Cashew Cookies

We have a guest over one evening. I offer to make dosai for tiffen. She says “No no no, don’t bother”. I go on into the kitchen to make the dosai.

Hasini follows me inside asking loudly “Why are you making tiffen, when she says No?”

I can’t help smiling. She doesn’t get polite-speak, my girl. I didn’t too for a very long time.

I worry about her.

Her friend in school had told Hasini to stop jabbering, that she was not in the mood.  

I asked Hasini “Why do you continue to talk to her if she is rude to you?”

Hasini simply says “She is my friend”.

How will I protect my little cream-bun?

After Rajini in “Thalapathi”, Hasini.

She wouldn’t show you the dance steps she learnt in her bharatnatyam class if you ask. But she’d dance while climbing the stairs, while sharpening the pencil, when she’s talking to me in the kitchen knocking over the bournvita on the counter.

And we are always fighting about something. We can’t agree on lunch or snacks or TV channel or school bag or story book or jatti.

I thought it must be my fault. According to an article I read, I am authoritative, uninvolved, docile, stifling, lenient and rude. I decided to take a few small steps.

I am going to let her choose her “Frozen” exam board and not try to steer her to the subtler tiny flowers printed one I liked.

I am going to wait till she loses her entire stash of pencils before I lose it.

I am going to have to make her an eraser-holder-gripper-tracer to use during homework time. 

I am going to try doing pranayama before starting homework.

I am going to give her a menu card to let her decide what she wants for lunch, breakfast and dinner the next day. She cannot have podi idli every day. She can choose one item only once per week. I am going to list oothappam 3 times, sandwich 4 times and not list sambar at all.

I promise to pack bourbon biscuits if she chooses them over my cashew cookies. I will not try to sell her my cookies so I can say “my kids took these scrumptious cookies to school too” on my blog.

I loved these cashew cookies though.

These cashew cookies are reminiscent of Kaju katlis - but in cookie form. These cookies are wonderfully cashew scented, not too sweet and perfect with a glass of milk or alongside your evening tea or just on their own. These cookies can be chewy if you want them to be. Bake them just until the underside is browned. They can be crispier if you want them to be. Bake them slightly longer. They’ll turn a deep chocolate brown.

These are made from scratch. You’ll make your own cashew meal - toasting cashews and grinding them with cornflour and sugar (to absorb those nut oils) to a fine powder. They’re great for kids’ snack boxes (if your kids agree), with your tea or for that little midnight snack.

Prep Time:  25 mins
Baking time:  15-25 mins
Makes:  18-22 cookies

Ingredients

Unsalted, unroasted Cashews – ¾ cup (100 gm)
Cornflour – 2 tsp
Granulated white sugar – 2 tsp
All purpose flour – ¾ cup (100 gm)
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Butter (softened) – ¼ cup (57 gm)
Brown sugar – ¼ cup (55 gm)
Granulated white sugar – ¼ cup (50 gm)
Milk – 2-3 tbsp
Vanilla – 1 tsp

Method

1.       Preheat an oven to 200 degrees centigrade and lightly grease two un-lined baking sheets.

2.       Toast cashews in a dry pan on low heat, tossing frequently until they’re toasted. They won’t turn golden all over, not necessary. Just toast marks here and there would do. Transfer to a plate and cool completely. Set aside about 7-8 cashews for garnish. Chop these cashews into little pieces and set aside.

3.       Transfer the cooled cashews to a mixer grinder along with two teaspoons of each of granulated sugar and cornflour. Grind the mixture to a fine powder. Set aside.

4.       Combine all purpose flour, baking powder and ground cashew mixture and whisk to combine well. Set aside.

5.       In a medium bowl, beat butter with a whisk or electric mixer until soft  - about a minute or so. Add the two sugars and beat for about 2-3 minutes or until well mixed.

6.       Add vanilla and mix well.

7.       Add the flour mixture and beat just until the flour is incorporated.

8.       Add milk one tablespoon at a time and beat lightly until it is incorporated. The mixture will attain a slow dropping cookie dough consistency, will be slightly sticky and almost like fudgy caramel.

9.       Use a tablespoon or a melon scooper to scoop the cookie dough and drop it on the baking sheets. Lightly flatten the dough to your desired diameter/thickness and use a pizza cutter to draw vertical and horizontal lines across the cookie to make a lattice pattern. Gently press in a few pieces of chopped cashew on each of the cookies.

10.   Proceed with the rest of the dough to make more cookies.

11.   Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes turning the baking sheets around halfway through. The base should be light golden. Let cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container. At 15 minutes, these cookies are slightly chewier. If you like them crisp and brittle, bake them for another 10 minutes.

12.   Enjoy with a cup of tea or a glass of milk. These cookies keep well for up to 2 weeks.