Badam burfi

I made these badam burfi this year for Diwali! Diwali felt a little bit different this year, but I still felt grateful and lit a few candles. I've only recently started celebrating it, growing up I never celebrated it, because I'm not from India. I believe that things are looking up and we just need to remember to have courage and be kind. This badam burfi are made with almonds, cardamom, sugar syrup and saffron. Tasty for an after dinner treat with a cup of chai. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup almonds 

1 pinch saffron 

1/2 tsp cardamom powder 

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp ghee

Method

• Soak the almonds in hot water for around 30 - 45 minutes until the skins are soft. 
  
  
• Once the skins are soft, peel and pat the peeled almonds dry with a towel. 
  
  
• Grind the almonds to a powder. Don't overdo this as the almonds will otherwise release oil which is not what you want for this recipe, you need them the remain as a powder. Mix in the cardamom powder as well. 
  
  
• In the meantime, take a small amount of warm water and soak the saffron for a few minutes. 


• Melt the sugar and 3/4 cup water in a pan (I find a large deep frying pan or kadai works best). Let the syrup boil and reach one-string consistency. This is when you lift up a spoon you can see a thread of sugar syrup falling away from the spoon. 
  
  
• Once the sugar syrup is ready, add the almond powder a little at a time, mixing all the time. It will splutter so be careful! Once all the almond powder is added, add the saffron water. 
  
  
• Add the ghee and keep cooking on a low-medium heat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan This is runnier than you would think, I have made the mistake of cooking it for far too long, and then the burfi mixture is crumbly and doesn't roll out well. So just when the mixture looks like its coming together you can proceed to the next step. 
  
  
• Tip out the burfi mixture on some greased parchment paper and let the mixture cool for around 10 minutes until you can handle it. 
  
  
• Grease you hands with a little butter or ghee and knead until combined. 
  
  
• Roll out the burfi mixture between two sheets of parchment paper to around 1/2 cm thick (you can make them thinner if you prefer). Cut into squares and enjoy!