January 26, 2009

No-Bake creamy cookies and super fast Microwave Brownies

No-bake creamy cookies go to Priyanka of "Asan Khana" blog who is asking us to "Cook and Create with Luv for Luv" for Valentine's day with this event. Made a heart with full of sweet sugar for you, enjoy!

Happy Valentine's day in advance to all you! :))

Super fast Microwave Brownies go to Srilekha of "Me and my kitchen" blog, whose theme for this month is "EFM-Microwave dishes". Here are my yummy Brownies, microwaved ( in regular Microwave baking method,) for you!

Thanks girls, enjoy these sweet dishes. Enough sugar for me to last a life time, let me tell ya but kids loved them all! ;D

No-bake Cookies first!
Really! Absolutely no baking or cooking at all to make these cookies!! If you like eating sweet...I mean sweeeet..desserts and love Ice cream, these are for you. It's creamy and melt in the mouth cookies with loads of sugar. So go easy on them but wonderful to eat a small amount after dinner. Must keep them in the fridge.
PS: Since we use only cream cheese and powdered sugar to make the cookies, they do get warm, sticky and soft when kept on the counter top for too long. It's best to store in the fridge at all times, take out few as you need. When chilled, it tastes like little balls of Vanilla Ice Cream!

Creamy no-bake cookies:
I made a very small quantity just to show you and made heart shaped pink ones for Valentine's day but traditionally made of small Key Lime sized balls and pressed the top with fork tines to make designs or you can press the top with any design too.
Variation: Add mint extract and green color to make mints!!

Here is how; You need:
2 oz or 1/4 cup or 4 tbsp Cream cheese, low-fat will do too,
1/4 tsp Vanilla essence,
2 drops of red food color to make it pink,
3 cups (keep 1/2 cup extra sugar if you need it) powdered sugar.

Now;
1. Take a bowl, add the cream cheese, food color and essence and beat well with hand held electric beater until well mixed for a minute.
2. On low speed, gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, keep mixing until you get a firm dough. Add more sugar if you need to. It took me a bit less than 3 cups, so it's up to you.
3. Spread some powdered sugar on the counter, add a key lime size dough and make a ball quickly and press the top with fork to make ridges. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Place them in a covered dish and refrigerate immediately. Take them out as you need them. They must be kept chilled or they will soften and loose shape. They freeze well too!

I rolled a ball of dough and cut out a heart shape just for this event, you don't need to do that. If you find it hard to roll the dough to make balls, chill the dough for 30 mins and it will be very easy shape them.

Enjoy! :))


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Yummy and super fast within 8 mins Brownies!!
What more could you want, right? It's really easy and delicious although they might not taste like the best Brownies you ever had which are baked in the oven! But not bad at all for a quick chocolate fix when you are craving for something sweet to eat, for unexpected guests or for kids' after school snack, can be done from start to finish within 7-8 mins!!
Here it is, hope you give it a try and eat quickly within a day or two and keep them in the airtight Ziplock bags when you are eating them! :D

Check out this
Microwaved Orange cake!!

Microwaved Brownies:

You need: 1/4 cup each butter and oil, Canola is what I use,
1 cup sugar, brown or white sugar,

2 eggs (replace with 4 tbsp Apple sauce for vegetarians),

1 tsp Vanilla,

3/4 cup plain flour,

1/2 cup good quality Cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli cocoa, Hershey will do too)

1/2 tsp salt,

1/2 cup (less or more) chopped nuts or white or dark chocolate chips.


First,
mix flour, cocoa powder, salt together in a plate or bowl with a fork and keep aside.

To bake:
1. Add sugar, oil and butter in a big bowl, heat in the MW for a minute. Mix well with hand held electric mixer for a minute until mix is creamish and let it cool before you add the eggs or sauce.
2. Once cooled a bit, add eggs and vanilla to the mix, beat again to a smooth batter.

