Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies with Bourbon

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Today’s recipe is for my husband Aaron – he’s a big football fan and loves all things sugar and Bourbon. It’s tradition that we stay in for the Super Bowl (usually Chicago gets hit with a huge snow storm on this day every year), and we prepare our favorite snacks together and welcome whoever wants to join us! Typically our spread consists of wings, homemade pretzels & dips, buffalo chicken dip, charcuterie, and some sort of sweet treat. This years sweet treats are Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies with Bourbon. Since my husband and I love the snacks that come along with Super Bowl Sunday, I decided to decorate these cookies like some of the best Super Bowl snacks – and it was super fun… but beware: may cause major cravings for ALL the junk food. 😉 No matter where you go, or who you’re rooting for – these cookies will be a crowd pleaser and great conversation starter. Have fun!

Prep Time: 10 minutes // Inactive Time: 1 hour // Cook Time: 10 minutes // Decorating Time: ~ 2 hours // Yield: ~24 cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
Zest from 1 large orange
1 tsp ground Cardamom
1 tbs Bourbon
1 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Royal Icing Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbs meringue powder
4 tbs water

Using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, followed by the vanilla, zest, Cardamom and Bourbon, and mix until well-combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mixing together until dough forms.
Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare two baking sheets.
On a floured surface, section the dough in half for ease of rolling. Roll out the dough about 1/4 inch thick, then use cookie cutters of your choice, or make your own!
Place the cookies in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes until very light golden brown, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Add Royal Icing ingredients into 1 large bowl and mix together until well-combined. Prepare your royal icing colors by mixing icing/food coloring gels together in separate bowls, then place them into piping bags until the cookies are cool enough to decorate.

I hope your Super Bowl Sunday is filled with good company and a happy belly! If you prepare these cookies to share, you’re half way there! 🙂