Holiday Party Punch

Ingredients

2 cans of concentrated fruit juice (your choice)
8 cans of water
1 (2 liter) bottle of clear soda
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced orange
1 cup strawberry halves (optional)
ice

Directions

1. In a punch bowl combine all of these ingredients.
2. For a special variety, freeze fruit juice instead of water to make colorful ice cubes.

Gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread people are virtually required for the holiday season and they are easy to make. If children help, it is great fun. The ideal dough is soft enough to roll out, yet stiff enough to hold the forms, resulting in finished cookies that are moist but not crumbly. Decorate with currants, cranberries, candies, frosting and confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon plus ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup light molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon freshly ground cloves
½ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ to 1/3  cup milk
Dried currants, red hots, fresh or dried cranberries, and silver dragees for decorating
Frosting and confectioners’ sugar

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350F. Using the 1 teaspoon butter, grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, beat the ½ cup butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Beat in about ¼ cup milk, then add the remaining flour mixture, beating it in well. The dough will be very stiff. If it is too stiff and crumbly to roll out, add 1 tablespoon of additional milk.

On a well-floured work surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of about ½ inch, then cut into shapes using cookie cutters or by tracing with a knife around cardboard cutouts. Transfer the shapes to the prepared pan.

Decorate the gingerbread people with currant eyes and red-hots for buttons, pressing them into the dough before baking, or attach them with frosting after baking.

Bake for seven to eight minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and spring back when pushed with your finger. Transfer the cookies from the pan to a wire rack to cool. Decorate with frosting as desired.

Walnut stars - cookies

This cookie dough is conveniently made in a food processor, just as you might make pastry dough. The stars have a delicate crunch and lovely earthy-nutty flavour from toasted walnuts. (Using toasted nuts is important, so don’t skip this step!) The chocolate drizzle is icing on the cake . . . I mean cookie.
Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) walnuts
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
  

      Chocolate drizzle

• 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation
Cookie cutters needed:  star shapes that measure from about  1¾ to 2½ inches across the “arms”

1 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 8 minutes or just until you start to smell them. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Turn off the oven.

2 Pulse the cooled, toasted walnuts and the granulated sugar in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped (not quite finely ground).  Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.

3 Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt to the food processor. Pulse once to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it’s chopped into tiny bits. Add the walnut mixture and pulse twice to combine. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water and process just until the dough feels moist when pinched. Add ½ to 1 tablespoon more water, as needed, and pulse a few more times until the dough just starts to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball. Press into a disk shape, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, at least 1 hour.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

5 Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness. Use star cutters to stamp out cookies, arranging them about 1½ inch apart on the prepared sheet. Re-roll the scraps. Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

6 For the chocolate drizzle:  Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup or bowl in the microwave in 20 to 30-second bursts on medium power, stirring after each interval, until  melted and smooth. Let cool at room temperature for a few minutes.  Place the cookies close together, but not touching, on racks set over wax paper. Pour the chocolate into a small plastic bag or squeeze bottle. If using a bag, seal it and make a tiny cut in one corner. Working quickly, drizzle the chocolate in a zigzag pattern to make diagonal lines over the stars. Let the chocolate set completely before storing the cookies.

7 Store, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container for up to one week.

Chocolate-ginger crinkle cookies

 

There is something magical about chocolate crinkle cookies. Little balls of dark chocolate dough are cloaked in a generous coating of confectioners’ sugar and lined up in neat rows on a baking sheet. Then, once in the oven, they are transformed, breaking through the protective white powder and organized line-ups, spreading and cracking as they please. These wondrously crispy and chewy medallions are not only beautiful, but they pack a powerful chocolate punch, as well. This recipe is a play on the traditional chocolate crinkle cookie. The generous infusion of powdered and crystallized gingers gives the cookie a spicy wallop that excitingly enhances and intensifies the chocolate experience.

Ingredients
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon salt
1 ½  teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

7 ½ oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Confectioners’ sugar for rolling

Directions
1 Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

2 Combine the butter and 3 ounces of the chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 11/2 inches of simmering water (being sure not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth.

3 Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. (You can also melt the mixture in the microwave, heating it at about 20-second intervals and stirring periodically until it is melted and smooth.)

