Ingredients

• 10 cardamom pods
• 50g/1¾oz golden caster sugar
• 35g/1oz soft light brown sugar
• 2 oranges
• zest only
• 170g/6oz unsalted butter
• softened
• 245g/9oz plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 50g/1¾oz toasted flaked almonds
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz dark chocolate (preferably orange and almond flavoured) finely chopped
• icing sugar
• to sprinkle

Directions

• Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and grind in a pestle and mortar. Put in a bowl with the sugars and orange zest. Mash them together using the back of a spoon so the oils get into the sugar and you can smell the orange and cardamom.
• Add the softened butter and mix until combined. Add the flour and salt then mix with your hands until only just combined (do not over-work the dough). Divide into two pieces.
• Add the half the almonds and 50g/1¾oz of the chocolate to one piece of dough. Mix it in with your hands.
• Flatten both pieces of dough
• wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out both pieces of dough to 1.25cm/½in thick. Cut out biscuits using star
• heart-shaped or other Christmas cutters.
• Transfer the biscuits to a lined baking tray
• leaving a little space between them
• and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden-brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Sprinkle the chocolate and almond shortbread with icing sugar.
• Gently melt the remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
• Dip the corners or sides of the plain orange shortbread into the chocolate then sprinkle with the remaining toasted almonds. Lay on a silicone sheet or baking paper to set. Store them in a glass jar or wrap in clear plastic and make them into gifts.