Walnut Cookies (Nan-e gerdui)

To help us learn more about Persian (a.k.a. Iranian) food, we turned to culinary authority Najmieh Batmanglij. In addition to insight on Persian culinary traditions, she provided us with recipes from her book New Food of Life.

• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons ground pistachios for decoration

1. 1In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and walnuts. Beat thoroughly for a few minutes with a wooden spoon.
2. 2Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease a cookie sheet. Drop batter by the teaspoonful on the sheet, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between cookies. Decorate each one with ground pistachios.
3. 3Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the center of the oven. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool. Lift the cookies off the sheet.
4. 4Arrange the cookies on a serving dish. Nush-e Jan!

© 2007 From New Food of Life by Najmieh Batmanglij by permission of Mage Publishers