3. Add the flour mixture gradually to this and mix well. Do not beat too much, just until everything looks like a smooth thick batter. It's almost done!

4. Add nuts or chips now, mix well with a spatula gently or sprinkle on top just before you bake.
I didn't add nuts, kids don't like them but sprinkled the white chocolate chips on top of the batter.
5. Now, spray a round or square 8" microwavable dish with non-stick oil or brush some butter, pour the above batter into it. Smoothen the top and spread evenly with the back of a wet spoon.

6. Put it in the microwave and bake for 3 mins on 100% power. Turn the bowl once halfway and MW again for another 2 mins. Check the center, if it looks a bit shiny but not soggy, it's done.

7. If not, MW one more minute. Never over bake it, it will be hard like a rock and crumbly. It's okay to leave little damp in the middle. As it cools, it will cook and get firm.
Cool and cut into pieces. keep it covered to store, do not leave it in the fridge.

Every Microwave has different power capacity, so use your judgment when baking.
You can sprinkle some milk on top to moisten if you bake too much but I do recommend to bake less mins than repairing it later.

Have a fun Monday, see you all later! :))

57 comments:

EC said...

Nice idea of the no-bake cookies..looks yumm

Trupti said...

cookies without baking what an idea Asha. cookies & brownies looks very delicious & very easy to make

Jaishree Iyer said...

Creamy cookies That looks SO good! heart shaped pink ones is just gorgeous! Sounds yummy!Brownies looks too pretty to eat! The perfect snack cake for afternoon coffee/tea!Love it:)

Purnima said...

Yummy no bake cookies, very pink n tasty..loved the directions n pictorial of 8 min mw brownies! Too yummy posts!

FH said...

EC, it's like eating a lump of Icecream!! :D

Brownies are quick, hope you try T! :))

Jaishree, those brownies are so quick, I can't believe it can made within 7 mins myself! :D

Purni, Brownies are so when it's warm, try it. Pink ones are great if you love sweet desserts. A bit too sweet for me,that's why I made a VERY small quantity but kids would gobble up! :)

notyet100 said...

Thanks aton for such a yummy entry,..pink AND ALL,..PERFECT FOR THE EVENT,...

Anonymous said...

Both sounds great Asha!Abd I just luv the creamy cookies and the colour!looks tempting!

Usha said...

Loved the yummy looking no bake cookies....the microwave brownies look so very tempting :-)

Ashwini said...

No bake cookies look lovely. Cant imagine a cookie without baking..But this looks yumm. Brownies are very inviting and mouthwatering...

Meera said...

Looks yum!! Appears easy too. Perfect!!

Laavanya said...

2 recipes in a jiffy... nice.. I esp. like the brownies.. cravings satisfied in less than 10 mins.

Finla said...

I love the idea of no bake creamy cookies and it is for valentines day. hurray :-)
I would love to have those brownies first. They looks fabulous and delicious.
Shyama will be home soon, i am sure she will love them too.
Not blogging that much today as i ma busy at home. But i knew you will be posting today so thought will come in between and check it out.
Have a wonderful monday.
While i am going to slve cleaning up my place. :-)

FH said...

Glad you liked it, P! I enjoyed making it too! :))

Raks, it's easy to make, bit sugary but if you vanilla Ice cream, you will love this! :))

Thanks Usha, they both came out well! :)

FH said...

Ash, these are the easiest and also the sweetest cookies ever! :D

Thanks Meera, I made both in one weekend, sugar overload, specially the cookies! :D

Laavanya, brownies are so yummy when they are warm and gooey, hope you try! :)

Divya Kudua said...

No-bake cookies immediately caught my attention...and they look so pretty too..esp the pink hearts!!But the amount of sugar scares me..;-((..love the MW brownies..I make them when I have surprise guests..after baking brownies in the convection mode I have switched loyalties..but great for a I-want-something-chocolatey fix!!

Cham said...

