Date & Walnut Rolls#SundayFunday

Dates are sweet, dried fruit. Soft buttery rolls stuffed with dates and nuts make a wonderful sweet. This recipe for date roll cookies are quick and easy to make and they have good flavor and texture.
These are actually eggless cookies except for the egg wash which can be avoided if you don't want to use eggs.

Ingredients
200 Grams All Purpose Flour
75 Grams Clarified Butter
60 Grams Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3 -4 Tablespoons Chilled Water or as required
For The Filling
200 Grams Seedless Dates _ minced
50 Grams Walnuts - finely chopped

Method 

For The Filling 

Mix the dates and walnuts together and make a nice roll keep aside.

For The Dough 

Rub clarified butter into flour till it resembles bread crumbs. Add the powdered sugar and essence mix it well into the flour. Now add chilled water just enough bring it into a dough. Do not knead the dough. The dough will be soft and crumbly. Cling wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Then take the dough and lightly knead it and roll out into ¼ inch thick chapatti.  

Put one strip of walnut and date in and roll (only once or else the covering will get to thick and it will not cook). 

Apply water to seal the edge.

Cut the roll and press the edges lightly to seal it. Like wise make the other roll also. 

Cut into 2 inch squares. 

Place on a well greased baking tray leaving sufficient space between each.

Bake in a pre heated oven bake at 180°C, for 12 to 15 minutes. 

The bottom of the roll should be light golden. Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Labels: Cookies, Festival Sweets, Dates, Walnuts, Eggless, Sunday Funday, Christmas Sweet, East Indian, Baked, Vegan, Healthy

Easy Rabdi with Evaporated milk from Cook with Renu
Date & Walnut Rolls from Sneha’s Recipe
Gobi Manchurian from Palatable Pastime

• Kheer from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Baked Gobi 65 from Amy’s Cooking Adventures 
• Two Homemade Breads for Diwali: Pita and Naan from Culinary Cam  

Sweet Date & Tamarind Chutney/Khajur Imli Ki Chutney

Date & Tamarind Chutney/Khajur Imli Ki Chutney is a sweet and sour tangy chutney. This sweet chutney is an essential component in dhoklas, chaats like pani puri, bhel puri, samosa etc. I make this in the pressure cooker since it reduces the cooking time and also helps you make it in one pot.

Ingredients
20 Dates – pitted
50 Grams Tamarind
2 Teaspoons Cumin seeds
1½ Teaspoon Saunf/Fennel seeds
½ Cup Grated Jaggery
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Dry Ginger powder
½ Teaspoon Sendhav Namak/Black/Rock salt
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Water

Method 

Dry roast cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Cool slightly and grind to a powder. Wash, de seed dates and chop roughly.
Clean the tamarind to remove any seeds.
In a pressure pan add the dates, tamarind, sugar and jaggery together, with a cup of water and pressure cook on high for one whistle then reduce the flame and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Once the pressure has cooled open the pressure cooker and with the help of a hand blender blend the tamarind and dates to make a coarse mixture. Strain this paste. Pour this into a pan and add all the spices, chili powder, cumin, fennel powder, black salt, salt and ginger powder into the pressure pan and bring it to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer the chutney till it reached the right thick consistency or for about 6 - 8 minutes.

Cool and serve with Samosa or Bread Pakora or add it to Dahi Batata Puri Chaat, Pani Puri, Bhel Puri etc., Enjoy!!
My Notes

This chutney can be stored in refrigerator for days or make it in bulk and freeze it for up to 6 months. The best part of freezing this chutney that it remains soft (not frozen) and can be eaten any time, just microwave for 15 - 20 seconds and your chutney is ready to use.

Labels: Chaat, Dates, Tamarind, Chutney, Dipping Sauce, Homemade, Preservatives free, Pressure Cooker

Date & Walnut Bundt#BundtBakers

I don't remember my father baking for us. Only when my mummy would be ill, my dad would go into kitchen and cook for us something that was the easiest, omelette and fried bananas, then he would cut plenty of fruits and keep them for us to enjoy for lunch on that day only. For the rest of the days and meals when mummy was in bed my aunt would come and cook for us. As such my father never cooked in the kitchen. 

This is one of my dad's favorite cake. My dad must have something to with his evening tea. This is delicious enough on it's own and requires no frosting.

Ingredients
225 Grams Seedless Dates - chopped
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
100 Ml Warm Water
85 Grams Butter
115 Grams Caster Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
115 Grams All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs - separated
¾ Teaspoon Baking powder
60 Grams Walnuts - chopped

Method

Soak the dates overnight in warm water mixed with baking  soda.

Separate the eggs - yolks and whites. Whisk the whites till stiff and keep aside.

Cream butter and sugar well till light and fluffy. Add the yolk one at a time and beat it well then add the other and beat that well. Add in the essence and mix well. Now fold in the flour alternating with the dates and walnuts. When all the flour and dates and walnuts are incorporated then gently fold in the whites. 

