Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Fruit Preserves

With holiday treats stocked in stores,I keep an eye out for new and easy cookie ideas during this time of the year.I happen to see this thumb print cookie tray in the store,with not so attractive or should I say complicated ingredient list.I just needed the recipe to experiment with my own healthier additions,which I thankfully could Google it up.
I mix Almond flour(fine ground raw almonds is equally good) with the wheat flour that gives a more hearty texture to the dough.And also the fresh cranberry preserves were the best match for the filling.All in all,an incredibly nutritious treat.

Recipe : Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Fruit Preserves
Makes a dozen
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond flour, or almond meal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup pure cane sugar,divided(reserve a little to sprinkle on top)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted Organic butter(cut in pieces) or virgin pressed coconut oil or pure Ghee
1 large Organic egg, lightly beaten
2-3 tablespoon cold milk.
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup or little more of Home made Fruit Preserves(Cranberry,Cranberry Apple,Plum,Mango,Strawberry or Apricot)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Making dough by hand:
Whisk together sugar, flours and salt in a bowl.
Rub or cut the butter or other fat used ,into the sugar and flour mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten egg and vanilla extract into it.
Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into mixture and then use your fingertips.
Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
With a food processor:
Put sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.Add butter and pulse a few times until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface.
Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten egg and vanilla extract into it.Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients then use your fingertips.Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes

Shape the Cookies
Roll the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick,cut in circles using a cookie cutter about 2 inches along diameter.Press each circle using thumb to make a light indentation into the top.Sprinkle a little sugar all over the cookies.Place them on a cookie sheet.Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes,top is lightly golden brown. Cool and serve.



These Thumbprint cookies are my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #264,hosted this week by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything

Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies , Eid Delicacy 1

The sumptuous Sheerkhorma and Saffron Sevia are definitely the classic delicacies served on the big holiday of Eid,but I also love to compliment the Eid feast with some adorable baked goodies.



These nutty cookies are ridiculously simple to bake and quite a treat on the special day.Did I mention these are also incredibly nutritious ?


Recipe : Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
yields about a dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 cup fine shred coconut
1 cup fine ground raw almonds
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup Agave nectar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon virgin pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut,almonds ,salt and flour.In another smaller bowl mix in the sugar,honey and melted coconut oil.Stir in the honey mixture in to the coconut mixture,combine well.
Preheat Oven to 350F.
Take a tablespoon of mixture,roll and slightly flatten the balls, lay on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.Bake for 10-12 minutes,until lightly crisp on top.Let cool before drizzling the chocolate over.

Melt the chocolate in microwave,stir every 10 seconds until completely melted,add about a tablespoon of soy or almond milk and keep stirring to make the mixture smooth and glossy .

Using a spoon ,drizzle the chocolate all over the cookies.Can serve immediately.Or to store let cool completely,can be kept in refrigerator for over a week.

Milan Cookies.

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

With or\and choice in the challenge I picked what seemed easier ,the Milan cookies,a famous European sandwich cookie with luscious dark chocolate filling.To add to the scrumptiousness I dipped the cookie in some more goodness of dark chocolate and sprinkled with dried coconut.To say the least these make a delicious treat for any cookie monster and a exciting bake for a daring baker.


Recipe
Adapted from Gale Gand's Recipe
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr
Serves: about 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients for the Cookies
• 2 tablespoons Organic unsalted butter (vegan substitute : virgin pressed coconut oil), softened
. 2 tablespoon organic reduced fat milk or soy milk or almond milk
• 1/2 cup brown or white sugar
• 3 Organic egg whites(vegan substitute : 2 tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch + 2 tablespoon almond or rice milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract(optional)
• 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup all purpose flour


for Cookie filling:
• 1/4 cup heavy cream(Vegan Substitute: thick coconut milk)
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate or Dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

some roasted nuts or grated coconut for sprinkling.