Hmm Asha I am ready to take a slice of brownie but not the pinky heart.... But sure Kids will gulp in a minute! They are lovely ur hearts like your's :)

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

pink cookies look so cute Asha. simple and quick...

and brownies look terrific. one for me please...

love your new header image :)

AnuSriram said...

Lovely cookies... Nice idea! Brownies looks tempting... Never know could make brownies so quick!

Pavithra Kodical said...

Microwave brownies!!!Great idea..I use microwave only to warm leftover food.Will give it a try sometime..

Something refreshing is waiting for you asha akka :)Visit my blog..

Sum Raj said...

wooo both looks wonderful...ur cookies is perfect on valentine days..

FH said...

F, take your time girl, blog and comment only when you have time. Kids are at home today, so I had to go to the dentist first and had a haircut in the morning! :D
S will love that Brownie, make it, it can be done in 7 mins flat! :))

Divya, lot of sugar put me off too, that's why I made with 2 ozs! :D
Yeah, convection oven is great, cooks so evenly, bought a book today just for convection recipes!

Thanks Cham.Yes, kids would love eat those hearts and and then bounce off the wall whole day! ;D

FH said...

Mahimaa,took a long time to make that header to post and then I lost that software program I used! :D

Anu, I have posted a Orange cake too before, Microwave can make wonderful quick cakes but got to eat within 2 days! :))

Thanks P, hope you try the brownie. I just checked your blog and collected my award! :))

Suma, you will see hearts and hearts everywhere until V day is over I guess! :))

Suganya said...

Loved that sweet heart shape cookies idea. Looks so cute. Ur microwave brownies rocks.... Nice recipes for valentines day.... YUM!

Andhra Flavors said...

Wow! cookies without baking, that looks good.

Pravs said...

i am craving for brownies now and this is a superfast one to make. i have not been sucessful with microwave cooking for cakes. Will learn from you Asha :)Creamy cookies look tempting.

Daily Meals said...

Both are looking delicious Asha! My daughter likes chocolate cookies and brownies...I will try the brownies using apple sauce. Can I replace apple sauce with apple jam?

KonkaniBlogger said...

Yet another yummy post for a sweet-lover like me :)..Have tried ur streusal cake, so I knw this one will be good and easy too..

Vibaas said...

yum yum. both look very delicious and my kinda recipes - quick and easy.

sra said...

I'm always looking for MW cake/brownie recipes in the fond hope that one day I will get around to making it. I saw one in another blog few months ago, felt very happy and did nothing about it, maybe I will do it sooner now that you've also posted one.

FH said...

Thanks Sukanya, AF and Pravs, hope you try girls.

Pravs, just bake less mins than more, always works well with MW that way. Over baked cakes or cookies are always become hard! :)

FH said...

Vijaya, I think you can replace jam with sauce but you have to cut down the sugar a bit, since Jam has sugar already. Try it! :))

Maya, Orange cake was so good, I loved it too. Enjoy! :)

Thanks Vibaas, try it girl! :)

FH said...

sra, I have 4 microwave cookbooks full of recipes, trying to use MW these days. It does come out well, but not as soft as oven baked and keep for 2 days, unlike regular brownies. Try once and see if you like it. You can cut this recipe to half and bake for less time! :))

ranji said...

WHOA!!thats a lot of sugar for the no bake cookies :)...You are bent on showing your love,your sweeeeeeeeeet love today :D...They look so cute and gorgeous!!!
But who can beat chocolate :)..brownies are my favorite..cant believe those are microwaved ,looks just like oven baked ones..too good yaar....a perfect dessert to celebrate a romantic day!!!good one asha :)

Vijitha said...

Easy n brilliant way to bake. Looks so yummy! since I dont have an oven in India, i feel this post will help to bake the cookies with the microwave my mom has got.

PS: asha! that was bronze n not copper utensils in my pic. :-)

FH said...

