Name: Lime and Cardamom Biscuits
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 75 g butter; 100 g plain flour; 35 g caster sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; ¾ tsp salt; 1 lime lime; 2 tsp green cardamom pods ((around 16 pods)); 1 tbsp lime juice ((you can use the lime from the recipe as we only use the zest earlier)); 3 tbsp icing sugar; 3 green cardamom pods; a little extra lime zest ((to decorate))

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

all the ingredients needed to make Lime and Cardamom Biscuits

crushed cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar

Lime and Cardamom Biscuit dough in a bowl

Lime and Cardamom Biscuit dough being cut into shape

Lime and Cardamom Biscuits being placed onto a baking sheet

freshly cooked Lime and Cardamom Biscuits on a baking tray

Lime and Cardamom Biscuits being glazed with lime drizzle

freshly baked Lime and Cardamom Biscuits with lime drizzle glaze

Anyone who knows me knows that I usually consider the words “chocolate” and “baking” as one and the same. Baking something sweet without chocolate, for me, is a rare, rare occurrence. However, from time to time, I just need something a little different. I had a bunch of limes in our fruit bowl the other day, and it gave me the idea to give these Lime and Cardamom Biscuits a try. And I certainly didn’t regret it. Not once while eating these did I think about the fact that there was no chocolate in sight. And for me, that is an achievement.

Slightly sweet, slightly salty, with sharp lime and hints of floral cardamom, trust me, these biscuits are DELICIOUS. They’re a little crispy on the outside but have a gorgeous butter texture and bags of flavour. I made a little lime drizzle glaze on top (which I think is WAY nicer them lemon drizzle) and topped them off with some extra lime zest to add a pop of colour. When I cooked these, my mum and I literally sat and ate the entire pan of them one by one until they were gone. They’re that good.

Side note – I’m pretty sure in America, this kind of biscuit are called cookies, and what you know as a biscuit is what in the UK is a scone, which is definitely NOT what these are. I think in America this kind of biscuits is referred to as a Sugar Cookie. Beautiful, biscuits with a unique flavour, they are perfect for sharing with friends or as a member of an afternoon tea.

Notes on ingredients

About the cardamom – I know it seems like a lot, but trust me. Usually, cardamom is used in dishes as one of many elements, for these its the star flavour. It just goes so well with the lime, and I really wanted it to be prominent, so I did use quite a lot. It is down to personal preference though, so if you would prefer it to be more subtle, you can use less.

The lime drizzle glaze is optional but highly recommended. It adds even more flavour, as well as a new layer of texture to these tasty biscuits. The hint of tanginess and sweetness also counteracts the saltiness of the biscuits. I think it’s a must, but it’s up to you.

Notes on chilling

I included two chilling times. These biscuits have a quite high butter content, so chilling the dough makes it far easier to work with. Rolling and cutting the dough tends to warm it up again a bit, so the second chilling time is needed if you want the biscuits to keep their shape. Ideally, you would chill them for another half hour or so, but ten minutes is probably enough as long as the shapes aren’t super intricate. If you’re just rolling them into circles, you can just skip the second chill altogether.

Whether you are looking for a tasty treat for yourself, or yummy biscuits to serve while entertaining guests, these Lime and Cardamom Biscuits definitely won’t disappoint. Give them a go and let me know what you think!

Lime and Cardamom Biscuits

Course Snack

Keyword biscuit, cardamom, cookie, lime

Prep Time 10

Servings 12 biscuits

Ingredients

75 g butter
100 g plain flour
35 g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 lime lime
2 tsp green cardamom pods (around 16 pods)

Optional glaze

1 tbsp lime juice (you can use the lime from the recipe as we only use the zest earlier)
3 tbsp icing sugar
3 green cardamom pods
a little extra lime zest (to decorate)

Instructions

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar, then remove the shells, and crush the insides to a powder. Zest the lime too.
Add the flour, salt, baking powder, lime zest and crushed cardamom to the butter and sugar. Mix together with a spatula until a dough forms. Roll into a ball and cover with cling film, then refrigerate or 30 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Once chilled, roll the dough out quite thin on a floured surface, about 3 mm thick. Cut into whatever shapes you like, I used a round fluted cutter. Chill again for another 10 minutes or so (this will help the biscuits keep their shape, if they're just circles you can skip this step).
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown. Then take out of the oven and leave to cool. They might feel soft when you take them out but they should harden up as they cool.
To make the glaze, crush the cardamoms to a fine powder, add the lime juice into a small bowl. Miz in the icing sugar and cardamom. You want a thick gloopy white mixture, so add more icing sugar if you need to. Drizzle onto the cooled biscuits with a teaspoon and sprinkle on the extra lime zest.