[Recipes] Bun Cookies with Cardamom

Hands-On Time: 35 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins | Yield: 24 cookies

These cardamom pinwheel cookies are ideal for a Christmas cookie exchange because of their warm, spicy flavor and festive appearance. They are guaranteed to be a success because of their delicious and visually appealing pinwheel shape and smooth cream cheese icing. To ensure uniformly proportioned cookies, freeze the dough log before slicing!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
• ¼ cup red or green sanding sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom

For the glaze:

• 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

Directions

Step 1: In a medium basin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer set to medium speed, cream the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Beat for another minute or so after adding the egg and two tablespoons of vanilla until combined.

Step 2: Lower the speed to low and add the flour mixture gradually while beating for approximately one minute, or until the dough comes together. Make a ball out of the dough.

Step 3: Using two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 14 by 10 inches and 1/8 inch thick. In a small dish, mix the cardamom and sanding sugar. Dust the dough with the sanding after removing the top parchment layer.

Step 4: Using the parchment paper as support, slowly and firmly shape the dough into a log, beginning with the longer side of the rectangle. After wrapping the log in parchment paper, freeze it for about half an hour or until it becomes hard.

Step 5: Set racks in the upper and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Put parchment paper on two big baking sheets with rims. Slice the dough log crosswise into rounds that are ½ inch thick after taking it out of the freezer. With approximately 2 inches between each cookie, arrange the pieces on the baking pans that have been prepared.

Step 6: Bake the cookies until they are gently browned around the edges, about 12 minutes. After five minutes of cooling on the baking sheets, move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 7: In a small bowl, whisk the milk, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth while the cookies cool. After the cookies have cooled, drizzle them with glaze.

Step 8: Let the glaze fully dry before keeping the cookies for up to five days at room temperature in an airtight container.

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