Thanks Ranji, do me best always!! Hahaha!!!
Yeah, pink ones dangerously sweet, occasionally they are okay, Brownies for me instead, specially when they are warm! :))

Oops! Vij, I don't have many Bronze or Copper stuff here although I love them, so it's hard for me tell the difference! :D
It's beautiful to look at, nice photo.
Yeah, I am trying to make more Microwave dishes these days, it's so quick and less messy too. Hope you try a few there! :))

Deepthi Shankar said...

wow i love brownies .. they look sooo yumm yumm yumm

FH said...

Hope you try, Deesha. Great for weekend Super Bowl snacking! ;D

anudivya said...

THis looks sinful! Reminds me of my 5 minute brownie heaven!
Asha, BTW, do you blog food on both Foodie Hope and Aroma?

FH said...

Hi Anu, I am slowly and cautiously trying to use my MW cookbooks these days, they have been collecting dust all this time! :D

Yes, FH was my only foodie blog when I started 2 yrs ago. After blogger friends started to host so many events, I started Aroma a year ago just to post for events. Works out well for me! :)

Unknown said...

Wow lovely cookies asha, even the brownies have come out superb. Do the cookies need to be stored in fridge all times? or is it after making it initially?

FH said...

Roopa, since we use only cream cheese and sugar pd to make the cookies, they do get warm, sticky and soft when kept on the counter top for too long. It's best to store in the fridge at all times, take out few as you need. When chilled, it tastes like little balls of Vanilla Ice Cream! :))

Uj said...

The cookies seem to be pretty easy to make.. looks yummy.. loved the way you are putting microwave to good use..BTW tried your masala peanuts.. It came out amazing..

suvi said...

My first time here, your blog rocks!! Love the quick brownies, plan to make them soon.

Unknown said...

brownies look so gorgeous..the cookies looks nice too..

FH said...

UJ, I am trying to cook as many dishes I can in MW too, they come out well although not as good as baked in the oven. Great for quick snacks! :)

Hey Aqua, welcome, glad you found me. Do try these, let me know how did you like them! :)

Thanks Sowmya, experimented a bit this week, they came out well! :))

Unknown said...

i never made no bake cookies looks very intresting nice color asha and brownies nice texture bookmarked

Pavani said...

hi asha thanku very much for visting my blog yaar...cake is really awesome...

FH said...

Thanks Rekha and Pavani, hope you try one of those desserts this weekend. Enjoy! :))

Yasmeen said...

the hearts look cute conjoined ,fast version of brownies looks delish!

FH said...

LOL @ conjoined! They do look like that, don't they? Need a surgery, but oh wait, they have already gone to tummy heaven! :D

Thanks Yasmeen, enjoy your weekend! :))

Dazy said...

Hey I too tried baking cup cakes and cookies just after my exams got over. I go weak in the knees with a mention of muffins and cookies.

FH said...

Haha! Dazy, Enjoy these too! :)

Betty said...

i tried this recipe and it turned out SO YUMMY and I was really happy that I was able to bake this, since I don't have an oven!:) Thank You So Much!!!!Do you have any other cakes/cookies recipes using microwaves?

FH said...

Thanks for trying Betty. Yes, I do have some more like theses, will try to post them soon! :))

Anonymous said...

This is a celebrated article as they all are. I have been wondering nearly this looking for some time now. Its great to note down this info. You are objective and balanced.

Unknown said...

hi i like ur recipe i have a query in brownie how to make Apple sauce and also tell me is there any substitute for Egg bcoz i am pure vegetarian thanks

FH said...

Thanks Anon, I appreciate your comment! :)

Shruti,just grind some peeled slices of apples in a mixie. We get ready made here, we use that but any sauce will do. 1 Egg equals 2 tbsp of sauce of any kind. You can also add 2 tbsp of cream I guess, please do experiment. Egg usually helps to rise the cake but you can just skip it. Enjoy.