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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.

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!
Rose Cardamom Shortbread Ingredients
While shortbread cookies typically only require some basic pantry staples, this variation calls for a few unique ingredients. I found it a bit difficult to find these products in a typical grocery store, so I would recommend buying them on Amazon.
Here’s what you'll need to pick up:
- Pure rose extract — This rose extract has a beautiful, strong flavor that perfectly complements these cookies. Be careful not to use too much, though, because it packs a punch!
- Edible rose petals — While optional, I think sprinkling rose petals on top of these cookies really elevates the look. After making a batch, I had a lot of rose petals left, so I will definitely be saving them for future recipes.

Tips for Making Rose Cardamom Shortbread
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. Doing so 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.

Rose Cardamom Shortbread FAQ
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.
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.

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Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Scottish
Description
Dipped in a rose glaze, these Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies are light yet delicious! Sprinkle some rose petalson top to take them to the next level.
Ingredients
Cardamom Shortbread Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (212 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
Rose Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon rose extract
- ½ teaspoon 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. Add in the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cardamom and mix until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a disk and refrigerate until firm (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 edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to 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.
Notes
- Stored in an airtight container, these shortbread cookies will stay fresh for up to one week.
- The number of cookies this recipe yields will depend on the size of your cookie cutter.
Keywords: shortbread, rose, cardamom, shortbread cookies


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