Recipe: Cardamom Almond Cookies

I love cardamom... it smells like a warm, spicy hug and I drink several cups of cardamom tea a day to get my fix of its wonderful scent and taste. After this post by my fellow blogger David from Cocoa and Lavender (check out his site - great stories accompanied by amazing photos!), I was inspired to experiment with this spice in cookies (used a very similar base as the Shirini Keshmeshi (Persian Raisin Cookies). These cookies, topped with crunchy toasted almond slices, have the perfect cardamom-y finish without being overwhelming. The extra bonus is that as they're baking, the cardamom smells amazing. 

Cardamom Almond Cookies

Fun fact: did you know that cardamom is the 3rd most expensive spice in the world? After saffron and vanilla... read more here. 

Cardamom Almond Cookies - Yields about 60-70 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon rosewater (optional - adds extra depth of flavor. Rosewater is called golab in Farsi)
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond slivers
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1. Toast your almond slivers in a non-stick pan on medium-low heat about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix the butter, vanilla, cardamom, and sugar until combined.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth. 

4. Fold in the flour a bit at a time until it's all combined. Take your time here.

5. Chill dough in fridge for about 15-30 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

7. Scoop small (teaspoon to teaspoon and a half) sized scoops of dough onto your cookie sheet. Leave a generous amount of room between scoops as these spread out quite a bit.

8. Take a pinch of the toasted almond slivers and push it into each dough scoop. 

9. Bake 14-18 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. 

10. Serve and enjoy!

Cardamom Almond Cookies