Christmas Cookies: Cardamom Shortbread

The preparation of homemade Christmas cookies is one of the most delicious traditions of the Advent season and the end-of-year festivities. For those who wish to honor this tradition from Alsace, here is an easy recipe for cardamom shortbread cookies to make with the family.

Ingredients

Here are the necessary ingredients to prepare 20 to 25 cardamom shortbread cookies:

250 g of flour.
50 g of icing sugar.
20 g of almond powder.
1 packet of vanilla sugar.
1 organic yellow lemon.
1 pinch of salt.
1 tablespoon of ground cardamom.
150 g of soft butter.
1 whole egg.

Preparation of dry ingredients

The recipe for cardamom shortbread cookies is straightforward. To make these slightly spiced Christmas cookies, start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

1- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with the icing sugar, pinch of salt, and almond powder.

2- Add the vanilla sugar, ground cardamom, and the grated zest of half a yellow lemon to flavor your Christmas cookies.

Note: The proportion of spices indicated above results in delicately scented shortbreads. If you prefer Christmas cookies with a stronger taste, you can increase the amount of ground cardamom up to 2 tablespoons.

Shortcrust Pastry Preparation

For this cardamom shortbread recipe, you need to use unsalted butter at room temperature. Remember to take the butter out of the refrigerator at least two hours in advance.

1- Once you have mixed all the dry ingredients in a large container, add the butter cut into small pieces.

2- Knead the ingredients with your fingertips to incorporate the soft butter into the dry ingredients. The dough should gradually take on a sandy texture and a yellow color.

3- When your mixture has the texture of sand, make a well and crack the whole egg in the center.

4- Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon, then knead everything until you can form a ball of dough.

5- Wrap the shortbread dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for an hour to make it easier to handle.

Cutting out cookies

After being chilled, the shortcrust pastry is ready to be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.

1- Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3 mm on a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat so that the cookies do not stick to your work surface.

2- Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters of your choice, such as hearts, Christmas trees, or stars.

Note: It is preferable to use cookie cutters of the same size to ensure even baking of the cardamom shortbread cookies.

3- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them out slightly.

Baking Christmas cookies

1- Preheat your oven to 340°F.

2- Place the cookie sheet(s) in the oven.

3- Bake the cardamom shortbread for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on their thickness.

4- Check the color: the cookies are done when they are nicely browned on the edges.