Cardamom Cookies Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Remove butter from refrigerator about 30–60 minutes before starting so it becomes soft but still cool. If using whole cardamom pods, lightly crush 12–14 pods and grind the seeds to yield about 1.5 tsp ground cardamom.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice.

Add egg yolk and flavoring

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.

Incorporate cardamom

Add the ground cardamom to the butter mixture and mix on low until evenly distributed, about 15–20 seconds. Taste a tiny bit of dough to check cardamom intensity and adjust up to 2 tsp total if you prefer stronger flavor.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and sea salt until uniform. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in two additions on low speed, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix — you want a tender shortbread-like dough.

Form and chill the dough

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk about 1 inch thick (or roll into a log about 1.5–2 inches in diameter for slice-and-bake cookies). Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. Chilling firms the dough and helps control spread.

Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Shape cookies

If you chilled a disk, lightly flour a surface and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut shapes, re-rolling scraps once. If you chilled a log, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and bottoms are just beginning to color — they will remain pale. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even color. Baking time may vary slightly by oven and cookie size.

Cool

Remove cookies from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm as they cool.

Dust and serve

Once completely cool, optionally sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the cookies and sprinkle a tiny pinch of the remaining ground cardamom on top for fragrance. Serve at room temperature.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies layered between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.