Swedish Heirloom Cookies

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"We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters" -Gloria Steinem

Somebody posted this quote on New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s facebook wall on International Women's day. Reading the quote made me seriously think about how I am raising my kids. I kept thinking it is so true how we tell our girls that they don’t have to be pushed aside in sports or study and how they are equally equipped like their male counterparts to take on challenges. However, when it comes to my son I wondered if I am making sure that I talk to him about being polite and gentle, and being more thoughtful about how he behaves in public like I educate my girl.

Pecan Sandies & Happy Holidays !

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Happy Holidays to all you dear readers of Collaborative Curry! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.

Almond Shortbread Wedges

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Hello everyone ! How is it going? It's been ages,I know ! I really missed you all and the blogging, a lot.

I had a wonderful vacation in Kerala. Though I got back a couple of weeks back,it took me this long to jot down something here. I could give you zillion reasons for that,but I don't want to waste your precious time. In a nutshell,it goes something like this : a long jet lag,a birthday,a sick kiddo,a lazy mom,the heat etc. etc.

Crescent Cookies

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It is cold in Colorado. Last week we had a few snow showers and the mercury levels remain low ever since. So I decided to do what I love to do in this weather-baking.December is always a bake-a-thon time for me and this year is no exception.

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies

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Hello ! Hope everyone in the US had a great July 4th week end. We had fun ,watching fireworks with friends. The fireworks reminded me of the Temple festivals in Kerala, though it was not even close to any of that. But I have no complaints, at least they are doing this much in a highly fire prone area.

It is getting really warm here and already the mountains had some fires. Last year Boulder had a couple of really bad wild fires. I hope this year will be much better. Because of the scorching heat, we cannot go out as much as we want to.So kids are home most of the afternoon and I need to engage them with something or the other and make a lot of snacks.Here is a recipe for kids,if you are a mom like me and for adults,if you do not care about the number of calories.

This is so easy to whip up, maybe a fun project for your elder kids.

Ingredients:

Butter softened- 1/3 cup
Cream Cheese- 3 ounces
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Flour- 1 cup+ 2 Tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Finely chopped Pecans- 1/2 cup

Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.Mix the butter and cheese together.
3.Add the sugar and mix until it is creamy.
4.Mix the vanilla and add the flour. Beat until everything is combined and comes together.
5.Fold in the pecans.
6.Make 1 inch balls out of the dough, press between your palms and keep on the baking sheet.
7.Bake for 10-12 minutes.
8.Cool in the sheet for 5-6 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9.Store in an air tight container for a week.

Notes:

1.The sugar in this recipe is to my liking. You could add more sugar if you wish.
2.?When you take them out of the oven they are very soft. But they get firm on cooling.


Adapted from : Here

Melting Moments

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  Happy New Year everyone!! Hope you all had a wonderful start to the New Year.  We were at a nice party with friends on New Year’s Eve.

  I cannot believe it’s already 2011.  Where did 2010 go? I was just getting used to writing the date with a ’10, and now I have to start writing it as ‘11. With time flying, the kids seem to be growing up quickly too, every day, every moment. Lil imp is 2 1/2 and he is the funniest ever. Now, he understands everything we say and knows the difference between 'I' and 'you' very well.  (He used to have trouble getting 'I' and 'you,' for example he would say “you are hungry” when he means he is hungry.)  He hates "time outs" and hates my high pitched voice.  The other day I was raising my voice to convince him of something and he told me "amma, time out!"  I just stood there wondering if I should laugh or keep the angry face till I got my way.  Kids! What do we do with them, what do we do without them!  Another year has been granted to figure out the puzzles of life and I welcome it with a grateful heart.

  Happy New Year again and may you have sweet melting moments!



It was snowing outside and seems like my kitchen too ;)



These just melt in your mouth, just like the name suggests ;-)



Happy New Year to you all !!




Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 1 1/2 cup
Cornstarch- 1/2 cup
Salt- a pinch
Confectioner's sugar- 1/3 cup
Unsalted Butter- 1 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp

For dusting:

3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

Method:

1.Whisk together the flour, corn starch and salt in a mixing bowl.
2.Beat the butter and sugar until it is creamy.
3.Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
4.Add the flour mixture and beat well to mix everything.
5.Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or until it is firm.
6.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
7.Make 1 inch balls out of the dough and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, an inch apart.
8.bake for about 12 minutes or until the sides start to brown.
9.Cool on a wire rack for a couple of minutes.
10.Meanwhile line a baking sheet with parchemnt paper and sprinkle confectioner's sugar over it.Place the cookies on the paper and sprinkle more sugar through a sieve, on the top.
11.Cool them completely before storing.

Recipe Adapted From: Joy of baking
Contributor: Namitha

Rugelach

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   This is an elegant cookie from the Jewish Cuisine, usually made during the time of Hanukkah. When my daughter saw the picture of this in the cook book I lent from the library, she asked me whether I could make it for her. How could I say no when I wanted to try them myself.  I was super glad it came out looking pretty as I expected.  Enjoy your weekend!



