Week 4 of the Christmas Cookie Exchange Challenge: Browned Butter and Cardamom

Browned Butter and Cardamom Cookies

I must admit this first, because otherwise I fear you will find out anyway… I am just not as excited about writing this post as I have been the other ones. Maybe because it is one of the first cool days we have had here in a long time; fall has finally come to SW Florida and the last thing I want is to be stuck inside. I desperately want to bundle Cooper up in one of his adorable little sweaters and take a long walk – forgetting about all our other responsibilities. Or, maybe it is because as I type my mother is boarding a plane to Houston to go to Quilt Market, a yearly pilgrimage for all shop owners and fellow fabri-holics to see the new prints for the coming year. This will be the first year I haven’t attended with her and I am part jealous and part sad to be missing all the fun. She has promised to send pictures though so I will be sure to keep everyone updated.

Anyway, let’s get back to the cookies. They are very good this week…

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ¾ cups flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon

Directions:

In a small heavy saucepan, heat and stir butter over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until the butter turns the color of light brown sugar.

 (If you look too closely at how much butter that is you won't eat the cookies!) Pour butter into a large bowl; cover and chill for 30 minutes, stirring once.

 You can use these 30 minutes to get the rest of your ingredients together. I mixed the dry spices, measured the flour, etc. so the rest of the baking went quickly.

Next, in the large bowl beat the browned butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 ½ cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Beat in eggs, cream of tartar, baking soda, the 1 teaspoon of cardamom, vanilla and salt until combined.

Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. (Now the last time a recipe said this it was a workout for the biceps to get in the flour – this time my mixer easily went through it and I didn’t need to add any by hand.)

Cover and chill for about 2 hours or until the dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar and ground cardamom. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 48 cookies.

Overall this was a good cookie. Not a contest winner by any means but it was a nice easy cookie to have in your repertoire. As the contest stand now I am still set on last week’s Linzer cookies. Maybe I just need to try one that is more evocative of the Christmas holiday. Since the weather is cooler and the humidity less maybe it is time to try a meringue - Anyone up for Peppermint-Stripe Meringues?

Only 60 more days till Christmas!!