Karachi Biscuits
INGREDIENTS:
1. All-purpose Flour(Maida) – 1.5 cups(1+1⁄2)
2. Vanilla Custard Powder – 1⁄2 cup (optional) In its absence add Corn starch or maida.
3. Powdered Sugar – 1 cup
4. Baking powder – 1 Tsp
5. Tutti Frutti – 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup (as per your taste).I used 3⁄4 cup.
6. Chopped cashews – 1⁄4 cup
7. Rose water – 1 tbsp
8. Milk – 5 tbsp
9. Butter – 1⁄2 cup at room temperature.
METHOD:
1. Take a bowl and add butter and sugar in it. Whisk or beat them thoroughly until you see the creamy texture and the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Then add the rose water and mix it too.
Now take another bowl and sift the maida,baking powder and custard powder through a sieve in it.Custard powder not only adds the vanilla flavor to it, it gives it a nice yellow hue to the whole dough. But if its not available ,you may add all-purpose flour/whole wheat flour/ corn-starch in half-half ways or wholly by maida.
Also add the tutti frutti, chopped cashews in the second bowl with dry ingredients. Once they are coated with maida, it helps in even mixing.
Now add the milk in the first bowl 1 tbsp each time and then some maida each time in parts. Go on adding both till all the maida and milk is added and then bring it together with hands and knead it lightly so that everything comes together in the form of a dough.
Now roll the dough in the form of a log such that it is even on the whole circumference and the two sides.
You may make two to three such logs out of this dough. If you are not able to roll it ,or you find it hard ,then add 1 more tbsp of milk to it.
I rolled it in squared log and round logs or you could say cuboid and cylinder.
Once you get the even rolls, wrap them in cling wrap and place them in the freezer for 15 mins or until firm.
Now take out the rolls from the freezer, and cut 1⁄4 inch thick discs from this cylindrical log with a sharp knife.
Note : Please see the frezzing and wrapping part of the recipe is only for the accurate shaping of the cookies,but you may skip these steps and make small flattened discs with your hands directly when the dough is ready.
Preheat the oven to 338 Degree F or 170 degree C. To adjust the oven to 338 ,simply turn the knob to 325 mark then turn it slightly more to reach the mid-point of 350 and 325. At this temperature the cookies will come out crunchy and fully cooked from inside. At 350 ,however you will get softer cookies.
Once the oven is heated, line a tray with parchment paper and place the cut cookies on it with 1⁄2 inch distance between each other. Since while baking these cookies would swell in size, hence the gap.
Bake them for 15-20 mins or until you sense the nice aroma of vanilla and tutti frutii in the air . I bake them for exactly 16 mins.
Cool them on a rack for 15- 20 mins before transferring in an air-tight container. Please avoid the risk of eating them right out of oven,since they are hot and would crumble in your hands. 😉 Just kidding, their delicious aroma would make you helpless. 😀
I was able to bake nearly 35 pieces. It depends on the size and shape you make..
Enjoy !! Happy cooking!!
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