Sugar Cakes (Khand Na Cake)
These traditional Parsi sugar cakes are essentially rich, buttery shortbread-style biscuits delicately flavored with rose water. Made with a classic ratio of flour, butter, and sugar, and enriched with thick cream and egg yolk, they bake into golden, crumbly treats reminiscent of English tea biscuits. The dough is rolled quite thick, creating a substantial and satisfying cookie that is perfect for dipping into hot tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound All-purpose flour (Originally 'Mill's No. 1 wheat flour'.)
- 1/4 pound Powdered sugar (Originally 'sundeli khand' (refined sugar).)
- 1/4 pound Butter (Plus extra for greasing.)
- 2 teaspoons Heavy cream (Originally 'thick milk cream', heaping spoons.)
- 1 yolk Egg yolk (Originally 'dal of 1 fresh egg'.)
- 1 tablespoon Rose water (For washing/flavoring the butter. Quantity estimated.)
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Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking sheet or biscuit tray with a little butter or ghee.
- 2Place the butter in a small bowl with the rose water. Press and knead the butter briefly in the liquid to 'wash' and flavor it, then drain off any excess liquid.
- 3In a large mixing bowl or platter, combine the flour and the prepared rose-scented butter. Mix well until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and mix again. In a separate small cup, whisk the egg yolk with the heavy cream until smooth, then add this mixture to the flour. Knead gently to form a cohesive dough.
- 4Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into small rounds using a small glass or cookie cutter, or form small balls and flatten them on your palm to the same thickness. Place the cakes on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Bake in the preheated moderate oven (350°F/175°C) for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. They will resemble English biscuits.
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