winter recipe chronicles: orange cran walnut cookies

It's a very good thing that pre-Christian festivals happened to be during winter, or Christmas might have been celebrated anytime else, and winter would be pretty dreary of a season. At least, for us, being from ancestral blood that probably only knew the milder of days. I do not celebrate Christmas, but I love the lights and I like the creative cookie recipes that are hauled out at the year's end. My little sisters and I baked two different types of cookies (and this will probably be all the baking for us). Baking is really not very fun to me. As a co-worker said to me, "baking is a science, cooking is an art". Well, I have a minor in fine art, and I failed science, so that's pretty definitive of my feelings on baking. Nonetheless, I like to get into the spirit of baking during snow days. Here I present my interpretation of an orange, cranberry, and walnut cookie.

Orange, cranberry, walnut cookie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if you like it sickeningly sweet)
1 egg
1 tablespoon of orange zest
3 tablespoons of orange juice
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 stick softened butter
1/4 cup oil (a bit less than that)

Directions:
1. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and walnuts in one bowl.
2. Mix sugar, oil, butter, egg, orange juice, and orange zest in another bowl.
3. Slowly add in the dry flour mixture into wet ingredients while mixing.
4. Make balls and place 2-3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
5. Place in preheated oven at 325 for 10-12 minutes or when edges are golden. Rotate halfway.
6. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

cranberries, walnuts, flour, salt, baking soda

orange juice, zest, butter, sugar, egg, oil

cookie dough balls

fresh out of the oven--enjoy!

-A

winter recipes with Aneela de el blog, "The Desi Knot"

How to Make the World’s Best Candied Yams!

Boo!! My name is (also) Aneela and I thought I’d come at y’all with a dramatic salutation as Anila has declared ‘Hello’ to be too tedious ;) I write a blog called The Desi Knot about Southasian weddings, design, and whatever else strikes my fancy at the current moment. Today, I thought I would share something we all hold dear to our hearts…food! This is my top-secret (not anymore) recipe for the world’s best candied yams! They were a huge hit at Thanksgiving dinner this year, so I thought I would share my gem-of-a-recipe with all of you! If you try it out, be sure to comment below this post and tell us how it turned out! Also, let us know if you would like to see Aneela and Anila swapping blogs more often! And, be sure to check out Anila’s post on The Desi Knot here. Phew, thank God we spell our names differently or you guys would have been in for a real treat!

Ingredients:

o   4 lbs. boiled and peeled sweet potatoes

o   ¼ cup salted butter (room temperature)

o   ¼ cup sugar

o   ¼ cup milk

o   1 large egg

o   ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For Topping:

o   1 ¼ cup crushed corn flakes

o   1/3 cup chopped pecans

o   1 tablespoon brown sugar (packed)

o   1 tablespoon salted butter (melted)

o   2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish.

2.      Boil and peel sweet potatoes.

3.      To make the topping, combine cornflakes, pecans and brown sugar. Stir in the melted butter until evenly mixed. Set aside.

4.      Mash sweet potatoes and combine with butter, sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until evenly mixed.

5.      Put sweet potato mixture in prepared casserole dish. 

6.      Cover evenly with topping mixture.

7.      Place into oven and bake until the topping is golden (about 20 minutes). Sprinkle marshmallows over entire dish and bake until lightly golden on top (about 5 minutes).

8. Serve immediately and watch the compliments pour in.

 -Aneela of The Desi Knot

#mipsterz

As varied as the reactions and opinions to this video may be, it is sure to spark a much-needed conversation about Muslim identity in the United States. Nonetheless, good exposure and interesting narrative about Muslim women in America. And that skateboarding talent? respect.

Let us know what you think! 

Sheikh Bake Productions

Come, come, whoever you are.

Wanderer, worshipper, lover of living, it doesn't matter

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come even if you have broken your vow a thousand times,

Come, yet again, come, come. - Rumi 

-S