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the egg whites ,milk,gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4.For piping use a large ziploc(plastic storage bag),snip the end or a regular pastry bag with plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.For more chocolate covering dip half of the cookies in the chocolate mixture,place on a large plate or sheet pan to cool.Sprinkle some powdered nuts or coconut before it cools.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.
The video here might help for beginner bakers.



Check out other Daring Bakers creative variations.

Mamoul cookies and Cinnamon Tea

The melt-in-the-mouth delicious mamoul cookies are one of the most popular middle eastern cookie.I used to buy a box every time I shopped at the middle store ,besides dates these are available in variety of fillings with fruits and nuts.But when yours truly turned a health nut and started scrutinizing the processed foods nutrition labels,the mamoul were sadly out listed from my choice of cookies.Until I found Kate's recipe, simple enough to bake some of my own with desired amount of fat and sugar.Amazingly the recipe worked quite well even after reducing sugar and fat quantities ,and the Orange blossom water used imparts the lovely fragrance and hint of refreshing flavor.Traditionally wooden molds are used to shape the cookies,in her recipe kate shows a very easy method to make mamoul without the molds.Thanks to Kate,I can enjoy these delectable cookies again without guilt.

Makes about 12 cookies (3-inch long-oval cookies)
Ingredients:
1 cup fine semolina(sooji rava)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon melted butter or ghee
2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon Orange blossom water or rose water
1/2 cup reduced fat Milk(a little more if needed)
1/4 teaspoon powdered anise or ground anise seed(optional)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

For filling
1 cup(4 ounce) about 6-8 dates,pitted and pressed to make a paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For rolling
1/4 cup Walnuts or pistachios,chopped

Method
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.Mix butter\ghee ,sugar,orange blossom water and milk in another bowl. Gradually add this in to the flour mixture,knead the dough until evenly mixed.The dough should be smooth and moist,add little more milk if needed.Cover and let rest for one hour.
Prepare the filling by combining the pressed dates and cinnamon .make 2 inch long rolls of the mixture and Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make walnut-sized balls of the dough. Press down each of the balls using a thumb to form a cup to place the filling.place the date roll.Close the open end and roll between the palms to form a cylindrical shape.Place on a baking sheet and finish making the rest.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until bottom is lightly brown. Completely cool on a rack.Store in an air tight container.Tastes best if consumed within 4-5 days since its low in fat and could dry out sooner.
These Mamoul cookies are off to Srivalli's Mithai Mela and Ria's Let's Celebrate.My Sweet Potato chocolate Bundt cake and Nutella cake are also joining in Ria's Celebration.

Nutrition and Calories
Nutrition is in the core with mineral rich dates,also a good source of fiber and vitamins.The crust is pretty much all carbs.The fat calories are reduced to about 2 grams per cookie ,compared to about 9 grams in the original recipe.

Cinnamon Tea

The flavor of light Cinnamon Tea complements really well with mamoul.
Ingredients
3 cups water
1 teaspoon herbal tea mix or tea powder
2 cinnamon sticks(use ceylon variety)
1 teaspoon sugar

Method
Brew all the ingredients for about 15 minutes ;strain and serve hot.

Click - Cookies

This cookie Cookie click is my entry for Click Photography event at Jugalbandi,Cookies are the theme of this month.

Whole Wheat Ginger Spice Cookies

Ginger snap cookies are one of the America's favorite spice cookies made with ginger and spices like cinnamon,cloves and nutmeg.I used fresh ginger instead of ground dry ginger to add real zest to the ginger snap cookies.Just the other day a good friend of mine gifted me a box of fresh spices mix (aka garam masala),I could almost instantly feel the potency of the spices with the strong aroma and heat from taste of the spices.Only one teaspoon of the fresh masala was enough to spice up the cookies. I don't use molasses so used date syrup instead,although not very sweet these cookies were by far the spiciest cookies I ever tasted,just right to beat the chill in the air.
Ingredients
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon Spice mix(ground cinnamon,cloves,cumin and black pepper)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup date syrup or molasses.
1 large Organic Egg
4 tablespoon butter,softened
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon sugar crystals or raw sugar for topping

