Happy's Cook

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sweet Diamond Cuts Recipe | Sugar Coated Maida Biscuits | Maida Biscuits | Christmas Special Recipe

Yet another interesting snack mum makes for Christmas and school vacation is diamond cuts. After I moved to Chennai for studies and work, she stopped making it since I didn't have a long vacation as in school. I can remember and feel the taste even after these many years. I tried it for last Christmas and it didn't come out well. The sugar syrup I made went wrong and it made my diamonds soggy.

Now, I am a little more experienced in making the sweets after trying many Diwali Sweets. This time it came out super crispy and Jany loves it to the core. I made it in very less quantity and everything vanishes in a day😆. I reserved a small pack for my friend's son and he too liked it. I have seen people mixing the sugar with maida while making sweet diamonds. However, mum makes the diamonds plain and sugarcoats it at the end. I have followed mum's method here and please do try it for this vacation.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe | Choco Chip Cookies | Christmas Special Recipes

I love to make traditional snacks for Christmas rather than Cakes and Cookies since mum does it that way. Apart from making snacks like Achu Murukku, Munthiri Kothu, Adhirasam, Mullu Murukku and Sweet Diamond cuts, the only cake we focus for Christmas is Plum cake and we buy it from a famous bakery in Nagercoil. On the day of Christmas, we make many non-veg dishes along with Fruit Custard and Payasam, etc. I am receiving many requests for more cookies and cakes as Christmas special recipes. I tried few baked goodies this year too and I will be posting it in the coming days. Check out my other Cakes and Cookies too.

Eggless Walnut Brownie Recipe | Chocolate Walnut Brownie(Eggless) | Christmas Special Recipes

We are going to celebrate our first Christmas in Sydney. Happy is really excited with the Christmas activities happening. She already met Santa a few times and got her Christmas presents. Though I am very much busy, I have a few recipes in hand to post it here. Two years back when I posted Chocolate Walnut Brownies for Christmas, I received many requests from readers asking for an eggless version. I wanted to try it from that day. However, I couldn't make it. When I was getting ready with Christmas recipes this year, these eggless brownies top the list. I made it a few weeks back and it turned out well. I am here with the simple and delicious brownie which doesn't require too much mixing. Do check out my peanut butter banana fudge brownie recipe as well.

Achu Murukku Recipe | Kerala Acchappam | Rose Cookies | Christmas Special Recipes

As I mentioned in my Munthiri Kothu post, Achu Murukku is also my native special (Kanyakumari Dist) snacks made for Christmas. This sweet crispy murukku is made using a special mould in the shape of a flower with a long handle to hold. I made this murukku last January and it was waiting in my drafts until this Christmas :). I got the recipe from Vanitha Akka who helps us with the household work in my native after mum. She learned many recipes from mum since she was with us for a long time now. I am learning the recipes that I missed from mum through her. Let us move on to the recipe:

Munthiri Kothu Recipe | Roasted Green Gram and Jaggery Balls | Kanyakumari Special Snack | Christmas Special Recipes

Munthiri Kothu is one of the traditional snacks we make in my hometown (Kanyakumari District) for Christmas. In Malayalam 'Munthiri' means grapes and 'Kothu' means a bunch. After deep frying, this snack tends to stick to each other and it resembles a bunch of grapes. Maybe, that is the reason behind the name 'Munthiri Kothu'. Though my mum is a teacher, she finds time to make many traditional snacks for Christmas without missing it. She always makes Munthiri Kothu, Adhirasam, Achu Murukku and Mullu Murukku in the beginning of half early holidays (a few days before Christmas) and stocks it up. Like mum, I wanted to make all the traditional snacks for Happy. I am in the process of learning all the snacks. I got this recipe from my mom-in-law and it turned out super awesome. Do try this for this Christmas and share me the feedback.

Sweet Bonda Recipe | Wheat Flour Unniappam | Fried Whole Wheat Banana Cake | Kerala Bonda | Tea Stall Sweet Bonda | Undampori | Christmas Special Recipes

The tea stall unniyappam brings me so many childhood fond memories of my native. My grandfather, while returning home after his evening walk brings me a pack of unniyappam, parippu vada or omapodi from the nearby tea stall. My grandmother, mom and I relish it with evening coffee. It tastes so yum and still I can feel its taste. When I was planning for Christmas recipes, this snack comes to mind since mum used to make it during our Christmas vacation. I tried this a month ago when our friends visited us and they gave us a thumbs up. I have few more traditional Christmas snacks from my native that I will be posting it soon. Let us see the step-by-step preparation: