Cardamom Butter Squares
Edoc
Yvonne M. Parnes of Batavia, Ohio, got the recipe for these rich,
buttery cookies in an e-mail from the McCormick spice company. We like
them plain, but drizzled with espresso icing and bittersweet chocolate,
they are truly out of this world.
For cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
For espresso and chocolate icings
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted
Special equipment: 2 small heavy-duty sealable plastic bags (for icing;
not pleated)
Make cookies:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and
allspice in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer
at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand
mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a
handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in
flour mixture until just combined.
Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on
its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll,
press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until
slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and
flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking
sheet until firm, about 1 hour.
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to
350 F.
Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill
2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart
(chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking,
until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3
minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies
with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
Ice cookies:
Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and
enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a
sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off
a bottom corner.
Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies
stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.
Cooks' notes:
. Dough logs can be chilled 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double
layer of plastic wrap, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until they
can be sliced).
. Cookies (with or without icing) keep, layered between sheets of wax
paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1
week.
Makes about 6 dozen.
Gourmet
Source: <http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/231217>
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