that point.
In the meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180 degrees, and grease a baking tray.
Divide the dough into 16 parts, roll into a ball, and press down to get a cookie shape. Place on the baking tray at well spaced intervals.
Place a shallow dish with water in the lowest level, and the baking tray in the middle level. Bake at 180 degrees for 15- 20 minutes, checking after 12 minutes to ensure it doesn't get over crisp.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

There can be three variations-
Add 2 tbsp roasted flax seeds, before adding the milk
OR
Add 1/4 cup raisins, before adding the milk
OR
Add 3 tbsp cheese and 1 tsp chilli flakes before adding the milk

Baked apple with raisins

Perfect for all those times when you crave for something sweet, but don't want to overdose on refined sugar. Added bonus- everytime you make this, your house smells like a dream for quite a long time.
It is one of my favourite post-workout snacks.

 
1 apple (make sure it is firm)
1 1/2 tbsp raisins
pinch of cinnamon powder
maple syrup/ sugar syrup (optional)

Soak raisins in water for about 10 minutes (or till plump). Do not discard the water.
Make a tiny hole on top of the apple, and remove the core (I use the back for a spoon to bore it out). Place apple on a microwavable container
Sprinkle cinnamon powder inside the apple.
Fill the hole with raisins.
Mix maple syrup/ sugar with the water in which raisins were soaked, and pour over and around the apple (I skip the maple syrup/ sugar).
Place in the microwave and cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
Wait till it cools down, cut slices and enjoy.