Badam/ Almond Katli recipe

Badam/ Almond katli is one of the easiest sweets to prepare on any occasion. It is the only sweet my son enjoys happily. He likes it so much so that he's hesitant to share it with anybody ( not a good thing, though). I love all types of Indian sweets and so I tend to eat more than half of them. So i normally avoid preparing any sweets/desserts. But this is the one I prepare frequently for my son. We prepare many other sweets/ desserts with almonds like Almond rolls, Badam/ Almond burfi, Badam kheer, even Badam Obbattu/ Puranpoli etc. I have even made my Almond bites, tasting heavenly with dark chocolate.  But this is the only recipe that takes very minimal time to prepare and hence no stress at all. It has very less amount of sugar so that we don't have to feel guilty while eating. 

 This sweet tastes like Marzipan, which is also made with almond meal and sugar. But the Marzipan is like with a foldable consistency whereas the Katlis are fudgy. Marzipan is used to cover the cakes, like a fondant and also to decorate the cakes, or it can be just eaten like that. That was about Marzipan. Now, let's look out for the recipe of Almond/Badam katli.

Ingredients:

• Blanched and finely powdered almonds - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/4 cup 
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Milk powder - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - a pinch ( optional) 

 Making Almond Katli :

• Take sugar in a non-stick pan and add the water. Water quantity should be just that it's enough to cover the sugar. 
  
• Put the stove on medium and stir the sugar in water until it dissolves. 
• Once the sugar dissolves, increase the heat and let the sugar syrup cook, stirring in between.
  
• After 3- 4 minutes, take a drop of the sugar syrup in between your fingers and stretch. this should form a single thread like in between your fingers.
• Reduce the heat. Then add the powdered almonds. Mix well and add the milk powder. Continue cooking until the mixture comes together and forms a mass. If desired, add cardamom powder at this stage and mix. 
  
   
  
  
  
• Transfer the mixture onto a plate and let it cool.
  
  
  
  
  Once it's heat is manageable ( still hot, but manageable) , roll the mixture into a ball.
• With the help of a dowel, flatten the roll on a greased butter paper. Try to keep it in a rectangle shape. If not, just cut the excess on the sides to bring it into a rectangle shape.
  
• Once it cools for a few minutes, make slits all over in a diamond shape. Cut when they cool completely.
  
  
  
  
• It can be stored it in an air tight container and enjoyed for a week. I doubt it stays for such long, since it tempts us to eat them one after another.
  
  

Tip : If the mixture becomes too hard, add a tablespoon of milk and transfer the contents to the pan again. Stir it until it comes again to the lump form. Then transfer onto the paper and roll.
So, this was the recipe of Badam/ Almond katli. This can also be made in a different way by soaking the almonds, grinding and frying this until a lump forms. The rest of the procedure is same. I will be sharing that recipe in another post. Please do try making these and if you like it, I'd love to hear back from you. Thank you!