In the days leading up to Norouz traditionally Iranians spend countless hours preparing for the arrival of the new year. During this time many homemade cookies are baked to offer to guests who come to visit. In today’s post I am featuring one of my favorite Persian cookies: Naan Gerdooee, Walnut Cookie. In addition to today’s recipe in this post you will find a Norouz Recipe Round-Up by 13 other fantastic Persian bloggers! I am pretty excited to have a community of bloggers to share our Persian New Year with this year!

Now back to our cookies!!! The first time I made these cookies about ten years ago I was completely thrown off by the difference in look and texture from those purchased at the store.  All the recipes that I have looked at state that the walnuts should be simply chopped. From the texture of the cookies at the store it is pretty clear that the walnuts are not chopped, but ground. So I experimented in the past and decided that the best texture in my humble opinion, and my tasters’, is when the walnuts are coarsely ground.

The dough for these cookies is very simple and easy to make. Of course there is the choice of making these cookies with simply chopped walnuts or coarsely ground. I am mainly featuring the ground walnuts option here.

Ingredients (makes about 25 cookies)
Recipe adapted from Rosa Montazami

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups walnuts, coarsely ground

First turn over on to 300º. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Using a mixer, whisk eggs together.

Add half of the powdered sugar to the eggs and whisk.

Add the other half and whisk with mixer for at least 5 minutes until the batter turns into a pale color and becomes creamy.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Add walnuts and mix well.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scooper, scoop batter onto cookie sheet making sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie. Top each cookie with half of a walnut. If you do not have a an ice cream scooper, two tablespoons can be easily used to do the job. Bake cookies for 20 minutes. Remove cookies and place on a cooling rack.

These cookies will be a dry on the outside, yet chewy on the inside. Store in an air tight container for later use.

Participating Bloggers In The Norouz Recipe Round-Up – 2014