Saffron butter cookie
For my variation on the classic shaker churec cookie from Azerbaijan I did not change the recipe much. I only add some saffron and make the cookie in a little circle. I also mix some into the egg yolk with which I brush the saffron butter cookie. Saffron is widely cultivated in Azerbaijan and used in both savory and sweet dishes. Crumble the threads well before use and mix with a little bit of warm water. This releases the aromas and taste from this special spice. You only need a little bit of saffron for a lot of taste. That is a good thing because saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. It is the dried stigmata and style from the inside of the saffron crocus. These small threads give this saffron butter cookie beautiful golden color and a wonderfully floral taste.
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Saffron butter cookie
for about 8 cookies
± 12 strands of saffron
140 g butter
1 egg (M)
100 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract or ¼ tsp vanilla powder
225 g flour
Crumble the saffron in a small bowl. Add a few drops of hot water. The saffron should be nice and wet, but not swimming in the water. Leave to soak for about 5 min.
Melt the butter in a small pan.
Separate the egg.
Mix the butter with the powdered sugar and then add the vanilla, egg whites, half of the egg yolk, half of the wet saffron and the flour.
Mix well and Leave to rest in the fridge for ± 1 hour to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the rest of the egg yolk with the rest of the saffron. Form 8 balls of ± 45 g (the size of a large walnut) from the dough. Roll into a rope and brush with the saffron egg yolk. Place them on the baking sheet. Leave enough space between the cookies because they will spread. Make a small indentation in each ball and dab with a little egg yolk.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 min. until lightly browned. Take the saffron cookies out of the oven and leave to cool on the cookie sheet. Dust with icing sugar.
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