Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband and I landed in USA after marriage on a cold March evening. We were super tired and hungry. We reached Homestead suites and my husband informed me that it would be our home for another couple of weeks till we got an apartment. I never knew what a studio was until then. We took a shower and headed out to eat. There wasn’t any restaurant nearby and we did not have a car yet. We landed at Ralphs departmental store after some walking. I was in awe with the kind of things one could find in an American super market. It was big, oh! so big!!! with never ending aisles. We got a lot of snacks and fruits and my very first Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. I had never tasted chocolate chip cookies until then. The most chocolaty thing that you can get those days in India was the Bourbon chocolate biscuits or a spoonful of bournvita or Maltova that you can sneak from the kitchen shelf. I instantly became a fan of these crisp cookies. My son is even a bigger fan of famous amos cookies. We tried baking these home-made crispy chocolate chip cookies and it was a lot of fun. Lot of nostalgia thinking of December as it can be the best time in USA.

Here is how we did our crispy chocolate chip cookies. Traditionally chocolate chip cookies uses white sugar as well as brown sugar. For this recipe, I have just used plain white sugar as brown sugar will make the cookie a little chewy.

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. You will need a stand mixer or a hand mixer to do this recipe. I recommend the Kitchen-Aid Hand blender if you are buying new.

Cream the butter (unsalted) and sugar for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. We will need fine granulated sugar for this recipe. I have used just plain sugar for this recipe.

Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for another two minutes.

Add in the sifted all purpose flour (maida) and baking soda. Beat till the flour is well combined.

Add in the chocolate chips and mix well.

Note: At this stage the cookie dough can be refrigerated for upto two days and baked whenever necessary. The flavor in fact improves when the dough is rested. Most of the professional bakeries rest their dough over nite before baking. Resting the dough develops the flavor and gives the flour time to absorb the moisture and swell. Also the cookies when baked doesn’t spread too much. If you do not have time, rest for at-least 30 minutes and proceed with the recipe.

Preheat the oven for 10 minutes to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie on a silpat / parchment lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, slightly flatten the cookie dough. Unlike other dough, this dough does not spread too much while baking.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top has slightly browned. It will still be a little soft to the touch and will harden as it cools. If the cookie has become slightly brown on the top and the edges, its an indication that the cookie is done. Remove and set aside to cool on a plate. Once the cookies are cool, store in an airtight container for upto a week. It does not last for more than a couple of days at my place.

Crispy and crunchy chocolate chip cookies are ready!

• 200 grams unsalted butter
• 150 grams fine granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 400 grams all purpose flour ( Maida)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 150 grams chocolate chip cookies

1. Cream the butter (unsalted) and sugar for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
2. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for another two minutes.
3. Add in the sifted all purpose flour (maida) and baking soda. Beat till the flour is well combined.
4. Add in the chocolate chips and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie on a silpat / parchment lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, slightly flatten the cookie dough.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top has slightly browned. It will still be a little soft and will harden as it cools.
8. Once the cookies are cool, store in an airtight container for upto a week.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: snack
• Cuisine: American

• 200 grams unsalted butter
• 150 grams fine granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 400 grams all purpose flour ( Maida)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 150 grams chocolate chip cookies

1. Cream the butter (unsalted) and sugar for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
2. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for another two minutes.
3. Add in the sifted all purpose flour (maida) and baking soda. Beat till the flour is well combined.
4. Add in the chocolate chips and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie on a silpat / parchment lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, slightly flatten the cookie dough.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top has slightly browned. It will still be a little soft and will harden as it cools.
8. Once the cookies are cool, store in an airtight container for upto a week.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: snack
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/famous-amos-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Recipe for Fresh Green Karamani Kurma, Pachai Karamani Kurma. Perfect as a side dish for Chapati. Recipe with step by step pictures.

We had a good harvest of fresh Black-eyed pea at the farm. Black-eyed pea is also called as cowpea, lobia, alsande kalu and karamani.

Here is how to do karamani kurma. This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot inspired recipe. This recipe will work only in a two or a three liter pressure cooker. Using a bigger cooker may burn the ingredients. So, that’s a word of caution.

Shell the fresh Karamani and set aside.

Now we will layer everything in a cooker. Take a two liter cooker and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the finely chopped onions.

Followed by chopped tomatoes and black-eyed-pea.

Now, we will grind all the ingredients listed under “masala” to a fine paste. Take a mixie jar and add in the khuskhus, cashew, coconut, ginger, garlic, salt, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and kurma masala powder. In place of kurma masala powder, I have used Sakthi chicken masala powder today. Even garam masala would work. Grind everything with little water to a fine paste. Spread it on top off the pea.

Remember that we did not add any water. The moisture from the veggies will suffice and the flavour will be concentrated. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.

Add in half a cup of hot water to the kurma and mix well.

Serve the Kurma with Chapati .

For the Masala Paste

• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon Khus Khus – white poppy seeds
• 6 Cashew-nut
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or Kurma Masala Powder
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 1/4 cup water to grind

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 onion, finely chopped ( 1 cup )
• 2 tomatoes, chopped ( 1 cup )
• 1 cup fresh black-eyed pea
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Take a two liter cooker and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the finely chopped onions.
2. Top it with finely chopped tomatoes and black-eyed pea.
3. Grind all the ingredients listed under “masala” to a fine paste. Spread the masala on top of the pea.
4. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
5. Add in half a cup of hot water to the kurma and mix well.
6. Serve the Kurma with Chapati.

Notes

Dont be tempted to add water. The water in the onion, tomatoes and the veggies are enough to cook the kurma. Thats the main thing about OPOS – concentrated flavor.

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu