Cardamom Butter Squares Recipes

CARDAMOM BUTTER SQUARES

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll, press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill 2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
• Ice cookies:
• Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.

APRICOT BARS WITH CARDAMOM-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze juice from orange. In 2-quart saucepan, heat orange juice, orange peel, apricots, granulated sugar and 2/3 cup water to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter; stir until melted. Mash filling with fork or potato masher until fairly smooth. Set aside.
• In large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1 teaspoon cardamom. Cut in 1/2 cup butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Add almond extract and egg; toss with fork to combine. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture.
• Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
• Spoon filling evenly over warm cookie base. Stir almonds into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over filling. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until topping is light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients, using enough warm water until glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Place glaze in small resealable plastic food-storage bag; seal bag. Cut off small tip from one corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle glaze over warm bars. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

CARDAMOM BUTTER SQUARES

Steps:

• Make cookies:.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll, press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill 2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
• To make Icing for cookies:.
• Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.
• Cooks' notes:.
• • Dough logs can be chilled 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until they can be sliced).
• • Cookies (with or without icing) keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

PECAN CARDAMOM BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1cup of butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Combine the flour, cardamom and salt; stir into the batter until it forms a soft dough. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle pecans over the top.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Prepare the frosting while the cookies bake.
• Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat until it starts to brown. Remove from the heat and stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle frosting onto the bars when warm. Cool, then cut into bars.