Naan Khatai

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 25 minutes
Makes : One dozen cookies

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter – 1/2 cup at room temperature
Powdered Sugar – 1/2 cup
Nutmeg Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 300° F or 150° C.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar (little at a time) with the softened butter until mixture is light and creamy.
3. Add nutmeg powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift maida with baking powder and salt.
5. Combine flour mixture (little at a time) with butter mixture to form a soft dough.
6. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
7. Knead dough once again and divide into 12 equal portions.
8. Roll each portion into a smooth ball with no cracks and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax/parchment paper or lightly greased foil. Leave ample space between dough balls.
9. Bake on the middle rack for 22-25 minutes (keep a close eye – nan khatai should remain white).
10. Remove from oven and let the nan khatai cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before eating.
11. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Note

1. If you find the dough is a little too soft, place it in the refrigerator. In places like Chennai where it is perennially hot, the dough's texture changes. So this is required. 

2. Alternately you can add a little more flour.