Recipe: Mahleb Spice Butter Cookies
For those of you who haven’t yet heard of mahleb spice, it’s one that’s made by grinding up cherry stones from St Lucy’s cherry trees. Native to North Europe, Iran, and Central Asia, it’s a spice that’s perfect for use in dairy-based desserts. Here we look at one such mouth-watering treat - fabulous mahleb butter cookies.
When tasted, mahleb gives cookies like these a truly homely feel and one that will keep you coming back for more. To some, they’re the ultimate comfort food, but to others, they represent treats that make you think of your Mom. The great news is, we’re about to give you the recipe to make them yourself!
Mahleb Spice & Other Required Ingredients
Our recipe is one that takes around 35 minutes from start to finish and will produce in the region of 25 cookies. In truth, this is a really simple recipe, with the hardest part is leaving them until they’re ready before trying one.
The ingredients you’ll need include:
- 1 lb of butter, stored at room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar (granulated)
- 2 averagely sized eggs
- 4 cups of standard self-raising flour
- ½ cup of black seeds
- 2 teaspoons of ground mahleb
Obviously, most of the ingredients mentioned are easily sourced from your local supermarket. However, the key element here is mahleb and if you’re finding it hard to source, it’s available from the Little Istanbul Gifts Shop.
Putting it All Together For Glorious Results
So, now we get to the interesting part - putting everything together. It’s where the magic happens. So, let’s get started on doing just that.
Ok, so first off, you’ll be preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees centigrade). This should take around 10 minutes, depending on your cooker.
Time For Some Elbow Grease
Next, we’ll take our sugar and butter and blend them until you get a light and fluffy consistency. Ideally, you’ll be doing this with an electric blender, but if that’s not possible, you’re going to need some elbow grease. This should take around 5 minutes - or maybe a few more to allow your arm to recover!
Once it has the correct fluffy texture, you’ll be adding in the rest of your ingredients, including your mahleb spice. After everything has been added, you will see it turn into a dough-like mixture. That’s when you know it’s time to stop.
Shape Your Mahleb Cookies
Now your cookies will really start to take shape, as you roll your dough into 1-inch balls and press them flat. This should make each cookie just the right size.
As we mentioned earlier, you will have roughly 25 cookies at the end, which should just about fit on a decent-sized baking tray. It’s then time to pop them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Also to take account of any that haven’t completely cooked through, then turn them all over and bake for another 5 minutes.
The result should be cookies with glorious golden color and by now, you might be salivating as they’re going to smell pretty amazing! Leave to cool and then enjoy!
Easy to Make But Incredible Nonetheless
Mahleb spice cookies are simply wonderful and they’re really easy to make too - as we’ve seen here. In just over half an hour, you can make treats that will delight everyone that tries them.
Mahleb is just one of the dozens of amazing herbs and spices that can be found in the Little Istanbul Gifts shop. From exotic saffron to marjoram and mustard seeds, we have something to suit every taste.
So, why not pop along and see what we have in store to add a new dimension to your home cuisine? Obtained from high-quality sources around the world, we’ve got a wide range on offer and we’re sure you’ll see something you’ll like.
So, why not pay a visit there yourself today and see what wonders await you?