Ingredients:

Cream cheese- 8 ounce
Butter- 1 cup
Flour- 2 cups
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Salt- 1/4 tsp

for filling:

Semisweet chocolate squares- one 4 ounce square
Walnuts- 1 1/4 cup
Strawberry/Raspberry jam- 1/2 cup
Brown sugar- 1/4 cup
Cinnamon- 1 tsp



Method:

1.Beat the cream cheese and butter till they become smooth.Throw in the sugar and salt and mix well.
2.Add the flour and beat to mix well. Knead using your hands to make a soft and smooth dough.
3.Make 4 equal balls out of this and keep them covered in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
4.Make the filling ,meanwhile. Throw in the chopped chocolate and walnut into the blender and blend it till they have mixed well, but the nut is only coarsely ground.
5.Mix this and the jam, sugar and cinnamon and keep aside.
6.Preheat the oven at 375 degree F.
7.Take out the dough from the fridge and roll each of the dough ball into ~9 inch rounds using a rolling pin.
8.Spread 1/4th of the filling evenly on it.
9.Cut each round into 4 equal parts and then each 1/4th to 3 equal parts.This will give 12 equal pieces.
10.Now starting from the wide edge roll up each cookie and place them with the end tucked to the bottom.
11.Chill it for 20 minutes before baking.
12.Keep in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or till they start changing to a light brown color.
13.remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before storing in a airtight container.



Notes:

1.The filling is up to your imagination. You could replace the walnut with toasted pecan or almond.
2.Also you could avoid adding chocolate if you wish.
3.Chilling the rolled up cookies before baking helps to prevent them from spreading.
4.I baked them in two batches, using up two balls of dough each time.
5.You could give the cookies an eggwash, that will give a shiny brown color to the cookies. I didn't do it, since my family doesn't like the egg smell on their cookies :-)
6.If you are doing an egg wash, beat an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush it over the cookies before baking.
7.The original recipe calls for Kosher salt an inevitable ingredient of Jewish cooking.

Recipe adapted from: Baking at home, CIA

Contributor: Namitha

Palmiers/Elephant ears

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This is one of the simplest cookies to make.  If you have some puff pastry sheets on hand its easy peasy. This is a French cookie, classic, elegant and to emphasize simple to make.  The other day I was wondering what else I can do to cheer up the little ones.  Weekends, if you have children, you know how all the games, and charging around the house makes them hungry.  Anything you make generally gets tidied out.  Nevertheless,  having a blog to feed parallel to my kids a new recipe is to kill two birds with one stone.  Loved the way this panned out.  It not only serves my general purposes but delightfully crunchy, tasty and pretty to boot cookies make a good snack to serve at tea for your guests too.


Ingredients:

Puff Pastry Sheet- 1
Granulated sugar- 1/3 cup
Cinnamon - 3/4 tsp
Walnut, coarsely ground- 3 Tbsp

Method:

1.Thaw the puff pastry sheet for 30-40 minutes.Preheat the oven at 400 degree F.
2.Mix the sugar and cinnamon and spread a couple of Tbsp,evenly on a flat surface where you could roll the pastry sheet.
3.Place the pastry sheet with the shorter edge facing towards you.
4.Mix the walnut into the sugar cinnamon mixture and pour that on top of the pastry sheet.\
5.Spread the mixture evenly on the pastry sheet.Now roll it till the sugar mixture adhere well on both sides of the sheet.You do not have to roll it bigger, just a few inches more on both sides, evenly, will do.
6.Fold the sides of the square towards the center so that they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough.Leave a 1/4 inch space in the middle.
7.Now fold both the sides , one half on the other half, so that you will get 6 layers.
8.Cut the slices that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inches wide and place them cut side facing upwards on a baking sheet.
9.Bake for about 14-15 minutes or till both the sides turn a light brown.You may change the sides after 13-14 minutes and continue baking the other side too.



Notes:
1.This will yield you about 22 cookies.I recommend that you make this with 2 pastry sheets, this will be over in seconds :-)
2.This is not too cinnamony, since we like it this way.If you wish you could add more cinnamon or do not add any.
3.Also the sugar is just perfect for our taste.You could add little more if you like really sweet cookies.
4.This is so versatile, that you could use your imagination to add or delete anything into the sugar.The basic recipe just calls for sugar and pastry sheet :-)
5. Rolling is not a must, you could leave this step, but then the filling will not stay much.



