Holidays are here, and there is no Christmas without cookies in our house! Whether they are for Santa, gifting or pampering my friends, we just have to have a big batch of delicious cookies ready. This year I am changing up the flavors a bit to add a little more fun and surprise to it, so instead of plain vanilla flavors, I added a touch of citrus and cardamom to enhance the already yummy cookies.

Ingredients

3 cups- All purpose flour

1 cup/2 sticks -Softened unsalted butter

1 large – egg at room temp

3/4 tsp – baking powder

1 tsp – green cardamom powder

2 tbs – Orange zest

1/2 tsp – Vanilla extract

1 tbs – Milk

1/4 tsp – salt

1 cup – Sugar

Powdered sugar for rolling out the dough

In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place Softened butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until fluffy and light in color. Add egg, milk, vanilla, cardamom and orange zest and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough and warp in cling wrap , and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour or even the night before baking the cookies .

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove wrapped dough from refrigerator, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes after removal from oven, and then move on wire rack and cool completely. Serve as is, or use icing as desired.

Happy Holidays!

Dhansak is a one pot goodness originating among the Parsi Zoroastrian community in India , this dish has elements of Persian and Gujarati cuisine . The recipe can look very long and intimidating but it is really an easy one , this dish is not only very delicious but also nutritious and here i will share the recipe that my mom shared and the one I grew up with . Serve it up with a special rice made with caramelized onions and a quick salad . This dish is seasoned with a special Dhansak masala that you can choose to make at home or obtain it online and Indian store .

Notes

I will mention substitutes for some of the things in the ingredients list You may make this dish vegetarian by leaving the meat out .

If you make this dish with without the meat , just cook the lentils as mentioned and then saute the onions to golden brown , with the whole spices, ginger, garlic and then add the cooked lentils with the masala to that . Simmer as mentioned and then serve .

Dhansak masala ( Spice Powder recipe )

1 cup whole corriander seeds

1/4 cup cumin seeds

1 tbs pepper corns

1 tbs fenugreek seeds

1 tbs black mustard seeds

8 to 10 whole dried red chillies

1 1/2 tbs or turmeric powder

3 bay leaves

1 -2 cinnamon sticks

6 to 8 green cardamoms

1 tsp ginger powder

Method

Roast all the whole spices on a low flame just enough to warm and toast them: cinnamon , cardamom, bay leaves , coriander , peppercorns, cumin , fenugreek, whole chillies . Grind all this to a fine powder , mix in the ginger powder and turmeric powder and store in an air tight container .

Ingredients for prepping the meat

1 1/2 pound goat meat

1 large onion sliced

1 tbs of ginger paste

6 to 7 cloves of peeled who garlic

1 tbs coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

3 -green cardamom

4- 4 to 5 peppercorns

4 to 5 – cloves

1 tsp – sugar

3 tbs -Any Neutral cooking oil

just a little sate to taste to season the meat about 1/2 tsp

Ingredients for Prepping the lentils

1/4 cup – Red lentils

1/4 cup – Pegion peas

1/4 cup – Bengal gram lentil

1/4 cup – yellow mung lentil

1 medium – Potato quartered

1 small – Eggplant quartered

2 medium – Tomatoes Chopped

1/2 cup – Red pumpkin medium dice or Substitute with butternut squash

1/2 cup – Bottle gourd medium dice or substitute with peeled and chopped zucchini .

1/2 cup – Fresh, frozen fenugreek leaves or 1 tbs of dried fenugreek after soaking for 15 mins in warm water . or leave it out all together.

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

Heat oil on medium flame in a dutch oven or a heavy bottom pan , add the whole spices , sugar and onions saute untild the onions are golden brown , now add ginger and garlic saute this for 30 seconds ,add the coriander powder , chilli powder and the meat , sear the meat on high flame for about a 1 , Add warm water ,cover and leave to slow cook until fork tender .

While the meat cooks lets prep the lentils .

Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours in warm water or over night if you like . Put all the lentils in your instant pot , add water enough to cover the lentils , add all the vegetables , turmeric and cook for 35 mins , natural release . Add salt to taste and mash all the lentils with a hand blender or potato masher .

Putting it all Together.

Once the meat is fork tender , add the, 1 to 2 Tbs Dhansak masala ( spice powder), cooked and mashed lentils to the pot of the meat , and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes , add some chopped mint leaves optional . and serve with steam rice or traditional Parsi brown rice .