4 Stir the granulated and brown sugars into the melted chocolate mixture, using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Drop in the eggs, one at a time, mixing briskly until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and gradually incorporate the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining 41/2 ounces of chocolate and the crystallized ginger. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5 Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

6 Shape the chilled dough into walnut-size balls, roll in confectioners’ sugar, and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If your kitchen is quite warm and the dough becomes too soft, return it to the refrigerator until chilled and fairly firm.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the tops are cracked.

7 Cool the cookies on the baking sheets set on wire racks for about 2 minutes before removing them to the racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container or in a zip-top bag for up to 4 days.

Small black and whites - Cookies

Cookie exchange tip:  You can sprinkle a little red or green decorating sugar on the white frosting to add a festive twist to these already-handsome cookies.  Store them in a single layer on 1 or more plates or trays, covered with waxed paper, until serving, then present them in a straw basket with a large red bow tied around the handle for a splash of colour.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cake flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup water
• 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water or milk, as needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
1  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly grease or spray cookie sheets.

2  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

3  In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the shortening and granulated sugar on medium speed until light, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the dry milk powder and corn syrup.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, then the water and vanilla.  The dough will be firm.

4  Pinch off pieces of dough and roll between your palms into 1 ¼ -inch balls.  Set on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

5  Bake in the center of the oven until firm when lightly touched with a fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.  Let cool on the cookie sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6  Prepare the icing.  Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the corn syrup, 2 tablespoons of the water, and the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to make a smooth, spreadable icing.  (Or, you can use a food processor to make the icing, omitting the sifting and processing until smooth and spreadable.)

7  Transfer half of the icing to another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder, adding more water, ½ teaspoon at a time, as needed to thin to the same consistency as the white icing.  Cover both icings with plastic wrap until ready to use.

8  To ice the cookies, using an icing spatula, spread a thin layer of the white icing over half of the top of each cookie.  Starting with the cookies you iced first (so the white icing has time to dry), spread the chocolate icing over the other half.  Let the cookies stand until the icing dries.

Frosted ornament cookies

It wouldn’t be the holidays without frosted cookies. Ornaments of all shapes are especially fun to make, either as edible treats for the tree or simply for the cookie plate.

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting
Confectioners’ sugar
Milk
Food colouring as needed
Silver dragees (optional)
Coloured sugars (optional)

Directions
Preheat an oven to 400F. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of waxed paper.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the flour mixtures in thirds, stirring each time until the dough is smooth.

On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into the desired cookie shapes and transfer them to an ungreased baking sheet. For cookie ornaments to hang on a tree, make a ¼-inch-diameter hole in each cookie with the end of a wooden skewer. Gather up the scraps of dough and roll them out to use all the dough.

Bake until just lightly browned on the bottom and pale golden on top, 6 to 8 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks.

To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk and stir until a stiff but spreadable paste forms. (It may seem overly stiff, but too much milk will make an unworkable frosting. If it is necessary to add more milk, do so only ½ teaspoon at a time.)

Divide the frosting among separate bowls and mix in food colouring as desired. Frost the cookies while they are warm or cool. If the cookies are warm, the frosting will spread more easily. Add decorative silver dragees and coloured sugars (if desired) before the frosting dries.

Missi Roti

Ingredients

•	Gram flour (besan)	2 cups
•	Wheat flour	3/4 cup
•	Fresh coriander leaves,chopped	1/4 cup
•	Green chillies,chopped	4
•	Onion ,chopped	1 medium
•	Turmeric powder	1 teaspoon
•	Salt	to taste
•	Chaat masala	1 teaspoon
•	Dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)	1 tablespoon
•	Oil	1 tablespoon + for greasing
•	Butter	as required

Method
Sift together the gram flour and wholewheat flour into a bowl. Add the fresh coriander, green chillies, onion, turmeric powder, salt, chaat masala, dried pomegranate seeds and one tablespoon of oil. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it for ten minutes. Divide the dough into sixteen equal portions and shape into balls. Grease your palms with a little oil. Pat each ball of dough between your palms to make a six-inch round chapatti. Alternatively roll out each ball on a greased and lightly floured surface. Heat the tandoor. Sprinkle water on one side of the chapatti and stick it onto the inner wall of the tandoor. Alternatively, cook the chapatti on a hot tawa till done. Spread with butter immediately and serve hot.

