Cookies for Kooky - Happy belated Birthday

We cousins are a crazy bunch.....if one zones out....the other one just loves to dance and eat ........one loves to cook and eat.........and our cousin Kooky is one of a kind......apart from her unique feature....her big beautiful ears she is also known to go mad after 11pm and is just crazy about chocolates....what better way to celebrate her birthday by sending her virtual 'Totally Chocolate - Chocolate chip cookies'........and the best part .....'Cookies for Kooky' sounds cool :).....Wish you a very Happy Birthday Kooks....I have wonderful memories with you.....I love your after 11 madness....throwing your leg up in the air and singing ....Yeh jho mohabbat hai.......you are special.........waiting to see you soon.

This post was long due....Neetu, Devs and me wanted to make these cookies for Kooks for long time...Well here it is


"Kooksu.....
My chaddi buddy....only cousin who tolerated me as a child....as described by my sister....Kooksu is our MAD CRAZY ONE....this one may look all quiet and docile from the outside.....but do not go by her looks...she is a mad wild  cat!!!!!(Literally.....she uses her long sharp nails to scratch your eyes out)....So here is a little dedication to our Chocoholic Kooksu ....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!....hope you have a great year ahead"
Love Devs

        

"Kooky Akka
Growing up I always knew that Kooky Akka,most of the time,was in her own little world! Little did I know that I would one day end up to be a zoner out like her! Sounds shady but I mean zoning out in the most innocent way! People think we are big thinkers but honestly we are probably just wondering if we can sleep standing up! Happy birthday Kooky akkaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! I hope you had an amzing birthday and have an awesome year ahead....Keep zoning out :) "
Love Neetu

Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - Nigella Lawson
Ingredients
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• 125 g Dark Chocolate
• 150g All purpose flour (Maida)
• 30g Cocoa
• 1tsp Soda bi carbonate
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 125g Butter, softened
• 75g Light brown sugar
• 50g White Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 Cold Egg
• 200g Semi Sweet Chocolate chips(we mixed white chocolate chips and semi sweet chocolate chips)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degree C.Line baking sheet with parchment paper.Set aside.
2. Melt 125g dark chocolate over double boiler or in a microwave.
3. Sift flour,soda bi carbonate, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.
4. In another bowl cream butter,brown sugar and white sugar till light,smooth and fluffy.
5. Add melted chocolate and mix together.
6. Now add vanilla extract and cold egg and beat till well combine.
7. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. 
8. Add the chocolate chip and stir.
9. Using an ice cream scoop,scoop out the cookie dough and place on the prepared baking sheet 6 cms apart,don't flatten the dough.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes,test by inserting a toothpick and it should come out semi clean and not wet batter.
11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring on to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Store in cookie jar or air tight container. 

Bread Butter pudding

Warm bread butter pudding....perfect dessert for a rainy season.

One more dish I learnt from Babu aunty, she got this recipe from Nigella Lawson's Show.

 

Recipe source:Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

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• 8 tbsp butter(unsalted and softened)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 14 slices bread
• 8 tbsp Jam (of your choice)
• 1 egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1. Grease a shallow baking dish with butter.
2. make sandwich with the bread by applying butter(keep aside 1 tbsp butter )on one side and jam on the other. Cut the sandwich to 1/2, I cut it in triangles and placed one triangle with the pointed side up and the other down(as seen in the pic). You can arrange it any way you want to.
3. Sprinkle raisins on the arranged sandwich.
4. Pre heat the oven at 180 degree C.
5. Whisk the egg and egg yolks together in a bowl, now add in sugar, milk,. vanilla essence and cream. Whisk till well combined and the sugar is dissolved . Pour this mixture over the prepared sandwich. Press the sandwich with your hands and leave them to soak the liquid for 10 minutes.
6. Smear the bread crusts that are pointed out with softened butter and sprinkle demarara sugar over the pudding.
7. Place the dish in the pre heated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or  till the custard is set and the bread looks golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before you serve.

Note : I would suggest you use a smaller baking dish if you want the bread to be well soaked in the liquid,my baking dish was big because of that the top part of the pudding was crispy and the bottom layer was moist.

dad's birthday cake

I had planned to write 1000 words for this post, I mean that's how much I thought I could write about my  dad  

But I was stuck, this was all I could come up with.

Dad you are my hero, happy birthday

Dad cutting cake with my daughter(polka dots) and her 2 best friends

Recipe source : Nigella lawson

Ingredients
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for sponge cake

• 200 grams plain flour (maida)
• 3 tbsp custard powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda bi carbonate
• 4 eggs
• 225 grams butter (unsalted and softened)
• 200 grams caster sugar (regular sugar powdered)
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

for Butter cream filling

• 250 grams icing sugar
• 8 tsp custard powder
• 150 grams butter (unsalted and softened)
• 3 tsp boiling water

for Chocolate icing

• 60ml water 
• 2 tbsp golden syrup (I used pancake syrup)
• 125grams icing sugar(or 50grams if using milk chocolate)
• 175 dark chocolate (chips, buttons or bar broken to bits)
• cake decoration / sprinkles

Method

1. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature(eggs and butter). Preheat oven at 180 degree C and butter and line two 8 inch round baking tin (I have lined the sides of the tin with baking paper too)

2. Mix  butter, egg, vanilla essence and sugar into a big bowl, sieve in flour, baking powder, soda bi carbonate and custard powder. Beat with electric whisk till well combined. Now pour milk 1 tablespoon at a time to get soft dropping consistency.

3.Divide the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 20 minutes or till done.Once done, remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, remove from tin and peel away the paper and place the cake on wire rack and let it cool completely.

4. Butter cream icing : Sieve icing sugar and custard powder(to remove lumps) into a mixing bowl, add softened butter and beat with electric whisk till well combined, beat on high speed. Now add boiling water(this will help in spreading the icing smoothly) and beat till you get a light and fluffy butter cream icing.

5.Place the cake on a cake stand and place 3 strips of baking paper along the sides of the cake, this will help in keeping the cake tray clean after icing the cake.

 6.Place half of the butter cream icing on the cake and spread evenly.

 7. Place another cake on top of the butter cream icing.

 8. Coat the cake with remaining butter cream icing.
9. Chocolate icing : In a heat proof vessel mix icing sugar(sieved), pancake syrup and water. Place this on low heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. bring this mixture to boil and take off the flame. Now add chopped dark chocolate and whisk for a second.Leave to let the chocolate melt. Whisk till you get a smooth and shining icing.Pour this over the cake and let it drip down the sides.
10. Sprinkle with cake decoration. Once the chocolate icing sets, slowly remove the 3 strips of baking paper.
11. Serve the cake.