Xantilicious.com

Bolinhas

Bolinhas, are Goan cookies made with semolina and coconut. They are slightly crisp on the outside and soft inside. It is a tea time treat that can be enjoyed during any time of the year but without bolinhas as Christmas sweets your Christmas sweets platter would be incomplete.
  • Passive
    6 Hours
  • Prep
    20 minutes
  • Cook
    25 minutes
  • Servings
    40 Pc.

Ingredients

  • 250 grams Rawa ((Fine semolina))
  • 250 grams sugar
  • 250 grams Shredded fresh coconut
  • 2 tbsp Ghee or butter ((Clarified butter))
  • 3 Egg yolks (Or 4 egg yolks (I have used the large sized eggs available here so used 3 yolks ) )
  • 1 Egg white ((Well beaten till frothy))
  • 4 tbsp All-Purpose Flour (Or little more , not more than 1/4 cup )
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Instructions

  • 1 In a vessel , add the sugar with 125 ml water and bring it to a boil.
  • 2 Add the Rawa to the sugar syrup and mix it well. Continue cooking the mixture on low flame for about 2 minutes.
  • 3 Grind the coconut with a little water.(about 1/3 cup water ) Add the ground coconut to rawa mixture, mix well.
  • 4 Add salt and ghee/ butter , stir well. Take mixture off the fire. Let it cool. Leave this mixture aside for at least 4-6 hours or overnight in fridge.(see recipe notes below ) .
  • 5 Then next day (if keeping batter to soak overnight ) mix the egg yolks with the Bolinha mixture. Mix well . Now , Add the beaten egg white to the Bolinha mixture. Mix well .
  • 6 Next, add cardamom powder, all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup ) and baking powder to the mixture. Mix well.
  • 7 (Before shaping bolinhas , if you feel that the mixture is little sticky and difficult to handle , refrigerate the mixture for about 30 mins to an hour so it’s easy to shape them ) . To shape the bolinhas, take about 1 tbsp each of the bolinha dough, place on a flour sprinkled surface and shape it, make diamonds using toothpick. (Dip toothpick in flour if it sticks to the bolinhas while making the design ) . Or you can use a fork by dipping it in flour each time you make the design.
  • 8 Preheat oven at 375 deg F(190 deg C). Place bolinhas on a baking tray sprinkled with some flour. Bake for 15 mins then for a nice brown color on top for bolinhas, turn ON the top heat of over for about a min. (Please keep a check when Top heat is on , to make sure you don’t burn the top. ) See recipe notes below.
  • 9 Cool the bolinhas completely on a wire rack. Store in air tight container.
  • 10 Serve when required.

Recipe Notes

 

  • Makes 40 bolinhas if exactly 1 tbsp each of the batter is used to shape the bolinhas.
  • Bolinhas turn out real good, if the batter is left overnight to soak.
  • If your oven has TOP, BOTTOM heat options , then bake bolinhas on BOTTOM heat ON for 15 mins , then TOP (or broil option if you have ) heat ON for the last 1 minute to get a lovely color on top of the bolinhas.
  • Bolinhas remain good at room temperature for about 2 weeks and refrigerator for about a month.

 

91 Comments

  1. Hi Xanti
    Do we need to dry roast rawa? how much water to be used to grind coconut?
    Thanks

    1. Hi Lara

      There’s no need of dry roasting the rawa here. Use about 1/4 th cup water to grind the coconut. Happy baking !

    2. Hi Shanti

      Compliments of the Season

      I tried this recipe of yours to the ‘T’ and it was just superb. The bolinhas turned out great. Thank you for such a detailed recipe with pix.

      Best wishes for the New 2019

      Gorretti

      1. Happy new year
        Sorry for late reply .been busy .
        Thanks for your feedback glad you liked it 😊👍🏻

  2. Thanks so much for another superb recipe that I was able to execute.

    1. Thanks for the feedback Vanessa…glad you enjoyed baking them.

  3. Wonderful presentation and preparation. I do not have the option of coconut here. So can there be a replacement of coconut. Also I want it pure veg so is there any replacement for eggs, just lemme know . TIA

    1. Hi Nutan, will check on this and get back to you.

  4. Hi Xanti…in picture 7 ….how do you get a creamy egg white mixture? Thanks.

    1. Hi Sandra, you beat the egg whites till they form stiff peaks 🙂 Happy Baking

  5. Hi Xanti,
    If I substitute dessicated coconut instead of fresh coconut then how much do I need . Also would you put in sweetend or unsweetended dessicated coconut?
    Thanks.

    1. Hi Sandra

      If you use unsweetened desiccated coconut(almost the same quantity as fresh coconut) use sugar quantity as mentioned in the recipe. I would recommend unsweetened coconut as the sugar syrup is required to soak the rava.