- See more at: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/missi-roti-tandoori-cooking-@-home.aspx#sthash.drvcLjYX.dpuf

Malai Kofta Gravy

Malai Kofta Recipe - Ingredients

Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: North Indian | Recipe Reference: VahChef

For the kofta:

Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup heaped(I used carrot peas & beans, boiled and mashed)
Potatoes(Boiled and mashed) - 1 cup
Paneer - 1/2 cup heaped
Onion - 2 tbsp chopped finely
Nuts - 2 tbsp chopped(I used badam & cashews)
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Kashmiri Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt - to taste

For the malai gravy:

Onion - 1 big sized chopped lengthwise
Tomatoes - 3 big sized chopped roughly
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew paste - 2 tsp
Cream - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Kasoori Methi - 1/2 tsp crushed
Salt - to taste

To temper:

Shahi Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Grate the paneer. Pressure cook the veggies for 2-3 whistles(carrot,peas and beans), drain water and see to it that there is no moisture, mash it up. Pressure cook potatoes until mushy.In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients listed under 'For the kofta'.Reserve little grated paneer for garnishing too.
   
2. Mix well and combine to form a thick dough. If it is loose use little bread/breadcrumbs but only if its messy. Form lemon sized balls and deep fry them.
   
3. Deep fry till golden brown. I tried deep frying few balls and used my paniyaram pan and t
   oasted the rest :) Set aside.Use a spoon to turn over so that its easy and to avoid the koftas from breaking.
   
4. In a pan add onions and tomatoes saute for 2mins then add the spice powders and saute till raw smell completely leaves and it shrinks in volume.
   
5. Cool down and grind it to a fine paste,Set aside.In a nonstick pan heat oil - add shahi jeera let it crackle then add ginger garlic paste saute for 2mins.Then add the tomato onion paste, add 1/2 cup water.
   
6. Keep cooking till it becomes thick,add required salt.You can adjust the spice level at this stage.Then add cream and keep mixing.Then add milk little by little stirring continuously else it will curdle.
7. Once it becomes saucy and thick, add kasoori methi.Finally add the kofta balls garnish with coriander leaves and switch it off.While serving, garnish with grated paneer.
   

Serve hot with any flatbread or pulao or jeera rice.

My Notes:

• To avoid milk from curdling - You can first heat and boil milk then add it - Dont add refrigerated milk directly.Simmer the heat once milk is added and keep stirring continuously.Also add the milk little by little stirring continuously.
• You can substitute milk with fully cream to make a even more richer version.
• Dont add all the koftas in the gravy before hand, just add it while serving.I just added few balls to show in the stepwise and reserved the rest while serving for lunch :)
• I didnt add any food color, my tomatoes and kashmiri chilli gave a good color to the gravy and gave it a restaurant look :)

Raj Kachori Recipe

Raj Kachori is a spicy chaat bowl filled with delicious condiments. It has refreshing flavors and makes for a unique food experience. Guests will have fun filling their own Kachories according to their taste palette. Served as a snack or appetizer, Raj Kachories make a beautiful presentation and are thoroughly enjoyed by just about everyone.
Recipe will make 12 Raj Kachories


Ingredients:
Kachori Dough

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Approximately ½ cup lukewarm rater

Kachori Filling

• 1/3 cup Gram Flour (besan)
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder
• 1 tablespoon oil

Condiments to be served Kachories

• 1 cup moong sprouts
• 1 cup boiled potato cut into small pieces
• 1 cup whipped yogurt
• 1/4 cup Hari Cilantro Chutney
• 1/4 cup Tamarind Chutney
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
• 2 green chilies finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup fine save available in Indian grocery store (optional)

Method
Dough

1. In a mixing bowl add all purpose flour, salt and oil; add water slowly while mixing and kneading to make firm, yet pliable dough.
2. Cover and set dough aside for at least 10 minutes.
3. Mix Kachori filling ingredients together, i.e. gram flour, asafetida, salt, chili flakes, mango powder and oil. Set aside.

Making Kachori

1. Knead dough for a minute and divide into 12 equal parts.
2. Roll dough ball into a 2-inch diameter circle and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Seal by pulling the edges together to make a ball. Prepare all 12 kachories and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Place a filled kachori with the seam side up, onto a clean surface. Using a rolling pin roll into a circle, approximately 3 inches in diameter.
4. Heat approx. 1 ½ inches of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. To check if oil is ready, put a little piece of dough into the oil and it should immediately rise to the surface without having changed it’s color.
5. Slowly drop kachories into the frying pan making sure they don’t overlap one another. As kachories puff up, slowly turn them over and fry on all sides. Turn kachories 3-4 times until they are golden brown in color, which will take about 7 minutes. Kachories should be crisp. If the kachories are fried over high heat they will be too soft.

