Butter Cookies flavored with Cardamom & Nutmeg

Warm Christmas  cheers all around city brings very good feeling in heart..it is time that you see lot of love, sharing, giving spirits. Weather is very cold and predictions are made for white Christmas in the city. I decided to bake small batch of simple butter cookies with cardamom and nutmeg flavor. Cookies tasted delicious and aroma of cardamom and nutmeg was very intriguing. I have followed  almost same recipe of Desi Nankatai. In India I used to make Nankatai biscuits during Diwali days,dough will be prepared at night  and early morning I would  take it to local Irani bakery to get them baked, they used to charge just 2 Rs. per tray. Wood fire bakeries gave excellent Nankatai results. Only difference in recipe is Dalda is replaced with butter. Aroma and taste is just like Nankatai but texture gets a bit little harder...may be next time I will use Dalda (vegetable shortening) to get soft Desi Nankatai texture.

Self Note : Recipe published on 01-11-11.

Ingredients :-

• 1 stick butter ( 8 Tb.spoon) thaw it to room temperature.
• 1 Cup confectioners sugar - lightly packed
• 1.5 Cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 4-5 Cardamom - finely powdered
• Nutmeg - peanut size piece - finely powdered
• Cashew halves - 15-20 pieces to garnish cookies top

Preparation :-

1. In a medium size  deep bowl place softened butter stick. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Scrape all sides and collect all softened butter to the  center of the bowl. 
2. Slowly add confectioners sugar and continue beating until butter and sugar is well mixed and turns into smooth and fluffy paste.
3. Sprinkle powdered cardamom and nutmeg.
4. Now slowly add all purpose flour and continue to mix with mixer. At this stage it will break fluffy paste and turn a bit dry. Keep beating for about 2 minutes.Keep mixer aside.
5. Merge dry dough with hand into ball. If you are unable to form the dough ball then add 1 teaspoon milk and merge. Don't add more than 2 teaspoon milk. Thoroughly massage the dough ball and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
6. Make 15-16 round balls. You can use tablespoon to scoop dough to make equal size balls. Roll each ball between two palm and slightly press in center, press half cashew nut  and place cookies  on greased cookie sheet. Maintain over half an inch distance between each cookie.

Cookie baking process :-

1. These cookies need attention while baking. Total baking time is around 20-25 minutes.
2. Set one baking rack on second slot and another rack in the  middle - Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
3. Place cookie sheet on middle rack tray and bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. Now change oven setting to broil on low. This brings nice golden brown shade, few cracks  on top of the cookies. Maintain this setting for just 3-4 minutes and quickly shut off the oven. (At this stage you need to keep attention..the moment you see enough brown shade on top, move cookie sheet to lower rack.)
5. Move the cookie sheet to lower rack and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven..cool them and enjoy Butter cookies.