Contributor: Namitha

Lemon Oat Lacies

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Cookies remind me of my school and college days. I would wake up in the early hours in the pretext of studying. The entire house hold would be quiet and I remember pouring over my books squinting my eyes and laboring to keep it open. Sleep, the temptress wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace. Upset with the mounting pages in front of me and the sleep that keep me away from it, I would pace around the room. Having tried washing my face a couple of times and pacing around the room to shoo away sleep I would take to my last resort. I would stand up from my comfortable chair and walk down to the kitchen.
There, I would make myself some coffee and grab a pack of Parle G glucose biscuits and tread back to my work station. I would sit down and gobble up all the biscuits and coffee and very few of those pages on my text :D. So, that’s how my relationship with cookies/parle G biscuits started and it continues to make me nostalgic and satisfied. I don’t eat them anymore to ward away sleep but sit on my couch and enjoy them with a cuppa and look out into the distance when the pastry teases my taste buds and keep me company.
The first cookie I ever made was the nan cuts way back when I was in my teens. Later, I made cakes but not so many cookies as I am doing right now. I wonder why! They are far less time consuming than making a cake or pie and yet I have never tried baking them at home. Now, my husband is hooked to them. We find store bought cookies to be very sweet and he is thrilled I am baking them at home. I tweak the sugar to be just right for our palette and eat them guilt free.
I hope you make a habit of making your own cookies and tinning them. Its quite therapeutic too you will learn soon :)whatever!


Ingredients:
Butter softened - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 2 c
Quick rolled oats(Quaker) - 3 C
Grated Lemon peel - 1 T
Vanilla - 1t
Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add remaining ingredients except the powdered sugar and mix well
3. Cover and chill for 30 min
4. Heat oven to 350 D F
5. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet
6. Press with bottom of glass dipped in powdered sugar
7. Bake 12-15 min or till edges are light brown
Cool 1 min remove to wire rack
Cool completely
Sprinkle with sugar, I use a tea strainer. You could also use a salt shaker with powdered sugar

Recipe: Courtesy M (my friend)

Contributor: Sunitha

Russian Teacakes

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     In Kerala, where I come from, the tradition for Christmas is to bake fruit and nut cakes, fry diamond cuts, rose cookies etc.  Here in US, I see the tradition is cookies.  The last two days, I got together with my friend M and we baked and baked and baked.  We made four different cookies Russian Tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes, lemon laced cookies, pinwheel cookies and cherry wink.  This is also one reason why I could not visit all my blogger friends.  I will hopefully make amends for it today to see what you all have been upto.  

   I photographed some yesterday and it was a time well spent.  As I am writing this I am glad I spend some quality time getting into baking because I am able to share it with you.  The flip side or con of holiday seasons are we are always on a sugar high.  Now then, what is the point cribbing.. lets all indulge and have some fun and then go on a diet the next week, what do you say?  Anyways, here is Russion Tea cakes for you.. I remember something similar called nan cut when in India.  I have made those and its pretty much the same if you avoid nuts.



Butter - 1 cup
Confectioners sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla - 1 tspn
All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cups
Salt - 1/4 tspn
Nuts(add your preferred one I added pecans) - 3/4 cup finely chopped

Method:
1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla together.  I used a hand blender you could do without it as well.
2. Add flour, salt and nuts and incorporate together until the dough holds together to make small balls
3. Place the doubh balls on ungreased cookie sheets
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown in a pre heated 400F



Contributor: Sunitha

Short Bread Cookies

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Hello everyone ! How are your Christmas preparations going on ? Most of you might be already set with an X'mas tree and other decorations. I thought of making some baked goodies for the holiday season and started with this simple cookie. Short bread cookies are traditionally known as a Christmas cookies and is quite versatile. You could turn it into a pecan/almond short bread cookie or X'mas sugar cookie or whatever your imagination leads you :-)Those who are calorie conscious may not prefer this Scotch cookies,because these cookies are really rich with butter as a main ingredient and if you replace butter with some other fat you cannot call it a short bread cookie. But I am sure about one thing, this will just melt away in your mouth and it is hard to stop munching on these utterly butterly cookies :D



Ingredients

All purpose flour- 2cups
Butter (at room temperature)-1 cup
Salt- a pinch
Confectioner's sugar-1/2 cup
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp




Method

1.Beat the butter until fluffy using a handmixer, for 3-4 minutes
2.To this add the sugar and beat well for 2-3 minutes.
3.Mix in the salt and vanilla extract
4.Fold in the flour mixture.
5.Flatten the dough and wrap it in a plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour
6.Preheat oven to 350 degree F and line two baking trays with parchment paper
7.Flour a surface where you are planning to roll the dough.
8.Make small balls of dough and flatten it using the bottom of a glass.Use a cookie cutter or use a steel utensil (Like I did)to get a perfect shape.The ideal thickness is 1/4 inch. Prick them with a fork
9.Arrange them on the parchment paper leaving some space in between and chill them again for 10-15 minutes.
10.Bake for 9-10 minutes or till the cookies start turning to a golden brown color



Notes
1. You could roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to cut it into desired shapes.
2.I did this in 2 batches, because I was slow since I was multitasking (I have a 17 month old lil monster) and I got ~25 cookies, but some of them were small
3.You could store the cookies in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

[Recipe adapted from:Joy of Baking]

Contributor :Namitha