Almond Orange Nankhatai

These Almond Orange Nankhatai are buttery, flaky, and crispy outside with a melt-in-a-mouth interior. They are shortbread cookies with cardamom, orange, and vanilla flavors!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 23

Total Time 33

Instructions

Making The Dough

To make an almond meal, grind almonds in a food processor or blender in quick pulses and make a coarse powder. Set aside.
Do not over-grind the almonds; otherwise, the oil will be released from the almonds.
Whisk all-purpose flour, rice flour, salt, almond meal, sugar, ground cardamom, and orange zest together in a large mixing bowl.
To this, add cold butter pieces and vanilla extract.
Working with your finger, mix butter with flour mixture and slowly work until everything comes together into a smooth dough.
Initially, you might feel it’s not coming together, but as soon as the butter starts to soften, the dough will be formed. It will take a minute or a couple of minutes.
Once smooth and soft dough is formed, stop kneading. Avoid over-kneading as the butter will start warming, making the dough sticky.
Place the dough onto a clean working surface and roll it into a log shape, 7-8 inches long. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for at least an hour. Or keep it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Baking The Cookies

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Once the dough is firm and ready, remove it from the fridge and unwrap it.
Using a sharp knife, cut ¼-inch slices from the log and place them on a baking sheet, keeping at least an inch of space between them.
Bake these Nankhatai for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. If you want a tender interior of Nankhatai, bake for 20-22 minutes; for a little crispier texture, bake for 25 minutes. I baked Nankhatai for 22 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before serving and storing.

Storing Suggestions

These cookies can stay at room temperature for several days. Store them in an airtight container.
Shortbread Cookies also freeze well. Store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to a month.

Notes

Measurements: For the perfect cookies, make sure to measure the flour and other ingredients correctly. I will suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff your flour with the spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then level it off with the knife.
Almonds: Grind the almonds into a coarse powder. Do not over-grind to prevent the separation of oil from the almonds. If you have a store-bought almond meal, you can use that.
Butter: Butter should be very cold for this recipe. Cut it into small pieces for easy mixing into the flour mixture.
Dough: Do not overwork the dough; otherwise, the butter will start warming, and the dough will become sticky.
Chilling The dough: The chilling of the dough is essential for this recipe. You can refrigerate the dough log for one hour to 24 hours.

Nutrition (Approximate Values)

Calories : 117kcalCarbohydrates : 12gProtein : 1gFat : 7gSaturated Fat : 4gPolyunsaturated Fat : 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat : 2gTrans Fat : 0.2gCholesterol : 16mgSodium : 87mgPotassium : 13mgFiber : 1gSugar : 3gVitamin A : 189IUVitamin C : 0.4mgCalcium : 8mgIron : 0.5mg

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