Today’s post is the fourth instalment of my Baking Around the World series, where I (attempt to) bake delicious, sweet treats from around the globe, in an attempt to broaden my foodie horizons! Last year, I tried out two festive cookie recipes: German Mandelhörnchen and Sicilian Pizzicotti (both of which were absolutely delicious!). I wanted to try out more Christmassy cookies this year, so I scoured the internet and picked out two more recipes. First up, we’re heading to India with kulkuls!

A quick Baking Around the World disclaimer before we get into the recipe:

While I have done/will do extensive research for each of the recipes in this series, the recipes are unlikely to be 100% authentic because of differences in ingredient availability, variations within families/regions and multiple other reasons. I'm so sorry if I absolutely butcher your favourite childhood treat (and please let me know in the comments if I have made any unforgiveable errors), but please do give me the benefit of the doubt here- I am just a baker with a serious sweet tooth, trying to broaden her baking (and cultural) horizons through tasty snacks :)

Table of Contents

• Kulkuls: Explained
• Ingredients
• Making Kulkuls
  • 1. Clarifying the Butter
  • 2. Making the Dough
  • 3. Resting the Dough
  • 4. Rolling the Kulkuls
  • 5. Frying the Kulkuls
  • 6. Making the Sugar Syrup
    • Sugar Syrup: Tips & Tricks
    • Making the Sugar Syrup
  • 7. Tossing the Kulkuls in the Syrup
• Storing the Kulkuls
• Final Thoughts
• Recipe
• Sources Used

Kulkuls: Explained

Kulkuls (also known as kidiyos, which means ‘worms’ in Konkani) are deep-fried pastry curls that are a popular Christmas/New Year treat in Goa and Mangalore, as well as among the East Indian Community. They are a key element of a Goan kuswar (a traditional platter of festive sweets) and are often shared with neighbours and gifted to friends and family.

They are made from a simple dough containing fine semolina (or rava), which is rolled into curls, by hand, before cooking. The dough itself is really easy to make, but the rolling is a notoriously involved process, which can take a lot of time if you’re making a big quantity and/or making the kulkuls by yourself. Traditionally, the rolling process is done in groups, with friends or family, to make it go quicker. The same dough is also used to make a variety of treats, characterised by their different shapes: shankarpali (diamond shaped pastries) and kormolas/carambolas (bud-shaped pastries) are the most common.

As with most traditional sweet treats, every family has their own take on the classic recipe. Kulkuls are traditionally made with eggs, though many families choose to omit this ingredient (as have I, in this recipe, because I wanted to make a smaller amount). While not an overly sweet treat, sugar can be incorporated into the kulkuls in a variety of ways: it can be added to the dough itself, the pastries can be dusted with icing sugar once fried, or they can be tossed in a sticky syrup once cool, which hardens and ‘frosts’ the curls in an opaque, white glaze. In my kulkul experiment, I tried all of these methods, so that I could pick my favourite!

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, kulkuls traditionally contain egg, but many recipes omit this ingredient. Because I was making such a small batch, I opted to go down the eggless route.

To make kulkuls, you will need:

• Unsalted butter

Technically, this ingredient should be listed as ‘ghee’, which is what kulkuls are traditionally made with. I didn’t have any ghee, so I substituted it with unsalted butter, which I then clarified (ghee is a type of clarified butter). I’ve listed the full amount of unsalted butter in the recipe, but it’s very important that you don’t skip the clarifying step because a) it will decrease the amount of liquid you’re adding to the dough and b) it will prevent the kulkuls from browning too quickly.

• Plain flour

Traditionally, kulkul recipes use a type of flour called maida. Plain flour (or all-purpose flour) is the most similar product outside of India.

• Semolina

Fine semolina (or rava) is a traditional ingredient in this dough. Apparently, it improves the elasticity of the dough and heightens the crispiness of the finished kulkuls!

• Salt

As with most baked goods, a small amount of salt is added to balance all of the flavours and make the finished product extra tasty.

• Icing sugar

Some kulkul recipes do not contain any sugar at all and instead get their sweetness from a dusting of icing sugar/the hardened sugar syrup they are tossed in. This recipe includes a small amount of sugar (because, as we all know by this point, I love sugar), but it’s not so much that the unglazed/dusted kulkuls are overly sweet.

• Coconut milk

I used coconut milk as the wet ingredient for my kulkuls, because I saw multiple recipes using it and I was hoping that it would impart a slightly coconut-y flavour! Alas, no such flavour was imparted, so I feel you could just as easily use water or regular milk (as many other recipes do).

For the sugar syrup:

Because I like my baked goods sweet, I did something that is probably very ridiculous to traditional kulkul lovers and added a sugar syrup coating to my already sweetened kulkuls. I know, I know, but they just weren’t quite sweet enough for me and I wanted to try out the different variations! I did also try dusting them with icing sugar, but I definitely liked the syrupy coating the best— I loved the slightly chewy texture and extra hit of sweetness it gave!

