Ghorabieh is a soft chewy almond macaroon popular in Iran. This version doesn’t use flour, and is Gluten Free. The rose water and cardamom adds a lovely middle eastern flavour to this cookie.
I usually make this recipe when I have left over egg whites from making Tachin or fresh Barbari bread.
Traditionally these cookies are soft and chewy, with a slight crunch on the outside. If you wish a crunchier cookie, then when the color starts to turn, drop the temperature and to 140 deg and leave to cook for a further 10 – 20 minutes.
Sour cherry and oat cookies is the first of my experimenting with the sour cherries, to add a Persian twist to some of our regular Western recipes.
This is a variation of “Crinkle Top Raisin Oatmeal Cookies” I replaced the raisins with sour cherries (albaloo) and the result was quite amazing. The sour cherry added a tang to the biscuit making it quite delicious.
Things to Note when making Sour Cherry and Oat Cookies:
Process the dried sour cherry with flour for even distribution
When using the food processor to process the sour cherry with the flour, keep going until a ball is formed. This can take a while, and you will think that it isn’t going to happen, but it will. The sour cherry will form a thick paste similar to the photo below. This is important to be sure that the sour cherry is disbursed throughout the cookie.
Cream Butter and Sugar well
Be sure to cream the butter and sugar until all the sugar granules are dissolved. You could use caster sugar, but I find it easier to have just one type of white sugar in my cupboard.
After the egg is added, be sure to mix well until the mixture increases in volume and has the consistency of light frosting. These 2 steps are very important as it results in a lighter, less dense cookie. The mixing adds small air pockets into the dough, swelling with steam as the dough is cooked in the oven. The lighter dough also means that the sugar and butter will melt more slowly, decreasing the spread of the cookie. When the mixture is of the right consistency add the sour cherry mixture and keep mixing on a high setting until well combined.
Combine all the dry ingredients together
Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well. This is important to ensure that the flour, oats, baking soda (bi-carbonate of soda), salt and cinnamon are evenly distributed through out the cookie. Because as we combine the ingredients we need to gently stir them together.
At this point we then need to start becoming more gentle with the mixture. I do this with the paddle attachment on my orbital stand mixture on the lowest speed. Stop as soon as everything is completely combined as we don’t want to remove those air-bubbles we so lovingly added earlier.
Roll into golf ball sized rounds and place on lined cookie trays ready to bake. The recipe makes 60 sour cherry and oat cookies, and I use 3 cookie trays with 20 on each. If this is too many cookies then you can pop one or 2 of the trays into the freezer and when the dough is frozen pack into zip lock freezer bags for storage.
I always like to leave the trays of uncooked cookies to rest on the shelf while I preheat the oven.
Sour Cherry and Oat Cookies
This is a Persian version of a family favourite. Crinkle Top Oatmeal and Raisin cookies.
In a large heavy based saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water. When the sugar is fully dissolved, gradually bring to the boil and continue to boil for about 5-6 minutes. Leave to cool.
Combine the lime juice and sugar syrup mixing well. Place in the freezer for about 4 – 6 hours until ice is beginning to form.
Roughly chop and blend with either a hand-held blender or a regular blender until the mixture is of a slushy consistency.
Beat the egg white until it is white and stiff peaks are formed.
Slowly and carefully fold the lime mixture into the egg white. Great care is to be taken to unsure the mixture is well combined, but the air is not removed from the egg white.
Place in a well sealed container and quickly return to the freezer.
Notes
Lemon juice or a combination of lemon and lime juice can be used in this recipe according to taste.
This Ice Cream is very quick and easy to make. The use of salep adds elasticity and results in a marsh mallow like appearance. The delicate flavours of rosewater and saffron create the subtle distinction of this traditional recipe.
Place all the ingredients except the salep in a blender and blend until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the salep and blend until the mixture is thick.
Pour into a deep container that is suitable to freeze and place in the freezer for about 4-6 hours until the mixture is partly frozen.
Put the mixture back into the blender and blend for a couple of minutes until all the frozen ice-cream is mixed with the liquid.
