Coconut and Mix Berries Cookies

Cookies are the best mate for teatime, specially the evening tea. For me cookies are anytime friend, even when I'm not in mood for breakfast or dinner. Adding some berries and coconut makes them more delish. I always keep some berry mix in my pantry to make such little goodies to pamper my family.

This berry mix has cranberries, golden raisin, black raisin, inca berries, cherries, blueberries, and bing cherries. Mix of sweet and sour taste of berries gave the cookies different taste. The subtle earthy taste of coconut is liked by almost everyone.

My family enjoys these cookies with their tea and coffee. Kids love them as a snack with their flavoured milk. Easy and quick recipe for them makes it hassle free. You can use any berries you have at home. I used wheat flour to make these cookies but it can be replaced with APF/Maida.

Try the recipe and leave your feedback in comments below. I'm sure they will trun out to be a hit for you as well like for me. Until Next Time......................Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour                              - 1 cup
Mix Berries                               - 1/2 cup
Desiccated Coconut                  - 1/4 cup (Fine)
Granulated Sugar                      - 1/2 cup
Butter                                        - 3 tblspoon (Semi Soft)
Baking Powder                         - 1/2 tspoon
Baking Soda                             - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                           - a pinch
Milk                                          - 1/4 cup to as required
Vanilla Extract                         - 1 tspoon (This can be any extract of your choice)


Method:

Line a baking tray with non-stick paper/mat.
In a stand mixer / mixing bowl, Sift flour, baking powder, Baking Soda and Salt.
Add in the Sugar, Fine desiccated Coconut and Butter.

Start mixing on low speed / rub it with hands.
Once the flour starts to look like crumble add in the berries, mix well.
Now add the milk and gently for the shape of dough. Do not knead it like Chapati dough.

Make small balls out of dough and flatten them a little.
Place them all on baking tray and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven on 180c and bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the sides starts to get a little golden.
You can keep them a little more (only 2 more minutes) , if you want a bit crunchy cookies.
Once baked to your choice of crunch take them out on cooling rack to cool them completely.
These cookies go very well with evening tea , coffee and milkshake.
These are my favourite cookies for reading time tea.
Kids will also love the sourness of berries and sweetness of coconut.

Berry Shrikhand

Shrikhand is an Indian sweet dish made of hung curd(AKA strained Yogurt). It is one of the main desserts in Gujarati cuisine and Maharashtrian cuisine. It's very easy to make just the preparations takes a bit of time.

A popular variation of shrikhand in Maharashtra is Amrakhand, which is made with mango pulp. Another variant of shrikhand, I made with berries. This can be made with any fruit pulp or nuts powder.


In Gujarati cuisine, shrikhand is eaten  with Poori. It is commonly served as part of a vegetarian thali in restaurants. It is served chilled as a counterpoint to hot and spicy curries. Fresh fruits are best for it's garnish.

I 'm sure you will try making this berry shrikhand at least for once. Don't forget to comment below :) Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya


Ingredients:

Yogurt                                               - 3 cups
Mix Berries                                       - 2 cup (I used Strawberry and raspberry)
Green Cardamom Powder                 - 1/2 tspoon
Sugar                                                 - 1/2 cup

Method:

Hung the curd in a muslin, cheese cloth for at-least 4-5 hours, best left overnight.
Throughly wash and Puree the berries.
In a pan add berry puree and sugar, stir it continuously on medium flame.
Once the sauce starts to thickenup, drain in through a sieve to aviod the seeds while eating.
Take a deep mixing bowl, add thick hung curd to it, add the cardamom powder and mix with a hand blender.
Pour the berry sauce into the bowl and blend till smooth.
Pour shrikhand in individual serving bowls or in the big serving bowl and keep in the fridge overnight to chill it.
Once chilled, spoon or pipe it into the serving bowls and garnish with fresh berry or glazed cherry.
This is the best dessert in hot summers. Also can be added to the Thali menus as a dessert.
We sometimes eat it a part of out Thali and sometimes just with Puris for breakfast.