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A few years back, my husband returning from a business trip brought back a box of these cookies which he said were the famous Karachi biscuits from Hyderabad.
Fruit biscuits, the box read. Having never had tutti frutti studded biscuits before, I bit into one gingerly and mmmm…it was lovely! Soft and crumbly with candied fruit.
I was very keen to recreate the texture and flavour of these famed biscuits. I tried, I failed, I tried again. I asked friends, I looked at various recipes and kept baking small batches. And finally when I baked the most recent batch, I smelt success!
No leaving agent is to be used- that’s the key! No baking powder, no baking soda.
The buttery crumbly softness and the mild crunch of the candied fruit- yeah…I am almost there 🙂
Here is how I made them
(This recipe gives 25 medium sized cookies)
150 grams (1 cup and 1 Tbsp) All purpose flour/Maida
110 grams butter (1/2 cup), softened but not melted
100 grams ( 1/2 cup ) Sugar. Weigh the sugar and then powder it in the mixer. I added only 1/3 cup as we like our cookies mildly sweet and the tutti frutti also adds to the sweetness)
½ cup candied fruit/tutti frutti/dry fruit ( You may use chopped dry nuts like almonds and cashews in place of tutti frutti or just raisins)
½ tsp cardamom/ilaichi powder
½ tsp rose extract ( May use almond/vanilla extract if rose not available. Rose water won’t give the required flavour)
Sift the flour. Leave the butter out on the counter till it is soft. Do not melt it. We need the butter soft, but not melted. Be very careful if softening in the microwave.
Beat the butter and powdered sugar till light and creamy.
Add the cardamom powder, rose extract and candied fruit and mix well.
Slowly add the flour in three lots mixing with your fingers. Incorporate the butter into the flour. The mixture begins to look like bread crumbs.
Gently bring the dough together. Do not knead!
Shape the dough into a log and cling film it. I put the cookie dough roll in a long cardboard box and tied it up to ensure it keeps the square shape.
Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
Preheat the oven at 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Check the end of the post for detailed baking instructions and the microwave baking option)
Remove the log from the refrigerator and cut slices about half an inch thick.
Lay the cookies on the sheet at least 2 inches apart as they expand when they bake.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. When the bottom of the cookies begins to brown, they are done. They will be soft in the middle, but will firm up on cooling.
Cool in the baking tray for five minutes and then transfer to the then wire rack to cool completely. 
The cookies stay good for two weeks when stored in an air tight container.
Enjoy with a glass of milk or hot chai or coffee.
The first recipe I tried was from here. Working on the basic idea, I made several changes to get mine.
Oven and baking specifications
I have a 45 Litre Oven (with a fan) and baked these at 180C . I placed the baking tray on the middle shelf, with both the upper and lower elements on. However, each oven behaves differently, so please adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly. Basically, as soon as the bottoms of the biscuits begin to change colour, the baking tray needs to be pulled out. It may take longer than the 14 odd minutes it took me. So watch those bottoms! And do not Over Bake!! That will totally kill the biscuits. Slightly browned bottom and a soft top, that’s what we are looking for 😀
Want to bake them in the microwave? Here is some wonderful explanation on how to go about it at ‘Cakes and More’.
I am taking these soft crumbly delights to Fiesta Friday 70! Thanks Dini and Mollie for hosting the party this time 😀
CafeGarima 
I made these today and the result was perfect
That’s lovely to hear 🙂
I m so happy,when made Karachi biscuits, very soft yummy lookwise perfect.of course ur recipe all family members was happy to eat sabi relatives demand kr rhhe ha,ki hme bhi bna kr bhejo,so I m so so happy.pics mughe send nhi krni aati Verna zrur krti but I ll try
That’s lovely Anuradha 🙂
Hi Garima,
Can I add custard powder, if yes….what do you suggest should be the quantity?
Thanks,
Rachna
Hi Rachna
I don’t like to add custard powder to my cookies. I feel it makes them too dry. So I will not advise adding it.
Can i use wheat flour ..
Hi Revathy
You can but it will change the texture of the biscuits.
can I replace parchment paper with aluminum foil..as will be baking in convection mode on lower stand..
Hi Megha
Have never tried but I don’t see why it shouldn’t work.
Actually even a well greased baking tray works fine 🙂
Hello,
I tried the above mentioned recipe but the problem which I faced is that butter start melting from dough.
And the shape of cookies changed..
Can you suggest something?
Hi Harshit
Refrigerating the dough for an hour before cutting the cookies should help.
Else try rolling out and cutting them. Both the methods work for me 🙂
Hi Garima,
These biscuits turned out real pretty, fragrant, soft yet crumbly and delicious.
Your recipes are so fool proof. Now I’m tempted to pick up my ultimate challenge of baking the perfect bread. Perfection has evaded me for long and I hope to finally nail it with your recipe. ☺
Hey Frency
That’s so wonderful to hear!
Grab some good yeast.Go with a simple white bread recipe and you’ll be good 😃😃
Hi,
I tried this recipe but when I placed the biscuits in the oven,they melted and it was too buttery after cooling. Please tell me where did I go wrong? I really wish to make it perfectly and want to try again soon.
Hi
Did you refrigerate?
Try rolling them and putting them in the fridge for half an hour and then baking them straight out of the fridge: sometimes this may happen because of the weather.
