Unfurl Yourself and dance with joy as we all celebrate Independence Day... !!!!!
Because it is a perfect family holiday in summers. A warm day with bright sun up in the sky and plush white clouds. And a whole Good Day to catch up with friends on Twitter & Facebook !!! This is pure bliss !
Till last year, it used to be a year long wait for us in Hoboken for Fourth of July Macy's Fireworks and for the terrific Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Though we are almost an hour away from Manhattan now, it is still a matter of neighbors envy and owners pride :) , because now we live just a block away from a grand Macy's Store. My evening walk steps take me automatically towards the store, this keeps me in motion and good mood as I check out the latest trends in fashion every now and then. I keep a check on on everything happening right from the launch of summer special Brasil collection to Glamorama coming up in August. Ironically this year we missed the local live display of colors in the sky coz of the excessive heat warning. To keep up the pace with the times and to have a feel good factor while sitting at home, I opened my Picasa album from last year.
We were seeing the 'majestic fireworks' for three years in a row !
and that too from... from our balcony right across the silver lighted skyline of Manhattan...!
Watching hundreds of boats lining up in the Hudson river; bouquet of people flocking in little batches right from the morning to evening in the pier park; playing flying disk with the kids; fishing on the shore; and enjoying speciality cones from the ice cream truck ! And after a fully fun filled day looking at the array of 'colors and sparks in the sky'. The enthusiastic bunch singing the patriotic songs by side. It was AWESOME...... !!!!! And the best part is reflected in the blue waters of the Hudson...! It was the BEST fireworks of the year. The very wait and watch was worth it.... !
Away from Hoboken this year was different, obviously not so action packed.
Yesterday to celebrate the occasion I gave myself a project to bake a small batch of my favorite 'Britannia - Good Day Butter and cashew Cookies' ! In my quest to make those perfect countryside cookies loaded with goodness of butter and cashews, I tried the following recipe from the book I recently got from a book sale. Once the cookies came of the cooling rack, I bundled them in tiny bag to enjoy as midnight snack.
I won't say the cookies were perfect, but good enuff for three of us! Baking these kept my evening busy and we later enjoyed'em over watching fireworks on TV. Cookies were nice and crunchy but in next attempt, I would do two tweaks - One, add brown sugar to get rich brown color and two, lessen the quantity of butter by 2- 3 tsp to make'em crisper. Here I go with the recipe !
Ingredients of Butter & Cashew Cookies:
(Makes 18)
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Semolina: 2 tsp
Rice flour: 2 tsp
Cornflour: 2 tsp
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Cardamom powder: a dash
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 cup (brown sugar preferably)
Roasted Cashews : 1 cup (gently crushed and powdered)
Butter: 3/4 stick
Milk: 2 tsp
Method:
Lightly roast the cashews in a nonstick pan for 5-6 minutes till it gets a hue of brownish tinge. Can also spread on a lightly greased tray and roast in an oven for 7-8 minutes. Once it cools down, crush it with mortal and pestle, keeping some small chunks.
Let the butter soften at room temperature.
Whip it with a spatula and add sugar. I used white sugar, but to get a darker shade of the cookies, preferably use brown sugar.
Sift whole wheat flour, semolina, rice flour and cornflour together.
Add salt & baking powder and sift again.
Mix freshly crushed cardamom powder for aromatic flavor.
Add a cup of gently crushed roasted cashews to the mix of flours.
Add butter and sugar mix in the flour mix.
While adding a little milk, knead to make a dough.
Put the dough in zip lock and let it rest for almost an hour in the refrigerator.
In the mean time, pre heat the oven to 375 F and line the cookie tray with parchment paper.
Take out the dough, give it a knead again.
Take a portion of the dough and roll to make small balls.
Spread the balls in the baking tray.
Gently press the balls and make impressions with a fork.
Bake it for 15-18 minutes till done.
Transfer the cookies with a spatula and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
Can't wait to take a bite......ohhh...so sweet and crunchy !
