Sweet vendors in India almost always have a cookie-like almond sweet called “badaam burfi.”  For major holidays, I used to make this the old fashioned way – soaking raw almonds overnight, peeling them, grinding them to a smooth paste, and then cooking it down with butter, sugar, and cream.   

I came up with this *super-fast* version once I realized that almond flour/meal is now readily available (I got mine at Costco).  I also reduced the sugar so that this isn’t cloyingly sweet (and is a more reasonable treat for my grandkids).

Cut back on the cream a little bit, and add a little extra sugar, if you want a stiffer texture.

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Almond burfi – ingredients list

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups almond flour/almond meal
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (~ 4 pods, peeled and ground up)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Parchment paper

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almond burfi – Directions

• Melt the butter in a wide-bottom, non-stick pot on medium heat (I actually love using a non-stick wok!).
• Once the butter is melted, reduce heat to medium-low, add the almond flour and cardamom and stir for about two minutes.
• Add the sugar and mix.
• Add the heavy cream and mix.
• Cook on medium-low for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture comes together in a cohesive, soft ball.
• Scoop the mixture onto parchment paper (be careful, it’s hot!).  Cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll gently to flatten out to your desired thickness.  I like it a little less than 1/4″ thick.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes or so, and then cut into diamond shapes (or whatever you feel like…) with a sharp knife.
• When the scraps are cool enough to eat, give them to your daughter them before the grandchildren get to them!

Make it vegan: Use margarine or butter-flavored Crisco in lieu of the butter (or skip it altogether), and replace the heavy cream with heavy coconut milk.  Bonus – it will have a lovely coconut flavor!

Other variations: Experiment with the flavor profiles you like – vanilla, cinnamon – it’s all fair game!