Qottāb-e Yazdī [Almond-filled Pastries]

Almond-filled Pastries from Yazd

Origin: Regional Specialty (Kavīr)

🍳 From the Test Kitchen > This recipe is a work in progress. While the foundation is solid, the exact ingredient ratios and timing haven't passed my final quality checks just yet. I’m sharing this early draft exclusively with subscribers so you can see what I'm working on. Feel free to experiment, adjust to your own taste, and add comments at the bottom of the recipe!

Qottāb is a signature confection from Yazd, a desert city famous across Iran for its master pastry makers (khalīfeh). These crescent-shaped pastries feature a tender, yogurt-enriched shell packed with a fragrant filling of finely ground almonds, powdered sugar, rosewater, and green cardamom. Deep-fried until pale golden and rolled immediately in powdered sugar while warm, they're a classic centerpiece for Nowrūz. I first made these for a big family gathering, and even though my first batch turned out larger than Yazd's traditional bite-sized standard, the cardamom-scented almond center and crisp, sugar-dusted crust were a total hit.

Serves: 6–8 (makes 24 pastries)
Preparation time: 40 minutes (plus 1 hour resting time)
Cooking time: 20 minutes