I couldn’t not post a tasty treat when Halloween is right around the corner.
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Category Archives: Sweet Stuff
Apple Kuchen
One bite of this and I’m 10 years old again sneaking into the kitchen to pick off a chunk of the crumb topping from this fresh baked coffee cake. Between me and my two siblings, and quite possibly my dad, the cake was in sad shape by the time the guests came and mom was ready to serve. Poor mom!
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Apple Picking and Apple Pie
As a way of welcoming in the fall and saying farewell to summer, our family goes apple picking. It’s so refreshing to be outdoors in an apple orchard, with beautiful views of the California hills, endless rows of colorful apples ripe for the picking. Wheeling the wagon around and filling up our bucket, eating apples straight from the tree. Its a complete recharge for mind, body, and spirit. So you can imagine how easy it is to over pick. We brought home 35 lbs of apples!
What to do with all these apples? Apple pie, apple cake, apple sauce, apple chips, apple juice, threw some in salad. Gave a bunch to friends and the little guy gave some to his teachers. This weekend will be… muffins? If you have any suggestions… please leave a comment!
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Halwa, West Indian Pudding
It’s been nearly 2 weeks since my last post, but there is a reason… this next dish is very special to me and I wanted to get it just right. It’s a dish taught to me by my mother in law, called Halwa. Halwa is a Guyanese pudding served to the mother in celebration of a new baby. It is believed that this spicy thick pudding helps jump start mom’s milk production. Of course anyone can enjoy this pudding, not just a new mom. I have never had anything quite like it… sweet and spicy, thick and creamy, and the best part of it is, you eat it with your hands! Just rip off a piece of roti, scoop up your pudding, and stuff your face. Love it!
When I had my first born, 3 years ago, my mother in law came for a visit to meet her first grandchild. When she made this for me, I admit, I was kind of scared to try it. After all, it looks very suspicious to a “white gal”. But after the first bite, there was no stopping me… the bowl was licked clean in seconds. The second time she made it for me was just 4 months ago, when she came to visit and meet her second grandson. I forgot how yummy it was and vowed to learn it this time so I could make it anytime I wanted, or felt I needed a boost in my milk production. But, ugh, I didn’t watch her make it! I don’t know what I was doing when she whipped this up in the kitchen.. probably changing a diaper or sneaking in a much needed nap. Fortunately, she gave me some quick directions before she left. Fast forward 3 months… and I have been making batches of pudding, trying to perfect it. Finally, I feel confident enough to post this for the world to see. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
TIP: I have never browned flour before, so I was timid with my first attempt at this pudding. The flour barely tanned, therefore my pudding was light in color and tasted, well, floury. My advice… go for it. Don’t be shy, brown the heck out of that flour. Just be attentive and every few minutes stir it up so it doesn’t burn. The darker it is, the more nutty the flavor and rich the pudding color will be.
Halwa Massala spice is sold at Indian groceries. I couldn’t find it online, if you do know how to obtain it online please leave a comment. The spice contains cumin, dark cumin, fennel, ginger, peepar, mora, havclay, cinnamon.
Note: This is part 1 of a 2 part post. Part 2 is coming soon, will contain the instructions for roti, the accompaniment for the pudding.
Recipe: Halwa
Summary: A Guyanese Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 heaping TBSP Halwa Massala (found in West Indian grocery stores)
- 1 TBSP butter
Instructions
- Brown the flour in a hot skillet over medium heat for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Stir every few minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
- Use a sieve to sift out the flour clumps.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour with the sugar and milk. The mixture should resemble a pancake like batter.
- In a small bowl, mix halwa masala with a 1/2 cup of water.
- In a skillet, heat the butter on medium-low heat. Add the mixture and the spicy water. The pudding will get thick in just a few minutes. If it gets too thick, you can add a little water until you get the desired consistency (thick enough to hang on an upside down spoon for a few seconds before plopping down!).
- Serve with Roti. Recipe in the next post.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
