Gnanakatha also known as rock cookies or sugar dipped cookies are a Sri Lankan biscuit variety.

These cookies are made with basic butter cookie ingredients and then coated in sugar before baking them.

Once baked, the cookies have a sugar crust and are crumbly in texture.

Try this gnanakatha recipe if you want to travel down memory lane with a cup of your favourite tea.

Bakery bought gnanakatha(rock cookies)are usually larger in size, but I have made them smaller.

If you are having a cup of tea, ditch the sugar and serve yourself one of these cookies.

Save the recipe to your favourite Pinterest board!

More cookie recipes.

chunky chocolate drop cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies.

lemon drop cookies

Indian cookies(nanakhatai).

Sri Lankan kokis(savory rosette cookies).

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

How to make gnanakatha(sugar dipped rock cookies)

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make the gnanakatha recipe.

2 cups of flour

1/4 cup of butter

1/2 a cup of granulated sugar(substitute with icing sugar to combine easily)

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 a cup sugar(preferably large grains)

Method

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place butter (1/4 cup) in a bowl and run your spatula through the butter to soften it.

Sift icing sugar(1/2 cup) onto the butter, breaking any lumps.

Add a whisked egg(1 large) and vanilla(1/2 tsp) to the mix and combine.

Add flour (2 cups) and baking powder (3tsp) to the flour and sift into the bowl of ingredients.

Combine all ingredients to make a rough dough.

Mix to combine, do not knead to make the butter cookie dough.

Portion the butter cookie dough into dough balls placing them in a tray covered in baking paper(parchment paper).

Lightly brush water on all the dough balls.

Using your palm lightly flatten the rock cookies to look like discs.

Take each cookie disc(gnanakatha), and place them on the sugar grains(1/2 cup).

And gently press down so the sugar grains coat one side.

Place them on a baking sheet while preheating the oven to 170C.

Bake at 170C for 16-18 minutes.
For reference purposes, I baked one batch for 16 minutes which gave me soft cookies while 18 minutes gave me slightly harder and darker gnanakatha cookies.

In my opinion, both timings give excellent results depending on what type of texture you want the cookies to be.

Let the gnanakatha(rock cookies) and enjoy them with your favourite cup of tea.

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Sri Lankan Gnanakathai(Sugar-Dipped Rock Cookies)

Name: Sri Lankan Gnanakathai(Sugar-Dipped Rock Cookies)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 2 cups of flour; 1/4 cup of butter; 1/2 a cup of granulated sugar(substitute with icing sugar to combine easily); 3 teaspoons of baking powder; 1 large egg; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 1/2 a cup of sugar(preferably large grains)

Yield: 15

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Gnanakatha also known as rock cookies or sugar dipped cookies are a Sri Lankan biscuit variety.

These cookies are made with basic butter cookie ingredients and then coated in sugar before baking them.

Once baked, the cookies have a sugar crust and are crumbly in texture.

Ingredients

2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 a cup of granulated sugar(substitute with icing sugar to combine easily)
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 a cup of sugar(preferably large grains)

Instructions

All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Place butter (1/4 cup) in a bowl and run your spatula through the butter to soften it.
Sift icing sugar(1/2 cup) onto the butter, breaking any lumps.

Add a whisked egg(1 large) and vanilla(1/2 tsp) to the mix and combine.
Add flour (2 cups) and baking powder (3tsp) to the flour and sift into the bowl of ingredients.
Combine all ingredients to make a rough dough.
Mix to combine, do not knead to make the butter cookie dough.
Portion the butter cookie dough into dough balls placing them in a tray covered in baking paper(parchment paper).
Lightly brush water on all the dough balls.
Using your palm lightly flatten the rock cookies to look like discs.
Take each cookie disc(gnanakatha), and place them on the sugar grains(1/2 cup).
And gently press down so the sugar grains coat one side.
Place them on a baking sheet while preheating the oven to 170C.
Bake at 170C for 16-18 minutes.
For reference purposes, I baked one batch for 16 minutes which gave me soft cookies while 18 minutes gave me slightly harder and darker gnanakatha cookies.
In my opinion, both timings give excellent results depending on what type of texture you want the cookies to be.
Let the gnanakatha(rock cookies) and enjoy them with your favourite cup of tea.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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