Cardamom Shortbread Cookies with Coffee Glaze

 

I'm always looking for an excuse to bake cookies. Holiday season is just one good reason to bake up a delectable batch of buttery shortbread. Easy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness that everybody loves.
I found some holiday cookie tins in the closet and well, that was another good excuse. Perfect for my "bake-and-take" mantra. Bake them, eat a few, and give the rest away.
If you know me, you know I am obsessed with cardamom. I really love it so. I take the little green cardamom pods every morning and crunch them up with a back of the spoon. The black seeds pop out and I mix the seeds and pods into my coffee grinds, to spruce up my morning cup with some exotic flavor.
I even bought myself some cardamom and coffee lotion the other day....yes, cardamom and coffee scented lotion. It makes me feel like I'm baking and drinking coffee even when I'm not. How much better can life get people? I can eat and drink my beloved spice and even wear it!



This might be the only blog post I've ever done where perhaps my recipe was inspired by a beauty product....but here you go.
I love shortbread on it's own, but the glaze on these beauties just adds a little something special. And another way to infuse the cookies with cardamom flavor. Yum.




I'm wondering what kind of goodies you are baking up over the holidays? Do you have a favorite cookie that you make every year during this time? I'd love to hear about it! Hint: hit me up with a comment.
Need more cookie ideas for an upcoming cookie exchange or to take to a family gathering? Here are some of my favorite Happily Edible After cookie posts for inspiration:

*Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
*Holiday Brandy Snaps 
*Sweet and Salty Compost Cookies

Sending you and yours a wish for holiday fun, peace, and deliciousness.



Cardamom Shortbread Cookies with Coffee Glaze
Makes about 28 (2-inch)

Shortbread:
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons, sifted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
Water, as needed

Glaze:
2 Tablespoons strong coffee
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon {or so} of instant coffee granules

Make shortbread:
Place confectioners' sugar into the bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Add flour, salt, and cardamom. Briefly pulse to blend the dry ingredients.
Add butter and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed and there are no large pieces {about 7-8 times}. If the dough doesn't come together into a ball, add just a teaspoon or two of water until it does.
Remove the dough from the food processor and gather it into a ball. 
Place the dough onto a counter or flat surface and roll into an even cylinder, about 2 inches in width. Roll up the cylinder in plastic and freeze for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze:
In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the coffee, until smooth. Add in the vanilla bean paste, ground cardamom, salt, and undissolved instant coffee grounds. If the glaze seems a little too runny, you can always add a little bit more sifted confectioners' sugar until it reaches the right consistency.

Bake cookies:
Remove the cookie dough from the freezer. Cut the log into round cookies, just under 1/2-inch thick.
Line a half sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat. Place cookies onto the sheetpan, with at least an inch in between them. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until just golden around the edge. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let cookies cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cookie cooling rack to completely cool.

Glaze:
Take each cookie and dip in the glaze, shaking off excess. Place bake onto the cooling rack to dry. {I like to place the Silpat lined sheet pan under the cooling rack, so any excess glaze can drip down and be easily cleaned off}. 
I had extra glaze left, so I just took a fork and drizzled it across in lines. A little more glaze never hurts, right?


Comments

  1. No cookies on my list (yet) but I'm making some chex mix, candy snacks, brownies, muffins and then for Christmas dinner we are doing the full on English Christmas Feast set of recipes!! Ready to get cooking!

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    Replies
    1. Wow Janet, you are busy girl! Sound delicious.....I bet your kitchen smells amazing. What's on the English Christmas Feast menu??

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