Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti for Sweet Punch September 2011

This time for Sweet Punch it's Italian Biscotti from Joy of Baking.  Biscotti's are a type of Italian biscuits which normally people enjoy it with their  black coffee.  I have attempted these biscotti's a few years back which was a total flop, this time  the recipe from Joy of baking is perfect.

Almond Cookies for Sweet Punch March 2011

  This month Ria of Ria's Collection has chosenthe recipe form Manjula's Kitchen.  Manjula's Kitchen is a very popular Indian recipe, I'm sure all Indian food lovers must have known her recipes .  Our challenge for this month is to bake Whole wheat eggless almond cookies.  Without any doubt Manjula's recipes always taste the best.

Dates and Walnut Squares

I always adore the Middle Eastern Cuisine especially when it comes to desserts and sweets.  This is something very similar to mamoul cookies which I made earlier.  The thing which I love the most about these squares, it's mildly sweetened, it gets the natural sweetness from the dates and a crunchy bit of walnut in the middle will be perfect with a mint tea after dinner or even during evening tea.  I made a few alterations in the mamoul cookie which I made earlier, I absolutely enjoyed these squares a lot.  Hope you guys enjoy baking it too.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Makes 25 to 30 squares

Ingredients:
Fine semolina( semolina flour)- 150 g
Plain flour- 150 g
Baking Powder- 3/4 tsp
Butter-150 g
Icing sugar- 1/2 tbsp
Milk- 3 to 4 tbsp
Pitted dates- 500 g
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Walnuts- 2 tbsp( finely chopped)

Method:
Prepare the filling first by steaming the dates in a steamer for 10 minutes.  Mash it well until it looks like a paste,  add cinnamon and cardamom powder mix it well.  Set it aside.
Prepare the pastry by sifting the flour, semolina, baking powder and icing sugar in a large bowl.  Add the butter and start working with your hands until it looks like bread crumbs.  Add cold milk little by little until the mixture looks crumbly, don't knead it like a dough.

 Grease a 20cm square cake tine, line with baking parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.  Divide the dough into half. Roll one half of the dough in the middle of two clingfilm.  Peel the top layer of cling film and carefully invert the pastry inside the cake tin and press it all around to fit the tin. Now roll the dates paste in the middle of two cling film and place it on top of the pastry and press it to spread all through the pastry. Spread the chopped walnuts on top of the dates paste.  Now roll the other half of the dough in the middle of two cling film and place it on top of the dates paste. Take a butter knife , with a blunt side of the knife score on top of the pastry, then with a sharp knife cut it into squares, don't cut it completely, just make an insertion.  Bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Take it out from the oven and allow it cool in the tin completely.  then cut it into squares and dust it with icing sugar and cinnamon powder.


Also don't forget to check our bloggers in the marathon   Srivalli, Reva, Monika, Priya Suresh, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Jay, Azeema , Soumya.and Gayathri.

This recipe goes to AWED- Iranian Cuisine hosted by Sweet Artichoke originally started by DK of Chef in You.

Almond Biscuits with Chocolate Ganache

This is again one of my favourite combination, which you can find in most of my baked goodies. Almond and orange is simply irresistible to me. You can make different cookie shapes to enjoy your holiday and festive season.

Recipe Source: Cakes and Bakes by BBC Good Food
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Makes 20 biscuits

Ingredients:
Plain flour- 100 g
Butter- 75 g
Ground Almonds- 75 g
Brown Sugar or Caster Sugar- 75 g
Grated Orange rind- 1 tsp
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Marzipan- 50 g

Chocolate Ganache:
Dark Chocolate or Plain Chocolate- 50 g
Double cream- 100 ml

Nuts to sprinkle on top

Method:
To make the biscuits: 
Sift the flour and almonds in a large bowl, add the butter and work with your hands gently until it resembles bread crumbs like consistency. Add the grated orange rind and mix well. Add the sugar and mix it until it holds together like a dough.
Thinly roll out half of the dough and cut using cookie cutter to make crescent and star shapes. Roll out the marzipan also like a thin sheet. Cut the shapes using a cookie cutter.
Place one shape of the cookie, top it up with a marzipan shape and then top it again with the cookie dough. Seal the edges.
Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius. Bake the biscuits for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. To check if the cookies are cooked, when they are in the oven, move slightly with your index finger if it moves freely without sticking to the paper then the cookies are done.

