Mini Cumin Butter Cookies / Jeera Butter Biscuits

Jeera biscuits/cookies (we call cookies as biscuits in India) are one of my husband's favorite savory items. Every so often, he hankers for them, and requests that I make some. Last weekend was one of those days when he craved for them. Thankfully, they are very easy to make and takes just 30 minutes of total work. 

I use two basic methods to make these cookies. The most frequently used recipe is this one (with cumin seeds instead of oregano), and the other commonly used is this one (with lots of cumin!). This time I borrowed elements from both recipes and decided to add more butter (sinful!) for the buttery aroma reminiscent of the melt-in-your-mouth powdery soft butter biscuits we get in Indian bakeries!

Also, this time I used a 1" (I think it's 1", but could be slightly smaller or larger) fluted round cookie cutter to make cookies that look like clouds of puffed buttery, cumin-y, golden-brown crunchiness! Anything that is a mini/baby version of anything is cute by default, right?!

Ingredients (makes 72 mini cookies - enough to fill a small cookie jar; sounds like a lot but disappears within 24 hours):

1. 1.5 cups all-purpose flour / maida
2. 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3. 3 tablespoons yogurt
4. 1 - 1.5 teaspoons of salt, as needed
5. 1.5 tablespoons cumin seeds / jeera, toasted/dry roasted
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and jeera together. 
3. Add butter (cut into pieces) to the flour and mix with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the flour clumps together when pressed in your fist.
4. Slowly add yogurt and gently knead the dough until it comes together (use a hand mixer if you have, but do not over beat). If needed, sprinkle a little water. Do not over knead. Just knead until the flour comes together as a mass. Wrap in a plastic wrap and chill for 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
5. When chilled, gently roll out the dough with a small sprinkling of flour to avoid sticking. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness (the cookies will rise a bit) and using a cookie-cutter of choice cut out the cookies. I used a 1" (diameter) round fluted cookie cutter for mini cookies.
6. Line them on a baking sheet (greased with some butter) and bake for 15-20 minutes (18 minutes is always my magic number) until the cookies are golden and gently browned. Cool cookies on a cooling rack.

Store in an air-tight container for a week to 10 days (they are sure to be eaten by then!).