I hope you had a great holiday season and wonderful start into the New Year. Am starting the new year on a sweet note. Baked a batch of Apple cinnamon muffins that have stolen the hearts of my family members. The aroma of cinnamon and the flavor of apple and chocolate chips make the muffins a special, tasty, homemade treat. And they taste best when slightly warm.

1 Preheat oven 200 degrees C and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2 In a large bowl combine the flour, baking pwd and cinnamon pwd. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
3 Mix in the brown sugar and lightly beaten eggs.
4 Add melted butter and mix until well combined.
5 Add 3-4 additions of flour alternating with milk and ending with flour. Just mix till the flour is combined in the batter. Do not over beat.
6 Fold in the chocolate chips and diced apple (that has been tossed in cinnamon sugar).
7 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners till three-fourths full. Bake for about 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8 Place on a wire rack to cool and remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My usual daily routine goes for a toss when Nehal is on school break and am literally on my toes to keep him productively occupied when he is done with his regular extra curricular activities. Luckily, I am done with most of my Christmas baking and gift packing. Will be baking fruit cake tonight and tomorrow.

Today I have yet another cookie post, an amazing recipe booked marked from Evil Shananigans. A buttery and fragrant marble cookie that makes for a perfect holiday treat. For a more detailed pictorial on how to make these cookies do visit Evil Shananigans.

1 Start with preparation of peanut butter dough. In a bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, egg and salt and mix.
2 In another bowl, sift flour and baking pwd. Add the flour to the butter mixture and make a smooth soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 2 hrs.
3 Next prepare the chocolate dough. In a bowl, cream sugar, butter and melted chocolate till smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, egg and salt and mix.
4 In another bowl, sift flour, cocoa pwd and baking pwd. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and make a smooth soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 2 hrs.
5 Take the chilled doughs and roll each of the doughs to 1/4″ thick rectangle. Cut each rectangle into half. Take one half each of the chocolate and peanut butter dough, place the chocolate rectangle on top of the peanut butter rectangle and fold the dough in half and then in half again. Flatten the dough and again fold in half and flatten again to 1/4″ thickness and roll into a log. Wrap the log in plastic and chill for 2 hrs. Repeat the same process with the rest of the other half of chocolate and peanut butter dough.
6 Pre-heat oven to 180 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the log into 1/4″ thick slices and place them 1″ apart on the baking sheet.
7 Bake for 11-12 minutes, or the bottom of the cookie is golden brown. Cool for 5 mts before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Our home has been smelling like a baker’s kitchen all day. I baked, baked and baked for a major part of the day – lots of cookies. Made a batch of peanut butter cookies to be gifted to family and friends. They make for great holiday cookies and a crunchy kiddie treat. You can add chocolate chips for a chocolate-y flavor and crushed peanuts for crunch.

1 Sieve together flour, baking pwd, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.
2 In a bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the buttermilk, vanilla essence and egg until light and creamy.
3 Mix in the sieved ingredients until just blended. Cover with plastic foil and place in refrigerator for half an hour.
4 Prepare small lemon sized balls and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart as they spread. Lightly flatten the balls. (If you want a chewy cookie, drop a tbsp of cookie batter on the baking sheet and do not flatten it. For a crisp cookie, make a ball and flatten it.)
5 Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for about 12 mts till the edges are slightly toasted or till done. Once baked, the cookie will feel soft on touch but once cool it will harden. If you over bake beyond the mentioned time limit, you will have a very crunchy cookie.
6 Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container.

Lately, I’ve been bitten by the baking bug. Yes, its the Christmas season and will be on a baking spree over the next few days, baking cookies, muffins and cakes. Yesterday, I baked a batch of Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins which I bookmarked from Divya’s blog who found this tasty treat at Baking Bites. These addictive muffins have a subtle flavor of coffee and a pronounced taste of chocolate.

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2 In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking pwd and salt. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
3 In another bowl melt the butter and while its still warm, stir in coffee pwd and cocoa pwd.
4 In another bowl, mix eggs, milk and vanilla.
5Add the egg mixture and butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners till three-fourths full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7 Place on a wire rack to cool and remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Remember eggplants cooked in poppy seeds, Vankaya gasagasala kura I blogged earlier? Many of you got back to me with positive feedback. Well, today’s recipe is on the same lines with boiled eggs replacing eggplants. Poppy seeds lend body and enrich the flavor making it a very good side with flavored rice, naan or rotis.

1 Add 2 tsps of oil in a cooking vessel, add the boiled eggs and roast them till brown on both sides. Remove and keep aside.
2 In the same vessel, add the remaining oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and as they dance around, add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 mts.
3 Add salt to taste, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd, roasted methi pwd and combine well. Add 2 cups of water and cook for 3-4 mts, till it comes to a boil. Add the roasted khus khus paste, tamarind extract and jaggery and cook on medium high flame for 3 mts.
4 Cover with lid and cook on medium low flame for 5 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure it does not stick to the pan. Add the roasted eggs and cook on low to medium flame for 15 mts or till the gravy turns thick. Turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
5 Serve with rice, naan or roti.

Nehal is enjoying his Dasara break with his friends. School break means more work for me in the kitchen. I don’t mind it at all, in fact, enjoy it. Yesterday, I baked a charming, delicious sweet treat for Nehal and his friends. Pineapple Upside Down Cake! Though it sounds and looks fancy, its a breeze to make.

