Wheat Biscuits, also called Atta Biscuits or Atta Cookies, are crisp and buttery eggless cookies made with whole wheat flour, gram flour, butter and Indian flavorings like cardamom, saffron and nutmeg. These bakery style wheat cookies make for a lovely tea-time snack and are perfect for festive baking too.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 13 · 13 Biscuits
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (125 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoon gram flour ((besan))
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda (or ½ teaspoon baking powder)
  • 1 pinch salt (– do not add if using salted butter)
  • ⅓ cup (70 grams) cold butter (– salted or unsalted, swap with 70 grams or ⅓ cup semi-solid ghee)
  • ⅓ cup (70 grams) sugar (– can use 70 grams or ½ cup powdered sugar instead)
  • 4 to 5 green cardamoms (– lightly crushed, husks discarded and seeds reserved)
  • 1 pinch saffron strands
  • ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg (or nutmeg powder)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (or add as needed)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoon butter (or ghee for greasing the baking tray)

Method

Making Dough

  1. In a grinder, add the sugar, cardamom seeds, saffron strands and grated nutmeg.
  2. Grind to a fine powder and keep aside.If you already have powdered sugar, use ½ cup powdered sugar along with the ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, grated nutmeg and crushed saffron strands.
  3. Grease a baking tray or pan very well with butter or ghee. Also preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
  4. In a sieve, take the whole wheat flour (atta), gram flour (besan) and baking soda.If you do not have baking soda, use baking powder instead.
  5. Sift the dry ingredients very well into a mixing bowl.
  6. Add the cold or chilled butter to the sifted flour mixture. You can also use semi-solid ghee.
  7. Using your fingertips, mix the butter with the flour. You can also cut the butter into the flour with two knives.This can also be done in a food processor or stand mixer. If the butter softens slightly while mixing with your hands, that is fine.
  8. Mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  9. Add the powdered sugar mixture and lightly mix with your hands.
  10. Add the milk gradually. The amount needed depends on the quality and texture of the flour.The mixture should come together and hold itself. If needed, add a little more milk, mixing as you go.
  11. Gently bring the mixture together to form a dough ball. Do not knead the dough. Just gently mix and gather it together.

Making Wheat Biscuits

  1. Now pinch small to medium-sized portions from the dough and lightly roll them between your palms. Place them on the greased baking tray.
  2. Gently flatten them slightly. You can also make patterns with a fork or toothpick. I used a cookie press to lightly flatten the biscuits and create a design on top.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden.
  4. Since oven temperatures vary, the baking time may be less or more. So keep a close watch while baking.
  5. Do not brown them too much as the texture can become dense and hard. A light golden color keeps these atta biscuits crispy yet slightly crumbly.
  6. Once baked, let the wheat biscuits rest on the tray for 2 to 3 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
  7. When cooled at room temperature, store in an airtight jar. Serve whole wheat biscuits as a tea-time cookie.

Serving & Storage

  1. Serve these Wheat Biscuits (Atta Biscuits) with masala chai, ginger tea, coffee or a glass of milk.
  2. They make a nice tea-time snack and can also be served during festivals, family gatherings or as part of a homemade cookie platter.
  3. Allow the biscuits to cool completely before storing.
  4. Store them in an airtight jar or container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
  5. If you live in a warm or humid climate, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before serving.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.