KARACHI BISCUITS - HYDERABADI TUTTI FRUTTI BISCUITS

      I love Cookies, Biscuits, Ice Creams etc., with loads of Nuts and least to mention my love for Tutti Frutti. Tutti Frutti is basically Candied Raw Papaya and is very commonly used in India in baked goods, Pastries, Ice Creams, Puddings & Desserts. Least to mention their unavoidable role in Christmas Fruit Cakes. When I made Tutti Frutti at home for Christmas Fruit Cake, I had quite a few left that I had few other recipes with Tutti Frutti in mind and these cookies were one among them.

      These Karachi Biscuits are eggless cookies filled with Tutti Frutti, Cashew Nuts and flavoured with Cardamom or Rose Essence which gives a unique flavour to these Cookies.  Once baked these Karachi Biscuits turn out to be Soft & Crumbly with a wonderful Desi note of Cardamoms.  This recipe is pretty simple and straight forward and does not use any leavening agent or egg.

     You have to make a soft dough with Butter, Powdered Sugar, All-Purpose Flour and Custard Powder.  Custard Powder is basically Corn flour flavoured with Vanilla, which helps you yield soft and crumbly Cookies. You can flavour these Karachi Biscuits with Rose Essence or Cardamom Powder.  Even some recipes call for adding Pineapple Essence.  I have used homemade Tutti Frutti in this recipe can also add few Candied Orange Peels or Orange Zest if you like a citrusy note in these Biscuits. I have added Cashewnuts in these Biscuits can substitute it with Almonds or Pistachios.

      These Karachi Biscuits are little soft when baked but crisp up as they cool down. First time when I baked these Biscuits I waited for a little longer as I felt these biscuits to be undercooked.  Which happened to be a big mistake.  It turned out to be hard when it cooled.  So remove the Biscuits from the oven when it is still soft and also the colour shouldn't change.

     If you are in the mood for a simple & foolproof Cookies then this Karachi Biscuits would surely fall under that category.  And above all, if you love Tutti Frutti & Nuts then these Cookies are sure to fascinate your taste buds. Enjoy them with a cup of hot-hot Coffee or Tea!!!


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Recipe Type - Cookies, Snacks
Difficulty - Easy
Yields - 25 - 30 Cookies
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes
Baking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes for 1 Batch

For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE TUTTI FRUTTI, Click here...

HOW TO BAKE KARACHI BISCUITS

KARACHI BISCUITS - HYDERABADI TUTTI FRUTTI BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS:

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup
Powdered Sugar - 1 Cup
All-Purpose Flour - 11/2 Cups
Custard Powder -1/2 Cup
Baking Powder - 1 Tspn
Salt - a Pinch
Cashew Nuts - 4 Tbspn
Tutti Frutti - 4 Tbspn

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 Tspn(Optional)

Rose Essence - few Drops(Optional)

Milk - 1/4 Cup

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven at 180° Celsius for about 10 minutes.
• Finely chop the Cashew Nuts and keep it aside.
• Powder one Cup of Sugar and keep it aside. 
• Combine All-purpose Flour, Custard Powder, Baking Powder, Salt and sift it once & keep it aside.
• Let the Butter be at room temperature.
• In a bowl soften the Butter using a hand mixer.
• Once the butter is softened, add the Powdered Sugar and whisk it using a hand mixer.
• Mix it in medium speed until both the ingredients are well combined and soft. 
• Add the sifted flour mixture to the Butter-Sugar Mix and give a quick stir using a rubber spatula.
• Add the chopped Cashew Nuts & Tutti Frutti to the above mixture and mix well.
• Pour in 1/4 Cup of Milk.
• Gently mix it to form a soft dough using your hands.

• Roll it out into cylindrical shape and make it into a rectangular shape patting on the side.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and make logs out of it.
• Wrap the logs with a cling sheet tightly and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours or until you bake them.

NOTES :

• Use Butter at room temperature, it should not be melted. 
• Use your preferred flavouring agent - Cardamom/Rose Essence/Pineapple Essence.
• I have used Homemade Tutti Frutti(just the red coloured ones) in these Biscuits.
• Can add your preferred coloured Tutti Frutties and also can add few Candied Orange Peels if you prefer a mild citrusy note in these Cookies.
• Can substituting Cashew nuts with Almonds.
• The Cookie dough should be soft and not crumbly.
• The texture of the cookie dough should be firm so that you can get the desired shape.
• Leave it in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hour or freeze it for about 10-20 minutes or until the dough is firm enough.
• The Climatic condition of the region you live also affects the firmness of the dough.
• You can leave the dough in the refrigerator until you bake the cookies to get the desired firmness.
• This will help prevent the cookies from spreading – they’ll bake up thick and retain the shape. 
• If the dough is not firm enough the butter in the dough would melt & may turn the Cookies crunchy, which is not the needed texture of these Karachi Biscuits.
• Baking time totally depends on the type of Oven used.  Adjust accordingly. 
• And the most important fact - take it out from the Oven when it starts to become firm but yet slightly undercooked(soft to touch), if you prefer a soft & crumbly Karachi Biscuits.