Chocolate Ganache:
To make the ganache, heat the cream and chocolate in a bowl sitting on top of a pan of simmering water. When the chocolate melts completely take it off from heat. Beat it continuously when you are heating.
Dip the biscuits in the ganache and sprinkle with nuts.

Notes:
You can also make this recipe without marzipan filling and chocolate ganache. If you are not using chocolate ganache simply dust it with icing sugar.

This recipe goes to White Christmas Challenge    Bake Off, Suma's Baking event  and to Love Feast Holiday Cookie Exchange.

Nigella Biscuits With Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

When I first made this biscuit I was expecting some strong flavour of nigella in the biscuit, but the chocolate flavour almost subtle the flavour of nigella. If you want to have a strong flavour increase the amount of Nigella or just go along with this recipe. It's perfect with tea and even with kids, just to put up a smile on daughter's face I have put some sugar beads for decoration on top, which is just optional.
Makes about 20 small biscuits
Ingredients:
Plain Flour- 110 g
Butter- 75 g( cold)
Nigella seeds- 2 tsp( powdered)
Sugar- 75 g
For the filling:
Chocolate hazelnut spread- 3 tbsp( it might vary)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius.
Sift the flour in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cut into cubes. Gently work with your hands to form a fine bread crumb like texture.

Don't knead it or mix it with a beater, it will spoil the texture of the cookie. Add the powdered nigella seeds to the flour mixture and mix well, it doesn't have to be a fine powder, coarse powder is fine.
Finally add the sugar, and start working with your hands until it forms together to form a dough. If the dough looks too crumbly add a splash of milk to bring it together.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper, cut the cookies with a cookie cutter. Place them in a baking sheet lined with baking parchment paper. Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Take it out from the oven and leave it in the wire rack to cool down.
Sandwich the biscuits chocolate hazelnut spread using a butter knife or a piping bag.

Along with this recipe I'm also sending my Nigella Chutney to CWS- Nigella Seeds event.

This recipe goes to CWS- Nigella seeds hosted by me started by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes and To The Virtual Party: Chocolaty Dreams by Shabitha of From My Home Kitchen.
It also goes to Champa's Bake Off event.

Chunky Cherry Cookies

This is one of the cookie recipe which I bookmarked from  my recipe book collection. My last minute entry to my own event Veggie/Fruit A Month- Cherries.

Recipe adapted from the book Good House Keeping- Great Cakes


Makes about 20 biscuits

Ingredients:
Plain Flour- 100 g
Porridge oats- 50 g
Butter- 50 g ( softened)
Crunchy Peanut Butter- 50 g
Egg-1
Cherries- 100 g
Brown Sugar- 150 g
Baking powder- 1/2 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degree Celsius. Grease and line two baking sheets with baking paper. Combine the two butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Add the egg and extract and again mix well. Now add the sifted flour, porridge oats, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix it. Finally add the cherries, remove the stones before adding. Fold it into the mixture. Place level teaspoonful of mixture in the baking sheet, leaving enough space to spread.
 Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool slightly, then lift on a wire rack to cool.
 This recipe also goes to Champa's Bake- Off event and Priya Mitharwal's Bookmarked recipes.

This recipe also goes to the event EFM- Cakes and Bakes hosted by Srish Kitchen.

Almond Biscuits With Orange Butter Cream

As we are nearing towards the month of the Ramadhan,  Muslim women  all over world may be busy in preparation  for food and sweets which they can give it to their friends and family.
 Allah's Apostle said " When the month of ramadhan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained." ( Bukhari)
  When Ramadhan starts normally people distribute sweets when they go for prayer in the mosque or when they visit their friends place. It's always good to celebrate a special moment with sweets. I made these almond biscuits scented with orange zest and sanwiched with orange butter cream which can given as a gift when you visit your friend for Iftar or after  your nice dinner, it can be accompanied with a cup of tea.

