Oh hi! 2016, hey? What a year! I bring cookies to celebrate the end of a true garbage year. Cookies are not going to make everything better, but it’s butter and sugar and cardamom and lemon zest and those are all good things at the moment. I’ll take cheerfulness and kindness in cookie form and they’re easy enough to bake and share with friends and family. I made these last week for a visiting friend from Seattle who loves most things cardamom-related and they turned out really well. They’re very Christmassy and a perfect biscuit to eat with a cup of tea and a good friend. Buttery, spiced and not too sweet.
I posted these cookies on instagram and a few people requested the recipe so here I am. It’s a little funny being back. I had to remind myself how to format the recipe and reacquaint myself with writing down words once more. It’s harder than I remembered and I’m feeling a little rusty dusty! I don’t really know where to begin, so let’s make a list because I’m pretty good with those…
Here are some random things that made my life better this year:
- The Longest Mixtape. This 1000 song mixtape playlist by the band Caribou is full of serious gems. I skipped through much of the house music tracks, but there is so much undiscovered (at least by me) joy to be found in this amazing mixtape.
- Seeing La Sagrada Familia in person. Cornelius and I went to Barcelona (and Paris!) in September and walking through Gaudi’s cathedral was a dream come true.
- Good tv, like Search Party, One Mississippi, Fleabag
- Not being crippled by anxiety. I don’t know what happened – maybe it was to stop making assumptions or not googling every ache or maybe it was yoga and taking long walks. Whatever it was, I’m feeling normal again!
- Consumer purchases, like a new waterproof winter coat, and some skin care stuff
- Seeing lots of great art, theatre & music – from seeing the Black Mountain College exhibition at the Hammer Gallery in LA, the Louis Stettner exhibit at Centre Pompidou, Veda Hille’s Onegin musical production in Vancouver, and seeing Cate Le Bon perform live on a quiet summer night in Vancouver.
Well, that wasn’t so hard. A post and some cookies to boot. Have a wonderful Christmas and let’s all work together to make the world a much nicer and better place. Onwards, 2017!
cardamom slice & bake cookies
I prefer these cookies on the lighter side, so take them out at 20 minutes and see if they need more time in the oven.2.5 c all-purpose flour
2 t ground cardamom
1/4 t freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 t kosher salt
1 c butter, room temperature
1 c icing/confectioners sugar
1 large egg
1 T vanilla
1 t lemon zest, finely grated
1/2 c toasted almonds, finely choppedIn a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cardamom, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. In another larger bowl, beat the butter and confectioners sugar together. Add in the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and blend until well mixed. Pour in the flour mixture and blend until just mixed. Divide the dough in two equal clumps on 2 sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and using the parchment, roll out each dough ball into a log shape. Wrap tightly and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325F. Unwrap your dough logs and let them rest for a few minutes to warm up on the counter. Scatter the finely chopped toasted almonds onto each sheet of parchment and roll the logs with firm pressure so that the logs are completely covered in nuts. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and place on a parchment covered or silpat covered cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly golden on the bottom and just starting to colour around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks and then store in an airtight container. Makes about 40 cookies.
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