Cinnamon Cookies

They were really easy, ready in no time & everyone just loved them

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour/maida

To Roll
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C & grease cookie sheets or line a baking tray with foil & grease it.
In a bowl, cream together powdered sugar & butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, salt, & cinnamon and add to creamed mixture.
Combine remaining powdered sugar & cinnamon & keep aside.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls with hands and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
One batch makes 20-25 cookies.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks.

Tips
* Do not decrease the amount of butter, it is needed to bind the dough.
* You can use brown sugar in place of white.
* I used maida instead of all purpose flour.
* Either use white butter without salt or if using salted butter, avoid adding salt. I used salted butter so omitted salt in the recipe.

Naan Khatai

Nan khatai is an Indian version of western cookies & are loved by one and all.These light and crispy biscuit are perfect to serve with tea or coffee.

Ingredients (makes about 24)
3/4 cup plain flour or maida
1/4 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp fine sooji or semolina
2 tbsp gram flour or besan
1/4 tsp baking soda
5 green cardamom seed coarsely powder (elaichi)
3/4 cup pure ghee (can take 2 tbsp less)
3/4 cup sugar powder (can take up-to 1 cup according to taste)
1 tbsp crushed or sliced almond
1 tbsp crushed or sliced pistachio

Method
Pre heat the oven to 180 C
In a bowl, mix the plain flour, gram flour, sooji, baking soda, cardamom powder & sugar.
Add the melted (not hot) ghee & knead them together to make smooth dough.
Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts & make them into balls.
Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 3/4″ in thickness.
With a sharp knife softly draw a cross design on the top & put few pieces of almonds & pistachios and press them into the dough gently.
Put Nan khatai on a lightly greased cookie sheet bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until Nan khatai are lightly gold brown.
Let the Nan Khatais cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet.
Cool completely & store in air tight container.

Tips
* Original recipe had only plain flour, you can make it with half plain flour & half wheat flour.
* Softened Butter can be used instead of melted ghee.
* Amount of sugar depends upon individual taste.
* Cardamom seeds can be powdered along with sugar.

Ahoi Ashtami Recipe

This fast is observed by mother for her child's long & good life. As per a belief, this day is considered as the beginning of Diwali. The mothers observing this fast, wake up early in the morning a keep water in a utensil made of mud (Kora Karawa). They worship Goddess Ahoi, made on wall with wheatish color. Khingri & Meethi poories are the two things that are prepared on this day. Mothers fast for the whole day & story of Goddess Ahoi is told to kids. In the evening, stars are offered the pure water stored in Karawa, ending the fast.


Khingri
200 gm maida
Water to make dough
Oil for frying

Make a semi soft dough using water, make puries & make slits & deep fry.
These can be eaten just plain with little salt or as chat-

5 khingris
1 cup thick curd
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 boiled & chopped potato
Coriander or imli chutney (can use both too)

Mix together curds, jeera powder, chilli powder, salt & potato.
Arrange khingris on a dish & pour this mixture over them.
Sprinkle little extra jeera powder.
Pour chutneys on top & serve immediately.
Prepare this just before serving time as it becomes soggy if kept long.


Meethi Poori
1/2 kg aata (3 cups)
100 gm ghee
4 tbsp saunf

200 gm sugar
Mixed in water required for dough

Add sugar in water & heat for sometime to dissolve it. Cool it.
Rub ghee in aata ,add sauf.
Make a stiff dough using sugar water.
Make puries & make slits & deep fry in medium hot ghee.
These can be kept without refrigeration for upto 15 days.