Introduction: Galaxy & Amethyst Geode Nankhatai

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About: I'm a Multi-media Artist. Pursuing Film Production. Especially passionate about the art department of film productions. I just want to create.

A Mystical Twist on an Indian Classic

Nankhatai are a beloved eggless Indian traditional shortbread cookies that are known for their rich, buttery taste, crumbly texture, and melt-in-the-mouth quality. They are delicately spiced with nutmeg, cardamom, saffron and vanilla which is such an interesting flavour profile. For this cookies contest, I wanted to honour its heritage while reimagining its visuals to be striking and otherworldly, almost like edible art.

I have always found Amethyst Geodes and the Starry galaxy fascinating. So my entire project is inspired by these aesthetics. I'm going to try creating Galaxy Nankhatai (swirling purple, blue, pink with starlike details) and Amethyst Geode Nankhatai (with sugar Crystal details and gold foil finishing)

Supplies

Ingredients

For the Dough

  1. 80 g caster sugar
  2. A pinch of saffron
  3. 4 cardamom pods, peel and finely ground them
  4. Nutmeg, Grate a few times
  5. ½ cup ghee (clarified butter), room temperature
  6. ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
  7. 1 cup wheat flour or baking flour
  8. 1 cup gram flour (besan)
  9. 1 cup semolina (sooji)
  10. 2 tbsp vanilla extract
  11. 1 tbsp baking powder
  12. Pink, blue, and purple food colouring
  13. Baking paper or aluminium foil

For Decoration

  1. White chocolate (melted)
  2. Edible gold foil
  3. Sugar crystals
  4. Butter paper

Step 1: Infusing the Sugar

Add saffron to 60 g of the caster sugar and gently rub it in with your fingers. This releases the saffron’s colour and aroma, giving the nankhatai a subtle floral warmth that pairs beautifully with cardamom and vanilla.

Step 2: Creaming the Base

In a bowl, combine:

  1. Saffron sugar
  2. 1/2 Cup Ghee
  3. 1/2 Cup Butter

Hand-whisk until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and forms soft pale peaks, with a visible change in texture.

Peel and add the finely ground cardamom, then whisk again to evenly distribute the spice. Grate in Nutmeg a few times.

Step 3: Building the Dough

Sift together and add to the base mixture

  1. 1 cup Wheat flour
  2. 1 cup Gram flour
  3. 1 cup Semolina
  4. 1 tbsp Baking powder

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, whisking gently. Use a spatula to cut and fold the mixture, this will start forming a crumbly texture. As it comes together into a soft dough, stop mixing at this stage. Remember not to overwork the dough as it will loose its crumbliness if over-mixed. It is best to use hands to knead at this stage.

Step 4: Colouring the Dough

Divide the dough into portions and tint them with pink, blue and purple food colouring or that of your choosing.

GALAXY COOKIES DESIGN:- I used a technique inspired by polymer clay cane designs:

  1. Stack multiple layers of different coloured dough.
  2. Gently roll and flatten them together this will form the desired swirls.
  3. Lengthen the roll, then slice into rounds.
  4. Flatten each slice lightly and shape into organic, curvy circles.

Each cookie forms a unique galaxy, with similar patterns as they are from the same cane.

AMETHYST GEODE DESIGN:- The geode cookies use a similar method, but with a different visual intention.

  1. Use fewer and thicker layers of colour
  2. Slice the roll and shape the pieces into diamond or organic crystal-like forms. After Decoration it will resemble the cracked amethyst stones.

Line up all the cookies on an aluminium sheet on the baking tray , ready for baking.

Step 5: Baking

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 20-22 minutes.

The cookies will be pale and soft when they come out. Let the nankhatai rest until completely cool.

They are extremely fragile when hot and will crumble if touched too soon. As they cool, they firm up while keeping their buttery, crumbly interior.

Step 6: Decorating the Magic

Galaxy Cookies

  1. Pipe or drizzle melted white chocolate to form stars. I used a fork to get the following result.

Geode Cookies

  1. Use melted white chocolate as “adhesive” to fix sugar crystals into the centre
  2. Add a few drops of food colour to tint the crystals for depth
  3. Finish with tiny accents of edible gold foil, applied carefully with tweezers

The final touch brings a mystical shimmer to the sugar crystals.

Step 7: Sweet Result

These galaxy and geode Nankhatai cookies celebrate contrasts of ancient flavours and modern aesthetics, softness and structure and colourful wonder. The cross section of these cookies when you bite into it reveals all the colourful swirls but I forgot to take a picture while I enjoyed them, It was so much fun to explore and bring my vision of life.