Gajar Halwa Hand pies
Gajar Halwa hand pies is a small pie filled with gajar halwa (carrot fudge). It is a delicious fusion dessert that is very easy to make. I used store bought pie crust and made my own gajar halwa but you can use readymade. It has a flaky crust filled with sweet earthy carrot filling. The white chocolate drizzle on top really brings it all together and a scoop of ice cream just takes it to the next level. This dessert is also eggless.
Happy Baking!
Servings: 8-10 medium hand pies
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 60-90 mins
Total Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
2 medium sized carrots
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
1.5 tbsp liquid ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1-2 tbsp sugar (depending on taste- see notes)
1 9 inch pie crust
1/4 cup white chocolate
Brown sugar to sprinkle
2-3 tbsp milk for brushing/ egg wash
Directions:
Wash carrots well and peel it. Grate carrots- I like using a thick grater.
In a non-stick or heavy bottom pan, add ghee.
Add grated carrots to the ghee and toss it well.
Cook it on a low- medium flame, stirring frequently till the carrots soften. This takes about 4-6 mins.
Once it softens add milk and mix it in.
Keep the flame on low and keep stirring so that the milk does not stick and burn.
The carrots will soften even further and cook till the milk evaporates.
Once the carrots completely soften, add condensed milk.
Keep the flame on low and mix the condensed milk in. It might become liquid at first but it will soak it up and lump together.
Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix it in.
The carrot halwa is ready. Let it cool. While the halwa cools, make sure the pie crust is defrosted.
Preheat oven to 410F.
Slightly roll out the pie crust when the halwa mixture is cooled.
Cut out circles as per your wish.
Using a pie form or dumpling shaper- Place a circle on the shaper. Press down the edges along the shaper and slightly in the middle. Place 1 tbsp (depending on the pie size) of the cooled halwa in the middle of the circle and slightly press down. Close the shaper and press the edges slightly to seal it. Repeat for all pie circles.
Making it free hand- Place 1 tbsp (depending on the pie size) of the cooled halwa in the middle of the circle. Close it as a semi circle and seal the edges. Crimp the edges using a fork.
Line a parchment paper on a baking tray and place the hand pies on it.
Brush it with milk or egg wash. Check notes.
Freeze it for 30-60 mins.
Take out of the freezer and using a knife cut an indentation on it.
Brush it with milk or egg wash.
Sprinkle some brown sugar over the pies.
Bake at 410F for 10-14 mins till golden brown all over.
Melt white chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Place the white melted chocolate in a ziplock or piping bag. Cut the edge so a thin stream of chocolate can be piped.
Take the pies out ofthe oven and let it cool for 2 mins.
Drizzle some melted chocolate using the piping bag on the pies.
Serve warm with ice cream.
Notes/Tips:
If you don’t add the white chocolate drizzle, you might need to add more sugar. White chocolate and ice cream add sweetness so 1-2 tbsp is enough. If you do not add you would need to double the sugar.
Make sure the carrots are well cooked and soft before adding condensed milk & sugar. If the carrots are old they might take longer to cook.
Let the halwa cool before filling.
Freezing the pies is important to help get a beautiful crust and prevent the halwa from oozing out.
Making the cuts in the pie help keep the pie intact. If the filling gets too hot, the pie can explode so the cut helps the steam escape.
Egg wash- Mix one egg yolk with 1 tbsp water.