10.18.2010

Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies, Week Three


This my second offering in April's Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies. Click on the button in the sidebar to see all the super cookie recipes everyone is posting.

These amazing cookies were the grand prize winner in the Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown in 2008. Camilla Saulsbury won and believe me, she deserved it. My book group moaned with delight and my daughter rolled her eyes after tasting them.

You're going to love them.  They are  filled with spicy warmth from the ginger, cardamom, coriander and black pepper. The extra salt brings out the spicy sweetness in the ginger. They have a slightly crispy edge and are chewy on the inside with bits of crystallized ginger throughout. And look at those ingredients: a definite Middle Eastern flavor.

Exotic Spice Cookies
From  Camilla Saulsbury of Camilla's Shortcut Kitchen (and The Food Network)




Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup crisco solid, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon rosewater
3/4 cup turbinado sugar, for rolling

Method:

Whisk the flour, ginger, soda, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, pepper and salt until blended. Mix in the crystallized ginger and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and shortening until fluffy but do not overbeat. Add the egg, honey and rosewater and beat just until blended.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350° and spray cookie sheet with Pam. (I used parchment paper.)

Using wet hands, form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in the turbinado sugar.

Bake cookies 11-13 minutes until cracked on top, but soft.

Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute and then carefully transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

65 comments:

  1. Great cookies! I am a spice addict so I'm sure I'd love them.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. The ingredients in this cookie sound exactly what we like--something a bit different but very tasty. I just purchased cardamom (expensive) and wanted to find other ways to use it--perfect timing!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. Ahh..I have never seen this recipe..I bet they are delicious..I am hoping to make some of your cookies for the holidays~

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  4. Oh my! I definitely understand the groans--this looks perfect!!

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  5. Mmmmm.I bet these cookies had a nice little kids to them!!! Delicious

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  6. How could I not want to make cookies that hold such spunk.
    Thanks for sharing this winning recipe...will have to give them a bake soon ;o)

    Barbara, have a great week.

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  7. I just love a spicy cookie like this! They would make a great addition to any cookie tray!

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  8. Now these are right up my ally! Yummy I add crystallized ginger to my molasses spice cookies already. I have to add these to my list!

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  9. I love a spice-filled cookie like this! And, the crunch from the turbinado sugar must be great.

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  10. Thanks for sharing my recipe! It is my favorite of all time (ginger-cardamom-brown sugar addict me). So glad you liked them :)

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  11. Wow! Coriander, ginger and cardamom! These cookies must really pop!

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  12. I love the Middle Eastern flavors in those cookies- delicious!

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  13. Brown sugar and spice, a perfect cookie.
    Mimi

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  14. They do sound exotic and delicious! I must give these a try and I suppose I should also get over that fact that Christmas will be hear before I know it!

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  15. You know it's an amazing cookie when people moaned with delight!

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  16. Great looking cookie, and those flavors, delicious, I'd moan, too!

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  17. This is so cool. I'll be back evry week for a new cookie recipe. I love this one much!

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  18. Ahhh... I have a big bag of ginger and I need to make the crystallized ginger! The recipes are beckoning to me! This one looks fantastic! Makes me feel like the holidays are here!

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  19. Thanks for sharing these- spice cookies are my absolute favorite. These will definitely be in my holiday cookie line-up!

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  20. Ooooh, these sounds delicious! I have a friend who will really enjoy these. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. Christmas cookies are the best kind of cookies, they're spiced with the flavors of tradition and celebration. These exotic ones sounds so good, I've never cooked with rosewater.

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  22. Hmm...yumm... another lovely bake! Bookmarked this for later use. Thanks again, Barbara. Hope you're having a wonderful day.
    Kristy

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  23. These sound great. I love sweets paired with a little spice. With a review like yours, I've simply got to try these.
    *kisses* HH

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  24. No wonder they went down well, the spices sound delightful. Bookmarked this one!

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  25. Barbara, I don"t know what I like more, the perfect golden spicy cookies or that heavenly blue marble... do you have a counter made of that??? OOOOOhhh! They do sound like wonderful cookies and the spice would cut the sugar which I like a lot. I love food that leaves a warm spicy taste in your mouth after eating it@

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  26. You had me at cardamom, but then to throw pepper into the mix? Genius!

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  27. I love spice cookies! These look delish!

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  28. I love this series on cookies and these are totally different. They sound delicious.

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  29. With all those wonderful spices and especially the crystallized ginger I know I will love these cookies.

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  30. Barbara, with a rap like that, I've just got to try these! :D

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  31. Oh my goodness. I even got to watch that episode while I was back in Canada. Gotta get my fill when I can. :) I thought this recipe sounded delicious but I didn't realize that they shared the recipe. Your cookies look so perfect and crackly. Wishing I could have one to enjoy with tea tonight. Mmm...

