Cardamom Cookies

Called Nankhatai these are a kind of Indian shortbread and recipes vary in that you can add nutmeg or saffron instead of vanilla or use almonds instead of pistachios (or leave the nuts off completely).

Cardamom Cookies

125g (4 1/2oz) butter, softened
100g (3 1/2 oz) icing (confectioners) sugar
12 cardamom pods
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
185g (6 1/2 oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
40g (1 1/2 oz) gram flour (chick pea flour)
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
20g (3/4 oz) pistachios, chopped



Heat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.

Pop the softened butter into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy.   Sift in the icing sugar and beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy.

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and finely crush them.  Add them to the bowl with the vanilla extract and mix well.  Add in the flour, baking powder and gram flour and bring together to form a dough.  Mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the yoghurt to bring it all together, if the mixture is too crumbly add in a dash more yoghurt.

Take a tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.  Repeat until you have used all the dough (you should get approx 15/16 cookies).  Gently flatten the balls so they are about 5cm across.  Sprinkle the tops with the pistachios.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until firm when pressed gently but still pale in colour.  You might need to rotate the baking sheet part way through cooking so the edges don't catch.

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.