Orange biscuits ..

Ingredients and method :

Unsalted butter : 1 cup
Self raising flour : 3 and 1/4 cups
Salt : 1/8 teaspoon
Sugar powder : 1 cup
Orange zest : 1 teaspoon
Fresh orange juice : 1/4 cup

Method :

Sieve the flour 2 times and keep it ready.
Beat the butter until its soft, add in sugar powder ( 1/2 cup at a time), mix/beat it, again add remaining sugar powder,pinch of salt mix it well.

Add orange zest and orange juice to the butter mixture, mix everything gently.

Add in sieved flour (1 cup at a time) combine them using finger tips.
Repeat until all the flour mixed with butter mixture.

In a baking sheet place the biscuit dough and wrap it and keep it in fridge for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven at 170 degree.

Line the baking tray with baking paper, take out the biscuit dough from fridge, and cut them into squares or rectangles.

Bake In preheated oven for 10 minutes, take out the tray and flip the biscuits and bake them again for 10 minutes or until its light brown in colour.

Transfer the biscuits to cooling rack and allow them to cool down for minimum 20 minutes.

****

Notes :

Self raising flour : 3 cups of plain flour + 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder + 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda


Cut the biscuits into small size, once its baked it will spread, so give space in between each biscuits.

Use room temperature butter.

If you want you can add pinch of orange food color, but I have not added !

Don't use milk or water. Do not substitute anything. Use the exact measurements.

****

Veg puffs ..

Ingredients and method :

Puff pastry sheet : 1

Stuffing:

Chopped onion : 1/2 cup
Chopped carrots : 1/2 cup
Chopped beetroot : 1/2 cup
Peas : 1/4 cup
Chopped coriander leaves : 1/4 cup
Salt : 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder : 1 teaspoon
Chopped green chilly : 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped ginger and garlic : 1/4 teaspoon each
Oil : 1/8 cup
Sugar : 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds : 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric : 1/8 teaspoon
Asafoetida : A pinch
Butter : 1 tablespoon

For stuffing :

Heat oil, add in cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric saute for a minute.
Next add in ginger,garlic and green chillies saute for a minute.
Add onion , salt and sugar saute until onion caramelises.
Add in carrot, beetroot and peas saute for 2 minutes in high flame, add in garam masala, chopped coriander leaves and butter switch off the stove.
Mix everything well and allow it to cool down.

Preheat oven at 170 degree.

In baking tray keep the baking paper, then spread puff pastry sheet, and cut it (4*4) squares.

In the middle of each piece add stuffing and close the edges of the sheet.

Bake them in oven for 10 minutes. Then take it out, flip it and bake them for another 10 minutes or until you see the golden crust.

Each and every oven temperature differs,so keep an eye.

Serve with mint chutney or tomato sauce.

***

Homemade puff pastry sheet :

FOR DOUGH:

3 cups maida 

2 tbsp unsalted butter

cold water(use cold fridge water), as required

FOR BUTTER DOUGH:

400 grams unsalted butter

1 tsp lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt 

½ cup maida

Method for puff pastry sheet dough:

in a large mixing bowl take 3 cups of maida, salt and butter.

Use finger tips and mix it, it looks like a crumbled flour.

add cold water little by little and knead the dough.

Dough needs to be smooth and soft, use water cautiously.. ( you can use 1 tablespoon water at a time while kneading)

Keep dough in airtight container in fridge for 20 minutes.

Method for butter dough :

Take a big bowl, keep the grater inside the bowl and grate the butter.

Then add in salt, lemon juice and maida.

Mix everything well,don't use palm, just use finger tips.

Make dough ball and keep this in fridge for 20 minutes.

Final stage :

Take out the puff pastry dough ,keep it in rolling board and use a rolling pin to roll gently, don't put too much pressure.( 1/2 cm thick sheet)

If it sticks dust with plain flour (use very little)

Then take out the butter dough from fridge, using your hands make it as rectangle shape.

Then place this rectangular shape butter dough in the middle of the rolled puff pastry sheet, wrap from all 4 sides. 

Place this in airtight box and keep it in fridge for another 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the prepared dough from fridge, keep it on the rolling board, gently press and flatten it using rolling pin.(dust flour if required)

Then you will get one big sheet, just fold the sheet into 2 folds dust off excess flour which is present on the dough.

Cover it with cling film and keep it in fridge another 20 minutes, then repeat the same procedure for 4 times. (Take out the dough,roll,fold,cover in cling film and keep it in fridge)

Done...

***

Potato and cheese croquettes..

Ingredients and method :

Boiled and grated potato : 1 cup
Chopped capsicum : 1/4 cup
Mozerilla cheese : 3/4 cup
Grated carrot : 1/4 cup
Corn flour : 1 tablespoon
Salt : 1/2 tea spoon (cheese also contains salt)
Oregano : 1 teaspoon
Dried basil : 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli flakes : 1 teaspoon

Mix the above ingredients and make a balls and keep it in a refrigerator for 4 hours.

Take a bowl add in 3/4 cup plain flour,3/4 cup water and pinch of salt.
Mix everything and kee it ready.

Heat oil for deep frying.

Take out the tray from refrigerator, dip the cheese balls in plain flour batter and deep fry until golden brown.

Or else you can dip this in plain flour batter and roll them in bread crumbs and deep fry.

Serve with tomato ketchup !

Ghee residue cupcakes..

• Ingredients and method :

• Ghee residue : 2 tablespoons
• Milk : 1 cup
• Sugar : 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder : 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt : small pinch
• Self raising flour : 1 and half cup
• Chopped almonds : 2 tablespoons

• Method :

• Heat milk along with the sugar,ghee residue and cardamom powder, mix and heat until sugar dissolves completely. Switch off the flame.
• When milk temperature is warm, sieve and add self raising flour and salt , use cut and fold method and mix it well, make sure no lumps are formed.
• Preheat oven to 150 degree for 5 minutes.
• Pour cupcake batter to cups. (Just fill half, because it needs space to rise)
• Garnish with chopped almonds.
• Bake at 150 degree for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 120 and bake for 20 minutes or until it's baked! (Use a toothpick to check, when you insert a toothpick in the middle of the cupcake it needs to come out without any batter attached to it)

Notes :

If you don't have self raising flour, just mix 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to plain flour /maida,Mix and seive .

Garnish with your favourite dry fruits.

Its perfect for evening tea, it's light and moist cupcake!