Bake

Nan-e Nokhodchi (Chickpea & Almond Flour Icebox Cookies)

by:
December  8, 2021
4.6
10 Ratings
Nan-e Nokhodchi (Chickpea & Almond Flour Icebox Cookies)
Photo by MJ Kroeger. Prop Stylist: Alya Hameedi. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
  • Prep time 3 hours
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • makes 40 cookies
Author Notes

Traditionally, these cookies are made exclusively with chickpea flour and punched out with tiny shamrock-shaped cookie cutters, but the dough is soft and warms up quickly, so I like to shape it into a bar, chill until firm, and then slice it into cookies. I add almond flour because it makes the dough sturdier and mellows the distinct bean taste of the chickpea flour. The bar of dough can be made ahead and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
—Louisa Shafia

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • 3 tablespoons pistachios, coarsely ground
Directions
  1. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the rose water for a few seconds. Whisk together the flours, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl, then beat into the butter in 2 batches, until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a disk. Wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the dough from the freezer, unwrap it, and lay it in the middle of a large piece of plastic wrap or wax paper. Fold the wrap or paper over the dough. Form the dough into a log approximately 10 inches in length and 1½ inches in diameter, then square off the long sides to form a bar. Chill in the refrigerator until the dough is very firm, at least 2 hours.
  3. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the bar into cookies ¼ inch thick and place them on the prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Press a pinch of pistachios into each cookie.
  4. Bake the cookies until the bottoms are just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. The cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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  • Teresa58
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    SusanM
Louisa Shafia
My cookbook The New Persian Kitchen is a winner of Food52's Piglet award. I love cooking Iranian rice and hearing people crunch on the crispy tahdig from the bottom of the pot. I'm passionate about sharing the ingredients and techniques for making Persian food in my writing, cooking classes, and online store, Feast By Louisa where you can find my Persian Spice Set, Tahdig Kit, and other goodies.

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6 Reviews

ceilithe
ceilithe December 28, 2022
Love love love these! I have been making nun nokhodchi for 30+ years, but I would never eat them. I didn't like the mouthfeel - they seemed to dissolve on the tongue in a way that I just didn't enjoy. Adding almond flour is genius! The flavor is basically the same as the originals, but now they've got a little bite that reminds me of the Buttergebäck my mom would make when I was little. So, cheers for this lovely recipe. Now I can finally enjoy nun nokhodchi!
 
Teresa58
Teresa58 December 20, 2022
I made these are they really are lovely. I did, however, find that baking them for 10 minutes (1/4" slices) was more than enough and rendered a perfectly baked, golden cookie. I pulled the first batch out at 15 minutes and found it to be a bit overbaked, borderline burnt. They still were good, but I could not really appreciate the flavor. The second batch baked for 9-10 minutes and that was perfect. I will make them again and maybe slide them 1/2" and bake them for the 15 minutes, perhaps that works.
 
Erica D.
Erica D. December 10, 2022
What type of chickpea flour do you recommend using in this recipe? Would Bob's Red Mill's work well?
 
SusanM
SusanM January 18, 2022
These are excellent. I'm about to make them again. They absolutely will stay fresh for five days - or likely longer - and they freeze well. I made one change that altered the flavor profile: I didn't have rose water so I used fior di sicilia (a mixture of vanilla and citrus flavors). And I used a combination of almonds and pistachios on top. Delicious!
 
SusanM
SusanM January 19, 2022
Coming back to say that if you use fior di Sicilia instad of rose water, use only a scant 1/2 teaspoon, as it is fairly strong. Definitely don't leave out the cardamom -- it adds a very nice flavor. I found I didn't need to freeze the dough. I just dumped the dough on to waxed paper and formed it into a log. If your kitchen is particularly warm, however, you may need to freeze it first.
 
Carla F.
Carla F. January 10, 2022
These are lovely! Not too sweet and a really nice crunch. And they don't cross the subtle rose hint vs. grandma's underwear drawer. Unfortunately, I have several rose-averse people in my life, so I'm thinking about making them with almond extract and chopped almonds on top. Can't wait to see how that comes out.