Nankhatai

This is my fourth recipe for Nankhatai in this blog.Now that does say so much about my love for it,doesn't it.As I've mentioned many times before on this blog,I m always in search of Chocolate Cake recipes and Nankhatai recipes.Every time I try one recipe,I feel this is it,I've got the best recipe ever.But then,you know,bang comes another one.

Sometime back,I compiled all my hand written recipe notes into word files and took a printout.Among them was a Nankhatai recipe which looked very familiar.It was written long ago,so I am not sure if it was from a blog or a tv show.The best part was when I discussed the recipe with amma,she said she used to follow a similar(almost same) recipe when she baked these.Now that is interesting.We decided to bake it together when I was home.To say we baked it more than 3 times in a week says a lot about the recipe.

I think,I am resting my hunt here for the best possible Nankhatai recipe.

 Nankhatai

Ingredients

Maida - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup,powdered(measure after powdering)
Cardamom seeds,crushed - 1/2 tsp*
Ghee - 1/2 cup,melted and cooled
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C.
 
Powder the sugar along with one cardamom and a few strands of saffron(if using) and keep aside.

Sift(or stir) together maida and baking soda,keep aside.

Mix together the melted ghee and powdered sugar to a smooth paste.Add the flour 1 tbsp at a time and mix together to form a dough.Knead the dough with your fingertips until it starts to come together.

Rest the dough for about 1 hour and then pinch off balls of same size and then roll them smooth and place on an ungreased cookie tray.
Bake at 170C for 20-22 minutes.

 Notes

• You could add one or two cloves while powdering the sugar for an added twist.
• If you feel the dough is sticky,add 1 or 2 tbsp flour and then knead again.Do not be tempted to add more since that would turn out hard nankhatais,you wouldn't want that!
• Rest the dough for an hour or so and then bake the nankhatais.You could even keep the dough overnight which would improve the texture.
• Baking time varies in each oven,so bake according to your oven.Be careful not to over bake and brown the nankhatais.

Off these go to Srivalli's Cookie Mela.