One last something whipped up in the kitchen before the new year...
According to my cookbook, these delicate pastries (called sanbuseh) originate in the Persian city of Yazd which is described as an oasis in the desert at 1,200 feet elevation. Its pastries are the finest, most delicate, and subtly flavored of all Iran. I happen to live in a desert oasis myself, so this recipe called out to me for this reason -- I was also intrigued by the unique ingredients.
1. I first prepared the pastry dough by beating 2 egg yolks until creamy; I then added 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup oil. To this I gradually blended in 2 cups of unbleached flour and 1 tsp baking powder. This was kneaded and then placed in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
2. To prepare the filling, I mixed 1/2 cup ground pistachios and 1/2 cup sugar together and dry roasted the mixture until it was slightly carmelized, stirring occasionally. I then added 1 tsp cardamom and 1 tsp rose water and turned off the heat.
3. After three hours, the dough was rolled out thin and cut into circles with the top of a drinking glass. I then scooped 1 tsp of the pistacio mixture into each and sealed them shut with the end of a fork. These were then placed on a baking sheet with parchment paper and baked for 20-30 minutes at 350F until slightly brown. Once removed, I topped them with powdered sugar and more ground pistacios.
I really enjoyed these! Unlike American sweets, they weren't overly sweet and the spice mixture was quite delicate and... elegant. I'm fairly new to cooking dishes from this region, but I'd love to learn more. It is interesting to note from the Persian cookbook I have used for this recipe that traditionally Persians ate a largely vegetarian diet. Here in the U.S. we largely equate "Persian" with "meat kebabs" but this seems to be an inaccurate association.
This recipe is from:
Cookbook: Silk Road Cooking
By: Najmieh Batmanglij