Swedish Hugs

Cardamom cookies are one of the Christmas treats that have been a tradition in our family. My grandmother made candies and cookies each year that we considered ‘staples’ of our Christmas celebrations. Grandma passed away several years ago and many of those treats are no longer replicated. This year I decided to make Grandma’s Cardamom cookies.

Cardamom (also spelled cardamon) is a spice. Check the spice aisle in your local grocery store if you don’t have this in your spice collection.

Grandma handwrote copies of her favorite recipes for me. On the recipe card for these cookies, she wrote the name as “Swedish Hugs – Cardamom Cookies”. She never called them ‘Swedish Hugs’ so that made me giggle when I found the recipe card!

Swedish Hugs

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup softened butter

Cream the sugar and butter.

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream this together.

Sift together:
2 ¼ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. cardamom powder

Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture.

Add ¼ cup finely chopped pecans. 

Cover and chill the dough 20 to 25 minutes.

Roll dough into small balls and place on the cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Gently press a fork into the ball to flatten. I sprinkled colored sugar on the cookies for ‘decoration’

Refrigerate the cookies on the cookie sheet until dough is firm.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.. Grandma wrote: don’t over bake.

Swedish Hugs!  Enjoy these amazing bite-sized, spicy cookies!