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Photo: Pooja Makhijani
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrs 35 minsServings:40Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrs 35 minsServings:40
Active Time:30 mins
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:2 hrs 35 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 35 mins
Servings:40
Servings:
40
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
My late maternal grandmother made the best kaju katli (literally “cashew slice”). As a young child, I remember her pulling threads of chasni (hot sugar syrup) between her thumb and forefinger—no candy thermometer needed—and quickly incorporating nuts and spices, before rolling out the mass of candy with her well-worn rolling pin and slicing it into perfectly symmetrical diamonds. Her hands moved symphonically, with effortless grace. It was like music—and magic. Her kaju katli were firm and velvety and perfect.
I ate warm kaju katli in my grandmother’s narrow railroad kitchen in India, and cold kaju katli from stashes transported back to the United States. Those sweets didn’t last very long in our American refrigerator; although my mother often tried to replicate her mother’s signature recipe in our New Jersey kitchen, it was never exactly the same.
In 2019, I decided to create a cookie recipe that evoked my grandmother’s kaju katli, but without the finickiness of candymaking. They would complement my mother’s now-signature recipe—besan ladoo, another nutty treat, made with gram flour, ghee, sugar and chopped almonds—in our family’s Diwali sweet box. My grandmother’s treat was rich and unctuous—kaju katli’s primary ingredient is cashews, which, like all nuts, are high in fat. But they weren’t very sweet and didn’t melt in the mouth.
I tried various flours, sugars, fats and spices before landing on a buttery and crumbly and nutty and warm shortbread. It was a hit with loved ones and family: a college friend said its flavor lingered and was perfect with afternoon chai the next day.
Our diaspora Diwali is different, but spiritual, magical and textural in its own way. That I chose to honor my grandmother with a cookie that is now part of our Diwali repertoire is wholly me. My daughter is a third-generation American, and her identities are different from mine, from her ancestors'. I look forward to how she will transform our family celebration and create new constants in our lives.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients1cup(2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature⅔cupgranulated sugar¼teaspoonsalt1 ⅓cupsall-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting⅔cupwhole-wheat pastry flour½cupcashew flour, sifted (see Tip)1teaspoonground cardamomConfectioners' sugar or silver leaf for garnish (optional, see Tip)
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1cup(2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔cupgranulated sugar
¼teaspoonsalt
1 ⅓cupsall-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting
⅔cupwhole-wheat pastry flour
½cupcashew flour, sifted (see Tip)
1teaspoonground cardamom
Confectioners' sugar or silver leaf for garnish (optional, see Tip)
DirectionsCombine butter, sugar and salt in a food processor; process until completely combined.Whisk all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cashew flour and cardamom in a large bowl. In three batches, add to the butter mixture, processing just until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times to make sure the ingredients are fully combined. Shape the dough into a square; wrap loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour to overnight.Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes (diamond shape is traditional,see Tip). If the dough becomes too warm to handle, return it to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, 1 pan at a time and rotating the pan from back to front once, until the edges are just golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Dust the cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar or garnish with silver leaf, if desired.To make aheadStore cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.EquipmentParchment paperTipsTo makecashew flour, pulverize 1 cup unsalted raw cashews and 2 tsp. all-purpose flour in a blender or coffee grinder. The flour prevents the mixture from becoming cashew butter.To cut diamond shapeswithout a cookie cutter: Using a paring knife and a ruler, cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Then make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals at a 30- to 45-degree angle across the strips to create diamond shapes.Silver leafis an edible decoration made from silver, often used to garnish desserts. It is flavorless, but adds a visual element. Silver leaf is sold in loose leaf and transfer sheets. If using loose leaf, be sure to have a clean brush on hand for application as it can stick to the skin. Buy it online.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, October 2022
Directions
Combine butter, sugar and salt in a food processor; process until completely combined.Whisk all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cashew flour and cardamom in a large bowl. In three batches, add to the butter mixture, processing just until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times to make sure the ingredients are fully combined. Shape the dough into a square; wrap loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour to overnight.Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes (diamond shape is traditional,see Tip). If the dough becomes too warm to handle, return it to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, 1 pan at a time and rotating the pan from back to front once, until the edges are just golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Dust the cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar or garnish with silver leaf, if desired.To make aheadStore cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.EquipmentParchment paperTipsTo makecashew flour, pulverize 1 cup unsalted raw cashews and 2 tsp. all-purpose flour in a blender or coffee grinder. The flour prevents the mixture from becoming cashew butter.To cut diamond shapeswithout a cookie cutter: Using a paring knife and a ruler, cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Then make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals at a 30- to 45-degree angle across the strips to create diamond shapes.Silver leafis an edible decoration made from silver, often used to garnish desserts. It is flavorless, but adds a visual element. Silver leaf is sold in loose leaf and transfer sheets. If using loose leaf, be sure to have a clean brush on hand for application as it can stick to the skin. Buy it online.
Combine butter, sugar and salt in a food processor; process until completely combined.
Whisk all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cashew flour and cardamom in a large bowl. In three batches, add to the butter mixture, processing just until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times to make sure the ingredients are fully combined. Shape the dough into a square; wrap loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour to overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes (diamond shape is traditional,see Tip). If the dough becomes too warm to handle, return it to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, 1 pan at a time and rotating the pan from back to front once, until the edges are just golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust the cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar or garnish with silver leaf, if desired.
To make ahead
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Parchment paper
Tips
To makecashew flour, pulverize 1 cup unsalted raw cashews and 2 tsp. all-purpose flour in a blender or coffee grinder. The flour prevents the mixture from becoming cashew butter.
To cut diamond shapeswithout a cookie cutter: Using a paring knife and a ruler, cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Then make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals at a 30- to 45-degree angle across the strips to create diamond shapes.
Silver leafis an edible decoration made from silver, often used to garnish desserts. It is flavorless, but adds a visual element. Silver leaf is sold in loose leaf and transfer sheets. If using loose leaf, be sure to have a clean brush on hand for application as it can stick to the skin. Buy it online.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, October 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)140Calories10gFat13gCarbs3gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
