Cherry Short Bread

My husband was out of town on a business trip the whole of this week so I have been staying away from my kitchen and away from cooking elaborate meals....nothing much has been happening in my domain ..it is like an extended holiday after getting back from Vegas this Monday... not sure whether I am enjoying this (it is kind of boring not to cook). ... ...We had been to Vegas last weekend....it was a great trip! I was enchanted and left spell bound after landing there...it was more like seeing the US as in Bollywood movies ( I have never felt that way even in Chicago. Detroit or other major cities that I have visited in the US)....it was entirely different. The grandeur of the city cannot be expressed in words...everything about the city is great - "Food (name the cuisine ....you can go for it), the theme of the casinos there (one stop for all - Venice, Rome, Paris....) state of art technology (I have not seen skywalks, elevators and escalators to move around the city - that is to move around the strip!), the way people dress up and what not...I can go on  ravishing about it...so let me stop here about Vegas and get on to my recipe!

Since my husband left on the business trip the day after we landed from Vegas...I made a simple meal of rasam and veggie for my son and myself and spent most of the time playing with him - coloring, building blocks and so on.... Last night out of the blue my son started asking me for the heart shape cookie (I was so happy that he remembered them even though I made it couple of months ago)...I was glad he asked for it and happily hopped into my kitchen to make something new for my dear son.... Actually I had  just planned to fix myself a simple aloo poha (after getting bored of eating rasam and veggie for every meal) and close the kitchen...since he asked for it I ventured to make it for him..

I had bought the cherries long back but it just remained in my pantry ever since I bought it.... I had put a break to the sweet treats since I had made too many goodies loaded with fat in a short while....had given a break so as not to add up on the extra calories....

I was contemplating on making the easy biscuits that I came across in my perima's baking book and then remembered about the cherry short bread recipe too from that book. I am amazed to learn that my perima has made cherry short bread some 25 years ago (I did not know about till I came to this Country!)....!!  So I march into the kitchen so happily to make the cookie for my son. He does ask me for chips, fish cookie or croutons but never asks for anything that I can make for him...hence I wanted to satisfy his wish....

Ingredients:

1 Cup All purpose flour
3/4th stick Butter (bring it to room temperature)
1/4th Cup Sugar
1/4th Cup Cherries (dried) - cut them if necessary
1/4th Cup Cold Water (but you will not be using them entirely)

Sieve and sift the flour. Rub in the butter.
Add the sugar and cherries and mix the flour well.
Sprinkle cold water little by little and make it into a soft dough.
(She had not mentioned about refrigerating them....but I did it by placing the dough in air tight container for 20 minutes)
Roll out the dough on a flat surface (about 1/8th diameter thick)...I am yet to get a cookie cutter... hence used free hand drawing to cut it into different shapes (use your imagination).........
Grease the baking tray and pre-heat the oven upto 350 degrees.
Cut into desired shapes using free hand or with a cookie cutter and prick them with a fork.
Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes.....

I have not seen anything as easy as this to be made.....it does not take more than an hour to finish it.
Cherry Short Bread was ready by the time my son got up from his nap....he was sleepy and reluctant to get out of bed,,,,the minute I mentioned that I had made the cookie for him....he got up and came straight into the kitchen and I was glad that he ate couple of them ......... My friend's son who is a lover of whatever sweets I make came home today and enjoyed the cookies too....I am glad he liked them too....You too can bake and enjoy!

Butter Biscuits in time for Valentine's day

I wanted to make something delicious for the Valentine's day and surpise my husband...as someone rightly said to win a man's heart is through his stomach :)...you may find cart of loads of stuff to buy for him...and but nothing will beat what you prepare on your own and gift him.

I have the note book with tried tested recipes for cakes, biscuits and more...I cherish this note book which is hand written by my perima with her tips and hints for baking....I will share a photo of this book in the coming days. Not even a single day passes by without flipping through the pages of it. I will browse it but ultimately not try anything from it...the sheer fear of messing the recipes up. Today I got the courage to try it and I made the biscuit that was mentioned in the very first page..

Thanks to my perima for sharing this wonderful book with me.

Ingredients:
All purpose Flour - 2 cups
Baking Powder - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Butter - 1 stick
Vanilla essense - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 6 Tbsp
Sprinkles or any other topping as desired

Sieve the maida along with baking powder and add the salt.
Take the butter at room temperature and nicely blend it with the flour.
Add the sugar and vanilla essense and mix it well.
Make it into a smooth dough by lightly sprinkling the milk (you will get the dough the way you do it for badushah).
Roll the dough in the form of chappati (1/8th inch).
Cut it with the shape of your choice.
Since I did not have the cookie cutter. I shaped them with the knife. Decorated with edible sprinkles.

(Note: you may decorate it the way you want with icings, nuts etc).

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees.
Grease the baking tray and line up the biscuits.
Let it stand for 10 minutes. Brush the biscuits with milk.
Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes. The aroma of the biscuits from the vanilla and the butter ..smells sweet. Bake it and enjoy it for the aroma and the taste....