Onion Peas Tart

This recipe is contributed by Mrs.Lakshmi- My cousin who lives in Denmark.

Tart is absolutely delicious and very easy to prepare provided, tart pastry is store bought. Else it just takes some extra effort and time to prepare the pastry but I am sure it will be worth a try. In India it can also be a good idea to enquire the local baker if he can sell some tart pastry . Normally they add cream to the tarts but I have used milk instead just on an attempt to reduce some fat !

Ingredients:

Tart Pastry (tart dej)

Milk      - 1 cup

Onions - 3

Peas      - 1 cup ( boiled)

Eggs      - 2 or 3

Cheese -50 gms

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Salt         - To taste

Pepper Powder -1 tsp

Chilli powder     - 1 tsp(optional)

Bread Crumbs – 1 tblsp (powdered)

Method:

Part 1 - Dry

• Finely chop the onions length wise 
• Heat a pan and add olive oil.
• When hot add onions and fry until onions are caramelized
• Then add peas and Chilli powder and fry for about 5 minutes in low flame

Part 2

• Meanwhile Pre heat the oven to 220⁰C
• Grease the tart plate with some olive oil
• Place the tart pastry & pierce the pastry with a fork 
• Then tuck it into the oven for 10 minutes

Part 3 - Wet

• Beat the eggs and the milk together in a bowl
• Add some pepper powder and salt

Final Part

• Take out the tart plate from the oven.
• Fill it with dry and wet ingredients
• Sprinkle some cheese ( mozzarella or cheddar)
• Also sprinkle some powdered bread crumbs they add nice crunchiness to the tart
• Then cook in the oven at 200⁰C for 20 to 25 minutes

Homemade cookies

This recipe makes 60 medium sized cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1000 g flour (All Purpose flour)
• 600 g butter (at room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 300 g icing sugar(cookies can not be done with regular sugar as it will not melt)
• 1 tsp of vanilla sugar or a few drops of vanilla extract.
• 1 tsp crushed Anise seeds
Cookie sheet/ butter paper - for rolling

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and put in a wide bowl.
2. Whisk the egg,vanilla essence and crushed anise seeds in a seperate bowl and set aside.
3. Gradually add the butter and sugar to the flour.
4. Just mix the flour,butter and sugar.(Do not make a dough.Just blend together)
5. Keep blending the flour while adding the whisked egg and essence mixture.
6. The consistency of the dough should be like a chapati/roti dough.
7. Wrap it tightly with a cling wrap and keep it in the fridge for an hour.
8. Take out the dough and set side for 15 min at room temperature.
9. Take small portions of the dough and make round balls of diameter 4 cm.
10.Place a Cookie sheet on any flat surface and roll the dough keeping a cookie sheet on top of the dough as well.(This ensures that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin).

9. The dough should not be rolled very thin. The thickness should be 2 to 3mm.
10. Cut the dough using the cookie moulders.
11. Bake it at 380 F for 7 mins..(End point : Golden brown colour and little dry on top).
12. Cool it to room temperature and store in air tight containers.

Tips:
1. Place the cookie sheet from the edge of the counter space so that you can hold it tight with your body as you roll.This ensures that the dough does not move while rolling.

Variations:

1. Use different shapes to make it attractive for kids.
2. Jamz cookie:

Make pairs of round cookies(one with a small hole -1 cm dia) in the center and another without hole.
Spread any jam on the cookie without hole and cover it with a cookie with hole.

Yummy Jamz cookie is ready.

Enjoy the Homemade cookie.