Makes 20 biscuits
Ingredients:
Plain flour- 110g
Butter- 75 g
Ground Almonds with skin- 50 g
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
Finely grated orange zest- 1 tsp
Caster Sugar- 50 g
For the butter cream:
Butter- 60 g
Icing sugar- 120 g
Grated orange zest- 1 tsp
A tiny drop of orange food colouring( optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degree celsius. In a large bowl sift the flour and soda, add the ground almonds and mix together. Add the diced butter to the mixture and mix it till it resembles like a bread crumbs. Finally add the sugar and bring it together like a dough.
  Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 1/2 inch . Cut out the cookies using cookie cutter and place it in a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
If you don't have a cookie cutter, just take walnut size balls of the dough, roll it between your palms and flatten it.
 Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The cooking time might vary according to your oven and the size of the cookie. To check the cookie is cooked move it slightly with one finger, if the cookie moves freely without  sticking to the paper then the cookies are cooked. Take it out from the oven and transfer it to a  wire rack to cool.
  To prepare the butter cream, add the softened butter to a bowl, and then add the sifted icing  sugar, food colouring and grated orange zest, mix it  to a smooth paste. Pipe the cream with a star nozzle in the cookie and sandwich with the other cookie. Serve with tea or gift wrap it and give it to your friends.

Sending this basket of cookies to Joy from fasting to feasting, Dish starts with A, Let's munch tea time snacks and Monthly Mingle-Party Treat hosted by sara's corner originally started by Meeta.
This recipe also goes to Versatile Kitchen Bake-Off event.

Kesar Nankhattai

Nankhattai is a Indian version of shortbread  or cookies, which you can find it in almost all Indian bakeries. this recipe is from Champa's Versatile Kitchen. When i first saw this cookie it self i know I'm going to make this, it was so delicious especially the aroma of saffron and cardamom filled my whole house when I was baking this.
Every time when i opened this box of cookie, it was simply irresistible.
Recipe adapted from Versatile Kitchen
Ingredients:
Plain flour- 100 g
Fine Semolina- 100 g
Ghee or Melted Butter- 100g
Powdered Sugar- 100g
Saffron- 1/4 tsp soaked in warm milk
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Now add the ghee, cardamom and saffron knead it together to make it into a dough. Grease and line a baking sheet. Take small balls out of the dough, round it between your palms, flatten it slightly and place it in the baking sheet.
 Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, leave it in the wire rack to cool. Then store it in a air tight container.
Note:
 To check if the cookies are cooked move it slightly with your finger, if it moves freely without sticking to the paper then the cookies are done.
These cookies are great for tea time party or even for kid's party.
This recipe goes to Versatile Kitchen Bake-Off Event. It also goes to bookmarked recipes by Priya.
It also goes to Monthly Mingle- Party Treats hosted by Sara's Corner started by Meeta.
It also goes to Celebrate Independence Day by Akhila.

Jam Biscuits

Makes 30
Ingredients:
Plain flour- 150 g
Butter- 100 g
Caster sugar- 100 g
Egg yolk- 1
Custard powder- 30 g
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Milk- 1 tbsp
Red currant or straberry jam- 2 tbsp
Method:
Combine the flour, butter, sugar, custard powder  together and mix well until it resembles like crumbs. Now add the vanilla extract and egg yolk and knead together to make it into a dough. If the dough doesn't come together add a tbsp of milk to bring the dough together. Wrap the dough tightly in a cling film and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius. Take the dough out and roll it out into a rectangle between two sheets of baking paper. I used a cookie cutter to get these shapes for the biscuits, you can also take walnut size of the balls roll it between your palms, flatten it slightly. Make a intend in the center of the biscuts and fill it with a tiny drop of jam. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
To check wheather the cookies are done, move it slightly with your finger tip, if it moves freely then cookies are done. Take it out of the oven, leave it in the wire rack to cool.
Store the biscuits in a air tight container.
This recipe goes to Champa's  Bake-Off event.