makes about 16-18 medium size cookies.
Method
Mix the flour,baking soda,salt and spices in a bowl.In another bowl beat butter and sugar until smooth,whisk in the egg and the syrup.Mix in the egg mixture in to the flour mixture and knead in to a smooth dough.Sprinkle all purpose flour on your work surface and roll 2 logs with the dough.Slice using a knife,dip one side in to the sugar crystals and lay on a greased cookie sheet spacing them about 2 inches apart.bake for about 15-20 minutes until cracked on the top and lightly browned.cool on rack and store in air tight container.

These spiced up cookies are my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle :World of Spice cookies.Can't wait to see the round up of spicy cookies.

Dark chocolate Pecan Cookies-simple to bake and scrumptious to eat

I always prefer fresh home made cookies to store bought ;all for good reasons ,I have total control over the sugar and fat in the cookies and can avoid all the preservatives and additives hard to interpret.I usually bake my cookies with nuts and fruits with dark chocolate or cocoa powder.And there is nothing better than the aroma of fresh-baked cookies filling the home and delighted faces of my little ones on seeing a cookie(with chocolate in particular).Dark Chocolate pecan cookies are simple to bake and scrumptious to eat,you can top with any nuts and mix in any dried fruits or use a tablespoon of cocoa powder instead of dark chocolate.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Almond meal or finely ground almonds
1/2 cup Brown sugar
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon Organic milk,little more if needed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg
1 teaspoon flax seeds(optional)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks(use any dark chocolate bar)
1/4 cup(12) whole pecans or almonds

Makes a dozen cookies

Method
Whip butter and sugar in a bowl,until creamy.Whisk in egg ,milk and beat until well combined.
In another mixing bowl,combine flour, baking soda,flax seeds and salt.Add the egg mixture and mix until mixture comes together,add little more milk if needed.

Grease a cookie sheet lightly with oil and drop a spoonful of the mixture in 2 rows about one inch apart.Top with a pecan and dark chocolate chunks and bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove a and let cool completely on a rack.

These cookies are my entry for sharmi's Holiday cookie event and Vandana's Baking for beginners and JZ's Santa's holiday challenge and Purva's Christmas feast Event .

Cherry Nuts Crescents

The bland nuts paired up with tart cherries make these crescent cookies scrumptious as well as nourishing.I had the recipe of crescent cookies from Baking with Love and Nigella's Feast.Both the recipes had lot of fat,as you would expected I halved the fat quantity and slightly varied the proportions and decorated the cookies with cherries instead of powdered sugar.The cookies were still crumbly and tasted just as good with lesser fat,with hint of sweetness balanced with tartness of cherries.Tart dried Cherries are good source of antioxidants.

Ingredients
1 cup walnuts,shelled and toasted
1/2 cup almonds,toasted
1/2 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup fine sugar
3 tablespoon Organic butter,softened
4 tablespoon cold milk
pinch of salt

Method
Preheat oven to 325F.Pulverize the toasted nuts in a food processor. Take the nuts out for the moment,and add the sugar,butter,flour,salt,milk and pulse until well mixed. Now add the nuts back in and pulse again until mixture comes together. Transfer in a bowl,the mixture will be sticky but firm enough to mold with your hands.It the mixture is too sticky,wrap it in cling wrap and let rest for about 20 minutes in the fridge.
To create the crescent shapes,take about tablespoon of the dough and roll in to a cylinder about 2 inches and press 2 cherries on top of the crescents and slightly flatten the cylinder while curling it to make a crescent shape.Lay them on a baking sheet and bake about 25 minutes until lightly brown on top.Transfer on cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Cherry Nuts Crescents is in for A fruit a month:Cherries event,hosted by Rachel of Tangerine's kitchen

Peanut Bites,guilt free snacks for diabetes.

