Pretzel Nest Cookies

I wanted to make a quick and easy recipe to end up this kid's series on my blog. Saw this nest like cookies on web and thought of making it. Pretzel nest cookies are real quick and easy recipe. It will certainly fascinate your kids because of its vibrant color and chocolate flavor. A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe. The pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwine brought together and then twisted back onto itself in a certain way ("a pretzel loop"). Pretzels in stick form may also be called pretzels in the English-speaking context. We are using a sweet pretzel stick for this recipe. This can be a good do-it-yourself food for Easter week vacation for kids.

Serve:     3-4 (makes 10 cookies)

Preparation time:      20 minutes

Ingredients:

Pretzel sticks:                       20 sticks (broken into less than 1 inches irregular size)
Milk chocolate:                    100 grams
Butter:                                  1 teaspoon
Mini Cadbury eggs:               20

Method:

1) Break the pretzel stick into less than one inches irregular size. Keep it aside.
2) Break the milk chocolate bar in small pieces. Microwave it for 30 seconds, mix with a spoon.
3) Add butter and microwave again for 30 seconds. Chocolate will melt completely. Microwave for few more seconds if required.
4) Mix all the pretzel stick in to the melted chocolate. Let it coat well.
5) Put some cooking oil in your hand and start making nest shaped cookies using your hand. Put it on a butter paper. Work fast as chocolate will start getting hard. Put it again in microwave for few seconds if chocolate is getting hard to use.

6) Put it in freeze for 10 minutes to harden.
7) Decorate with colorful mini cadbury eggs. See the lovely smile on your kids face and enjoy these tasty cookies with them.

BON APPETIT..

Fruity Quark filled "Choco Cookie Basket"

Chocolate Cookies have always been favorites to kids & adults. For this recipe chocolate cookies is made in a form of bowl with a cover and filled with seasonal fruit and quark cheese. This recipe has come out exceptionally well from what I had thought before started making. Filling can be of anything depending on your kid's choice of fruit and cream. Seasonal fruits help them get all the essential nutrients and cream/ cheese provide with the calcium, these are vital for their proper physical and mental development.

There are few handy rules which you should always follow with the kids when feeding them:
1) Keep mealtime as casual fun time.
2) Be a good role model, you yourself should eat all fruits and vegetables.
3) Involve your child while shopping for vegetable and fruits and sometime in preparing of food as well.
4) Offer some healthy choices when appropriate.
5) Serve small portions.
6) Hide some healthy stuff by cutting the vegetables really tiny.
7) Most important praise them for eating everything you served. Job-well-done.

Hope you enjoy making this recipe for your little one and the above rules help you to keep feeding them without much stress.

The recipe can also be used as a light dessert during your lunch / dinner get together.

Serve:                  6

Preparation time:       1 hour

Ingredients:
For Choco Cookie Baskets
All purpose flour:        11/2 cups
Egg:                           1 large
Baking powder:         1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence:         1 teaspoon
Unsalted Butter:        50 grams (room temperature)
Coco powder:           2 tablespoon
Sugar:                       1/2 cup
Salt:                          1/4 teaspoon

For filling
Season fruits:                1 cup (I am using grapes)
Quark cheese:              4 tablespoon (substitute: mascarpone, yogurt, cream cheese)
Vanilla sugar:                2 tablespoon

 Method:

1) Sieve flour, coco, salt, baking powder twice and set aside.
2) Whisk egg, butter, vanilla essence together. Add sugar.
3) Mix all the dry ingredients to make tight dough. Use additional flour if required.

4) Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
5) Butter muffin tin upside down as referred in pictures.

6) Roll the dough in a rope and cut it in 12 equal parts.
7) Take one part and press with hand to make a flat disc. Put it on the muffin back and repeat it for rest of 11 dough parts.
8) Try to expand it to the sides of the inverted muffin tin to give it a shape of bowl for 6 of the disc. These will be baked and turned to be a basket bottom to serve the filling. Let the other 6 remain as a flat disc, these will turn to be the cover for the basket. (Refer to the picture)

9) Bake it for 20-25 minutes at 180 degree Celsius until brown and hard.

10) Meanwhile for the filling, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
11) Once the cookies are baked let it cool for 5 minutes until its easy to handle the muffin tin. Slightly knock the cookies from the tin using a spoon or butter knife. It comes out easily.

12) Fill it with the fruit and cheese mixture and cover it with the cookie lid.

13) Fruity Quark filled "Choco Cookie Basket" is ready to serve.

BON APPETIT...