Eggless Coconut Cranberry Cookies

These coconut cookies are easy to prepare and turn out to be super tasty. I have used half of fresh grated coconut and half of dried coconut powder in this recipe.Fresh (or frozen) coconut renders great taste to these cookies. This recipe makes 15-17 cookies.

You will need:

1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 a cup of fresh finely grated fresh coconut
1/2 cup of dry coconut powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of saffron
pinch of baking soda
Sugar for dusting

1. Pre-heat the oven at 375 F, and lightly grease a baking tray.
2. Mix together all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of dry coconut powder, cardamom powder, baking powder.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together till it becomes light and creamy. Add saffron and fresh coconut to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
4. Now add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, fold in the cranberries and mix everything to make a very soft dough.
5. Divide this dough in 15-17 parts and make rounds with a circular motion of your palm. Roll this round in the remaining dry coconut powder, flatten it slightly and place on baking tray. Dust the top of the cookies with some powdered sugar.
6. Bake the cookies in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes till they are golden brown.
7. Remove from oven when done, cool and enjoy with milk or coffee this winter :-)

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Tea -time wonders -- Eggless Scones

Tea-time had always been a very special part of the day for me. Even as a kid I looked forward to evening tea with the entire family since that is when I used to get to eat some of my favorite cookies and cakes. My Dad used to often get certain triangular shaped nutty delight from his favorite bakery. Years later I learned that those were the scones that the British introduced into the Indian tea-time.

I recently came across a recipe for scones and decided to make my own. They had to be egg-less for me so I modified it according to my taste. I added the quintessential Indian flavor of saffron and cardamom to these legacy delights of the Raj!

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt or whole milk+ few drops of lemon
5 Tbsps of butter
1/2 cup of chopped almonds
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp saffron
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Pre-heat the oven at 400 F.

Soak the saffron in 1 table spoon of milk.

Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt in a mixing bowl.

Cut butter into the flour mix to get a crumbly texture.

Mix in the sugar first then add the almonds and cranberries.

Now add the saffron and the buttermilk(or yogurt) little by little to get a soft yet manageable dough. Do not add all 3/4 cup of buttermilk, the dough should be soft but not runny. Grease a baking tray with butter and with oiled hands shape the dough into a 1/2 inch round.

Now take a knife, apply some oil to it and cut through the shaped dough to make eight triangular pieces.

Brush the top with some milk and sprinkle some sugar.

Bake for 15 mins or till it turns light golden brown.

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