Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies (Haldi Doodh)

Vegan Shortbread Cookies inspired by the nourishing Indian drink, Golden Milk or Haldi Doodh. All you need is a few basic ingredients and 15 minutes to prep.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Indian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Oven

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings cookies

Calories 218kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For the Shortbread:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature (I used dairy-free)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt use 1/4 tsp for salted butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Cardamom Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3-6 teaspoons unsweetened plant-based milk
3-4 tablespoons toasted coconut*

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cream the Butter: Add the softened butter to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until light and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer.
Form the Dough: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Beat again until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. Beat one final time on low speed, until there is no more dry flour and the spices are evenly incorporated. The dough should look crumbly, but will stick together when pinched.
Knead & Chill: Use your hands to press the dough together, then knead it a few times to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
Oven Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
Form the Cookies: Generously dust a cutting board and rolling pin with flour. Unwrap the dough and place on the cutting board; if the dough does not look completely smooth, knead it a few times to help the gluten develop some. Roll the dough out until it is around 1/4” thick, then use a cookie cutter to form cookies. Transfer each cookie to the baking sheet (a bench knife makes this easy!), leaving about 1/2” of space between each cookie.
Repeat: Knead the remaining dough back together and repeat step 5 until there is no remaining cookie dough. Dust your cutting board with more flour if things start to stick.
Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes, then rotate the baking tray (to help the cookies cook more evenly) and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking tray for 10 minutes to set. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Make the Icing: Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl along with the cardamom and 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of milk. Whisk well to form a smooth frosting. The frosting should be easy to drizzle, so add additional liquid in 1 teaspoon increments until it reaches your desired consistency.
Decorate: Drizzle or spoon the icing over the cookies; I would not recommend dunking them, as they are delicate and may break. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the wet icing and return to the wire rack.
Serve & Store: Let the cookies rest until the icing sets and is firm, which can take up to 1 hour. Once firm, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Toasted Coconut: Add unsweetened coconut flakes to a pan over medium heat and toast until golden, stirring frequently. I prefer the flavor of toasted coconut, but you can also use regular shredded coconut as well!
Vegan Butter: Different vegan butters spread more/less in the oven and will affect the final texture of these shortbread cookies. I would recommend Violife, Country Crock, and Earth Balance brands.

Nutrition