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Haji badam
Almond and cardamom cookies
Haji badam (حاجی بادام): Yazd's light almond and cardamom cookies
Haji badam are the small, pale almond cookies of Yazd, crisp at the edge and soft and chewy inside, baked for Nowruz and kept in tins for guests through the new year. They need only ground almonds, sugar, egg yolk and cardamom, so they are naturally gluten-free. Each one is rolled into a ball and pinched or pressed with a pistachio sliver. A common mistake is baking them until golden all over: pull them when only the bottoms colour, or they go hard and dry. Chef's tip: let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, which makes it much easier to roll without cracking.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 4 oz icing sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp rosewater
- 2 tbsp slivered pistachios (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 9 oz finely ground almonds, 4 oz icing sugar and 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl. Add the 2 egg yolks and 1 tbsp rosewater and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
5 minStep 3: Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, about 15 g each, and place 3 cm apart. Press each lightly and top with a sliver of 2 tbsp slivered pistachios.
10 minStep 4: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the tops have small cracks and the bottoms are just golden but the tops are still pale.
14 minStep 5: Cool completely on the tray; they firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haji badam take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of finely ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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