Vanilla cookies

Next on the baking agenda today were simple vanilla cookies, to be packed into the gift boxes. Thoroughly enjoyed making these, as it was soooooooooooooo simple!!!! And I used some cutters to get cut outs of stars, flowers, hearts and diamonds :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soft butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 2 cups plain flour
• few drops of vanilla essence

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade.
2. Beat the butter soft.
3. Add the sugar and mix well. Add vanilla essence.
4. Add the flour and mix to form a soft dough.
5. Divide the dough into large balls.
6. Roll out each ball till about 3mm thick.
7. Cut out into desired shapes and place on a baking tray.
8. Bake at 170 degrees centigrade for around 10 mins.

I had just finished baking these by the time the kids were back from school. P2 was so excited to see the cookies and all her favorite shapes! It all so worthwhile just to see that excitement on their faces :)

Vanilla chocolate cupcakes

I can't believe a year has passed by, and I am totally out on updating my recipes :(. SO much cooking has happened, but no time to get them updated. Finally I felt it was time I started recording the recipes that I really want to keep for the future, recipes that someday, hopefully, my daughters will go through too :)

P2's fifth birthday is tomorrow, and was racking my head as to what to pack for some gifts for her classmates. The usual trend these days is to give a stationery box with toffees. I decided to give them small pretty boxes with a cupcake, cookies and a Perk. So spent a good part of the afternoon baking the cupcakes and cookies.

I wanted something different, not the usual cupcakes. So come up with this idea of a layered vanilla chocolate cupcake. It looked awesome! Will put the pics up shortly......

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients :
Chocolate cake layer:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup curd 

Vanilla cake layer:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
  
• 2/3cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade.
2. Follow the same procedure for both the batters separately. 
3. For the vanilla batter - 

• Mix the sugar and oil well. Add vanilla essence.
• Add one egg at a time and mix well
• In  a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Divide the flour mixture into 3 parts. Add one part to the oil batter, followed by half of the milk. Mix well.
• Add the second portion of the flour mixture to this batter. Mix well.
• Add the remaining half of the milk and continue to mix well.
• Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Do not over beat. 

Follow the same procedure for the chocolate batter. Mix in the cocoa to the flour mixture and proceed as above.

In the muffin tray, add a spoonful of vanilla batter and over that, add a spoonful of the chocolate batter. Do this for all the muffin moulds.Bake at 170 degrees centigrade for around 14 minutes.
Check if cooked and let them cool on a grill.

Simple, isn't it!