SOHAN HALWA -- INDIAN SWEETMEAT

SOHAN HALWA


One and a half cup all-purpose flour.
Half a cup of cornstarch (makki di nishasto).
Five cups cane sugar.
Five cups butter or ghee.
One and a half cup sliced almonds.
Ten cups water.
Pinch saffron, finely ground.
Green cardamom seeds, ditto.

Put one cup of butter, the all-purpose flour, and the cornstarch, into a pan and mix over low heat till uniform. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add sugar, and stir while cooking to dissolve. Cook very briefly longer. Let it cool slightly, then pour it through muslin or a fine mesh sieve into another pan. Stir in the ground saffron, cover with a teacloth, and let it sit overnight in a cool place.
The next day, reheat it till it starts darkening. Add the finely ground cardamom, mix well, blend in the remaining butter, and cook it till sufficiently stiff. Let it cool slightly, then spread it out on a greased surface or non-stick baking tray, strew the almonds over and press them into the surface.
Once it is cold, cut it into rectangles.

Note: if using ghee, and cooked beyond the fudge consistency to a brickle state, it will keep for a while in a tin.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-long-rest-in-durganda-nagar.html.

LADDOO -- INDIAN SWEETMEAT

LADDOO


Three cups semolina flour (rava).
Three cups cane sugar.
One cup ghee.
One cup heavy whipping cream.
Half a cup ground almonds.
One TBS ground green cardamom seeds.

Put the semolina and ghee into a pan, and gently roast till sweet and toasty smelling. Add the sugar and almonds, stir over heat for a few minutes till everything is nicely blended, then add the cream and cardamom. Cook, stirring, till the goo is shiny and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Roll into fifty or so round balls, then set on a plate to air and harden.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-long-rest-in-durganda-nagar.html.

POACHED PEARS

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-dreamy.html



POACHED PEARS

Four firm pears.
Four cups water.
Two cups sugar.
Two TBS lemon juice.

Heat water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan till the sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile peel the pears and quarter them – do not remove the cores yet.
Immerse the pear segments in the liquid, and simmer on very low for about fifteen minutes, making sure that the pears are covered by liquid at all times.
You may add an additional squeeze of lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

Turn off the heat, let the pan and its contents cool.
Remove pears from liquid, and with a coffee spoon remove the cores. It’s much easier now that they are cooked.

Bring the liquid back to a boil, and thicken it slightly. Place the pears in a deep dish and cover them with the syrup. When cool enough, you can flatten a sheet of plastic wrap over them and place them in the refrigerator.
Keeps for several days.


You will note that this recipe is exceedingly simple. It can be modified, and you may want to ‘personalize’ it by doing so.
What I do is add a splash of strong coffee in the cooking liquid, which gives it depth and character. I also use more sugar than I have specified above, because I like syrup. For a very bright flavour you can add a thick curl of orange zest, as well as two or three green cardamom pods. If you throw in a handful of raisins when reboiling the syrup they will plump up nicely.

To serve, heat up two segments per person or more in some of the syrup.
Slide into a dessert bowl and top with a big luscious scoop of vanilla ice cream.

PUMPKIN BARS

A recipe left behind by a customer who died in Spring, in the prime of her life.

Originally published here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/08/message-for-departed.html


PUMPKIN BARS

6 cups whole oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups yogurt
1 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (she left cinnamon out of the recipe, but it really should be included).

Mix all ingredients. Decant into an oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into squares. Keep refrigerated in a closed container. They will keep for about 6 weeks.

LUKUM, LOUKOUMIA, TURKISH DELIGHT

The correct name for the sweet is rahat lukum. Lukum means morsel, rahat means peace or contentment, so the translation is a 'morsel of contentment'.
The Turkish name may derive from Arabic: راحة الحلقم rahat al-hulkum: contentment of the gullet.

Originally published here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/08/rahat-lukum.html


RAHAT LUKUM

2 cups sugar.
4 tablespoons cornstarch.
1 cup water.
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
2 tablespoon rosewater (available at Middle Eastern stores).
1/2 cup chopped pistachios, walnuts, or almonds.
Confectioner's sugar for dusting.

Mix sugar, cornstarch and cream of tartar with the water and boil for five minutes, stirring the while. Remove from heat and add rosewater and chopped nuts. Apply a little cooking oil to a rectangular pyrex dish (or use non-stick cooking spray) and pour in mixture to a depth of an inch. When cool, cut into rectangles and roll each piece in powdered sugar.

Store at room temperature in airtight container.

NOTES

Fruit juice may be used in lieu of plain water - strained orange juice or clear apple juice is excellent, and a lemon may be squeezed in for tanginess. Food colouring as deemed appropriate can be added, and some people roll it in coconut shreds or crushed nuts.

Note that it can also be made with orange essence, or even orange blossom water (moit ez zaher), in lieu of the rosewater (moit el ward). Rosewater is traditional, but not essential.

BOTERKOEK

BOTERKOEK
[Moist butter shortbread or cake.]


Orignially posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2006/09/boterkoek-butter-cake.html


One and three quarters cup of flour.
One cup of sugar.
Three quarters of a cup of butter.
One large egg, yolk and white separated.
A pinch of salt.
A pinch of dry ginger.
A teaspoon or so of almond extract.
About a quarter cup of sliced almonds for garnish, and a little butter for greasing the pan.


Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg yolk and almond extract, then add the flour, salt, and dry ginger. Knead to a crumbly dough - do not overwork it.
Grease a shallow pan or pyrex dish. Press the dough into the pan - it should be between an inch and an inch and a half thick. Brush the surface with the egg-white, which you have beaten beforehand. Strew the almonds over and press down slightly.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than twenty five minutes. The result will be firm on the outside, still soft within, dense and buttery. Let it cool before eating.