Thekua or Thokwa, also known as Thikari/ Tikri and Kajoor/ Khajuria, is a deep fried sweet from the Indian state of Bihar. It is also made in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the Therai region of Nepal. The Dogri Rutt or Roth of Jammu is a version of this. Thekua is typically made as a ritual offering on the third day of Chhath Puja, a festival dedicated to the Sun God and his consort. It is also made for other festivals including Teej Puja, Navrathri and Savitri Puja. Thekua looks a bit like a patterned/ moulded cookie and is also made and served as a tea time snack. It should be crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

It is believed that the name Thekua is derived from the old name for it which is Thokna. Thokna or Thoka Hua (hence Thokua or Thekua) which means “to hammer”. This comes from the dough being pressed hard onto wooden moulds to create the charateristic pattern on Thekuas.

I discovered Thekua purely by chance. I was looking online for Sandesh moulds when Thekua moulds came up as well. A discussion with my food loving niece ended up with her sending me some Saancha, as Thekua moulds are known locally. A friend also send me one. Thekua moulds are made in wood with patterns cut into them. The Thekua dough is pressed onto the moulds to decorate it with patterns before deep frying.

Chhath Puja is celebrated a little after Diwali. So I thought why not make Thekua this year for Diwali. Thekua are made from a dough of whole wheat flour (atta), sugar or jaggery syrup, ghee and cardamom. Chopped cashewnut and coconut bits, sometimes dried fruit like raisins all add flavour.  The dough is shaped into flat rounds, pressed onto decorative Thekua moulds, and deep fried till brown. They become crisp when the cool down and keep for upto a month stored in airtight containers.

Thekua are typically crisp on the outside and softer on the inside, almost like a cookie. This recipe will give you crispy and crunchy exterior with a soft interior, which to me is perfect for a cookie. Thekua should have uneven cracked edges which gives them a rustic appearance. This happens because they’re made from a stiffish dough. The rough edges also make them crisp once the dough rounds are deep fried.

If you don’t have “Sancha” or Thekua moulds, you can still make them. You can use other things to create the pattern on Thekua. A drinking glass with a patterned base, the ends of a metal whisk, the tines of a fork, a cookie cutter, the pattern on a grater, a toothpick or even your fingers can create a design or pattern on the dough. They can be made plain as well.

Thekua can be eaten with tea or coffee or just as a snack. The truly Indian way is to dip it in spicy Indian pickles before eating it.

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It’s Christmas time and the end of the year once again. We don’t celebrate Christmas but I usually bake a selection of cookies at this time. They make perfect gifts to share with family and friends. Basler Läckerli/ Leckerli  is a traditional spiced chewy fruit and nut bar/ biscuit native to Swiss locality of Basel, close to Germany. Läckerli roughly translates from German as delicious or a treat.

Basler Läckerli is made from flour, honey, chopped nuts, candied citrus peel, dried fruit, a bunch of spices and cherry brandy called Kirsch. The resulting dough is baked as a tray bake, brushed with a sugar glaze while still hot, and cut into rectangular pieces.

It is said that Läckerli was invented to serve church dignitaries who attended the Basel Council (1431 to 1449). One account says otherwise as the required ingredients were supposedly unavailable in 15^th century Basel. The first mention of a Swiss Läckerli recipe is in the 1621 handbook of one Abraham Schneuwly of Bern.

What is special about Läckerli from Basel? I’m honestly not sure, but I will tell you that it is something very good. First, these bars are best eaten the day after they’re made, even a week after. The spice flavours develop fully and the bars soften a bit with time. They keep for a more than a month if stored properly. The thin and dry crystallize sugar layer just adds to the overall flavour.

The recipe below is adapted from the numerous recipes I saw on the internet. Most of these are egg free like mine. This tray bake is very easy to make. Mix all the ingredients to a slightly cookie dough like consistency. Using damp or lightly oiled palms and fingers, press the dough out into a parchment lined baking tray. Bake till golden brown but do not over bake. This tray baked confection doesn’t rise much.

Brush a sugar glaze over the top while it is still quite hot. The glaze will dry out when cool. It is important to cut the baked dough into rectangular (or square) pieces while still warm. It is difficult to do once it has cooled.

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