Lahijan Cookies; Centuries-Old Souvenir of Northern Iran

Although this type of cookie belongs to the city of Lahijan in Gilan province, it is baked in different cities of Iran and has many fans.

Lahijan walnut cookies can be eaten as a snack, dessert and during iftar in the holy month of Ramadan.

Ingredients:

Butter or margarine: 150 g

Liquid oil: 1/3 cup

Milk: ½ cup

Four: 3 Cups

Eggs: 3

Walnuts: 1.5 cups

Raisins: 1 cup

Powdered Sugar: 1 cup

Cocoa powder: 1 tbsp

Vanilla: 1/8 of tsp

Baking powder: 1 tsp

Directions:

1. First, remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and let them cool off. Then preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Pour the margarine or butter and powdered sugar into a bowl and stir well for 7 minutes until it gets lighter.
3. Add the eggs to the ingredients and beat each one for one minute with high speed. Along with the last egg, add vanilla. Pour the liquid oil and milk into the ingredients and stir.
4. Sift the cocoa powder and add to the mixture. Sift the flour three times. Pour the walnuts and raisins into a few tablespoons of flour and mix. Gradually add the rest of the flour and baking powder to the ingredients and mix.
5. Finally, add raisins and flour to the ingredients. Lahijan cookie’s dough is ready now.
6. Grease the oven tray and put greaseproof papers on it.
7. Take some cookie dough using an ice cream scoop and pour it on the oven tray at a distance from each other.
8. Place the tray in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, use a toothpick to see if the cookies are cooked. Then remove the cookies from the oven. Wait a while to cool slightly. Then remove the greaseproof papers.

Notes:

• In many recipes, confectionery oil is used to prepare Lahijan cookies so that they do not lose their shape in the oven. However, using margarine or butter makes the cookie taste better and healthier.
• With this amount of ingredients, you will have about 30 Lahijan cookies.
• Lahijan cookies can also be made in double-sided pans.
• Stir the cookie dough until it is pliant.
• Be sure to keep the cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator to keep them for a longer time.
• The temperature of the ovens is different. After 15 minutes, check them not to be burned. If cookies stay in the oven too long, they will dry out and harden.
• Place the cookies at a distance from each other on greaseproof paper. Because after cooking, their volume increases and they may stick together.
• To make the cookies a little bit brown and more beautiful, you can light the top flame (grill mode) for about one to two minutes at the end. Just be careful not to overcook.