HOW TO BAKE

AFLATOON – A Nourishing Winter Dessert

A Rare Baked Delight

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Here is a recipe for Aflatoon – a rich fortified sweet ideal for winter. Aflatoon is a rare baked delight.

Cooking is more a qualitative art, rather than a quantitative science.

The other day, a friend of ours dropped home a packet of scrumptious Dharwadi Pedhas. 

My dear wife [who does not believe in the dictum: “There is no greater love than the love of eating”] promptly put them in the fridge and forgot about it. 

Now what greater inanity can be there than consigning fresh soft flavorsome mellifluous Pedhas to harden up in some remote cold corner of the fridge? 

So when I first discovered the packet of cold hard Pedhas lying hidden deep inside my fridge during one of my surreptitious midnight raids, when my better half was fast asleep, I was first miffed, then improvising, decided to soften them up in my microwave oven.

I put a piece of warm softened-up Pedha in my mouth – Lo and Behold! – The Dharwadi Pedha had metamorphosed into a Lal Peda. 

Yes, it tasted like genuine Banarasi Lal Peda with its unique wholesome “crispy roasted milky taste”. Now that’s serendipity. I’ve searched for Lal Peda all over but nothing could match the authentic Lal Peda I used to enjoy near Sankat Mochan in Varanasi.

I love sweets – especially Indian Sweets – Pedhas, Barfis, Rosogulla, Gulab Jamun, Kala Jamun, Cham Cham, Sandesh, Jilebi, Imrati, Son Papdi, Mysore Pak, Petha, Mahim Halwa, Malpua, Karanji, Anarse, Chirote, Lavang Lata, Ladoos – you name it, I love it – and one of favorites is a superb wholesome treat called “Aflatoon”.

Now the only place I’ve had Aflatoon is on Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai, at Suleman Mithaiwala near Minara Masjid, and I think also at Zam Zam a little distance down the road. 

Aflatoon not only satisfies your sweet-tooth; it provides rich nourishment and is blissfully satiating too.

I’m in Pune now. 

Like my search for Lal Peda, my search for Aflatoon also remained elusive, so I decided to improvise and hope for the best. 

Now remember, My Dear Reader, I’m no great cook, nor am I a high-falutin connoisseur, nor a culinary expert; I’m just a simple down-to-earth trencherman, an avid foodie, so I asked around, searched around, explored, extrapolated, reverse-engineered, and here is what I improvised, a purely ingenious adventurous concocted experimental recipe.

[Try it at your own risk!].

First, with a fork, I thoroughly beat three fresh eggs till fluffy, added one cup [vati or katori] of sugar (add more if you like it sweeter) and then vigorously whisked away till all the sugar dissolved and the mixture was nice and fluffy.

I had already switched on my oven – yes, Aflatoon is a baked delight – one of the rare Indian sweets which are baked in an oven.

I rubbed pure ghee on the palms of my hands and kneaded half a kilo of fresh Khoya [khava, mawa made from buffalo milk] till it was slippery smooth. 

Then I blended in and coalesced the Khoya into the feathery egg-sugar emulsion and whipped strongly with my hands till my wrists pained, and my biceps and triceps strained, and the khoya had fully dissolved and merged into the mélange and the fusion was complete, the rich blend velvety smooth.

Now in a plate, I mixed together one cup of rawa, half cup of maida, and a pinch of baking powder, and gently folded this mixture, spoon by spoon, into the egg-sugar-khoya amalgamation and robustly swirled and pasted the batter with my hands, till my hands got tired again and my muscles ached. 

Here, there is no exact proportion of how much rawa- maida mixture is to be added to the batter; my hands tell me when to stop – later I can always add a bit as and when required to get the right baking consistency.

Now the interesting part – I lovingly blended in three katories or vaties [yes, three full cups – one cup per egg] of pure ghee and churned with my hands for a long time till the ghee fully dissolved into the delectable mixture, indiscernible. 

Now here is the difference in sequence of ingredients – while baking a cake you start of with creaming the butter, than blend in the sugar, then eggs, then maida; here you start off with beating the eggs, then the sugar, the khoya, the rawa-maida flour, and now comes the pure ghee (clarified butter).

Hey, remember to lick your fingers from time to time and taste the delightful mélange at each stage and plus-minus the proportions accordingly. 

Also, your fingers will tell you when the consistency is perfect. 

That is why I never use mixers, blenders, juicers, measuring cups and all those hi-fi gadgets when preparing dough and batter for baked delights, or cooking dishes – I always rely on my own tongue to tell me the precise taste, use my hands to cream, blend, the concoction to the right consistency, improvise the ingredients and proportions accordingly – if you want to cook creatively, there is nothing to beat your own sensory perception, isn’t it? 

