Mawa Cake and Masala Cookies for Daring Bakers Challenge

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen was our August 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to make some amazing regional Indian desserts. The Mawa Cake, the Bolinhas de Coco cookies and the Masala cookies – beautifully spiced and delicious!

I've been making and eating desserts from all over the world since a year especially french. This challenge has bought me back to my roots (Sounds cliche but totally true) . The challenge wasn't difficult but had various elements which needed some pre-planning. It was well worth the wait.

Mawa Cake is a cake found in Irani cafés in India. Mawa is basically Khoya and my favourite indian mithai is the white barfi made from Khoya. Khoya is made by reducing milk on a medium-low flame till we get a crumbly texture of milk solids. It's this mawa and cardamom which gives this cake it's signature flavor and texture of a pound cake.

Mawa Cake
For the Mawa: 1 litre (4 cups) full fat milk

For the cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) (120 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) unsalted Butter (soft at room temperature)
3/4 cup (180 ml) packed crumbled mawa
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) (10 oz) (280 gm) castor sugar
3 large eggs
5 to 6 cardamom pods, powdered, (about 1-1/2 tsp powdered cardamom)
2 cups (500ml) (9 oz) (260 gm) cake flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract (optional)
Cashewnuts (or blanched almonds) to decorate (about 18 to 20)

Method:
1. First make the “Mawa”. Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan, preferably a non-stick one. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring it on and off, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Turn down the heat to medium and keep cooking the milk until reduces to about a quarter of its original volume. This should take about an hour to an hour and a half.

2. The important thing during this process is to watch the milk and stir it frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the sides or bottom of the pan and get burnt. The danger of this happening increases as the milk reduces and gets thicker.

3. Once the milk it has reduced to about one fourth, 1/4 quantity, lower the heat to low and let cook for a little while longer. Keep stirring regularly, until the milk solids (mawa) take on a lumpy appearance. There should be no visible liquid left in the pan, but the mawa should be moist and not stick to the sides of the pan.

4. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the mawa to a bowl and let it cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate it for a day or two (not more) till you’re ready to make the cake. It will harden in the fridge so let it come to room temperature before using it. You should get about 3/4 to 1 cup of mawa from 1 litre (4 cups) of full-fat milk.

To bake the cake: Pre-heat your oven to moderate 180°C/350°F.
1. Beat the butter, the crumbled mawa and the sugar in a largish bowl, using a hand held electric beater, on high speed until soft and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium speed till well incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and beat till mixed well.

3. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt onto the batter and beat at medium speed and well blended. If you cannot find cake flour, place 2 tablespoon of cornstarch in the bottom of your 1-cup measure and then fill it with all-purpose (plain) flour to make up to 1 cup.

4. Grease and line only the bottom of an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan. Pour the batter into this and lightly smooth the top. Place the cashew nuts (or blanched almonds) on top of the batter randomly. Do not press the nuts down into the batter. A Mawa Cake always has a rustic finished look rather than a decorated look.

5. Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 1 hour until the cake is a golden brown and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Do not over bake the cake or it will dry out. If the cake seems to be browning too quickly, cover it will aluminum foil hallway through the baking time.

6. Remove from oven and allow it to cool for 10 min in the tin. Release the cake, peel off the parchment from the base and let it cool completely.

The Masala Biscuits were a surprise packet for me. Being a first, I was a bit apprehensive about how they'll turn out. These are bound together with yogurt. One must be careful of how much yogurt is added as too much of it makes the dough very fiddly to manage. I didn't use sesame seeds as i didn't have any at hand and I'm not a huge fan either.

Masala Biscuits

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cup (420 ml) (9 oz) (250 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fine white or brown rice flour (optional)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (or according to your taste)
1/2 cup (1 stick) (120 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
3/4 inch (20 mm) piece of ginger, finely grated
1-1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorn, crushed coarsely
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed coarsely
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (½ oz) (15 gm) granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped curry leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander/ cilantro
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 ml to 60 ml) cold yogurt
1-1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (or white sesame seeds)
A little oil to brush the tops of the biscuits/ cookies

Method:
1. Put both flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl and add the pieces of chilled butter.
Pulse until the mixture takes on the texture of breadcrumbs. Now add chopped green chilies and ginger.

2. Then add crushed peppercorn and cumin, sugar, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Pulse a couple of times.Then add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and pulse again. Add one more tbs of yogurt (or two, as much as needed).

3. Pulse again until the dough just comes together and clumps together. Do not over process or knead.
The dough should be just moist enough to bring everything together to shape into a rough ball.

4. Flatten it into a disc and cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least hour. You can also leave it overnight (up to about 24 hours). Pre-heat your oven to moderate 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

5. Line your baking trays with parchment or grease them with oil. Lightly dust your working surface.
Roll out the dough to 1/8”(3 mm) thickness, not more or your biscuits/ cookies will not be crisp.

6. Sprinkle the sesame seeds uniformly over the dough and use your rolling pin, very lightly, to press them in.
Using cutters of your choice (about 2-1/4 inch (55 mm) to 2½ inch (65 mm) in size), cut out biscuits/ cookies.

7. Place them on lightly greased baking trays. Brush a very thin coat of oil; this will help them brown while baking.Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or till they’re done and golden brown on the top.

8. Cool on the trays for about 5 minutes and then on racks. Once they’re completely cool, they should be crunchy.
Servings: Makes about 2 dozen masala biscuits/ cookies that are 2 1/4” (55 mm) to 2 ½” (65 mm)wide.

Set the cake to my neighbors. The kids and adults both enjoyed it over tea. Children are just so honest in their expressions. If it's nice, it's nice else they just won't have it. The biscuits were all over in just 2 days. Anyone who crossed the jar would have a few.

For cakes and cookies made by the Daring Bakers this month, check out the Daring Kitchen.