• Combine the saffron and warm milk in a small bowl. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the saffron-infused milk to the creamed butter along with all-purpose flour, almond extract, and thandai powder.
• With your hands, bring all the ingredients together till it is soft and pliable. 
• In case the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of milk in increments till it is soft and pliable.
• Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 12" log.
• Place the logs carefully on a parchment-lined baking tray.
• Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
• You can also wrap the logs well in plastic wrap or butter paper and refrigerate them for 2-3 days or freeze for 2-3 weeks.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C. Line your baking tray with parchment paper or Silpat.
• Cut each log into slices, about 1/4" in thickness.
• Place the slices on the prepared trays. Make sure there is a little gap between them as they will spread a bit during baking.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until light golden in color. Bake for extra 1-2 minutes if you want crispier cookies.
• Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool.

Almond glaze ( optional )

• Mix the almond milk, almond extract, and icing sugar in a small bowl, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Drizzle over a part of each cookie with the glaze. For extra shimmer, place bits of vark ( silver leaf) here and there on the glaze.
• Let the glaze set for 2-3 minutes.
• Store in an air-tight container. Enjoy!