Thank You Vibha... Total Gratitude... Orange Cookies

What better way to thank someone than to make them 'Orange Cookies' :)
Made these Orange Cookies topped with Chocolate Ganache for Vibha and the kids.... Had made Haroun n the Sea of Stories , Hoopoe Lemon Cake for Vibha....She is a total treasure. Have done cakes for her kids, Chocolate Blackout Cake for Tarini and a football cake for Karan.

She sent across a book for me...... I was over the moon... How thoughtful of her... :)

Have been watching Nigella's shows for a while now.... A Nigella recipe which I tried was To Die for 'Banana Chocochip Muffins' and then went on to make these as parshad too with a different garnish and filling at a huge scale[almost 300 people over a weekend] Banana Walnut Chocochip Muffins.

Watching her show was a 'Sign' when I was so nervous about the Chocolate Pavlovas n Mango Mascarpone Mousse for the Daring Baker Challange last time.


Thank you so much for all the encouragement, Vibha.....

So readers, what's your encouragement story?

Kids Enjoy Easter Fun ~ Adults Enjoy with Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies

Easter is fun time for kids as exams are over in this part of the world.... There's a break from school for kids just before the new session starts in their new classes....

That's Ciona, in her bunny ears... isn't she just adorable.... She informs me that she's big girl now and is going into her BIG class, Nursery-B. She loved the idea that eggs shells can be painted..

I had quite a time preparing for all this.... Cleaned up empty egg shells for the kids to paint.... Made Orange Cookies and went about icing them with royal icing... This was the first time I was dealing with royal icing... Was totally paranoid about how it will work out.... Guess that's what baking is about for me... pushing my limits..... Icing was [and is] back-breaking work for me... need to work very fast with it else due to the horrid temperature n humidity levels here, icing tends to grow a mind of it's own... [which definitely doesn't wanna do what I need it to do....]
This time I thought, instead of just yummy stuff to eat, the kids should get to do some fun activities too... Each of the kids got their own write up on, What is Easter? Why is it celebrated, Why the Bunny and Eggs on Easter? etc which their mummies read out to them Read up here...

They also got an activity sheet with Step-by-Step instructions for making this bunny basket... Find them here....
A print out of an Egg drawing, which they could colour along with the empty eggshells.

Some more colouring fun....

That's Simran and Armaan, my next door neighbours... very sweet kids.... Simran's still working on her basket her mummy informs me...

This post is off to Easter Cake Bake Event, being hosted by Julia at 'A Slice of Cherry Pie ... I guess my 'Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies' would qualify as cake for this event... :-)

Pat a cake pat a cake baker’s man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can

The kids enjoyed the Easter Fun with cookies, colouring and craft work n I ENJOYED making these while the parents enjoyed my Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies....

Mr.Nibbles loved the Zesty Orange Chocolate Brownies

Orange Butterfly Cookies for Gunjan, The Little Imp

Butterfly In The Wind

A child is........

A butterfly in the wind,
Some can fly higher than others;
but each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other?

Each one is different!
Each one is special!
Each one is beautiful!

Author Unknown

Gunjan is my friend Yogita's daughter..... She's such a cutie....

Her expressions are just brilliant... She has the ability to wrap her parents around her fingers and make them do exactly what she wants in the most adorable way....

The minute she saw a box passing from me to her mom, she just had to know what was in it.... it was opened instantly and oh the look on her face..... made the entire day's effort worthwhile on 'Orange Butterfly Cookies with Chocolate Ganache'.....

She even had a butterfly bib.... infact she herself was looking like a fairy in a white n pink frock...
Since she's had the cookies..... She's been eating out of my hands.... and what a poser she is :-)

The glee n joy in her eyes was so apparent...
I want more.... I want more.... I want more.... I want more.... I want more....

Mommy n baby... gunjan's mimicking the 'googly woogly woosh' of the ponds cold cream ad...

So Readers, What would you do to eat cookies, have you broken jars as kids?