Cherry Blossom Layered Cookies With Beetroot–Coconut Filling

This recipe started as a simple idea. I wanted to bake something that felt special, something that made you pause and smile even before taking the first bite. Inspired by the soft and delicate beauty of cherry blossoms, I paired the gentle floral notes of cherry blossom with the warm, comforting aroma of cardamom, creating a fusion of Japanese and Indian flavors. The cookies are gently layered and buttery on the outside, almost pastry like, and when you break one open, you discover a lightly sweet beetroot coconut filling infused with cardamom that feels both refreshing and familiar. These are not your usual crunchy cookies. They are soft, flaky, and melt slowly in your mouth. I love enjoying them with a warm cup of tea or coffee during quiet moments. What makes this recipe even more enjoyable is how easy it is to customize. You can experiment with fillings like dates, nuts, chocolate, or flavored coconut and create your own version while keeping the same beautiful flower shape.

COOKING INGREDIENTS FOR CHERRY BLOSSOM LAYERED COOKIES WITH BEETROOT–COCONUT FILLING

BEETROOT-COCONUT FILLING

1. Fresh Beetroots - 1/2 Kg or 500g
2. Milk - 1/2 glass or 150 ml
3. Butter - 30g or 3 tbsps.
4. Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup or 100 g
5. Cardamoms - 4-5
6. Desiccated Shredded Coconut - 4 tbsps.

WATER DOUGH

1. All Purpose Flour - 120g or 1 cup
2. Powdered/Icing Sugar - 20g or 2½ tbsps.
3. Softened Butter (Salted) - 45g or 3 tbsps.
4. Cherry Blossom Essence - 4 drops
5. Water - 50 ml

OIL DOUGH

1. All Purpose Flour - 100 or ¾ cup
2. Softened Butter (Salted)- 55g or 4 tbsps.
3. Pink Gel Food Coloring - 2 drops

FINAL TOUCHES

1. Sesame Seeds - 2 tbsps.
2. Egg Yolk - 1

UTENSILS AND EQUIPEMENTS REQUIRED

1. Weighing Scale -1
2. Vegetable Peeler -1
3. Knife -1
4. Cheese Grater OR Food Processor -1
5. Measuring cups - 2-3
6. Small Bowls - 2-3
7. Mixing Bowls - 2-3
8. Mixing Spoon - 1
9. Mixing Silicone Flat Spatula -1
10. Chopping Board/Tray - 1
11. Cling Film
12. Rolling Board -1
13. Rolling Pin -1
14. Oven (OTG)

TOTAL BAKE TIME : 1 hour 35 minutes

For Beetroot Filling: 60 min at 200 degrees Celsius

For Cherry Blossom Layered Cookies : 35-40 min at 150 degrees Celsius

Let's start with the filling of the Cookies. We just have to mix all the ingredients together, put them in a baking dish, and bake them in the oven. So first, prep your beetroots.

1. Take 1/2 Kg or 500 g of Fresh Beetroots, wash them thoroughly in running water, and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
2. Peel them using a vegetable peeler/potato peeler.
3. Chop off both ends (1 inch approx.) using a knife, as shown.
4. Grate the beetroots using a cheese grater or a food processor.
5. Transfer the grated beetroots into a greased baking dish or cake tin.

Side Note:

Beetroots can stain surfaces and hands easily, so it’s a good idea to wear gloves and work on a lined or easy to clean surface. Fresh, firm beetroots give the best color and natural sweetness to the filling.

I wanted to make my filling buttery and refreshing, so I added cardamom flavor to it, and loads of butter.

1. To the grated beetroots add add 4-5 pods of cardamom (You can use a pinch of cardamom powder too).
2. To this, add 30 g or 3 tbsps. full of softened salted butter (I used salted butter because it balances out the sweetness of the filling).
3. Now sweeten the filling by adding 1/2 cup or 100 g of icing sugar.
4. Then add 1/2 glass or 150 ml of milk.
5. Give it a good stir (It's okay if the butter is not dissolving with the milk, when we bake it, it will automatically combine together).

1. Preheat the oven for 10 min at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Once done, bake the beetroot mix for 60 min at 200 degrees Celsius till it becomes mushy, and till 90% the liquid has evaporated.
3. Remove and let it cool.

To make the filling easier to shape and help it hold its form, we’ll add desiccated coconut.

1. Let the beetroot mix cool down.
2. Start by adding 2–3 tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the mixture.
3. Mix well until the coconut absorbs the excess moisture.
4. The filling should become firm, non-sticky, and easy to roll.
5. If needed, add more desiccated coconut 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes so the coconut can fully absorb the moisture. This will make shaping the filling much easier and more consistent.

1. Divide the filling mixture evenly into 12 portions (about 10 g each).
2. Roll each portion gently between your palms to form smooth, plum-sized balls.
3. Place the balls on a parchment-lined tray or plate.
4. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes so they firm up and hold their shape.

Once chilled, the filling balls are ready to be used for assembling the cookies.

Moving on to the next part of the recipe, it’s time to make the Water Dough. As the name suggests, this dough is kneaded using water.

1. Take 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 20 g (2½ tbsp) powdered/icing sugar.
3. Add 45 g (3 tbsp) softened salted butter. (If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.)
4. Use a silicone flat spatula to combine everything until crumbly.
5. Add 1 teaspoon (or 4–5 drops) cherry blossom essence.
6. Gradually add about 50 ml water, a little at a time, and bring the mixture together.
7. Use your hands to knead it into a smooth, tight dough.
8. Shape the dough into a ball and keep it aside, covered, until ready to use.

