Who doesn't like Oreo Cookies, right? the beautiful brown chocolate cookies with a layer of delicious creamy white frosting sandwiched in-between, Oreos are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of milk or coffee, just as a handy snack, or churned into luscious and decadent ice cream! And now, we just made it easier and more economical for you to bake your own Oreo-like cookies - with this simple and fool-proof recipe, you will never run out of your favorite treats! Enjoy these lovely chocolate and cream sandwich cookies which promise to be a popular treat.

[Recipe & photo courtesy of Patricia from Technicolor Kitchen]

Ingredients
Makes about 30 sandwich cookies

Chocolate Cookies:
1 1/4th cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Vanilla-Cream Filling:
1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 190ºC/375ºF.

In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 5cm (2 inches) apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for about 10 mins), rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

There, delicious Homemade Chocolate Oreo Cookies ready to be served and relished. They taste better than the store-bought ones, really! YOu've got to try them to believe it!

Related Recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies
Easy Meringue Cookies

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| chocolate, cookies, entertaining

Who doesn't like the sound of Vegetarian Lasagna? The perfect way to savor a good and filling Italian dinner is to gather all the ingredients, layer them up in a baking dish and pop it in the oven to bake into a perfectly delicious meal - and there you have it, the recipe for an easy lasagna dinner at home! This one has the added goodness of Spinach, Mushrooms, some shallots and loads of cheese. Its critical to bake the lasagna at proper temperature and also, don't get skimpy on the cheese - after all, that is what makes it so yummy!

[Recipe & photo courtesy of Bawarchi Food]

Ingredients
One packet of Lasagna strips
2 cups any pasta sauce of your liking (Tomato-based sauce preferred)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup shallots - chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms - washed and chopped (optional)
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheese (4-cheese mexican blend)
Salt - to taste
dry basil flakes - to taste

Method
Boil about 10 strips of lasagna in some water with some salt. Drain the water and let the strips cool down. Drizzle with a spoonful of oil to prevent them from sticking together.

Heat the pasta sauce in a pan, and season with the basil flakes, and more salt/pepper if needed.

Put approximately 5 table spoons of Ricotta cheese in a bowl. Mix in equal quantity of the Parmesan cheese with the Ricotta cheese and blend well.

Take a deep dish casserole that is oven safe and pour a little sauce into it. Next add a few strips of lasagna (layer the base completely), cover them with the spinach leaves, mushrooms, shallots and spread the ricotta and parmesan cheese mixture over the top. Repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese, till all noodles are used. Finally sprinkle a generous amount of the the shredded mixed cheese.

Cover the casserole dish with foil and poke some holes into the top with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, until the noodles are cooked through, and the cheese at the top broils to a nice golden color.

Serve hot with Homemade Garlic Bread or Garden Salad!

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| baked, cheese, italian, pasta

Dal Makhani, or "Maa ki Daal" is a famous lentil curry savored with rice in the Northern part of India. Made with black lentils, mainly Udad, and flavored with tonnes of flagrant spices, it is indeed a treat to be enjoyed. With its rich taste and unique flavor, it can be served with Chapatis, Parathas or Plain Jeera Rice. Tasty, filling, and full of nutritious value, Dal Makhani is one lentil curry every Indian cook aspires to perfect! You could experiment with other types of lentils too, or maybe mix-and-match a few others to keep the variety going!

Ingredients
[recipe & photo courtesy of Deeba from Passionate About Baking]

Ingredients
1 cup whole urad dal
1/2 cup chana dal
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup kidney beans - soaked overnight and cooked
6 or 7 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 to 4 serrano or Thai green chillies
2 tbsp chopped ginger
2 each white and black cardamoms
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks (each about 3 inches long)
salt - to taste
lemon juice - to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup water (or more, as needed)
1/2 cup whipping cream
chopped cilantro - for garnish

Method
Boil the lentils in six cups of water and a pinch of salt on the stove-top or in a pressure cooker until they become soft and fall apart. If cooking on the stove-top, skim off foam from time to time.

