These cookies are traditionally served and gifted around times of celebration. They are light and buttery and perfect with a cup of tea.
Makes approximately 40 cookies.
Ingredients:
½ cup of raw almonds
½ cup raw, shelled pistaschio nuts
250 gms of butter at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups of sifted, white flour **Note 1
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup of icing sugar for rolling cookies in ** Note 2
Method:
- Toast the nuts on a dry skillet until lightly browned. Cool completely before placing in a food processor and blitzing until you have a rough crumb.
- Place the butter and sugar in a medium size bowl. Use an electric beater to cream together until fluffy and lighter in colour. Add the vanilla. Beat briefly.
- Add the flour, salt and the ground nuts. Mix at a low speed until just combined.
- Place dough in the fridge to chill for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius.
- Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet (do not flatten).
- The cookies will expand just a little so allow a little bit of space between them on the tray.
- Bake for around 15 minutes until lightly golden ** Note 3
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Roll in icing sugar while still warm (not hot). Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Michelle’s Notes**
Everyone that I have served these cookies to loved them. They are equally delicious served with a black or a green tea and would make the perfect gift.
- I used gluten free flour with great success
- The icing sugar is used to roll the cookies in once cooked and cooled. I simply sifted icing sugar over the cookies rather than rolling them in it and then also a little more sifted across when I plated these to serve.
- I found I needed to cook these quite a bit longer than the suggested time. It may have been because of the gluten-free flour.
Wishing you Happy Tea Times - from the Stir Tea Team.
This recipe is from the NZ cookbook called Enjoy, by Kelly Gibney.
This is the second book Kelly has written and it introduces more of her signature wholefood-driven dishes, with a touch of nostalgic comfort. It celebrates the joy of bringing people together, and the triumph of finding a recipe that everyone around the table, big or small, can enthuse about and look forward to.
