Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

I added these cookies to my Chocolate Desserts menu to have something a little less traditionally sweet.

I got this recipe from a friend a few years ago. Originally from India, most of my super-sweet treats are a little too sugary for her taste buds. But these cookies are awesome. Not too sweet, but sweet enough. And they're perfect to add a little different flavor to a holiday cookie plate.

What You Need:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cardamom

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. ground cardamom.

In a mixer bowl, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 2/3 cups brown sugar until light and fluffly, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the 2 tsp. vanilla.

With the mixer running on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined into a ragged dough. (DO NOT overmix.)


Remove from the bowl, press into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until it is firm, at least 1 hour.

Remove half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface.

Cut cookies using cutters.. Then place cut cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the cookie sheet of shaped cookies into the refrigerator for an hour or into the freezer for 15 minutes. This helps the cookies keep their shape.


Bake for 13-15 minutes at 375-degrees, or until the cookies are golden brown.

For the chocolate party, I dipped the corner of the cookie into tempered chocolate, and drizzled them with white chocolate. But I ate enough of them without the chocolate to tell you that they're yummy either way.