These cookies are somewhere between crispy and gooey, made with white chocolate chunks and the distictive Persian flavours of cardamom and pistachios. Persian Love Cookies were inspired by my visit to Iran , a country of warm and hospitable people. I was amazed by the wonderful hospitality wherever I went. And in Iran, hospitality means, more often than not, sharing the food on their table. I just loved the spices and the fresh produce and trying out all the wonderful and new flavour combinations. I hope it’s reflected in these Persian Love Cookies.
Love white chocolate? Then these are the perfect cookies for you. Buttery and caramel rich with the added exotic flavour of the middle east. I do know, that white chocolate is not entirely Persian, but it goes so well with fragrant Cardamom. I use a combination of brown and caster sugar to get that perfect texture and caramelised flavour. And if that wasn’t enough, the cookies are topped with the crunch of pistachio nuts. For more Persian sweetness, checkout my recipe for Persian Love Ice Cream.
What you need to make these delicious Persian Love Cookies..
- Butter – Use full cream room temperature butter. I use salted just because I believe salted butter gives the caramel added depth. You can also use unsalted if that’s what you prefer.
- Sugar – Caster Sugar and Light Brown Sugar to amp up the caramel flavour and colour.
- White Chocolate Chips – Or chopped up white chocolate. You can also substitute dark chocolate chips.
- Flavourings – Vanilla Paste, Cardamom Powder, a bit of Rose Water. Careful of the rose water, do not add any more than what’s specified in the recipe or you’ll end up with grandma’s potpourri. You can omit rose water if you wish; it’s not the end of the world without it.
- Egg Yolks – These give the cookies a firmer texture and gives it a richer taste.
How to make it…
- Cream butter sugar and the flavourings until well blended but not fluffy. You don’t want the mixture too creamy or you’ll end up with a cakey textured cookie, unless that’s what you’re going for.
- Add eggs and mix it in.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, and add this into the butter mixture including the white choc chips.
- Portion cookies (16) and place in a lined baking tray.Flatten the cookie balls slightly. Top each cookie with pistachios.Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least an hour.
- Bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 15 – 18 minutes. Cool in baking tins for 10 minutes. If the cookies lost shape during baking, use a small palette knife to reshape the cookies while still warm.
Persian Love Cookies
16
servings20
minutes18
minutes1
HourCrispy Edges, Chewy Centres with the Exotic Persian Flavours
Ingredients
250g butter room temperature
200g light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon rose water
2 teaspoon cardamom
3 egg yolks
325g plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
200g white chocolate chips or white chocolate bar cut up into chunks
100g chopped or slivered pistachios
Directions
- Line a small baking sheet pan with baking paper.
- Place butter, brown sugar,caster sugar,vanilla and cardamom powder in bowl of electric mixer with paddle beater attached. Beat on medium until well combined but not too creamy. Add egg yolks and mix until well combined.
- In another bowl, sift together flour,baking soda. Add this to the butter mixture including the chocolate chunks.
- Scoop portions of cookie dough into lined baking pan. You should have about 16 portions. An ice cream scoop is handy in portioning the cookies, but you can also use 2 spoons. Flatten cookies slightly.
- Divide the pistachios between the cookies and press on tops of cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least an hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C. Remove cookies from the freezer 10 minutes beforehand and arrange on a baking paper lined tray, leaving enough space in between about 6 cm.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are crispy and golden. The centre of the cookies should still be slightly underbaked and will continue cooking while cooling. Remove from the oven and cool in the trays for about 10 minutes. If the cookies are too flat/ or lost shape, use a palette knife to reshape the cookies while still warm.
- Cool completely before storing. Maybe dusted with icing sugar if desired.
Notes
- Will keep for a week in an airtight container.
