When I was a kid, both my parents worked. So, my grandmothers were lucky to get me during the day. The ladies typically had very busy weekdays and I’d tag along for the ride. In the morning, we’d go grocery shopping. The local supermarket had affectionately dubbed me The Earthquake since I’d grab things off the shelves and other peoples’ shopping carts. I’d snatch onions, potatoes from the bins and take a few bites before dropping them here and there. 

 

Or, so I’m told.

 

Most days a warm meal welcomed husbands home for lunch, unless there was a doreh (coffee gathering) to attend. Then, I’d go to one of Grandma’s friend’s houses for lunch. My memory isn’t the best, but I have dreamy visions of white lace curtains flowing in the breeze, revealing glimpses of a canvas tent in the backyard where the housekeeper’s family stayed in the summer months. More importantly, there was always a never-ending table stacked with delicious homemade food to try. 

The first day of Spring marks the Persian New Year called Nowruz in Farsi. This time of year always brings back happy memories from my childhood in Iran as I set up my Haft Seen table and make some classic confections like rose milk pudding to celebrate. Dainty little pistachio cakes inspired this moist and fragrant Persian Tea Cake. It’s a snap to bake and have ready to welcome guests coming to join the festivities. 

Serves: 6 
Prep: 10 mins

Oven: 350*F

Bake: 45 mins

 

Ingredients

Cake
1 tsp dried Earl Grey tea leaves
1 tsp saffron 

1 stick butter
2 free-range eggs @ room temp
1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

3/4 cup yogurt

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Icing
1/2 tsp rosewater
1/3 cup water
3 drops red food coloring
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup ground pistachios
fresh or dried organic roses

 

Instructions

Butter and flour a loaf or small (6-cup) Bundt pan.
Remove eggs and 3/4 yogurt from the fridge. Set out to warm to room temp.
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Grind tea leaves and saffron using a clean coffee grinder or mortar & pestle.
Add both to butter and melt gently in a small saucepan. Set aside.
Beat eggs and sugar will fluffy, ~3 mins.
Add yogurt and butter mixture.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt over the bowl and mix just until incorporate.
Pour into prepared pan and transfer to hot oven.
Bake 45 mins, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 mins before turning onto a metal rack to finish cooling.

 

Once the cake is completely cooled, make the icing.
Mix rosewater, water, food coloring.
Add to powdered sugar and mix until a thick paste forms.
Mound over the top of the bundt cake.
Sprinkle ground pistachios and decorate with fresh or dried organic roses.

 

 

My dad’s mom, Vilik Mama often took me to lunch parties. This one time, a bunch of us kids went out to play in the host’s backyard. While the ladies enjoyed coffee inside, we were in the lovely rose garden, hanging around an elephant bush. Then, one of us had the genius idea of disrobing the branches, yanking the thick juicy leaves off and stomping them into the ground. Before long, the concrete path was stained with hundreds of squishy wet spots.

Oddly, I was never reprimanded for this appalling behavior and, many years later, the lady of the house, Khanoom Sheysi came to visit my grandparents in the US. She insisted on seeing me. I was far too ashamed to show my face. A freshly baked Persian Tea Cake would probably have given me the courage to ask for her forgiveness.