Malai biscuits recipe

Name: Malai biscuits recipe | whole wheat malai cookies | malai atta cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Malai (plus 2-3 tbsp extra); 1/2 Cup Sugar; 1 Cup whole wheat flour (more or less); 2 Green Cardamoms

01 Jan Malai biscuits recipe

Posted at 04:46h in Chocolates/Cookies by blessmyfoodbypayal 28 Comments

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Last Updated on July 26, 2021 by blessmyfoodbypayal

Malai biscuits recipe | whole wheat malai cookies | malai atta cookies with step wise pictorial and video recipe.

WHAT IS MALAI?

After the milk is boiled and cooled, a thick creamy layer is set on the top of the milk. This cream is called malai, with which every indian is well versed because most of us are habitual of collecting it to make desi ghee out of malai.

FIRST TRIAL OF THE RECIPE

We have tried this recipe twice and the present post is about the second trial.

There were certain things which didn’t go well in first attempt but we felt that sharing the first experience is important. Because our experience will help our readers to make these biscuits perfect in first attempt only.

In our first trial, our biscuits couldn’t hold their shape and fell flat like a pan cake while baking.

On self realisation, we felt that the failure was probably because of the consistency of malai.

We didn’t filter malai and specially separated out the milk. Just collected malai from the top of milk and began the biscuits making process. And here we committed an error.

It is germane to mention here that the first attempt wasn’t a total failure and biscuits came out wonderful in taste. They were not good in terms of appearance so we all enjoyed it within the family and didn’t serve them to the guests.

SECOND TRIAL OF THE RECIPE

After the first failure, we worked on the consistency of malai in our second attempt. And that is why passed the malai through a sieve so that we can get perfectly thick malai totally free from milk.

However rest of the process remained the same as was followed first time. And yes, here it is. A perfect mouth melting malai biscuits with 100% success rate.

So it is highly recommended that you do pass the malai through a sieve so that there remains no milk in malai.

SHAPE OF THE BISCUITS

This is all up to you that what shape you want to give to your biscuits.

We have kept them totally round and there’s a reason behind.

As our first attempt failed with the cookies fell flat, we were little hesitant of giving any kind of flat shape to them.

The idea was to keep them round so that even if they flat while baking, atleast they will not loose their shape in totality.

Luckily, they didn’t and we got beautiful dome shaped biscuits with flat base.

NO NEED OF MEASURING TOOLS

This is one of the best part of this recipe. Not only the recipe is very simple, basic and homely, but at the same time it doesn’t ask for any special instruments like measuring cups and spoons.

There’s a simple calculation. The quantity of malai and sugar are same. If you don’t have measuring tools, take any tea cup or katori from your kitchen and measure both the ingredients with the same utensil.

And as far as quantity of flour is concerned, you really need not to measure it at all.

Adding flour a bit in whisked malai sugar mixture and keep on adding as long as you don’t get a smooth normal dough.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)

Can Cream be used instead of Malai?

This is obvious question that can we use cream, which is sold in packs in market, in place of malai ?

Actually we haven’t tried this recipe with cream, so not sure whether it will work or not.

If any one tries this recipe with store brought cream, do share your experience in the comments section below. You can share the pictures of your recipe on instagram and do tag us @blessmyfoodbypayal.

Will the taste & smell of Malai be there in Biscuits?

The answer to this query is in bold letters “NOT AT ALL”.

This is a fact that few people don’t like eating malai and even dislike the smell of it.

But believe us, when they will eat these biscuits, they will not be able to guess that these biscuits have malai in them.

What if I don’t filter Malai?

This step is very important and not to be skipped. We dropped this step in our first attempt and as a result, our biscuits didn’t turn up good in shape.

Separating each drop of milk from malai is very important and that is only possible by filtering the malai.

What if I add entire Flour in one go?

Adding all flour in one go may cause a trouble for you.

Look, we have to make a normal dough of smooth texture, and that too without adding even a drop of any liquid (water or milk).

The quantity of flour will be determined by the texture of your malai.

If you add extra flour and there will not be sufficient moisture in the mixture to adjust the flour, what you will do as you can’t add water or milk?

Then the only remedy will be to add more malai which must be thick. Adding more malai will imbalance the sweetness. So all in all, things will get complicated which may lead to failed outcome.

That is why it is strongly suggested to add flour bit by bit.

Why to refrigerate dough?

