Walnut Cardamom Cookies , Nan-e-Gerdooyi – نان گردویی

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The recipe I’m sharing today is one of my all time favourite gluten-free cookies. These aromatic rosewater and cardamom-scented walnut cookies (nan-e-gerdooyi) are grain and dairy free and “relatively” healthy since there is not a lot of sugar in the recipe. They are nutty and rich with a slightly chewy texture. I usually make these at the same time I make my coconut macaroons (http://simplynaturalchick.com/lemony-coconut-macaroons/) or my almond cookies (recipe coming soon!) so that I’m not wasting any egg whites!

Some Notes:
1. It’s best to use freshly ground cardamom since the scent would be much stronger.
2. There are many ways you can chop the walnuts and each one yields to a slightly different texture. I have tried many ways and my favourite option is to “coarsely” grind the walnuts in the food processor. Make sure not to over process the walnuts which can cause the nuts to clump together and turn into walnut butter instead!
3. To get the best texture the sugar should be very fine, so you can either use icing sugar or what I do is to use raw cane sugar and give it a quick buzz in my high speed blender until it’s finely powdered.

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Ingredients
5 Large Egg Yolks
150 Grams (approx. 3/4 cup) Fine Powdered Sugar (or icing sugar)
210 Grams (approx. 2 Cups) Walnuts (coarsely ground)
1 Tsp. Cardamom Powder
1 Tbsp. Rosewater

Method
1. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Cream the powdered sugar, cardamom, rosewater and egg yolks together. Beat until the mixture is cream colour and fluffy.
3. Fold in the ground walnuts into the egg yolk mixture using a spatula and combine well.
4. Let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes in the fridge. This makes the batter more sticky and easier to form.
5. Using two small spoons form small amount of batter into small balls and drop onto the baking sheet (spaced at least 1 inch apart). Don’t flatten the cookies, they will flatten a bit as they bake.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the centre rack of the oven until golden brown. The exact time and temperature depends on your oven, so keep and eye on the cookies after the 7 minutes mark as they can burn easily.
7. Take them out of the oven and let the cookies cool in the baking sheet, don’t touch the cookie until they are cool or they will fall apart! Once cool to the touch, gently remove them from the sheet and place on a wire rack until completely cool.
Enjoy these wonderfully scented cookies with a cup of hot tea or coffee! 🙂

You can keep the cookies in an air-tight container (after completely cooled down) for up to a week – they are crispier when fresh and become softer over time!

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