Cardamom Brown Butter Shortbread with Flaky Salt

Shortbread is the cookie that requires almost nothing and forgives almost everything, which makes it the right thing to bake in December when everything else is demanding more of you than it should. The cardamom here is not a subtle presence — it is the point, warm and floral and slightly citrusy, the spice that makes this shortbread taste specifically like December. Brown the butter first. It takes five extra minutes and changes the cookie entirely.

Serves Makes about 30 cookies   ·   45 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

INGREDIENTS

• 230g (1 cup) vegan butter (Miyoko's cultured vegan butter works magnificently here)

• 100g (½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

• 240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

• Optional: substitute unsalted dairy butter; the browned milk solids will give slightly more depth of flavor

METHOD

1.  Brown the butter: melt the vegan butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it foams and then the foam subsides and the solids turn deep golden and smell deeply nutty — 5 to 7 minutes. Pour immediately into a large bowl and refrigerate until solid but not hard, about 30 minutes. It should be the consistency of softened butter.

2.  Beat the cooled brown butter and powdered sugar together with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth and combined — about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, cardamom, and fine salt and mix well.

3.  Add the flour all at once and mix until the dough just comes together. It will seem crumbly at first and then suddenly cohesive. Don't overmix.

4.  Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment or plastic wrap, shape into a log about 5cm / 2 inches in diameter, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to a month.

5.  Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

6.  Slice the chilled log into rounds about 8mm / ⅓ inch thick. Place on the prepared sheets with a little space between them — they don't spread much. Sprinkle each with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

7.  Bake for 14–16 minutes until the edges are just beginning to color and the tops look set and matte. They firm up considerably as they cool, so don't wait for them to look done in the oven. Cool completely on the pan. Store in an airtight tin — they keep for ten days and are extraordinary as a gift.