These cookies are so rich and loved the little chunks of cashews !!!
Enjoy it with a chilled glass of milk :) :) :) :) :)
Thanks for being here and Have a wonderful weekend !
Much luv Sonia !
Check out my post on midnight snack- 'Little Hearts'.
Because it is a perfect family holiday in summers. A warm day with bright sun up in the sky and plush white clouds. And a whole Good Day to catch up with friends on Twitter & Facebook !!! This is pure bliss !
Till last year, it used to be a year long wait for us in Hoboken for Fourth of July Macy's Fireworks and for the terrific Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Though we are almost an hour away from Manhattan now, it is still a matter of neighbors envy and owners pride :) , because now we live just a block away from a grand Macy's Store. My evening walk steps take me automatically towards the store, this keeps me in motion and good mood as I check out the latest trends in fashion every now and then. I keep a check on on everything happening right from the launch of summer special Brasil collection to Glamorama coming up in August. Ironically this year we missed the local live display of colors in the sky coz of the excessive heat warning. To keep up the pace with the times and to have a feel good factor while sitting at home, I opened my Picasa album from last year.
We were seeing the 'majestic fireworks' for three years in a row !
and that too from... from our balcony right across the silver lighted skyline of Manhattan...!
Watching hundreds of boats lining up in the Hudson river; bouquet of people flocking in little batches right from the morning to evening in the pier park; playing flying disk with the kids; fishing on the shore; and enjoying speciality cones from the ice cream truck ! And after a fully fun filled day looking at the array of 'colors and sparks in the sky'. The enthusiastic bunch singing the patriotic songs by side. It was AWESOME...... !!!!! And the best part is reflected in the blue waters of the Hudson...! It was the BEST fireworks of the year. The very wait and watch was worth it.... !
Away from Hoboken this year was different, obviously not so action packed.
Yesterday to celebrate the occasion I gave myself a project to bake a small batch of my favorite 'Britannia - Good Day Butter and cashew Cookies' ! In my quest to make those perfect countryside cookies loaded with goodness of butter and cashews, I tried the following recipe from the book I recently got from a book sale. Once the cookies came of the cooling rack, I bundled them in tiny bag to enjoy as midnight snack.
'I Made cute little potli's of cookies to share with friends |
Ingredients of Butter & Cashew Cookies:
(Makes 18)
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Semolina: 2 tsp
Rice flour: 2 tsp
Cornflour: 2 tsp
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Cardamom powder: a dash
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 cup (brown sugar preferably)
Roasted Cashews : 1 cup (gently crushed and powdered)
Butter: 3/4 stick
Milk: 2 tsp
Method:
Lightly roast the cashews in a nonstick pan for 5-6 minutes till it gets a hue of brownish tinge. Can also spread on a lightly greased tray and roast in an oven for 7-8 minutes. Once it cools down, crush it with mortal and pestle, keeping some small chunks.
Let the butter soften at room temperature.
Whip it with a spatula and add sugar. I used white sugar, but to get a darker shade of the cookies, preferably use brown sugar.
Sift whole wheat flour, semolina, rice flour and cornflour together.
Add salt & baking powder and sift again.
Mix freshly crushed cardamom powder for aromatic flavor.
Add a cup of gently crushed roasted cashews to the mix of flours.
Add butter and sugar mix in the flour mix.
While adding a little milk, knead to make a dough.
Put the dough in zip lock and let it rest for almost an hour in the refrigerator.
In the mean time, pre heat the oven to 375 F and line the cookie tray with parchment paper.
Take out the dough, give it a knead again.
Take a portion of the dough and roll to make small balls.
Spread the balls in the baking tray.
Gently press the balls and make impressions with a fork.
Bake it for 15-18 minutes till done.
Transfer the cookies with a spatula and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
... enjoyed with chilled milk from the glow in the dark mug with a little fireworks', at home :-) |
Enjoy it with a chilled glass of milk :) :) :) :) :)
Thanks for being here and Have a wonderful weekend !
