Cardamom Orange Cookies
Normally I try to make healthy versions of sweets this time of year to help keep things balanced but this Thanksgiving I decided to make tiny grandmother-style cookies.
Because if they're smaller they're not as unhealthy right? Right!
And anyway, the Sunset Magazine recipe was hanging on the fridge for months just waiting for me to make them, so I did.
These tiny cardamom orange cookies have a delicate sweetness and light crispy texture.
If you can make them into uniform size (1 level teaspoon each) then they will be even crispier, which I like but didn't have the patience to pull off the entire time.
I mean, one level teaspoon per cookie is really really tiny!
These little cookies are a labor of love but are worth making this holiday season if you want to gift someone some fancy homemade treats.
They're so good I wouldn't feel guilty keeping them all to myself as a special indulgence.
They also go well with tea and I drink a lot of tea.
How to Make Cardamom Orange Cookies
This recipe has been adapted to feed a much larger crowd (Thanksgiving is a bit cray cray up in here) so feel free to divide the recipe as needed.
The batch I made yielded quite a lot of tiny cookies- about 300- so make sure to put on some good music!
Here's what you're going to need:
• 2 cups of organic sugar
• 4 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 sticks of high-quality butter
• 4 large eggs
• 4 teaspoon good vanilla extract
• 4 cups of flour
• 1 ½ cups chopped pistachios
Cardamom Orange Cookies - Instructions
• Preheat the oven to 375
• In a stand mixer, thoroughly blend the sugar, orange zest, and ground cardamom
• Once mixed, add the butter on low one stick at a time
• Turn up the speed carefully and beat until light and fluffy
• Turn the mixer back down to low and add the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time. Make sure to thoroughly scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that everything is mixed well.
• On low speed add the flour
• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper
• Drop the batter onto the baking trays using a level teaspoon measure (don't worry too much about shape, just get them mostly round)
• Top each cookie with a pinch of chopped pistachio (you can press the pieces in slightly)
• Bake until crisp and golden brown around the edges, about 10-12 minutes
• Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack (or on a paper towel-lined counter like I did)
I had a really good method for making these so that it didn't take too long to bake them all…because I'll be honest, the amount of batter was daunting for cookies so small!
What I did was make one tray and pop it in the oven. While that one was baking I finished up the second tray.
By the time I was done with the second tray, the first tray was finished baking. Then I would pop in the second tray and work on the third. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
It was like seamless clockwork! But when you're listening to Adele's new album you hardly notice the blood, sweat, and tears going into these tiny cookies.
At any rate, they're worth the end result, and who says you can't have a not-so-healthy treat once in a while?
Everything in moderation right?
I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving this year!
Much love,
Tash