Pour this in a greased and floured bundt pan and bake in a preheated oven 150°C for about 30 - 35 minutes. 

Let it cool for 10 minutes.

 Then un mold and

let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice & Enjoy !!
Labels: Bundt, Bundt Bakers, Dates, Walnuts  

  

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or themeYou can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page. ;">

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Carrot Cake Mini Bundt
• Sneha's Recipe: Date and Walnut Bundt Cake
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Vegan Strawberry Dream Cake - No Bake

This is one dessert that is so easy to make. I have used virgin coconut oil to make this dream cake and this is an excellent choice of fat for vegans.

Made this for my vegan daughter and her vegan friends. This is delicious cake, made it twice the second time I made a small one for two. 

The first time I made,  it, was hot summer here and  did not refrigerate it overnight.  So after some time the top layer started to melt, so un mould it again refrigerate it till you are ready to serve. Do not remove it early and keep it on the dining table like I did it. 

This dream cake, you must freeze for 3 hours then refrigerate it overnight then only serve it.
Serves 5 - 6
Ingredients
For the Crust
1 Cup Almonds - coarsely minced
200 Grams Medjool Dates or any good quality dates
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt

For the Filling 

1½ Cups Cashewnuts
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
Few Drops of Strawberry essence
1/3 Cup Virgin Coconut oil
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Chopped Strawberries + 1 Tablespoon Sugar

Method

In a saucepan heat boil 2 to 3 cups of water. When the water comes to a boil, add the cashewnuts and take one boil, take off flame let is sit in this water for 5 minutes, Then drain the cashewnuts and rinse them in fresh water well. Soak them fresh warm water overnight or for 5 - 6 hours at least.

For The Crust

Place almonds and dates in a a blender with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are finely grounds. Take a tablespoon of the prepared date mixture for the crust and roll it in your hands. If it holds together, the crust is perfect. Take out crust mixture in a 6 to 7” spring-form pan and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse the blender well.

In the same blender, add the cashewnuts, coconut oil, sugar,lemon juice. Blend to make smooth paste. Add the essence and pulse it twice.

Pour about 2/3 ( I eyeballed it) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula, cling wrap the pan. Place in freezer until solid or for 15 to 20 minutes. 

In the remaining paste add the strawberries and the tablespoon of sugar, 

blend until smooth. 

Pour onto the chilled layer. Again cling wrap it and place in freezer until solid.

To Serve

Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and un mould it, cut into slices and again refrigerate till ready to serve. Serve with fresh strawberries. 

This is a rich dessert and delicious.

This one piece that remained for me which I kept overnight in the refrigerator.  See how well it is set.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Labels : No Bake Desserts, Strawberry, Cashewnuts, Almond, Dates, Coconut Oil, Vegan, Sweets & Desserts, Healthy

Makrout - Moroccan Date Cookie

This delicious moroccan pastry is made with semolina and date . 

Makrout in it's various forms is present on all celebration tables especially during Ramadan .  Makrout, also spelled Maqrout, Makroudh, Maqrut, Mqaret, Imqaret or Makroud. The word makrout in arabic means "diamond shaped" as these small delights are traditional diamond shaped.

This pastry has so much of ghee and oil that while making it I had a tough time.  The heat in Mumbai is so much that the pastry was melting.   Had to keep it in the fridge to set after every rolling.  But the end result was fantastic.  We enjoyed it, even my friends loved this cookie.  A healthy and tasty cookies.  Do try it.

Ingredients
For the dough
1 Cups  Fine Semolina

1 Tablespoon All purpose flour
2 Tablespoons Rose water
1. 1/2 Tablespoon Ghee

1. 1/2 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Sugar
A pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling
1.1/2 Cups of Pitted Dates
1 Tablespoon Rose water
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
a pinch of ground nutmeg

Honey

Method
To make the dough

Melt ghee, when melted, add the oil.

Mix the semolina, flour, sugar and salt.  Slowly add the melted ghee mixing thoroughly. Add water just enough to wet the semolina.  Keep it aside covered overnight.  Next day grind the semolina  to paste without adding any water.

Knead this into a soft ball/ very smooth texture. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour to set.  

To assemble

Transfer the dough on to a flat surface, divide the dough into two parts. 

Roll out one part into a small thick chappati and place the date paste over it. Cover it with the other part of the dough.

Roll this in a thick chappatti.  Cut with a square cookies cutter.

I used a small mould to decorate the makrouts.

I din't fry them in oil, but baked them in the oven. Place this on to lined  baking tray . 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes till light golden on top.  

Dip it in honey immediately after you remove it from the oven.  Keep it to drain.  Serve, enjoy .... 

This recipe goes to Mena's Cooking Club.


Labels : Dates, Honey, Semolina, Moroccan, Biscuits & Cookies, Mena Cooking Club, Continental Cuisine

   

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