Teatime in the aftermath of the scorching afternoon sun; there’s nothing better than a cup of hot, sweet chai along with some equally mouth-watering snacks. Samosas, vadas and bhajis all serve as a perfect savoury accompaniment but for those of us with a sweeter tooth, there’s always room for a sweet treat to perk us up. Celebrating the perfect marriage of warming delicate spices with traditional baking flavours, these teatime classics demonstrate how humble yet timeless favourites can be twisted to warm up the taste buds of even a savoury snack addict.
Delicate in flavour, subtly aromatic and a great blend of east and west. Perfect with afternoon tea, coffee or even a good old lime soda.
Ingredients: (Makes approximately 8-10 shortbread rounds)
● 120 gm butter (room temperature)
● 120 gm flour
● 60 gm fine semolina
● 60 gm caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
● 20g pistachios, roughly chopped into small pieces
● Seeds from 5-6 cardamom pods
● ¾ tsp. rose water
● Additional 15 gm pistachios for coating
Other kitchen utensils:
● Baking tray lined with greaseproof paper cling-film.
Method
● Heat small dry pan over a medium heat and lightly roast the cardamom seeds for approximately a minute, until they begin to release their fragrance. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and grind until fine.
● Grind the pistachios.
● Beat the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Gradually add the flour, semolina and cardamom and mix using a wooden spoon or spatula. When the mixture reaches a crumbly texture, add the rose water and chopped pistachios and then continue to mix until it forms firm dough.
● Gently roll the dough into a log shape and then roll in cling-film and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
● Preheat the oven to 150ºC . Remove the dough from the fridge and take off the cling-film. Place on a dry surface and then slice into rounds approximately 1 cm thick. Roll the edge of each round in the ground pistachios and then place on the baking sheet.
● Bake for 50-55 minutes until the shortbread rounds are a light golden colour. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
● Store them in an airtight jar for up to a week.
Subtly spiced and drizzled with coconut glaze
Ingredients, (Makes 8-10 slices)
Spices
● 1 tsp ground cinnamon
● ¼ tsp nutmeg
● 7 cloves, finely ground
● 120 gm butter (room temperature)
● 300 gm sugar
● 3 eggs
● 180 gm flour, sifted
● ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
● 35 gm desiccated or fresh coconutplus extra for decorating
● 80ml milk
● ¼ tsp vanilla extract (or ½ tsp. vanilla essence)
● Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
For the glaze
● 40 ml coconut milk
● 100 gm icing sugar
Other kitchen utensils:
● A 23 by 13 cm loaf tin, greased and lightly dusted with flour.
Method
● Preheat the oven to 150 ºC.
● In a dry bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add one egg at a time, whisking in between each one.
● Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and then add a quarter at a time and mix well in between. Gently stir in the milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
● Add the coconut followed by the ground spices and three quarters of the lemon rind and stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
● Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated over for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack to allow it to cool completely.
● To make the glaze, place the coconut milk in a pan over a low heat and when this begins to warm, add the icing sugar one spoon at a time, stirring in between. Stir until the sugar has melted. Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
● Once the cake is cooled, put it on a cake stand, drizzle over the glaze and scatter with coconut and remaining lemon rind.
Reserve the extra glaze to lightly drizzle over slices as you serve them.
Sheba Promod is a food writer and cookery teacher specialising in Kerala cuisine and working in the UK. She writes for UK publications (print & online) and teaches cookery courses within private cookery schools in the south of England. Further information can be found at www.absoluteindiancookeryclasses.com.