Rock Cookies with White Chocolate.

 

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Hello everybody.

Today’s order was for a friend of mine, date rolls and rock cookies but with a twist this time .

 

I have some white baking chocolate so a crushed them into big chunks and added them to the classic rock cookies batter, increased cranberries also cause both ingredients works well together I presume.

Result was super yummy .

ingredients and method of rock cookies:

* 2 eggs.

* 1 cup sugar or 3/4 brown sugar.

* 3 big spoons butter.

* 1 cup mixed nuts ( walnuts,almonds,pistachios,hazelnuts)

* 1/2 cup raisins ( you can add dried cranberries also)

* 1 tsp cinnamon,pinch of cloves,cardamom and nutmeg.

* vanilla,1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.

* 2 cups flour.

wp-1453217726582.jpg excellent results.

* mix eggs,sugar and butter till creamy.

* toast nuts in the oven for 10 minutes then crush them.

* add nuts and raisins to flour,baking powder and salt then add egg mixture.

* mix very well with wooden spoon till you have a not too soft nor tough dough.

* make spoonfuls of the dough on a baking pan,size of a small ball.

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

* store in a well sealed jar or tin.

Enjoy 🙂

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New Tooth Dessert (سنونيه)

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Hello everybody.

Today’s dessert is a very old traditional one that’s usually done when a baby’s first tooth appears and since my adorable nephew’s new tiny one appeared I made some and distributed a dish to neighbors and friends as the custom says.

Don’t really know why or who’s behind this tradition,guess it’s Lebanese.Main ingredient is pealed wheat soaked and cooked well till tender then you add sugar,spices and nuts for decoration.

Some people make this dish during Winter time after Christmas in a specific day or celebration called Saint Barbara .

Ingredients and method:

* 1 kg of pealed wheat ( قمح مقشور).

* 1 cup sugar.

* 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

* 1 cup raisins.

* 1 tablespoon ground anise.

* 1 tsp ground fennel (optional)

* coconut,sweetened anise seed,candy and nuts (for decorating the top)

* boil the wheat either in a pressure cooker or regular pan till done and water is little and thick.

* add cinnamon,anise,sugar and raisins and leave to boil for another 20-30 minutes on very low heat till all mixture is syrupy and thick.

* pour in small or big dishes as you prefer and garnish with coconuts,candied anise ( قمبز) or any kind of candy or nuts.

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Pizza in a Pan.

Hello everybody.

Lazy cold cloudy Friday, why does it become like this on weekends????

Well at lunch time I suddenly decided to try this pizza recipe my cousin posted last week, a spreadable kind of dough in a pan, topped with pizza sauce, toppings and cheese then cooked on the oven. Turned out really good and extremely quick to be done as said in video.

While pizza on stove I made some Rock Cookies for the empty jar and send some to my friend on the occasion of birth of her first grandson, congratulations

Baked some of the cookie dough in a skillet,super yummy.

 

 

Ingredients and method of pan pizza :
# 1 cup flour.
# 2/3 cup warm water.
# 1/2 tsp baking powder.
# 1 tsp instant yeast.
# 1 tsp salt.
# 1 tsp honey.

# mix all these ingredients well together then spread evenly in a nonstick pan.
# add pizza sauce then any toppings you like ( basil,oregano, tomatoes, olives…)
# top with cheese.
# cover tightly and cook on the stove on high temperature for 5 minutes.
# remove pan lid a bit and lower heat to minimum and leave for another 10 minutes.
# toast top till crispy.

Quick and easy way to make your favorite pizza.

 

wpid-20150522_160521.jpg  pan pizza.

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wpid-20150522_163536.jpg  rock cookies.

wpid-20150522_164458.jpg  small baby gift.

wpid-20150522_165003.jpg cookie in skillet.

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Carrot Cake Puffs.

Hello everybody.

Long busy Saturday, too much errands and things to do. End of the day will be a dinner at our friend’s house.

As usual I always make a carrot cake cause it’s her favorite, this time made them in a different way,puffs or soft cookies filled with cream cheese frosting in between. Very easy and cute better than a big cake.

