Orange Cardamom Poppyseed Cookies

A lot of people ask me where I get the ideas for my recipes. And honestly, I get them from over complicating things. I take a simple thing, and make it fancy. Like these cookies. I was driving home and I had a free afternoon ahead of me. I knew I wanted to bake something to bring to school, but I wasn’t sure what. My first thought was lemon cookies. Then I thought of switching to orange because I had a bunch of oranges I needed to use. And I love cardamom so I threw some of that in, along with some poppy seeds becuase why not. And as it turns out, it was really good. I took these cookies to school and they were a big hit.

Describe These Cookies to me

Taste: These cookies have a sweet and springy orange flavor in every bite. There’s a bit of warming spice from the cardamom, which brings out the subtle nutty flavor from the poppy seeds. All of these flavors are rounded together with a touch of vanilla, and melt in your mouth buttery flavor.
Texture: Right out of the oven these cookies have a nice caramelized crisp on the outside, and a buttery, almost gooey, texture on the inside. Once they cool down, they will be a little chewy but still fresh and springy.
Ease: I absolutely love these cookies because they are so easy. They have definitly made it on my quick afterschool recipes list. They don’t need to chill, theres no complicated shaping, no topping, and no ingredients that require a whole lot of prep. They follow the same familiar cookie basics. Cream butter and sugar together with some orange, add your eggs and vanilla, then throw in some dry ingredients. Roll that thick buttery dough into balls and throw it in the oven. In less then 40 minutes, you can be chowing down on these cookies.

How do you get Orange Flavor

A lot of orange flavored recipes use both orange zest and juice. But to ensure a perfectly chewy and soft cookie, we can’t add too much liquid from the juice. That’s why we are relying soley on the zest. Interestingly enough, the zest of an orange is the most flavorful part. That’s why if you where to eat just orange zest/peel, it would be super bitter. But for baking, it’s perfect. We want to rub the zest with the granulated sugar, which releases the flavor rich oils in the zest. We’re using a whole lot of zest too, a LOADED tablespoon.

Why don’t we Chill this Dough?

A lot of cookie doughs require chilling. This isn’t one of them. There’s a lot of flour in these, creating a buttery, melt in your mouth, almost shortbread like flavor. The amount of flour in this cookie might seem a little iffy, it’s a lot. But it makes these super delicious and easy. They’re crisp on the outside, and buttery and gooey on the inside. These cookies also aren’t super thick, but rather crisp and slightly gooey, thanks to the no chill dough.

Oh, and quick recommendation: make ice cream sandwiches! These are nice strong and flat cookies, perfect for ice cream. Vanilla would be great, for an orange creamsicle vibe. But really, I reccommend pistachio. It’s so springy and refreshing. You’ve GOT to try it.

I feel like this post was kind of short, but there isn’t a whole lot to say about these cookies. They’re one of my easier recipes, but don’t let it fool you! They’re still equally delicious.
So yeah. Simple, delicious, springy cookies. We’re all making these this weekend right?

Orange Cardamom Poppyseed Cookies

These springy cookies are one of the quickest options for busy afternoons where you need a little sweet pick me up. They’re chewy, buttery, refreshingly citrusy, and brightened with warming cardamom. The poppyseeds add a nutty crunch and the vanilla brings out all of the different flavors. For a more summery treat, I recommend sandwiching some ice cream in between two of these!!!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 24 Cookies

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• zest of one orange about one Tablespoon
• ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 ½ Tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. To a large bowl add the granulated sugar and orange zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest and granulated sugar together for about 30 seconds. This is to release the oils in the zest, strengthening the orange flavor. Add the brown sugar and unsalted butter and, using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed, and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for another 2 minutes until combined and fluffy. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, poppy seeds, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. It may take a minute to come together, but it will.
4. Scoop the dough into balls, roughly 2 Tablespoons in size. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until browned slightly on the edges and bottom. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes, before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies are great warm, but just as good cooled down!
5. Cookies stay fresh for about 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.