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Bolinhas
Semolina and coconut cookies
Bolinhas: crumbly Goan Christmas cookies of semolina, fresh coconut, butter and egg yolk (plus overnight resting)
Bolinhas (small balls in Portuguese) are the cookies Goan Catholic families bake in batches for the Christmas kuswar, the tins of sweets sent to friends and neighbours in Panjim and Salcete in mid-December. Fresh coconut is cooked briefly in a sugar syrup, mixed with semolina and left overnight so the grains soften, then bound with butter and egg yolks, shaped into small balls, marked with a fork or a cross and baked until golden. The texture is sandy and crumbly outside with a chewy coconut centre, and they smell of cardamom and browned butter. They contain egg yolk, so they are vegetarian with egg, not vegan. The common mistake is baking them the same day: unsoaked semolina stays gritty and the cookies spread. Chef's tip: shape with slightly damp hands and keep them small, about 3 cm; they puff a little and need room on the tray.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the coconut mixture
- 7 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- 7 oz fresh coconutfinely grated
- 7 oz fine semolina
For the dough
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoftened
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: The day before, boil 7 oz sugar and ½ cup water in a pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes to a one-string syrup.
6 minStep 2: Add 7 oz fresh coconut and cook on a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the mix is moist but not wet.
4 minStep 3: Take off the heat and stir in 7 oz fine semolina. Cool, cover and leave at room temperature (or in the fridge in hot weather) overnight.
5 minStep 4: Next day, heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F) and line two baking trays.
10 minStep 5: Beat 2 ⅛ oz butter, 3 egg yolks, ½ tsp ground green cardamom, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt into the semolina mixture and knead lightly to a soft dough.
5 minStep 6: Roll into 24 small balls, flatten slightly and mark the tops with a fork or a cross. Set them 3 cm apart on the trays.
15 minStep 7: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown on top and underneath.
30 minStep 8: Cool completely on the tray; they firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolinhas take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
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