Ingredients and method :
* 3/4 cup raisins.
* 100 g butter.
* 1/4 cup brown sugar.
* 1/3 cup sugar.
* 1 egg.
* 1 tsp vanilla.
* 1 tsp baking powder.
* 1 cup grated carrotts.
* 1 tsp cinnamon.
* 1/4 tsp ginger.
* sprinkle of nutmeg.
* 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.
* 1 1/4 cups flour.

Cream cheese filling :
* 1 pack cream cheese.
* 1 tablespoon butter.
* 1/4 cup caster sugar.

* Beat butter and sugar well till creamy then add all other ingredients ending with flour.

* batter will be a bit firm,take a spoonful and line them on wax paper.
* bake in a medium heated oven for 10-15 minutes.
* cool then combine each two with cream cheese filling in between.

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wpid-20150425_171122.jpg wpid-20150425_171053.jpg elegant cookies.

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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.

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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.

20141228_144933  chocolate chips and mini marshmallows cookies.

20141228_145655 rock cookies with nuts and raisins.

20141228_145930 20141228_150016 banancooking labeled gifts.

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Christmas Fruit Cake.

Hello everybody.

Though I’m much better today but couldn’t cook plus nobody  coming to lunch,we actually just ate cheese , labaneh and delicious makdous, my kind of food I really consider this the best meal ever.

Nevertheless I did a beautiful Christmas fruit cake cause I already prepared all ingredients yesterday and couldn’t do it.

Of course the traditional cake contains alcohol in it, usually Rum or Brandy, done a month before the holidays and kept in a closed tin so that all flavors and liqueurs are well absorbed, but this alcohol free one is really good and suitable for children.

Ingredients and method:

* 2 eggs.

* 2/4 cup brown sugar.

* zest and juice of one orange.

* 1/2 cup butter.

* 1/2 tsp of cinnamon,1/4 clove,1/4 nutmeg.

* 1/2 cup raisins.

* 1/2 cup walnuts.

* 1/2 candied dry fruits.

* 2 tsp baking powder.

* 1/4 tsp sodium bicarbonate.

* 2 cups flour.

 

* Beat eggs,sugar, butter,orange zest and juice well till creamy.

* Mix fry ingredients with flour well then fold in creamy batter.(mix is a bit thick )

* bake in a medium heated oven for 1 hour or till done.

* decorate with icing sugar.

Really yummy juicy and well flavored cake,do try it you’ll love it !

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Barbara Sweet ( حلوى البرباره).

Hello everybody.

Today I made this kind of sweet usually done by Christians in the Levant region on the 5th of December celebrating Saint Barbara feast which is a traditional  holy event.

Learned how to do this sweet from our lovely Lebanese neighbor long time ago,she used to make  a big dish to each house in the neighborhood may God rest her loving soul. Mom continued to make it throughout the years and I’ve been doing it also,I guess in the memory of the good old days in Jabal Al-Hussein.

 

Ingredients and method:

* 1 kg of pealed wheat ( قمح مقشور).

* 1 cup sugar.

* 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

* 1 cup raisins.

* 1 tablespoon ground anise.

* 1 tsp ground fennel (optional)

* coconut,sweetened anise seed,candy and nuts (for decorating the top)

* boil the wheat either in a pressure cooker or regular pan till done and water is little and thick.

* add cinnamon,anise,sugar and raisins and leave to boil for another 20-30 minutes on very low heat till all mixture is syrupy and thick.

* pour in small or big dishes as you prefer and garnish with coconuts,candied anise ( قمبز) or any kind of candy or nuts.

Serve hot in this cold weather, yummy yummy.

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Apple Strudel.

Hello everybody.

