EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY
THEME: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AROUND THE WORLD
RECIPE: KARACHI BISCUITS
Karachi Biscuits are soft and melt in the mouth kind of cookies or biscuits. Easy to make, they are studded with tutti frutti and flavoured with cardamom and rose essence. Generally, these cookies are enjoyed throughout the year with a cup of masala tea. However, I love to make them for Diwali and Christmas. In fact, they are perfect to gift to friends and family.
Why Are They Called Karachi Biscuits?
To begin with these biscuits or cookies are not at all from Karachi. They are famous biscuits from Karachi Bakery that is located in the city of Hyderabad, India. As a matter of fact, Khanchand Ramnani, a Sindhi who migrated from Karachi to Hyderabad during the partition, started the first Karachi Bakery in Moazzam Jahi Market. In particular, he baked and sold biscuits with tutti frutti and custard powder. Consequently, over time, branches were opened up in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. In fact, these biscuits are also known as Hyderabadi Fruit Cookies.
What Is So Good About These Biscuits?
Firstly these buttery cookies do not contain any baking agent.
Secondly they are fruity. Tutti frutti is added to the dough, speckles of red, green, yellow show up against the light cream background.
Thirdly, Rose essence and cardamom are added to the dough to give it an exotic taste. Some omit rose essence like I did.
Lastly, these deliciously cookies are so easy to make.
Shape them round or square?
In general, whichever you prefer. I sometimes make them round or square.
What Is Tutti Frutti?
Tutti Frutti is an Italian word for all fruits. Fruit pieces are candied with natural or artificial flavourings. Different kinds of fruits like pineapple, berries,cherries, watermelon, papaya, etc are used to make this confectionery. In India, tutti frutti is usually made from raw papaya. The fruit pieces are coloured and candied. I like to use glace cherries which usually are available in red and green colours.
Christmas Cookie Ideas From My Blog
Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread
SUNDAY FUNDAY
Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.
Theme: Christmas Cookies Around The World
This week’s theme was suggested by Wendy Klik who blogs at A Day In The Life On A Farm. Specifically,she suggested “I love learning traditions of other countries through cooking and baking. Share a traditional Christmas cookie from somewhere around the World that is special to you and tell us why it brings you fond memories.”
As a result, this theme gives me the opportunity to showcase Karachi Biscuits that have been enjoyed all over India by millions. I remember a few years back when hubby had a medical conference in Hyderabad, he joked ” shall I bring some biryani for you?” My reply ” nope, I rather you brought back some Karachi or Hyderabadi Biscuits”. And sure enough, he came back with a box. Since then I’ve wanted to bake them at home.
This post was first published on 16/08/2016. Updated on 05/12/2021
Christmas Cookies By Members of Sunday Funday
- Sneha’s Recipe presents Cashew Cherry Cookies
- Palatable Pastime serves up Chinese Almond Cookies
- Culinary Adventures with Camilla gives us Hojarascas (Mexican Shortbread Cookies)
- Mayuri’s Jikoni shares Karachi Biscuits
- A Good Life plates Mexican Tea Cookies
- A Day in the Life on the Farm discovers South African Double Crunchers
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures has Stained Glass Ornament Cookies with Orange & Cinnamon
- Making Miracles presents Swedish Snowball Cookies
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories gives us Zimsterne – German Christmas Cookies
Ingredients Required For Karachi Biscuits
- Flour – usually plain or all purpose flour is used. However, I’ve replaced it with wheat flour. Best to use the wheat flour that we generally buy for rotis and parathas or buy wheat pastry flour.
- Custard Powder or Cornflour – as I didn’t have custard powder, I used cornflour. Use any of your preference. Adding either makes the biscuits soft.
- Butter – usually salted butter is used.
- Powdered Sugar – either grind the sugar at home or use confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar).
- Milk – for binding the dough
- Tutti Frutti – chopped candied fruit. I have used glace cherries
- Nuts – addition of nuts is optional. I have used a mixed of chopped almonds and cashew nuts.
- Cardamom Powder – elachi.
- Rose Essence – optional.
Watch How To Make Karachi Biscuits
KARACHI BISCUITS
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat flour
- 6 tbsp cornflour or custard powder
- 200 g salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup tutti frutti
- ½ tsp rose essence optional
Instructions
- Sift flour, cornflour and cardamom powder together in a mixing bowl.
- Add about 2 tbsp of the sifted flour mixture to the tutti frutti and mix well.
- Put butter and sugar in a big mixing bowl. Cream sugar and butter with a whip or spoon till it becomes soft and appears a little white.
- Add milk and whip well.
- Add the flour mixture. Mix using a spatula.
- Add tutti frutti.
- Using your hands, form a dough. It should be soft.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime get the cling film,foil or plastic sheets ready to wrap the dough.
- Divide the dough into 4-6 parts.
- Gently roll each part into a long thick cylinder or log shape. The diameter is about 1-1½ inches.
- Wrap it up in the plastic sheet,foil or cling film.
- Leave the dough in the fridge for 30-60 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grease baking trays lightly with butter.
- Cut the dough into slices about ¼" thick.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes till the edges appear light brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven.
- Leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes.
- Then slowly remove them from the tray and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Store the cookies in an airtight jar.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife to cut the slices.
- Don't over bake these cookies. At first they will appear soft but on cooling they become crunchy.
- Replace rose essence with any essence of your choice.
- The number of cookies you get from the dough will depend on how thick or thin you roll the dough into a long rope or cylinder. I made small ones.
- These cookies taste so delicious with masala tea.
Pin For Later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962