Simplest Peanut butter cookies EVER!

Peanuts?? butter?? Who doesn't like like those??? oh and ...peanut butter??I like it even more! Who would have thought that these cookies would be sooo simple. I was surfing the net when i came across this recipe...I thought...what the heck...3 ingredients?? Who could go wrong with just 3 ingredients? Well nothing went wrong except my calorie count....it went bonkers!!haywire!!

Ok..there are two versions to this recipe. One version is with baking soda and the other is without. I prefer it with baking soda...as i rather like crisp cookies rather than a soft centered one. For these lovelies...i rolled them into 1.5 inch balls and flattened them using a flat bottomed glass to make it thin..criss-crossed the top with a fork and baked mine at 170 C fan forced for 12 mins. Now thats what I call crispy! But make sure to check on them as not to let the cookies burn..each oven is different..play around with the heat to suit you.

Oh and by the way...these cookies are gluten free.which means.. (drum roll please) NO FLOUR! By the way I made these for my kids so that i could finish up some ingredients and I really don't want to go out to buy some cookies from the store that has a TON of unwanted ingredients and preservatives.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Source:Aleesha

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 cup castor sugar (i reduced mine to 1/2 cup and it was still sweet but not tooo sweet)
1 cup peanut butter (i used skippy smooth - if you use sweet peanut butter please reduce sugar)
optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon baking soda(i used less)

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 170 Celsius. mix all the ingredients in one bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2. make 1.5 inch balls and place on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. flatten with a flat bottomed glass and make criss-crosses on the tops with a fork
3. bake for 8-10 mins for chewy cookies..but i baked mine for 12 mins for crispy cookies as we are used to crisp cookies

Chickpea Hummus...

Chickpea Hummus 

Chickpea hummus has got to be one of the simplest snacks to stash up in your refrigerator. It can be used as a party dip...a breakfast spread..mid-morning or afternoon snack..whatever you like. Kids love them too...well at least my daughter and baby likes it..haha..my big boy stuck out his tongue saying "yuck!" but then again...he says that to most healthy snacks..LOL

Well anyways..hummus can be made with various beans like white beans, peas, chickpeas and many more. But I have only tried chickpeas so far. I love it! It can be served with tortilla chips(unflavored and plain ones are better) carrots sticks, celery sticks..any vegetable you like actually. You can serve it with flat breads..or you can even spread on bread to make a sandwich..great for tea time or snack on the go. You can make it ahead and keep in the refrigerator..but my one can of chickpeas recipe lasts only two days...i keep snacking on it...it never lasts long..boohooo! But I must advise, do use quality ingredients and you can also boil your own chickpeas instead of the canned ones.

photo from google

these are the ones I used, easily available in Malaysia..or you can boil your own

Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean Hummus
source: All Recipes (this is the basic recipe and i altered it to my liking)

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic (crushed using the pestle and mortar so it doesn't leave chunks of garlic)
1 can garbanzo beans (the original asked to save 1/2 the liquid but i think it kinda leaves a bitter taste to it..so I opted for plain water instead)
less than 1/2 cup of plain water (in place of the liquid in the garbanzo bean can)
4 tablespoons lemon juice (add one tablespoon at a time so that you can adjust to your liking)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to liking)
2 tablespoons olive oil (I may have added slightly more)
black pepper to taste (I used cracked black pepper)
cumin - ground or whole crushed (I added this - totally optional but i like it this way)
paprika for sprinkling on top and chopped parsley)

Instructions

1. In a blender, chop the garlic. (I crushed mine with a pestle and mortar and added to the food procesor). Pour garbanzo beans into blender, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish ( i drained mine and rinsed a little). Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed. (I actually place in the food processor - tahini, lemon juice, chickpeas, salt, pepper, cumin seeds, water olive oil and garlic - blitz till smooth)
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper (paprika in my case) and pour olive oil over the top. Garnish with reserved garbanzo beans.  

So there you have it...easy peasy one two three! Chuck everything in a food processor and blitz! Keep in the fridge in an airtight container so that it doesn't dry out.

