Bolinhas (Goan Cookies/Biscuits)

Ingredients :

• 1 med. size Fresh Coconut (scraped) (only the white part)
• 250 gms. Rawa (Semolina)
• 250 gms. Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 3  tbsps. Maida (Refined Flour)
• 1 level tsp. Baking Pwd.
• 3 Egg yolks
• 1 Egg White
• 10 pods Green Cardamom (skinned & freshly powdered)
• A pinch of Salt
•  Water – just enough

Procedure :
First, grind the freshly scraped coconut with as little water as possible in a grinder/blender to a paste. Keep aside to be used later.

Dissolve sugar in a sufficiently large & thick bottomed pot (preferably a non-stick  deep pan) & prepare a sufficiently thick sugar syrup by heating sugar on a low flame with few tablespoons of water.

Add rawa (semolina) to the syrup & stir well.

To this, then add the coconut paste, salt & ghee. Stir well to combine.

Cook till well blended & thick. Take if off the heat & let it cool completely.

Allow it to rest covered in the fridge overnight so that the rawa gets well soaked.

Remove the rested batter from the fridge & let it come to room temperature.

Then add the egg yolks & mix well.

Now, add the freshly powdered green cardamom & stir well to mix.

Sift maida with baking powder. Add a little at a time & mix till completely used up.

Beat the egg white till fluffy & add it to the bolinha batter. Give it a good mix to combine well.

Place the batter in the fridge to firm up for about 15-20 mins.

Meanwhile, prepare your baking trays by greasing with some ghee or line the trays with parchment/butter paper or aluminium foil.

It’s time to shape the bolinhas with the dough…

Dust a little maida on the rolling board. Take out the dough from the fridge & then take a small portion/ball of the dough depending on the size of the bolinha you like.

Roll the dough ball on the rolling board with dry flour & shape like you would a cutlet… round, oblong, etc.

Make them look pretty by cutting designs on the surface of the bolinha with a butter knife or a table fork or the way you like it so that they look decorative after baking them.

Shape bolinhas till you finish all the dough.

Place the bolinhas on the greased baking tray as you finish shaping them.

Make sure you place them at a distance from each other so that they do not touch & stick to each other.

Pre-heat the oven at 180C.

First bake them with only the base heat on.

After about 10-15 mins., check if the base of the bolinha is firm by moving a bolinha on the tray.

If it is cooked then switch over the mode to top heat & bake till the top gets lightly pink or slightly brown.

It is time to take it out of the oven depending on what color you like it to be.

Enjoy & serve at Christmas…