While the lentils are cooking, chop up and cook the tomatoes on medium flame, until they become mushy and leave most of their water. ( You can use 1 cup canned crushed canned tomatoes, but the fresh tomatoes give a better taste)

Heat 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle. Next add 1 cup finely chopped red onion (or shallots) and fry them on medium heat until brown around the edges. Add the chopped ginger and garlic, the whole spices, and the cooked tomatoes. Cover partially with a lid, lower the heat to medium-low and allow to cook and the flavors of the spices to soak in.

When you see some of the ghee starts to separate on the surface, add the cooked kidney beans to the Dal. Coarsely mash them, add 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Add more water if you need, mix well, and allow to cook for another 10 mins or so.

Adjust seasonings to your taste and add a dash of lime if your tomatoes weren’t tart enough. Let it sit for an hour for the flavors to come together. Then Remove the whole spices from the dal.

Add a spoonful more of ghee right before serving, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve with hot Chapatis or Jeera Rice.

Related Recipes
Toor Dal Recipe - Gujarati Style
Chana Masala - Punjabi Chhole
Paneer Butter Masala

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| lentils, north-indian, party-recipes, stove-top

If you love pasta, but are looking for a healthier yet tastier version, something that's light and easy to prepare, yet delivers on taste and nutrition, this Santa Fe Pasta Salad, flavored with Feta and Avocados is perfect for you! Pine Nuts, sage and feta cheese are a great combination, and the kick provided by the Chipotle peppers in the salad dressing will leave you craving for more! Feel free to experiment with the ingredients if you like, or just follow the recipe for a filling and lip-smacking Pasta Salad.

Recipe & Image courtesy of Ashley from Eat Me Delicious. Recipe adapted from the Rebar cookbook.

Ingredients
(serves about 6-8 people)

Dressing
2 red peppers, roasted
4 cloves garlic, roasted
2 tsp chipotle puree (take a can of chipotle peppers and puree it)
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3/4 cup olive oil

Salad
4 cups dry fusilli pasta
3 cups corn, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp minced sage or 3 tsp dried sage*
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 pints grape tomatoes
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
chopped avocado - optional, but recommended
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Begin by preparing the dressing. Seed and peel the roasted peppers. Place them, along with the garlic and chipotle puree in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add maple syrup, vinegar, lime juice, salt and blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until well incorporated and thickened. Set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al-dente. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Toss corn with oil and salt and evenly spread it out in a small baking pan. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

To assemble the salad, toss pasta in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Add corn, sage and green onions and toss well. Add more dressing to taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, garnish with grape tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, avocados and pine nuts.

Related Recipes
Healthy Brown Rice & Barley Salad
Red Potato Salad with Garlic & Herbs
Vegetarian (Zucchini) Crab Cakes

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| italian, mexican, pasta, salads, sides, stove-top

Savory Cheese Cookies have their own charm, and unlike their sweet counterparts, they leave less of a guilty feeling as an after-effect! These beautiful yellow-colored Parmesan & Basil Cookies are as delicious as inviting to look at. Those of you who have never tried savory cookies before, this might just be the recipe to start with! What's more, flavored with Fleur de Sel, parmesan and basil, and baked in cute madeleine pans, they are a perfect treat to serve at gatherings and parties.

[Recipe and photo courtesy of Patricia from Technicolor Kitchen]

Ingredients
Makes about 15-18 madeleines or small cookies

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp finely minced fresh basil
1 tsp fleur de sel (french salt), plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

Method
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat oven to to 190ºC/375ºF. Line a big (20 pieces) cookie tray with parchment paper; you can also use a madeleine pan greased with butter, and dusted with all-purpose flour.

Sift the all-purpose flour into a bowl and gently stir in the basil, 1 teaspoon fleur de sel and the black pepper. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and sugar and beat until the mixture drops from the whisk in ribbons, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture and the 1 cup cheese, then fold in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine molds, or drop small chunks using an ice cream scooper onto the baking tray. Bake until the cookies spring back when pressed lightly, about 12 minutes. Immediately remove them from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel and parmesan cheese and serve.

You can store these Savory Parmesan & basil Cookies in an air-tight container for about a week, but they taste better when they are warm!

Related Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Low-Fat Muffin Pizza
Vegetarian Crab Cakes

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| baked, cookies, french