Shortbread cookies are my go-to recipe. They are versatile, great size, and you can mix different ingredients to make a wide variety of cookies. During December, there are all kinds of baking shows on TV that I enjoy. I watched a holiday cookie show, and some bakers were using a spice I did not know about or at least didn't think it could work in cookies, cardamom!
So, of course, I needed to find out more about cardamom. Here is an excellent site for the benefits of cardamom in all different forms. I, for one, am going to find different ways to use this spice and not just in cooking and baking. But if you want to know more about the plant itself, here is a site that explains the cardamom plant.
I looked in my trusty book of flavors and found that cinnamon and orange go perfectly with cardamom, so I had my ingredients. Now I just needed to adjust how much of each component I should use to stand out on its own. So after a few adjustments, I am thrilled with the balance of each flavor, and I hope you enjoy cardamom if you have never had it in a cookie. Please let me know what you think of the spice cardamom and use it in another cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter unsalted
- ⅔ cups Powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP Orange juice fresh
- 2 TBSP Orange zest
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 TBSP Cardamom ground
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
Sliced Cardamom Orange Shortbread
I love making shortbread. It has a delightful texture from butter, and it's eggless so that your allergy friends might enjoy it. There aren't any nuts either, so these are a great cookie to take to parties.
Shortbread cookies are also great when you only have a few snippets of time. The dough must chill to be sliced, so it can be a multi-day process if you'd like. As with most cookies, start by creaming the butter and sugar before stirring in the dry ingredients.
Once mixed, I like to dump it out on a silicone mat and split it into two equal parts. Then I can pat it out into a ball and roll that into a long log.
Wrap each in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. One trick I've learned is to set the log in paper towel tubes that have been split open. This helps them stay round as they chill. You can also make sure to rotate them every so often, so they don't flatten on one side.
As much as I love my various cookie scoops, it is great to slice and go. Rotate the log as you slice so that you aren't flattening it too much. You can also gently pat the slices back into shape on the baking sheet.
Slice, bake, eat, repeat! I hope you enjoy these simple shortbread as much as I do.
Recipe
Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ⅔ cups (80 g) Powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Orange juice fresh
- 2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Orange zest
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Cardamom ground
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Weigh or measure into a bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and set aside. I run a whisk through the dry ingredients to blend. Zest and juice one orange, there should be enough for 2 tablespoon of each depending on the size of the orange. Weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set that aside.
- In a stand or handheld mixer, add the butter and mix till light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar and incorporate. Add the orange juice and zest and blend through. I turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer on a low speed and add the flour mixture until incorporated into the butter, powdered sugar, and orange wet ingredients.
- I dump the cookie dough onto a silicone pastry mat and divide the dough in half. Taking one of the halves roll it out into a log shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. Do the same for the other half placing them onto a cookie sheet. Refrigerate the logs for 45 minutes. You can roll them once in a while so they do not have a flat side. They tend to flatten out on the side that is touching the cookie sheet pan if not rolled once in a while.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) - Take one log out of the refrigerator and unwrap the plastic wrap from the cookie dough log. Slice the log and place the disk shapes onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I got 13 to 15 cookies from one cookie dough log, which filled up one cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes, checking the bottom for a nice light brown. Leave on the cookie pan for a minute before moving to a cooling rack. Do the same thing for the 2nd log.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Melora says
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite what I expected. I love cardamom, but this had too much for me. I wondered if I misread 1 tsp as 1 TBSP, but sure enough, it's a whole TBSP. I am going to try this one again because I do love orange and cardamom and the texture of these cookies was wonderful. I will use less cardamom and probably a bit more orange zest next time.
Barbara says
Hi Melora, I am so glad you can adjust the recipe to meet your taste. That has always been my goal to give you the recipe and you create a version that you will love. - Barbara
melora says
Thanks, Barbara! I will not give up on this recipe 🙂 Thank you for sharing it!
kelbel says
These are delicious. I was worried that a tablespoon of cardamom would be too much, but it's just right. I wish you'd add size to your instructions about how thick the logs should be, and how thick the slices should be.
Barbara says
H Kelbel,
I am so happy you enjoyed the cookies! You are right about adding the sizes, and the process shots are overdue for a fresh look which will include the measurements. I have had people who want one log instead of 2 but others like the two logs to serve more people. So I will include both in the update. Thank you for the feedback. I am always trying to improve my instructions. - Barbara
Julie says
Can the logs be frozen and cut/baked later?
Barbara says
Hi Julie, Yes, you want to make the cookie dough then form them into logs. Then wrap the logs in plastic wrap before putting them in a freezer bag and freezing them. You can keep them for up to 3 months before thawing them. Then just slice and bake.
Kimberly says
Hi
I am looking for a good cardamom cookie for fall. This one looks yummy! I noticed the nutritional information indicates that there is 1 g of trans fat. Which ingredient(s) have trans fat? I am trying to eliminate that from my diet.
Thanks for any insight.
Kim
Barbara says
Hi Kimberly, it is the butter that has a small amount of trans fat. Since shortbread cookies are a buttery cookie, I am unsure if a plant-based butter would give you the same cookie or not. I have never used that type of butter, but I have heard of one that is reasonably prices with good results and that is Earth Balance in sticks. It is salted but you can either eliminate the kosher salt or leave it in. I hope this helps.
Becky L Rudella says
These are so good, Barbara! I'm so intrigued by cardamom because I haven't used it much, and this recipe makes lovely use of it. The flavors are delicate with a slight lingering orange. I didn't have an orange on hand -- only had a few little mandarin oranges (Halos or Cuties?) -- so I made a half batch. My roll was 1 1/2" in diameter; I sliced 14 cookies and baked them for 14 minutes. I sprinkled turbinado sugar on all of them before baking. I also melted dark chocolate to drizzle on some and dunk half of a cookie on some when cool - also left some plain. Thank you for the recipe!
