Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Cardamom Cookies

Recipe: Cardamom Cookies

Why you should bake: Because nose-tickling cardamom evokes sense memories of winter, and holidays. And these chewy, brightly flavored treats are the essence of holiday cookies.

Degree of difficulty: Easy. It's a drop cookie. Even the press-the-dough-with-a-glass step is a snap.

What we didn't tell you: The secret to these cookies is fresh, full-strength ground cardamom. Buy it in the bulk section at a nearby natural foods co-op. You'll save money – by buying only what you need – and the inventory will be fresher than with those small, individually packed containers on supermarket shelves.

Fun fact: For baker Matt Boisen, the recipe started with a journey to Denmark. "Cardamom and marzipan, they were the two things you smelled everywhere," he said. "Every bakery, every confectionery. I was buying it all up." Later he ran across a recipe in a Danish cookbook that jogged two happy memories: It recalled the frosted spice cookies that his aunt Beverly, a prolific baker, often made at the holidays, and it also reintroduced the lure of cardamom to his taste buds. As for cardamom, "I know a lot of people run away from it," he said with a laugh. "But to me, it's intoxicating. When I'm making these cookies, I could eat the whole batch. Besides, I like to try something different. They're not like chocolate chip cookies. That's all my mom ever made, and I got burned out on them. No one can convince me to ever have another one of those."

CARDAMON COOKIES

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

For cookies:
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 egg
For icing:
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 c. powdered sugar

Directions
To prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon and flour, and reserve.
In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until thoroughly combined.
Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Roll dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Carefully press dough with flat bottom of a drinking glass and bake until lightly browned, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.