Feel Good Biscuits

High sugar and high salt are the cause of various diseases, although we can't completely cut down these two from our daily diet; trying to find out alternative is good.
In this recipe i have used a sugar syrup instead of sugar. One of my friend here in Germany suggested me this, thanks a lot to her. This sugar syrup is a concentrated juice of freshly harvested sugar, without the addition of any chemicals.This syrup has a flavour similar to that of date molasses or even black jaggery. To check about this product details please click here. The website is in German, so please translate to read more about this product.

With the addition of peanut butter, ragi and sugar syrup makes this as a feel good biscuit to make you feel having it any time of the day.
If you don't get this syrup you can also use date molasses, agave syrup, final option may be sugar.
This recipe goes to Versatile kitchen Bake-Off Event.
Makes about 20 biscuits
Ingredients:
Plain flour-100g
Ragi flour- 80 g
Egg yolk-1
Butter- 50 g
Smooth peanut butter- 50 g
Gold Saft Sugar Syrup-3 tbsp  or  Brown Sugar- 100 g
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
A splash of milk if required
Few blanched peanuts to decorate( optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.
Sift the flour and soda in a bowl, add both the butter, mix well until it resembles like breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and sugar syrup, mix well to bring the dough together. If the dough looks still crumbly add 1 or 2 tbsp of milk and knead together to make it into a dough.
Roll the dough into a log shape, flatten it lightly at the top. Cut into 1 cm slices,  place it in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place a peanut on top of each biscuit, bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly brown on sides. Leave it to cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Vanilla Kisses

These little melt in the mouth delights were made for our special guests but unfortunately we couldn't serve them so we enjoyed by ourselves.
Recipe adapted from the book  The Australian Women's Weekly.

Ingredients:
Plain flour-85 g
Butter-125 g
Cornflour-100 g
Custard powder-30 g
Caster sugar-110 g
Baking powder-1/4 tsp
Egg-1
Cream
Butter-60 g softened
Icing sugar-120 g
Vanilla extract-1/2 tsp
Milk-2 tsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius. Grease two oven trays and line with baking paper.
Beat butter, sugar and egg in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients in two batches. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with 1 cm flutted tube. Pipe 3cm rosettes about 3cm apart on trays. Make sure you leave enough space as the cookies spread when they are cooking. Bake biscuits for about 10 minutes. Cool on tray.
Meanwhile make the cream beat butter and extract in a small electric bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible; gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and milk in two batches.
Sandwich the biscuits with the cream in the middle.
This recipe goes to the event Baking from the book. hosted by Veggie Platter started  by  Champa.

Pistachio Cookies

I love to make cookies with different flavours and this is one of my favourite flavour.
Pistachios are also high in antioxidants. Researches have shown that regular intake of pistachios reduces the risk of heart disease. To read more about pistachios click here

Ingredients:
Plain Flour-1 1/4 cup
Butter-3 tbsp
Brown Sugar-3 tbsp
Finely chopped pistachios-2 tbsp
Egg yolk-1
Bicarbonate of soda-1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder-1 tsp
Milk-1 tbsp( if required)
Egg white-1
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Sift the flour, cardamom powder and bicarbonate of soda to this mixture, finally add 1 tbsp of chopped pistachios and mix well, knead it together to make it into a dough. If the dough doesn't hold together, add 1 tbsp of milk and knead the dough again. Grease and line a baking tray.
Take walnut size ball of the cookie dough, roll it into a ball, flatten slightly and place it in the baking sheet. Brush the top of the cookie with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

White Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies

No matter whatever healthy options i look for my kids, they are always inclined towards this chocolate,that's my kids:-) This is a classic recipe for white chocolate chip cookies. This recipe goes to the event Baking From The Book-Cookies by Champa.