Peanuts are apparently the nutritionist recommended food for a diabetic diet plan.Unfortunately diabetes is becoming common among pregnant women. Evidently half of my girlfriends in US had diabetes while pregnant.They had to see a nutritionist to get proper diet plan for a healthy pregnancy.I almost had a close call with Gestational diabetes(GD) when I was carelessly eating away Junk ,as soon as my appetite bounced back after the bad nauseous phase of first trimester.During the third trimester blood test,my ob\gyn asked me to redo my blood test cause she doubts my sugar levels are sort of on the high end. I was bit intimidated about going on a sugar free\low sugar diet,after all I was mostly craving for dessert,cakes and cookies.Lucky for me for the test came back negative,but the doc still asked to be careful about my eating habits and I seriously was counting my sugar calories.
So before your ob\gyn flashes a red flag for all your guilty cravings,here is a word of advice to all the expectant moms, eat healthy and have more variety in your food ,don't indulge in sweet goodies with excess sugar, which are no good whether or not diabetic.

Peanut butter is the most delicious American way of eating the peanuts.Spread on toast is the common breakfast for expectant moms with GD.Peanut butter Jelly sandwich is a favorite among kiddos.The Hyderabadi Bagare Baigan(Mona's recipe) or Mirchi Ka Salan are made with generous serving of peanuts.Zesty peanut bites could be another delectable way to consume peanuts,don't you think??

To make home made peanut butter.
Roast about 1 cup of peanuts on medium flame for about 15 minutes ,turn occasionally. slightly cool and remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands and blow away the skins under the sink.Process the skinned peanuts with a tablespoon of vegetable oil until smooth and store in air tight container in a refrigerator for 2 months.

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar substitute Agave Nectar
1 Organic egg
2 tablespoon melted and cooled butter
2 tablespoon light Olive oil
1 teaspoon grated Orange zest
few drops of water,if needed.

Makes about 20 bites.
Method
Use a large cookie sheet and line with parchment paper or lightly grease with butter.
Preheat Oven to 375F.
Sift flour and baking powder in to a large bowl.Add all the remaining ingredients and mix to a smooth dough using hands.Knead for a minute and wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Spread some all-purpose flour on work surface and roll the dough using a rolling pin. Using a round small cookie-cutter or any 2inch bottle cap , cut and lay on the cookie sheet.Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.Cool on rack and store in air tight container.

Peanuts and Diabetes
Peanuts have shown to lower the risk of diabetes .Peanuts contain mainly good unsaturated fat and are low in saturated fat, characteristics which are associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes(most common type of diabetes). Many peanut butters contain a high percentage of peanuts, have a very small amount of salt and sugar for taste.
Nuts also contain fiber and magnesium which decrease insulin resistance and have been inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Peanuts have more plant protein than any other nut. They are also rich in vitamin E, folate, potassium, zinc, phytosterols and antioxidants, which are thought to be important to health.

Peanut Bites and the following low sugar recipes are my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy:Fight Diabetes
Sesame Pistachio Cookies,Pumpkin Chocolate Biscotti,Energy Bites,Vegetable Crepes,Green Mung Khichdi,Sesame Buns,Beet Hummus,Wheat Meat Porridge(Harees)

In case you missed ,I also had posted about the sugar substitutes with glycemic index along with another set of diabetic recipes.

Energy Bites

Nutty,crunchy cookies will cheer up a mid-morning coffee break or an after school snack.They are satisfying and packed full of healthy ingredients to restore flagging energy levels.I used loads of dried fruits without adding extra sugar ,seeds and nuts,eliminated the egg and replaced with flax seed meal which is rich in B vitamins,Omega 3s,anti oxidants and fiber.Flax seed meal can amazingly replace egg in any baking recipe.For more such recipes replaced with egg stay tuned with Madhuram's Egg replacement : Flax seed meal event.

