Cardamom, Orange And Chocolate Ribbon Cookies – Cookies For Christmas
Ribbon Cookies
This is the last cookie I will be making to include in my gift boxes. It’s such a beautiful cookie, festive and delicious. The recipe came from my Mom, it’s probably from the 60’s, the original recipe did not contain cardamom or orange, that was my idea. Both are very subtle and go well together, the sum of all the parts makes a wonderful cookie. You can add whatever flavoring you like, you are not bound by cardamom and orange. I think orange, hazelnut and chocolate would be great. Almond extract to the vanilla portion would be lovely also. The great thing about these cookies is that you can change the flavor profile to suit your taste. I hope you enjoy!
Makes Approximately 36 cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup good quality shortening at room temperature (I like Spectrum)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg at room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
Zest of one orange
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate melted (Use the microwave method — it’s great.)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup toasted walnuts chopped finely
In mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment for approximately 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt and beat until combined. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add flour and mix to combine with spoon. Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals stirring in between. It took me 60 seconds.
Divide dough in half. Knead the melted chocolate and walnuts into half of the dough and then the cardamom and orange zest into the other half. Line a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Divide chocolate dough in half and press into the bottom of the loaf pan, now divide the vanilla dough in half and press on top of chocolate layer, now another chocolate layer, and finish with the vanilla layer. Cover with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, I freeze or refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 375° F.
Three equal pieces
Going into the oven find the cookie that isn’t facing the right way!! LOL
Remove from refrigerator, invert onto cutting board, and remove plastic wrap. Divide into 3 equal pieces (each is 3 inches) and cut each third into 12 equal pieces that are about 1/4 inch thick. Place on baking sheet with either parchment or silpat and bake for 10 to 12 minutes turning baking sheet around halfway through baking (5 minutes). BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERBAKE! Remove from oven when edges start to turn a light brown. If you leave them in longer than the prescribed baking time they become overdone and are really crunchy. I took out my batch of cookies at 11 minutes. They were just right.
Ready for the gift box
apuginthekitchen 
These cookies look amazing, Suzanne! Love the chocolate orange flavour and the addition of cardamon is great! Very delicious bake! Happy Christmas lovely!
Thanks Jess. they are in regular rotation every year. They are such a pretty cookie. Thanks again and Happy Holidays!
Ooh – these are just adorable! I love your idea to add cardamom and orange to these cookies and I love your packaging! So – where do I sign up to be a recipient of one of your cookie gift boxes? 😉
Merry Christmas Suzanne!
I wish I could send everyone a gift box. There is nothing like getting a box of homemade goodies for the Holidays. Thank you Shashi and Merry Christmas to you and your daughter.
Sounds like wonderful flavors, Suzanne… I love ribbon cookies, they’re so pretty to look at! Your “Suzanne” labels are very festive. 🙂
Thanks Nancy, they just look like Christmas cookies to me, Happy Holidays to you and yours!!
Horsefeathers, Suzanne! You just keep cooking up more amazing cookies. I’m dizzy from all the deliciousness. (Or maybe it’s from imagining so much sugar…) 😀
Seriously, I am truly impressed. I can only imagine how wonderful your house smells.
Holiday hugs!
It’s the sugar Teagan, I am on sugar overload right now. Yikes. thanks so much, I’m done with my gift baskets (almost) 2 more to go. Thanks Teagan and Happy Holidays!!
Horsefeathers, LOL, I haven’t heard that in a long time. You are wonderful. Thank you so much.
Nice flavor profile. Finished all my Christmas cookies last week! Can put my mixer away now.
Thank you so much Peter. They are really nice cookies! Happy Holidays!!
Three of my favourite flavours with mention of my absolute favourite, hazelnut, being an option!!! These are going high up my to make list. Thank you!!!
Next time I am doing hazelnut, more orange and some shaved chocolate I think. Thanks Holly.
Gosh you have been busy Suzanne!! I’m in love with these cookies, seriously! They look straight out of a bakery and I love your gift bags!! I bet they are going to make somebody very happy!!
I really hope people like. Thanks Brandi. Happy Holidays to you, your beautiful daughter and your hubby!!
They look amazing! Have a most wonderful Christmas, Suzanne!
Ginger x
Thanks Ginger and a very Merry Christmas to you too!
Love your stickers!!
Thanks Elaine. I am in the process of having some made with the pug on them but these were nice for the holidays. Thanks so much
More temptation! These look so pretty and your packing and labels are so chic.
Yes, sorry. It’s the holidays and it lurks around every corner. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Love those Suzanne!!! I made some with cherry in them, I am going to try to get a blog up tomorrow with some pics and recipes 🙂 I have been so so busy 🙂
Merry Christmas!!
Me too, I am non stop working, baking, and everything else. Cherries sound great, looking for the recipe
I just love these cookies, especially since they came from your mom. Gifting homemade goodies is such a heartfelt sentiment, and there are some lucky people on your list!