  6. Thank you for the receipe. I tried out the bolinhas and they turned out really good.

    1. Thanks Bernice for your feedback…Glad they turned out good 🙂

  7. Hi dear. For bolinas step 1,23 should be done on fire. Thanks to reply. Should the rava cook n then soak . Pl if u can reply on wasp 0096599603949.

    1. Yes , steps 1-4 on fire … I have mentioned in Step 4 … remove mixture off the fire 😀

  8. I tried the receipy n the bolinias turned out good a hit at my home.Thanks Xanti.

    1. Thanks Nadia, Glad that all liked it.

  9. Hi Xanti,

    Can I make bolinhas in a conventional oven.But In oven we are not suppose to put aluminium foil or parchment paper instead can I just dust baste the tin an dust with flour will this help.
    What if the batter becomes soft what can I add to make it thick?
    Thanks Eugenia

  10. I would like for someone to convert these ingredients to cups. Thanks. This is for the bolinhas.

    250 grams Rawa ((Fine semolina))
    250 grams sugar
    250 grams Shredded fresh coconut

    1. Hi edna

      Please check the converters that are available online …It will be different for each ingredient.

  11. Is it necessary to make a syrup with water. Can we not beat up the eggs and sugar and the add the semolina and coconut. Please advise.

    1. Hi Esmie

      I use water syrup so that the rawa gets well soaked and gives nice texture to the bolinhas . You can try beating eggs and sugar technique. No harm in trying out 😊

  12. Xanti I did try the bolhinas but how did my batter became watery inspite of following your recipee

    1. Hi Maria

      Probably the water wasn’t soaked well by the rava ? 1/2 cup water ?

  13. Thank u so much for d receipe. Made the bolinhas and they turned out very gud.

    1. Thank you Dolores for sharing your feedback with me 🙂 Glad that the bolinhas turned out good 🙂

  14. Thanks

    1. Your most welcome Loretta 😊

  15. Hi Xanti ..will I be able to bake bolinhas in a convection oven ..not sure how to get the top part brown and would temperature remain the same

  16. Hi Xanti,

    Tried your recipe and also saved for future reference! Was crunchy and just what i was looking for.

    Thanks a lot!

  17. Tried out our the bolinhas recipe. It came out really well.Thanks.

    1. Hi Jacqueline
      Thanks for trying the bolinhas recipe and sharing your feedback with me. Happy to know they came out good :)Cheers !

  18. Xanti can I get this done in a microwave?

    1. Hi espy
      Do u have oven mode on the microwave ? if not, if your talking about the regular / basic microwave, then you cannot bake them in microwave 🙂

  19. Do you have a calorie count for this recipe?

    1. Hi Linus
      No I don’t have Calorie count for the recipes …

  20. Hi Xanti, I tried the exact receipe with exact oven settings but they are undercooked so kept them for another five minutes and they were still not fully cooked inside. Has to keep them back in the oven for another few mins. They taste lovely. Thanks for your receipe.

    1. Hi cherishia
      Yes , sometimes also depends on each ones ovens … they are different 😊

  21. Hi Xanti,
    Do we need to use the whole 3 eggs or just the egg yolks.

    1. Hi Tina
      3 egg yolks and later 1 egg white (beaten )

  22. Hi I want to know which oven is the best to buy

    1. Hi shami
      If your in India , and you want to buy and OTG (oven toast Grill ) then I wud suggest sunflame or Bajaj . I have used both of them .

  23. Thanks Xanti for the recipe and all the other Goan delicacies you post.. you help keep the goan spirit rocking in the kitchens all around the world!!

    1. Thanks Jean for your lovely feedback, it really means a lot to me … Thanks once again for taking the time to write to me 🙏😊

  24. Hi Xanti… do they remain crisp for days? I had tried another recipe first day they were crunchy. Next day they were soft. please advise. Thanks

    1. Hi Lara
      Bolinhas are not supposed to be crunchy , they have a crisp outside covering and soft in the inside .

  25. Hi , my batter became too wet , like cake batter, What can be done to it now

    1. Hi meena
      Add more flour to it till it gets the right consistency

  26. Hi Canto, Even my batter became like a thick paste … Probably a bit more water content. But can I add a bit more flour to it to thicken it up ? Does it have to be a dough consistency? Thanks in advance for your guidance and recipe.

    1. Hi sarita
      Yes you can add more flour to it . Not like a dough consistency , but should be able to make the balls .

  27. Hi Xanti
    Tried out the recipe . They came out good and tasty too. Thank you so much for sharing such lovely recipes.

    1. Thank you Benita for your lovely feedback and for appreciating my work 👍🏻😊

  28. if making double the quantity does the egg quantity also increase proportionately.

