Cardamom Icebox Cookies

Simply wonderful versatile icebox cookie recipe from Deborah Madison's 'Seasonal Fruit Desserts' that tastes great with her baked rhubarb recipe. I used the organic ground cardamom seeds from the bulk spices at Whole Foods in Petaluma and that is one aromatic jar of ground cardamom! If you go to the market seriously check it out. I doubled the recipe because I don't like making small batches of cookies when it's just as easy to make extra dough and stash it in the freezer for baking off later.

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
4 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 cup organic confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
3 cups all purpose flour
Demerara sugar, optional for coating edge of cookies

Directions

Beat the butter, sugars, salt and ground cardamom seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until it comes together. Remove the dough with a bowl scraper, place on the counter and cut in half.

Tear off 2 sheets of wax paper about 14 inches long and set aside. Shape the dough into 2 logs about 10 inches long and place one on each sheet of wax paper. Roll up the dough, using your hands to form a longer cylinder. Shape it round or square, square is easy and fun, just use your hands to shape it the way you like.




Freeze the dough until firm, it doesn't have to be frozen solid, a short time in the freezer is adequate.

Preheat the oven to 350°

Roll the logs in the Demerara sugar, if using, and slice into 1/4 inch thick round or square cookies. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet or use Silpats. Bake until lightly colored on top and brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the pan.

Makes about 50 small cookies.