If you enjoy citrus flavours, you may want to expand your repertoire with these Orange and Cardamom Biscuit Thins. They are crisp, flavourful, and simple to make. Perfect for a weekend bake or an afternoon tea treat. Why not pair them with a selection from our luxury afternoon tea delivery options for the ultimate tea-time experience?
The combination of orange and cardamom works well in both sweet and savoury dishes. Here, it creates a balanced, aromatic biscuit that isn’t overly sweet. You can finish them plain or with a drizzle of simple orange glaze for extra flavour. Alternatively, consider adding them as a complementary snack to one of our postal brownie boxes.
Ingredients:
- 200g plain flour
- 50g icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Half a teaspoon of ground cardamom
- Zest of one large orange
- 125g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Optional: 100g icing sugar and 1–2 tablespoons of orange juice for glaze
Steps to make:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or Gas Mark 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, icing sugar, salt, and cardamom. Add the orange zest and mix until well combined.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Work quickly to prevent the butter from melting.
- Mix in the orange juice. Start with 1 tablespoon and add another teaspoon if the mixture feels too dry. Bring the dough together into a ball. Avoid overworking it—this keeps the texture light.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps firm up the butter, making the dough easier to handle.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough to about 3mm thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes of your choice. Transfer these to the prepared baking trays.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Rotate the trays halfway through for even baking.
- Let the biscuits cool on the trays for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you’d like to add an orange glaze, mix 100g icing sugar with 1–2 tablespoons of orange juice to your preferred consistency. Drizzle over the biscuits once they’ve cooled.
Tips:
- Make sure your butter is cold when you begin. Warm butter will make the dough sticky and hard to roll out.
- If you don’t have ground cardamom, crush cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar. Sift to remove husks before adding.
- Switch to lemon zest if you don’t have oranges, or experiment with lime for a tangier flavour.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These biscuits will stay fresh for up to one week.
- If you’re gifting these, stack a few biscuits and tie with plain twine or pop them into a cellophane bag for presentation. Pair this with a mixed box of rocky road for a delightful gift set.
These biscuit thins are perfect with tea or coffee. Their crisp texture and fragrant flavour pair well with herbal or black teas. They’re also light enough to enjoy on their own without being overwhelming.
Have you tried incorporating spices like cardamom into your home baking? It adds a new dimension to otherwise simple recipes. Which spices will you consider next?
