Holidays are here, and there is no Christmas without cookies in our house! Whether they are for Santa, gifting or pampering my friends, we just have to have a big batch of delicious cookies ready. This year I am changing up the flavors a bit to add a little more fun and surprise to it, so instead of plain vanilla flavors, I added a touch of citrus and cardamom to enhance the already yummy cookies.

Ingredients

3 cups- All purpose flour

1 cup/2 sticks -Softened unsalted butter

1 large – egg at room temp

3/4 tsp – baking powder

1 tsp – green cardamom powder

2 tbs – Orange zest

1/2 tsp – Vanilla extract

1 tbs – Milk

1/4 tsp – salt

1 cup – Sugar

Powdered sugar for rolling out the dough

In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place Softened butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until fluffy and light in color. Add egg, milk, vanilla, cardamom and orange zest and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough and warp in cling wrap , and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour or even the night before baking the cookies .

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove wrapped dough from refrigerator, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes after removal from oven, and then move on wire rack and cool completely. Serve as is, or use icing as desired.

Happy Holidays!