Soft Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are staple during the holidays, and so is spice. This new take on the classic sugar cookie is festive and flavourful. My Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies are soft and chewy with rich flavour from brown butter and warm, cozy winter spices. Then they're rolled in a cinnamon/cardamom sugar for extra pizzaz!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Brown butter cookies - the addition of brown butter really makes these cookies taste rich and nutty.

• Soft and chewy sugar cookies - these sugar have a nice and chewy texture! They are not dry like a lot of them can be.

• Cardamom spice cookies - a hit of cardamom with a bit of cinnamon in the cookie dough really amps up the flavour and complements the brown butter.

• Orange and cardamom - this flavour pairing is so nice together as they both share citrusy, floral undertones.

• Spiced cinnamon sugar - these cookies are rolled in cinnamon/cardamom sugar for a sweet crunchy spicy coating.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARDAMOM ORANGE SUGAR COOKIES

• Brown butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half. You will also need to brown the butter which makes these cookies taste incredibly rich! It has a rich, nutty, butterscotch flavour that really adds so much depth and complements the spices.

• Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavour to complement the nuttiness and also gives them a chewy texture!

• Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help them crisp up for crunchy edges.

• Pure vanilla extract - sugar cookie dough is based on vanilla flavour, so the quality is important. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

• Honey - this serves two purposes: it adds lovely floral flavour to complement the orange and cardamom, and it also keeps the cookies soft and chewy.

• Yogurt - just a tablespoon of plain yogurt replaces the moisture that was removed from the butter when it is browned. This helps to create a soft texture so the cookies aren't too dense because I feel like a sugar cookie should have a bit of softness.

• Orange zest - orange and spice are so great together and very festive. These cookies have such a warm cozy vibe and are perfect for the holidays.

• Cinnamon sugar - the cinnamon sugar is spiked with a bit of cardamom to take the flavour to the next level. These are not your average plain sugar cookies!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Brown the butter. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then continue to cook while stirring occasionally until butter begins to bubble and crackle as the moisture boils off. Keep cooking with frequent stirring until it turns a deep golden color. A dense foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it into a large mixing bowl, then place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until cool and set to a firm yet pliable consistency. It should be soft and spreadable, not hard nor brittle.

• STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk to blend evenly.

• STEP 3). Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat together cooled brown butter with both sugars, orange zest and honey in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy.

• STEP 4). Mix in egg. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in yogurt and vanilla.

• STEP 5). Add dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and mix it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.

• STEP 6). Chill the dough. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• STEP 7). Make spiced sugar. Combine all ingredients for the spiced sugar in a small bowl.

• STEP 8). Roll. Roll 1.5-oz portions of dough into balls and roll them around in the spiced sugar so that they are evenly coated. Place them onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly.

• STEP 9). Bake. Bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly golden around the edges but still slightly soft in the. Let cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies individually to a wire rack to cool completely.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make them dry and crumbly, and too little will cause them to spread too much.

• Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape.

• Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least one hour so that you get cookies with a chewy texture.

• Be generous with the sugar coating. Roll the dough balls evenly and apply some pressure to ensure it adheres well.

• Flatten the dough balls on the baking sheet for wider cookies, or leave them round for thick puffy sugar cookies.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make this recipe without brown butter?

If you do not brown the butter, then the liquid:flour ratio will be off in the recipe. I highly encourage you to follow this recipe exactly to get the full flavour that is intended, but if you choose to not brown the butter, then I would recommend omitting the yogurt.

Can I use salted butter for these cardamom orange sugar cookies?

Yes! Salted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest to cut the added salt down by half. So, that's ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of ½ teaspoon.

Why didn't my cookies spread?

If your cookies didn't spread enough then it could be that you added too much flour. Make sure you measure the flour either with a scale or using the spoon and sweet method where you gently spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

If your cookies spread too much, then it could be that you added too much honey or too much liquid. All you need is a teaspoon of honey to get the chewy texture, but too much will make this dough too soft. Same with the yogurt - if you add to much then the dough will be too wet and the edges won't set fast enough during the initial baking.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

I highly recommend chilling this cookie dough since it will help with the texture and it will improve the flavour even more. Nonetheless, you can still bake these cookies right away.

How do I store these cookies?

These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and chewy sugar cookies infused with fresh orange zest and fragrant cardamom, coated in a lovely cardamom cinnamon sugar! These are perfect for the holidays!

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

  

Cookie dough:

• ½ cup 113g salted butter
• ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
• ¼ cup 55g packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon 5ml honey
• 1 teaspoon 5ml orange zest
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon 15ml full fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups 180g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Spiced sugar:

• 3 tablespoon 42g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• First brown the butter. Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then continue to cook while stirring occasionally until butter begins to bubble and crackle as the moisture boils off. Keep cooking with frequent stirring until it turns a deep golden color. A dense foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it into a large mixing bowl, then place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until cool and set to a firm yet pliable consistency (not hard).
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk to blend evenly.
• In a large bowl, beat together cooled brown butter with both sugars, orange zest and honey in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in yogurt and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dough in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients for the spiced sugar in a small bowl.
• Roll 1.5-oz portions of dough into balls and roll them around in the spiced sugar so that they are evenly coated. Place them onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly. Bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly golden around the edges but still slightly soft in the. Let cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies individually to a wire rack to cool completely.