Nazok, Persian-style rolled biscuits from Qazvin

Ingredients

• 500 g of plain, all-purpose baking flour
• 1/5 of a cup of salt
• 2 tablespoons, each filled to the brim with baking powder
• 250 g of butter or margarine
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 vanilla bean, approximately the size of a coffee spoon
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 150 g plain yogurt
• 200 g of butter or margarine
• 400 g of sugar
• 400 g of flour
• 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• 1 small amount of finely grated walnuts and nutmeg

Sift the flour, salt, and yeast together three times. Beat the softened butter until it is light and fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture, then the eggs one at a time, adding 3 tablespoons of flour with each egg. Incorporate the vanilla with the second egg: adding the flour gradually will keep the dough firm.

Add the cream, mix, then a little flour. Incorporate the yogurt into the batter.

Turn off the mixer and, by hand, incorporate the remaining flour.

You will obtain a soft and smooth dough that doesn’t stick to your hands (i.e., hands that haven’t yet touched the dough).

Cover the dough and prepare the filling.

Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor or rub them together with your fingers until you achieve a breadcrumb-like texture. Cardamom and nutmeg are optional, but recommended.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half again (to get two rolls per half). Roll each piece into a 2mm thick rectangle on a floured surface, shaking off any excess flour with a brush to prevent the biscuits from drying out.

Cover the filling with the dough and press down firmly with the palm of your hand to ensure it adheres properly.

Roll the dough against the side, close both ends, gently flatten with a rolling pin, and stretch it to refine and lengthen it.

Cut the roll into sections using a notched knife, arrange them spaced apart on the baking sheet, and bake at 180 °C until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough.