Nan Khatai/Indian Short Bread

If you are a cookie-mania, then this is definitely a must-try recipe.  Seriously, you just have got to try this!  Believe me, it's super devilishly crispy!  The best ever cookies I have tried alongside Famous Amos!

I got this recipe from another foodie papa who cooks, hails from Singapore, Ken Goh with his blog named Guai Shu Shu.  Upon looking at the photos and reading his post, I instantly got hooked up with this recipe and eventually bookmarked it before I got the chance to make a batch the previous Sunday.  Unfortunately, it only lived for two days and I had to make another one on Wednesday.

For my first batch, I followed Ken's recipe strictly where I used ghee, a kind of clarified butter.  However, I tweaked the recipe a little for my subsequent batch where I experimented it using just normal butter.  The verdict?  Well, I have to say that I would choose the former, Ken's original recipe.  Though both are deliciously crispy, somehow or rather, the one with ghee holds the edge by a wee bit.  It is apparently lighter in texture and undoubtedly crispier, giving it the extra kick upon nibbling as compared to the other one using butter (which is more buttery, more compressed and looks sturdier).

   
The Recipe:
(yields about 70 pcs)

150g of self raising flour *
50g of semolina flour
70g of castor sugar
150g of ghee or butter
1 egg beaten
1/2 tps of vanilla esence

3/4 tsp of salt**
Adequate almond flakes or whole almonds for the cookies

Note:
   *I ran out of self-raising flour, so I used all-purpose flour 
     with 1 1/4 tsp of baking powder
** I added some salt to give the cookies a tinge of 
     sweet-salty  taste

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 185 degree Celsius.

Prepare 2 baking trays, lined with parchment/baking paper

In a mixing bowl, beat the ghee and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe the batter on the baking tray.  Leave adequate space for 

expansion.

Put some almond flakes or almond chunks or the whole almonds on top of the pastry.

Baked in the oven for about 15 minutes or slightly before the cookies turn golden brown.

Cool the cookies completely before storing in an air-tight container.  

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Hope that you like this type of cookie.  Forgive me if my photos do not look appealing and convincing enough.  Seriously, you've got to try it to love it!  Just as Ken put it:

"If there is any cookie that I want to sell during Chinese New Year or other festivals,
this will definitely be my top priority."