Butter Cookies (benne biscuit)

Last Diwali wanted to try something different other than sweets. So made these butter cookies very popular in the local bakeries of Bangalore. These cookies are also called as Nankhatai. They just melt in the mouth. Love the texture and flavor of these simple cookies. Very simple to make, sure to be a hit among big and small. Checked out many recipes from websites but some had eggs and few did not like the texture of cookies, below is the one I came up with after trying out a couple of recipes.

Ingredients

maida or all purpose flour 1 1/2 cup
yogurt 2 tblsp
baking soda 1/4 tsp
salt a pinch
ghee/butter 1/2 cup at room temperature
powdered sugar 3/4 cup
cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
few sliced almonds for garnishing
milk or water 1 to 2 tsp for kneading, optional and if required
vanilla essence 3 drops

Method

Preheat oven at 350 deg F.
Cream the ghee/butter and powdered sugar with a hand held blender till the mixture should become smooth, light and creamy.
Add the dry ingredients – maida or all purpose flour, cardamom powder, salt and baking soda and mix well.
Add the yogurt and vanilla essence, gently knead to a smooth dough.
Note: Add water or milk only if required while kneading and if the dough looks dry.

Divide the dough into equal parts and make 1 1/2 inch sized balls.
Roll them evenly in your palms and slightly flatten them.
Press a sliced almonds on the top slightly or make some criss cross designs with a fork or toothpick.
Place the cookies in a baking tray with about 1 inch space between them as they expand while baking.
Bake them for 12-13 mins till light golden.
Let cool for couple of mins and move them to wire racks for complete cooling.
Store the cooled cookies in an air tight container.
Enjoy !!

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