Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Bread

It is very unlikely to get this freezing cold in our part of the world. It doesn't snow but it snowed...atleast on the mountains, that is visible from our nest. Even though we would love to stay all tucked in the blanket, we have places to go to and so it doesn't get any better. Should I mention the countless number of times that the kido has fallen sick in the past one month...uff..I just want it all to end and embrace the warmth of the sun which seems to be hiding somewhere. I know I am going to say something totally contradictory when it would get too hot in summer. But hey isn't that human :D.

Anyways, coming back to food, we have been trying to keep ourselves warm with some great food which is easy to make and provides warmth to the body in this dropping temperature. This bread is just the perfect one for the crazy weather conditions. They are great for the tea time with some hot cup of coffee or tea. It has a blend of a variety of flavours that will definitely wake your taste buds esp. if you have been under the weather lately given the crazy weather. 

Tutti Fruiti Cookies

When its the happiest time of the year, you got to cook something that would look happy too. These cookies bring out that prettiness in the form of mosaic pattern of red, green and yellow that makes it so perfect to bake in this season.

Not just in its looks, they taste great too. Moreover, it is very easy to make. I usually do these for parties, where in I just make and chill the dough the previous day so that all I got to do is just slice and pop it in the oven on the day of the party. That way I don't have to deal with the messier part of making these cookies. At the same time, serve these cookies fresh for the party. 

Ingredients

1. 1 stick of softened unsalted butter
2. 1/3 cup of sugar
3. 1/2 tsp of Orange zest
4. 3/4 cup of tutti fruiti
5. 3/4 tsp fo vanilla extract
6. A pinch of salt
7. 1 cup of flour

Method

• Beat the softened butter and sugar untill creamy. Add the orange zest, tutti fruiti, vanilla extract, salt and flour.
• Beat it again untill combined.
• Remove the dough on to the counter top and shape it into a log of about 1 1/2 inch in thickness. Wrap it in a cling wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Slice the dough log into cookies of even thickness and spread it on a baking sheet.
• Bake it in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or untill they are golden brown around the edges.
• Remove it onto a wired rack to cool down before you store it in a air tight container.

Tips

1. Chilling the dough helps to let the dough turn firm to help in cutting it evenly. So do not skip on that one.
2. If using salted butter, avoid adding the salt in the recipe.

Apple Chips

I had eaten banana chips, potato chips, bitter gourd chips etc. which are very easily available anywhere in India. But my first visit in US made me realize that there could be more options to chips with kale chips, beetroot chips and chips made with fruits too. And they really taste good to you in the form of chips, even though you might hate it as a veggie or fruit.

Last fall, while I was baking some pumpkin goodies, the smell of cinnamon from the freshly baked pumpkin bread made me think of the apple chips with cinnamon, I had some time back. Those were store bought. I knew we could easily make it at home but I had never tried or bothered to try. But now as a mother, I always prefer or try to make homemade goodies than go with the convenience of having store bought snacks. And since my lil one gets bored with same snack options, I keep trying different things. So I gave these chips a try. I didn't have to store it because they just vanished in no time. Not only lil J, but all of us liked it.

Blueberry Loaf

Berries in cakes/bread/loaf is one of my favorite version of having them. Blueberries in a loaf is just superb to have with some hot cup of coffee. Hmm...my mouth gets all watery whenever I think of them.

When made at our home, these don't last long. When I say long, I meant not even a day. Yes, it gets over in a day. These are so light and fluffy and soft that anybody would fall for it. And its pretty hard to deal with the temptation that you tend to eat one slice after the other.