Parsi Nankhatai Recipe | Food Diaries | Zarnak Sidhwa | Dessert

Method:
Beat butter, add caster sugar, mix in flour, baking powder and semolina, pinch of salt, cardamom and nutmeg powders. Add the vanilla essence, ground almonds and mix well. Make small balls and press the top a little and using a knife, make an ‘X’ mark on each nankhatai. Put 1 inch apart on a greased baking tray, as they will spread. Bake at 180 degrees C for 12-15 minutes or till light golden. Let cool on a wire rack.

Method:
Line the bottom and the insides of a 9” springform tin with foil. Slice the peeled orange segments about 1/4 of an inch-thick wheels. Place them on the bottom and the walls of the springform. Set aside. To make the filling for the cake, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water, mix and let it stand for few minutes. In a saucepan put the egg yolks, add orange juice, sugar, salt and orange zest from 1-2 oranges. Place the sauce pan on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. It is ready when the mixture coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir well to make sure that the gelatin is blended properly into the mixture. Set aside to cool. Add the whipped cream to the cold egg mixture and mix well. Pour half of the mousse inside the springform over the orange slices. Place a layer of ladyfingers over the mousse. Pour the other half of the mousse over the ladyfingers and place another layer of ladyfingers on top of it. Cover the springform with foil and place the cake in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight. The next day, remove the foil, place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it upside down. Open the springform and remove the foil. Your cake should have a beautiful layer of orange slices covering the surface of the cake. Slice the cake and serve.