Best 10 Cardamom Pepper Cookies Recipes

SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the sugar, honey, and milk to a small saucepan. When measuring a "scant" cup of the honey and the milk, you want to it to be just under 1/2 cup, but not closer to 1/3 cup. If you can measure in milliliters, its exactly 100 milliliters.
• Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
• Add the butter and the spices to a mixing bowl, and pour the warm syrup mixture over them. Mix until the butter is melted and everything is combined.
• Sift the baking soda, salt, and flour together, and then add to the butter and the syrup mixture. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
• Shape the dough into a flat disk, and chill in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out dough to about 3/8" thick and cut out using cookie cutters.
• Arrange cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly puffed and golden.
• Allow to cool completely before icing.
• Mix the powdered sugar with just enough water to make a smooth but thick glaze. Divide the icing into smaller batches if you want to make different colors. You can also flavor the icing with a little vanilla extract or almond extract if you'd like. For pipping lines and small designs, keep your icing pretty thick so that it won't spread, there should be a little resistance when mixing it with a whisk. For covering the entire cookie like the green and blue reindeer, add a bit more water to the icing so that it goes on smoothly and is easier to cover the whole cookie before it starts to dry and crack. Try some icing on a test cookie if you're not sure about the texture!
• For the light blue color I used, add 2-3 drops of food coloring to 1 cup or so of glaze.
• For the darker green/blue color, add a couple drops of green and blue, and a tiny touch of red to tone the color down a bit.
• Place the icing in ziplock bags or a piping bag fitted with a very small tip. Cut a tiny corner off of the ziplock bags if using. Decorate, and allow to harden completely before moving or stacking.

CARDAMOM PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, 2 minutes. Add in sour cream and mix on medium for 1 minute. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, pepper and cardamom, mix on low until incorporated and dough comes together.
• 2. Divide dough in half and form each half into a log shape about 2 1/2" x 10" approx. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, remove from frig, leave wrapped in plastic, gently roll into a nice round log. (this step is not necessary, I just like to do it for a more perfect round cookie) Place back in frig for 1 hour or overnight.
• 3. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment or very lightly spray your pans. Slice logs into 1/4" slices and place on pans at least 1 1/2" apart. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes for a softer cookie (won't be browned on bottom) and 11-13 minutes if you like a crisper cookie (will be slightly browned on bottom) Store these in an air tight container, and best stored in the refrigerator.
• 4. ***If you LOVE cardamom, feel free to add up to a 1/2 tsp more.

TRADITIONAL SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR

Steps:

• Sift the flour together with the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom in a mixing bowl.
• Beat the butter together with the white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and corn syrup until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap tightly each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
• Using 1 portion at a time, work on a floured surface and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered tins.

PFEFFERNüSSE (GERMAN "PEPPER-NUT" CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine white and brown sugars in a saucepan with honey, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Place over medium heat and whisk until the sugars dissolve and it just starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add salt, baking soda, heavy cream, and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until everything comes together as a dough.
• Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a ball and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator and let rest for 1 to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop into rounded teaspoons. Roll each one into a smooth ball if desired, and place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cookies are perfectly dome-shaped with light golden brown bottoms, 9 to 10 minutes; don't overbake. Let cool on the pan all the way down to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the cookies are cooling, repeat Steps 5 and 6 to shape and bake the remaining cookies.
• Make icing by placing powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, a few teaspoons at a time, until icing is very thick, but still slightly runny.
• Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing. Let it drip, then flip it over and place on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper and let harden.

CARDAMOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, cardamom and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in walnuts., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 15-17 minutes. , While warm, roll cookies in remaining confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

CARDAMOM SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cardamom, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours., Roll each disk directly on parchment to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. snowflake-shaped cookie cutter, leaving at least 2 in. between cookies. Remove trimmings; repeat with remaining dough, refrigerating dough as needed., Place parchment with cookies on baking sheets. Bake at 325° until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk. Pipe over cookies and sprinkle with coarse sugar and/or glitter. Let dry completely.

