Of Pune, Hostel Life, Ganesh Festival, Memories and Cookies

Sarika walks down the memory lane, this autumn – like every other year. She tells us about her Pune days in a hostel, 13 years ago. A 10-day Ganesh festivity, rush of memories and the cookies that she had then. She makes the cookies to travel back in time, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.

There’s something very special in the air at this time of the year. I love when the nights get chillier and shorter, when the air gets crisper and the fragrance of Shuili just makes me nostalgic.

A crisp autumn breeze, little cold, inspire many people to celebrate this pictorial festival-wrapped season. Without a doubt, by far, autumn is my favourite season. I also look forward to take out my winter jackets, sweaters, pullovers and scarves, soon after. We girls can apply make ups too. So beauty is everywhere, you just need to feel it. I love this transition season, the change, the end of the scorching summer and the beginning of the festivals

Sometimes, the weather is cloudy, rainy, wet and romantic too. And our favourite god Ganesh is coming home with huge pomp and show. Then one after another, festivals are piled up. During Ganesh puja, silently I always missed my Pune days. When I was in hostel with my friends. For 10 days people are in festive mood. There is festive aura everywhere. Though we had 1st day and the last day (immersion) off in college, but every evening we made sure to go out to and enjoy the festivity. We returned a bit late.

Everywhere there were aarti (prayer), dance, music, prasad, lots of people on the street and their cacophony. This festival is incomplete without the fun of immersion. Though it is a sad moment, Ganesha is going back, but the way people dance, it’s like there are no tomorrows. And one famous track is which people love to dance is, “Do ghut hamko pilade sharabi dekh phir hota hai kya”. It’s been 13 years since I left Pune, but those mad dances and beautiful days still fresh in my memory.

Happy times come and go but the memories stay forever.

As I am talking about my old home, let me share an eggless cookie recipe, which our hostel aunt once prepared for us. I don’t know her recipe, but the ones I made almost tastes like hers.

Here is the recipe:

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Baking Time: 25 minutes.

Baking Temperature: 180 C (360 F)

Ingredients

6 tbsp chocolate chips
5 tbsp soft butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp milk
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp powdered sugar

Method

Add the plain flour, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
Now add the sugar and butter in a deep bowl and whisk well till the mixture turns smooth, without lumps.
Time to add the vanilla essence, milk and chocolate chips and mix well.
Finally, add the plain flour mixture and mix well to form a dough without using any water.
Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and shape each portion into a flat, round cookie or the way like it.
Gently place the cookies on a greased baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°c (360° f) for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and serve or you may store these in an air-tight container.
Enjoy with tea or coffee.