To make the sugar syrup, you just need two ingredients:

• Caster sugar

Make sure to use a fine, white caster sugar. It will melt more easily and evenly.

• Water

Melting the sugar with water allows you to make a syrup. You’ll also need some water on hand to brush around the edges of the pan, to help prevent the sugar from crystallising.

Making Kulkuls

There are a few steps to making kulkuls:

1. Clarifying the butter (you don’t need to do this if you’re using ghee).
2. Making the dough.
3. Resting the dough.
4. Rolling the kulkuls.
5. Frying the kulkuls.
6. Making the sugar syrup.
7. Tossing the kulkuls in the syrup.

1. Clarifying the Butter

To make the kulkuls, you need to start by clarifying the butter. If you’re using ghee, make sure to use the smaller quantity (as listed in the recipe) and skip this step! Otherwise, place your unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

Allow the butter to melt, stirring every now and then.

Keep the pan over the heat while the butter starts foaming.

Once the foaming recedes, and the milk solids that have sunk to the bottom have turned brown, remove the pan from the heat.

Strain the butter through a fine sieve, lined with a piece of kitchen roll/a coffee filter, to remove the milk solids.

Discard the solids and you’ll be left with a lovely, clear, clarified butter (ghee!). It will be quite hot at this stage, so set it aside to cool slightly while you get the other ingredients ready for the dough. You need the clarified butter to still be a little bit warm when you use it, so that it is liquid, but not super hot.

2. Making the Dough

To make the dough, start by mixing together the plain flour, fine semolina and salt in a bowl, just to combine them.

Drizzle over the warm, clarified butter and start to mix it in with a fork. I like to use a fork at this stage so my hands don’t get too messy, but you can go straight in with your hands if you prefer.

Once the mixture starts to form little ‘nuggets’, you can switch to your hands and rub the butter into the dry ingredients.

Once the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, it’s ready for the icing sugar.

Add the icing sugar and mix it through (again, I used a fork for this, but you can use your hands).

Finally, add the coconut milk (or water/milk), a little at a time, mixing it in as you go. You might need more/less than listed, so go slowly and add it gradually.

When the dough is ready, it will look a little like this: still slightly crumbly, but clumping together.

Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface, then bring it together with your hands.

Knead the dough a little, until it is soft and elastic. It shouldn’t be sticky, but it also shouldn’t be dry— you’re looking for a nice, pliable sweet spot between the two.

3. Resting the Dough

The dough needs to rest before it is shaped/fried, to help the semolina to soften and the dough to relax (I feel we all need a bit of that, this time of year…).

To do this, place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Set the dough aside like this to rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping.

4. Rolling the Kulkuls

Now we come to the most time-consuming part of this recipe: rolling the kulkuls! To do this, you’ll need a piece of rolling equipment. There are a few options for this:

• A kulkul (or gnocchi) rolling board

These boards can be made from wood or plastic, and feature vertical grooves that indent the dough when it is rolled over it. I doubt kulkul rolling boards are exactly the same as Italian gnocchi rolling boards, but I found that gnocchi boards were much more commonly available here in the UK and give a very similar finish. This method was my preference, because I think it gives the best definition and most elegant look to the kulkuls, but it is another speciality utensil that you’ll have to store in your kitchen!

I purchased a wooden gnocchi board to use for this project and it worked well! However, the dough did stick in some places at the start, so be sure to oil the board liberally before you start, then use kitchen roll to wipe off any excess oil before rolling.

• A fine (unused) comb

Many recipes I saw online had a regular, plastic comb that they use to roll the kulkuls on. Obviously, this needs to be a new, unused comb and should be washed thoroughly before it is used for the kulkuls. I didn’t actually try this method, but it seems like a good option.

• A fork

This is the most accessible method, so it’s a great option if you don’t want to go out and buy a new tool for this bake. However, I did feel that the fork-rolled kulkuls looked less polished and pretty than the others, so it wasn’t my favourite method.

To roll the kulkuls, start by pinching off a marble-sized piece of the rested dough. Keep the remaining dough under the damp tea towel, so that it doesn’t dry out.

Use your fingers to spread the dough thinly over the board (or fork/comb, whatever you’re using!). It looks very ugly here, but it won’t later, I promise!

Still using your fingers, gently push up the dough from one end. You’ll be able to see the start of the ridged pattern at this point.

Keep rolling gently, and you’ll eventually be left with a little curl like this! You want to gently press along the seam/join at this stage, so it doesn’t come uncurled when frying. I found the easiest way to do this (without messing up the ridged pattern) was to roll the curl back and forth on the board, pressing down very gently, to seal it.

And there you have it! Your first kulkul! Place it on a tray, lined with baking paper while you make the rest.

