How about a perfect little afternoon pick-me-up? Tender, crunchy, lightly sweet, and pretty as a picture, rose cardamom cookies are just the thing with your next cup of tea!
Gather all your ingredients, making sure the butter is at room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
If toasting and grinding your own cardamom, over medium heat in a small skillet, toast 8 cardamon pods until a shade darker and very aromatic. This will take about 3 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle into a fine powder.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, sugars, and salt to the bowl. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Beat on medium speed until smooth but not fluffy; about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn down mixer speed to low and add the egg yolk (or yogurt), rose water and cardamom. Mix just until incorporated.
Turn off mixer and add all of the flour. Turn mixer to low, and mix until all the flour is moistened. Do not overmix or your cookies will be tough.
Shape into balls 1 1/4-inch across (25 grams), place on the lined baking sheet, spacing cookies with 2 inches between them. Using your fingers, press down on each cookie until it is about 1/3- thick. Pat gently around the edges if the cookie cracks. If you prefer a thinner, crispier cookie press a bit thinner: about 1/4-inch.
Sprinkle the tops with chopped pistachios and candied rose petals, if using.
Bake for 6 minutes, turn the tray around so the cookies will bake evenly, and start checking the cookies in 4 more minutes. You are looking for the slightest bit of golden brown around the edges, but the rest of the cookie will not have changed color. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Keeping: The raw dough will keep in the refrigerator for two days, (but let the dough come to room temperature before shaping into balls), and the freezer for 2 months. Baked, the cookies will stay fresh for 4 days at room temperature, and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
If you prefer and eggless cardamom cookies, substitute 2 tablespoons of yogurt for the 2 egg yolks, and the cookies come out perfectly.
If you don't have confectioners (powdered sugar) you can make it. See the YouTube channel's Rajan Singh Jolly for how.
I like to toast the cardamom pods over medium heat for a couple of minutes just until browning slightly, then grind in a spice grinder. The shell will naturally separate and you can discard it. It is also okay to leave some of the shells in. I use a small sieve to remove larger pieces of spice that don’t break down and give them another whirl in the grinder. If you are using purchased cardamom, make sure it is still fresh and flavorful, as this spice is the queen of your cookie. IMPORTANT: if you are using freshly ground cardamom, use a scant 1/2 teaspoon; if using purchased ground cardamom, use a full teaspoon.
I use raw pistachios for their bright green color, but if you can’t find them, or prefer toasted pistachios, go for it. As you can see, I did not go to the trouble of skinning my pistachios but just pull off the loose and easily removed skins.
For the rose water used in this recipe, I like the Cortas rose water found in Indian and Middle Eastern shops or on Amazon.
Feel free to make these cookies daintier or bigger if you prefer.