Mixed Nuts Cookies

Cookies, Biscuits as we call them in India, are also one of my favorite baked products which I have had plenty since childhood but started baking myself recently. In India you can find a variety of sweet and savory biscuits. Apart from the regular ingredients like nuts, jams, chocolate, they can have spices like Carom seeds, Black Peppers or Dry Fenugreek leaves. Growing up, morning and evening tea were always served with biscuits. This is still true for most households in India. My mom used to buy various types to make sure we never get bored.

As I have said earlier, convection ovens are not a common household appliance in homes in India because most of the cooking is done on stove tops. Everyone buys baked products from readily available local bakeries at every corner where they are prepared fresh everyday. In addition, we also have branded mass producing biscuit companies like Parle and Britannia who make varieties of biscuits available at any corner shop or supermarket.

Indian Biscuits normally vary in shapes and sizes and since many bakers use Ghee (Clarified Butter) instead of butter for baking, they taste different. Also, since we have a large vegan/ vegetarian population in India, many bakeries have special aisles for eggless products.

I love snacking on Biscuits. When I was working in IBM, I always used to keep a pack in my locker so that I can grab and eat whenever I feel hungry. After moving to the U.S. I started buying Cookies from the bakeries, until I discovered they are so easy to bake at home! It started a couple of months before my Bread baking adventures.  One day while grocery shopping, I noticed that the baking aisle had lots of readymade cookie mix packages. Since I was new to the convection oven baking at that time, I asked Debarshi if we could give it a try. So, we bought a pack and I baked my first ever cookie.

For a novice, a readymade cookie mix is an absolute blessing. You see, all the ingredients are pre-measured so all we need to do is mix it with water, oil or butter to form a smooth dough and then lay it on the cookie sheet to bake. I tried a couple of mixes like Chocolate Chip, Walnut, Oatmeal and Raisin and we really liked it. Then one day while watching a baking show, I saw a chef preparing cookies from scratch within 20 minutes and I thought this does not look too difficult, maybe I can try it. So, I looked online and decided on a basic Cookie recipe.

That recipe did wonders for me. Unlike Bread, which is complex, cookie baking is quite easy. If you are a new baker, Cookie is the perfect thing to start with, just remember not to leave any ingredient and don’t forget to set a timer once the cookies are in the oven. Follow these two rules and you will be able to bake a delicious snack for yourself. Top it with some ice cream and Voila! Dessert is served!

Now although I have baked Coconut Cookies and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies as well, today we are going to discuss Debarshi’s all time favorite cookies – Mixed Nuts Cookies.

I usually get a pack of mixed nuts from the market to bake this cookie but you can also use whichever nuts you like or have in your pantry. Do recheck if you or anyone else in the family is allergic to any nuts. If you have a stand mixer it will come handy for making the dough. For baking, you can either adopt the drop cookie process or use a proper cookie cutter, the choice is yours. I prefer to take spoonsful of cookie dough and drop them directly on the parchment paper. I like the not so perfect round shape of the homemade cookies but even though they may not look perfect they taste heavenly.

As someone said, “Cookies are made of butter and love” so bake some today and feel loved!

Ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour - 1 ¼ cups 
• White Sugar – ½ cup 
• Brown Sugar – ½ cup packed 
• Baking Soda – ¼ teaspoon 
• Egg - 1
• Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon 
• Butter - 7 tablespoon, melted in the microwave and slightly cooled
• Mixed Nuts (like Cashews, Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Cranberries or Raisins) – ¾ cup, chopped coarsely

Others:

• Parchment Paper

Directions:

• Take a large bowl and sift the dry products (All-Purpose Flour, White Sugar, Brown Sugar and Baking Soda).
• If you are making the cookie dough by hand, take another large bowl and a wooden spoon. Cream together the Butter, Egg and Vanilla and mix just until combined.
• If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Beat the Butter on lower speed for 1 to 2 minutes, and then scrape down the sides of the bowl before continuing. Add the Egg and Vanilla and stir just until combined.
• Now we will start adding the dry products in the wet products. Add about 2 spoonfuls of dry products and stir gently just until combined. Continue this step till all the dry products have been mixed and a dough starts to form.
• Add the Mixed Nuts and stir until all the Nuts have been evenly distributed throughout the dough. 
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Line 2 baking sheets with Parchment Paper.
• Scoop up 1-inch balls of the dough with a spoon or a mini scoop and set them 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. 
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges turn golden-brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool.
• Enjoy the scrumptious cookies with coffee and keep the leftover cookies in an airtight cookie jar for up to 4 days.

Tips:

• Ensure the Butter has cooled slightly before you start mixing the Eggs.
• Different bake wares have different baking times. If you are using a metal bake ware for one batch and a glass or stoneware for another batch, ensure that the cookies are baking through, specially check the bottom part for any raw or unbaked dough. Continue baking till all the cookies turn up a nice golden brown color.
• Try to use the lower racks of the oven; this will ensure that all the cookies get the same amount of heat. 
• You can try different methods to mold the cookies. You can roll the dough into a rectangle (use two sheets of parchment and place the dough between them, this ensures easier rolling and less cleaning) and use cookie cutters to cut the shapes or you can divide the dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. I usually go for the drop format (which has been described in the Directions above)
• If you like a very soft cookie, bake them for 8 minutes. If you like a crisp cookie, bake them for 11 minutes. 
• If you are using the same baking tray for multiple batches, allow it to cool for a minute or two before putting the next batch on it.
• Ensure that the cookies have been cooled completely before keeping them in the airtight cookie jar.
• Do not forget to set a timer once the cookies are in the oven.
• Do not transfer the baked cookies on to the wire rack immediately. Give it a minute or two and then transfer them very carefully using a flat spatula. 
• Do not skip the above step. The wire rack ensures that the cookies will cool completely without having a soggy bottom. Do not leave them on the baking tray as the tray will be hot for a while and it will continue baking the bottoms.

Recommended Reading:

• Picnic at Smithville Lake, Missouri
• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Boozy Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
• It's all about Cranberries‼
• Martha Stewart's Rugelach
• One Dough Different Cookies
• Loaded Nuts Cookies
• Fork Pressed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• My Scrumptious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Easy Peasy Peppermint Cookies
• Shortbread Cookies with a hint of Carom Seeds