(I used the store bought dried fruit and nuts blend\mix to add variety of flavors to the cookie)
Ingredients
1/2 cup nuts of your choice,finely chopped,I used Almonds,Hazelnuts and Walnuts
1/2 cup dried fruits of your choice,finely chopped,I used dried apricot ,cherries,blueberries and dates
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of flax seed meal(replacement of 1 egg)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder(aluminum free)
2 tablespoon light Olive oil
1/3 cup of Apple juice or Orange Juice

Makes about 15 Bites.

Method
Preheat Oven to 375F.
Mix the chopped nuts,dried fruits and seeds together in a bowl.Add the flour,baking powder and flax seed meal; stir to thoroughly combine. Slowly add in the oil and juice and stir until mixture is moistened and holds together.
Grease a cookie sheet ,using dampened fingers,scoop up a large walnut-size piece of mixture and form in to a ball. Press to make a small,thick cookie about 5cm in diameter and place on baking tray.Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly risen and just browned.Transfer to a wire rack to cool,then store in air tight container for up to 4 days.

Sesame Pistachio Cookies(Barazek),my favorite cookie

Declaring that I have one favorite cookie seems like a daring and potentially deceitful assertion; after all, there are so many tempting varieties to devour.Being a chocoholic, I do like the hallmark cookies,chocolate chip and Oreo. But I've to admit Turkish Sesame Cookies with nutty sesame seeds , pistachios and honey are my personal favorite.I make them regularly and end up eating more than my boys(They favor chocolate).Who ever I shared these with always loved it and asked for the recipe.Hence these cookies were apt for Noor's of YaSalaam Cooking , My favorite cookie recipe celebration.

If you love the flavor of honey and nuts ,try these and see if it becomes one of your favorites as well.

Ingredients
3/4 cup All purpose Flour, unbleached
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
3 tablespoon Toasted Sesame seeds
3 tablespoon Pistachios ,chopped
2 tablespoon Pure Honey
1 Organic Egg
1/4 cup brown Sugar or natural sweetener Agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Organic milk
2 tablespoon softened Butter or Clarified Butter(ghee)
2 tablespoon Olive oil

Yields: About 12 medium cookies
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F.

In bowl mix toasted sesame seeds with honey.
In another bowl whisk eggs, butter,milk and sugar together, until light and fluffy.

Sift the flours,baking powder ,soda and salt. Stir this in to the egg mixture and mix thoroughly until the dough comes together,add more milk if needed. Knead for a minute and wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Spread some all-purpose flour on work surface and roll the dough using a rolling pin. Using a round cookie-cutter , cut and lay on a cookie sheet. Now spread honey sesame mixture on top of each of the cookies.Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.Cool on rack and store in air tight container.

You may also like from my cookie collection:

Fig Linzer Cookies : Its an Austrian Pastry!

Linzers cookies one of the most famous cookies of Austria . Now ,how did i stumble upon the Austrian recipe ? I googled for sandwich cookies and i found these Austrian delights. Ha, thats the magic of Google.The original recipe is posted here, I made a low-fat version with few changes in the ingredients.

Linzer cookies are crisp toasty cookies sandwiched together with a delicious fruit filling(Usually berries or figs) are perfect for tea time snack or Kiddie lunch box snack .You could even gift a box of these healthy decadent cookies to your fortunate friends or colleagues at work.

Ingredients

For the cookies
3/4 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup Blanched or Sliced Almonds,toasted and ground(Hazelnuts or Pecans can also be used)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoon butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 Organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
Granular sugar for topping

For Filling
3/4 cup of Fig Jam(recipe follows) or store-brought raspberry jam

Makes about 12 medium sandwiches cookies.

Method
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick baking mats.
Prepare the Dough
Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt;Mix in the ground almond and set aside.