Recipe adapted from the book The Australian Women's Weekly.
Ingredients:
Plain flour-225 g
Caster Sugar-55g
Firmly packed brown sugar-75 g
Butter-125 g melted
Egg-1
White chocolate-100 g coarsely chopped
Hazelnut-50g coarsely chopped
Bicarbonate of soda-1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius. Grease and line two oven trays with baking paper.
Sift flour and soda in a large bowl, add the sugar and stir well. Stir in butter, extract, egg and then chocolate and nuts, mix well.  The mixture will be quite sticky.
Drop a teaspoon of the mixture in the oven tray leaving 5 cm gap between each cookie, as the cookies spread well when they are cooking.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cool on tray.
Note:
Do not taste the dough when your making cookies, you'll stop making cookies and start eating the dough :-)

Banana,date and rolled oats cookies

These cookies are soft centered cookies with yummy banana flavour with the goodness of dates and rolled oats. From kids to grown up will love this cookies, even my little one will have it in the morning. I have used brown sugar for sweetning,you can replace with agave nectar or honey.
This recipe is for the Bake-Off event by Champa.

Recipe adapted from the book The Australian Women's Weekly.
Makes 28 biscuits
Ingredients:
Plain flour-225 g
Butter-125 g
Rolled oats-90 g
Brown Sugar-175g
Dates-75 g chopped
Egg yolk-1
Vanilla essence-1 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda-1/2 tsp
1 mashed banana
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
For the topping
4 seedsless dates chopped
60 g of rolled oats
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Beat butter,rind,essence,egg yolk and sugar with a electric mixer or using a wooden spatula until well combined; stir in mashed banana,then sift the flour and soda, add  the oats and dates mix together. The mixture will be quite sticky. Roll level teaspoon of the mixture into a ball. Roll each ball in the oats ,flatten it slightly, place on oven tray 5 cm gap between each cookie, press a piece of chopped dates on top of each cookie.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.Cool on tray.
The cookies can be stored in a air tight container for upto 3 weeks.

Vanilla Hazelnut Meringue

I always had a doubt about this meringue,the first time i tried this it turned out to be really well.You can have this by itself or use it in various.Recipe idea for dessert using meringue will be posted later,for now just recipe for meringue.You can also try out other flavours like chocolate,coffee,rosewater,almond essence and various other flavours using the same recipe.This recipe is for the Bake-Off Event by Stories From an Indian Kitchen.

Makes 30
Ingredients:
Egg whites-2
Caster sugar-110g
Vanilla essence-1 tsp
Roasted hazelnut-30 nuts
Method:
Preheat the oven to 120 degree celsius,grease and line two baking sheets.
Beat the egg whites with a electric mixer until soft peaks form,add sugar gradually beating until dissolved.Stir in the vanilla essence.
Place teaspoonfull of meringue mixture in the baking sheet leaving 2 cm space between each meringue and top it with hazelnut on top of each meringue, bake it in the preheated oven for 45  minutes.
Leave it in the oven to cool down with the door open.After completely cooled down,store it in a air tight container.

Saffron Amaretti

Wow! This is my 100th recipe nearly after 2 years,finally i have reached this.100 recipes after 2 years with very less viewers,but still it's ok,my thirst for new recipes  keeps going. Anyway amaretti's are traditionally flavoured with almond essence,here i have used saffron, which was really good.Saffron and almonds goes very well with each other.
Saffron not only gives a rich yellow colour,it also gives a nice flavour.This expensive spice is also used for many treatments,for cold or flu saffron with milk is a good home remedy.To read more about the history and chemistry of saffron click here

Ingredients:
Ground Almonds-120g
Caster Sugar-220 g
Egg whites-2
Saffron-1/2 tsp mixed with 1/2 tbsp of warm milk.
Almonds-20
Method:
Combine ground almonds,caster sugar,egg whites and saffron in a large bowl, beat with a electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the piping bag fitted with 1 cm plain tube,pipe them in circular form in a greased and lined baking tray.Place 1 almond on top of each biscuits.Cover the tray loosely with foil and leave them in the room tempearature for overnight.This will stop the amaretti's spreading out when they are baking.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius,bake it for 10 to 12 minutes.Leave it in the tray for 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Barazik Al Sham

Barazik Al Sham is a syrian cookie.This cookie is made for the Walima Cooking Challenge ,April 2010
.

