Chewy Soan Papdi Cardamom Cookies

Chewy Soan Papdi Cardamom Cookies

What is Soan Papdi? Soan Papdi, also known as patisa is this incredibly flaky, flossy, cotton candyesque Indian dessert that is made with ghee, gram flour, cardamom and sugar. The ingredients are humble but the texture on this dessert is unbelievable. I’m not a big Indian dessert fan but this dessert does it for me! It’s texture is unparalleled! Combining the soan papdi with a gram flour sugar cookie infused with saffron milk, pistachios and cardamom created a cookie that complemented the flavors of the soan papdi and served kind of like a vehicle for this delicious dessert (because soan papdi is a very very messy dessert!) It’s the perfect fusion of American and Indian flavors.

These cookies carry the flavors of the soan papdi and enliven this chewy cookie. The cookies act as a vehicle for the flossy, cotton candy like soan papdi while providing a delicate buttery chew in each bite.

Chewy Soan Papdi Cardamom Cookies

Serving: Makes 16 Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon saffron (finely fresh milled) 2 3/4 cup of ap flour (330 grams)

• 1/4 cup of roasted gram flour (30 grams)

• 2 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour (330 grams)

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 green cardamom

• 2 sticks of butter, at room temperature (226 grams)

• 1 1/2 cup of white sugar (350 grams)

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup of chopped pistachios (25 grams)

Toppings

• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

• 1/2 cup of good quality Soan Papdi

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• Flaky salt

• Dried Safflower petals, optional

Method:

1. Crush the saffron until it is fine like powder.

2. Warm one tablespoon of heavy cream and add the saffron powder. Let the saffron bloom in the warmed heavy cream for about 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside.

   • Note: The longer the better, you can do this a few hours ahead of making the cookies to amplify the saffron notes.

3. Toast the gram flour until it is nutty and fragrant and slightly clumps.

4. Take the green cardamom and crush it lightly in a mortar pestle. Remove the green husk and keep the seeds. Grind the seeds with your pestle until it is fine. Set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. In a medium bowl, add the gram flour, all purpose flour, baking power, baking soda, salt and ground cardamom powder and mix till combined.

7. In a separate bowl, beat the room temperature butter until it is pale and fluffy.

8. Add the white sugar and beat until the butter and sugar are creamed.

9. Add the saffron infused heavy cream and egg and beat on high until fully incorporated creamy and light in color.

10. Sift in the dry ingredients and beat until almost incorporated, just a few dry spots should remain.

11. Add the pistachios in and give the cookie dough a good mix until everything is combined.

12. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out cookie dough onto a parchment lined tray. For super accurate cookie dough balls, measure out the cookie dough into 40 gram dough balls.

13. Place 5 to 6 balls of dough on the baking tray, leaving about 2 inches or more of space between each and bake for 8 to 9 minutes or just until the edges or the cookie are set. It’s okay if they look slightly under baked in the center, they will firm up as they cool. While the cookies are still hot, scoot them with a cookie cutter to get round cookies.

    • Note: Pulling them out when they look under baked will help keep them chewy and soft after they cool.

14. While the cookies cool, press a round tablespoon measuring spoon to create a cavity in the center of the cookies. Let the cookies cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.

15. Once the cookies fully cool, fill each cavity with the crumbled soan papdi.

    • Note: Don’t fill your cookie with the soan papdi while the cookie is still hot, or else it will melt and you won’t get that distinct texture.

16. Top each cookie with more chopped pistachios, slivered almonds, flaky salt and safflower petals and enjoy!