Not only to make these biscuits, but refrigeration of dough is very important whenever you are baking any type of cookies or biscuits.

Biscuits contain a fat content like we have malai in the present recipe and in our other biscuit recipes, we have used butter as fat.

Refrigeration firms the dough and solidifies the fat content in biscuits and when you bake, cookies don’t spread too quickly.

Mostly dough is refrigerated immediately after kneading but before shaping to cookies but we prefer to shape first and then refrigerate.

You can comfortably go both ways.

Can I bake these biscuits without oven?

Absolutely yes. If don’t have an oven, these biscuits can be baked on stove top in some wide kadai or pressure cooker.

Place some stand at the base of kadai and firstly let kadai be preheated.

Arrange biscuit balls on some baking tray or plate and place the tray on stand.

Cover the kadai again and let biscuits be baked on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until you get a nice golden corners.

Remember, if baking in pressure cooker, not to forget to remove the gasket and whistle from the lid of cooker.

Will it turn out crispy without baking soda/powder?

No need to add both the mentioned powders at all and these biscuits will turn out to be too much crispy and crunchy without these 2 leavening agents.

Is there any baking time and oven rack restrictions?

Certain restrictions are seen while baking cakes and but when it comes to biscuit baking, you have so many relaxations.

This is generally said that every oven is different so what works for one may not work for others and vice versa.

Our biscuits were ready in 20 minutes but yours may take more or less time.

Likewise we bake the biscuits in middle rack. If you feel that your biscuits are ready but they haven’t attained a golden top, just for couple of minutes, shift the tray from middle to top rack and bake further.

If biscuits are ready from underneath and only top needs some baking, then off the lower rod and leave only the top one on.

Meaning thereby, you can use your wisdom depending on the position of your biscuits.

But note that over baking will turn them hard and may be slightly bitter.

Can any ingredient be replaced?

This recipe uses only 4 and very basic ingredients. Still you can replace few :

SUGAR : We have used refined sugar but you can use cane sugar, brown sugar or even jaggery powder. But use the sugar only after powdering it. Take a note that using anything other than refined sugar will darken the colour of your biscuits.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR : This can be comfortably replaced with all purpose flour (maida). Also you can use half maida and half atta.

GREEN CARDAMOMS : Cardamoms are there to enhance the flavour of biscuits. Alternatively you can use vanilla essence after dropping cardamoms.

MOST IMPORTANT TIPS

Although each and every tip has already been explained above at length, but being most important, reproducing the same here :

1. Malai must be very thick, not even an iota of milk should be there.
2. Add flour in parts only.
3. Dough should be refrigerated for 30 minutes before baking, especially when you are in summers.

ALSO SEE

STEP WISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF MALAI COOKIES

Take a small bowl and place sieve over it.
Add malai in the sieve and with the help of a spoon, gently stir malai. Purpose is to remove all milk from malai and that’s why we are using 2-3 tbsp extra malai than needed. Keep aside till all the milk drips out of the malai through sieve.
In the mean time, take sugar along with cardamoms & add to the grinder.
Grind them to a fine powder. Keep aside.
By now, milk must have been dropped out of the malai.
Transfer malai from the sieve to a big bowl. You need 1/2 CUP of THICK MALAI.
Add powdered sugar to malai and whisk them till it becomes creamy.
Take whole wheat flour and initially add some of the flour. Do note that don’t add all the flour in one go.
Add little flour, mix it, again add little more flour, mix and so on till you get a smooth normal dough. We had to add complete 1 cup of flour. You may need to add less or more depending on the thickness of malai.
Once dough is ready, divide it in small equal portions. We manged to make 22 portions.
Roll each portion between your palms and make a small ball (little smaller than lemons). You may give any shape you like.
Arrange them on a baking tray lined with greased butter paper or parchment paper. Keep a distance between each ball as they are going to expand a bit while baking. We baked in two shifts.
Place the tray/balls in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After the said period, place tray in preheated oven and bake @180°C in the middle rack with both the rods on for 15 to 20 minutes or until you get a light golden corners. Baking timings may differ depending on oven and biscuits shape.
Take tray out of oven and place on cooling rack.
Let biscuits cool down completely.
Malai Biscuits are ready.

Enjoy.

IMPORTANT NOTE

As this recipe has little tendency to go wrong, so it is highly recommended to read the post from the beginning and not merely ingredients and making process. Small tips and tricks are shared to make it fail proof recipe.