Barbara says
Hi Becky, I love your experimenting style! You know, I usually have those (Halos or Cuties) on hand for myself and often wondered if I didn't have an orange in the fridge if I could use one of them. I did not add the size of the roll in my recipe because everyone seems to have a length and width they like. I make them small to feed the masses, but if there are only two people in the household, one log with bigger cookies works also. It does not change the flavor either way. Thank you for trying my cookies - Barbara
Barbara says
love them. I didn't get around to baking them until the next day, but, these are the BOMB! I rolled them out kind of long, thinking they would spread because of all the butter....so I cut them an inch thick. No spreading, but soooo delicious.
they are the perfect shortbread cookie. Thank you for the recipe.
Barbara says
Hi Barbara, I often get busy and bake my shortbread cookies the next day, they are perfect for that. I am so happy you love these cookies. - Barbara
Kelly says
I really love these cookies! Unfortunately my batch turns out extremely flat cookies, not the slightly lofted cookies in the picture. I’m pretty sure I used the correct proportions and after the first tray came out of the oven flat I left the dough in the fridge overnight before trying again. Do you have any advice on what I did wrong?
Barbara says
Hi Kelly, I sent you an email since my response was lengthy. But you are not alone concerning cookies that are flat. This has been happening to all kinds of cookies. Some people say it is the flour; others think it is the butter. So far, I have not had any problems with my King Arthur flour and my Land O Lake butter. I have also heard that if the baking powder is old, that can affect the rise also. One other point is if you scoop your flour, this can cause the flour to be under or over the suggested amount. I hope this helps. - Barbara
Alma Sorokes says
Hi Barbara , these sound delightful! I’ve never used cardamom in a cookie , so I’m happy to find this one . Do you think this recipe would work , rolled out and stamped with a William Sonoma thumb print cookie cutter ? Thanks in advance . 🙂
Barbara says
Hi Alma,
I don’t see why not. After the dough chills you may have to leave it out for a while to warm up so you can roll the dough. I would make the dough into a flat disk shape and wrap it in plastic wrap then pop it in the fridge to chill. I do chill the dough so that all the flavors have time to meld together. Please let me know how they worked out. - Barbara
Lauren says
Hi Lily,
Have you tried making the dough ahead of time and freezing, or would you recommend cooking and then freezing?
Barbara says
Hi Lauren, I did not freeze this dough. I have, however, made the dough, wrapped it well, and sliced and baked them within a day or two. There are a lot of people who make their cookie dough and then freeze it to bake later. I do not have room in my freezer to do that :-). - Barbara
Gigi says
Hello I just tried this and the cookies were good but like others agree doubling the ingredients would make it even better. I wanted to confirm the measurements of butter, sugar and flour. Quite honestly I was worried there was too much butter vs the amount of flour. After refrigeration the log was breaking apart like a “butter log” but I left it at room temperature and massaged it back together. I was actually quite worried the cookies wouldn’t turn out. Also can I use regular sugar vs powdered sugar?
Barbara says
Hi Gigi, I have never used regular sugar in place of the powdered sugar but I use the powdered sugar because it makes a creamier mixture when mixed with my Land O Lake butter. I have used this ratio of ingredients for almost all of my shortbread cookies. I do know that some bakers I have been reading about online have had trouble with some brands of butters. I hope this helps. - Barbara
Lily says
These sound delicious! Would this recipe work for bars? Is so, what size pan and time would you suggest? Thank you.
Barbara says
Hi Lily, I do a Scottish Shortbread that is close to the ingredient amounts as this recipe. The Scottish Shortbread uses a 9 X 9 baking pan. I think this is a wonderful idea. Preheat oven to 325°F(165°C or 170°C) and bake for 20-21 minutes. You may want to look at the recipe for the Scottish Shortbread and keep an eye on the time. Please let me know how they turns out. - Barbara
Pearse says
Hey Barbara , do you know cardamom can be used in savory dishes .... chicken beef,....any meat dishes . Along with cinnamon stick , Cloves and such . Throw some when u make a beef roast . Yum
Pearse
Barbara says
Pearse, you are so right I use it in making our dinners, and we love the spice. -Barbara
Shirley says
Lovely flavor perfect shortbread, though small finished cookie size, One critique dividing dough into 2 logs there is no length or width given,just number of sliced. Next time I will make one log about 10 inches long 2 inches thick. Chill and slice about 1/4 inch thick. I also dusted them with fine sugar sand just after they came out of oven.
Barbara says
Hi Shirley, You are correct. I did not give the length or width simply because everyone has a different width they like for their cookies. I make them small because there is more to go around when I have 18 people for a Christmas dinner. But if doing it for just my husband and myself, I would do what you do and make one log and thicker. I am very happy you love the flavor!!! -Barbara
Janet L. says
We loved this recipe and the very detailed directions were great! It was my first try with cardamom and I’ll definitely use it again!
Barbara says
Janet, I am so glad you like this cookie! I remember the first time I heard about cardamom in cookies I was a little scared to try it, but it is a wonderful spice and works very well with orange.
Justin says
I just started baking as a hobby, and I was eager to try a recipe with cardamom, and I came across this recipe for orange cardamom shortbread cookies. What a wonderful introduction to this beautiful spice! Paired with the orange zest and orange juice, the cardamom really adds a twist to traditional shortbread. I am so happy I discovered this recipe, and I look forward to trying it again…and trying to find more flavors to pair with this spice. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Barbara says
Hi Justin,
Congrats on your new hobby! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies and the combination of flavors. If you come across a book called “The Flavor Bible” grab it, it will open up a world of flavor combinations.
Barbara