Italian Butter Cookies

Italy

By Malika

2-1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
12 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons Crisco

Combine butter, sugar, cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and Crisco in a mixing bowl.  Beat until creamy.  Add flour, cornstarch, and baking powder and continue mixing until fully blended.

Roll out ¼” thick, if dough is sticky, add some flour.

Use cookie cutters to cut appropriate shapes.

Decorate with sprinkles or other candies.

Bake 400 for 5-8 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Note:  These are not sugar cookies so you do not ice them and decorate after they are baked; rather you decorate before you bake them and do not ice.

Number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of the cookie cutters used.

Currant- Cream Scones

England

By, Ben S.

1/3 cup margarine, butter or shortening

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 ½  teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoons salt

1 egg, beaten

½ currants or raisins

4 to 6 tablespoons half and half

1 egg beaten

Heat oven to 400˚F.  Cut margarine into flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Stir in 1 egg, the currants and just enough half and half so dough leaves side of bowl.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead lightly 10 times.  Roll ½ inch thick.

Cut dough into 2 l/4 inch circles with floured cutter.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Brush with one egg.  Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Aaloo Bhaji
Pakistan
by: Shaan

Ingredients

2 pounds of red skin potatoes
Shaan curry mix 2 tablespoons
Cilantro 1/2 cup chopped
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup of water

Directions
Peel potatoes and slice thinly
Warm 3 tablespoons of oil
Saute potatoes for 5 minutes
Add spice mixture and saute for another 5 minutes on high heat
Add 1/2 cup water and reduce heat to low
cover and let cook for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan bread

Vegetable Samosa
India
Santosh

Ingredients:

For cover:

1 cup all purpose flour (Maida)
Water to knead dough
2 tbsp oil
Little salt
1/4 tsp. Ajwain (optional)

For stuffing:

3-4 Potatoes (boiled, peeled, and mashed)
1/2 Cup Green peas (boiled)
1-2 Green Chiles (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Ginger (crushed)
1 tsp coriander finely chopped
Few chopped cashews (optional)
Few raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
Red Chili powder to taste
1/2 tsp. Dry Mango powder (Amchur) (optional)

Directions:
For cover:
Mix all the ingredients (salt, oil, ajwain) except water.
Add a little water at a time.
Pat and knead well for several times into a soft dough.
Cover it with moist Muslin cloth and keep aside for 15 min.
For stuffing:
In a bowl add mashed potatoes and all dry masalas.
Also add salt, chili, mango powder, garam masala.)
To proceed:
Make small rolls of dough and roll it into 4-5 diameter circle.
Cut it into two parts like a semi circle.
Now take one semi circle and fold it like a cone.
Place a spoon of filling in the cone.
Seal the third side using a drop of water.
Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry golden brown.

Gulab Jamun
India
Rohan

Ingredients

2 cups “Khoya”[Milk thickened by heating in an open pan]
5 tbsp All Purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
few drops of Rose essence
1/2 tsp Cardamom power
few strands Saffron(kesar)
Butter-for deep frying

Directions:
This recipe is for 25 Gulab jamun

In a large pan make the syrup by adding suger,water,rose essence,cardamom power,saffron and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling,reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.
In a bowl,combine the “khoya” and the flour and knead to a firm doughy consistence without using water.
Divide the mixture into 25 equal portions and roll them into round balls,make sure they are smooth and uniform.
Carefully drop 3-4 round balls in the heated butter and keep rotating them till  they are an even light brown color.
Once they are golden brown in color, take them out on a paper towel.
Drop these round balls in the syrup for 45 min to an hour.
Gulab jamuns can be served hot or cold,depending on your choice.

Noodle Kugel
Israel
Peter

1 pound wide noodles
5 extra large eggs
4 cups half & half
1/4 cup light brown sugar ,packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350˚F . Butter  a 10x13x2 1/2-inch baking dish.

Drizzle some oil into a large pot of boiling salted water.Cook the noodles for 6-8 until tender.Drain.

In a large bowl , whisk together the eggs , half & half, brown sugar, vanilla cinnamon ,salt, pepper .Stir in the ricotta and raisins. Add the drained noodles .

Pour the noodle mixture into the baking dish . Place the filled dish in a larger pan and pour in enough hot water  to come half way up  the sides.Cover the entire assembly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes , then remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes or until custard is just set.

Burrebrede(shortbread)
Scotland
Michael

Ingredients

1/2 cup of superfine sugar
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
3/4 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup of butter,soft

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350˚ F (175˚ C)
2.In a medium bowl ,stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Divide into two equal parts, and set one aside.  Add the flour and butter to the other half,and stir until blended.It should be slightly grainy.
3.Press dough evenly into an 8 inch square pan. Cut into 1×2 inch pieces using a knife and prick with the tines of a fork. This will keep the shortbread from warping while baking.Sprinkle the reserved sugar and spice  liberally over the top brushing into all of the cuts and holes.
4.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven,or until firm and golden at the edges.Do not brown. Cool completely in the pan,and break into pieces along lines to serve.

Cinnamon Swirl Kuchen
Germany
by Katie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vannilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening. Gradually add 2 cups sugar  cream until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and vanilla set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt add to creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating just enough after each addition to keep batter smooth. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar sprinkle 1-1/2 teaspoons into a greased 10-in tube pan. Pour 1/3 of batter. Repeat with remaining cinnamon/ sugar and batter. Smooth top with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes remove from pan to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Yangzhou Fried-Rice With Shrimp
China
Kate

Ingredients
4 oz cooked shrimp
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon oil
3 scallions,finely chopped
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 quantity cooked rice
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peel the shrimp and cut them in half through the back,removing the vein. Cook the peas in a saucepan of the shimmering water for 3-4minutes for fresh or 1 minute for frozen.

HEAT a wok over high heat,add oil and heat until hot.Stir-Fry the scallions and ginger for 1 minute.Reduce the heat,add eggs and lightly scramble. Add the shrimp and peas and toss lightly to heat through, then add the rice before the eggs are set to hard, increase the heat and stir to separate the rice grains and break the eggs into small bits.

Add the stock,rice wine,soy sauce,salt,sesame ail and pepper and toss lightly.