Cookies are one of those foods that both children and adults
enjoy. Frosted and Chocolate chip cookies are a delight to kids while a warm
full-flavored cookie with a cup of hot chai will satisfy an adult. Cookies or
Biscuits as they are known in some parts of the world can be so versatile. They
can be soft or crispy, thick or thin, simple vanilla-flavored or filled with
rich, dark chocolate chips.
Today we are making a Saffron and cardamom flavored cookies.
These are full of cardamom powder and saffron. The saffron imparts a yellow
color and flavor. You can smell the cardamom and saffron even while making the
dough. These cookies look beautiful with specks of saffron and cardamom on
them.
This is not a very hard dough, so it needs to be frozen twice. Once,
after the dough is made and second, after it is cut into shapes. If you have
trouble cutting them into shapes, just pinch of a tablespoon of the dough,
flatten it to ¼ inch thickness and bake. They will still taste the same.
You can totally avoid the decorating sugar and have the
cookie by itself. That is how I prefer to eat them and enjoy the full flavor. You
can also frost them but that will mask the original flavor.
Oven times vary so I suggest you bake a single cookie first
to gauge the baking time needed.
Cream butter and sugar. |
Add egg. |
Whip for 30 secs. |
Mix the spices, baking powder and salt with the flour. |
Mix in the flour with the creamed mixture. Freeze the dough. |
Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick disk. Cut shapes and freeze them. |
Bake the cookies at 350° F for 8 to 10 mins.
Makes one dozen cookies:
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Ingredients:
All-purpose flour 6 ounces
Sugar 4 ounces
Butter 4 ounces, at room temperature
Egg, ½ of a whole, about 2 tbsps
Milk 1 tbsp, only if needed at the end
Baking powder ½ tsp
Salt, a pinch
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp, fresh is better
Saffron ¼ tsp
Cookie Cutters
Baking tray
Parchment paper
Gallon size Ziplock bag
Crush the saffron strands into a powder.
Add the sugar to the butter in a mixing bowl and cream them
using a hand mixer or a whisk. It will take two to four minutes. Add the egg
and whisk again for thirty seconds.
Add the baking powder, salt, cardamom and saffron powder to
the flour.
Add the flour to the butter mixture. Using a spatula mix
everything until they come together. You can use your hands here. If it is too
dry and not coming together you can add a tablespoon of milk at a time until
the dough holds together and forms a ball. It will be a little sticky but
that’s okay. Do not add too much liquid though. If you do you will not be able
to roll out the dough and cut shapes.
Freeze the dough for 20 to 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a ¼ inch thick disk between two sheets
of parchment paper or plastic gallon bags.
At this point start preheating your oven at 350° F.
Use the cookie cutter to make shapes. Carefully remove the
cut shapes and place them on a greased parchment-lined baking sheet. You can do
this easily only if your dough is chilled. If it softens you can always freeze
it for 5 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
Freeze the shapes for 15 minutes.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottom is
lightly browned.
If preferred as soon as the cookies come out of the oven
sprinkle decorating sugar on them.
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