Yes, I kept the biscuit roll,wrapped in cling film in the fridge for an hour and after taking out,cut it and placed in the oven tray and baked it but it all melted and it was all too buttery. Is it possible that this has happened because i might have used butter more?
Yeah could be.
It is always better to weigh your ingredients and use them.
Okay!! Thanks. I will take care of that next time.
I dnt hv beater….. S der any othr optn to beat butr n sugar….?
Hi Sonali
You can beat it with a whisk by hand.
For any particular minutes?
Till it gets creamy
Hi Garima, I’m really tempted to cook these beautiful cookies. Can I cook it using my convection microwave? I’m really new to baking and have least idea about baking any stuff. I would really appreciate your help 🙂
Hi Deepa
I bake in an OTG but to my knowledge a convection microwave works exactly like an oven.
So I think you should be able to bake them.
Cheers 🙂
Thanks for the recipe.
one quick question, normally Powdered Sugar is a Misused term. Powdered Sugar is with cornstarch and not only a blended sugar in Mixer.
So, do you mean to say Powdered Sugar with cornstarch or just a blended sugar to powdered consistency in above recipe?
Thank you.
Amit
Hi Amit
I agree 🙂
In India we get granulated sugar only apart from icing sugar. We don’t really get powdered sugar in the stores.
I do mean sugar that has been powdered in the mixer grinder.
Happy baking!
Hi Garima…
Thank you for quick reply 🙂
I’m baking these beauties today. Let’s see how do I end up 😉
I’ll post the update.
Thank you very much for the recipe and this explanation also 🙂
Amit
🙂
Hope you enjoy baking them Amit 😀
Hi,
I baked it.
Came out good but still not close to what Karachi sells.
Don’t know what different they do 😦
I’m quite happy with the results 🙂
Hi …
Garima nice to see you have posted hyderabad biscuit recipe here but pls do note not to mistake me as this is not real recipe of biscuit I am Ex. Culinary Chef of Karachi Bakery with 18 years experience over there we don’t ad flavour in it but we get one butter from spain which is imported that has aromatic smell that gives taste to the biscuit those butter are not available in india and I too for my bakery import the same butter from spain if you have that butter you all can do same as it is .. Apart from all online recipes are absolutely wrong.
Hi
Thanks for writing in. However, I do not claim that it the very same recipe, just that I have tried to bake in the same style with the ingredients I have easily available in my kitchen.
Hi Garima,
How do you weigh your ingredients? Do you own electronis weighing scale , please let me know the brand and model no. I am keen to buy one 🙂
– Thanks ,
Veena
Hi Veena
Yeah I weigh them.
I have a digital scale and the brand is Nova.
Hi Garima ,
Could you please tell me model no. or may be send its snap to me ? My email id is qajiny@gmail.com .I am very much confused about which one to buy . Want to buy which is used and tested 🙂
– Thanks & Regards,
Veena
Mine is barely a month old too so I am not the best person to advise here 🙂 I just went to a local store that sells electronics and bought it. It is a Chinese brand but the guy said it is quite Ok. Buy whatever you has available in your city .
I tried these biscuits and turned awesome..
Can these biscuits be made in microwave on convection mode??
Hi Sapna
Although I haven’t tried baking them in the microwave, I’m sure they can be done on the convection mode.
Whem i kept them for baking, it started melting and started to burn in just 5 minutes. I had refrigerated it properly for more than an hour nd immediately put it for baking.
Could you please help with what went wrong?
Hi Shreya
Maybe your oven heats up too much. Try baking on a lower temperature.
Can you please tell what is the life of these biscuits?
Hi Rajeeta
About two weeks they stay good. They have never lasted beyond a week at my place.
Hi
I hve tried ur receipe…nd it turn out ao yumm.
Can I make this cookies in idli maker
Hi Neha
Thanks for baking from my blog 😃
I haven’t really tried baking them in anything apart from the OTG.
Hello, i tried this recipe. The taste was delecious but the biscuits remain soft in the middle even after cooling them completely. They firm up just from the outside but the center is soft. I tried it in both microwave and oven, adjusted the timw, but still it remains soft. Is there any change I can do to make firm in the middle like increasing the amount of flour?
Hi Pawan
If they are cooked through, it is not a problem.
Are you sure the biscuits are cooked through?
Hi Garima,
I made these biscuits today. Lookwise they are looking same as karachi biscuits but the taste is not same. May be i did some mistake while making them.
Thanks,
Ishita
Hi
Lots of people have tried the recipe and have been happy with the results.
I follow the procedure exactly as I have shared.
Hi Garima…. Want to these yummy biscuits…Just one query can I use home made butter which we also call makkhan instead of unsalted butter.
Absolutely 🙂
Hello Garima ji
i made these karachi cookies yesterday evening and they came out very well. slightly crispy too. After one hour i kept them in air tight container. now in the morning they have turned soggy. what might be the reason ?please guide me.
Hi Nitasha
They are not very crisp. I hope you cooled them fully before storing them.
Thanks Garima !!!
First attempt , followed each and every thing as mentioned above, result was awesome tasty biscuits.
That’s so good to hear! Thanks for dropping a line 😀
Hi Garima,
Thank you for the recipe. I tried each and every step of the recipe and the result was very nice. My husband couldn’t believe that I made at it at home!!