Cardamom is the new cinnamon. That is what they say. Who is they? I have no idea but I agree, cardamom is an amazing spice. It’s highly fragrant, citrusy, minty, and herbal all at the same time. Scandinavians frequently use cardamom in baked goods, which is exactly what I did with these Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies!
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Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies- Gluten free and grain free option!

How to Make These Pretty Little Cookies:

These cookies are actually fairly simple: flour, butter, honey, sugar, salt, egg yolk and of course, cardamom. After making the dough you roll it into two logs and chill for two hours. Then slice, roll into balls, dip in chopped pistachios and bake.

Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies- Gluten free and grain free option!

How to Get The “Thumbprint”:

That thumbprint is achieved by removing the cookies from the oven 2/3 of the way through baking time and using the bottom of a wooden spoon, or whatever you have on hand to press that thumb like indentation into the cookie, just don’t use your actual thumb, that would hurt. I actually used the bottom of a cheese slicer. After making the thumbprints, return the cookies to the oven to finish baking. While cookies bake you make the cranberry filling!

Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies- Gluten free and grain free option!

The Filling:

The filling is made by cooking fresh cranberries in orange juice, orange zest and sugar. Then simply spoon the tart filling into the ‘thumbprint’. If you prefer, you can bake the cookies a day before serving, but add filling shortly before serving. I use a microplane to scrape the peel of oranges just until the white is exposed and then move to a new area.

The Recipe: Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies

Tips and what you will need: you will need the spice cardamom, a microplane for zesting citrus and a parchment covered cookie sheet. You can make these cookies gluten free by using your favorite gluten free flour.

Print
Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 35 mins
 

Cardamom is the new cinnamon. That is what they say. It is an amazing spice. It's highly fragrant, citrusy, minty, and herbal and the same time, and is perfection with the citrus and cranberry in this recipe. Note: you will be removing cookies about 2/3 through cooking time to make the thumbprint and then return cookies to the oven. If you prefer, you can make cookies a day in advance and keep in a sealed container, but add the filling to the cookies no more than an hour or two before serving. This cookie has a biscuity texture and that cranberry filling is swoon worthy!

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy dessert recipe, holiday recipe, kid-friendly recipes
Servings: 30 cookies
Author: Linda Spiker
Ingredients
The Cookies:
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour you can use gluten free flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup butter 2 sticks, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract I prefer paste
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Zest of one orange
  • 3/4 cup raw pistachios chopped finely
The Filling:
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • Zest of one orange
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
  1. Whisk flour, salt and cardamom in a bowl and set aside
  2. Add soft butter and sugar to mixer and mix until well incorporated
  3. Add vanilla, egg yolk, honey and zest of orange (see instructions above)
  4. Add flour mixture in thirds mixing well between additions
  5. Remove dough from mixer and separate evenly into two balls, then shape and roll each ball into a 9" log
  6. Wrap each log in parchment paper, making sure it's as air tight as you can get it, place in a airtight glass container with lid and put in the fridge for two hours (or wrap in plastic, I just hate using plastic). If you only want to cook half a batch you can freeze dough for up to a month.
  7. Chop pistachios
  8. After dough has chilled for two hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a cookie sheet with parchment
  9. Remove one log at a time from the refrigerator, unwrap and slice into 15 rounds
  10. Use both of your palms to roll each slice into a ball and dip one half of ball into chopped pistachios, repeat with all the dough and set cookies on cookie sheet with 2" space on all sides
  11. Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and use the round end of a wooden spoon (or what ever works to create the 'thumbprint' in each cookie). Return the cookies to the oven and bake for five more minutes.
  12. When cookies are done remove from oven and just slide the parchment paper and cookies onto a cooling rack
While cookies cool, start cranberry filling:
  1. Zest orange and set zest aside
  2. Juice oranges and add 1/2 cup juice to a small sauce pan
  3. Add cranberries and bring to a boil
  4. Turn heat down to a simmer, add zest and sugar stirring frequently for 5 minutes
  5. Turn off heat and allow to thicken
  6. Use a small spoon to add cranberry filling to each thumbprint, serve warm or cool
  7. You can make cookies a day ahead storing in an airtight container, but add filling no more than an hour or two before serving.

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Christmas cookies, Christmas cookie