FEATURE ARTICLE IN THE HINDU (NEIGHBOURHOOD) 13TH MAY 2010

SWEET COCONUT PUFFS

For the Dough: 250 grams refined flour or maida, 50 grams butter, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ kg oil for frying.

For the Filling: 3 cups grated coconut and 3 tablespoons sugar mixed together

Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder. Mix in the butter and knead to a fairly stiff dough with very little water. Keep aside for 1 hour.

Take the dough on a floured board and roll out into a thin sheet. Cut squares of about 2 to 3 inches per side. Put a tablespoon of the sweetened coconut on half of the square. Fold the other half over in such a way to form a triangle. Seal the edges by dampening with a little water. Heat the oil in a deep pan till smoky. Slowly drop in as many puffs as the pan can hold and fry till brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain.

Note: These puffs can last for a fortnight if dry cocoanut or copra is used instead of fresh coconut.

BREAD PUDDING

8 slices of bread
2 cups milk
50 grams butter
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
½ cup chopped cashew nuts or walnuts
2 eggs beaten well.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and break into small pieces. Take a baking dish and grease it. Spread the pieces of bread in it. Mix the milk, beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and butter together and pour this mixture over the pieces of bread soaking them completely. Sprinkle the nuts on the top. Bake in a hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
Note: This pudding can also be steamed for 30 minutes instead of baking if desired