Beat the Oil,butter,the sugar and egg in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Then stir in the vanilla and fully incorporate. Add the sifted flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, cut in half, flatten into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Chill the dough until firm, at 30 minutes.
Roll the Cookies
Roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters(Rectangle or Circle or Heart Shape), cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. With a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet and place about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cutter of the same shape, cut out the centers from half the cookies (this will form the top of the sandwich); reserve the scraps and re-roll with the other chilled half of dough. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.Top the cookies with the middles cut with some granule sugar .
Bake
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Sandwich
Spread about a teaspoon of the fig jam(recipe below) on the cookie bottoms. Sandwich with the cookies with the middles cut out. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea,coffee or milk. Stores in air cookies jar for about 3-4 days, mine didn't last for more than 12 hours!

To make the Dried Fig Jam

Ingredients
8-10 figs, dried or Ripe,stem cut off and chopped
1 cup of water for dried and 1/2 cup if using fresh figs
2 tablespoon lemon juice,fresh squeezed
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom(Elaichi)

Method
Place figs in a medium pot and add the water,cook for medium heat for about 30 minutes until figs are all soft and tender. Add lemon juice , stir and simmer another 5-10 minutes until most of the water is dry. Process in blender or food processor in to fine paste. Store in Sterilized jar, use on toasts or for making sandwich cookies.


These cookies are low in sugar ,good for snacking and nutritious enough for a kiddie lunch box. I'm sending this recipe to Vandana's Lunch Box Special Event.

Fruity Chunky Chocolate Cookies(Vegan)

These low-fat all vegan cookies are decadent with Dark chocolate chunks in every bite ,sweetness from fruits and honey and could certainly become one of your favorite kind of Chocolate indulgence.
Ingredients needed
1 green or bosc pear.
2 ounce(about 50grams) Dark chocolate(i'm using the dark chocolate bar with nuts and fruits)
3/4 cup All-purpose flour unbleached
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 table spoon Honey
2 table spoon milk
pinch of Salt
3 tablespoon Olive oil.

Makes about 8-10 medium size cookies


To make these Scrumptious cookies
Poach the pears
Peel and core the pears.Cut the pears in 4 quarters. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a saucepan and poach the pear quarters for about 20 minutes. Drain all water from pears and coarsely chop in a blender or food processor. Set aside in a bowl.
Prepare the Batter
Preheat Oven to 375F.
Break the Dark Chocolate in to big chunks.Sift flour and other dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix in the processed pears,chocolate chunks and stir in honey ,oil and milk. Add few more drop of milk if needed to bring the ingredients together.
Bake
Grease your cookie sheet and drop a spoonful of mixture about 1 inch apart in 2 rows.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly brown on top. Serve warm with cold glass of milk.


These snacks are my entry for Hima's Sunday Snacks Event

Almond Cherry Banana Cookies(Eggless)

The tartness of cherries and nutty flavor of almonds along with sweetness of ripe bananas make these cookies my all time favorite.
Ingredients you'll need are
1 cup Whole Wheat flour
2 table spoon Wheat Germ
1 tablespoon butter
2 table spoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 table spoon Pure Honey
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Ripe Banana Coarsely mashed
1/2 cup Tart dried Cherries
1/2 Blanched Chopped Almonds


To make the cookies
Into a large bowl,mix flour, melted butter, Olive oil,honey,baking powder, baking soda,cherries and almonds. Stir in mashed Banana and combine until the dough come together.
Make flat rounds of the dough with palm of your hands and lay on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for about 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and let cool completely on a rack.


Makes about 8-10 cookies.

These snacks are my entry for Hima's Sunday Snacks Event

Granola Cookies

Granola Cookies
Tasty tea time cookies,even suitable for kiddie lunch box.

Ingredients you'll need are
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup Brown sugar
2 tablespoon butter
2 table spoon olive oil
2 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg
1 cup granola cereal(Store bought or as in this recipe)
1/4 cup cherries or raisins

To make Granola cookies
Into a large bowl,mix flour, sugar, melted butter, orange juice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, oil,salt, and lightly whipped egg until well blended. Stir in granola and raisins.

Make flat rounds with palm of your hands and lay on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove a and let cool completely on a rack.

Makes about 1 dozen granola cookies.

These snacks are my entry for Hima's Sunday Snacks Event