And yes, don’t forget to use your nose too – food must be fragrant, appetizingly aromatic, besides looking deliciously mouthwatering and tempting to feel and touch!

Now I mixed in the spices – powdered jaiphal, dalchini, elaichi, lavang – and, while gently stirring with my hand, slowly poured in yummy thick creamy buffalo milk, about half a cup, till the consistency of the smooth paste becomes soft and silky, and ready for baking. 

Remember to always have the rawa-maida flour ready in stand-by mode to even up the batter, if required.

Then I mix in kismis, manuka, crushed pasted khajur, squeezing my fingers.

Oh, just a minute, I thoroughly mix in a few drops of vanilla essence to make even the slightest trace of the smell of eggs go away. 

Finally I embellish with crushed dry fruit like badam, pista, kaju etc.

I now pour in the rich creamy dough into pure-ghee greased baking trays and bake it in my conventional pre-heated oven at medium heat till the characteristic mouthwatering aroma wafts through the kitchen and the Aflatoons looked appetizingly brown. 

With all the khoya, creamy milk and rich ingredients it sometimes takes almost an hour or so to be done. Time doesn’t matter, when cooking, as in eating, I like to be unhurried – the slower the cooking the tastier the food. I always like to keep the heat moderate and my senses, especially olfactory, alert.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

I was dying to sample the result of my culinary experiment, so I didn’t even wait till it cooled – Oh yes, it tasted wholesome, sumptuous, appetizing, good. 

Just imagine if you fortify milk-cake with eggs, enrich it, spice it up, and roast it well – that’s the nearest I can describe how aflatoon tastes.

I wonder if aflatoon can be made by roasting it on a tawa instead of baking it!

I relished my homemade “aflatoon” – but then nothing can beat the original aflatoon for which I’ll have to head to Mumbai. 

Till then, I’ll keep savoring these – I’m sure with all the pure ghee imbibed in them these aflatoons will last for days – provided I keep them hidden away from craving children and other insatiable trenchermen like me!

Dear Reader, and fellow Foodie – why don’t you too improvise, be creative, experiment, use your own ingredients and proportions, conjure up your very own aflatoon, savor it, try it out on your family and friends, and tell us all about it.

And if you happen to live in Mumbai, why take all this trouble – just go ahead and relish the original.

Happy Baking!

Dear Reader and Fellow Foodie: For more such appetizing dishes do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL, a treatise on The Art of Eating, Easy to Cook Recipes and Foodie Adventures in Pune and Mumbai.

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

Happy Eating

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Desserts complete a meal and are usually sweet. There are several baked dessert recipes the whole family will love and enjoy.

Dessert is usually served at the end of a meal. It is usually sweet and very flavorful. Usual desserts served after meals are:
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Ice cream
• Pastries
• And Candies

Here are some dessert recipes you can try at home:
1. Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup raisin
• 3 cups rolled oats

Directions:
• Preheat your microwave or oven to about 350o F.
• In a big bowl, smoothen together some butter, butter flavored shortening brown sugar, eggs, white sugar and vanilla until creamy.
• Combine the baking soda, flour, cloves, salt and cinnamon.
• Mix in the raisins and oats.
• Bake it for about ten to twelve minutes until it becomes golden and light (but do not over bake).
• Let it cool down for two minutes before you remove it from the cookie sheet.

2. Banana Split Dessert
Ingredients:
• 2 sticks of butter
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 bananas
• 1 lg. cool whip
• 1 can drained crushed pineapples
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
• Combine two cups of graham cracker crumbs with one stick of butter.
• Spread this into a closed pan and refrigerate.
• Combine two cups sifted confectioner’s sugar with two eggs, one stick of butter and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Beat it for about five minutes until it becomes fluffy.
• Spread over the first mixture.
• Slice four to five bananas over the cream mixture.
• Spread one can of drained crushed pineapple over the bananas.
• Spread the large cool whip over the pineapple.
• Sprinkle chopped walnuts on the cool whip.
• Keep this refrigerated until ready to serve.

3. Baked Fudge Dessert
Ingredients:
Batter
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup of milk

Directions:
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, cream shortening, baking powder, flour and salt.
• Add, alternately, the milk and chopped nuts.
• Pour it into an eight inch ungreased pan.

Toppings:
• ¼ cup of cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of boiling water

Directions:
• Blend cocoa with brown sugar and salt.
• Sprinkle it over the batter.
• Pour the boiling water.
• Bake it for about 375o F (approximately 40 minutes)
• Serve this warm with ice cream.

