Baked Badam Rotlo

Blanch the almonds in hot water for 15 minutes. Then peel and grind to form a coarse paste by adding 1/2 cup milk.

Mix the sugar with water, then add saffron strands and boil it for about 7-8 mins. Add a few drops of milk and skim all the dirt that floats on top. Keep the syrup aside.

To the prepared almond paste, add the remaining milk and cook on a low flame while stirring continuously till the moisture dries up. This will take about 10-12 minutes.

Add half of the crushed pistachios, followed by the sugar syrup. Keep stirring it briskly, keep the flame low and cook till the mixture resembles a lump of dough. Turn off the flame, then transfer the mixture onto a greased baking tray.

Cover it with a polythene, then roll it into a roti of half inch thickness. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios on top. (I have rolled out the dough on an inverted thali and put the same into the oven.)

Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. (For a crisper version increase the baking time to 15 minutes.)

Cool and cut into desired shapes. (With the help of a cookie cutter, the dough can be shaped into smaller individual portions and baked if desired.) It can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.