CARDAMOM CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA COOKIES

    ALISON LADMAN Associated Press Published: November 15, 2012 8:38AM

The classic combination of chocolate and macadamia nuts gets a holiday overhaul with the addition of cardamom, one of the most overlooked and underappreciated of the holiday spices. And if baking up a batch of these cookies gets you hooked on cardamom, try it in applesauce, cranberry sauce and rice pudding, too.

This cookie recipe also is incredibly versatile. Mix in any other nuts -- or even chopped dried fruit -- that appeal to you. Dried apricots and white chocolate chips would be great, as would cranberries and pistachios or raisins, walnuts and milk chocolate chips.

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Makes 40 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

10-ounce package mini chocolate chips

2 cups chopped toasted macadamia nuts

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, oil, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions.

Stir in the flour, then the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Scoop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges.

Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Nutrition information per cookie: 190 calories; 110 calories from fat (58 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 2 g protein; 45 mg sodium.

Via: http://www.the-daily-record.com/ap%20food/2012/11/15/cardamom-chocolate-macadamia-cookies

Cardamom plunges 2.5% on profit-booking

Higer arrivals from producing regions put pressure in futures market

Press Trust of India / New Delhi Nov 15, 2012, 13:00 IST Cardamom prices lost Rs 20, or 2.51 per cent, to Rs 775.50 per kg in futures trade today as speculators booked profits at prevailing higher levels amid fall in demand in the spot market. Increased arrivals from producing regions also put pressure on Cardamom futures. Colombian Super King Cardamom At the Multi Commodity Exchange, cardamom for delivery in November plunged by Rs 20, or 2.51 per cent, to Rs 775.50 per kg, with a business turnover of 187 lots. The December contract lost Rs 16.20, or 1.88 per cent, to Rs 861.20 per kg, with a business turnover of 965 lots. Marketmen said besides profit-booking at prevailing higher levels, fall in demand in the spot market mainly pulled down cardamom prices at futures market. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cardamom-plunges-25profit-booking/195926/on

Bourbon Spiked Mulled Apple Cider

Jenny Park of http://spoonforkbacon.com says: Mulled apple cider is a classic holiday drink. But we say, skip the pre-packaged sachets and make your own. It's quick, easy and so very festive!

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Bourbon Spiked Mulled Cider
Serves 5 to 7

2 tangerines, halved
8 whole cloves
2 quarts (1.9 L) apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cardamom pods
2 allspice berries
2 cups (475 mL) bourbon
garnish:
cinnamon sticks
tangerine slices

Stud each tangerine half with two cloves. Place clove studded tangerines, cider, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and allspice berries in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, for 20 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat and stir in the bourbon. Strain the mixture and pour into a large pitcher or ladle into individual glasses.

Finish each serving with a cinnamon stick and a slice of tangerine. Serve hot.

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How to Cook 3 Colours Orange Soup

Packed with goodness and flavour, this colourful concoction is one of my favourite soups.The three orange colours come from carrot, sweet potato and orange, the fruit. To keep the dish vegetarian, use vegetable stock, otherwise chicken stock may be used.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion,
finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic,
finely chopped
3 cardamom pods, remove seeds
and crush with rolling pin
400g carrots, chopped into
about 1cm cubes
600g sweet potato, peeled and
chopped into 1cm cubes
1 tsp chilli sauce (optional)
2 or 3 strips of orange rind
(taking care not to include
too much pith)
Juice of one orange
1.5 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves
(or coriander for a more Asian feel)
2 tbsp cream (optional)
Croutons
2 or 3 slices of stale bread,
crusts removed, cut into 1.5cm cubes
Oil for frying


Method:
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, put butter and extra virgin olive oil.
When hot, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until onion has softened
(making sure the garlic doesn't burn).
Add cardamom seed, cook for 1 minute.
Add sweet potato and carrot and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add chilli sauce (if using), orange rind, juice, vegetable stock and mint and parsley leaves.
Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove rind, and two or three tablespoons each of carrot and sweet potato. Reserve.
Blend the rest of the soup, either in a food processor or with a potato masher.
Stir in cream, if using.
Just before serving, heat oil in frying pan (preferably non-stick), and fry bread cubes to brown all over.

Degree of difficulty: Low.
Keepability: Keeps a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Wine companion: A fragrant Riesling.


Serve... soup in warmed bowls.
Top with more mint and/or parsley leaves, if desired and a grating orange rind.

http://www.consumingpassions.com.au/ - Show More for Recipe

Pumpkin Pie | Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Crust Recipe:

- 2 1/2 cups walnuts
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Blend walnuts, baking soda and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until butter is mixed in.

