Anytime the weather starts to get a chill all I want to do is bake. As of lately, most things have been making in the kitchen have been influenced by other countries with exotic tastes. With a cooking background in Ayurveda, the spice love is high for me but i have been wanting to branch out to other combinations of blending flavors. One that has been really awake for me currently is the place of my families origin. My father is from Iran and that cultures spice influence has always been something that would show up for me but now more than ever have I actually taken the time to study Irans art. The culture is so rich in flavor and colors, everything is so alive and the way they present dishes are so stimulating to all of the senses in my body, it’s hard to ever resist.
Photo by Yeganeh Shahpourzadeh on Unsplash
Unfortunately, just like every culture, there is a side that is not the best and with that, the ways Iran is currently is not a place for me to yet experience. Cooking has been a way that I can feel like I’m more involved and integrated in my roots, helping me understand some of thy families history and really getting to embody the wisdom from it all. Food is becoming so much more than nutrition to me now. It is a way of connecting to my ancestors and understanding the ways of their celebrations, creations, and also the way of the land, the environment they started on. Getting lost in all of the ways that were so sacred and simple for them is a gift that I am forever grateful for. Food is connection. It brings connection and helps us find it within the soil, in our bodies, and with the roots of all life.
For Iran, one of the most familiarized flavors are Rose, Sumac, Cardamon, and the use of Barberries. They are rich in the colors of pinks, reds, creams, and greens. Your eyes will never be bored with their cuisine. When I adapted this cookie recipe, I tried to just imagine the colors and aromas of their other desserts. Rose, Cardamon, Pistachio. That was what did it. Now for the recipe:
Cardamon Rose Cookie
350 degree F
1 1/2 cup Almond flour
3 Tb Coconut flour
1/4 cup Coconut or Date palm sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 tsp Cardamon
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Ghee or Coconut oil
1 spoonful of a Coconut yogurt (plain)
2 tsp Vanilla
3 Tble chopped Pistachos unsalted
2 Tbl pure Rose water
Mix the drys together, leave out the nuts
Mix the wets together (make sure oil or ghee is melted)
Then with a spatula, mix them together till the drys almost disappear. At that point, fold in the pistachio pieces.
Using a small cookie scoop, make little dough balls on a lined sheet pan. Give them a gentle press but not touch because they should spread more on their own. I like to sprinkle some cinnamon on top before I press down so they become like a snickerdoodle.
Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 14 mins.
if the batter doesn’t hold together well or to sticky, add a little more almond flour.
Once baked, let them cool completely or they will fall apart. I like to then top them with more dried rose petals. Enjoy!