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Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma’amoul)

October 22, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

It’s the time of year when the hearts are filled with love and joy. Diwali brings a lot of happiness along with it. It is when you get along with all your loved ones, your family and friends. Lighting diyas on Diwali has a warm feeling attached to it. It just symbolizes hope for me. In these times of distrust and sorrows of a mean world outside, a small lighting diya or candle uplifts your spirit and makes you believe in yourself. This being an auspicious time, I don’t want to drag about the serious subject. Because I believe the hope this beautiful festival brings is eternal.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

I so love this time of year. Everything is amazingly beautiful and festive. The food, the people and the surroundings. You just happen to love everything about Diwali. You get to eat a lot of sweets and dry fruits and a plenty of rich Indian food, eventually making your tummy happy as well. Every year, I think of planning and starting in advance. But I fall prey to the rush of the last moment. Like every other time,  this year I had thought of making Baklava from scratch for Diwali, which I obviously couldn’t make due to some last minute thoughts. And I didn’t have enough time to roll the thin layers of phyllo from scratch and I didn’t want to buy it from market either.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Like every other Indian family, Diwali also means consumption of lot of dry fruits for us as well. Now, when I couldn’t make Baklava, I thought of making these dry fruits and nut filled eggless cookies called Ma’amoul from one of my favorite cookbooks author Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem. Oh! I so loved these cookies! They are buttery, rich, filled with mixture of dry fruits and very gently sweet. One bite of these and you’ll too sure fall in love.

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Traditionally, these are made with filling of dates. But, I filled these kind of shortbread cookies with a medley of nuts and dates. Walnuts, cashews, pistachios, dates, orange rind and a generous handful of rose petals adorn the inside of these cookies. Lovely, rich and fragrant flavors! A true epitome of this festive season! 

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul) 

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)
2014-10-21 19:34:30
Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)
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For the cookies
  1. 350 gm semolina
  2. 40 gm plain flour
  3. 40 gm caster sugar
  4. pinch of salt
  5. 150 gm unsalted butter, cut into cuber
  6. 2 tbsp orange juice
  7. 1 tsp rose water
For the nuts filling
  1. 50 gm walnuts
  2. 50 gm pistachios
  3. 100 gm cashews
  4. 45 gm dates, roughly chopped
  5. 1/4 cup edible dry rose petals
  6. 1 tsp vanilla powder
  7. 1 tbsp orange juice
  8. 1 tbsp orange rind
Instructions
  1. Put the flour, semolina, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir together. Add the butter and work with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  2. Add the water and rose water and mix to make into a ball. Knead the dough to make it completely smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
  3. To make nuts filling, place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse quickly to until you get a uniform coarse paste.
  4. Preheat the oven to 190 degree C. Line two baking sheets and keep aside.
  5. To mould the cookies, remove walnut sized pieces of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten each ball in the cup of your hands and lift the edges to shape it like a little pot.
  6. Fill the pastry with heaped tablespoon of the filling. Pinch the edges over the filling so that the pastry pot is sealed and then roll into a ball again. Flatten the ball between the palms of your hands and then place on the baking sheet. Repeat the process of moulding the cookies, until all the dough and the filling is used. You may wish to give it a design by gently pressing the top of the cookies with a fork twines or using a cookies design plunger.
  7. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until cookies are very lightly golden on the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
By Himanshu Taneja
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
The White Ramekins https://thewhiteramekins.com/
 Happy Diwali! May this festival brings harmony and peace in our lives!

Middle Eastern Nut Filled Cookies (Ma'amoul)

Filed Under: cookies Tagged With: baking, cookies, Diwali, dry fruits, eggless, festive, food, India, maamoul, nuts

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly

September 30, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly

Baklava spiced panna cotta with pomegranate jelly, is a big mouthful. I know, but there is something about the mouthful of recipe names, they sound like a lullaby to my ears. The long names always intrigue me a lot, as if they have a story to tell. Now that may sound a little eccentric to you. But that’s the way it is with me at least. Nonetheless the recipes themselves are as interesting their names may sound. And this one, panna cotta being my favorite Italian dessert, has become all the more exotic when I say it has got Baklava spice flavors.

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly

The medley of flavors just doesn’t end up here, there is more to it. The pomegranate jelly made with fresh seasonal pomegranate juice takes this quintessential Italian dessert to another level. With festival season just round the corner, we tend to draw more towards the luxurious feasts and rich food. And it can’t get any richer than a slice of nutty, syrupy Baklava. I had this dessert first time, while I was in US. One of my Iranian colleague at work had brought boxes full of baklava of different shapes and sizes from his native place. It was the first bite, and I was in love with it. It had that feeling of festivities attached to it.

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly

I have been hoping to make baklava from scratch at home from a very long time, but the fear of rolling those perfect phyllo sheets at home has been keeping me away. And you all know, how busy it gets during the festival season. But I am truly wishing that I get to tick this off soon from my list, at least I’ll give it a try this Diwali. But till then, just to keep myself happy, I made this baklava spiced panna cotta with pomegranate jelly. Just look at them, how pretty they look. They easily can become the showstopper at your dinner party this festival season. And they are extremely easy to make without any fuss at all. The sweetness is just perfect and the spiced flavors definitely work best for the season.