Scrape the batter into a 9-inch pie pan...use your hands, its the easiest way!. Take your time smoothing and patting the batter out evenly. It's better to spread the batter thinner across the bottom of the pan and thicker around the edges of the crust. Bake the crust for 15 minutes at 350.

Filling Recpie:

- One 15-ounce can of pumpkin
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- pinch of sea salt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (add a bit extra if you like your pie sweeter!)
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 3 eggs, whisked

Instructions:

Mix together all ingredients. Pour into the pre-baked crust and bake for 50 minutes at 350. Let pie cool overnight prior to serving.

Let us know how yours turned out!

Cardamom up 1.21% on spot demand

Reduced supply from southern growing belts also supported prices of the commodity

Press Trust of India / New Delhi Nov 09, 2012, 14:23 IST Cardamom prices rose by Rs 10 to Rs 834.60 per kg in futures trading today on the back of a firming trend in the spot market amid rising export enquiries. Reduced supply from southern growing belts also supported prices of the commodity. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, the December contract rose by Rs 10, or 1.21%, to Rs 834.60 per kg, with a trading volume of 268 lots. The November contract advanced by Rs 8.50, or 1.07%, to Rs 801.80 per kg, with business volume of 137 lots. Traders said increased buying in the spot market, fuelled by festive and export demand, led to the rise in Cardamom futures prices. They said reduced supply from southern growing belts also supported the uptrend. http://business-standard.com/india/news/cardamom121spot-demand/195331/on

Steamed Modak Recipe

In this session i am going to show you how to prepare Ukadiche Modaks. Which are also known as steamed modaks. So lets start, Ingredients required for this are:

For Dough
Rice Flour 1 Cup
Water 3/4 Cup or 1 Cup
Salt Pinch
Oil 1/2 Tsp
Ghee 1/2 Tbsp


For Stuffing
Coconut 1 Cup
Jaggery 2/3 Cup
Cardamom Pw 1/4 Tsp

Note: (i) I was left with some dough so i have revised the ingredient quantities. (ii) You may boil 1 cup of water also, it will make the dough easier to knead as well as the dough will form in the pan itself. And you will not require water while kneading the dough. Rest of the process is same for preparing the dough. (iii) It is very important to prepare the cup of the dough to make THIN other wise it will not taste good. (iv) I was also not able to prepare and stuff and seal the modak so my mom did that she also was not known to it but as she knows to make excellent momos, and they are kind of momos while stuffing and sealing so my mom did it. (v) You may use a plastic below and above the dough and create thin cups, if you are not able to flatten the dough. (vi) If your rice flour is coarse, add a tbsp of glunitious rice flour to it while sieving it.
Directions

Stuffing: Add the jaggery to a nonstick pan, it should be in low flame. After it melts, add the coconut. Cook for a minute or two. After it comes all together and some lumps of jaggery is melted add the cardamom powder to it and stir well and cook for around half a minute and transfer to a plate.

For Dough.

Boil 1 cup of water in a deep pan. Add ghee, oil, salt, and add the flour to it. Mix well till no lumps and cover cook for two mins. As i added 3/4 Cup of water in the video it did not formed the dough in the pan, i recommend you to add 1 cup of water as the dough will have more moisture and it will be easier to flatten them. And it will not require water while kneading the dough, it will require some oil while kneading it.

After two mins of cover cooking take this dough to a greased surface and cool down for to mins and start kneading it. Knead for around 5 mins. You may not need to add water, if the dough is not soft you may add a maximum of 1 tsp of water to it. And do add oil in between.

After kneading the dough cover this dough, because we dont want our dough to dry.

Grease your hands and take a lemon size ball, and start pressing with your palms as shown in the video. GO AS MUCH THIN AS POSSIBLE. If the flatten dough is thick it will not taste good. So go as much thin as possible. And now add the jaggery and coconut stuffing to it, and create seal as shown in the video. As i could not do this flattening and sealing this dough my mom is doing this.

After all it requires patience and experience in this or in momos.
After sealing the modak dip this modak in water, dont dip it completely in water just till half the modak and keep aside.

After preparing all the modaks, boil water in a steamer, and in the decks of the steamer line the decks with wet handkerchief and keep the modaks in them. Once water boils, keep your steamer decks in the steamer and steam till 12-15mins minutes, depends upon the size of the modaks. You may shuffle the decks of your steamer after around 8 mins in your steamer if your steamer have 2 decks. After 12 mins switch off the flame and let it rest in the same position of the steamer for around 5-7mins.

Now Serve to Lord Ganesha First. And then serve hot to yourselves.


Do let me know how your modak was made.

Blog; www.cooknshook.blogspot.com