Enjoy the pillowy soft goodness of orange cardamom cookies – a tasty combination of soft shortbread cookies infused with peppery cardamom and a sweet orange icing to make a perfect dessert for holiday parties, baby showers, and get-togethers.
What is Cardamom?
Cardamom is a spice that comes in two main types: green cardamom, which has a fresh and slightly citrusy taste with a hint of sweetness, and black cardamom, known for its smoky and earthy taste. The green cardamom pods have a coarse green outer shell filled with tiny black seeds that contain all the flavor.
This aromatic whole spice is versatile and flavors chai, simple syrup, Indian mango lassi, curries, desserts, bread, soup, and rice dishes.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted butter softened at room temperature for the best results.
- Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the cookies a tender, delicate texture. Granulated white sugar works, but the cookies won’t be as soft.
- Ground Cardamom Powder: I’m a huge cardamom fan and use it to flavor everything from simple syrup to meals like al faham chicken. Use ground cardamom to flavor the cookies. For the most aromatic and flavorful cookies, grind whole green cardamom pods by hand. Carefully remove the outer green casing to reveal the seeds inside. Grind the tiny black seeds to a fine powder before blending into your cookie dough.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the simple short-bread cookies.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch gives the cookies a soft texture.
- Orange Icing: All you need for the orange icing is powdered sugar, orange zest, and freshly squeezed orange juice for bright orange flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap the citrus. Replace the orange glaze with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Experiment with toppings. Finish the orange cardamom cookies with candied orange slices, white chocolate drizzle, coconut flakes, candied ginger, or crumbled pistachios.
Tools You’ll Need
Make soft cardamom orange cookies using rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper, a mixing bowl, a rolling pin, a biscuit cutter (or drinking glass), and a wire rack to cool the cookies. I recommend using a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine the dough.
How to Cut the Cookies
1. Cookie Cutter
Form the dough into a large ball using your hands. Then, transfer the dough to parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is ½-inch thick. Use a glass or biscuit cutter to cut the dough into 3-inch circles. I prefer this method because it gives me the most consistent results and beautifully round cookies.
2. Roll and Slice
You can slice the dough instead of rolling and cutting it! Roll the dough into a log using parchment paper. Refrigerate for one hour to harden and slice the dough into ½-inch disks.
3. Roll into Balls
Divide the dough into 1-inch balls and line them onto a baking sheet. You can also use a fork to form imprints in the cookies, similar to traditional peanut butter cookies.
How to Make Orange Cardamom Cookies
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163℃). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Step 2: Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and all-purpose flour to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine until a crumbly dough forms.
Preparation Tip
The dough will look like crumbs, but it should be soft to the touch.
Step 3: Form the dough into a ball using your hands. Then, transfer the dough to parchment paper.
Step 4: Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is ½-inch thick. Use a glass or biscuit cutter to cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Gather dough scraps and form them into a ball, roll it out, and repeat until the ingredients are gone.
Step 4: Transfer the cutouts to the rimmed baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes until they are lightly golden brown.
Step 5: Let the cookies cool. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the orange icing in a small bowl. Once the cookies cool completely, spread the icing, and leave it on a wire rack to harden. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Expert Tips
- The dough will look like crumbs when you mix it – that’s okay. Start working the mixture with your hands. The heat from your hands will help you form the dough into a ball until it holds its shape.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.
If you enjoy orange cardamom cookies, try more dessert recipes!
Serving Suggestions
The delicious cookies are a perfect addition to a holiday cookie platter, and you can serve them with crunchy jalapeño peanut brittle or brown butter almond brittle.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Storage: Store the leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for five days or in the refrigerator for ten days.
- Freeze before Baking: I recommend rolling the dough and cutting it into circles before freezing them. Line the circles onto a rimmed baking sheet to flash freeze. Once they harden, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. When it’s baking time, remove the cookies from the freezer to defrost while you preheat the oven, then follow the baking instructions in the recipe card below.
- Freeze after Baking: Let the cookies cool, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. The orange cardamom cookies will freeze for three months.
- Thaw: Set the frozen cookies on the counter and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some substitutions for cardamom?
Cardamom has a unique taste that is both citrusy and spicy, so finding an exact substitute is challenging. However, here are some alternatives you can try in the orange cardamom cookies.
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
Orange Cardamom Cookies
- Biscuit Cutter or Drinking Glass
- Small Bowl
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
- ½-1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, one orange
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163℃). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and all-purpose flour to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine until a crumbly dough forms. Tip: The dough will look like crumbs, but it should be soft to the touch.
- Form the dough into a ball using your hands. Then, transfer the dough to parchment paper.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is ½-inch thick. Use a glass or biscuit cutter to cut the dough into 3-inch circles.
- Transfer the cutouts to the rimmed baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes until they are lightly golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the orange icing in a small bowl.
- Once the cookies cool completely, spread the icing, and leave it on a wire rack to harden. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- The dough will look like crumbs when you mix it – that’s okay. Start working the mixture with your hands. The heat from your hands will help you form the dough into a ball until it holds its shape.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.