What is Diwali?
In India, Diwali is an emotion, a feeling, a celebration. There is love, laughter, lights, color everywhere, and folks from all backgrounds come together to celebrate. For the South Asian community, the major Hindu festival also known as the Festival of Lights is as important as Christmas is in the United States.
A few days before the onset of Diwali, which takes place Nov. 12 this year, mithaiwaalas (dessert vendors) start making kilos and kilos of mithai (sweets) for customers. Similar to the concept of cookie boxes, mithai boxes are given as gifts to family, friends, neighbors, business partners and even employers as a symbolic gesture to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Why fusion dessert? Combinations!
With Diwali around the corner, I’m sharing a fusion mithai recipe: Orange and Fennel Penda Brownie Bars. Penda is a fudgy milk-based Indian mithai, infused with ground cardamom, saffron and often some nuts. I wanted to bring together two classic flavor combinations: orange and fennel, and orange and chocolate.
Oranges are one of my favorite cold-weather fruits. Since oranges can go sweet or savory, my mind wanders in so many different directions thinking about all of the orange recipes that I can make: A simple orange cake makes a perfect tea cake; candied oranges are fun for decorating desserts; range juice is often used in vinaigrettes and salads; and Orange Tofu is a family favorite.
Two parts to this fusion mithai
This mithai recipe has two parts to it: the brownie layer and the orange-fennel penda layer. The eggless brownie is made with almond flour and all-purpose flour, coming together in one bowl. Once the brownie is in the oven, make the penda layer.
What baking pan to use for this mithai?
Here is the pan that I use, which is one of my most used pans. It is an 8×8 square baking pan.
Ingredients for Brownie layer
Here are the key ingredients for the brownie layer:
- Unsalted butter: Is a must so that you can control the amount of salt in the baked good.
- Granulated sugar
- Dutch-cocoa powder: You could use normal cocoa powder too. But I love the dark color this imparts to the brownie layer.
- Whole milk
- All purpose flour
- Almond flour : I always add almond flour to baked goods for that nutty chewy texture.
- Salt : essential to any baked good
Ingredients for Orange and Fennel Penda layer
Here are the key ingredients for the Orange and Fennel Penda layer:
- Ghee
- Whole Milk
- Milk Powder: ideally whole milk is cooked for hours to make penda, but adding milk powder is a shortcut to quicken the process
- Orange zest and juice: zest really helps with the flavor of the penda.
- Ground Cardamom: Always use freshly ground cardamom for the most potent flavor
- Fennel: Toast the fennel seeds to up the flavor
- Granulated sugar
- Saffron: The flavor goes so well with orange, cardamom and fennel.
How to make the Orange and Fennel Penda part of the bar?
The key is mis en place. Have all the ingredients ready to go, near the stove. Heat up the ghee and whole milk for a couple of minutes before adding the milk powder. The milk powder tends to clump; the trick is to keep pressing the mixture against the pan.
Next add the orange juice, zest and spices. I use Valencia oranges, which originated in Spain and now grow in abundance in Northern California. The color of the mixture instantly transforms because of the deep orange color of the zest. Next we add the sugar and the saffron, which enhances the orange color even more. Since the powdered sugar tends to clump as well, press against the lumps in the pan to smoothen out the mixture. Another trick that I use? An immersion blender.
From there, stir until the moisture evaporates and you have a dense dough in the pan. It may be grainy at this stage, so you can use the immersion blender again. Eventually, you’ll layer this as-smooth-as-possible dough on top of the baked brownie.
After it sets in the fridge for a few hours, you can cut the mithai into neat squares. I love creating simple patterns on top using a cookie stamp, and pistachios and edible silver foil give it an extra festive touch.
How long can you store these bars? Where do you store them?
The bars keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They are fudgy, moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Here are some other fusion mithai recipes that work great!
If you do make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Orange and Fennel Penda Brownie Bars
Brownie layer:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup whole milk, warm
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Orange and fennel penda layer:
- 2 tablespoons ghee + 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1⅓ cups milk powder
- Zest of 2 Valencia oranges
- ⅓ cup fresh Valencia orange juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground toasted fennel seeds
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon crushed saffron
Garnish:
- Pistachios
- Edible silver foil
Get Recipe Ingredients
Make the brownie layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare an 8 x 8 baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper. Leave overhang on all 4 sides so the bars are easy to remove.
- Add the melted butter and sugar to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add the cocoa and mix until well combined. Next add the warm milk and mix until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- Add the brownie dough to the pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Place in the lower middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove and set aside.
While the brownie layer bakes, make the orange and fennel penda layer:
- In a large nonstick pan, on medium-low heat, add the ghee and the milk. Mix to combine. After 2 minutes, add the milk powder. Using the rubber spatula, continuously stir the mixture. There will be lumps. Using the spatula, press the lumps against the pan to de-clump them.
- Stir continuously and press to de-clump until you get a somewhat homogenous mixture — about 5 minutes.
- Add the orange zest, orange juice, cardamom and ground fennel, and mix until well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and saffron. Mix to combine. Press the lumps of sugar against the pan to de-clump. Repeat until you get a somewhat homogenous mixture — about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix to combine.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture in the pan to make it as smooth as possible.
- Stir continuously for 15 minutes. The water content in the mixture will slowly evaporate and the mixture will get thicker.
- Use the immersion blender again to get a completely smooth consistency.
- Stir continuously for another 5 minutes, until the penda dough leaves the sides of the pan.
- Pour the mixture on top of the baked brownie. Use an offset spatula to smoothen the layer and reach all corners of the pan. Bang the pan against your work surface a few times to make the layer even and smooth.
- Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours.
- Cut into 16 equal pieces, using a sharp knife. Clean the knife after every cut for neat edges.
- If you have a cookie stamp, use it to indent each bar.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios and edible silver foil.
Note:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for upto 2 weeks.
Notes
- Here is the pan that I use, which is one of my most used pans. It is an 8×8 square baking pan.
- Since the powdered sugar tends to clump while making the mixture, press against the lumps in the pan to smoothen out the mixture. Another trick that I use? An immersion blender.
- The bars keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
