“Food definitely brings people together,” says Dr. Shalini Deepak as she shares her own favourite recipes for the festive season. “Cooking is a great way to show someone that you care.”
We are at her apartment in Edamalaipattiputhur, a little ahead of Christmas, sampling three treats that Dr. Shalini has got a family fan following for.
Sugar Cookie Cutouts, Festive Fruit Cupcakes and Chicken Mushroom Tart are three recipes that she has picked up from books, and has refined over time to suit Indian conditions. “If you chill the cookie dough until it is firm, it will make for a buttery and crisp biscuit when baked,” she says. “Otherwise you’ll find the dough becomes too runny in our Indian temperature.”
To get a flaky pie crust, she advises home cooks to avoid over-handling the dough. “Knead the ingredients until they are just incorporated,” she suggests. “If you make it smooth like chapathi dough, the crust will harden during baking.”
Originally from Coimbatore, Dr. Shalini says she and her three sisters were inspired to take up cooking by their mother. “At home we always used to have a fruit cake for Christmas, and south Indian snacks like adirasams,” she recalls.
These days she has shifted over to iced cookies, a great hit with her two children and a nice cooking activity to involve kids in.
“I make around a hundred per batch, as they get over quite quickly,” she says.
All baking times mentioned are for electric oven.
Sugar Cookie CutoutsMakes 40
Ingredients
2/3 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups maida
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Beat butter and sugar on high speed till it turns light, add all ingredients except maida and beat till combined. Add flour and mix well. Cover in cling-film and refrigerate until mixture feels firm (about 30 minutes). Roll out on a lightly floured surface half the dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
Place on a greased baking tray 1 inch apart and bake at 200 degrees Celcisus till the sides brown lightly (about 7-8 minutes). Once fully cool ice with the icing. Store in airtight box once icing is dry.
Icing for cookies
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp milk
4 tsp honey
Gel food colours
Method
Mix together till well combined. Add colouring and spread on cookies. Top with sprinkles.
Festive Fruit CupcakesMakes 20. Keeps for 2-3 weeks in room temperature.
Ingredients
4 cups chopped mixed candied fruits (glazed cherries, tutti frutti, sultanas, raisins, candied ginger)
1 1/2 cups grape juice
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups maida
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup brandy (optional)
Method
Soak fruits along with grape juice and sugar for 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
Sift all dry ingredients together. Stir in the wet ingredients to fruit mixture. Add the dry ingredients and mix till combined. Spoon batter into muffin tray lined with cupcake liners.
Bake for 25-30 minutes till toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. If using brandy pour on the cupcakes once out of the oven
Top with icing and decorate with glazed cherries.
Sugar glaze for cupcakes
Ingredients
Icing sugar 110 gm
Hot water 2 tbsp
Method
Mix together to get smooth icing without lumps. Spoon onto each cupcake. Decorate with glazed cherry and holly leaves.
Chicken Mushroom TartFor the pastry:
Ingredients
2 1/4 cup maida
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup vanaspathi (vegetable shortening) or butter
8-10 tbsp cold water
Method
Cut the vanaspathi into the flour till resembles coarse crumbs.
Gradually add cold water and bring dough together. Do not overknead. Roll on a lightly floured surface and transfer onto pie plate. Cover with aluminium foil and blind bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for further 5 minutes till edges slightly brown.
Pie filling
Ingredients
Cooked chicken 2 cups (substitute with mushroom for vegetarian pie)
Button mushroom sliced 1 cup
Celery 3 stalks chopped finely
Garlic 3 cloves chopped
Green pepper chopped 1/2 cup
Worcestershire sauce 3 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Cream 1/4 cup
Milk 1/3 cup
Method
Sauté onion with garlic and celery until brown. Add mushrooms, peppers. Once cooked add chicken.
Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked add milk and cream. Turn off once combined and cooked through.
Fill pastry shell with filling, bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes.
