Cardamom Butter Squares

Yvonne M. Parnes of Batavia, Ohio, got the recipe for these rich,
buttery cookies in an e-mail from the McCormick spice company. We like
them plain, but drizzled with espresso icing and bittersweet chocolate,
they are truly out of this world.

For cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
For espresso and chocolate icings
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted

Special equipment: 2 small heavy-duty sealable plastic bags (for icing;
not pleated)

Make cookies:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and
allspice in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer
at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand
mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a
handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in
flour mixture until just combined.

Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on
its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll,
press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until
slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and
flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking
sheet until firm, about 1 hour.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to
350 F.

Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill
2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart
(chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking,
until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3
minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies
with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Ice cookies:
Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and
enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a
sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.

Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off
a bottom corner.

Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies
stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.

Cooks' notes:
.. Dough logs can be chilled 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double
layer of plastic wrap, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until they
can be sliced).
.. Cookies (with or without icing) keep, layered between sheets of wax
paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1
week.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Gourmet

Source: <http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/231217>


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