Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • ¼ Cup Butter
  • ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
  • ½ Cup Maida / All purpose Flour
  • ¼ Cup Custard Powder / Corn Flour
  • ¼ tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 Generous Pinch Salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  • 4 tbsp Pistachios ((Chopped))

Instruction

  • First, measure and keep the dry ingredients ready. Flour can be replaced with atta, white sugar with brown sugar and custard powder with the milk powder, but it will impact the colour of these cookies.
  • To a mixing bowl, add the butter and powdered sugar. Using a hand whisk or electric beater, blend for 2 minutes in low speed, till smooth. (Butter should be soft at room temperature. There is no replacement for butter in this recipe. Don't use melted butter or oil, as the cookies won't hold its shape and fall flat).
  • Place a sieve over the whisked butter-sugar mixture. Then, add the flour and custard powder.
  • Now, add the baking powder.
  • Add 2 generous pinch of salt, it enhances the taste of the cookies. Sift everything once, don't skip this step, as it helps in even mixing.
  • Now, add the vanilla essence, it can be replaced with pistachio or rose essence too.
  • Mix the dough for 1 minute, it looks like biscuits crumbs now.
  • Slowly combine the dough till smooth and never knead it. (If the dough is very dry, sprinkle little milk or if it is sticky, add very little flour and knead again). As you combine, the dough forms a mass. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight. NEVER bake it immediately without refrigeration else the cookies melt.
  • By the meantime, chop the pistachios finely. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it stand for 10 minutes.
  • Combine the dough again and make small-sized smooth balls.
  • Flatten the ball slightly and smoothen the sides too.
  • Do the same with the remaining dough.
  • Press the cookie ball over the chopped pisatchios.
  • Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 180C / 350F. Also, line the baking tray with butter paper and dust with some flour. Arrange the cookie dough on the tray by leaving a 2-inch gap.
  • Keep the tray in the centre rack and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, till the base turns to slightly golden colour. Don’t bake more than that, as the cookies get burnt easily.
  • Remove the cookies from the tray, place it in a wire rack and allow it to cool completely. First, the cookies seem soft but it turns crispy as it cools down. Store in an airtight container, it stays good for 2 weeks.
  • Enjoy this Pista Biscuits Recipe during teatime.