4. Baked Banana and Peach Dessert
Ingredients:
• 2 peaches, chopped or sliced
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 bananas, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions:
• In a small sauce pan, mix in vanilla, sugar and peach puree.
• Heat it onto a boiling stage.
• Cover and allow simmering for about one minute, stirring occasionally.
• Place the banana half in small baking dishes or squares of foil
• Cover each half banana with 2 teaspoonful of peach sauce.
• Fold the foil, closing and placing it inside the baking sheet.
• Bake this for about 400o F (approximately 15 minutes in the oven).
• Serve warm.

If your family is like most families, dessert items are among the favorite foods available. In most cases, long gone are the days when mom could spend all day in the kitchen, turning out homemade pies, cakes and cookies to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. That does not mean that you have to resort to store-bought cookies and cakes. The following cooking accessories can make baking desserts a breeze.

1. Nuwave Oven
Try a new way of cooking with the Nuwave Oven. This slick countertop oven combines infrared, convection and conventional heating technology to cook foods up to 50% faster. You do not have to preheat the oven and it is capable of baking cakes, cookies, and brownies. Everything turns out delicious and moist in half the time it usually takes to bake a particular dessert. You get a lot more than just baking with the Nuwave Oven because it also roasts, broils, and dehydrates. Once you start baking with the Nuwave Oven, you should be amazed at everything you can do with it.

2. Section Pans
These nifty pans are about the neatest new gadget you can find anywhere. The microwave, freezer, and dishwasher pans are designed to bake edible bowls. Just pour in cake batter and pop them in the oven, and outcome shortcake or pound cake bowls just waiting to be filled with fresh berries, pudding, whipped cream, and ice cream. They are available in two sizes. These are a two-section pan that makes two five-inch diameter bowls and a six-section pan that makes six three-inch diameter bowls. It is a novel and delicious way to serve up dessert to your family.

3. Loaf and Brownie Pans
The unique brownie pan design features a non-stick insert that bakes your cake or brownies in perfect slices. Just pour the batter into the pan and add the insert before you pop the pan in the oven. The batter should bake in perfect slices so there is no more sticky knives or arguing about who got the biggest piece. The brownie pan makes 18 brownies. The loaf pan makes nine slices, and the pan is dishwasher safe.

Also, if you like chewy edges on your brownies, then there is another brownie pan that you should love. As its name would suggest, this “Brownie Pan” is specially designed in a squared S shape so that every brownie bakes as if it were at the edge of the pan. You can get chewy edges without the gooey center of brownies that never seem to completely cook all the way through.

4. Cookie Press
Remember the old cookie presses that were difficult to use? This updated version of the old-fashioned cookie press should be much less stressful and it can help you make those delicious cooking. It features two barrels. The first barrel is for jumbo cookies and the other is for regular size cookies. There are also a few cookie cutters that allow you to bake cookies in a variety of shapes and sizes. A press of the trigger provides the right amount of cookie dough so that all of your cookies bake evenly. You should not have to worry about cookies that came out crispy due to being thinner than the other cookies while baking.

To go with the cookie press, pick up a 4-tier cooling rack to quadruple your counter space. The collapsible counter rack has four shelves, each of which holds up to ten pounds. That is strong enough to hold a heavy casserole or your mile-high apple pie. It folds down to one inch thick, so that you can easily store it in a cabinet or a drawer. It is ideal for baking days when you are making large batches of cookies.

5. Four Piece Batter Bowl Set
You can never have enough mixing bowls and this batter bowl set has a unique handle and a pouring spout that makes it ideal for mixing cake batter. The 4-quart bowl has a unique pouring spout and easy grip handle to make pouring batter into cupcake tins and cake pans as easy as pouring a glass of milk. No more trying to balance a bulky bowl while scraping out the batter. The easy handle makes it simple. The set includes three smaller mixing bowls and comes in very cool retro bright colors.

Do away with hand-mixing and save money on canned whipped cream with a stylish aluminum cream whipper that uses N20 chargers to pump up to twice the volume into your cream as hand whipping. A half pint of cream whips up enough whipped cream to top many desserts. It also keeps it fresh in the fridge for up to ten days. This allows you to prepare your own whipped cream without worrying about purchasing it at the local grocery store.

How to make butter cream frosting for a sheetcake; get expert tips on baking homemade dessert recipes in this free cooking video. Expert: Karen Weisman Contact: www.kitchenandcrafts.com Bio: Karen Weisman currently lives in Israel with her husband and six children, where she teaches cooking, baking, cake decorating, and various crafts such as mosaics and sewing. Filmmaker: Karen Weisman