Cardamom and lemon stamped cookies

Ingredients

• 225g/8 oz butter, softened
• 150g/5½ oz caster sugar
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 250g/9 oz plain flour
• 100g/3½ oz ground almonds
• 3 tsp ground cardamom or 1 heaped tsp cardamom seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.

2. Using an electric hand-whisk, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.

3. Beat in the flour, almonds and cardamom until the mixture is well combined and comes together to form a stiff dough.

4. Roll the dough into 24 balls and place 12 on each baking tray – make sure you leave space between each one.

5. Press each cookie with a cookie stamp or the bottom of a glass to flatten and leave decorative indentations in the dough.

6. Bake a tray at a time for 12–14 minutes until the cookies are pale golden brown.

7. Leave them to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They will crisp up as they cool. Store the cookies in an airtight tin and eat within 7 days.

Tips

You can also make these cookies using a biscuit press. They’ll be about half the size, so cook them for 10–12 minutes instead.