Summer Recipe- Eggless Thandai Cookies

Eggless Thandai Cookies- buttery cookies with all the flavors of thandai! The cardamom, fennel, peppercorn, rose, saffron gives these cookies a distinct flavor, so good with coffee. The flavoring comes from the thandai powder of course which is made from nuts, dried rose petals, peppercorn, poppy seeds, saffron and cardamom! I also add some extra crushed dried rose petals in the dough.

Ingredients

1.5 cups all purpose flour 195 grams
5 tablespoons thandai powder
1 tablespoon crushed dried rose petals
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1-1.5 tablespoons milk
pinch saffron
1 stick salted butter 113 grams (1/2 cup), at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar 100 grams
1 tablespoon rose water

Method

* In a large bowl whisk together flour, thandai powder, crushed dried rose petals and baking powder. Also add 1/4 teaspoon of salt if using unsalted butter in the recipe. Set aside.

* Warm 1.5 tablespoons milk in a pan. Once it's little warm, add crushed saffron to it and turn off the heat.

* Let it sit while you make the cookie dough.

* Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or use your mixer), beat together butter and sugar until creamy.

* Add in the saffron milk and the rose water. You might need not add the whole saffron milk at this point, add 1 tablespoon and after adding the dry ingredients see if the dough is coming together. If it isn't, then only add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon.

* Add the dry ingredients and mix using the paddle attachment, it will all come together as a dough. You can also use your hands to bring the dough together.

* Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Then roll each part to form a log, 7 inch long. Roll each log into crushed dried rose petals. This is optional.

* Cover the dough logs with a cling sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

* Once chilled, take out the logs and using a knife cut them into cookies, around 1/2 inch thick. Also, pre-heat the oven to 350 F degrees.

* Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 to 23 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned from the bottom. Since I like really crispy cookies, I baked these for around 23 minutes.

* If you cut thinner cookies (1/4 inch thick), then bake for 18 minutes.

* Let the cookies cool and then store these thandai cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy.