Editor’s note: Fans of The Great British Baking Show are bound to know talented baker Chetna Makan, who was a semi-finalist on Series 5 of the show. Chetna is known for her unique recipes, which introduce colorful spices and other Indian ingredients into traditional Western baked goods. This recipe comes from the latest version of her book The Cardamom Trail: Delicious Bakes Inspired by India (Mitchell Beazley, 2021), and here’s what she says about these warmly spiced cookies:
Clove is a great spice to use, but it’s rather underrated. Pairing it with cinnamon – as in Christmas mince pies and mulled wine, or a festive biryani – gives a touch of magic to these lovely cookies. Chocolate and pistachio nuts add creaminess. I think you’ll find everything comes together beautifully.
Makes 40 cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (175 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) dark muscovado sugar
- 6 tablespoons (7 5grams) superfine granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 cups (250 grams) self-raising flour*
- 1 cup (175 grams) chocolate chips
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (175 grams) pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
*Note: self-raising flour is available in most supermarkets, but you can also make your own. For each cup of flour, whisk flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Line 2 baking trays with nonstick baking paper.
- Cream the butter, sugars and spices together with an electric whisk or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and creamy. Mix in the whole egg and yolk. Now add the flour, chocolate chips and all but a handful of the chopped pistachios and mix to bring the dough together.
- Roughly shape a big tablespoonful of the mixture into a ball and put a few of the reserved chopped pistachios on top. Place this ball on a lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough, leaving enough space between them for the cookies to spread during cooking. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the cookies start to color but are still chewy in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