1. Divide the prepared water dough into two equal parts.
2. Roll each portion into a smooth cylinder of the same length and thickness.
3. Place the two cylinders parallel to each other on a clean work surface.
4. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, make even cuts across both cylinders at the same time.
5. Cut until you have 12 equal dough pieces in total.

Cutting both cylinders together helps keep all the dough pieces uniform in size, ensuring even shaping and baking later.

1. Take each of the cut dough portions and roll them gently between your palms.
2. Shape them into 12 smooth, equal-sized balls.
3. Place the dough balls on a clean tray or plate.
4. Keep them covered to prevent drying while you prepare the next step.

These evenly sized dough balls will help ensure uniform shaping and even baking of the cookies later.

1. Take 100 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 55 g (4 tbsp) softened salted butter.
3. Add 2 drops of pink gel food coloring.
4. Mix everything together using a spatula or your hands until it forms a soft, smooth dough.
5. Gently knead for a few seconds and shape the dough into a smooth ball.
6. Keep it covered until ready to use.

This oil dough should be pliable and easy to work with, without cracking.

1. Divide the prepared oil dough into two equal parts.
2. Roll each portion into a smooth cylinder of the same length and thickness.
3. Place the two cylinders parallel to each other on a clean work surface.
4. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, make even cuts across both cylinders at the same time.
5. Continue cutting until you have 12 equal dough pieces in total.

1. Take each of the cut oil dough portions and roll them gently between your palms.
2. Shape them into 12 smooth, equal-sized balls.
3. Place the dough balls on a clean tray or plate.
4. Keep them covered to prevent drying while you prepare the next step.

These evenly sized dough balls will help ensure uniform shaping and even baking of the cookies later.

1. Take one portion of the water dough and place it on a clean rolling board.
2. Gently press it flat with your hands.
3. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a radius of approximately 5 cm.
4. Place one portion of the pink oil dough ball in the center of the flattened water dough.
5. Fold the water dough over the oil dough, bringing the edges together to cover it completely.
6. Seal the ends tightly and gently roll it into a smooth, large ball.
7. Repeat this process for all the remaining dough portions.

This ensures that the oil dough is completely encased within the water dough, creating a smooth, uniform ball ready for shaping.

1. Take one big ball of the combined dough (water dough + oil dough) and place it on a clean rolling board.
2. Flatten it out horizontally as much as possible.
3. Starting from one end, roll the flattened dough diagonally toward the opposite end.
4. Continue rolling until you form a thin cylindrical shape.
5. Repeat this process for all the remaining dough balls.

This rolling technique helps create the layered effect in your cookies.

1. Take one rolled cylinder and place it on a clean rolling board.
2. Press it flat from the top using your hands.
3. Use a rolling pin to roll it along its length, flattening it evenly.
4. Take one end of the flattened dough and start rolling it inward as shown, toward the center.
5. Continue rolling until you form a smaller, tighter cylinder.
6. Repeat this process for all the remaining cylinders.

This rolling technique helps create the spiral layers in your cookies, giving them a beautiful patterned effect when baked.

1. Take one prepared cylinder and place it on a clean rolling board.
2. Use your fingers to press lightly in the middle of the cylinder to create a line or indentation.
3. Bring both ends of the cylinder together and merge them at the center.
4. Press gently from the top to flatten it evenly.
5. Finally, gently roll the dough into a circle to form the cookie shape.
6. Repeat this process for all remaining cylinders.

This technique gives your cookies a perfect circular shape with visible layered patterns.

1. Take one prepared cookie dough circle and place it on a clean surface.
2. Place one beetroot-coconut filling ball in the center of the circle.
3. Carefully bring the edges of the dough together to cover the filling completely.
4. Seal the edges tightly so the filling is fully enclosed.
5. Gently roll or shape it into a smooth, rounded ball
6. Repeat this process for all remaining cookie circles and filling balls.

Sealing the filling properly ensures it stays intact during baking and gives a smooth, professional look to your cookies.

1. Place one filled cookie sphere on a rolling board with the smooth, even surface on top.
2. Gently press down with your palms until the cookie flattens to the desired shape.
3. Using a very sharp knife, make 5 evenly spaced cuts all the way through to form the petals of the flower.
4. Repeat for all the dough balls.

1. Invert the cookie so the backside is facing up.
2. Take the two ends of the cut edges, bring them together slowly, and merge them gently with your fingers as shown.
3. Repeat this process for all remaining cookies.

This step helps your cookies look like blooming flowers with neatly formed petals.

1. Flip the cookies so the front (top) side is facing up.
2. Using a very sharp knife, make 2 small cuts on each petal of the cookie’s top layer, as shown.
3. Ensure the cuts are even and gentle so the petals retain their shape.
4. Repeat this process for all remaining cookies.

These detail cuts give the cookies a more realistic flower appearance and help them open slightly while baking.

1. Take one egg yolk and whisk it lightly until smooth.
2. Using a spoon or brush, place 2–3 drops of the whisked egg yolk in the center of each flower-shaped cookie.
3. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the egg yolk in the center.
4. Repeat this process for all remaining cookies.

This step adds a shiny golden finish and a subtle nutty crunch to the center of your flower cookies.

1. Take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper or butter paper.
2. Place the prepared cherry blossom cookies evenly on the tray, leaving some space between them.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.
4. Bake the cookies at 150°C for 35–40 minutes, or until they are firm.
5. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely before serving.

This ensures your cookies retain their shape and beautiful flower details while baking.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, serve them on a plate or store them in an airtight container. Admire the beautiful flower shapes and enjoy the buttery, beetroot-coconut filling with every bite. These cookies are perfect to enjoy with tea or coffee, or to gift as a lovely homemade treat. For the best flavor, let them rest for a day so the flavors can meld together.