Chewy, cozy and perfect for a holiday party: A recipe for ginger cardamom cookies
Every day till Christmas, Star journalists are baking a recipe from the Star’s extensive archives. Today, Kate Allen tries her hand at ginger cardamom cookies.
’Tis the season for cookies, and every day till Christmas, Star journalists are baking a recipe from the Star’s extensive archives. Follow our holiday baking adventures here on the Star, or get the recipes first plus some inspiration for your inbox with our free Cookie Calendar newsletter. Sign up here.
Kate Allen: a climate change reporter constantly searching for activities to temporarily distract from the woes of the world. Baking elaborate cakes is a good way to do that, she has learned. Also eating them.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
TODAY'S RECIPE
The recipe for these chewy ginger cardamom cookies was published in 2017, claiming to produce a softer, chewier treat than the classic crisp ginger snap.
THE COOKIESÂ
I chose these cookies because I love cardamom, and was even more enthused to see cracked black pepper and allspice on the ingredient list. I started out strong by toasting and grinding my own spices. Things went downhill from there.
Baking cookies during my work day seemed like a great break from thinking about the climate crisis, but I should have had another coffee before embarking because I accidentally added flour to the sugar instead of butter. This meant I was cruelly forced to abandon the recipe in favour of flooding statistics and COP28 negotiations while another block of butter came slowly to room temperature.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
I remade the cookies that night and rushed the final step, a minimum two hour sit in the refrigerator. So the cookies came out a little flat, but still delicious. I brought them to two parties and they promptly disappeared. A friend said she wished she smuggled some more out in her purse.
THE SCORE
Wished they came out wrinkly like in the recipe picture, but that’s my fault not the cookies.
THE RECIPE
Ginger cardamom cookies
1 cup (250 mL)Â unsalted butter, room temperature
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
1 cup (250 mL)Â granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup (125 mL)Â fancy-grade molasses
1Â large egg
2 tsp (10 mL)Â freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp (1 mL)Â black pepper
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground allspice
8 crushed green cardamom pods, pods removed or ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
2 1/3 cups (580 mL) all-purpose flour
36 pieces candied or crystallized ginger
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Turn speed down to low and add molasses, mixing until well-incorporated. Add egg, ginger, black pepper, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Turn on medium-high speed and mix until well-incorporated.
Turn speed down to low and add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated and there are no streaks. Do not overmix.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours in fridge.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Prepare a small bowl filled with granulated sugar for rolling.
Form heaping tablespoon-sized dough balls and roll in sugar. Place on a lined baking sheet, making sure there’s at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between cookies. Gently press a piece of ginger on to centre of each cookie.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are set in centre and slightly golden brown on edges. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for a week or up to a month in the freezer.
Makes about 36 cookies.
Kate Allen is
a Toronto-based reporter covering climate change for the Star.
Follow her on Twitter: @katecallen.
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free).
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free).
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation