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.

Naan Khatai

While living in the hostel, in Kerala, my grandmother, uncles and aunts used to visit me often. Every time, such a visit do bring along a packet of goodies from the bakery. It could be cakes, cookies, puffs, chocolates etc. These Naan Khatai would also make it in the goodie packs. Those packets would vanish in no time when we open it in the hostels. And that could be one reason why I never got bored of those goodies.

With a lil one around at home, baking always happens to make some cake or cookie. Last week when I thought about these naan khatai, I thought I should make it for my lil one at home. And guess who had fun time placing the chopped pistachios over the cookies. Yes, the lil one helped me in making it. Every time I start baking he would drag a chair get on top of it to help me in the kitchen.