Roasted chickpea cookies (Nan-Nokhochi) is one of my favourite sweets. I associate its smell and taste with so many sweet childhood memories of Norooz. These cookies are very delicate and crumble and melt in your mouth. Nan-Nokhodchi is made with very fine roasted chickpea flour (not regular chickpea flour, they don’t have the same texture and taste). You can buy roasted chickpea flour from Iranian grocery stores (I buy mine from Tavazo in Toronto).

Notes:
1. Sift both the chickpea flour and the icing sugar. The finer the flour and sugar, the more delicate the final product.

2. After kneading, rest the cookie dough anywhere between 4 hours and up to 2 days in a cool place (don’t refrigerate!). I usually rest mine for 24 hours, this makes the dough easier to shape.

3. The temperature of different ovens vary, so check the cookies after about 10 minutes to make sure they don’t over brown. (UPDATE: with my new convection oven these cookies bake beautifully in 12 minutes at 325F)

4. Finally, as mentioned these cookie are very delicate, so after you take them out of the oven don’t touch them until they are completely cooled down (at least one hour), otherwise they are going to crumble and fall apart. Then transfer them to a wire rack (lined with a wax or parchment paper) and let cool completely.

Ingredients
500 Grams Fine Roasted Chickpea Flour
260 Grams Ghee (softened but not meleted)
220 Grams Organic Icing Sugar
1 Tsp Freshly Ground Cardamom
Optional: pistachio slivers, saffron water, poppy seeds for garnish

Method
1. Using a hand mixer cream the sifted icing sugar and ghee for 3-4 minutes until its fluffy and cream colour.
2. Add the cardamom and whisk until fully combined.
3. Add the sifted chickpea flour and mix with a spatula or a wooden spoon.
4. You now have to knead the mixture until you have a soft and pliable dough (about 5 minutes).
5. Tightly pack the dough in a container or a plastic bag and rest it for 4 hours – 2 days (see notes above)
6. Once you are ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 300F 325F degrees and line a baking sheet with a unbleached parchment paper. Take the dough out of the bag, knead for another minute or two and then roll it out to a height of 1 cm. Now use different cookie cutters to shape your dough. Place on the lined baking sheet, garnish them if you like and bake for 15-25 10-15 minutes (see the notes above).
7. Let the cookies cool down completely in the baking sheet before transferring them (see the notes above).

Enjoy these delicate flavourful cookie with a cup of tea or coffee! <3