Cardamom and Orange Shortbreads: A quintessential holiday cookie that will make your kitchen smell incredible

Shortbreads are the quintessential holiday cookie in my opinion, and these ones will make your kitchen smell absolutely delicious. Infused with fresh orange and a hint of cardamom, they immediately bring me back to Christmastime at my bakery, Butter and Spice, when these festive scents fill the air. I like to decorate them with icing sugar and orange zest, but a drizzle of white chocolate would also work beautifully. 

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• Zest of 2 medium-sized oranges
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

Decoration:

• 1 cup (113 g) icing sugar
• Juice of 1 medium-sized orange
• Orange zest, as desired

Preparation

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and pale in colour, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated. 

Add the flour, salt and cardamom, and mix until the dough comes together into one mass.

Press the dough into the prepared pan with fingers, then use an offset spatula or the flat part of a rubber spatula to level out the dough. Set in the fridge for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F (325 F if using a convection oven). 

Bake the shortbreads until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. 

Let the shortbread cool completely in the pan. Once the shortbread has cooled, remove from the pan and cut it in half. Cut each half into 6 equal-sized rectangles.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and orange juice. Drizzle the icing over the shortbreads and top with orange zest. 

Allow the icing to set completely before enjoying the cookies or placing them in an airtight container (they’ll keep for up to 1 week at room temperature).

Makes 12 shortbreads