Every Christmas was very special as a kid. Dad made it quite memorable for me. It was the festive season, and he made sure it was remembered fondly.
There is a bakery in Bangalore(India), a very famous one, NILGIRIS. They had/have a Christmas Cake Show which showcases beautiful pieces of art which were huge: the TAJ MAHAL, Titanic, Barbie dolls, castles, chariots, sports players,completely made of cake. The cake artists took weeks to mold and remold. There were rows and rows of exhibits. Kids gaped at those wonders and almost wanted to touch it.
I would hold my Dad’s hand and drag him around, and he, just like a kid, was amazed and equally excited along with me. He definitely created memories for me.
Another thing about Christmas, the PLUM CAKE(a dry fruit and nuts cake). It is the most popular of cakes during Christmas, and it is sold like hot cakes, no pun intended.
My dad got so many for us, and I would not stop eating them until my stomach hurt. I miss the original Nilgiri Plum Cake, although coming here, I’ve made a version of the original which is mighty close. I bake it for Christmas almost every year. However, that’s for another post. Today, it’s these awesome, simple, yet lovely cookies.
Well, it’s the time to be thankful. Time for Christmas and New Year!! I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas. I’ll leave you for now with these middle eastern cookies. Off for some much needed vacation!
- 1 stick/113 grams unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup powdered pistachios
- 1½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 ounces of melted dark chocolate
- Walnut halves
- chopped pistachios
- Beat softened butter and sugar till soft and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix it well.
- In a bowl, add the pistachio powder, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and form a dough. Wrap the dough in a plastic with wrap and refrigerate for an hour or even overnight..
- Roll the dough to a ½ cm and cut out the desired shapes and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- After the cookies are completely cooled pipe some melted dark chocolate and top with a walnut or some pistachios and press it so it sticks to the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden and pack it in some airtight container and it stays good for up to a month.
- ENJOY!
Oh these baklava sounding cookies are tempting me beyond your imagination, Ash. Superb.
Have fun on your vacation. Happy holidays!
Oh I miss home too and all the traditions during the holidays. Your dad did a great job in keeping the magic. Exactly what these cookies will do if I must say so. So beautiful and a great combination.
these cookies look delicious, I whish you a really happy Christmas dear!
I love the shape of these cookies- they’re so delicate yet decadent. I was also reminiscing about bakeries back “home” in my recent blog post. Great minds think alike!
Must be the week for butter cookies, huh? You know what they say…great minds think alike! You version looks great and I love topping them with chocolate and nuts. Beautiful cookies and awesome photos!
Beautiful cookies! Love our gorgeous pictures too. Pistachios are my favorite for the taste,aroma and colour too. Such a great idea to use pistachio powder in cookies!
These cookies look terrific, Ash! Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday. xx
These cookies look fabulous, Asha.
Have a very wonderful holiday season!
Angie
Oh love the cookies Asha… hope i get a box full of those.. this new year…
I adore the look (and taste) of pistachios in holiday treats. I love these butter cookies with chocolate! Have a wonderful and relaxing holiday!
Beautiful photos of some delectable cookies! They look like they would melt in my mouth! Love the dark chocolate and walnut/pistachio toppings!
Beautiful story about your father!
Merry Christmas to you and your family Ash! So glad to have met you this year 🙂
looks so tempting.. so beautifully done
Beautiful pictures Asha!!! The cookies looks delicious and I bet they taste yumm too!!!
I would like the whole box of cookies please? Can you ship it asap please?
😉
What beautiful cookies. I adore pistachios, and you have made great use of them here! I also enjoyed reading about the displays of the pastry maker’s art you saw as a child. What creations they must have been, and what a wonderful memory of times with your Dad. Merry Christmas to you!
What special memories you have — that bakery sounds incredible. These cookies look just gorgeous, and I love your photos as usual. I can’t wait to see the recipe for that plum cake! Have a wonderful holiday season, my friend — and enjoy your break!
Delicious cookies, Christmas holidays are always fun. Enjoy.
These remind me of Afghan cookies with the walnut on top! They look delicious and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! 😀
Mmm super nutty my friend, these cookies look delicious 😀
Happy Holidays!
CCU
Have a lovely holiday vacation, my dear! Love this cookie recipe. Thanks for sharing your memories with us, too. Warmest wishes to you and yours for a meaningful Christmas holiday! xo
wishing that beautifully cookie filled tin would show up at my door. 😉 I love these! I send warm wishes for a delightful holiday.
Lovely cookies and very good photos.
I loved reading about your Christmas memories and favorite treats!! And I am so into the pistachio in these cookies…it is one of my dessert favorites!
Thank you for another lovely recipe Ash! Merry Christmas to you and your family, and a great New Year!
Hugs from Panos&Mirella
Your cookies alone look delicious! Then topping them with chocolate and nuts made them extraordinary! Wishing you a beautiful Christmas, my friend!
love to have those walnuts for christmas.
what a lovely cookies…
Merry christmas and God blessed you all the way then my friend!
Wonderful looking cookies – perfect for the holidays. I hope you’re having a very Merry Christmas!
What a gorgeous post, Ash! Luv cookies like this…making. 🙂 Happy Holiday to you and your family and wishing you a fantastic, bright New Year 2014!!
oh, these are gorgeous! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, my friend =)
I love how these cookies look! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours, Asha!
Looks so tempting, I have been to the the cake exhibition in Bangalore too, some of them are amazing.
So simple and elegant!
these look so pretty and tempting.. awesome clicks too!!
I like the idea of using pistachio butter on the cookies…so many kinds of cookies out there! I love your memorable Christmas story with your Dad, so sweet. I wish I have a lot of things in common with my Dad, but I share his ‘brain’, haha. Wishing you a fabulous holidays and Happy New Year, Asha!
Ash.. We too never missed the cake show every year.. and remember all the cakes you mentioned at the show. They were so brilliantly done right… Miss those days! The cookies look delicious and I love they way you topped the walnuts..:-) You too have a wonderful time with your family n friends. Happy new year sweets 🙂
So simple and so delish. I am sure this recipe could also work with some other type of nuts like hazelnuts. Loving the walnut piece on each cookie.
Love these! I’ve lived in Greece for many years and they definitely remind me of baklava! Love your blog too … just came across it today and will definitely be back! All the best!
Hope you have a good vacation, Ash! These cookies look great. Pistachios are probably my favorite nut, but I’ve never baked with them! I always just eat ’em right out of the shell. Pinning this!
Oh I have heard of Nilgiris before but I can’t remember where it was… Plus I have never been to Bangalore. Could it be that they have more pastry shops in India?
Pistachios are my favorite nuts and your cookies would be over in a days time here. just lovely!
Lovely cookies! I love the packaging! So pretty.
I love butter cookies! Chocolate and pistachios are my favorite combination and what a great idea to put on top of the butter cookies for the flavor AND the pretty look! I love this recipe!
complimenti per il blog..passavo di qui per caso e ho visto questi biscottini buonissimi.
brava. Bellissime le foto.
Buona serata