Cardamom Cuties (Cookies)

**Cardamom Cuties** is the sixth recipe featured in Cinnamon Roll Murder

DO NOT preheat the oven yet - this cookie dough must chill before baking.

## Ingredients

* 1 cup salted butter ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, 1/2 pound)***, (***softened to room temperature)***
* 2 and 1/2 cups dark brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 2 large eggs
* 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
* 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1/2 cup shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
* Extra brown sugar ***(about 1/2 cup)*** for rolling dough balls before baking.

**Hannah's Note: Although you can certainly make this recipe by hand, it's a lot easier with an electric mixer.**

## Directions

* Place the softened ***(room temperature)*** butter in a mixer bowl and beat it until it's smooth.
* Add the dark brown sugar and beat it until it's nice and fluffy.
* Mix in the eggs. Make sure they're thoroughly incorporated.
* With the mixer running on LOW speed, add the baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Keep beating until you're sure they're evenly distributed.
* Add the flour in half-cup increments, beating after each addition.
* If you have a food processor, put the shredded coconut and white chocolate chops in the bowl. Process with the steel blade in an on-and-off motion until the coconut and white chocolate are cut into smaller pieces.
* If you don't have a food processor, lay the coconut  and white chocolate on a cutting board and chop them into small pieces with a sharp knife.
* Take the cookie dough out of the mixer and stir the small pieces of coconut and white chocolate chips into the dough by hand.
* Cover your mixing bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap press it down over the top of your dough, tucking it in on the sides so that no air gets in.
* Refrigerate the Cardamom Cuties cookie dough for 2 hours (overnight is fine, too) so that it is thoroughly chilled. Chilling the dough makes it much easier to work with.
* When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
* The your cookie dough out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter.
* Line your cookie sheet  with parchment paper, or spray them with Pam or another nonstick baking spray.
* Put some of the extra brown sugar, a half-cup should do, into a small bowl. You'll be rolling dough balls in the sugar before baking.
* Roll the dough into 1-inchballs.
* Roll each dough ball in the extra brown sugar, covering it completely.
* Arrange the dough balls on your cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. You should be able to get 12 dough balls on each cookie sheet.
* Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass, or the flat blade of a metal spatula.
* Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. ***(Mine took 11 minutes.)***
* Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two to firm up. Then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. ***(This is very easy to do if  you've used parchment paper - all you have to do is slide them off the cookie sheet onto the wire rack by pulling on the edge of the paper.)***
* Store the Cardamom Cuties in an airtight container to in a covered cookie jar. They should last for at least a week. ***(But of course they won't last for a whole week because everyone in your family will love them!)***
* These cookies freeze beautifully if you stack them like coins in a wrapper, roll them in foil, and place the rolls in freezer bags.

Yield: Approximately 6 dozen cookies, depending on cookie size.