Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are delicious dessert topped with the popular cream cheese frosting or any frosting of your choice. 

Buttermilk is essential in baking red velvet cupcakes as it adds the tangy flavor to the cupcakes and also makes them moist. The additional vinegar makes the batter color brighter and when reacted with baking soda makes the cupcakes super light and fluffy.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 1 1/3 cups
• Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 cup
• Egg whites - 2
• Red food coloring - 1 tbsp
• White vinegar - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Red colored sugar for decorating (optional)

    To make buttermilk

• Milk - 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice/White vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and keep aside.
3. To make buttermilk, in a small bowl stir lemon juice into milk. Allow it to stand for 5 mins or until thickened and slightly curdled.
4. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and keep aside.
5. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, egg whites, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract together until combined.
6. Make a hole in the middle of dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture. Mix until combined.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with few crumbs, not wet batter.
9. Cool in the muffin tins for 5 mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Frost the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting and sprinkle with red colored sugar, if using. Enjoy!

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Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are popular delicious treat consumed on different occasions. They can be cut and decorated for any season or holiday. It's a perfect snack for both kids and adults. Let the kids get creative and have fun decorating the cookies. These cookies contain lots of sugar and are not good for health if consumed regularly.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tsp
• Egg - 1
• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp

    For the frosting

• Powdered sugar - 3 cups
• Milk - 3-4 tbsp
• Light corn syrup - 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
• Food coloring (optional)
• Sprinkles or colored sugar crystals for decorating (optional)

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk/sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and mix well until combined.
5. Divide the sticky dough in half. 
6. Cover each dough ball in a clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours/overnight or until firm.
7. Take one cookie dough and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to 1/4"or 1/8" thickness (optional but recommended - refrigerate for at least 1 hr)
8. Preheat oven to 350F.
9. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
10. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer the shapes to the lined tray using a spatula.
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown.
12. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

   Sugar Cookie Frosting

1. Mix sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl until combined.
2. Add more sugar or milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
3. If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and add color. Mix well.
4. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag/ziplock bags and pipe on the cookies.
5. If using, decorate the cookies with sprinkles and colored sugar crystals.
6. Allow the frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

Notes

- If not frosting the cookies, sprinkle with sprinkles and colored sugar crystals before baking them.

- The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

- Instead of piping the frosting, the cookies can be dipped top side down into frosting.

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Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins, easy to make and very delicious. Adapted from NYT Cooking's The famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry muffins, legendary in the Boston area until the mid 1990s. These muffins are tender, very moist, cake-like and loaded with blueberries. 

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Butter - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
• Eggs- 2
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Blueberries - 2 cups
• Sugar - 2 tsp, to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup standard muffin pan with cupcake liners and keep aside.
3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and keep aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar until light.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add vanilla and lemon zest and beat well.
7. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork and mix into the creamed mixture.
8. Add the flour mixture into the batter alternatively with the milk.
9. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
10. Fill the muffin pan with batter to the tops of the paper liners.
11. Sprinkle the sugar on the top of each muffin.
12. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter.
13. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and rest them for another 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

- You can make these with fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not thaw the blueberries if you use frozen.
- Mashing the berries produces a very moist muffin.
- Sprinkle the whole blueberries with flour before adding them to the batter.

- The batter should be thick like cookie dough and not runny.

- Store them at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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Egg Muffins

Egg muffins otherwise called as baked omelette is a quick, easy and delicious snack. These fluffy egg muffins are low-carb and high in protein and can be prepared with your favorite toppings.

Egg Muffins

Ingredients

• Eggs - 12
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Mushrooms - 1 cup, chopped
• Grated cheese - 1 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cooking spray/oil - To coat the pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Beat the eggs with salt and garlic powder.
3. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or oil. Divide the chopped onions, mushrooms and cheese between each muffin cup, then carefully pour egg mixture until the tins are 2/3rd full.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Let them rest in the pan for a few minutes and carefully remove them.
6. Serve immediately.

Tips

- Store the extra muffins in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for a month.

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Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are delicious and nutritious and are perfect for a snack for both kids and adults. This crisp and chewy cookie is loaded with oats, dried fruits and nuts. 

Oatmeal cookies contain fiber and minerals, such as iron and potassium, which are crucial to body health. They are also rich in folate and Vitamins A & K. Due to their oat content, the oatmeal cookies are also rich in soluble fiber, which combats bad cholesterol, reducing the chances of heart disease and controlling blood glucose levels.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• Nuts - 1 cup (walnuts or pecans)
• Unsalted butter - 3/4 cup (170g or 12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks)
• Light brown sugar - 1 cup
• Egg - 1 (large)
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
• Oatmeal - 3 cups (old-fashioned or quick oats)
• Raisins or cherries or chocolate chips - 1 cup (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Place nuts on the sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces.
4. Beat the butter and sugar with a fork (or with an electric mixer) until creamy and fluffy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
7. Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and mix well until combined.
8. Add oats and raisins (if using) and stir well. 
• Do not overmix the dough as it results in dry or hard cookies. Stop mixing when the dough is just mixed.
9. Scoop spoonfuls of the mix onto a baking tray about 2 inches apart.
10. Then lightly flatten the cookies with your wet fingers so they are about 1/2 inch thick.
11. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle.
12. Remove from oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before mixing. It ensures better blending of the batter and a more even baking time.

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Chicken Drumsticks

These delicious and healthy oven baked chicken drumsticks are prepared by coating chicken drumsticks in yogurt and seasoned with Indian spices and baked in the oven. Yogurt keeps the chicken tender and tasty. Kids love these and great for picky eaters.

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks - 4
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corn flour - 2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. In a wide bowl mix all the ingredients well except chicken and olive oil.
2. Remove the skin and make 3 deep cuts in each drumstick and completely cover the chicken with the mixture.
3. Marinate the chicken in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 400ºF(200ºC).
5. Brush the oil over the bottom of the baking tray or line a foil in the tray and brush the oil. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, turn over the chicken and apply any remaining marinade. Cook for another 30 minutes in the oven.
7. Serve hot.

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