Christmas with an Indian Twist for Mistletoe-Minded Munchies

Photo courtesy of elstro_88 via Compfight cc

Nathan and I have a near addiction to mukhwas, an Indian sweet and breath freshener.  Specifically, we love the mukhwas consisting of fennel seeds coated in sugar.  These delicious little things come in many colors and can be found at most Indian and many Middle Eastern grocery stores.  They may remind you of Jordan almonds because they are basically the same technique applied to fennel seeds instead of almonds:  dip and re-dep a seed or nut in a colored sugar coating until it reaches the size you want.








Fennel mukhwas give a nice fennel/anise/licorice flavor and satisfying crunch to Christmas cookies.  Once you have cut your cookies and have them on your baking sheet, brush them with a little water or a water/egg wash.  This provides a stickier surface to catch and hold the mukhwas to the cookie.  (It also is a useful trick when applying colored sugar to cookies).

Then just back as usual to transform the flavor, look, and feel of a simple sugar cookie into a real delicacy.  Plus, the fennel will do a nice job on your breath for later under the mistletoe.

Here are some of this year's Mukhwa Cookies and Linzer Cookies.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  no
Gluten Free:  no
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  no
SugarBusters:  no
Sugar Free:  no
Vegan:  no
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  no
200 Calories or Under:  no

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.