Cookie Gifts :)

Hello everybody.

I have this childish habit I guess ! love to use,eat.wear any gift right away .I never hide away or keep anything for later like today, I got this beautiful food display tray from my cousin yesterday,really elegant, so I called my friends this morning for coffee then thought why not make a quick breakfast to use the new item ? loveliest meal ever specially when shared with my best friends.

Afternoon I baked some Rock cookies and Chocolate Chip Marsh mellow ones for my cousin loving in U.A.E ,will send them with my friend going to visit her tomorrow, even improvised a greeting and packaging quickly, hope she likes them .

No cooking today of course,lots of leftovers from yesterday.

chocolate chips and mini marshmallows cookies.

rock cookies with nuts and raisins.

banancooking labeled gifts.

Cherry cookies and Eggplant Tajeen (منزلة باذنجان).

Hello everybody.

December is a festive month,many people celebrating Christmas like to try new recipes for dinner or lunch or as Christmas treats or cookies. I’ll try to make something new each day this month to give you some ideas, food websites have thousands of recipes but not all are feasible or easy to make so I’ll be picky and try them before publishing don’t worry.

Today I tried these cute cherry cookies since my husband bought a big jar of preserved cherries, very easy and quick to do,you can even use any kind of preserved fruit you like but cherries have this beautiful red happy color that’ll look great on your table .

Lunch today was eggplant tajeen or a more precise description Arabic style Moussaka, it’s very similar but without white sauce , it contains baked or fried eggplants with cooked minced meat with onions ,with layers of green peppers and potatoes ( optional ) some people make it with only eggplants and meat . After layering them you add a pack of tomato paste with 2 cups of water then leave to cook in the oven or on very low heat ( I added a cube of chicken stock to enhance the flavor)

Ingredients and method of cookies ( makes 2 dozens)

* 1 cup butter.

* 1 cup sugar.

* 2 1/2 cups flour.

* 2 tablespoons milk.

* 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.

* 1 cup cherries.

* Beat butter and sugar very well till creamy then add salt and flour.

* add milk till you get a firm dough.

* roll dough to a long rectangle on wax paper.

* arrange cherries in a line in the middle then close dough on them.

* roll the cylinder formed over crushed walnuts then wrap all in the wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour till firm.

* cut the log to 1 cm pieces and arrange in an oven pan and bake in a medium heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

* cool then store in a well closed jar.

* NOTE: these cookies can be done a week ahead and will stay fresh if stored well.

Almond Biscotti and Ginger Chocolate Cookies.

Hello everybody.

No cooking today cause we still have lots of leftovers,however we’re visiting my cousin this afternoon so I figured a box of cookies would be a nice gift.

First batch was ginger chocolate ones, remember the peanut butter ones with Quality Street chocolates in them? well did the same recipe but added fresh and ground ginger,cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves and a bit of molasses instead of the peanut butter. Tastes really good.

Second batch was almond walnut biscottis,these are traditional Italian biscuits usually done with different kinds of flavors and nuts.

Ingredients and method:

* 3/4 cup butter.

* 3/4 cup sugar.

* 4 eggs.

* 2 1/2 cups flour.

* 1 cup nuts,roasted then finely crushed.

* 1 tsp baking powder.

* I added a bit of cinnamon,cardamon and all spice.

* Mix all ingredients consequently till you get a sticky dough.

* Refrigerate for 1 hour.

* cut dough to two halves then form them into logs.

* bake for 45 minutes or till done in the middle.( I was in a hurry so took it out earlier, a small mistake I think)

* when cooled cut to thin slices and toast in the oven till crispy ( 20-30 minutes)

ingredients of ginger chocolate cookies.

ingredients of biscotti.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Hello everybody.

Lovely sunny day,hope all weekend stays like this,started with a lovely breakfast outside in the sun, new olives are done they’re absolutely delicious.

I was invited to a gathering noon time and just before I left I decided to bake some cookies to take with me,after searching in my books for something quick I didn’t do before I found this super easy one, I used Quality Street chocolates, simply crushed a bunch in the food processor instead of normal chocolate chips,this box has been on the coffee table since Adha Eid so I’d better use it rather than eat it alone,don’t you all love these chocolates? never bored of them!

