Rich Cardamom Cookies
Make fragrant cardamom cookies with ground almonds and a sugar-cardamom coating. Easy steps for crisp edges and tender centers.
I recently baked this cardamom cookie recipe for a potluck and the guests raved about them because they are unusual and delicious.
Submitted by: Rachel from Urbana, IL
Yield: makes 2 dozen
- Use cake flour, lots of ground cardamom, and ground almonds for a tender, fragrant cookie.
- Coat dough balls in a powdered sugar and cardamom mix, flatten to 1/2 inch, and bake 12 to 14 minutes for golden edges.
- Chill dough to prevent spreading, swap almond meal 1:1, and freeze shaped dough or baked cookies for later.
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Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Grease 2 baking sheets.
Combine flour, cardamom and salt. In a seperate bowl, beat butter until creamy, and add sugar. Continue to beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flower mixture until well-blended, stir in ground almonds.
In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and cardamom. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, coat in sugar-spice mixture. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into sugar mixture and flatten cookies to 1/2 inch thick rounds. Decorate with sliced almonds.
Bake cookies until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Remove sheets to wire racks to cool 2-3 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes. Cake flour gives a more tender crumb, but you can use all-purpose flour. To mimic cake flour, remove 2 tablespoons of AP flour per cup and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, or simply use AP and expect a slightly firmer cookie.
How should I store these cookies and how long do they keep?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months. Re-crisp frozen or chilled cookies for a few minutes in a 300 F oven.
Can I use whole cardamom pods instead of ground cardamom?
Yes. Remove the seeds from green pods and grind them finely. About 6 to 8 pods yield roughly 1 teaspoon ground cardamom. Start with a little less than the recipe calls for if you prefer a milder flavor.
What can I use instead of ground almonds?
Almond meal or blanched almond flour works as a 1:1 swap. For a nut-free option, replace the ground almonds with an equal amount of cake or all-purpose flour or try oat flour, but note the texture will be slightly different.
How do I stop the cookies from spreading too much?
Keep the butter slightly firm rather than melted, chill the shaped dough balls 15 to 30 minutes before baking, space cookies 1 1/2 inches apart, and bake on a cool baking sheet or use parchment or a silicone mat.
Can I prepare these cookies ahead or freeze the dough?
Yes. Freeze shaped and sugared dough balls on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
How do I get crisp edges with a soft center?
Flatten cookies uniformly to 1/2 inch and bake until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly pale, about 12 to 14 minutes. For softer centers, remove 1 to 2 minutes earlier. Cooling on a wire rack helps maintain crisp edges.
Can I change the cookie size and how does that affect baking time?
Yes. Smaller 1 inch cookies will bake faster, about 8 to 10 minutes. Larger cookies will need longer, about 14 to 16 minutes. Watch for golden edges and adjust time accordingly.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes. Cake flour gives a more tender crumb, but you can use all-purpose flour. To mimic cake flour, remove 2 tablespoons of AP flour per cup and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, or simply use AP and expect a slightly firmer cookie.
How should I store these cookies and how long do they keep?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months. Re-crisp frozen or chilled cookies for a few minutes in a 300 F oven.
Can I use whole cardamom pods instead of ground cardamom?
Yes. Remove the seeds from green pods and grind them finely. About 6 to 8 pods yield roughly 1 teaspoon ground cardamom. Start with a little less than the recipe calls for if you prefer a milder flavor.
What can I use instead of ground almonds?
Almond meal or blanched almond flour works as a 1:1 swap. For a nut-free option, replace the ground almonds with an equal amount of cake or all-purpose flour or try oat flour, but note the texture will be slightly different.
How do I stop the cookies from spreading too much?
Keep the butter slightly firm rather than melted, chill the shaped dough balls 15 to 30 minutes before baking, space cookies 1 1/2 inches apart, and bake on a cool baking sheet or use parchment or a silicone mat.
Can I prepare these cookies ahead or freeze the dough?
Yes. Freeze shaped and sugared dough balls on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
How do I get crisp edges with a soft center?
Flatten cookies uniformly to 1/2 inch and bake until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly pale, about 12 to 14 minutes. For softer centers, remove 1 to 2 minutes earlier. Cooling on a wire rack helps maintain crisp edges.
Can I change the cookie size and how does that affect baking time?
Yes. Smaller 1 inch cookies will bake faster, about 8 to 10 minutes. Larger cookies will need longer, about 14 to 16 minutes. Watch for golden edges and adjust time accordingly.
Cardamom cookies add almond extract
Melt and cool butter. More gluten – chewier cookie. Add one egg yolk for same reason. Must add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp. Wilton Butter extract = secret ingred. that make “designer cookies”
Chill. Place dough between lightly floured pieces of waxed paper and make scalloped cutouts. I pressed a few sliced almonds into tops of cookies. After baking and cooling, make a small amount of butter-sugar glaze. Brush over tops of cookies – amazing !
These are delicious cookies, but I needed to add 2 eggs and 1 tbsp of water- the dough is too crumbly otherwise. If you don’t like cardamom, these are not for you. I can’t wait to try these cookies after a few days- I bet they will be more flavourful!
TOO DRY SOMETHING IS MISSING IN THIS RECIPE
These are my favorite cookies of all and so fun to make. When you bake them the entire house smells wonderful. I bake them for about 10 minutes to keep them from getting too brittle. I use much more cardamom then the recipe asks for because it makes them intensely more refreshing. I took them to work and was amazed that most people have never tried anything with cardamom. Everyone loved the aroma of the cookies and the taste. I would also never make these cookies with “usual” spice from the grocery store. The Spice House has spoiled me with their glorious fresh ground cardamom.
I was so excited to make these cookies! I cooked them at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, and they were inedible — totally burned. I will try the recipe again and bake them for about 6 minutes. I imagine they will then be awesome.
I made this for a bake sale at work — somebody bought one, then came back and bought all the rest. They are fantastic cookies.
They’re having another bake sale on Monday, and several people have asked if I’m going to bring The Cookies.
Thank you for submitting this recipe, I lost the original I had and know it would not be a holiday without these delicious and unexpected treats!