Repeat this process until you’ve used up all your dough and have a whole tray of little kulkuls. I made about 75 using the quantities in this recipe, which was more than enough for my fingers to be very tired by the end of all the rolling. If you want to make more, scale up the batch (and definitely enlist some friends/family members to help you out!).

5. Frying the Kulkuls

Once all of your kulkuls are made, you can deep fry them. You don’t want to leave them too long before frying them, because the drier the pastry gets, the more likely they are to uncurl during the frying process, so try to fry them straight away.

You can use a deep fryer for this, or you can just use a saucepan. You’ll need to monitor the temperature of the oil continuously, so, if you’re using a saucepan, be sure to fit it with a candy thermometer.

Because I wasn’t making too many and didn’t mind spending a little extra time frying them in multiple batches, I opted to use a small saucepan for my kulkuls. I added about an inch and a half of flavourless oil to the bottom of the pan and set it over high heat.

Once the oil reaches 180°C, you can add your first batch of kulkuls. I placed about 7 of mine at a time on a metal spider (though you could also use a slotted spoon) and gently lowered them into the hot oil.

They’ll start sizzling immediately, and the oil will bubble up (which is why you don’t want to fill it too full to start with/add too many kulkuls at a time!).

You want to keep the temperature of the oil at 180°C as consistently as you can, so adjust the temperature setting on your hob as needed. Remember that the oil will cool down slightly whenever you add a new batch of kulkuls, before it starts to heat back up again, so don’t worry too much about it.

Once the kulkuls rise to the surface and turn an even, golden colour, you can remove them from the pan using the metal spider/slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate, lined with kitchen roll (to absorb any excess oil). Don’t let the kulkuls get too dark in the oil, because they will continue cooking/browning a little as they sit.

Once the first batch of kulkuls is out, make sure the oil comes back to the right temperature, then add the next batch and repeat the process all over again. Keep going until all of your kulkuls are fried.

At this stage, you can skip the sugar syrup coating and serve the kulkuls as they are, or dust them with a little icing sugar. I, however, prefer them with the sugar syrup coating, so we’ll make that next…

6. Making the Sugar Syrup

Sugar Syrup: Tips & Tricks

Confession time: I have never been able to crack making wet caramel (made with sugar and water). Every SINGLE time I tried, my sugar would crystallise! It was infuriating and, ultimately, I just started making dry caramel (when you just heat the sugar by itself in the pan) whenever I needed to work with sugar. However, with this recipe, the water is actually an important part of achieving the right, syrup-y texture (and plain, white colour, when hardened), so I had to face my fear.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am SO pleased to tell you that (with only 1 failed attempt) I conquered my fear and SUCCESSFULLY made this sugar syrup! I have never been so PROUD. Here’s what I learned:

• Make sure to shake the sugar out into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan before you start.

The thinner and more even the sugar layer, the more easily and evenly it will melt, so you are less likely to end up with a dark caramel in some places, with other parts where the sugar has barely melted. Because I was making such a small amount of sugar syrup, I actually made mine in a frying pan, so I had more surface area to spread the sugar over (and easier access for brushing down the edges).

• Cook the syrup over medium-high heat.

This was my biggest mistake: I was so scared of the process that I was always erring on the side of caution and trying to cook the syrup at too low a temperature. A lower temperature makes it more likely to crystallise (though too high a temperature and your sugar will burn, so, again, you want to find the sweet spot). I found that a medium-high heat worked best for this.

• Brush down the sides of the pan liberally with water during the cooking process.

This is something you always hear chefs telling you to do, but I could never get it to work for me! The key is that you want to use a liberal amount of water when brushing down the sides of the pan, and you want to brush the sides down as soon as you see any little sugar crystals there. If you let them cook on and harden, the water won’t be enough to get rid of them.

• Don’t stir!

This is the cardinal rule of sugar work, but I always have to actively stop myself from doing it (I just like to stir— it’s a problem). Stirring the sugar will only encourage it to crystallise, so keep the stirring implements well away from the hob. If you need to help the sugar melt evenly, give the pan a gentle swirl.

Making the Sugar Syrup

To make the syrup for glazing these kulkuls, just put the sugar and water into a large frying pan. Make sure you have some water and a pastry brush at hand too, for brushing down the edges of the pan as needed.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and leave it, undisturbed, until the sugar has melted. If necessary, give the pan a gentle swirl, but don’t agitate the mixture too much!

Once the sugar has melted, let the mixture bubble away for a minute before removing the pan from the heat. Technically, you want the sugar to come to the ‘thread stage’ (about 101-112°C), but with such a small amount, it’s kind of tricky to measure the temperature accurately. If you want to check, drizzle a little of the syrup into a cup of cold water. If it forms little ‘threads’, it’s ready!

7. Tossing the Kulkuls in the Syrup

As soon as you take the syrup off the heat, add the cooled, fried kulkuls and mix well. You want the kulkuls to be completely coated in the syrup, so keep tossing until they are all completely shiny and nicely glazed. Work quickly though, because the syrup will cool down pretty fast and become difficult to work with.