Much luv Sonia !
Check out my post on midnight snack- 'Little Hearts'.
These look Super Yumm !!!
ReplyDeletewow..awesome
ReplyDeleteTasty Appetite
It's good to know that you liked the cookies! Cheers, sonia
ReplyDeleteThese cookies sound so delicious. I love the photos and nice presentation! The boy with cookie eyes is adorable.
ReplyDeleteHey Ellen, Thanks for being here and your warm remarks. Cheers, Sonia
ReplyDeleteAwesome photographs! That last one is adorable :)
ReplyDeleteMy little one is too small to be a part of my cake or cookie photography... I can't wait till he grows up a little...hehe
Cashews is cookies sound lovely...i wont have any trouble finishing off a batch overnight :P
Gorgeous cookies, they look very tasty! =]
ReplyDeleteps: I've nominated you for an award http://food-fork-and-good.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/life-gets-in-way.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my space and your lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely space here. Love all the pics.
- Meg's delicious Adventures
Thank you so much
ReplyDelete@ cakewhiz! You cook so good and am sure your little one is going to be really proud of you soon, complementing and being a lil chef :)
@ Emma, I appreciate your award and is feeling so good!
@ Meg, you are most welcome and thanks for liking my space.
warm regards, sonia
oh those cookies are just screaming at me to make them and soon! They looks amazing and delicious and decadent!
ReplyDeleteI love cashews and have never had cashew cookies. These cookies look and sound marvelous!
ReplyDeleteThese look good! love that you have baked these cookies with whole wheat. This is my first visit to your space and loving it!
ReplyDeleteAmazingly good cookies!!!I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous picture of Manhattan! The light is amazing.
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look so delicious! I love cashew nuts.
Cheers,
Rosa
All the sweet comments are appreciated ! Do try cashew chunks in your basic cookie recipe and it makes for perfect crunchy cookies. Thanks guys for being here. Best regards, sonia
ReplyDeleteOh I've been through the same experience when we lived in Jersey City, before we moved!
ReplyDeleteLove your cookies and the delicious flavors :)
This is my first visit to your lovely space, and I'm loving it!
ReplyDeleteThe first shot is amazing and these cookies sound delicious. I'm not sure if the boy is your son, but he's adorable. Have a great day!
Cheers
Mamamt
Thanks dear !!!
ReplyDeleteYeah he is my little monster !Thanks for being here...
Beautiful fireworks picture and These cookies look delicious. And I love how your son hold the cookies! SO CUTE!! =D
ReplyDeleteSo sweet of you Nami ....!!! Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteAs a former New Yorker, would you believe I have never seen the fireworks in NYC. On Long Island we use to watch the Gucci fireworks but it's been a while since I've seen those too.
ReplyDeleteYou sure did capture some of the essence though Sonia and now I must make it my quest to go back to New York during the fourth of July rather than a week later, lol...
I'm quite intrigued by those cookies because they seem to use an assortment of flours. I imagine they were mighty tasty and apparently good eye shields too!
Thank you so much for sharing...
Soni, they are spook mouthwatering!!!
ReplyDeletePlease check out my new place and sign for my giveaway!!! Www.grabandgorecipes.com
oh yum! i love cashews -- they're my favorite!
ReplyDeletedelicious cookies
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to see that you guys liked the flavors of cashews and cookies as well. Do try it whenever you can and you are gonna enjoy it to the hilt. Thanks everybody for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards to all and loads of luv, sonia
Looks fantastic and healthy too as it has whole wheat flour!!should give it try ;)Pls uncheck the "word verification"
ReplyDeleteI am jumping for joy elated to report that the cashew cookies I made using your wonderful recipe was successful. I followed your recipe to the “T” and let me tell you that I have never received so many compliments for cookies in my life. The cookies were just so flavorful, even all the kids at our gathering were ranting and raving over it! Can’t wait to make it again this year, thank you SO much for this recipe.
ReplyDeleteCarol