Orange & Cardamom Tree Biscuits

Mary's Cadogan's crisp citrus cookies make perfect decorations - just stamp them with the celebration motif of your choice

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins - 40 mins
  Cook 12 mins - 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 25

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  97

• Protein

  1g

• Carbs

  12g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  5g

• Salt

  0.1g

Ingredients

• 6 cardamom pods
• 200g plain flour
• 50g rice flour
• 140g butter
• grated zest 1 orange
• 100g icing sugar, plus extra to decorate
• 1 egg yolk
• You'll also need
• pastry cutters
• cocktail sticks
• Christmas rubber stamps (see tip below) and thin ribbon or string

Directions

1. Split the cardamom pods and tip the seeds into a mortar, then grind to a powder with the pestle. Tip the flour, rice flour and cardamom powder into a food processor. Chop the butter into small pieces and add to the food processor with the orange zest. Pulse to a fine breadcrumb texture. Add the icing sugar and mix briefly, then add the egg yolk and 1-2 tsp cold water and pulse to a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 mins.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out half the dough at a time and stamp out 8cm rounds or squares and transfer to the baking sheets. Gather up the trimmings and roll out again to make more biscuits. Use a cocktail stick to make a hole in each biscuit for hanging from the tree. Press a festive rubber stamp into the surface of each biscuit. Chill for 30 mins.
3. Bake for 8-10 mins until just golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
4. Dust each biscuit liberally with icing sugar, then brush off the excess from the surface, leaving a white imprint on each biscuit. Tie up with pretty ribbon or string and hang from your tree.

Categories: All Christmas