Once the kulkuls are coated, tip the whole lot onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper. Use two forks to separate out the individual kulkuls, so they aren’t touching each other (otherwise they will set stuck to each other, which isn’t a massive problem, but still).

Leave the kulkuls at room temperature for about 10 minutes until cool. As the syrup cools, it will form an opaque, white glaze on the kulkuls, making them appear ‘frosted’. Once cool, the frosted kulkuls can be served!

Storing the Kulkuls

The kulkuls (whether coated in the sugar syrup or not) can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks, so they can be enjoyed throughout the festive season.

Final Thoughts

I had so much fun learning about and making these kulkuls! It definitely reminded me how much of a sweet tooth I have, because I really did prefer the kulkuls tossed in the sugar syrup (which seems to be a bit of an unpopular opinion, if the recipes online are anything to go by!). I really loved the texture the sugar syrup added though, and I do think that the syrup-coated kulkuls stayed fresher for a bit longer because all of the delicious crispiness was sealed in.

Taste-wise (and this is probably outrageous to say), these really did remind me of Rich Tea biscuits?! If you’re not familiar with these biscuits, they’re basically just a super plain, sweet biscuit, and, honestly, without the glaze, the kulkuls taste very similar. Rich Tea biscuits aren’t deep-fried, but I didn’t feel like the kulkuls had a super deep-fried taste/feel either (actually, they had a similar dryness to a Rich Tea, but this could also very possibly be because of my recipe/technique). I was a little disappointed that you couldn’t taste more of the coconut flavour, but I do wonder if they wouldn’t be so authentic if they tasted like coconut. I did see one recipe that included ground cardamom in the dough, which I think would be really delicious! I’d also be interested to see if kulkuls made with eggs were very different to these ones— I imagine they’d be slightly richer?

Overall, I don’t think these were quite as up my alley as the almond-y cookies from last year’s Baking Around the World, Christmas Cookie adventures, but they were fun to make and eat all the same!

Have you ever had kulkuls before? Did I make them right? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Gemma

xxx

Recipe

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Kulkuls

These traditional Goan pastry curls are deep-fried and coated in a sugar syrup glaze. They are typically served at Christmastime, as part of a kuswar (Christmas sweet platter).

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Deep-fried, Pastry, Semolina, Sugar syrup

Prep Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 75 kulkuls

Equipment

• 1 kulkul roller (see Note 1).

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 25 g unsalted butter (or 15g ghee— see Note 2).
• 95 g plain flour
• 35 g fine semolina
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 25 g icing sugar
• 60 ml coconut milk (you may need more/less to get the right consistency).

For frying:

• Flavourless oil

For the sugar syrup (optional):

• 6 tbsp white caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Clarify the butter:

• If using ghee, skip this step. If using unsalted butter, put the butter into a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to melt, then cook, stirring every now and then, until milk solids separate and begin to brown. Strain through a fine sieve, lined with kitchen roll, and discard sediment. Allow clarified butter to cool slightly, until warm, not hot, before using in dough.

Make the dough:

• Mix together the flour, fine semolina and salt in a bowl.
• Drizzle over the warm clarified butter/ghee, then mix with a fork to incorporate. Switch to your hands and finish rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should resemble fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the icing sugar and mix through.
• Add the coconut milk, little by little, until the mixture comes together in clumps and holds together when you press some in your fist.
• Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and bring together with your hands. Knead until a smooth, elastic and soft dough forms.
• Place the dough into a bowl and covered with a damp tea towel. Leave to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Roll the kulkuls:

• Oil the kulkul board liberally, then use a piece of kitchen roll to wipe off any excess.
• Pinch off a marble-sized piece of dough, making sure to keep the remaining dough covered with the damp tea towel while you work.
• Using your fingers, press the piece of dough into a thin layer over the surface of the kulkul roller.
• Working from the bottom of the dough, roll it up on itself to reveal the ridged pattern. To seal the join, roll the kulkul back and forth over the roller a couple of times.
• Place the kulkul on a tray, lined with baking paper, then repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Fry the kulkuls:

• To fry the kulkuls, heat an inch and a half of flavourless oil in a saucepan, fitted with a candy thermometer. Place it over high heat and allow the oil to come to 180°C.
• Gently lower in 6-8 kulkuls (I used a metal spider for this). Be careful, as the oil will bubble up. Keep an eye on the temperature as they cook, and adjust the heat as needed to keep the temperature steady at 180°C.
• When the kulkuls rise to the surface of the oil and are an even, brown colour, transfer them to a plate, lined with kitchen roll. Don't let the kulkuls get too dark in the oil, because the colour will continue to deepen as they sit.
• Repeat the frying process, in batches, for the remaining kulkuls. Once fried, the kulkuls can be served as they are, dusted with icing sugar or, if desired, tossed in a sugar syrup (see below).

