Name: Cardamom Cookies Recipe
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes 36 cookies
Ingredients: 1/4 cup toasted almonds, finely ground; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 1/2 cups flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom; 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 eggs

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By Mary Ellen Rae

April 8, 2001

This bun recipe has been in my family for at least four generations. The other recipes were taken from my grandmother’s cookbook, which was published in 1947. As in most baking recipes, follow the ingredients closely but change the flavorings to suit your tastes. Different nuts can be substituted. You can use more or less cardamom as desired.

The recipes call for crushed or ground cardamom. For the best price, purchase whole pods in specialty markets. Buy either the green or bleached pods that are a pale beige color. Gently smash the pods to remove the seeds. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle. If you can’t find the whole pods, ground cardamom can be substituted, but the flavor will be subtler, and I prefer the look of the black specks of cardamom in the pastries.

Topping

¼ cup toasted almonds, finely ground

2 tablespoons sugar

Combine the almonds and sugar; set aside.

Cookies

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cardamom.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat after each addition. Add the flour mixture gradually and beat on medium speed to combine, 1 minute. Do not over-mix the dough or the cookies will not be tender.

Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form the dough into a disk. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets and set them aside.

Remove half of the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter. Place them on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Sprinkle approximately about 1 teaspoon of topping on each cookie and press down slightly. Bake the cookies until the edges of the cookie reach a pale golden color, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove to rack and cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or freeze.

These are great for an afternoon coffee break. This is the traditional way to make this butter cookie. For a variation, try dipping the cookies halfway in melted chocolate before sprinkling with the almonds. Use any leftover topping to stir into muffin, cake or pancake batters.