Dipped in a rose glaze, these Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies are light yet delicious! Sprinkle some rose petals on top to take them to the next level.
I made these for a Jane Austin inspired tea party and everyone loved them! They kept going back for more. I added fresh rose petals from my knockout roses and they stuck well to the glaze when it was wet. I used a smaller flower shaped cookie cutter and rolled them a bit thin and I got enough to cover a large platter. Thank you! ★★★★★
-Carrie
When it comes to cookies, shortbread is never a bad choice. With minimal ingredients and a whole lot of flavor, does it really get any easier?
These Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies are a bit different than your grandmother's classic recipe, but I promise you'll love the twist. And, hey, I bet your grandmother will even love them too!
Jump to:
Tips for Making These Cookies
Here are some of my best tips to get perfect cookies every time:
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar for several minutes. When mixing together your butter and powdered sugar, make sure to beat on high speed for at least 3-5 minutes. This ensures that the mixture becomes fluffy, which leads to lighter cookies in the end.
- Don't skip out on chilling the dough. When making these cookies, it's important to refrigerate the dough for a few reasons. Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll the cookies out, and it also prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Roll the chilled dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. Out of all the baking essentials, parchment paper is definitely up there in my list of all-time favorites. I recommend rolling out this shortbread dough between parchment paper instead of sprinkling flour on your countertop. Plus, you will have less to clean up later!
- Let the cookies cool completely before glazing. If you try to glaze the cookies while they're still warm, the glaze will run off and not stick properly. Luckily, these cookies take less than ten minutes to cool on a wire rack, so you won't have to wait very long.
Common Questions About These Cookies
Yes, absolutely! Whip up a batch of the cookie dough and keep it in the fridge for several days. However, I would recommend waiting to make the glaze until the day you bake the cookies.
To get the best cookies, I highly recommend using softened butter (but not melted butter). If the butter is too hard, the batter can get overworked, but if you use melted butter, the cookies can become too tough. I like to pull butter from the fridge a few hours before baking so it gets to the perfect temperature. If you need to soften it in a pinch, you can microwave it in 15-second increments until you reach the desired consistency.
While I haven't tested these cookies with rose water, it's definitely worth a try! Since rose water is less concentrated than rose extract, you might need a bit more of it in the glaze to get the desired rose flavor.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to The Baker's Almanac for even more baking recipes and tips.
Print
Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
Description
Dipped in a rose glaze, these Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies are light yet delicious! Sprinkle some rose petals on top to take them to the next level.
Ingredients
Cardamom Shortbread Cookies:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (45g) milk
- 1 ½ cups (212g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons (2g) ground cardamom
Rose Glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) milk
- ½ teaspoon (2g) rose extract
- ½ teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Edible rose petals, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Make the cardamom shortbread cookies: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and milk and mix until combined, scraping well after each addition. Add in the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cardamom and mix until just combined, scraping well once everything has been incorporated.
- Shape the dough into a disk and refrigerate until firm, or at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a ½-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using your desired cutter, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. You can also re-roll the dough several times to get as many cookies as possible.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to them a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the rose glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, rose extract, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Once the cookies have cooled, dip half of each one in the rose glaze. Sprinkle rose petals on top if desired, then let the glaze harden before serving.
- Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will usually stay fresh for up to one week.
Notes
- The number of cookies this recipe yields will depend on the size of your cookie cutter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Scottish
I cannot find rose extract anywhere where I live. I was only able to get rose water. can I substitute the extract with the rose water?
Hi, Courtney! I haven't tried substituting rose water for the rose extract in this recipe, but I think it should probably work. I'd recommend starting with a smaller amount (perhaps 1/8 teaspoon) and tasting the glaze to see if the flavor is strong enough. Then, you could add more rose water as needed until you get the desired flavor. I'd also recommend making sure you're using rose water that is food grade and not cosmetic. I hope that helps!
My family lovesss these, they’re my go to!
Question: how would it be best to store extra cookie dough that isn’t made into biscuits?
I'm so glad you all have been enjoying the recipe! I'd recommend cutting the cookies out and then freezing the cut cookies. Then, you can follow the recipe and bake them from frozen whenever you want to enjoy them. The frozen, unbaked cookies should last up to 2 months in the freezer. I hope that helps!
Adapted this recipe to be gluten free and vegan (direct swap GF flour & dairy free butter + milk); the dough was too wet, which GF bakers know is typical in order to achieve correct texture when baked. Might slightly reduce milk next time to see if the dough is more workable. Turned out delicious nonetheless 🩷
I'm glad you were able to adapt the recipe to fit your dietary needs, Ayn!
I made these for a Jane Austin inspired tea party and everyone loved them! They kept going back for more. I added fresh rose petals from my knockout roses and they stuck well to the glaze when it was wet. I used a smaller flower shaped cookie cutter and rolled them a bit thin and I got enough to cover a large platter. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear the cookies were a hit, Carrie! I bet these would be perfect for a tea party like that. 😊 Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I love the taste but I think I rolled them too thick. Is it really 1/2 in? it seemed too thick for a sugar cookie
I'm glad you enjoyed the cookies, Anna! Shortbread cookies are typically a bit thicker than normal sugar cookies, so that's why I recommend rolling them out to 1/2 inch thickness for this recipe. However, feel free to roll them to your desired thickness. I hope that helps!
where do you find "rose extract" and what is it exactly?
thank you for your time.
I used this rose extract for this recipe! I found it on Amazon, but you can likely find it elsewhere too. Rose extract is typically made by infusing rose petals in vodka over a long period of time to extract all the flavor.
Could the dough be shaped into balls or a log & sliced vs. rolled & cut out?
Thanks.
Hi, Diane! I think shaping the dough into a log and cutting it would work well. I haven't tried shaping it into balls, but you could definitely give it a try. The cookies just might not expand very much since the recipe doesn't call for any rising agents.
Maybe the best cookie I have ever had. Travelled the world and no stranger to best of the best. The cardamom and rose are exotic and fresh. The cookie holds together but melts on your mouth. I can pass up 90% of sweets, but appreciate the truly spectacular, which this cookie is. Rose petals make it beautiful to behold. Will save this recipe for a lifetime.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kirsten! Cardamom and rose pair wonderfully together.