Day 2 — Christmas Cardamom Butter Cookies

Two Turtle Doves:

Today is the second day of my 'Twelve Days of Christmas' countdown of Christmas-associated recipes on this blog. For me, as well as Christmas cake, Christmas Pudding and Christmas candies, Christmas is also intimately associated with home-made biscuits (cookies). For my second Christmas posting of twelve, I am giving my own adaptation of a classic Scandinavian cookie (biscuit) flavoured with cardamom.

Indeed, Christmas would not be Christmas without biscuits and cookies of various types, to today, for the second ay of my countdown to Christmas I have a recipe for a classic Christmas-associated cookie.

The use of cardamom, especially during Christmas time is a feature of Scandinavia and the antecedent of this recipe comes from Denmark. Though it may not be as important a seasonal spice as Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon or Allspice, the use of cardamom in cookery is interesting, and I invariably add it to my own mulled Christmas wine or cider.

Here you can find a link to all the Christmas and all the other Twelve Days of Christmas recipes published on this blog... a true treasure-trove of seasonal dishes.

Christmas Cardamom Butter Cookies

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

250g (2 cups) plain flour
1/8 tsp salt
5 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
50g slivered almonds
6 tbsp powdered sugar
slivered almonds, to garnish (about 48)

Method:

Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and 2 tsp of the ground cardamom until light and fluffy.

Add the flour and combine with the butter mix until thoroughly mixed. Stir in  the slivered almonds then tale tablespoons of the dough an roll into balls.

Mix together the powdered sugar and remaining cardamom. Roll the cookie balls in this mixture to coat thoroughly all over.

Arrange on a greased baking tray, then dip the base of a small glass in powdered sugar and use to press the cookies down to about 12mm thick (ensure the cookies are at least 1.5cm apart).

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 14 minutes, or until cooked through and very lightly browned.

Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sore in an air-tight container. These biscuits also freeze well and will keep for at least 2 months.

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