Kefir labneh with honey and pistachio biscuits recipe

I discovered kefir yogurt by mistake when I picked up the wrong pot once, but now I always have it in my fridge for breakfast. Straining it (or any yogurt) makes it into labneh, a thickened version.

The biscuits I serve with it here are super-easy to make and are gluten free. You can vary the nuts you use and even add other flavourings such as saffron or cardamom. They’re handy to have around to snack on, but they vanish quickly so you may want to make a double batch.

Method
1. Tip the kefir yogurt into a sieve lined with a clean J-cloth set over a bowl. Place in the fridge for two hours, or longer if you want the labneh thicker. For this dish it just needs to be thick enough to spoon and dip the biscuits into.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5. Coarsely grind the pistachios in a food processor leaving them fairly chunky, then mix in a bowl with the ground almonds, baking powder and a good pinch of fine sea salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and half the rose petals together with a wooden spoon until creamy, then stir in the pistachio mixture until well combined. You can use your hands if it’s easier. Divide the mixture into roughly 30g portions and mould each one into flattened balls. Roll in the icing sugar and place on a non-stick baking tray or a tray lined with baking parchment.

4. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and sprinkle over the rest of the rose petals and dredge with a little more icing sugar. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes then remove the tray and leave the biscuits to cool.

5. To serve, spoon the labneh on to plates, spoon over the honey and scatter with the extra pistachios. Serve the biscuits on the side for dipping or scooping.