Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies

Did you all have a good New Year's celebration? Made your resolutions? As for this blog, read on.

When I wish family and friends "A Very Happy Prosperous New Year" it seems a bit contradictory sometimes. I am sure you are wondering if I have come down with something. Bear with me as I explain myself.

Prosperity is a loaded term. But what exactly does prosperous mean? Does having a lot money mean prosperity or is it something else altogether? Let's just take the literal meaning good fortune. To prosper you have to work hard, very hard actually unless you were Paris Hilton and bequeathed with a lot of fortune.

Yes, US is supposedly a prosperous country. I am not really sure if that is a true statement anymore with all the borrowing and debt. Though it is certain that this prosperity has come at a huge cost. I personally feel this and I bet so are many others who are taking on more and more load hoping for that promotion or the big bonus.

Americans work some of the longest hours in the Western World while enjoying some of the fewest vacation days. Modern gadgets have tethered the American worker to his job even more. Add to this the hours spent on the road , the work day easily stretches to 10 hours or more.

Does earning more translate to more happiness. Apparently not. Research says that happiness peaks at $75,000 annual income. More apparently does not necessarily mean more happiness. If all the sacrifices made to achieve more is added into the mix I am not sure where the happiness index will stand.

What is lost in all this rush to make more and buy more is quality of life. We spend fewer hours doing things that really does bring happiness.

This year I am hoping to explore those issues that directly or indirectly affect quality of life, perhaps using the goings on in my life.

It is perhaps time for the government to step in and do something but that is never going to happen not in this country. Working long hours will somehow be linked to freedom and god given right and democracy. Read this article though - Less Work, More Life.

I had promised to make cookies for the kids over the holidays and had bookmarked a recipe in the Washington Post. I have not achieved 100% success with baking in all these years. This recipe is no different. I also know with butter, sugar and flour there is not much that can go wrong with the taste. While baking cookies especially shaping each one to be the same size matters a lot and also using the correct baking sheet and rack position in the oven also matters.

Don't go by the looks, these cookies are very tasty and very addictive, so for the bakers out there, this recipe might do wonders in your hands so give it a go.

The original recipe is vegan. I substituted the butter substitute with butter and almond milk with regular milk.

Recipe Source: Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies

Pistachio and Cardamom Cookies
Ingredients
1. 2 2/3 Cups Unbleached all purpose Flour
2. 1/2 cup raw sugar (run through a blender once, I did not do it) + 1/4 cup honey
3. 2 tsp crushed roasted unsalted pistachio
4. 1/4 cup milk
5. 2 cups butter
6. 1 tsp vanilla extract
7. 1 tsp lemon zest
8. 2 tsp powdered cardamom

Method
1. Beat the sugar with the butter for 3-4 minutes till nice and smooth (DD2 beat for at least twice that amount of time) Add the vanilla and beat for a minute more
2. Stir in the lemon zest, milk and pistachios and gently mix it in to the butter mixture
3. Sift the flour, add the cardamom and slowly add it to the butter mixture, gently mixing it in with a spatula to form a soft dough
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. I chilled it for 4 hours
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place a tbsp of dough an inch apart, makes approximately 40 and gently flatten the dough with hand.
7. Place the cookie sheet in the top most rack and bake for 13-15 minutes in batches
8. Leave it in cookie sheet for another 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool

Buttery and soft, these cookies were tasty and delicious.