Zeera Biscuits — Cumin Tea-Time Cookies
Cookies & Biscuits
Zeera Biscuits — Cumin Tea-Time Cookies
Lightly sweet, lightly salty, with toasty cumin in every bite — the ultimate chai companion. One batch never survives the evening.
⏱️ Prep: 15 min (+20 min chill)🔥 Bake: 12–15 min at 170°C🍪 Makes: 24⭐ Level: Beginner
🧰 Baking Tools You'll Need
Ingredients
- 200g (1½ cups) maida
- 100g butter, cold and cubed
- 50g (¼ cup) caster sugar
- 1½ tsp zeera (cumin seeds), lightly dry-roasted
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2–3 tbsp cold milk
Method
- Toast. Dry-roast the cumin seeds on low flame until fragrant — about 1 minute. Cool.
- Rub in. Rub cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Mix in sugar, salt, baking powder and cumin.
- Dough. Add cold milk a tablespoon at a time and bring together into a firm dough. Chill 20 minutes.
- Cut. Roll to ½ cm thickness, cut rounds, prick each with a fork, and place on a lined tray.
- Bake. 12–15 minutes at 170°C until pale golden. Cool on a rack — they crisp as they cool.
👩🍳 Baker's Tip: Keep everything cold — warm butter makes tough biscuits. These keep for two weeks in an airtight jar, which makes them perfect for Ramadan and travel snack boxes.