माइक्रोवेव पेढा (Microwave Pedha)

Microwave Pedha:

Ingredients:

1 can (14 Oz / 396 gms) Sweet Condensed Milk

2 cups Dry Milk Powder

1 stick (113 gms) Unsalted butter

1 tspn Elaichi powder

Saffron / Yellow color (optional)

Almonds for decoration (optional)

Method:

For making this, it is preferrable to use a glass microwave bowl with a little depth.This is because the mixture will keep bubbling and a little depth will prevent it from spilling out
Heat the stick of butter in the microwave safe bowl till it melts. Keep an eye. Don’t allow it to boil. Now remove the bowl from the microwave and add the condensed milk, milk powder , yellow color and elaichi powder if present .Stir well to mix it up.
Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. During these 3 minutes , take the mixture out of the microwave and stir it thoroughly after each minute
After 3 minutes place the mixture in the microwave and heat for smaller durations like 30 secs. This is because the mixture will now start bubbling and you will have to switch off the heat and remove and stir it every 30 seconds. Do this for about 2-3 minutes.
The mixture after this would have considerably thickened. Let the mixture cool down for 15 mins and then make small peda shaped balls.
You can add an almond or pistachio in the center of every peda.

Crunchy Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup All Purpose flour (Maida)

1/3 cup Semolina (Rawa)

1/2 cup Gram Flour (Besan)

1 stick Butter (1/2 cup) (room temp)

2/3 cup Sugar

A Pinch Baking Soda

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Almonds to garnish

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (200 C). In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients (Maida, Rawa, Besan, Baking soda & cardamom powder) In another bowl mix the butter and sugar and beat for a bout 2mins either with a whisker or fork or on low speed for 2 mins by a hand blender.

Once the butter and sugar mix comes to a smooth consistency add the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough. Roll out pedas (small flat balls) and place them on a cookie sheet greased with some cooking spray. Bake the cookies for about 12-15mins or until turned light brown. Once cooled can be served with tea/coffee.

My First Blog

Blog...I used to wonder what that means until i read a couple and finally wanted to have one of my own. Blogging or blog became so common where one can express whatever they want to say unlike yester-years where people used to maintain diaries to put their thoughts, captured into pages and could be cherished for years.

I never had a habit of writing a diary, as a matter of fact writing anything. I loved reading but never thought i would end up writing a diary or creating my own blog one day. It all started, thanks to my husband Ani who was; rather is fond of writing. May it be poems or his general views of what is going around him and the world. I am a regular reader of his blogs and then i decided to create my blog. Its good to have this virtual diary. Well there are times when you want to share your thoughts or exchange with others so this is a good space to do so... so as of now this is my stepping stone in the blog world and i hope to catch that by contributing more.