Masala Doodh (Milk) Marbled Cookies

Method:

Masala Doodh spice mixture:

1. Grind all the ingredients in a high speed blender until fine. Remove contents into a bottle and store for upto 6 months.

Marbled Cookies:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, doodh masala, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, add the butter and granulated sugar. Start mixing on slow, gradually increasing the speed to high. Mix until it is light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. It should be a pale yellow in color.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, whisk to combine.
4. Using a rubber spatula, clean the sides of the bowl, and bring the butter mixture into the middle of the bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, and whisk until combined. Mix until just combined.
6. Divide the dough into 2 parts, onto 2 plastic wraps. Wrap tightly and combine to form a disc. (Each disc should weigh about 495 grams). Let rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8. Place 2 baking sheets with parchment paper on the side.
9. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Put additional flour on top of the dough and start rolling it into about a ¼ inch disc. Using the cutter or any cutter of your choice, dip it in the excess flour and start cutting out shapes. Collect the leftover dough, combine, use additional flour to aid with rolling out the dough and repeat the process of cutting out more cookies, until no dough is left.
10. Place the shapes on the parchment paper, on the baking sheet. You may need an additional baking sheet. I usually put about 12 to 14 cookies on one baking sheet.
11. Put one tray at a time in the bottom rack for about 12 to 13 minutes in total, or until golden brown around the edges.
12. At the halfway mark, turn the tray to brown all the cookies evenly.
13. Remove the trays after 12 to 13 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
14. Repeat the process for the second disc of the dough steps 9 – 13.

Marble Decoration:

1. In a medium bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar and 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk until well combined and no sugar lumps are found. Ensure that the consistency is slightly thinner than glue. It should not be thick and not thin as well. If it is thick add a teaspoon of water at a time, upto 2 teaspoons of water, to thin it out slightly. If it is too thin, add ¼ cup of additional confectioner’s sugar at a time until it is the right consistency.
2. Using a separate toothpick for both the pink and the orange, add a smidge of pink, and a smidge of orange. Using a toothpick, make swirls in the sugar mixture to form a nice pattern. Do not overdo it.
3. Take a cookie, dip it upside down, straight onto the mixture. Drain off excess by gently nudging the cookie up and down, on top of the bowl to let the excess drop back into the bowl.
4. Place the cookie onto the wire rack. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
5. Let all cookies completely dry for about an hour.
6. Take about 2 to 4 drops of the gold color, in a small bowl. Using the paint brush, dip it into the gold, flick with a finger of the other hand, onto each cookie to make droplets on each cookie for a pretty festive look.
7. Repeat for all the cookies! Let dry completely for about an hour.

Storage:

1. Store the cookies in an airtight container, for upto 2 weeks.
2. The unbaked cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for upto a week. Remove it about half an hour before baking to soften slightly, so it is easy to roll it out.
3. You can even bake off each disc on separate days.