    1. Yes tabitha

  29. Hi dear How many coconut comes to 250 gms?

    1. Hi regina.
      You will have to grate , weigh and check for yourself
      As I cannot specifically tell you weight or each grated coconut (each coconut is different in size and weight )

      1. Thank you so much dear!!!

  30. Second receipe that I tried.Came out yummy. thanks.will try many more in the day s to come.god bless

    1. Thanks for your feedback Imogene

  31. Xanti

    Do I have to make a one thread consistency of the sugar syrup or just heat till the sugar melts.
    Your quick reply is appreciated. Thanks
    Maureen

    1. Hi Maureen
      Just make a sugar syrup till sugar is dissolved .

  32. Hi xanti
    My batter turned like a paste. What if i grind the coconut without water?

    1. Hi Jenny
      How much water did you add to grind the coconut ?

  33. Didn’t measure but very little, just sufficient for grinding. Don’t know where I went wrong but will definitely give second try.
    I just love your recipees.

  34. Hi xanti,

    Do you cook the bolinhas mixture the next day again? While adding eggs or no

    1. No don’t cook again

  35. Hi Xanti…I’ve been making your recipe for the past two years..the taste , shape and everything turns out fine…the only issue I have is once I put them in the air tight container they tend to feel soft on the outside unlike bolinhas which when u feel are hard and crisp on the outside but soft on the inside…what am I doing wrong? Should i air them for a longer period before putting them in an air tight container??

    1. Hi melissa
      Thanks for using my recipe for bolinhas Anand for your feedback …
      Well probably you need 2 minutes or so more while baking … so the outside gets dried up …

  36. My bolhinas were in the fridge and they’ve become hard.. How do I soften them again?

    1. Hi Priya
      Bolinhas tend to loose their moisture after a long time , how long did you refrigerate them ?
      I would just microwave for few seconds and eat / serve them.

  37. Hi Xanti, Tried the Bolinha’s recipe and it turned out awesome. Will try all other recipe too. Thank you so much for sharing

    1. Your most welcome irene. Thanks for sharing your feedback 😊

  38. I awe follower of it recipes…can it be done without oven???

    1. Hi kruthi
      How do you usually bake your stuff ?
      Cakes and cookies ? On the gas stove top ?
      If yes , you may try and follow same technique to bake

  39. Hi Xanti i will be trying your recipe on Bolinas today i hope i succeed for i am very bad in baking though. Let you know the outcome as all your recipes are so easy to follow. Thanks a ton xx

    1. Thanks Sevy.
      Do let me know how they turned out .

  40. Surprisingly they turned out so good my hubby sends a big thanks to you. He is not a type who eats sweets but loved the Bolinas says its better than the market. I must try more of your recipes. Thank you so much Xanti for your generosity xx

    1. Hi sevy
      Homemade cannot be compared to market bakery stuff!
      Market ones they usually use coconut that has previously been used to extract coconut milk for dodol and BEBINCA (so the dry coconut is used to make BOLinhas ).
      Say your moat welcome
      To your hubby 😊

  41. Hi can I do it in convection

    1. Hi shammi
      If you have baked stuff before in convention then go ahead

  42. Hi Xanti,
    I always try your recipes and they always comes out so good. Especially Bolinhas and Bebinca. Thank you so much for sharing the recipes. My husband says what’s special today Masterchef! And they are always your recipes. Thank you so much. May God Bless You Abundantly.

    1. Thanks Connie for sharing your feedback 😊glad your family likes it 😊

  43. Hi Xanti…
    Tried your recipe for bolinhas… Turned very yum… Thank u… This is one recipe I wanted to try since long.
    Just had 1 question though, the next day the bolinhas turned soft from the outside… No compromise on the taste but still it would be great to have them remaining crisp from the outside, the way they were when taken out of the over.
    Do let me know what could have gone wrong.
    Thanks in advance

    1. Hi
      Nothing could have gone wrong … if you want them to be more crispy then bake a few mins longer …

  44. Hi Xanti… I tried this recipe twice and both times it was perfect.. the only problem I had was after storing in an airtight container, the bolinhas turned soft. I stored them only after cooling it completely. But next day the outer crispiness was lost.. please help.
    Regards
    Preeti

    1. Hi preeti
      The bolinhas will not stay too crispy later. Compared to the inside they will be Crispy (inside will be soft):

  45. The bolinhas recipe is great. Turned out very well. Is it advisable to freeze the Bolinhas?

  46. The bolinhas were great. Can we freeze them. And if so how and for how long?

  47. Hi Xanti

    Your site is very impressive and has an excellent collection of recipes. Keep up the great work !

    Is there an eggless version of this recipe?

    Thanks
    Dhiraj Chari

    1. Hi Dhiraj, Sorry I don’t have an Eggless version.

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