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    Home » Cookies

    Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

    Published: Sep 5, 2021 · Modified: May 11, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    Stack of Cardamom Orange shortbread cookies with slices of orange skin.

    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.

    Shortbread cookie log showing how to wrap in plastic.

    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.

    cardamom orange shortbread 2 rolls wrapped in plastic ready for the refrigerator.

    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.

    Sliced shortbread logs and placed on parchment paper.

    Slice, bake, eat, repeat! I hope you enjoy these simple shortbread as much as I do.

    Stack of Cardamom Orange shortbread cookies with slices of orange skin.

    Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

    Barbara Hall
    Cardamom is underused. I love pairing it with orange in these shortbread as it gives it such warmth.
    4.71 from 24 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Bake Time 33 mins
    Chill 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 33 mins
    Course Cookies, Holiday, No-Eggs
    Cuisine American
    Servings 30 cookies
    Calories 97 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup Butter unsalted 2 sticks room temperature
    • ⅔ cups Powdered sugar 83 g
    • 2 Tablespoon Orange juice fresh 1 to 2 oranges
    • 2 Tablespoon Orange zest 1 to 2 oranges
    • 2 cups All-purpose flour 240 g
    • 1 Tablespoon Cardamom ground
    • ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon Baking powder
    • ¼ 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° - 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 28mgPotassium: 16mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword cardamom orange shortbread, eggless shortbread cookies, shortbread cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shirley

      December 18, 2022 at 9:02 am

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Barbara

        December 19, 2022 at 12:19 pm

        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

        Reply
    2. Janet L.

      November 15, 2021 at 11:36 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Barbara

        November 16, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        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.

        Reply
      • Justin

        December 31, 2021 at 10:13 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Barbara

          January 01, 2022 at 11:19 am

          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

          Reply

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