Ingredients and method:

* 1/2 cup butter ( reduce it a bit if using heavy chocolates)

* 1/2 cup peanut butter.

* 3/4 cup brown sugar.

* 1 egg.

* 2 tablespoons milk.

* 1 tsp vanilla.

* 1/2 small spoon baking soda.

* 1/2 tsp baking powder.

* 1 3/4 cups flour.

* 3/4 cup chocolate chips or crushed ones of any kind.

* Mix butters and sugar well till creamy then add egg,vanilla,milk.

* add flour,baking soda and powder then last thing add the chocolates.

*Shape into balls then flatten them a bit,usually I use a coffee cup bottom.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 10-13 minutes or till bottoms are golden.

* cool then keep in cookie jar or tightly closed tin.

These will sure put a big smile on a child’s face specially with a hot chocolate in a cold day 🙂

don’t you just love these?

morning breakfast,yummy!

What to do with Last Year’s Olives?

Hello everybody.

Pouring rain today,hope nobody got stuck in traffic or got soaked wet like me,it was sunny when I left home I swear ! anyway thank God for car’s heater , but roads were really awful and I just heard many people were hurt or stuck in floods ,wish you all be safe and warm .

A dear friend told me last week she do this appetizer with olives,since new ones are about to be ready I pitted all last year’s green olives mixed them with grated carrots,crushed walnuts,hot and sweet peppers,lemon slices and some chili then put all in glass jars and added olive oil to the rim. Great appetizer in cold wintry days like today.

Lunch today was chicken curry also a good choice in cold weather and my son insisted to do some Tacos for himself cause he doesn’t like curry a lot .

I also made Anise Cake to have with mint tea now .

Tacos before it’s done .

chicken curry.

Stuffed Cabbage and New Ma3moul Recipe.

Hello everybody.

Kids cheered when they knew I’m making cabbage today,favorite dish for all in my house,though making it is a long process sometimes specially if all done the same day like this morning, I usually boil and cut them a day ahead and stuff the next day,but yesterday was a full day already,had no strength to do them in the afternoon.

First time trial this time I put one of the cabbages in the freezer last night,upon an advice from my cousin living in Rome,took it out today and it’s true leaves peeled so easily and were ready to stuff no need to boil, but nevertheless I put them for seconds in the hot water to kill any germs ( Rome cabbages are clean and round like a ball not like ours!) ,thank you dear for the tip really helpful.

Since I’m home not going anywhere I did this new ma3moul recipe my aunt posted before Eid,been intending to try it for a while, though I was afraid dough will be too sweet cause one basic ingredient in it is sweetened condensed milk,but result was AWESOME, really easy to handle and very tasty, highly recommended.

Ingredients and method:

* 5 cups flour.

* 400 gm butter.

* 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

* 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk.

* 1/4 cup water.

* dates,walnuts or pistachios for filling .( added cinnamon,icing sugar and rose water to walnuts and cinnamon,anise and cardamon for dates)

* mix all ingredients well till you form a dough.

* start working directly by making small balls and stuffing them, use a mold or decorate them as you wish.

* bake in well heated oven at first then lower the heat when you start till golden.

I added anise seeds to the extra dough and sliced it as Biscotti really yummy also, thanks 3amto for the recipe,love you <3

By the way stuffed cabbage is the most seen post from all my 300 till now !!!!!!!

frozen cabbage.

Anise seeds biscuits.

Beautiful Birthday Cake and Fitness Bars.

Hello everybody.

Too many occasions and birthdays today,though nobody celebrating lives here but I did this beautiful cake anyway, lucky day for Jona my housemaid cause it happens to be her birthday also and she celebrated with her friends and ate the cake,well most important is that someone became happy eating it nevertheless.Happy Birthday Aya,AJ,Salma and happy anniversary to my beloved sis Reema, love you all.

Cake mix is the same as the Cherry Cake I did before but baked in a big rectangular pan to a thin sheet cake,then I added strawberry jam,cream and chopped strawberries and rolled all together like a Swiss Roll, covered with cream,toasted coconuts and finally decorated with strawberries and pineapples.

This cake reminds me of cake patisserie shops long time ago when we were kids in Jabal Al- Hussein,we used to walk to this small shop called Milano just to buy it,yummy yummy.

