Indian Cookies are a staple of the Nu Yah/New Year festivities at Six Nations. On the first day of the year children will go door to door shouting “Nu-yah! Nu-yah!” They will be gifted with cookies and treats in celebration of the new year.
These delicious cookies are more fluffy and biscuit-like in texture than your usual cookie. The combination of nutmeg and raisins brings in that classic holiday flavour. They are best served with a hot cup of tea while you rest warm and cozy inside, safe from the cold and blowing winter snow.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or lard, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 egg, well-beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugar, and egg.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time alternating with buttermilk.
Add a little flour to make the dough workable. Transfer to a floured surface and knead a little until dough is no longer sticky. Roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
NOTE: You can add 1 cup of raisins if you want to. But be sure to soak the raisins in a cup of hot water for at least 30 minutes prior to adding them into the dough. This will prevent your raisins from becoming hard burnt niblets in the cookies.