Ingredients:
Plain flour-3 cups
Butter-200g
Powdered Sugar-1/4 cup
Eggs-2
Vanilla extract-1 tsp
Baking powder-1 tsp
White vinegar-1 tsp
To sprinkle
Sesame seeds and shelled pistachios
Method:
Cream  the butter and sugar, add the eggs,vanilla extract and mix well. Sift the flour,sugar and baking powder,add the vinegar and knead it to make it into a dough. Wrap the dough in a cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius. Take the dough out, make it into small balls, flatten it, coat it on the top side with sesame seeds and bottom with pistachios. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly brown on top.

Cashew and Cardamom Cookies

COOKING WITH SEEDS
This recipe is for the event Priya's Cooking With Seeds. Cashew and cardamom goes very well with each other. We easy cardamom for both sweets and savoury for it's nice aroma, also cardamom  has it's own health benefits. To read more click here.

Ingredients:
Plain Flour-200 g
Caster Sugar-110 g
Egg-1
Butter-50 g
Cashew Butter-150 g
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Cardamom pods-3
Dessicated coconut-1 tbsp
Milk-2 to 3 tbsp
To Prepare Cashew butter
Cashewnuts-150 g
Oil-1 tbsp
Method
First prepare the cashew butter ,dry roast the cashew nuts and blend them in a food processor with enough oil.Don't make it too smooth,it should be a bit crunchy.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.Take the seeds from the cardamom pod and crush them into powder.Cream the butter and sugar,add the cashew butter to it .Now add the egg and cardamom powder and mix it well.Sift the flour and baking powder into this mixture and make it into a smooth dough, if the dough is too crumbly add a splash of milk.
Grease and line two baking sheets, make small lemon size balls out of the flatten it slightly and sprinkle some dessicated coconut on top. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you like to have a soft centered cookies take out the cookies when they are pale in colour, if you like to have a crunchy cookies leave them to brown on top for 5 more minutes.

Cardamom Cookies

This recipe is adapted from Yasmeen's HealthNut which is actually made for Walima Cooking Challenge.These cookies are a real treat with a nice cup of tea.

Ingredients:
Wholemeal flour-3/4 cup
Plain flour-1/2 cup
Butter-3 tbsp
Brown Sugar-3 tbsp
Egg yolk-1
Cardamom powder-1 tsp
A few cashewnuts or almonds to decorate
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.Cream the butter and sugar well,add the egg yolk and cardamom powder and mix it well,add the flour and knead it into a smooth dough.Take walnut size ball, flatten it and press a cashewnut or almond in the middle.Bake it in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Hazelnut pinwheels

Source:The Australian "Women's Weekly"
Makes 30
Ingredients:
Plain Flour-185g
Butter-100g chopped
Caster Sugar-110 g
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk approximately
Chocolate hazelnut spread-110g
Hazelnut meal-2 tbsp
Method:
Process flour,sugar and butter intil mixture becomes crumbly,add the egg yolk; process with enough milk until the mixture forms a ball. Knead the dough on a floured  surface until smooth and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll th dough between two sheets of baking paper to form 20cm by 30 cm rectangle.
Spread the dough evenly with chocolate hazelnut spread leaving the sides and sprinkle hazelnut meal on top of it. Roll the dough tightly to enclose the filling. Enclose roll in a plastic wrap;refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to180 degree celsius.Grease and line two baking trays.
Remove plastic from dough ;cut roll into 1 cm slices. Place slices about 2 cm apart on trays.Bake biscuits for about 20 minutes, leave it in the tray for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.