Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

Hhhmmm.... it is raining, raining, raining everyday and that is not something that lifts your spirits. I mean, the first few showers are so exciting when the cool rain hits the soil, everything is so sparkling clean and the air is cool and light .... but after a few days of almost continuous showers , it becomes a bit of a drag.

Especially, when there is not enough light to take photos of all the prepared recipes for the blog, it becomes even more dampening to the mood [... just my mood].

Automatically, I turn to food for comfort .... Am I turning into a comfort eater ..????

I don't know but definitely my waist measurement and dress size will tell me in a couple of weeks time ...:)

Cookies have unfortunately become a part of the snack shelf but a tiny consolation is that the cookies are home made which makes it edible for my daughter.

I am not a big fan of chocolate [Oh, I hear gasps of horror ...!!!]. Yes, you heard me right, I am not a fan of chocolate in any form but I do dish out desserts and stuff with chocolate as everyone around me seems to die for chocolate.

I rely on simple recipes which calls for easy ingredients, with no complication or fuss or mess but promises to deliver great flavour in each and every bit of the finished product. Added to the fact that these cookies can be kept for upto 3 weeks in an air tight container makes it even more appealing for me.

Hey, not to mention it makes a wonderful edible gift for friends and family especially with the festive season coming up. It is so reassuring to have something stacked away before the party time begins so that the last minute madness is avoided.

I love cardamom flavour and to combine it with pistachio makes it ever so tempting. I guess you can substitute other nuts of your choice like cashews / hazelnuts / walnuts and also play around with the base flavour skipping the cardamom. I should imagine that the choices are endless ....

 Simple, flavourful and yummy...:)

 For the cookies:
Unsalted butter: 250gms.
Plain flour: 280 gms.
Rice flour: 60 gms.
Icing sugar: 85 gms.
Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp.
Orange zest [grated]: 1 tsp.
Cardamom powder: 1 tsp.
Pistachio nuts: 50 gms [chopped]
Castor sugar: 1-2 tbsp.

1.Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2.Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the orange zest, 3/4 of the pistachio nuts and stir until combined.
3.Sift the flours and add to the butter mixture along with the cardamom powder. Mix with a spatula to combine everything together and form a soft dough.
4.Wrap with a cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C / Gas mark 2-3 /315 degrees F.
5.Remove the mixture from the fridge and shape tablespoons of the dough into balls.
6.Place them on the baking trays and flatten them slightly with your finger tips. Make sure there is atleast 1 inch space between each cookie.
7.Press a couple of pistachio pieces onto each cookie. Sprinkle some castor sugar onto the cookies and bake for 12-15 minutes or lightly golden underneath.
8.Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tray and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Store the cookies in an air tight container once cooled completely and can be kept upto 3 weeks time. Enjoy with a cup of steaming tea or coffee especially on a rainy evening ....

Enjoy....


Scribbled by Reva