WOYP Day #66 Vanilla Custard Cookies

Custard is one of my favorite cold desserts, as a kid mom made it with fruit salad or with just bananas and I would go through a big bowl of it in no time! I always have a big can of the custard powder in my pantry for anytime the custard craving hits. A great use for this custard powder apart from making lip smacking Custard is in Cookies. Custard powder is basically flavored Corn starch. 

 Vanilla Custard Cookies

You will need:
Makes 16-18 cookies

3/4 cup All purpose flour
1 stick (113 gms) Unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp Vanilla Custard powder (I used Brown&Polson)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar 

*Substitute for Custard powder: 3 tbsp Cornstarch plus increase Vanilla extract to 1 tsp

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream the butter using an electric mixer or a whisk until smooth and lightened, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat/whisk to combine. Add the flour and custard powder and beat on low to combine. Use a spatula to bring the dough together. It will be a soft dough. 

Pinch off a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the parchment paper. Using a fork, gently flatten the ball to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are a light brown. Baking times vary from oven to oven so after the 11 minute mark, keep an eye on these cookies!

Baking these for the right amount of time is important to get a flaky, crispy yet melt-in-the mouth kind of cookie. If you under bake them, they will be soft and if you over bake them they will be hard with a rough bite to it. 

Remove from oven and cool on pan for 2 minutes. Gently remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week. 

The custard powder adds a rich vanilla flavor and a pleasant yellow hue to the cookies.

WOYP Day #65 Black Bean Burritos with Pineapple Salsa

Made these Black Bean Burritos last week for a quick dinner night. I've made Five-Layered Burritos before which has Black Beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes and corn. I was in a pinch for time hence these shortcut quick burritos. I also had fresh pineapple on hand so made a Pineapple Salsa, which I pretty much ate by the bowlful because it was that good!! Glad I made plenty. We also had Picco De Gallo and Guacamole. You can also pair it with this Mexican Salsa. A colorful healthy meal! 

Black Bean Burritos: 

You will need:

For the Burritos:

1 (8oz) can Black beans
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chili powder (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Yellow corn
1 tbsp Chopped Cilantro, plus more

Ready-to- cook Tortillas
1/2 cup grated Sharp Cheddar
2 tbsp Sour cream, whisked
Salsa (optional) 

For the Pineapple Salsa:

1 cup small chopped fresh Pineapple
1/4 cup chopped Red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped Red onion
1/2 fresh Jalapeño, chopped (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Lemon juice
Chopped cilantro

Make the Salsa: Combine all the ingredients, cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the flavors to come together. 

Make the Burrito Filling:

Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and garlic, saute until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and rinsed, drained black beans. Add the cumin powder, red chili powder and salt to taste. Combine and cook until tomatoes are soft and spices are fragrant. Stir in the corn and chopped cilantro. Combine well and turn off heat. Cool slightly.

Cook the Tortillas - I recently came across these Guerrero Fresqui- Ricas in Kroger -Tortillas that need to be cooked. They are easy to make, they puff up well, are light and fresh. Cook them as per package instructions. I used these for the Burritos this time, if you can’t find these Tortillas, use the regular flour or corn tortillas. 

Assemble the Burritos:

Spread little cheese on the tortilla. Place a few tablespoons of the filling over the cheese. Top with Salsa if using and a little bit of sour cream. Roll the tortilla to form a burrito. Serve warm with Pineapple Salsa, Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.