Make the sugar syrup:

• If you want to glaze your kulkuls with a sugar syrup, make it after you have fried the pastries, so they have a chance to cool.
• Place the sugar into a frying pan, shaking it out into an even layer, then add the water.
• Place the frying pan over medium-high heat, and allow the sugar to melt, without stirring it. If necessary, give the pan a gentle swirl to help the sugar melt evenly. Brush down the sides of the pan liberally with water as the sugar melts to help prevent crystallisation.
• Once the sugar has melted, allow the syrup to bubble away for about a minute (or until 'thread stage' is reached).
• Remove the syrup from the heat and immediately add the cooled kulkuls. Stir to completely coat the pastries in the syrup, then quickly tip onto a tray lined with baking paper and use two forks to separate out the kulkuls before they set.
• Allow the kulkuls to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, until the sugar coating is cool and hard— it will turn opaque and white. Serve the kulkuls straight away, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

1. A wooden/plastic gnocchi board, a plastic, fine-toothed (new, unused) comb or even a fork can be used for this. 
2. Ghee (a type of clarified butter, commonly used in Indian cooking) is traditionally used for this. If you don’t have any, you can make your own clarified butter by following the instructions in this recipe. If you want to use ghee, make sure to use the smaller amount (15g, NOT 25g). More butter is required because the quantity decreases when it is clarified, due to the water in the butter evaporating/the milk solids being discarded.

Recipe adapted from Aromatic Essence.

Sources Used

Aromatic Essence: Kalkal Recipe | Goan Kulkuls {Eggless}

Maunika Gowardhan: Traditional Goan Kulkuls

Hilda’s Touch of Spice: Kulkuls (Traditional Goan Sugar-Glazed Curls)

Babs Projects: Kulkul | Kidiyo

Celebration In My Kitchen: Carambolas/Kulkuls

Veena Patwardhan: Light, Crunchy Kulkuls Recipe

Veg Recipes of India: Kulkul Recipe | Eggless Kalkal Recipe

Messy Cooking Always Vegan: Vegan Christmas Kulkuls

Table of Contents

• Equipment
• Cover + Quote Page
• Monthly Calendar
• Projects + Blog Posts
• Weekly Spreads
  • Week 1
  • Week 2
  • Week 3
  • Week 4
• September Review
• Final Thoughts

Equipment

To create this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Crayola SuperTips: brown and dark brown (from this basic pack).
• Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pen: 990 Light Sand.
• Sakura Gelly Roll, 10 Bold, white.
• Uni Pin fineliner pen, brown.

Cover + Quote Page

For both the ‘September’ title and the quote, I used the darker brown SuperTip marker and a bubble lettering style. I also used my white Gelly Roll to add some definition to each letter. I filled the rest of the spread with little croissant doodles, which I drew using the lighter shade of brown and the Tombow pen. To draw the croissants, I started with the centre ‘segment’ of each one, then worked my way outwards, alternating between the two shades of brown, to give the croissants definition.

For my quote this month, I wanted something croissant-themed, but, unsurprisingly, croissant quotes are a little hard to come by. In the end, I found this quote: ‘When in doubt, add more butter’, which was possibly said by Ina Garten- the Barefoot Contessa (and OG Butter Lover), but I can’t find a definitive source for that claim… (100% something she would say though). Anyway, the quote felt fitting, both for my bullet journal theme and my life at the moment (I too love butter), so I went with it.

Monthly Calendar

I love the soft, playful vibe of rounded boxes, but I am terrible at drawing rounded corners. Last month, I drew out each rounded box individually for my Monthly Calendar, but this month I decided to give myself a break and drew the calendar as two grids, one on each page, rather than a series of individual boxes. It was much quicker, much easier and only required 10 rounded corners (as opposed to 124…). I drew the grid using the lighter brown marker, then used the Tombow pen to add a drop shadow (hello, my old friend) to each grid, as well as a little spot of colour in each grid square for the dates. I wrote in the dates using my brown fineliner, staying true to my shades-of-brown colour scheme. I added the header along the top, in the same dark brown bubble font, then filled in the rest of the space with, you guessed it, more croissants.

Projects + Blog Posts

I always end up with a lot of projects this time of year (it’s COZY season- it’s not my fault!), but I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with them lately. I decided to dedicate a couple of spreads in this setup to helping myself stay on top of what I’m working on and where I’m at with each project.

On the left-hand page, I have my Project Tracker. This is just a basic grid, drawn in the same way as the calendar grid, but with a header row at the top that I highlighted using my Tombow pen. On the far-left, there’s a column titled ‘c’ for ‘Craft’. Here, I’ll write in which craft each project is: knitting, crochet, baking, sewing etc. Then, there’s the biggest column, for the name of the project. I highlighted every other line in this column with my Tombow pen, to make the table easier to use (and to add some more colour to the page). Then, there’s 5 more columns for checking off my progress on each project: ‘m’ for materials (acquired), ‘c’ for created and ‘f’ for finished, as well as ‘s’ for start date and ‘e’ for end date.

