Rose Water Sugar Cookies

Rose Water Sugar Cookies

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3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 Tbs rose water

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup colored sugar, for coating

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-Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

- Beat together all ingredients, excluding flour.

-Stir in flour.

- Drop the dough by the tablespoonful into the colored sugar, rolling the balls to coat them. Place them on the prepared baking sheets.

- Bake the cookies for 10 mins. until they are just barely stating to brown, they'll look soft. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 mins. then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Rolling the dough in colored sugar.

Baked cookies.

These cookies are very yummy.

They combine my two favorite flavors: cardamom and rose water.

If you have never tried rose water - it is amazing!

It adds an addictive quality to these cookies, increasing the buttery flavor and adding a sweet aftertaste - that makes you want to eat more!

Pulla - Finnish Cardamom Bread

I have been spelling cardamom wrong for the past month!

Since I love it so much, I should probably spell it correctly.

Cardamom is a rich and decadent spice.

It adds flavor depth.

mmmmmmm

Ok Recipe.

This recipe is from The Winter Vegetarian by Darra Goldstein.

It's a great book.

But I think there is something wrong with this recipe.

She says to add between 7 to 8 cups of flour and knead the dough.

I added 8 cups of flour and had batter.

There was no possible way to knead it - I tried.

I added some more flour, but it was still to soft to knead.

Which is fine!

Egg/milk bread shouldn't be kneaded.

But then how much flour is necessary?

Who knows!

Someday I want to work this recipe out, but for now here is the recipe from The Winter Vegetarian

Finnish Cardamom Bread - Pulla

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2 1/2 tsp. yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups lukewarm milk

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cardamom

12 Tbs. butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted

4 eggs

7 to 8 cups flour

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1 egg white, lightly beaten

3 Tbs. pearl or colored sugar

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Dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 tsp. of sugar until bubbly. Stir in the milk, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, salt,cardamom, melted butter, eggs and 4 cups of the flour. Beat well. Gradually add just enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 mins. (Good luck with that!)

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Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and leave to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and let rise again until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.

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Divide dough into 3 pieces. Divided each piece into 3 balls of equal size. Roll each ball out between your hands into a rope about 12 in. long. Braid 3 ropes together, turning the ends under. Place the loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the loaves and leave them to rise until slightly puffy, 20 to 30 mins.

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Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg and sprinkle them with the sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 mins.

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I obviously didn't braid them.

I made 4 round loaves instead.

Cardamum Sugar Cakes

Cardamom Sugar Cakes

I love cardamom. It is especially wonderful in these light-as-air sugar cookies.

Watch out for the unusual combination of sour cream and baking soda.

1/2 cup sour cream (not nonfat)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cardamom

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Coarse sugar, colored sugar or sprinkles for decoration.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.

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In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar,egg, salt, spices, vanilla and baking powder. Add the sour cream mixture and blend well. Add the flour, blending until well combined.

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Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and lightly grease/parchment/silpat 2 baking sheets.

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Drop the dough by 1 Tbs. into the sugar, roll in sugar and place on baking sheet.

Work quickly or the butter will melt.

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Freeze rolled sugar covered cookie dough.

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Bake for 10 mins. - Watch carefully!!

After removing them from the oven, leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 3 mins.