Cardamom Cane Sugar Cutouts
Cardamom's warm fragrance is a perfect combination with flavorful cane sugar. It brings depth and modern appeal to a classic sugar cookie.
Yield: 3 to 4 dozen.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup natural (raw) cane sugar*
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 to 4 tablespoons pre-ground cardamom or 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly ground cardamom seed**
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (about 1 large lemon or small orange), freshly grated (optional)
Decorating Icing
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lime, orange or lemon juice, at room temperature
- Additional colored sanding sugar, optional, for decorating
Instructions
Cookies
- In a medium bowl, combine butter and sugar; cream together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg yolks.
- Add flour, cardamom, salt and zest; blend until dough comes is evenly mixed. Adjust cardamom to taste.
- Divide dough in four balls on sheets of plastic wrap, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter them.
- Take 1 ball of dough from refrigerator. (Keep remaining dough chilled.)
- On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until bottoms just begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Continue to roll, cut and bake remaining dough.
Decorating Icing
- Combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding juice to reach desired consistency.
- Decorate completely cooled cookies as desired.
Notes
* Use large, granular-type cane sugars; in particular, large crystal Turbinado sugar or Demerara work well.
** Cardamom can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from: Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