I made the hummus to be eaten with carrot and celery sticks, tomato salsa and stuffed grilled chicken

Hummus Kacang Kuda
Sumber: All Recipes

Bahan-bahan:

2 bawang putih (saya tumbuk halus)

1 tin kacang kuda (resepi asal guna air dari tin itu sendiri tapi saya tak berapa gemar sebab rasanya nanti pahit sedikit)

kurang dari 1/2 cawan air (menggantikan cecair dari tin kacang kuda tu)

4 sudu besar jus limau (tambah sedikit demi sedikit ikut rasa)

2 sudu besar tahini (pes bijan)

1 sudu kecil garam (ikut rasa)

2 sudu besar minyak zaitun (saya guna lebih sikit)

lada hitam ikut rasa 

jintan putih - saya tambah sendiri (serbuk atau biji tak kisah)

paprika dan daun parsley sebagai hiasan

Cara-cara 

1. dalam pengisar, masukkan semua bahan diatas. Kisar sampai sekata dan tak berketul dan agak berkrim. bagi yang tidak ada pengisar boleh la menggunakan lesung batu ye..hahha...boleh la lengan tu macam popeye :))
2. keluarkan dan masukkan dalam mangkuk, hiaskan dengan minyak zaitun, paprika dan daun parsley. Boleh juga disimpan dalam bekas kedap udara dalam peti sejuk. boleh dihidangkan bersama roti arab, carrot, dan pelbagai sayuran. Juga boleh sisapu atas roti sebagai sanwich

Scones oh lovely scones..

This is my first attempt in making scones..and thank goodness I picked the right recipe! These scones turned out delicious...I think with practice it would turn out even better. This time around I went all the way and ate it with cream (I didn't have clotted cream...so whipped cream would have to do ^_^) homemade strawberry and raspberry compote. Next time I decide to make this again I would love to have it with butter and jam...oh yummm! 

After watching many cooking shows on how to make scones (rachel allen..youtube..tips from my sister ..etc) I gathered my courage to try this recipe. I was always afraid of over-working the dough...making it tough and having to throw the whole lot into the dustbin...mind u there were quite a few things i've cooked that had to be thrown away over the years...erk...lets not go there..haha

Anyway, have a go at it and practice makes perfect! And if your the only one eating them at home....then...pratice makes you FAT! Oh my..hahah..I'm definitely referring to me ..LOL

Ultimate Scones

Source: Angela Nilsen, BBC GoodFood

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour , preferably organic (i used just regular self-raising flour)
¼ tsp salt
50g slightly salted butter , chilled, cut in small pieces
25g golden caster sugar (i used castor sugar)
125ml buttermilk (i used milk and added a dash of lemon juice)
4 tbsp full-fat milk
a little extra flour for dusting
strawberry jam and clotted cream, to serve ( i used strawberry and raspberry compote and whipped cream)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking sheet (unless you're using a non-stick sheet). Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Shoot in the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it's a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar.
2. Measure the buttermilk, then mix in the milk to slacken it. Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a round-bladed knife, then pour in most of this buttermilk mixture, holding a little bit back in case it's not needed. Using the knife, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough. Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk. Don't overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.
3. Lift the ball of soft dough out of the bowl and put it on to a very lightly floured surface. Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.
4. Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour - this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand - don't twist it.You will hear the dough give a big sigh as the cutter goes in. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.
5. Place on the baking sheet and sift over a light dusting of flour or glaze if you wish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, uncovered if you prefer crisp tops, or covered loosely with a cloth for soft ones.
6. Serve with strawberry jam and a generous mound of clotted cream (Cornish people put cream first, then jam, Devonians the other way round). Eat them as fresh as you can.

Puff Pastry Apple Tart

                                         

I love apple tart! A while back, I bought Pampas Frozen Puff Pastry at Presto Citta Mall..and was wondering what to do with it...chicken pie? sausage rolls? chicken pot pie? some vol-au-vent with whipped cream and fresh berries? hmmm...many days have passed since the day I purchased the puff pastry...and somehow on Aidiladha I decided to bake this puff pastry apple tart. I had a can of applesauce in my cupboard waiting to be used and I decided this is the time to use it as well. This apple tart can be made in a jiffy but you need to let the frozen puff pastry thaw in advance so that it can be rolled out. Here is the recipe and give it a go..for this sized apple tart I only used 2 grany smith apples :)

