Orange and Cardamom Christmas Shortbread
I love shortbread cookies at Christmas time. Plain shortbread cookies are a classic for a reason! These orange and cardamom infused cookies have a very similar taste and texture to classic shortbread cookies, however, I have made them even more convenient by making this a slice-and-bake recipe!
How to store orange cardamom shortbread
I often make batches of cookies, when I have time, during the holiday season. I freeze them in big freezer bags. That way, I am ready to go when I need to make Christmas cookie tins, attend a holiday party, or have a friend stop by!
Freezing cookie dough
For these cookies, you can freeze the dough two different ways. Make the dough into a log shape. Wrap tightly in cling-film and place in a freezer bag (or air-tight container). Store in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Alternatively, you could slice the log into individual cookies, lay them out on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours. Transfer the unbaked cookies into a freezer bag, or air-tight container, and store in the freezer for 3-4 months. Similar to those cookie dough packages you can buy at the grocery store.
Freezing baked cookies
This is what I typically do, to get a head start on my holiday baking. After the cookies are baked, cool them to room temperature. Freeze in a single layer, on a cookie sheet, for 2-3 hours. Then pop them into a freezer bag, or air-tight container. Keep them in the freezer for 3-4 months.
If you are decorating the cookies, like I did, you can freeze them with the decorations already on. The reason to freeze them separately first is so they do not stick together and freeze into a big clump.
Common Challenges
My shortbread cookies spread in the oven
This is a challenge for shortbread and sugar cookies. To fix this you will need to chill the dough first before baking. Either by placing them in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before baking or in the freezer for 45 minutes.
My shortbread cookies are crumbly
In general, shortbread are a very delicate cookie. If your cookies are excessively crumbly there are probably one of two things going on. The dough is too dry, or you did not leave the cookies to cool completely on the tray before moving them.
Cookies that are too dry, need more butter added in to bind the dry ingredients together. Add butter in a little at a time until you have a dough that will hold together. Then make sure you let the cookies cool on the tray completely, before moving them.
Sugar for Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
What sugar to use for shortbread cookies. Icing sugar, white sugar, or brown sugar. Well, this is really dependant on the recipe. The sugar does change the texture and the flavour of the cookies.
Most recipes for shortbread contain at least some icing sugar, due to its soft texture. I have made cookies with a mixture of icing sugar and either brown or white sugar. The icing sugar gives it a really soft melt in your mouth texture.
Since I was making these slice-and-bake cookies, and I knew I wanted to decorate them afterwards, I decided to make them a little more sturdy than my Classic Scottish Shortbread recipe. So I used half icing sugar and half white sugar. If you prefer the flavour of brown sugar you can make that substitution.
How to decorate Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
Decorating cookies is a great way to make simple cookies look fun and festive for the holidays! Especially if you are giving them as gifts or taking them to a holiday party.
Candy Melts
I love using candy melts for decorating Christmas cookies. They come in a huge assortment of colours and flavours, perfect for whatever cookies you want to decorate.
Candy melts allow you to melt the the chocolate wafers without all the finicky tempering of chocolate. I have seen a few different brands at the grocery store, cake, and craft supply stores.
For these cookies I used Sweet tooth Fairy Meltables, in white chocolate, from Michaels.
Melt the wafers according to the package directions. Dip one side of each cookie into the melted white chocolate. Place the cookies onto a piece of cling-film spread out on the counter. Sprinkle on a few festive sprinkles. Then, leave until the decoration has cooled and set.
Alternatively, you can dip the bottom of the cookie in the icing and then place it on a piece of cling-film to cool and set.
Ingredients for Orange Cardamom Christmas Shortbread
2 cups of butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon cardamom
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
a few drops of orange food colouring
4 cups white chocolate melting wafers
Method
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the two sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the orange extract.
- Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, flour and orange food colouring. Mix until the dough just comes together. (Add a little orange food colouring at the start. If you find you need more, you can add it in as it is mixing.) Don’t over mix the dough or the cookies will become tough.
- Place a piece of cling-film on the counter and form half of the dough into a log shape. Wrap the dough log in the cling-film and roll it a few times on the counter to smooth it into a cylinder. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Place the two dough logs in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Or place the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Slice the logs into ¼-in. thick cookies. Turn the log every few slices to keep it from becoming flat on one side.
- Place the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely before decorating.
Decorating
- Melt the white chocolate wafers according to the package directions.
- Dip one side of the cookie into the melted chocolate. Sprinkle on festive sprinkles. Place the cookie on a piece of cling-film, on the counter, to cool and set.
- I also decorated some by just dipping the bottom of the cookie in the melted chocolate. Then place on cling film until set. It will give it a nice clean looking white base.
Orange and Cardamom Christmas Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups of butter softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- a few drops of orange food colouring
- 4 cups white chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the two sugars until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the orange extract.
- Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, flour and orange food colouring. Mix until the dough just comes together. (Add a little orange food colouring at the start. If you find you need more you can add it in as it is mixing.) Don’t over mix the dough or the cookies will become tough.
- Place a piece of cling-film on the counter and form half of the dough into a log shape. Wrap the dough log in the cling-film and roll it a few times on the counter to smooth it into a cylinder. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Place the two dough logs in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Or place the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300 ℉ (150 ℃).
- Slice the logs into ¼-in. thick cookies. Turn the log every few slices to keep it from becoming flat on one side.
- Place the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely before decorating.
To decorate
- Melt the white chocolate wafers according to the package directions.
- Dip one side of the cookie into the melted chocolate. Sprinkle on festive sprinkles. Place the cookie on a piece of cling-film, on the counter, to cool and set.
- I also decorated some by just dipping the bottom of the cookie in the melted chocolate. Then place on cling film until set. It will give it a nice clean looking white base.
Looking for more festive baking ideas? These are some of my favourite! Mint slice and bake Christmas Cookies Christmas Cranberry Cheesecake Squares The best soft and chewy gingerbread cookies Simple layered chocolate mint candy
One Comment