PISTACHIO SAFFRON COOKIES

Tried this new recipe the other day and came out just so good …a perfect crunch bursting with great Indian flavours which reminded me as if I’m biting into a mithai (Indian sweets). The cookies are infused with saffron and cardamom, dragged with pistachios for that extra nutty crunch. You've got to try this recipe to believe me!

---

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

BAKE TIME: 22 minutes

YIELDS: 25-30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 180g all-purpose flour

• 150g unsalted butter, room temperature

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 60g pistachio, roughly chopped

• 65g dark brown sugar

• 65g caster sugar

• ½ tsp saffron strands

• 1 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ tbsp green cardamom powder

• 50g slivered pistachios extra for top

METHOD

1. Prepare a large cookie sheet with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. In the microwave heat milk for 20 seconds. Grind the saffron strands in a small mortar and pestle and add to the warm milk. Let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Sift flour in a bowl, add baking powder, salt, cardamom powder and mix. Keep aside.

4. Cream butter for couple of minutes, add sugars and vanilla and cream them together for another couple of minutes. Add flour mixture, chopped pistachios and mix to combine.

5. Add saffron milk to the mixture and combine to form the cookie dough.

6. Divide the dough into 26-30 balls. Take a ball and press gently in the slivered pistachios to dredge some pistachios on top. Place the dough ball on the tray keeping the pistachios side up. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough balls and place them at least 2 inch apart as the cookies will spread.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. Check after 18 minutes and give more time if you feel the cookies are still pale. They should have a slight golden colour. Remove and let them cook on tray until they are completely cooled to the touch.

8. Transfer on the cooling rack and let cool completely. Transfer in an airtight cookie jar.

COOK'S NOTES

• Use the room temperature butter and do not overwork the dough as you don’t want to incorporate too much air.

• Grinding the saffron strands makes it release more flavour so it’s essential to do that step.

• I added half of the dark brown sugar just because I like the extra depth of molasses-like flavour it brings to the cookies…but if you don’t have the dark brown sugar…you can always add more caster sugar instead or light brown sugar.

• I like extra crunch on top hence I dredged some extra pistachios on top but you can skip this step if you don’t want to.

• As soon as they cool completely store them in airtight cookie jar as leaving them out for too long will make them slightly soft if the weather is humid.

• These cookies can be stored in airtight jars for up to a week. But believe me, they won’t last even 2 days, they are that good…😊