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Pistachio, Cardamom and Saffron Cookies

Pistachio, Cardamom and Saffron Cookies

There is something decadent in the simplicity of shortbread cookies. Bursting with flavors, this easy cookie is gorgeous to behold, its heady aroma of saffron, pandanus and cardamom are inviting and intoxicating, and it is even more deliciously addictive at first bite. These cookies will surely test your willpower and your festive spirit of sharing. My paternal grandfather owned a cookie shop called ‘Nandita’s’ in the mid-1970s, in Thane, a suburb of my hometown of Mumbai. He was a chef and restaurateur in his youth and loved to cook, particularly desserts. We called him Jadiya Dadaji -- or plump grandpa, as his love of good food showed in his cheeks and belly. Each Diwali, he would come home to cook something special for my father. To calm us eager kids, he brought with him one or more large tins filled to the brim with cookies. Sometimes my brother and I each got our own tin, at other times we got one large tin -- to share. These cookies are an homage to him, Jadiya Dadaji, and the love of nuanced flavors and cooking that he instilled in our family, particularly my mother and me.

Ingreadient

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the cookie tray
  • 1 tablespoon milk, warm
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • 4 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
  • 3 cardamom pods, husks removed, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg, optional
  • 1 tablespoon pandanus (kewra) water (see Cook’s Note)
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups melting white chocolate wafers, or enough to make 1/2 cup of melted white chocolate
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • 2 tablespoons finely crushed or slivered pistachios
  • Edible gold dust/sprinkles, optional

Direction

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a multi-cavity cookie tray (e.g. mini muffin tray, a muffin-top tray or a hemisphere pan) with the 1 tablespoon butter and set aside to chill.
  2. Combine the warm milk with the saffron threads, stir and set aside for 5 minutes until the saffron threads begin to bloom and the milk takes on a golden hue.
  3. Cream the remaining 1/2 cup butter with the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is soft and the sugar has melted in. Add the crushed cardamom pods, finely chopped pistachios, the saffron milk with the saffron threads and a pinch of grated nutmeg if using and the pandanus water. Mix until well combined. Slowly add in the all-purpose flour and salt and mix well again. The mixture will be sandy in texture. Use a spatula to break up any lumps and stir it all until well combined and there are no dry spots.
  4. Portion the cookie mixture using an ice cream scoop and scoop it directly into the prepared chilled cookie tray. Lightly compress the mixture into the cavity using the back of a spoon. Fill each cavity to the top as these cookies will not rise. Chill any unused cookie mixture between bakes.
  5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown. The cookies do not change color or rise during baking. Carefully unmold from the cookie tray. Place them on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool place until ready to decorate.
  6. To decorate: Arrange the cookies on a wire rack with a drip pan or cookie sheet underneath.
  7. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the melting white chocolate wafers in a heatproof bowl over the simmering water. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. Maintain a slow simmer and do not let the water boil. Using a silicone spatula, stir until the chocolate is melted. Quickly stir in one pinch of saffron threads while the chocolate is warm.
  8. Carefully pour the white chocolate over the cookies or dunk cookies into the chocolate. Alternatively, use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over each cookie. Sprinkle the pistachio slivers, gold dust or sprinkles and more saffron threads before the chocolate hardens. Cool completely.
  9. Serve when the chocolate is firm.
  10. Store in a cool, airtight container for up to a week.

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