Apple Galette - Eggless version of French Pastry

 Apple Galette has became a favourite recipe of our family ever since I first made it. As I don’t have a rectangular pan to bake this I just shaped.

 I first made it along with Samosa Galette , my mom and Niece Akshara liked it over the spicy version.

The aroma of apple with the cinnamon flavor was so fantastic…

My partner for this month’s ssshhhhh secretly cooking was Prathima Shivaraj of . She gave me flour and ingredient of my choice. So I choose to make this healthy apple galette.

Cinnamon helps in controlling blood sugar levels and apple rich in soluble fiber , Vitamin C and pectin.

  The word  Galette  in French means round flat crusty cake.

I sliced the apple and marinated in brown sugar and cinnamon powder for ten minutes before arranging in the pastry.

Requirements :

Crust :

1 ½  cup flour

¼ tsp salt

1½  tbs sugar

6 tbs unsalted butter

1/3 cup of ice water

1/8 tsp baking powder

Filling :

3 Red apple thinly sliced

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp sugar

1½ tsp cinnamon powder

1 tbs honey

Juice of lemon

1 tbs unsalted Butter

Glaze :

1/3 cup Sugar

2 tbs water / milk

Method :

 Crust Making :

In a bowl mix the flour , salt and baking powder in a bowl .

Cut the butter into pieces and mix in to the flour with finger.

Sprinkle ice water little at a time and mix. The dough must have formed by the time.

Cover the bowl and let it rest in fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling :

Wash the apples and pat dry.

Remove the Core and slice thinly.

Place the apple slices in a bowl and sprinkle lemon juice, this prevents browning reaction.

 Add brown sugar and cinnamon , toss to coat on all slices. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Making of Galette :

Take the dough out of refrigerator.

Dust the working space and roll the dough into rectangle shape of 12 X 11.

As I don’t have a rectangular tart pan , I shaped and baked in my round pizza pan. The rectangular shape retained.

Place the rectangle rolled dough on the greased baking tray.

Place the apple slices on the rolled dough in an overlapping pattern leaving a inch border on all sides.

Now , roll up the sides creating a border on all sides.

Pour in the sugary liquid let out by the apples. Drizzle honey over the apple and dot with butter pieces.

Mix the sugar and milk together and brush on the pastry for glaze.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar on pastry and on apple slices , it gives a nice golden colour.

Bake in a preheated oven @ 200*C for 35 – 40 minutes  or till the pastry is brown and crisp .

Let the galette cool and slice and serve with vanilla icecream.

Golap Pitha / Gulab Pitha / Rose shaped sweet of Bangladesh

   This was the famous rose shaped sweet of Bangladesh.It may seems to be difficult , once you try this it is easy to make. Enjoy this Sweet with your loved ones. My cousin helped me in shaping the pithas.......

Requirement :

1 cup plain flour

1 cup milk

1 tbs clarified butter

1 cup sugar

½  cup water

2 cardamon

1 cinnamon stick

oil for frying

Method :

In a pan boil the milk, to this add the flour in parts and mix well.

I used ballon whisk for this mixing to prevent lump formation and add the butter and mix well.

Let the dough cool , till you can handle the dough.

Knead the dough for five minutes and divide into five equal parts.

Roll a part into round sheet , using a round cookie cutter , cut the rolled dough into round shapes.

Repeat this for the remaining parts of dough.

Stack / arrange 3 round cut parts one on other.

Make four slits from corner half way through of the stacked rounds.

Lift a single slit on the top layer and  stick together its corners , a petal is formed.

Now , lift the opposite petal to the first and stick around it with the glue formed by mixing  little water and a spoon of flour.

Repeat,  this till all the slits are made into petals.

Do the same for the remaining dough too.

Heat  oil in a pan  , I placed a shaped pitha in a large ladle and dip it in the oil on medium flame.

Fry till golden brown and let it be on kitchen towel to drain extra oil.

In a sauce pan add sugar ,  water , cardamom and cinnamon , let it boil.

Boil the syrup only till all the sugar melts and it starts roll boiling.

Dip the fried gulab pitha in the syrup for 2 minutes and remove.

Serve them hot or cold.

Gulab pitha are ready to be served.

Bahraini Halwa / Halwa Bahraini # Bahrainicuisine

    This is the famous dessert of Bahrain. Halwa is usually serve along with coffee . Sales of Halwa peak during the three days of Eid after the month of Ramadan.

    This halwa is also the same corn flour  / Karachi halwa what we make in India. Addition of the saffron  , nutmeg and sesame seeds are the variation.

Requirements :

1 cup corn flour

3 cup water

3 cup sugar 

5 tbs butter/ Ghee

1 tbs ground cardamom

½ tsp ground nutmeg

10 saffron strands

red food coloring

2 tbs rose water

chopped nuts

1 tbs sesame seeds

Method :

Mix the saffron in the rose water.

Mix the corn flour in the 3 cup of water.

In a pan , add the sugar and cook on medium heat until it caramalize and turns light brown.

Now , add in the corn starch water mixture . The sugar hardens immediately , keep stirring on medium flame.

After stirring for 15 – 20 minutes , the halwa must have hardened , add in saffron – rose water , cardamom , nutmeg , red food color  ,chopped nuts and the butter.

 Stir till the halwa leaves the side of the pan.

Pour the halwa into serving dish and sprinkle nuts and sesame seeds on top.

Quymaq – Flour and butter Pudding

  This is a rich Azerbaijan dessert , made with few ingredients – flour , clarified butter and water with the cinnamon flavor.

    This tastes similar to the the wheat flour halwa , we make in India.

  In Azerbaijan , it is traditionally given to the mothers after delivering baby and to the patients who underwent surgery , to increase their strength.

It should be served hot , I liked it hot as well as cold.

Requirement :

6 tbs wheat flour

3tbs clarified butter ( Ghee in India )

2 cup of water

4 tbs sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of turmeric ( optional )

Pinch of cinnamon powder

Method :

  Melt the butter in a pan.

Add the flour and roast in the butter till it gives out nice aroma.

  The flour absorbs the butter and becomes a smooth paste , add the salt and turmeric.

Cook until the mixture turns golden color , it takes about 10 minutes.

Bring the water to boil and add to the cooking flour.

Cook on simmer for 20 minutes or till the melted butter comes on top.

Mix the sugar to the hot pudding.

Serve hot by sprinkling cinnamon powder.