On the right-hand page, I have my Blog Post Tracker. This is a simplified version of the Kanban Board that I had in my previous bullet journals for a while there, but I’m hopeful that it will help me to keep track of the multiple posts I’m working on at the moment. The table is created in exactly the same way as the Project Tracker, but the columns this time are: ‘m’ for made, ‘p’ for photos, ‘w’ for written, ‘e’ for edited, ‘ep’ for edited photos, ‘p’ for pin and the final column, with the tick, is for when the post is ready to go live.

Weekly Spreads

Into the Weekly Spreads now and, as usual, I’ve kept the basic elements the same for each weekly, but varied the layout for each one. This month, each weekly features croissant doodles and a bubble font-header, as well as boxes for my master and daily task lists. I added drop shadows to all of my boxes, as well as little rounded oblongs in each box to write in the subheading/date, with my Tombow pen. I also added some highlighting to the task boxes on each page, just to help differentiate those boxes from the daily boxes.

Week 1

The first day of September is a Sunday this year, so I opted to merge it with the first full week in the month and create an 8-day spread for the first ‘weekly’. I used a simple layout of 2×2 grids, with a horizontal box in the top right for my master task list.

Week 2

For the second weekly spread, I used this asymmetrical layout, with a vertical task box down the far right, which left me with plenty of space on the left for croissant doodles.

Week 3

For the third weekly, I used my favourite vertical layout, where each page is divided into 4 columns, 7 of which are used for my daily task lists and 1 of which is used for my master task list.

Week 4

The last day of September is a Monday, so, like with my first weekly spread, I opted to merge my weeks and create another 8-day spread for the final ‘weekly’. I also tried out this new ‘L-shaped’ layout, which I actually really love!

September Review

Finally, as always, we have my Monthly Review page. The content of this one is exactly the same as my usual monthly review pages- on the left-hand page, there are 4 sections: 1 each for writing down the ATP & WTA Top 10, 1 for writing down my favourite memory and 1 for my favourite songs from the month gone by. I like to give myself space to jot down 6 different songs because I am chronically indecisive. I really like the effect here of using the darker brown marker to doodle in these super simple ‘scrapbook-style’ corners for the album covers!

On the right-hand page, I have the ‘September Review’ heading, which I wrote in that same bubble font, as well as copious croissant doodles. I’ll stick my polaroid of the month on top of the croissants on the page, so there will still be a few peeking out around the edges.

Final Thoughts

This spread was super quick and easy to create, and I really love how it turned out. The croissant doodles are by no means realistic, but I think they still give a good croissant impression. Overall, this setup has all the cozy, almost-autumn vibes I was craving, and I can’t wait to start using it and counting down the days to autumn!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my bullet journal setup for September- I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

Gemma

xxx

To mark the end of Spooky Season, I thought I would share a recipe for the most autumnal, innately Halloween-y (even though in the US I feel it’s probably more Thanksgiving-y, but I digress) treat: Pumpkin Pie. This sweet treat was always a staple in my house growing up, so it’s a really nostalgic dessert for me. Also, it’s super tasty, so there’s that too!

We’ve always used the same recipe for pumpkin pie, namely, the recipe from Delia Smith’s How To Cook: Book One. However, as seems to be the case with all family recipes, we (read: my dad, who usually makes this- and who helped me make the one pictured!) have adapted, altered, changed (and sometimes changed back) the ingredients & method quite a bit, over time. This recipe is the result of all that tweaking (ironically, it’s not even that different- what can I say, Delia knows best).

This pumpkin pie has a slightly sweet and super nutty pastry, which you can make super quickly in the food processor! The pastry shell is then filled with a silky-smooth, spiced pumpkin custard. It can be served warm or chilled, so it’s easy to make ahead. As a bonus, it is pretty easy to make (especially for a pie!), so it makes for a great, stress-free dessert option for this time of year.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Making the Pastry
• Baking the Pastry Case
• Making the Pumpkin Filling
• Baking the Pie
• Recipe

Ingredients

This pie is made up of two elements: the nutty pastry and the rich pumpkin filling. You start by making the pastry, then you make the filling as the pastry bakes (we LOVE a time-saving recipe here!).

For the pastry, you will need:

• Pecans

A slightly unusual addition, but mixing finely chopped, toasted pecans into the pastry really elevates this pie. Not only does it give the pie a lovely, warm and nutty flavour, but it also adds another texture to the pie. I like to toast the pecans on the hob, in a dry pan over a medium heat, but you can toast them in the oven if you prefer.

• Plain flour

Don’t use self-raising flour here, or your pastry will puff up and not be crisp and flaky.

• Icing sugar

It’s only a small amount of icing sugar, but you just need the slightest hint of sweetness in the pastry, to complement the filling.

