Bakarkhani Cake
A rich, yeast-leavened delicacy that bridges the gap between a cookie and a pastry, featuring a decadent blend of ground almonds, ghee, and wheat flour. Shaped into traditional horseshoes and topped with poppy seeds, these "cakes" offer a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture with a nutty aroma. Perfect for tea time, they are baked to a golden crisp in a moderate oven.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Wheat flour (Maida) (Originally 'Mill's No. 1 Wheat Flour Ratal 0.5'.)
- 1 cup Whole milk (Originally 'Sher 0.5'. Used for mixing dough and grinding almonds.)
- 1 cup Ghee (Clarified Butter) (Originally 'Sher 0.5'. Can substitute with butter.)
- 1 cup Almonds (Originally 'Sher 0.5'. Fresh almonds, blanched and peeled.)
- 1 tablespoon Active dry yeast (Originally 'Country yeast 3 Tolas'. Substituted with modern active dry yeast.)
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Originally '1 flat spoonful'.)
- 1 whole Egg (Fresh egg.)
- 2 tablespoons Poppy seeds (Originally 'as needed'.)
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Instructions
- 1Blanch and peel the almonds. Grind them finely with a small amount of the milk to create a smooth paste. Divide this almond paste into three equal parts. Set one part aside for topping later, and keep the other two parts for the dough.
- 2Place the wheat flour in a large mixing bowl (originally a tinned vessel). Add the remaining milk gradually, mixing well to ensure no lumps remain. Add the two parts of almond paste (reserved for the dough), the ghee, yeast, salt, and the egg. Mix everything thoroughly until combined into a uniform dough.
- 3Cover the dough and place it in a warm spot (originally described as 'two miles distance from the stove', implying gentle warmth) for 2 hours to allow the yeast to work and the dough to rise.
- 4Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). After the dough has risen, shape portions into flat cakes resembling horse-shoes. Spread the reserved third part of the almond paste over the top of each cake and sprinkle generously with poppy seeds.
- 5Place the shaped cakes on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated moderate oven (350°F / 175°C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
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