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Holiday Cardamom Spice Cookies are perfect for a Christmas Tea Party or for gifting. Filled with warm spices, candied cherries, dried cranberries, and almonds, these triangular cookies are a fun addition to any holiday cookie tray. Plus, they are so delicious! Especially with a cup of hot tea.
(Post modified on 11/24/23.)
I made these refrigerator cookies for a tea party when my girls were young, after finding the recipe for Jeweled Cookie Slices in a magazine. It was one of my first tea parties, actually, and these cookies have been a favorite ever since.
Through the years, the recipe has changed a bit. I now add dried cranberries to the candied cherries, along with ground cardamom spice, which adds even more holiday warmth to the cookies. Their triangular shapes and fruit-speckled appearance are especially attractive on a pretty cookie tray.
What are Refrigerator Cookies?
There are several types of cookies in the baking world. Dropped Cookies, Rolled, Molded or Shaped, Pressed, Bar Cookies, No-Bake Cookies, and Refrigerator. I may be missing one or two, but these are the basic types.
Refrigerator Cookies, also known as Icebox Cookies, or even sliced cookies have dough that is pressed into a form and refrigerated for several hours until it becomes firm. Once chilled, it is thinly sliced into circles, squares, rectangles, or triangles, depending on the form it has been pressed into. They are a fun cookie to make, and can even be kept in the refrigerator for up to ten days to slice and bake as you desire.
As a fun cookie challenge, I encourage you to try making each of these types of cookies this holiday season, and I will do the same! If you accept this challenge, I’d love to hear from you on one of my social networks, so please do share with me!
More Holiday Cookies to Try
- Crispy Italian Pizzelle Cookies
- German Springerle Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Wreath Macaroons
- Chocolate-Coated Raspberry Spritz Cookies
Ingredients for Holiday Cardamom Spice Cookies
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- ground cardamom
- nutmeg
- salt
- baking soda
- butter, room temperature
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- candied red and green cherries
- dried cranberries
- sliced almonds
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather the ingredients for this recipe so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Prepare the Ingredients
Using a Chef’s knife and cutting board, finely chop the red and green candied cherries.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Sift together to mix well.
Using a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Mix in large eggs and vanilla extract. Scrape bowl as needed.
Add in the flour mixture a little at a time until combined.
Mix in the chopped candied cherries, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds until fully incorporated into the dough.
Prepare Dough for Refrigeration
Spoon the cookie dough into the prepared loaf pan, firmly patting it down until it’s even. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Toward the end of the two hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Refrigerator cookies may be kept in the refrigerator for up to ten days as long as they are tightly wrapped and put in a sealed container or bag. Then simply slice and put in the oven for freshly baked cookies for your guests.Â
Slice and Bake
Once the dough has chilled, invert the pan onto a cutting board. Remove lining. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Then, cut each slice in half diagonally to form two triangles.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until lightly brown.
Allow to set for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
This recipe will make approximately 60 cookies. Store in a tightly covered container for 3-5 days, or you may freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Serve these holiday cookies at your next tea party or Christmas event. Their triangle shapes and speckled colors make them a wonderful addition to a holiday cookie tray.
See more Cookie Recipes Here. Browse Holiday Baking Ideas Here.Â
Holiday Cardamom Spice Cookies
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup butter (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup candied red cherries (chopped)
- 1/3 cup candied green cherries (chopped)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Using a Chef's knife and cutting board, finely chop the red and green candied cherries.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Mix in large eggs and vanilla extract. Scrape bowl as needed.
- Add in the flour mixture a little at a time until combined.
- Mix in the chopped cherries, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds until fully incorporated into the dough.
Prepare Dough for Refrigeration
- Spoon the cookie dough into the prepared loaf pan, firmly patting it down until it's even. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Toward the end of the two hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- When the dough has chilled, invert the pan onto a cutting board. Remove lining. Using a Santoku knife, slice dough into 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Then, cut each slice in half diagonally to form two triangles.
- Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until lightly brown.
- Allow to set for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes approximately 60 cookies.
Notes
Nutrition