Pale, soft and chewy, these sugar cookies highlight some of the best flavors of the holiday season: orange, cardamom and almond. They’re citrus-y, gently spiced and lightly nutty. Jake Hagen, who grew up baking cookies with his grandmother in Granada Hills, knew he wanted to highlight his favorite spice, cardamom. Hagen says cardamom means the holidays to him.
Inspired by his grandmother’s backyard orange tree, he also includes the winter citrus — both the juice and zest — in this cookie and its icing. Flecked with orange zest, the icing is a zingy departure from the usual food-dye frosting of holiday cookies.
This one’s a cookie-tin favorite that comes together quickly in one bowl. Use whatever cookie-cutter shape you like. Depending on the size of your cookies, the baking time might vary. Keep an eye out so that these cookies are light in color, without golden edges (they’ll be lightly golden on the bottom). The flavors aren’t meant to taste overly caramelized from baking so that the citrus and cardamom shine.
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