• Salt

Just a pinch, to bring out the other flavours.

• Unsalted butter

You want the butter to be very cold when you make this pastry, so that the finished pastry case is super flaky and delicious! Keep it in the fridge right until you are ready to use it, to ensure it stays as cold as possible. You’ll also want to cut it into cubes, to help incorporate it into the dry ingredients more easily.

• Egg yolk

The egg yolk adds richness to the pastry. You will need a small amount of egg white later, to seal the pastry case, so you can save the white from this egg (you’ll need another yolk later on though, so you’ll have one leftover white whatever you do- you can use it straightaway in another recipe or freeze it for another day).

• Cold water

Like the butter, it’s important that the water is very cold to ensure you get the best pastry possible.

For the pumpkin filling, you will need:

• Eggs

For the filling, you’ll need 2 whole eggs, plus an extra yolk. Use the extra white in another recipe, or freeze it for another day.

• Double cream

The cream works together with the eggs to create a silky-smooth, thick custard. If you’re in the US, use heavy cream.

• Soft dark brown sugar

Using dark brown sugar lends a deep, treacle-y flavour and colour to the filling, which really complements the pumpkin flavour.

• Maple syrup

The original recipe called for molasses, but we prefer this pie made with maple syrup. The molasses can make everything a little bitter, while maple syrup adds a gentle, smoky sweetness that goes perfectly with the other flavours.

• Spices

A variety of spices go into the filling to really give this pie that classic ‘pumpkin pie’ flavour. We use ground cinnamon, nutmeg (which is always better when freshly grated, if possible!), allspice, cloves and ginger, which are all very traditional pumpkin pie spices.

• Canned pumpkin

In the original recipe, Delia (very impressively) roasts and purées her own pumpkin. I have very vivid memories of my dad spending a looooong time pushing roasted pumpkin chunks through a sieve and, honestly, I think we unanimously decided that it just wasn’t worth it. If you have a pumpkin you want to use, and you don’t mind the excessive elbow grease required, then, by all means, go for it! But, if, like us, you prefer your pumpkin pie to be a bit less labour-intensive, canned pumpkin makes for a super smooth filling with much less effort on your part. I’d call that a win.

Equipment

Aside from the standard baking equipment you probably already have in your kitchen, you will need a couple of (slightly more) specialist equipment for this recipe.

• 9 inch (23cm) fluted tart tin, with a removable base

We’ve always made this in a fluted tart tin, but that’s kind of optional- you could have a pie with straight sides if you wanted! Having a removable base makes it SO much easier to get the pie out of the tin, so I would definitely recommend that. I believe that in the US, pumpkin pies are usually made and served in pie dishes, which would mean you don’t need to worry about removing the baked pie from the dish. I’ve never tried baking this recipe in a pie dish, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work!

• Food processor

I like to use a food processor to a) finely chop the pecans and b) make the pastry. Strictly speaking, using the processor isn’t wholly necessary- you could chop the pecans finely by hand, using a large, sharp knife, and you could make the pastry by hand, rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips and mixing the pastry together with a blunt knife. However, using a food processor really speeds up the process (and is a lot less messy!).

I recommend fitting the processor with a metal blade to chop the nuts, then a plastic blade to make the pastry (the plastic blade helps to prevent you from overworking the pastry, which is the reason many people worry about making pastry in a food processor. Overworking pastry can make for a tough pastry case after baking, but this particular pastry recipe is pretty hard-wearing, so I wouldn’t worry too much!).

Making the Pastry

Before you start making the pastry, you need to chop the pecans. They need to be very finely chopped (hence why it is so much easier to use the food processor!), otherwise they will prevent you from rolling out the pastry thinly enough. However, make sure you don’t go too far when processing them, or they will release their oils and end up as pecan butter- not what you’re looking for! Aim for a fine rubble, like this:

Once you have your pecan rubble, remove it from the processor and set aside. Switch the metal processor blade out for a plastic one (to prevent overworking the pastry). Then, sift together the flour, icing sugar and salt and add the dry ingredients to the processor, along with the cold, cubed butter.

Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you prefer/do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand in a large bowl- just rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips.

Now, you can add the finely chopped pecans, egg yolk (reserve the white for later) and cold water. Pulse until the pastry comes together into a slightly crumbly dough (you may need to add a little more cold water- just to bring it together, until it resembles the photo below).

Remove the pastry from the processor and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the pastry disk tightly in clingfilm, then place it into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to work with later, while also helping to prevent it from shrinking too much during baking.

Baking the Pastry Case

Once the pastry has rested, preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional oven). Unwrap the pastry and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a circle about 30cm in diameter- it might be a little crumbly, but that’s okay- it’s a very forgiving pastry that you can patch up later if needed!

