Cranberry and Apricot Swirl Cookies ~ Pinwheel Cookies

Christmas fruit cakes have been posted on many blogs, so I thought of doing something different and yet complement the Christmas flavour. My swirl cookies or pinwheel cookies are inspired by the classic swiss rolls. They are filled with the fruity combination of cranberries and apricots, infused with the flavours and aromas of Christmas spices (cinnamon and cardamom).


Ingredients:
11/2 Cup Maida / All Purpose Flour / Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cup of Butter (Cubed)
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup of Cranberries
1/2 Cup of Apricots
1/2 Cup of Raisins
1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest
1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Cardamom Powder
1/3 Teaspoon of Nutmeg Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Butter
1 Teaspoon of Honey

Method:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and keep aside.
2. Take cubed butter and sugar in a bowl, and with the help of an electric beater or hand blender whisk them together for almost 3 minutes or till the butter becomes very fluffy and double in size.
3. Now add the egg in the butter mixture and whisk it again for 5 minutes. The mixture will become very fluffy and will increase in the volume. Use hand blender for whisking it makes life easy.
4. In a food processor pour the butter , egg mixture and flour, blend it till the flour turns in to a soft dough. You can knead the dough with your hands, but I prefer blending cookie dough in a food processor as it is less messy and you don't have to handle soggy dough in your hands. The dough will be soft and fluffy.

5. Wrap the cookie dough in a cling film and put in your deep freezer for 40 minutes to make the dough tough.

6. Meanwhile prepare a fruity filling. Soak raisins in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes. In a bowl, add Cranberries, Apricots, Soaked and drained Raisins, Orange Zest, Cinnamon Powder, Cardamom powder and Nutmeg Powder. Blend them together and form a Coarse paste.
7. Add honey and butter in this fruity filling and mix properly and keep it aside.

8. Remove the tough cookie dough from the freezer and place the dough in between two wax papers or oiled cling film and roll it in a long rectangular shape.

9. Remove the top wax paper / cling film and spread the fruity filling on the rolled cookie sheet evenly.

10. With the help of the wax paper below roll it up the cookie dough. Once the dough is entirely rolled up, again cover it with a cling film and freeze it inside the freezer for 40 Minutes.

11. Preheat the oven on 180 degree Celcius.
12. Remove the roll from the freezer, unwrap it and cut the roll in to slices. These slices gives the swirl effects.
13. Place these cookies of the ungreased cookie sheets or baking paper and bake on 180 degree celcius for 8 - 10 minutes or till edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned.
14. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.
15. You can have this delicious cookies warm as well as cold and they can be stored in the air tight containers for a week. I have stored them in a cute Christmas Box.

This is my entry for my very own Christmas Feast Event

This entry also goes for Santa's Holiday Challenge and Baking for Beginners event

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Chocolate and Walnut Brownie

The brownies, also refered to as a Boston brownie, are a dense squares of chewy chocolate cake, usually containing nuts, named after its color. Brownies comes in all kinds of sizes and shapes and sometimes glazed with fudge and often containing nuts, chips, peanut butter etc. Brownies are simple to bake and is often used as an example recipe for novice chefs and bakers.

It was my Hubby's B'Day and thought to bake a Brownie this time instead of Cake. Since Rahul is not so fond of Walnuts, I have also added Almonds along with Walnuts in the Brownie. Brownies also goes well as a delicious dessert for Christmas Parties.

Instead of baking them in traditional way, I have tried to introduce few shortcuts and make it simple, and the result was dark, nutty and moist Brownie.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Maida (Plain Flour / Self Raising Flour)
3/4 Cup Butter
3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons of Coffee
1 Tablespoon Hot Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanila Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts and Almonds
1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Method:
1. Combine Butter and Coco powder in a bowl. Instead of following the traditional method of melting butter and cocoa on a double boiler, I have placed the bowl in a Microwave only for 1 Minute. Once the butter is melted remove it from the microwave and mix the butter with Cocoa well and see to it there are no lumps. It should be a smooth batter.

2. In a bowl break the eggs and add sugar to it. Use a hand blender and whisk the eggs and sugar together with the blender. Whisk the eggs till the mixture becomes double in size. One can increase the amount of sugar if one prefers more sweetness.

3. Since I prefer bitter Brownie, I have combine coffee and hot water and added to the butter and cocoa mixture.

4. Now combine the Egg and sugar mixture with the butter and Cocoa mixture. Add Vanila extract and mix both the mixture properly. Hand blender comes to my rescue, I have mixed both the mixture with the help of the blender. Keep this mixture aside.

5. Now in a big deep bowl, sieve Maida, baking powder and salt together. Now add the dark chocolate combined mixture in the flour. Fold the flour with chocolate mixture and while folding the mixture add chopped nuts and chocolate chips in between. If you cannot find chocolate chips add grated dark chocolate bar or chunks. Remember to fold the mixture in one direction.

6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease the Square baking tray or place a grease proof paper or Butter paper. Pour the batter in the tray, sprinkle few chopped nuts and chocolate chips on top, I have sprinkled chopped almonds as it gives nice nutty look to the brownie once it is baked. Bake the mixture for about 25 - 30 Minutes or when you pierce the tip of the knife and it comes out clean or there are cracks on the top of the mixture.

7. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Then cut in to small square pieces. Brownies are best served when they are warmed and accompanied with cold vanila ice cream. The warm chocolate brownie compliments the cold ice cream.

The Other goodies prepared for the B'Day Boy will be posted soon.

This is my entry for my very own Christmas Feast Event

This entry also goes for Home Made Christmas Gifts , Santa's Holiday Challenge

and Baking for Beginners event

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Hema of Adlak's Kitchen has celebrated her 100th Post and she has showered upon me Best Blogger Friend Award, Thnak you Hema, I am really thankful to you.

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Chocolate Cake

It was our first civil marriage anniversary on 29th of May. We are among few fortunate ones, who celebrate two marriage anniversaries, as first we had our civil marriage and then we tied our knots in traditional Hindu style wedding ceremony in December. Instead of buying cake from outside, I thought will surprise my hubby by baking a cake myself.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of Maida (Self Raising Flour)
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Oil
3 Eggs
1 Tablespoon of Cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon of Baking powder
Pinch of salt

For Icing:
1/2 Dark Chocolate bar
100 gm of Icing sugar
2 Tablespoon of Butter
2 Tablespoon of Milk
Method:
1. Sieve self raising flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder together.
2. In a glass vessel beat egg, sugar and oil together until the mixture rises to double in quantity.
3. Add the egg mixture in the flour mixture and fold the batter.
4. Take a baking tin and grease it with butter and dust it with some flour.
5. Now pour the mixture in the baking tin and bake the cake in preheated oven at 200 degree Celsius for 20 Minutes or till your knife when pierced in the cake comes out clear.
6. Let the cake cool for few minutes, then put the tin upside down and remove it from the tin.
7. For icing, melt butter and chocolate bar together on double boiler or in a microwave. Add icing sugar and milk and mix it properly.
8. Cut cake horizontally from between, take one piece of the cake and apply the icing mixture evenly on it. Press the other cake piece on it and then apply the icing on top of the cake and sides of the cake and cover the whole cake with the icing mixture and let it cool in refrigerator.

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