Cheenachatti's Besan Laddus

Last year with Diwali approaching, the mind is on which sweets to make for the festival.
As always, I'm on the lookout for easy but tasty.
I don't know why I didn't publish this though I wrote it up before Diwali...the memory is not what it used to be but I'm glad to share this:  BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

A question from a friend triggered a memory...I had promised myself a while back, I would try besan laddus and Lan of Cheenachatti had dedicated her recipe for besan laddus to me.
I had procrastinated never thinking I was capable of turning out good besan laddus.
The part that scared me was the holding/shaping part...I've never been good at that.
Re-reading Lan's recipe I found one didn't have to shape them while hot and a discussion
with my friend resulted in another idea...I pressed the mix into an old ice cream scoop first, turned them out, waited for them to cool a bit and then shaped them with no problem at all.

They came out so good...thanks to Lan's accuracy for details. I love writers who can describe their recipes in so much detail, one doesn't have to guess at a single thing...and the outcome is exactly what it is supposed to be. If one can try out a recipe and the outcome is superior, not ordinary, then the credit goes to the writer/cook who shared it.
So now, thanks to Lan, I can add 'maker of besan laddus' to my cooking resume.
I had to post a picture to show you how the laddus turned out.

Here's the link to her recipe:
http://cheenachatti.blogspot.com/search/label/snacks
Scroll down the page to find the besan laddus.

The only thing I changed, (as I have eaten too many besan sweets where the taste is spoiled because the besan isn't fried properly) is that I fried the besan by itself, then the sooji, before adding ghee and sugar. Fry the besan slowly, keep stirring, to make sure you get the really good smell Lan mentions, without burning the besan.

Wait one hour before tasting as the flavors really improve with time...so I made mine at 7, tasted one at 8, and one at nine. After refrigerating them overnight, I tasted one in the morning. I liked the slightly hard texture refrigerating gave my laddus...and kept tasting!
The things I do in the name of research!!!

Thanks Lan for a GREAT keeper recipe.

Coconut macaroons

I can't believe I haven't written up any recipes since June 15th.
Too many other projects, so little time...that's my reason.
The summer heat that came in very late this year, has finally abated and I'm hoping the cooler weather will give some relief to a diabetic's perennial health issues. I have different ones with different seasons now...and the challenge is coping with them to the best of one's ability.
The nutritionist I saw this summer, helped me so much that it renewed my belief that eating properly is one cornerstone of a healthy life.
Does it mean a diabetic has to be a gastronomic saint? Of course not. In fact, indulging once in a while results in a contended mind that is happy to get back on the ' food treadmill'.

As always, I've been collecting recipes and thinking of ones that fit the criteria of quick and easy without compromising taste, so here's one of them.
Each macaroon is tiny (about half an inch across). Two of them don't raise blood sugars, as long as you control the carbohydrates you eat during the meal...and my sweet tooth would gladly sacrifice carbs for a chance to have dessert.
As for everyone else, controlling sugar and carbs is just a wise health move that gives you balanced sugars and therefore more sustained energy.

My neighbor makes these macaroons often and shares them with me, so this recipe has it's own special title:

Aurora's Coconut Macaroons.

This amount makes 72 tiny macaroons. (Aurora needs that quantity as she is always going to large parties of a hundred or more people. When I am at one of her parties, there are a minimum of 10-12 desserts, so these delicious macaroon morsels fit right in).

14 oz pkt unsweetened coconut flakes.
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter.

Butter flavored Pam cooking spray.
24 cup mini muffin pan (If you don't have 3 you will have to bake 3 batches).

Set oven to 300.
Melt butter in microwave.
Cool.
In a food processor or in a bowl, whisk two eggs.
Add cooled butter.
Mix well.
Add condensed milk.
Mix well.
Add coconut flakes and fold into mixture or pulse on low till well mixed.
Spray mini muffin pan with butter flavored Pam.
Place half a teaspoon of batter into each cup.
Bake at 300 degrees for 25 mins.
Watch carefully as bottom may burn.
Remove when toasty golden brown.

TIPS:
1. If the bottoms burn slightly, it tastes great... but that's a matter of preference.
2. I pulse the flakes in the food processor first to make them a little smaller. Aurora does not.
3. These macaroons freeze well...I just popped one straight from the freezer bag into my mouth while taking pictures and it was great.
4. These would make a great holiday gift on a pretty plate, or a glass jar, or as part of a selection of other goodies.

VARIATIONS:
1. Aurora sometimes puts a couple of chocolate chips into each cup of batter.
2. I melt dipping chocolate and dip the bottom of each baked, cooled macaroon into it. If you do this: heat dipping chocolate in microwave for one minute, dip macaroons and allow to cool so chocolate can set.

Make the macaroons larger if you want to.
Aurora says the smaller ones are crunchier, the larger ones are moister, so it's your choice.
I'm going to try them with grated, toasted coconut flakes and see how I like them.

Aurora and I both say: "Enjoy!"

14 .unsweetened coconut flakes.
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter (1/2 of the small stick of butter when you get 4 quarters in a pkt.)


Melt butter in microwave safe bowl.
Beat two eggs...add cooled butter.
Mix well.
Add condensed milk.
Mix well.
(I do all this in a food processor)
Add coconut flakes,.. fold into mixture.
(I do this with a wooden spoon).
Pour into mini muffin pans .. sprayed with butter flavor Pam.
(If you put in half a teaspoon of the batter, you get crunchier macaroons. If you put in 3/4 of a tsp they become softer.)
Bake at 300 for .Watch carefully till you s how your oven does with these, as bottom my burn. Top should be toasty golden brown when you take them out.

TIPS:

1. When bottom does burn a bit, the taste is heavenly.

2. Before I begin, I pulse the flakes for a few seconds in the food processor to make them a little smaller.
My neighbor prefers them as is.

These macaroons freeze well. I just ate one straight from the freezer when i took a photo break!
They were delicious warmed in the microwave and dipped in the melted chocolate too.

Variation: 1. Aurora puts a couple of chocolate chips into each cup for a delicious chocolate-coconut flavor.
2. I melt some dipping chocolate carefully in the microwave (one minute) and then dip the bottom of each macaroon in for a color contrast and a delicious treat.
Allow to cool so chocolate can harden before packing.