PEBBER NODDER (DANISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cardamom and cinnamon; stir into the sugar mixture just until blended.
• Separate the dough into 6 balls, and roll each ball into a rope about as big around as your finger on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

DIAMOND CARDAMOM SPARKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Dough:
• Beat granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and lemon zest, scraping down bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Sift flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Pulse cardamom and peppercorns in a spice mill or grind in a mortar and pestle until the consistency of coarsely ground coffee-be careful not to grind too finely. (Alternatively, you can wrap in a kitchen towel and pound with a rolling pin.) Whisk cardamom, pepper, and salt into dry ingredients. With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add to stand mixer bowl in 2-3 additions, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl between additions; beat just until combined, about 1 minute (be careful not to overmix).
• Divide dough in half and flatten each into a 4½"-wide square, about 1" thick. Wrap each square tightly in plastic and chill at least 1 hour before using.
• Do ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month. If freezing, thaw in fridge overnight before using.
• Glaze and assembly:
• Let dough sit at room temperature 20 minutes. Place 1 square of dough on a large sheet of parchment paper; unwrap and arrange plastic wrap over dough to prevent sticking (and eliminate the need for flouring). Roll out to ¼" thick and chill in the freezer until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Remove and reserve plastic wrap. Punch out cookies with cutter and transfer right away, while dough is still cold, to a parchment-lined flexible cutting board or parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging in a single layer and placing close together for efficiency. Stack, layering with sheets of parchment in between, if needed. Freeze all pieces until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes. Well-wrapped cookies can be frozen up to 1 week. (If you do not have a diamond cookie cutter, you can roll the dough out to a ¼"-thick square and cut dough into 2"-wide strips. Cut strips on a 60° angle 2" apart to create diamonds.)
• Meanwhile, pat together scraps and roll out between leftover parchment paper and reserved plastic wrap. Repeat entire process with remaining square of dough.
• Place racks in middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Arrange 9 frozen cookies each on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until edges are barely golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. They should be crisp but chewy. Bake remaining cookies. (If you'd like sharp defined edges and are serving cookies the same day, trim them as soon as they come out of the oven. Don't trim if you aren't eating them directly. They will harden faster.)
• While the cookies are cooling, whisk powdered sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl, adding 1 Tbsp. lemon juice at a time, until combined. Glaze should be thick but pourable (you can thin with a bit of water if needed). Transfer 1 Tbsp. glaze to a ramekin or small bowl. Barely dip the tip of a toothpick into food coloring and mix into glaze in ramekin. Dip a fresh toothpick into ramekin with teal glaze and add to glaze in bowl; mix well to tint. Repeat process, gradually adding color until you have a soft shade of celadon. This technique is helpful when you want to create pale, subtle colors and will prevent you from oversaturating the entire quantity of glaze.
• Combine almonds and a few drops of edible gold paint (if using) in a small bowl and toss until almonds are well coated. Spread out on a plate and let dry, about 15 minutes.
• Using a small offset spatula or spoon, add a dollop of glaze on to one side of a cookie. Spread a thin layer of glaze over half of the cookie, making a straight edge along the center for a graphic look. Wipe off any excess glaze and clean up edges with your finger (keep a damp kitchen towel nearby to keep fingers clean). Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle gold almonds and chunky sugars over glaze (you want to do this while it is still wet). Repeat with remaining cookies, changing the direction or even the geometric shape of the glazed area if desired. Let cookies sit until glaze is set before serving, about 3 hours. Drying time may vary depending on how thick your glaze is and the humidity.
• Do ahead: Glaze can be made 3 days ahead; transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill. Almonds can be coated 5 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Cookies can be decorated 4 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

SPICED CARDAMOM COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom, allspice, pepper, and cloves in a large bowl. Place butter in a mixer bowl. Bring sugars, corn syrup, and water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot sugar mixture over butter, then beat on low speed until combined.
• Beat cream, egg, and vanilla in a bowl, then add to butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
• Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Divide dough into thirds, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic, and refrigerate overnight (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1 disk between lightly floured parchment to 1/8-inch thickness. Alternatively, the dough can be rolled out to 1/16-inch thickness for a crisper cookie. Place a lightly floured plastic faux-bois mat on dough, pattern side down. With rolling pin, lightly roll over mat to imprint dough. Carefully remove mat. Transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining disks.
• Cut out shapes with holiday cookie cutters. (Alternatively, use tree template: Copy onto card stock, enlarging 200 percent. Cut out, place over dough, and cut along edge with the tip of a paring knife.) Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, grouping similar sizes together and spacing them 1 inch apart. Roll out and cut scraps once. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. (If making small cookies, start checking after 8 minutes.) Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.

DANISH PEPPERNUT CHRISTMAS COOKIES (PEBERNODDER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two to three baking sheets.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until well blended. Mix in the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough gathers together. With floured hands, pinch off small, 1/2 teaspoon amounts of dough, roll into tiny balls, and place on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until bottom of cookies are light tan, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool 15 minutes on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.