Oh Suzanne, these are so beautiful too! I wonder if I can find time to make up a batch of these as well? The flavours of all your cookie creations have been so delicious – thank you for taking the time to share them!
… and your packaging is gorgeous too! 🙂 Love the little festive stickers.
Thank you Margot, it’s a really nice cookie and again you can add whatever flavors you like. Thanks also regarding my labels, I give so many food gifts I wanted to ,make some labels have been experimenting with different ones. I am going to get some with the pug and the name of the blog on them.
Hi Suzanne, those are some great cookie boxes you are putting together, love these cookies!
Thanks Cheri, I am almost done. Did a bunch today, have a few more to do. It’s a lot of work. I’m exhausted!!
Oh, look at those Suzanne’s Homemade Sweets labels… very classy over the cellophane bags! Of course, it is the inside cookies that makes the day! With cardamon and orange, these cookies are special! 🙂
Thanks Fae, I love putting the cookies in those bags, they keep them fresh and you can see whats in it. Thanks so much.
Thise gift bags look fab! Isnt is great when one can pass recipes down through the family xx
Absolutely, love the recipes my Mom has given me over the years. They are recipes I make over and over. Thanks so much.
they are like gold dust :0
I’m with Fae – this combination is just great. And thanks for your lovely comment last night. It’s funny that we don’t do this type of thing over here. Except maybe for bartering. Maybe I should start a new trend! Until then, have a great Christmas!
Start a trend Johnny. It will be a hit over there. I do a holiday swap on Food52 every year. You should do it, there are people from all over the world that participate. Got my gift today it’s incredible!
Just look at those cookies. Delish. And I love how you package them as well. You can send them right on over to my house ;). Great recipe
Thanks I would gladly send you some!
So pretty!! What lucky cookie recipients you have- an amazing assortment 🙂
Thanks so much Happy Holidays!
I’m pinning these to try! They look super good, especially for cardamom lovers like me!
Me too, love cardamom the combination with orange and chocolate in this cookie is wonderful. Thank you so much.
mmmmm….. Your gift bag is so pretty! These look like a lovely balance to the super rich and ooey-gooey that I seem to be surrounded by. Merry merry to you 😀
Merry merry to you to Liz, thank you, yes these cookies are on the light and delicate side. Really nice.
OMG these cookies sounds flavoursome- love the addition if cardamom flavor and the combo of orange and chocolate sounds heavenly- I can imagine how relishing this could be…. love your gift bags as well..perfect…
Thanks so much Chitra!
These cookies look wonderful! I adore your stickers 🙂
Thanks so much Sarah, Happy Holidays!!
I wish you
a Merry Christmas
and a wonderful New Year 2015!
With Love Maxima
Wishing you a fabulous Christmas and amazing New Year. Hope your celebrations are joyous!! Thank you so much.
Love it:-) so flavorful
Thank you so much!
These cookies look amazing. I like your idea of adding orange to them.
Thanks so much Sharon, love your sweet Bailey. What a face!! Happy Holidays.
Oh gosh Suzanne– love orange and chocolate together and these look so fancy!! Just right for Christmas. (but too late for my holiday baking now– they’ll have to be my Valentines cookies??!!) Love you blog and all the fresh ideas you post. thanks!
Thanks so much Rhonda. I always look forward to your posts, besides the amazing recipes I love seeing your beautiful family!
Love the combo of cardamom and orange. Sounds so delicious and festive!
They are really good cookies, thank you so much!! Happy Holidays to you and yours. Is Fig excited?
I love how these look! I have never made layered cookies like this, but what a genius idea! I hope to try these soon as the flavors sound awesome too! They are perfect for the holidays, but I think these could be made year ’round!
They are one of my favorite cookies. They are simple but so delicious. Thanks Christina.
These look lovely! Merry Christmas! 🙂
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
They look so pretty , Suzanne
Thanks so much Flora.
I made your lovely cookies today & I love your cool stickers too! Waw, so professional too! x
I enjoy them with a great café latte! xxx
Did you really, I am so excited and so glad they turned out well for you. Yes totally agree they are great with a coffee!! Thank you so much.
🙂 xxx
I love Ribbon Cookies and think your combo of chocolate and orange is spot-on. These look yummy!
Thank you so much, I do love ribbon cookies, they are unadorned no icing or anything but really delicious.
If I saw these in a store I would buy them! They look so good. Love the dark and light cookie mix.
Thanks Cindy, they are one of my favorite cookies to make and eat!!
Wow – how did I miss these little gems? Your house must be so stocked with goodies for the holidays – you’ve been on fire! They’re gorgeous!
These and the rugelach are my two favorite holiday cookies. I give everything away so I have nothing in my house except for a little frozen cookie dough. Thank you so much.