Cardamom Shortbread Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sift together both flours and 2 teaspoons cardamom in a large bowl; set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and the salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg yolks; mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the orange-flower water.
• Divide the dough in half; place each half on a sheet of wax paper. Using the wax paper, roll each piece of dough into a 12-by-1 1/2-inch log. Wrap tightly and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom in a bowl. Slice one log of dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (keep the remaining log refrigerated). Dip the tops of dough rounds in the cardamom sugar and arrange on ungreased baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining log of dough.

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Whisk together flour, zest, cardamom, and salt.
• Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Quarter dough and form each piece into a 6-inch disk, then chill, wrapped separately in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
• Cut and bake cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into an 11-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Slide dough in parchment onto a tray and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut out as many cookies as possible with cookie cutter (chill dough again if necessary), reserving and chilling scraps. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.
• Bake until edges are golden-brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.
• Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll only once) on cooled freshly lined baking sheets.
• If icing cookies and coloring icing, transfer small batches to small bowls, 1 for each color, and tint with food coloring. Spoon each color of icing into separate sealable bags, pressing out excess air, and snip an 1/8-inch opening in 1 bottom corner of each bag. Pipe icing onto a plate to test consistency. If too thick, thin a small batch with a few drops of orange juice.
• Decoratively pipe icing onto cookies, then sprinkle with decorative sugar (if using) and let dry completely, about 1 hour (depending on humidity).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
• Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom and salt. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture to butter mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Spread dough into an ungreased 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Brush egg white over dough, sprinkle evenly with chopped nuts and bake for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make icing: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat melted butter and vanilla into powdered sugar. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing reaches drizzling consistency. Spread icing over slightly warm bars. Allow icing to set and cut bars into cookies while bars are still slightly warm. Decorate with candied fruit, if desired.