SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

If you need some biscuit or cookie inspiration. look no further than these Saffron and Pistachio Shortbreads. The crumbliest and melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbreads are flavoured with saffron and powdered pistachio, reflecting the popular Indian Kesar Pista combination. 

 

SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO / KESAR PISTA SHORTBREAD

I love desserts with saffron and pistachio. They are quintessentially Indian and the flavours can be used in a variety of sweet recipes. 

Kesar Pista Ice Cream in the summertime is one of my personal favourites!

Kesar Pista Coconut Ladoo is great for special occasions. 

You can also add badam or almond to the flavours like we have done with Kesar, Badam Pista Barfi

I had in mind to make saffron and pistachio biscuits of some sort during Diwali but the recipe got delayed. I then gave these a go with shortbread and couldn't be happier with the results.

Why these are the best buttery shortbread cookies ever!

I am a huge fan of shortbread. I remember first trying proper Scottish Shortbread during a trip to Edinburgh for Hogmanay. I instantly fell in love! 

The shortbread were light and buttery. The texture is so different to supermarket shortbread. Supermarket shortbread tends to be harder but these shortbreads, shaped in petticoat tails, were extremely melt-in-the-mouth.

This recipe also achieves similar textures with a pop of flavour. 

Kesar Pista Shortbread/Saffron Pistachio Shortbread

✔️ are egg-free and can be made nut-free too

✔️ are buttery, crumbly and Melt-in-the-mouth 

✔️ only need 5 basic pantry ingredients 

✔️ perfect for the holidays and gifting 

✔️ bite-size 

Perfect at Diwali

This shortbread, with their addition of traditional saffron and pistachio, would go wonderfully as an addition to Diwali sweets. They would also be perfect during Ramadan and Eid. 

Check out our 19 Best Barfi Peda recipes for more Diwali inspiration. 

Perfect over Christmas

Bake these over Christmas with the family and revel in the wonderful warm aroma of the aromatic expensive spice Saffron. 

Ingredients:

● Plain flour - we have used white plain flour also known as All-Purpose flour. You may use whole wheat flour (chapati atta) but the results won't be the same as plain flour. Shortbread made with whole wheat flour turns out dense and not as flaky. 

● Sugar - golden caster sugar, which is more finely ground than regular granulated sugar. It dissolves quicker than normal sugar in creamed mixtures, whips and more.

● Unsalted butter works best for shortbreads. For an authentic recipe do not replace butter with oil. 

● Pistachio - we have ground the pistachio finely and added to the recipe. Do not use salted pistachios as they will not work in a sweet recipe.

● Saffron - use saffron threads. For a cheaper alternative, you can use safflower 

We have used dried rose petals for photographic purpose only. 

How to make Shortbread

1- In a big bowl take chilled cubed butter, flour, sugar and saffron threads. 

2- Use your fingertips to combine all the ingredients until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

3- Then bring it together using your hands and make a ball. 

4- Wrap the dough in the clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

5- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, keep the thickness around 1/2cm. 

6- Cut the dough into a desired shape or fingers and arrange them on a lined baking tray, chill for 10-15 minutes.

7- Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 3-4 or 350F. 

8- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or just getting a little brown. 

9- Remove them from the oven and sprinkle it with finely ground pistachios, leave it to cool completely. 

Making the dough ahead of time

You can make the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge. 

I would say around a day before is fine. 

Shortbread Shapes

Traditional shortbreads are shaped in 3 ways: fingers or shortbread rounds or petticoat tails (one large circle of shortbread divided into segments)

I also underwent much deliberation with shapes for the shortbread and in the end settled with this design using a cookie cutter, but you can use any shape. 

Ways to decorate this shortbread

I was undecided as how to decorate this shortbread and flitted between keeping them plain or adding some icing. In the end, I decided to sprinkle some with pistachio powder. 

Don't want to use nuts? Decorate using chocolate. Just dip a half side of completely cooled shortbread in melted chocolate. It can be white, milk, dark or ruby. 

Tips

Don't skimp on ingredients, especially butter. 

Make sure you use chilled and cubed butter.

Must chill the dough in the refrigerator, before and after cutting into the shape so they don't spread whilst baking. 

Storage

I have found that this shortbread softens very quickly so do not make a large batch and store away but eaten within a day or so. 

Keep stored in a biscuit tin.

Serving 

These moreish shortbreads are best served with a cup of Masala Chai or Karak Chai in the mid-morning but they are equally good with homemade billionaire's latte in the afternoon too. 

I sometimes love to have a couple with our Kesar badam milk 😄

Other egg-free cookies

Nankhatai

Linzer cookies

Coconut and cardamom whole wheat cookies

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shortbread, saffron, pistachio, holiday cookies, eggfree cookies, vegetarian baking, Christmas baking, easy shortbread

Snacks, desserts

British

Yield: 20-22 COOKIES

Author: Hayley Dhanecha

Print

SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

The crumbliest and melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbreads are flavoured with saffron and powdered pistachio, reflecting the popular Indian Kesar Pista combination.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 Mininactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Ingredients

Equipment/Tools

• Bowl
• Cookie-cutter
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• oven

SHORTBREAD

• 300g plain flour - 1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.
• 200g unsalted butter - 3/4 cup + 2tbsp.
• 100g caster sugar - 1/2 cup.
• Big pinch of saffron threads
• 2-3 tbsp. finely ground pistachio 

Instructions

1. Place butter, sugar, saffron and flour in a big bowl.
2. Run everything together using your fingertips.
3. Then bring it together using your hands to make a dough.
4. Wrap it in the cling film and chill 30 minutes in the fridge. 
5. Roll out the dough into 1/2 cm thickness on the lightly floured surface.
6. Cut into the desired shape and place them on the lined baking tray.
7. Chill for 10-15 minutes in the fridge again.
8. Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 4.
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
10. Remove and sprinkle pistachio and let it cool completely.
11. Serve right away or store.

Notes:

1 cup = 250ml

make sure the butter is chilled.

do not forget to chill the dough before and after shaping the cookies.

dried rose petals are sprinkled illustrated purpose only.

Calories

236.06

Fat (grams)

14.32

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.97

Carbs (grams)

25.96

Fiber (grams)

0.79

Net carbs

25.17

Sugar (grams)

12.55

Protein (grams)

2.28

Sodium (milligrams)

78.41

Cholesterol (grams)

21.50

The nutritional information provided is an approximation calculated by an online calculator. Please consult a professional dietitian for nutritional advice.

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