                                           

Puff Pastry Apple Tart

Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3 ounce package), preferably Dufour, thawed (I used Pampas frozen puff pastry)
• All-purpose flour, for surface
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
• 1/2 cup fresh or good-quality applesauce
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thin wedges (I used 2)
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves (I didn't use)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Roll puff pastry into a 14-by-16-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut a 1-inch-wide strip from each side of dough. Brush edges with egg wash, and top with cut strips to form a crust. Prick middle of dough all over with a fork, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread applesauce onto middle of dough using an offset spatula. Arrange apple wedges over applesauce in 3 tightly overlapping rows. Brush apples with melted butter. Brush crust with egg wash, and sprinkle entire surface with sanding sugar. (Unbaked tart can be frozen for up to 3 days.)
3. Bake until edges start to puff, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and bake, rotating halfway through, until pastry is dark golden brown and apples have caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes more. Transfer sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Warm apricot preserves and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Brush apples with warm apricot preserves. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired, and cut into squares using a pizza wheel or a knife. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.

Yummy Homemade Granola Bars

I've never really liked the choice of granola bars available at the supermarkets...I think some are just too sweet and the combination of ingredients..hmm...some of it I like...some I don't like..and by the way...they can be very pricey! I like the ones that taste chewy and crisp at the same time..but some of the ones that come in packets are kinda soft and somehow the taste of packed oats that are not crisp..tends to taste a little pasty ..hmm..not really my thing I guess.To find the right granola bar for me is quite a task..so i gave up. Haven't had a granola bar for 5 years...hahha..but suddenly I came across a recipe on footnetwork.com by barefoot contessa and i decided to give it a whirl!

I did make some adjustments as I read the reviews and made a conclusion that it might be too sweet for my husband. He doesn't like things too sweet :) Anyways...me too! All I can say about this recipe is "thumbs up!". A great basic granola recipe that we all can work on and tweek to our own liking. You don't have to follow the recipe to the T....but if you like the ingredients in the original recipe, go ahead and give it a try. I think these will keep well in an airtight container for many many days (if they ever last that long).

Homemade Granola Bars (original recipe)
Source: Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

My Version of Homemade Granola Bars
(based on the above recipe but tweeked to my liking)

• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (toasted)
• 1 cup (heaped) rice krispies
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut (toasted)
• 1/2 cup nestum/ cereal
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup muscovado 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sesame seed (toasted)
• a handful of flaxseed (don't need to toast)
• 1/2 cup (heaped) dried cranberries
• a handful of cashewnuts (toasted)
• a handful of walnuts (toasted)

• Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds,cashewnuts,walnuts, sesame and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the nestum/cereal.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, corn syrup, muscovado sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the falxseed, toasted coconut flakes and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature. (I baked it for 30 mins for a crispy crunchy granola bar...you can bake it for less if you want them more chewy)

optional ingredients:
chocolate chips, bittersweet choc chips, raisin, apricots, dates, dried apples, figs, hazelnuts, almond slivers, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cornflakes, and oh sooooo many more!

Peanut cookies / Biskut Kacang Mazola

Peanut cookies..hmm..what can i say? It's a household tradition to make these delectable cookies during Eid.  Well at least in my parents home it is. This year I made these late because honestly..I have never made them before..but I've tasted plenty..some delicious..some bland...some..errr...can't even be called cookies..hehehhe Anyway my mum makes the best ones... :)

For this particular peanut cookie recipe I'm about to share with you...well i stumbled upon it while searching for the best online recipe (and it seemed like it had the least amount of ingredients). I went through the comments the recipe received and I came to a conclusion..this is the ONE! huhuhu 

I also decided to experiment a bit with this recipe as i saw somebody commented that the cookies would taste different if you actually fried the peanuts without oil until browned as compared to the taste with just baking the peanuts in the oven...and also using the mortar and pestle (lesung batu) as compared to using a food processor. Well....guess what? I made two batches. One batch was made by frying the peanuts in a pan without oil and then bashing (crushing?..erk...the right word has yet to come to mind) using the mortar and pestle. Another batch was made by baking the peanuts till browned and then blitzing them in a food processor. Well well well.... the verdict...*drum roll please*.... the olden day method = pan frying without oil and crushing them in the mortar and pestle was wayyyyy worth the effort. The taste was like superb peanut buttery goodness! 