1 Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease and flour a round baking pan. Prepare the topping by melting butter in a pan and add brown sugar. As the sugar melts and foams, cook on medium flame for a mt and pour into the baking pan. Over this sugar layer, place pineapple slices and in the center of each pineapple piece place a glazed cherry. Keep aside.
2 Sieve maida, baking pwd and salt in a bowl.
3 In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Use a hand blender to make a smooth creamy mixture. Add the beaten egg and combine well. Add vanilla essence and combine.
4 Fold in the maida mixture little by little alternating with milk. Do not over beat, just fold the dry till there is not trace of any flour.
5 Pour batter over the fruit layer. Bake in preheated oven for 45 mts or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, slice and serve at room temperature.

Quick boiled egg stir fry that is slightly similar to the simple egg roast recipe I blogged a while ago. An amalgamation of North and South Indian style of culinary preparation. Aromatic curry leaves and spices, kasuri methi, fresh coriander leaves and caramelized onions give the quartered boiled eggs an addictive taste. Serve as an appetizer or a dry saute with rice or rotis.

Peel and quarter 4 boiled eggs. Pour 1/2 tbsp of oil in a vessel, add few curry leaves, 2 slit green chillis, 1/4 tsp minced ginger and 1 sliced large onion and saute for 4-5 mts. Add a pinch of turmeric pwd, pinch of methi pwd, pinch of cumin pwd, 1/2 tsp coriander pwd, 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd, pinch of garam masala pwd and salt to taste. Add 1/2 tsp kasuri methi and combine. Place the quartered boiled eggs and combine carefully. Cook on low flame for 3-4 mts. Combine again and cook for another mt. Turn off heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve warm with rotis or rice.

Our brunch this morning was roasted chicken sausages flavored with oregano, sauteed shredded cabbage, boiled egg, cucumber and lightly sauteed apple slices. This breakfast platter is adapted from Nita Mehta’s breakfast cookbook and made for a super quick, flavorful, filling, men-pleasing (my son and husband) meal. For a lunch or dinner version, you can top with some salsa and grated cheese.

1 Heat 2 tsps of butter in a vessel, add the shredded cabbage and stir fry on high for a mt. Add tomato sauce, salt, sugar and pepper and turn off heat. Remove onto a serving plate. Over the sauteed cabbage or around it, arrange the grated carrot. Keep aside.
2 In the same vessel, add a tsp of butter, add the sausages and roast for 2-3 mts till well browned. Sprinkle the oregano and remove them onto the bed of cabbage and carrot.
3 In the same pan, add another tsp of butter, pinch of sugar and pepper and place the apple slices and saute for few secs on both sides. Remove onto serving plate.
4 Arrange boiled egg slices on the plate, sprinkle salt and pepper. Finally arrange cucumber slices. Breakfast/brunch is ready to be served.

An inviting egg curry that is loved by all at home. There are numerous versions of egg korma floating round the internet. But today’s recipe is bookmark-worthy. The combination of heady spices, fresh mint and coconut sauteed along with the onion-tomato base gives the egg kurma its unique flavor that is hearty and comforting. Makes a great side with biryani or flavored rice.

1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add chopped onions and fry till transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and mint leaves and saute for 3 mts. Add curry leaves, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd and salt and combine. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 4-5 mts.
2 Add the ground paste and cook for 7-8 mts, stirring so that it does not stick to the vessel.
3 Add the boiled eggs and combine. Cook without lid for 3-4 mts. Add 2 cups of water and cook with lid on simmer till the gravy thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Turn off heat.
4 Serve with pulao, biryani, coconut rice or rotis.

Comfort food, Egg biryani, makes for a perfect Sunday meal with raita and curry. Yesterday, I was inspired to make a flavored rice and since our family loves eggs, I decided on Egg biryani which has a striking resemblance to Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani. Its easy to put together, substantial and full of flavor. Serve to family and friends and wait for the compliments.

Next time will blog another version of Egg biryani that calls for scrambling the eggs.

1 Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, mint leaves, oil and salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
2 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil + 1 1/2 tbsps ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove half of the caramelized onions and keep aside.
3 To the remaining half caramelized onions, add green chillis, mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mts. Add red chilli pwd, coriander pwd and biryani masala pwd and salt (just enough for the egg masala) and combine well. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 mts. Add the eggs and saute till well coated with the masala. (You can also halve the eggs and place carefully and saute in the masala).
4 Add the yogurt and combine. Cook for 5 mts till oil separates. Add lemon juice and combine. Turn off heat and keep aside.
5 Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add drizzle some oil all over, add half the rice as a first layer followed by the egg masala and spread out in the vessel.
6 Spread the remaining rice over the egg masala layer, pour 1/2 tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add the caramelized onions. Next sprinkle coriander leaves and pour the saffron milk over the rice.
7 Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight. Cook on medium high flame for 5 mts. Remove the vessel from fire and place a iron tawa over low flame. Place back the vessel on the iron tawa and cook on low flame and cook biryani for 15 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 5 mts.
8 Remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

Follow these steps to prepare biryani:

Boil eggs. While eggs are boiling, get the rice ready along with the other ingredients to cook rice.
While rice is cooking, slice onions, green chillis and chop tomatoes. Pick and chop mint and coriander leaves.
Prepare Biryani masala powder. Soak saffron in milk.
Caramelize onions.
While the onions are caramelizing, strain rice and spread on a wide plate. Peel eggs and make slits.
Prepare egg masala and layer rice and egg masala in a wide vessel and cook on dum.