Just Desserts

I read cookbooks for fun, several at a time, spread out in front of me or perched on the edge of my bathtub. I imagine what I might cook, plan elaborate dinner parties and clever dinners for one that maximize variety while minimizing the number of ingredients I would need to buy (perfectly strategized, nutritional bounties, of course). I mark the standout or most interesting recipes with strips of paper. And then I fall into my usual habits and these markers languish, sometimes for years, between the pages of my cookbooks.

One's been in a cookbook I've had for years, The Bold Vegetarian by Bharti Kirchner. The book itself is more bubble bath than food stained. There are some markers that are sun bleached they've been sticking out from the top for so long. I'm not even sure when I decided I wanted to make Halwa. Since it's a simple, healthy dessert choice I'm not surprised I singled it out. But this girl always decided to make cupcakes instead.

Well, on Sunday I decided to go for it, with a few modifications. The concoction, originally contained: carrots, apples, raisins, milk and almonds. I veganized it, of course, but also adjusted it to use what I had.

Carrot-Pistachio-Cranberry Halwa


Ingredients: 3 c. shredded carrot, 1/4 c. dried, sweetened cranberries, 1/4 c. pistachios, 2 c. soy milk, 1 tsp. agar agar powder, 1/2" piece of ginger chopped into large pieces, 10 cardamom pods, 3 tbsp. molasses, 1 tsp. rosewater per serving


Add soy milk, agar agar, ginger and cardamom to a pot and bring to a boil. Bharti recommends spraying the pot down to keep the milk from sticking. I should have listened to her. It made me hate doing dishes even more.


Stir in the molasses, lower heat and let simmer until thickened (about ten minutes). Strain out cardamom and ginger.


Add carrots, cranberries and pistachios and cook for 24-30 minutes.


Add rosewater just before serving.

Just like a lovely gingerbread carrot pudding. Bharti writes a friend considered the halwa like a warm kiss. What took me so long? It's subtle and I'm smitten.