Cheese Cookies :Eggless Indian Style Salted Cheese Biscuits

Nibbles- all time favorite thing. Easy quick and a perfect partner while watching tv, reading a book, spending some me-time or just like that. And better if it has cheese, I mean who can say no to cheese-y munchies? Cheese Cookies how does that sound? Recently when I was sent Primula Cheese to try and make some vegetarian dish out of it, I just could not wait. Within a minute I knew I wanted to bake cheese crackers. Flaky and crunchy bits of cheese- ah you getting the picture now.

Little about the Primula Cheese.

And here is how they make it:

It was sent to me in the cute cool blue colored bag, which by the way I loved. Light Cheese, Cheese with Chives and Original Cheese was in the bag. Let me tell you, I am totally enjoying these cheeses. I have had a thick layer on the toasted bread, dipped it in nachos, mixed it pastas, rolled in tortillas and I am totally hooked. I love all three so much that honestly I can’t choose a favorite one. Cheese in tubes- innovative isn’t it? Swirl it, spread it, melt it- do whatever and however you want but do try Primula Cheeses, I bet you will enjoy it to the core.

  

These cheese crackers are addictive and perfect for party or that happy hour time nibble. I used Primula Light Cheese and flavour it gives is earthy, oozing and perfect. I made these crackers a bit thick, more like biscuits or cookies and then paired with little drops of Chives Cheese and oh my god, it was like pair made in heaven.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup All purpose flour/maida

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 pinch black pepper powder

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons primula light cheese

Pinch baking soda

Pinch baking powder

Method:

Sieve all purpose flour, salt, red chilli powder, black pepper, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.

Mix butter in the above bowl. Mix butter till you have bread crumbs like texture.

Mix cheese in it and form the dough. It should be medium soft dough.

Form the dough in the shape of log and cover with cling film and freeze for 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven at 180C for 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Take the log out of freezer and cut in 1 inch thickness and arrange in baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, flip the cookies and bake again for 8 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Swirl Chives Cheese on cookies and serve.

Notes:

You can use any cheese spread instead primula cheese.

Add little salt because cheese already contains salt.

You can add herbs like oregano, basil or rosemary.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with toppings such as tomatoes, olives or any veggies.

You can top these cookies with cheese, tomato or any chutney.

Disclaimer: I was not paid or told to write positive review. The post is based on my experience and is unbiased. Thanking Primula Cheese and OPR  for sending cheese  for review.

Butter Cookies/Indian Bakery Biscuits/Naankhatai And Valentine's Day Wishes

Happy Valentine’s Day! :) Love is not finding someone to live with; it's finding someone you can't live without. 

Before moving ahead I will like to share some facts about Valentine’s Day.

• More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day each year.
• About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged in USA alone each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
•  About 3 percent of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.

So some exchange gifts, some plan for holidays...I have the simple formula- A way to man’s heart is through his stomach.  We both are not huge Valentine’s Day celebrator; who needs ONLY one day to celebrate love. We both never go out on Valentine’s Day, not even for dinner. Reason??? Well, all the restaurants are overcrowded and way too pricey. By the way who all are watching India vs Pakistan tonight???

Butter Cookies or Indian naankhatai are my all time favourite ones. I know they are loaded with butter and sugar, but little calories on a special day is okay ;). If you have ever tasted Indian cookies, or bakery biscuits you would know how amazing they are. Crunchy, buttery and perfectly sweet with hint of cardamom (ilaychi).  These are eggless ones-have with cold glass of milk, warm cup of coffee/tea.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

½ Cup white sugar

1 cup All purpose flour/maida

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder/elyachi

2 tablespoons milk

Method:

Mix butter and sugar till it becomes creamy and light.

Add the flour, salt, cardamom powder and milk at once and mix until combined.

Cover the dough with cling film and keep in fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

Line a baking sheet with baking/grease proof paper.

Take 2 tablespoon dough and form it into ball. Flatten the ball and form into disc or Pattie. Do the same with remaining dough.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. When they start to brown, they are done. Have an eye as they can go from brown to burn very fast!

Transfer to a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes.

Notes:

Make sure every ingredient is at room temperature.

You can also roll out the dough and cut the cookies into desired shape.

If you dont like cardamom powder, feel free to use vanilla essence.

You can also add chopped nuts in these cookies.

Every oven is different, make sure to keep an eye. Very light brown is what you are looking for.

Makes 30-35 cookies and can be stored in a airtight container for 2 weeks.

Cookies Recipe Collection And Happy New Year

Wish you and your dear and near ones a very Happy New Year. I wish and hope that 2015 is more exciting and joyous. Thank you all for amazing 2014, thanks for all the support and motivation :)

For the new beginning I share before you cookies recipes, so that you can start your year with sweetness and lots of baking.

• Vanilla cookies (Little Hearts): - Vanilla and chocolate is such a winner combination and no one can ever go wrong with its taste. The sweet aroma of vanilla and bitterness of dark chocolate compliments each other very well. Enjoy these crunchy cookies with milk or coffee (like me).

• Eggless Cardamom Almond Cookies: - Cardamom-simple enough, yet far more appealing and impressive, and tasty? You bet! They are so quick and ridiculously tasty. Cardamom gives that Indian touch while almonds add that missing crunch. Cardamom lovers, you have to try this.

• Eggless Oats Cookies: - Eggless cookies with healthy touch of oats. These are really crunchy cookies and have a secret ingredient that makes these cookies mind blowing. You are going to looooovvveeee them. Do see the recipe to unveil that secret ingredient.

• Chocolate Cookies: Not any ordinary chocolate cookies, but cookies that are made using hot chocolate powder. It a great way to use up hot chocolate boxes, the texture is gooey and crumbly-extremely delicate chocolaty.

• Curry Leaves Cookies:- Yeah you read it right. If sweet cookies are not for you, then you have to give these cookies try. Curry leaves are sharp and the aroma is so distinguished, and when it is mixed with Indian spices, the cookies turns out to be so notable that you will be hooked.

• Orange Crinkle Cookies:- these are my personnel favourite and I just cant get over with its taste. No eggs and no butter is used in this recipe, which makes it so easy that even a novice can bake them to perfection. It is the appearance that makes these cookies distinctive- the cracks and the coated sugar crafts the touch of snow flakes and crinkle which is very eye catching and dazzling. Even taste wise these cookies are poles apart from the regular ones- they are soft and chewy like a blend of brownie and cookie.

Serving suggestions:

All these cookies are best when served with hot cup of tea or coffee.

These cookies stay fresh in a air tight container for atleast 1 week, so make them in advance and serve on parties, get-together or night outs.

Pack these cookies in a festive tray, box or a plate and gift to your friend or relatives for any occasion.

Do try these cookies and let me know which one is your favorite Happy New Year once again :)