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly

Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly
2014-09-29 20:05:55
Baklava Spiced Panna Cotta With Pomegranate Jelly, a quintessential Italian dessert with middle eastern inspired flavors
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For the panna cotta
  1. 2 tbsp gelatin powder
  2. 1 cup full cream milk
  3. 2 cups single cream
  4. 1/2 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise
  5. 2 tbsp honey
  6. 1 tsp rosewater essence
  7. 1 orange, finely grated zest
  8. 1/3 cup sugar
  9. 1 sticks cinnamon
For the pomegranate jelly
  1. 500 ml pomegranate juice
  2. 2 tbsp gelatin powder
For serving
  1. seeds from one pomegranate
  2. pistachios, roughly chopped
For pomegranate jelly
  1. Sprinkle the gelatin powder on top of 1/4 cup of cold water and let it stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Place pomegranate juice into saucepan and gently heat until warm.
  3. Add the gelatin water into the warmed pomegranate juice and whisk to dissolve gelatin.
  4. Strain liquid then divide into serving glasses. Place in fridge to set completely.
For Panna Cotta
  1. Place milk, cream, vanilla, honey, rosewater, orange zest, sugar and cinnamon in a large saucepan over low-medium heat.
  2. Stir to dissolve sugar, bring to a simmer then turn off the heat and allow cinnamon and vanilla bean to infuse for 30 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle the gelatin powder on top of 1/4 cup of cold water and let it stand for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove cinnamon and vanilla bean from saucepan, gently reheat to so that panna cotta is warm.
  5. Add gelatin to the warned milk mixture. Whisk to dissolve gelatine.
  6. Remove from heat and allow panna cotta to cool down a little by whisking and removing excess heat.
  7. Divide and pour the panna cotta mixture into the same serving glasses to create a layered effect. Place in fridge and allow to set overnight.
  8. To serve, garnish with a little chopped pistachio, pomegranate seeds.
Notes
  1. Do not pour really hot panna cotta mixture onto jelly as you risk the jelly melting slightly and the colour bleeding into the panna cotta.
By Himanshu Taneja
Adapted from ABC Delicious Magazine
Adapted from ABC Delicious Magazine
The White Ramekins https://thewhiteramekins.com/

Filed Under: Creams Tagged With: baklava, dessert, eggless, fall recipes, food, italian, Panna Cotta, pomegranate

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

September 17, 2014 by TheWhiteRamekins

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

It’s time when flavours of fall have taken over the summer bounty. Although we are observing late rain showers this year, but few things have different story to tell. It’s time when market is flooded with fruits of fall. Pears, apples and pomegranates are back in abundance with their ripest and sweetest form ever. It’s one of my favourite seasons besides spring. While Spring has the beauty of blushing flowers and red juicy strawberries, fall on the opposite side has the myriad colours of drying falling leaves and fragrant pears and ruby red pomegranate pearls.

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

And I thrive on fresh seasonal produce. You’d have seen the regular use of seasonal produce in my baking, which clearly tells how I love them in my cakes and bakes. They bring a life in entirety to the regular home bakes I keep on trying regularly. Ironically it keeps the regular feel far away from such easy home kitchen recipes. And what else one could dream of – a simple and sometimes an old recipe getting revived with the new seasonal flavours.

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

I baked one chocolate chunk pear cake few days back which almost reminded me of the Chocolate & Pear Teabread, which I had baked last year. Sadly, I couldn’t take pictures of it, as I was in hurry to get home soon and meet the parents. And I was itching so badly, that I wanted to get at least one Pear recipe this season, before they get disappeared off the shelves.

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

So determinedly, I baked this Pear Ginger & Rosemary cake {actually, three mini loaves} and took photos of them. Now, if I talk about the ginger, it was from the jar of remaining candied ginger from the last year’s Chocolate Chip & Candied Ginger Cookies. Ginger, which is again a flavour of festive season, pairs really well with Pears.

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

And the Rosemary, just accentuates the flavour of aromatic Pears and the spicy sweet ginger. Such beautiful medley of flavours! And I am in love with them. And if that isn’t just enough for you, I tell you that these cakes are baked without eggs. Wow!!! isn’t that just a bonus, for all you lovely vegetarian people. I think it is, at least for my mommy, who doesn’t eat eggs. She just loved them. 

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake

Pear Ginger & Rosemary Cake
2014-09-17 11:02:52
Eggless pear ginger and rosemary cake, celebrating the flavours of fall season.
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For the cake
  1. 200 gm cake flour
  2. 100 gm sugar
  3. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  4. 1 tsp baking powder
  5. 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
  6. 2 tbsp finely chopped candied/stem ginger
  7. 1/4 tsp salt
  8. 100 gm unsalted butter, softened
  9. 175 ml buttermilk
  10. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  11. 1 cup pears, peeled, chored, and sliced
For the streusel
  1. ½ cup chopped walnuts
  2. 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  3. 25 gm sugar
  4. 50 gm cold butter (cubed)
For the streusel
  1. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and butter and rub the mixture with your fingertips so that it eventually resembles the bread crumbs.
  2. Stir in the walnuts and keep in fridge, until ready to use.
For the cake
  1. Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius. Line and grease either 3 2-cup capacity mini loaf pans or one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
  2. In a bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and stir thoroughly.
  3. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer, so that it resembles bread crumbs.
  4. Add the buttermilk, vanilla and rosemary and stir well to combine.
  5. Fold in the chopped pears and ginger.
  6. Divide the batter into prepared pans. Scatter the streusel topping and bake in oven for about 35 - 40 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the middle of cakes comes out clean.
  7. Let cool the cakes in pan for 15 minutes and then invert them onto wire racks to let cool completely.
By Himanshu Taneja
The White Ramekins https://thewhiteramekins.com/

Filed Under: cake Tagged With: autumn, baking, cake, candied ginger, egg free, eggless, fall, food, pears, recipes

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Hi! I'm Himanshu - a home chef who loves to cook, bake, style and photo shoot... Read More…

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