Garam masala is a spice blend common in Indian cuisine. It contains a variety of spices including but not limited to cumin, peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. These cookies honor the ancient complexity of Indian spices. They are soft, chewy and leave a spiciness on the palate. I used elephant cookie cutters and mukhwas to decorate.
Ingredients
Mukhwas are a mixture of fennel, sugar and other spices that aid in digestion and also make perfect cookie decoration.
1.75 cups AP flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 T and 2 tsp of garam masala spice mixture
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
6 T butter, chilled
6 T molasses
For cookies…
1) Preheat oven to 300 degree F.
2) Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and ground spices until combined. Cut in butter until dough has a Parmesan-like consistency. Add molasses and mix until combined. Knead together until dough firms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.
3) Roll half of dough on a lightly flour surface, or between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick. Using any cookie cutter use choose, cut cookies out of dough and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
4) Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
5) Prepare icing by mixing one cup sifted powder sugar, 2 T milk, 2 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp almond extract in a small bowl.
6) Ice cookies to your liking and sprinkle with mukhwas (Indian sprinkles)
Cookie Chronicles 