Anyway, let's get back on track. Here is the recipe and give it a go. For those worried about zits when eating peanuts..well..who cares! 1-2 zits wouldn't hurt..or your waistline...or.....ok ok enough already..the bad side over weighs the good..but have a go at it anyway because the cookies are sooo good. :)

Peanut Cookies / Biskut Kacang Mazola

Source: Arah

Ingredients:

200gm plain flour

200gm groundnuts/peanuts-fried without oil in a pan until golden brown

100 gm icing sugar

1 small bottle of mazola oil or any other corn oil

salt to taste

egg yolk for glazing

extra peanuts for decoration

Instructions:

1. Pan fry the peanuts till golden brown, (some may want to bake it) and finely crush the cooled peanuts in a mortar and pestle (or you could blitz it up in a food processor or grinder).
2. In a bowl, combine flour sugar salt and finely crushed peanuts.
3. Add the mazola oil little by little to the dry ingredients and mix till it forms a soft pliable dough. (don't put in the whole bottle..just until it forms a dough ok )
4. Scoop up the dough using a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon and roll to form a round cookie.
5. Glaze the tops of the cookie and put 1/2 a peanut on top to decorate.
6. Place in a preheated oven of 170 degrees Celsius until the glaze is golden brown. Usually it indicates that the cookie is done. 
7. When golden brown remove from the oven and place on the rack to cool. Once cooled put some into our mouth..nyumm nyumm nyumm..enjoy it and put the remainder of the cookies into airtight container. hahahha

they may not look too pretty but they sure do taste good!

in an airtight container..er...never full to the top because of the cookie monster (ME!!)

Pineapple Tarts My Fav!!!

This is my fav recipe to date! I made these pineapple tarts last year using this recipe and I am still using this recipe this year. I think this recipe has a full round flavour to it..and its best to use a good quality butter..nothing compares! Anyway, I've tried other recipes...they do taste good but I end up going back to this same recipe...so I hope you give it a try. Might be tricky at first because pressing the dough out takes patience but once you have gone over that hurdle then...its easy peasy lemon squeasy! Nobody ever said that making pineapple tarts are easy...it took me 2 hours standing up making one batch (erkk..or maybe I'm just slow) but the taste I tell ya......it's worth every bite! Here's the recipe!

Tart Nenas Gebu / Pineapple Tarts

Source: Sumber Inspirasiku - Haryati

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp corn flour
2 1/2 tbsp custard flour (u can substitute for cornflour)
2 tbsp milk powder
1 cup salted butter (226 gm) (erk..i just dump the whole 250g butter bar in :p)
1 tbsp ghee
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp sugar (i put in 1/2 tbsp sugar...i don't like my pastry sweet :p)

a pinch of salt

store bought pineapple tart filling made into balls (for lazy people like me..or you could always google a recipe for a good homemade pineapple tart filling recipe)

egg wash for gazing the tops

Instructions:

1. Place softened butter, ghee, milk powder, salt and sugar in your mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment, beat these ingredients on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Add the yolk and vanilla essence and continue beating.
3. Add the flour to the mixture spoonful at a time till all is incorporated.
4. Prepare a clean work surface for pressing the mixture through the mould. 
5. Press the mixture on to the work surface with the jagged side down facing.
6. Place the pineapple tart filling balls on to the pressed pastry and roll.
7. Place into a small paper cases and brush a little eggwash for the tops before placing in the preheated oven (170 degrees Celsius) for 15 mins. but to me the determining factor that determines my tarts are done is when the egg wash is nice and golden brown. 
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on racks. It takes time to cool as the pineapple filling remain hot for quiet a while. Make sure to store the fully cooled tarts in airtight containers.

Store bought pineapple tart fillings rolled into balls

pastry pressed out with the smooth side upwards and jagged side down facing

place filling on the pastry

roll pastry with filling inside

cut the end

place into small paper cases

brush on some egg wash and place into the oven.

ready! leave to cool before tasting as the filling can be super HOT!

These are the ones i did last year!