Pistachio nut and poppy seed biscuits

These cute biscuits make lovely misloach manot but are also a perfect end to your Purim holiday meal. They are mini roulades made from biscuit, filled with tasty nuts and seeds — ingredients Esther, our heroine, enjoyed while a queen in the palace.

Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes Makes: 20 biscuits

INGREDIENTS: For the pastry:

180g white rice flour

60g pistachio nut butter – or any other nut butter of your choice

60g maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract tsp salt

Filling:

2 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

2 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp poppy seeds

1 egg white – to coat dough

Topping:

1 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

1 tbsp coconut sugar 1 tbsp poppy seeds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Process all pastry ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to form a ball. (Note: if the mixture is too runny, add a bit more flour; too dry, add a bit more water.)

Form the mixture into a ball with your hands and knead briefly, then flatten into a rectangle. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking parchment and roll with a rolling pin until it’s about 3 cm thick.

Brush the dough with egg white and then sprinkle the filling ingredients over the top.

Then carefully roll it into a tight log. Lift the edge of the parchment paper underneath on the side from which you are rolling to help the log roll up more easily and evenly. Once rolled, glaze the outside of the pastry with egg white and then sprinkle the top of the roll with the toppings and press them into the log lightly.

Slice the log into 2cm thick pieces and transfer the parchment the log is on to a small baking tray.

Bake for 20 mins, then cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

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