Put into a storage container and freeze until hard.
Notes
Western flavours can be used in this ice cream, resulting in a mix of Western and Persian tastes. I have blended a few Blueberries into the mixture, or added chocolate topping instead of the Rose Water and Saffron.
Line a Lamington tray with greaseproof paper, and lightly spray with spray oil.
Whip the egg yolks is a electric mixer at high until soft peaks are formed.
Combine the sugar, glucose syrup, salt, and water in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to boil and boil till the temperature reaches 250 degrees using a candy thermometer.
Remove from the heat and slowly pour about a third of the mixture into mixer bowl while running beating into the egg whites. Continue to beat the egg whites until the mixture has a similar consistency to whipped cream.
Continue to boil the remaining syrup until it reaches 300 degrees.
Pour the remaining sugar syrup slowly into the egg mixture with the motor running and continue beating until mixture is thick and stiff. Add the Rose Water and nuts and beat just until combined.
Spoon the nougat into the prepared pan, and press it smoothly and evenly with a wet hand to stop it sticking.. Keep it in refrigerator until the nougat is partly set. tip out onto a floured board, turning to ensure both sides are lightly floured.
Cut into desired shapes, with 2cm squares or cut using a small round cookie cutter, pressing into flour between each cut to reduce the sticking.
Store in a lightly floured an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to temperature before serving.
Notes
Use flour to keep the nougat from sticking. A good electric mixer with a metal or glass bowl is essential for this recipe along with a candy thermometer.
Lay pastry sheets on a flat surface and separate while still frozen with a sharp knife and leave to defrost.
Preheat oven to 180deg.
Cut each sheet in half, and then each half into 8 strips.
In a small bowl, mix egg, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg mixture over the pastry.
Place each strip onto a greased pastry sheet, twisting each strip as placing onto the tray.
Brush with remaining egg mixture and sprinkle Almond slivers on each pastry.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes till golden brown.
When cooked remove from the oven and carefully place in a large dish, sprinkle icing sugar over and gently toss till coated with a dusting of icing sugar.
Notes
These delicate pastries do not keep long, and are best eaten on the day of baking. Frozen puff pastry makes these a simple and quick sweet to prepare.
A wonderful moist date cake. This is a firm favourite and I often am asked for this recipe. I soak the dates in coffee to dd that extra moistness and interesting taste.
Moist Date Cake
A wonderful moist date cake. The addition of coffee adds an interesting taste.
Grease and line a 22cm x 34cm cake pan and preheat the oven to 180c or 160c fan forced.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar to a cream.
Add eggs and continue beating.
Gently stir through the remaining ingredients until all ingredients are well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 – 60 minutes.
Allow to cool in pan to 10 minutes before turning out.
Dust with sifted icing sugar before serving.
Notes
When measuring the golden syrup, use a spoon and measuring cup that has been rinsed with boiling hot water. This will stop the syrup from sticking quite as much.
These saffron butter cookies are a firm favourite in our household. It is a traditional butter cookie recipe I learnt at Home Economics at High School, with the addition of powdered saffron and crushed pistachio nuts giving it a Persian twist.
The trick with this recipe is to make sure that the butter and sugar is well creamed and light an fluffy. An orbital mixer makes this easy to achieve.
The more crushed pistachio nuts on the top the better. These light Saffron Butter cookies are great with Persian Tea.
Saffron Butter Cookies
These saffron butter cookies are a firm favourite in our household. It is a traditional butter cookie recipe I learnt at Home economics at High School, with the addition of powdered saffron and crushed pistachio nuts. A delicious light butter cookie. Great to have with some Persian Tea.
I have been discovering different ways to use salap and creating various flavors of ice cream. Chocolate Banana Ice Cream is great way of including fruit in a yummy desert.
Evaporated milk is a basic in many older recipes in Australia and combined with salap adds a different flavor and texture to the traditional ice cream. The salap adds that marshmallow effect that adds that Persian twist.
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
An easy, delightful use of bananas. Chocolate Banana Ice cream is a firm favorite.