I also made these Fitness Bars,found a bit old Fitness pack in my pantry this morning,after a quick search in many websites I invented this no ingredients recipe, just mixed Fitness flakes with some butter,peanut butter,toasted wheatgerm and oats,coconut,raisins,brown sugar then added honey till mix is sticky then baked it for 20 minutes,cut to bars when cooled ,great breakfast energy bar,tasted exactly like the ones you buy from stores !

Oh lunch was sweet and sour from yesterday and I made some green fava beans in olive oil (فول بالزيت)

Fitness bars.

No Eggs,No Flour,No Milk Cookies.

Hello everybody.

Gave my second cooking lesson today,really excellent one,we did carrot soup,lettuce mushroom salad,chicken rolls filled with broccoli and cheese then dessert was chocolate mousse.

Went back home with an intention to make these cookies,actually a member in banancooking group asked me if I have no flour,no eggs and no milk recipes cause recently she developed an allergy to all these ingredients, so after some research I found a couple of ones, did the cookies today and hopefully will try bread or loaf tomorrow.

Well cookies tasted really good and crunchy,ingredients are all healthy so everybody on diet can eat them without guilt even if not allergic.

Ingredients and method:

* 3 ripe bananas.

* 1 cup raisins ( I added some cranberries also)

* 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp baking powder.

* 1/2 cup crushed mixed nuts.

* 1/3 cup oil.

* 2 cups oatmeal.

*1/2 tsp cinnamon.

* pinch of salt.

* mash bananas then mix all ingredients together.

* use a small spoon and scoop from the batter into a baking tin,then bake for 10-13 minutes .

* leave to cool then store in a closed jar or box.

ingredients of cookies.

carrot soup.

mushroom soup.

chocolate mousse

cookies.

Ma3moul and Date Rolls Lesson ( حصه عمل مقروطه ومعمول)

Hello everybody.

Today I was honored and privileged to share a lesson with my dear cousin in her training center ‘Ribbon Cake’ ,she gave her part in making ma3moul with its stuffing, dates,walnuts and pistachios plus making Sable cookies in various shapes.

My part was teaching how to make my specialty Date Rolls, I really enjoyed my time a lot,it’s the first time I do this, did it before but in my house and with family and friends, hope the ladies enjoyed the lesson as well.

As you all know Adha Eid is within 10 days and many housewives started preparing for it,this lesson today was a great help for sure, Adha Mubarak everybody <3

Beans Orange Salad and Thumbprint Cookies.

Hello everybody.

Had visitors last night with no time to do lots of stuff,so I made this easy salad and some cookies and arranged some fruits,with coffee,tea and nuts turned out a pleasant evening.

Salad contains red beans,sweet corn,chopped colored sweet peppers with orange slices on top,dressing was salt,oregano,lemon,vinegar and olive oil.

As for the cookies, these are ingredients and method:

* 1/2 cup butter.

* 1/4 cup sugar.

* 1 large egg separated.

* 1 cup flour.

* pinch of salt.

* 3/4 roasted finely crushed nuts.

* jam

* beat egg yolk,butter,sugar and salt till creamy.

* add flour and knead till you form a ball.

* form small balls then press them with your thumb a bit in the middle.

* beat the egg white and coat cookies with them.

* roast and crush finely the nuts then coat cookies with them as well.

* bake in a moderate heated oven for 13-15 minutes.

* when cooled add a little bit of jam in the thumbprint.

Yummy yummy 🙂

What to cook today?

day by day cooking ideas

cookies

Cookie Gifts :)

Like this:

Cherry cookies and Eggplant Tajeen (منزلة باذنجان).

Like this:

Almond Biscotti and Ginger Chocolate Cookies.

Like this:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Like this:

What to do with Last Year’s Olives?

Like this:

Stuffed Cabbage and New Ma3moul Recipe.

Like this:

Beautiful Birthday Cake and Fitness Bars.

Like this:

No Eggs,No Flour,No Milk Cookies.

Like this:

Ma3moul and Date Rolls Lesson ( حصه عمل مقروطه ومعمول)

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Beans Orange Salad and Thumbprint Cookies.

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