These Cardamom Orange Sour Cream Cookies with Candied Citrus Peel are a must for your holiday cookie tray! The cookies are soft with a touch of tang and don't require you to roll out the dough or even chill it!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 Tbsp sugar in a small shallow bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, almond extract (if using), and orange zest until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream until incorporated.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Slowly pour into the mixer bowl while the mixer is running on low speed and mix until combined.
Drop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet, keeping 2 inches in between each cookie. Wet the bottom of a glass with water and dip it into the sugar in the shallow bowl. Press into each cookie to flatten, re-wetting and dipping in sugar after each cookie to keep it from sticking.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until starting to brown around edges. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before adding frosting.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until incorporated. Add milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, and beat for an additional 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Use a peeler to remove off long strips of the orange peel until all of the outer layer is removed. Use a sharp pairing knife to slice peel into 1/4 inch wide strips.
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high heat. Add orange peel strips and let boil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove peels with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack, separating each piece so they don't stick together as they dry.
When ready to assemble. frost each cookie using a spatula and add 3-5 strips of orange peel (depending on how many your orange yielded).