Went with my cousin yesterday to explore this new Austrian bakery that opened recently and was  both disappointed and frustrated, place wasn’t as warm and appealing as photos showed,breads and cookies though some freshly baked but not encouraging at all, I specifically went to buy the famous apple strudel but the one they displayed was from 1 or 2 days ago so I declined,then got one plain loaf so as not to go out empty handed  and to my surprise it was way too expensive 🙁

Anyway  benefit of this visit is that I searched for apple strudel recipes all over,then got this original easy healthy one from my Austrian friend and made one today from scratch,even did’t use phyllo or puff pastries better than any bought one,really delicious.Thank you dear Mary for your help <3

Ingredients and method:

For the dough:

* 2 cups flour.

* 1 egg.

* 2 big spoons butter.

*pinch of salt.

*100 ml (almost 3/4 cup) lukewarm water.

 

Filling:

* 1 kilo peeled and thinly sliced apples.

* 3/4 cup sugar.

* zest of a lemon.

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

* 3 tablespoons crushed walnuts or  almonds.

* 3/4 cup raisins soaked in some water.

* 2 tsp cinnamon.

* 2 tablespoons bread crumbs.

* extra butter to brush top of strudel.

* icing sugar for decorating.

 

* make the dough by mixing flour,salt and egg in the middle mix well then add butter and rub all together.

* start adding water till you get a round hard dough that you can handle.

* leave to rest for 30 minutes.

* spread some flour on a kitchen cloth and spread the dough to a big rectangle.

* make the filling by mixing all everything together.

* spread the breadcrumbs over dough then add the filling in the center.

* with the help of the cloth fold the sides together and ends also very well.

* transfer slowly to a big oven pan .

* brush with butter then make some lengthwise cuts with a sharp knife.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 50-60 minutes.

* dust with icing sugar upon serving.

 

Great dish to do for Christmas by the way.

Thanks again Mary <3

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20141126_151104  made a poppy seed loaf and mushroom soup for lunch.

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Old Fashioned Date Cake.

Hello everybody.

No cooking today,made a salad and lentil soup since weather is cooling down or actually really cold at night.

Did this very old recipe in my book to my mother in-law,her friends coming for tea, no need for a sophisticated creamy or heavy cake,this one will be just fine.

Ingredients and method:

* 3 eggs.

* 1 cup sugar.

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil.

* 1 cup pitted dry dates.

* 1 cup hot milk.

* 2 tsp cinnamon,1 tsp cardamom,1/4 tsp cloves and pinch of pumpkin pie spice if available.

*1/2 cup raisins and crushed walnuts.

* vanilla and 3 tsp baking powder.

* 1/4 tsp baking soda.

* 2 1/2 cups flour.

 

* chop dates and add hot milk on it with the baking soda,spices and raisins,cover then leave to cool down.

* beat eggs,vanilla,sugar and oil.

* mix flour,walnuts and baking powder with a hand mixer.

* finally mix date mixture with eggs and fold all in flour,be sure the batter is thick enough so that dates won’t sink down.

* bake in a medium heated oven for 30-40 minutes or till done.

* add icing sugar or cream cheese icing if you like.

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20140922_160318  lunch today.

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Om Ali ( ام علي).

Hello everybody.

no cooking today cause we went shopping at City Mall and had lunch there,in the way back I bought ingredients of Om Ali dessert cause my husband been craving it since two weeks and I hadn’t got the time to do it at all,it’ll be a nice treat after his hunting trip when he comes home.

This dessert is of Egyptian origin,as they say the mother of Egyptian desserts, it’s said that it’s named after the sultan’s wife Om Ali who distributed this sweet after the death of the Sultan’s second wife. It’s basically done from puff pastry with nuts and cream.

Ingredients and method:

* 1 pack puff pastry.

* 3 cups pf milk.

* 2 packs cream or fresh double cream.

*  1 cup sugar.

* some walnuts,almonds,pistachio,raisins and coconut.

 

* toast the nuts in the oven for 10 minutes then crush them.

* bake the puff pastry till golden.

* heat the milk,cream and sugar till they boil.

* shred the pastry in a deep oven pan then add nuts,coconut and raisins .

* add half the amount of milk then add another layer of pastry and nuts.

* add remaining milk and sprinkle with some cinnamon.

* bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes .

This dish is served hot,you can make it in a pottery pan so as to stay warm for a long time.

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