Unni Appam

Overview
Traditional Kerala fried sweet fritter made for special occasions. It is made of rice, banana, jaggery and is deep fried in oil. You make this in a special mould to get this special round shape. A touch of cardamom powder adds a nice flavor ad aroma to these sweet fritters.

Unni Appam

Unni Appam Ingredients

Ingredients
Long grain rice 2 cups
Small ripe bananas - 3 - 4
Jagger or Molasses - 3/4 cup
Coconut chips - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 1 tables spoon
Cardamom about 10
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Oil to fry

Steps
1. Wash the rice is several turns of water and soak for about 4 - 5 hours.
2. Heat 3 tablespoon ghee or melted butter in a pan and fry the thin sliced coconut chips till it is golden brown. Drain the chips and keep aside.
3. In a coffee grinder grind the cardamom  to a fine powder. Strain  the powder and keep aside.
4. Blend the molasses, soaked rice and bananas to  smooth texture and keep aside. Rice doesn't have to be ground to be very smooth it can be a little coarse. The batter should  be the consistency of idly batter.
5. Mix the fried coconut chips, cardamom powder and salt and mix well. Keep the ground batter to ferment for about 6 - 8 hours in warm place.
6. Heat oil in the unni appam mould. When the oil gets hot using a tablespoon pour the batter into each mould. Fry both sides on medium heat. Drain oil and when it cools a bit the Unni Appam is ready to eat.

Peppermint Stick Cookie

Overview
A special cookie to make during holidays that has peppermint flavor. The peppermint flavor comes from the mint extract added to the cookie dough and the candy cane bits used for decoration on outside of the cookie.  These cookies do look like peppermint sticks.

Peppermint Stick Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks salted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon mint extract
Green and Red food color

For decoration
1 cup confectionery sugar
1 - 3 tablespoon water
6 red candy canes
6 green candy canes

Steps
1. In a large bowl mix the sugar, vanilla extract and butter until it is fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Add in the flour mixed with salt gradually and mix well till it is well blended and dough is formed.
2. Divide dough into half. Take one half make it into a disk cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. Take the remaining half dough and divide into half again. In one half add 1 teaspoon mint extract and red color and in the other halt add 1 teaspoon mint extract and green color. Mix each half separately and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Refrigerate all doughs for about an hour till it is firm.
4. Heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
5. Cut uncolored dough in 12 equal wedges. cut each colored disk into 6 equal wedges.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 plain wedge and 1 colored wedge into 15 inch long ropes(keep rest of dough refrigerated). Place each rope side by side twist together from one end to the other. Place on  un greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Bake 12 - 15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
9. To decorate the cookies mix the confectionery sugar with water  one tablespoon at a time to make a smooth thick paste. Crush the candy canes each color separately and keep in separate bowls.
10. Dip about 1/2 inch of each end of the cookie in this confectionery smooth mixture and then into the crushed candy canes. Decorate the red twisted cookies in the red crushed candy canes and the green twisted cookies into the green crushed candy canes. Placed on waxed paper to dry. Enjoy.

Almond Cookies

Overview
Simple cookie covered with thin slices of almonds and sugar to give an extra crunch. These cookies are easy to make and cut in the shape of diamonds to make an elegant presentation. My boys love these cookies and this is another cookie I love to make  during Christmas.

Almond Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
 2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups flour

 To decorate cookies
White from one large egg lightly beaten
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar

Steps
1. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except the flour till it is fluffy. Add flour little at a time and mix till well blended. Divide dough in half and wrap separately and refrigerate 1 hour  until firm.
2. Heat oven to 325 F. Have cookie sheet ready.
3. On a lightly floured  surface roll dough into 12 inch square.
4. Cut dough with a pizza cutter into 8 strips and then diagonally to form diamonds. Place on cookie sheet 1inch apart. repeat with remaining dough.
5. Brush the surface of the dough with egg white, gently press the almond slices on it and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake 8 - 10 minutes till edges are light brown.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Overview
These Christmas tree cookies are made with honey and spices and are cute enough to hang on  your Christmas tree as decorations. I found this recipe in a magazine long time back and have been making these cookies for every Christmas.  Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gives these cookies a distinctive aroma and flavor.

Christmas Tree Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

To decorate cookies
white from one egg beaten with fork
Red hot cinnamon candies
Green sugar
Multi colored nonpareils

Steps
1. Bring honey, sugar and butter to a boil in a small sauce pan. Boil stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and keep aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir in cooled honey mixture and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Warp one half and refrigerate
3. Heat oven to 350 F.
4. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll unwrapped dough 1/4 inch
thick. Cut out cookies using cookie cutter and place the cut cookies on a cookie tray.
5. Brush each cookie with egg white and place cinnamon candy on top. decorate with green sugar and nonpariels.
6. Bake 6 - 8 minutes till the sides are light brown. Remove the cookies from tray and let them cool. Repeat with the other half of dough.

Achappam ( Rose Cookies)

Overview
Achappam is a very special deep fried cookie made for all special occasions throughout Kerala. Achappam is also called Rose Cookie since it is shaped like a rose flower. The sesame seeds added to this adds an extra flavor and texture to the cookie. Traditional Achappam is made with rice flour which is not roasted. To replicate this I soak rice and grind it.

Achappam

Achappam Mold

Ingredients
3 cups rice
3/4 cup sugar
Coconut milk to grind the rice - about one cup
Egg 1
Salt a pinch
Black Sesame seeds - 3 tablespoons
Oil for deep frying the cookies

Steps
1. Soak the rice in plenty of water for about 4 - 6 hours
2. Drain water put it in the blender with sugar, salt and egg. Add enough coconut milk little at a time and grind to make a thick batter. The batter should be thick if not the Achappams will be very thin.
3. Add the sesame seeds to the batter and mix well.
4. Heat oil for frying the cookies in a pan.
5. Immerse the Achappam mold in the hot oil and let it get hot for few minutes.
6. Dip the hot mold in the batter( do not fully immerse just up to the brim of the mold) and then immerse it in the hot oil and shake the mold to loosen up the cookie in the oil. Fry the cookie it it gets light brown turn it over and fry the other side to.
7. Take it out of the oil and let the oil drain.

Serve at room temperature. Makes about 40 Cookies.