1tspRose/ Pineapple essence , ( I prefer rose essence )
3 - 5TbspsMilk
Instructions
In a bowl take butter and sugar powder . Whisk well until its creamy and fluffy .
Now add 3 tbsp milk and rose essence and mix well .
In another bowl , sieve maida , custard powder and baking powder .
To the sieved mix , add tutti frutti and chopped cashews. Mix well .
Now add this maida mix to the beaten butter mix. Add dry ingredient to the wet ingredient in 2- 3 batches and with a help of whisk/ spatula / hand make a dough .No need to knead the dough much you just have to make a dough .if the dough is crumbly , add 1 more tbsp milk .the dough has to be non sticky.
Divide the dough into 2 parts and roll the dough to cylindrical log shape and wrap it in polythene cover / cling film .Refrigerate the covered logs for 2-3 hours / till they become hard .
After 2-3 hours , remove the log and cut into 1/2 inch thick roundels.Use a sharp knife else the cookies may break while cutting .
Preheat the oven at 180c for 10 minutes .
Arrange the cookies on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave some space in between .
Place the tray in the middle rack and bake the cookies in 180 c for 15 min / till the edges starts getting golden brown .
Remove the cookies from the tray and let it cool completely.Initially they look soft when hot but after 30-40 mins , they will become crunchy and tasty only after they are cooled completely.
Store the cookies in an air tight container and relish !!! Stays good for atleast 5-6 days ( it gets vanished before that !! )
Notes
As a variation you can add orange juice instead of milk and orange zest instead of essence.
If you don't have tutti fruttis you may replace it with cashews , nuts , raisins etc .
Keeping the cookie dough in the fridge will harden it. You can cut into desired shape later easily .
Use a sharp knife to get a smooth finish on the cookies.While cutting the cookies,cookies may crumble lightly. Use your fingers and press gently on the cracks. It will be fine.
The baking time may vary a bit . You should bake till the sides of cookie turn golden brown .it may take 15-20 mins depending on your oven.
increase the butter quantity to 3/4th cup if you are ok for more better texture .
Don't add 5 tbsp of milk at once. We dont want our dough to become moist. Add 3 tbsp first and later if required add 1-2 tbsp more.