Passionfruit Flowers

         At last I am back in the UK. It does feel good to get away from the maddening heat, the rushing crowd and the scorching sun but I do feel quite sad leaving my home country for 2 reasons ... One, it is all this untolerable heat, sun, dust, crowd that makes India unique and ....... "It is my country and I love every bit of it".

      
       The second reason is my daughter. She had such a nice time in India where she was pampered by 4 grandparents who were like her humble servants, bowing down to her every command and wish, even though all 4 of them are busy practising doctors.
        The first question she asked me after coming to UK was "Amma, paathi thaathaa engae? baal laalaa..." [baal laalaa means she wants to play with her ball]. She couldn't understand why we have come here leaving everybody behind and why this place is so silent that it is deafening to listen to the silence...

        I replied that everyone will come in a few days to play with her.... poor baby, I feel so guilty to put her through all this:(  I must admit that I am feeling a little home sick after my 2 month stay in Coimbatore and Chennai....

       I am just trying to find some distraction through my blog and my posts....

    
       Coming to this recipe, it is one of the most delicious tasting cookies that I have tasted. My love for passion fruit is ever growing and this one is the newest addition to my favourite recipe list :):)
       I love banana flavour as well.... that is the reason I added banana flavouring to the icing cream.

For the cookies:
Plain flour: 150gms.
Self raising flour: 75gms.
Custard powder: 2 tbsp.
Icing sugar: 60 gms. [original recipe : 110gms]
Butter [chilled and chopped]: 90gms.
Egg yolk: 1.
Passionfruit pulp: 60 ml.

Icing:
Condensed milk: 2 tbsp.
Double cream: 60 ml.
Banana essence: 1/2 tsp.
Yellow food colouring: 2-3 drops.

Beat the double cream to whipped cream consistency. Add the condensed milk, banana essence and yellow food colouring. Mix well.

Garnish:
Chocolate fillings / curls / sprinkles

1.Sift together the plain flour, self raising flour and custard powder twice.
2.Add the chopped butter and mix until crumbly.
3.Add the egg yolk and passion fruit pulp. Mix thoroughly until everything comes together.
4.Add 2-3 tbsp of milk if the dough is too dry.

5.Divide the dough into two equal portions.
6.Roll them inbetween sheets of grease proof paper until 5mm thick.
7.Refrigerate for 30minutes.
8.Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan assisted. Grease oven trays and line with grease proof paper.

9.Using a 4cm flower shaped or round cookie cutter, cut rounds from the dough.
10. Place them 3cms apart and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
11.Spoon the icing cream into piping bag fitted with a large ragged nozzle and pipe onto the cookies.
12.Garnish with chocolate decorations.

Note:
      I mixed the flour and the chilled butter with my fingers to get the crumbly texture as I don't have a food processor.... the dough was perfectly fine.
      Dust the dough with some flour before rolling in between the sheets. It is very essential to refrigerate the cookies for at least 30mins, otherwise it will be very difficult to cut the cookies as the dough will be a little sticky
   
     There is no need to seperate the seeds from the passionfruit pulp. The seeds in the cookies provides a interesting crunch.
     You can add any flavour or colour to the icing cream... it is upto to your creativity..
     The cookies without the icing can be stored upto 5-6 days in an air-tight container. Once the cream is piped, it is best eaten on the same day.

Enjoy....


Scribbled by Reva