Nankhatai ( shortbread cookies )

 

Nankhatai ( shortbread cookies )

Nankhatai cookies are Indian shortbread cookies its delicious ,light ,crispy & eggless . Nankhatai is quite popular tea time cookies ,Traditionally these cookies are made with all purpose flour ,ghee ,sugar & semolina they are many variation of nankhatai cookies made with different combination . First time tried with besan flour ( Gram Flour ) But this time baked these cookies using fried Chana dal both are gluten free recipes .

Ingredient – 1 cup – Fried chana dal ; 1/2 cup – powder sugar ; 1/4 cup – cashew powder ; 2 no – cardomom pods  ; 1/2 cup – ghee or  Clarified butter ; 2 tbsp – curd ; pinch of baking powder & salt.

In mixer grind fried chanadal with cardamom pods into fine powder ,
In seperate bowl mix ghee with curd and a pinch of salt & baking soda then all the dry ingredient fried chana dal , cashew powder & powder sugar . Knead into soft dough .

Make equal sized balls out of the dough and place them on the baking tray Flatten slightly to form a cookie. Finally, add chopped pistachios on the top of the cookies and gently press it .

180°C pre–heated oven and bake for 20 minutes . Allow it to cool and sever with hot tea .

Mixed Cookie Tray

Winter holidays began and the festival mood is in the air. Cookies are my choice to celebrate. Also, cookie tray would be a perfect to keep my son hunger low, as he is at home.

Instead of just one type of cookie thought to bake three different kinds for different moods.

The First cookie is Gluten-free chocolate cookies.  Gluten Free?...........In other words no flour.

What is Gluten ? Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat and other grains. Gluten is responsible for elasticity of dough. hence, also for chewiness of baked product.

But, these cookies are backed without flour (Gluten) is very different. I got this recipe from here.

Ingredients : 2 ½ cups of sugar    ;     1/2 cup of coco powder    ;         1/2 tsp cinnamon powder        ;      1/4 tsp of salt          ;        3 egg whites           ;          1 tsp vanilla essence        ;         2 ½ cups of semi sweet chocolate chips. 

Procedure:  In a bowl add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and mix with hand mixer.  Add egg whites and mix well until all combine well. 

Add vanilla extract and chocolate chips and mix them gently with wooden spoon.

Using the small spoon, scope the batter onto the baking tray and spread a bit.

Transfer the tray in to 180°C Preheat the oven to bake about 15 minutes or until the cracking on the top.

Allow it to cool and transfer them to an air tight container.

The second one is Thumbprint cookies. These are popularly known as holiday / picnic cookie. These are called thumbprint because, pressed with a thumb in the center and filled with jam.

You may refer my Coconut shortbread cookies Recipe. After brushing with milk, roll on the crushed mixed nuts instead of coconut. Press with thump in the center to make a dent and bake. Once, the cookies are cooled, fill the dent (at center) with Strawberry Jam.

  

The third one is sugar cookies. Refer my earlier post Button Cookies  prepare the cookie dough and just cut the dough with normal round cookie cutter and bake as directed.

 

Coconut shortbread cookies

Since, my Coconut Macarons post viewed my many thought of posting one more Coconut based recipe but this time cookie. Also, my son wants something more than the shortbread cookies. 

This is another experiment project. But, it turned out very tasty and crisply cookie.

The Ingredients list :   1 cup of All purpose (AP) flour  or Wheat flour    ;    ¼ cup of Sugar     ;   110 gms of soft butter   ;   2tsp of corn flour ;   1/8 cup of  desiccated coconut    ;   Pinch of  Salt    ;      1/4 tsp of Cardamom powder

Beat butter with sugar till it turns into pale in color. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the AP flour, corn flour, salt and slowly add the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture and blend well till all combined well.

Shape the dough into ball shape and roll it in to log shape for about 6 inch’s length then brush with milk on sides of dough and roll it on the desiccated coconut. Make sure the coconut coated on the all sides of the dough.

Cover the coated dough tightly with cling wrap and keep it in the fridge for about 30 to 45 min. 

Cut the log shaped dough in to ½" thickness by knife and arrange it in baking tray. Transfer the baking tray in 180°C pre heated oven for about 20 - 25 min.

Allow it to cool and transfer into Air tight container.