Carefully transfer your pastry circle to your fluted tart tin (lightly grease the tin beforehand to help get the pie out later) and press it into the base and sides- patching any gaps as needed. You’re looking for an even layer of pastry all over the base and sides, with a little extra sitting just above the top of the tart tin, to account for any shrinkage.

Prick the pastry all over with a fork (try not to go all the way through to the bottom of the tin- just prick the surface), then brush lightly with the reserved egg white. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

If you notice that the pastry is puffing up during the baking process, just remove it from the oven, give it a few extra pricks to release the air, then return it to the oven for the remaining time.

Making the Pumpkin Filling

While the pastry case is baking, you can make the pumpkin custard filling. Place the eggs and extra egg yolk into a large bowl and whisk to combine, before setting aside.

Put the cream, sugar, maple syrup and all of the spices into a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to warm, whisking gently, until the sugar has melted and the mixture has come to just below a simmer.

Remove the pan from the heat and add to the beaten eggs in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Add the canned pumpkin and mix well, until you have a thick, smooth custard.

Baking the Pie

Once you have your filling made and pastry case baked, you can add the filling to the case. I find it is easiest to add the filling while the case is still in the oven- just pull the shelf the case is on halfway out using one (oven-gloved!) hand, then pour in the filling with the other hand. This way, you won’t spill any filling trying to get the pie from your countertop to the oven, which could lead to, at best, a mess and, at worst, a soggy bottom! Paul Hollywood would be QUaKinG!

Bake the filled pie at the same temperature as the pastry case (180°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the filling has puffed slightly around the edges, but is still slightly wobbly in the centre.

Allow the pie to cool slightly in the tin, before carefully removing it, then transfer to a serving plate. The pie can be eaten warm, but is equally delicious when served chilled- just store it in the fridge until you are ready to eat it.

Admittedly, as pies go, this one is a little rustic, but that’s mainly because of the pecans in the pastry. The added nuts are a real game-changer in terms of taste and texture, but they do make the pie a little less neat and perfect-looking. I kind of like that homemade, rough-and-ready kind of look, though- particularly this time of year! Besides, it tastes so good, it could look like a complete mess and I would still make it over and over again!

Recipe

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Pumpkin Pie

A traditional Pumpkin Pie with a twist: rich and nutty shortcrust pastry, filled with a velvety and spiced pumpkin filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pie, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie, Shortcrust pastry

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Equipment

• 1 23cm diameter fluted tart tin, with a removable base, lightly greased with butter.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 40 g pecans, toasted (see Note 1).
• 175 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 10 g icing sugar
• pinch of salt
• 75 g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge and cubed.
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg yolk (reserve the white).

For the filling:

• 2 eggs + 1 yolk
• 275 ml double cream
• 75 g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 x 425g can canned pumpkin

Instructions

Make the pastry case:

• Place the toasted pecans into a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and pulse until they are very fine- be careful not to go too far, or they will release their oils.
• Sift together the flour, icing sugar and salt. Remove the pecans from the processor, switch the metal blade with a plastic one (see Note 2) and tip in the sifted dry ingredients. Add the cubed butter, then pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the pecans back to the processor, along with the water and the egg yolk. Pulse until the pastry comes together into a slightly crumbly dough (you may need to add a little more water to achieve this).
• Take the pastry out of the processor and form it into a flat disk. Wrap the disk tightly in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C. When the pastry has finished resting, unwrap it and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a circle about 30cm in diameter. The pastry will be a little crumbly- don't worry, you can patch it later. Transfer the pastry circle to your greased tin and press it firmly into the base and sides, patching any gaps, so that you have an even layer of pastry all over the base and sides. Make sure that the pastry sits a little above the rim of the tin all the way around, to account for any shrinkage. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork, then brush it lightly with the reserved egg white. Place the tin on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.

Make the pumpkin filling:

• While the pastry case is baking, make the filling. Place the eggs and extra yolk into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Put the cream, sugar, maple syrup and all of the spices into a medium-sized saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and allow to warm, whisking gently to combine, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is just below a simmer.
• Remove the hot cream mixture from the heat and pour into the eggs, in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly. Add the pumpkin and whisk well until you have a smooth custard.
• When the pastry case is ready, you can fill it with the pumpkin mixture. Pull the oven shelf, with the pastry case still on it, half out, so that you can pour the filling directly into the case, before pushing the shelf all the way back in and baking the pie for 35-40 minutes, until the filling has puffed a little around the edges, but is slightly wobbly in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, place in the fridge to chill, before serving, though you can also eat it warm, if you can't wait!

Notes

1. I like to toast the pecans in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat on the hob- this takes just a few minutes. Alternatively, you can toast them for about 8 minutes at the same temperature that the pie bakes at (180°C). 
2. I find that using a plastic blade in the food processor helps to make the pastry less tough. You will want to use a metal blade to chop the nuts, though, because the plastic blade will not be strong enough to break them up. 

 

This recipe is adapted from Delia Smith’s ‘How to Cook: Book One’.