Christmas Cardamom Butter Cookies

Bergy's Note:

Another Danish/Scandinavian recipe. Cardamom is in the ginger family and has a pungent flavor. These cookies will disappear quickly (Unless you don't like cardamom!)

• Total Time: 34 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 24 cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I omit the salt and use salted butter)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup almonds, sliced
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• sliced almonds (to garnish, about 48 pieces)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F, oven rack in center of oven.
2. Grease a heavy cookie sheet (use a veggie oil).
3. Combine salt (if using) and flour in a bowl.
4. Cream Butter sugar and 2 tsp of cardamom until fluffy.
5. Add flour and beat at low speed.
6. Stir in 1/2 cup almonds.
7. Combine powdered sugar and remaining cardamom.
8. Roll dough into 1 Tbsp balls one at a time.
9. Roll each in the powdered sugar mixture, coat well.
10. Place on cookie sheet and with the bottom of a small glass, dipped in the sugar, press the cookie to 1/2" thickness. Press a couple of almond slices into each cookie (use more if you like).
11. Have cookies at least a 1/2" apart.
12. Bake about 14 minutes or until they are light brown.
13. Cool on a rack.
14. Put in airtight container.
15. You can freeze and they will keep at least a couple of months.

Reviews

[Chef Mandy #5]

To die for. My family and guests devoured them! I did follow other reviews and added more butter and sugar. I used unrefined/unbleached sugar and added and extra 1/2 cup. I probably added about 1/8 extra cup of butter (I was using clarified butter because of a family dairy allergy). Thanks for this recipe!!!

[Chef #664092]

These cookies were totally delicious and so simple to make. I used egg wash on the almonds before putting them on top so they'd stick. My favorite arrangement was just a bunch of broken almond slices. I also tried mini chocolate chips. Thank you Bergy for helping me with my Chrismas cookie assortment this year!

[madeinthekitchen]

yummy, just tried it this afternoon and it came really good. i even changed a bit of the recipe - i added the chopped almonds in the mixture and it came really nice too. i read in one of the reviews to add more sugar which i did - however i think that's too sweet for my taste. next time i would follow explicitly the recipe with 1/2 cup (i added another 1/8 that's why)