Prepare Moong Sprouts
Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and 2-3 tablespoons of water to the moong sprouts. Cover and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes till sprouts are tender. Set aside.
Serving Kachories

1. Gently make an inch sized hole in the center of the kachori.
2. Fill with 1 tablespoon of sprouts, 1 tablespoon of potatoes, 2 tablespoons of yogurt and a drizzle with both of the 2 chutneys.
3. As an option, add a little cilantro, green chili and 1 tablespoon of fine Sev. These add a little more texture and flavor to the Kachori.

Tip:
These Raj Kachories can be prepared in advance and stored up to 2 weeks in an air tight container, making it more convenient to serve. It is even easier if you have the Hari Cilantro and Tamarind chutneys previously stored.

Chole Bhature

Chole Bhature Punjabi Special

 

Items On Punjabi Breakfast Thali

Indian Bread- Bhatura

Punjabi Special- Chole

Oil Free- Dahi Bhalla

Green Coriander Dip/  Green Chutney

Now check how to prepare Chole Bhature.

Preparation time: 8 hours

Cooking time: 35 Minutes

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients:

For Chola

2 Cup Gm White Chickpeas/ Kabuli Chana, soaked and boiled

2 Medium sized Tomatoes, chopped

2 Green chili, chopped

2 Tsp. Ginger, grated

Salt to taste

2 Tsp. Chana Masala

1/4 Tsp. Garam masala

Red Chili Powder to taste

1 Tsp. Cumin seeds

2 Tbsp. Clarifying Butter

1/2 Tsp. Meetha soda/ Soda Bi carbonate

Green coriander, chopped for garnishing

1/4 Cup Tea Decoction for little flavour and black color

For Bhatura

250 Gm All-purpose Flour/ Maida

30 Gm. Semolina/ Suji

Soda water for dough

Salt

Mustard Oil

Vegetable oil for Frying

Pictorial:

Directions:

For Chola

Wash and soak the chole in water with little salt and meetha soda overnight. Now boil the chole with water in pressure cooker till to 5-6 whistles.

Heat the ghee in another pan on medium flame. Add cumin seeds, when cumin starts splutter. Add tomatoes, green chili, and grated ginger, sauté till to soft. Now add all spices and tea decoctions except salt. Cook for 10 minutes. Now add boiled chole and salt, cook for 10 minutes more. Add coriander leaves for garnishing.

For Bhatura

Combine plain flour, semolina, salt (a pinchful) with soda water for making stiff dough for bhatura’s. Now spread little mustard oil in bowl and keep the dough in bowl and cover it at least for 1 hour.

Now divide the dough into equal portions and roll it with the help of rolling pin. Heat the vegetable oil in wok, when oil is hot enough. Add bhatura in hot oil and fry it. Serve with hot chola’s and aachar.

Bhature

Bhature

 

Book: Khazana of Indian Recipes

   

 

Ingredients

•	Refined flour (maida)	2 1/2 cups
•	Yogurt	1/2 cup
•	Baking powder	1/2 teaspoon
•	Soda bicarbonate	a pinch
•	Salt	1 teaspoon
•	Sugar	2 teaspoons
•	Oil	2 tablespoons + to deep fry

Method
Place flour and baking powder, soda bicarbonate and salt in a bowl. Mix well and pass it through a sieve. Mix yogurt with salt and sugar. Add this to the flour and add about a cup of water and mix gradually to make a soft dough by light kneading. Incorporate two tablespoons of oil into the dough and cover the dough with a wet cloth. Keep it aside for an hour. Divide dough into sixteen equal portions. Roll them into balls. Cover and keep to ferment for ten minutes. Grease your palms with a little oil and flatten the balls. Roll out into five-inch diameter diskettes. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the bhaturas on high heat till light brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chole.

Chef's Tip
You can make bhaturas of oval shape by pulling the rolled diskettes from opposite sides.

- See more at: http://sanjeevkapoor.com/bhature.aspx#sthash.d2SGLAJP.dpuf

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Chole Bhature Punjabi Special