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  32. These sound wonderfully flavorful, Barbara! Give me two of these and cup of tea and I'll be a happy girl. :) I love how they sparkle with the sugar coating too -- very festive!

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  33. These will be added to my holiday baking list! I adore a fabulous spice cookie.

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  34. Honey with cardamom and coriander and rosewater - wherever did you find such a recipe? The spices are traditional, and then flipped on their head. I cannot imagine the flavour. I will just have to try them, but this will have to wait a bit. My Christmas cookies are already quite a packed list and I am not sure I can even make what is on the request list from my daughters for this year.
    :)
    Valerie

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  35. These sound amazing--I'm on board with anything that calls for cardamom. The only thing is the crisco...wonder how they would turn out using butter?

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  36. These sound like such a nice change from the typical icing cut outs!

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  37. Barbara- You have been busy cooking with some of my very favorite things! First off, I'm loving your corn sticks with the mustard. The maple panna cotta with the maple sugar candy garnish totally won my heart. I will also keep Giada's apricot cookies in mind during out six months cooking with her at I Heart Cooking Clubs.
    As for the exotic spice cookies - oh yes!!

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  38. What an intriguing recipe! I might actually put my tried-and-true ginger snap recipe aside to try this one!

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  39. Mmm, I love all the spices you've tucked in these, Barbara! They must smell positively heavenly baking. :-)

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  40. Oh how I wish I could bake. Maybe I can get the hubster to make a batch. g

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  41. So many beautiful spices combined in these cookies. They make them irresistible

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  42. Barbara
    Another incredible recipe and so unique. I must make these! Thanks for sharing.
    Xx
    Bunny

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  43. Hey Barbara, pretty photo! The cookies look so delicious. And I can imagine why they won in terms of the look of their texture along with the spice profile and candied ginger. I can 'see' deliciousness-part of my witchy powers (smile).
    p.s. I know you would have liked the ravioli;) Well, probably...

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  44. Fabulous cookies, Barbara!! Can't wait for Christmas!

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  45. Such a delicious and scrumptious looking cookies !

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  46. Barbara, these cookies look really good. I am already rolling my eyes and moaning and I have not tasted them yet. I bet these are over the top with a really god cup of coffee.

    There is no way, I could eat just a fair portion. I could easily eat a dozen. :-)

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  47. I am thinking that just the smell of these baking would be enough to put me in the holiday spirit.
    I am saving all the cookie recipes here to try, but I'm wondering who's going to help me eat them all. I think I will have some happy neighbors and friends.
    I'll thank you for them in advance.
    hugs

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  48. wow great cookies love the spices in here

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  49. oh, these sound perfect for winter! Nice and warm, if that makes sense!

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  50. Hi Barbara,

    I am sure these must smell divine cooking and would taste even better.
    thanks for sharing.

    Happy Wednesday
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  51. Wow, these look delicious! Thanks for the link-I am off to check out the other yummy treats!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  52. Any cookie with crystallized ginger is a cookie for me! ;)

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  53. Barbara, you are so kind, so very very kind to visit with me every post. I am sooooooooo sorry to have missed your COOKIES! LOok at those luscious things! My mom used to make wonderful sugar cookies and what great memories. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS! I am a teacher and I will get 4 days off for Thanksgiving week and TWO WEEKS OFF FOR CHRISTMAS! YEAHHHHHH!!!!

    Thanks again and STAY YOUNG!!! Anita

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  54. oh those look so good and what a fun combination of spices!

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  55. What wonderful spices for those cookies. Would you share?

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  56. Barbara, great choice with all the spices. It's not the typical cookie. I can't wait to see what else you come out with between now and the holidays.

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  57. Barbara, these cookies look delicious with all the spices in it...love the idea of biting into small pieces of ginger :-)

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  58. I love spiced cookies and these sound amazing!

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  59. Awesome cookies. I love the cardamom in here.

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  60. I am sooooo getting my baking apron on my friend...cookies and Christmas ones to boot! Yummmm xoxoxoxoxo

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  61. what aptly-named cookies! i've seen pepper in recipes before, but never coriander. how nifty--great share!

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  62. I remember the 12 weeks of Cookies when i come here!!
    Oh i love the spicy sweetness ur talking about!!
    Crispy sounds so so good here!!

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  63. Mmmm, I can practically taste the crunch of that sugar coating. And all those wonderful spices! They must smell heavenly.

    I think I have to join your book group.

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  64. I sort of cringed when I first read about the 12 Weeks--unwilling to consider Christmas and all its entailments--but really, time goes so so fast. Here's to a wealth of the best of cookies. Love crystallized ginger bites with cardamom in baking-fantastic.

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  65. This one is definitely going into my file - I lvoed the flavors of everything - just starting to use more of the cardamom. Great photos!

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