Active Time

　　30 min

　　Total Time

　　2 hr

　　"My grandmother, who emigrated from Sweden to the United States when she was a little girl, passed on to our family a taste for cardamom," writes Lisa Tracy of Marion, Iowa.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 5 dozen

　　3 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon almond extract

　　2 large eggs

　　3/4 cup slivered almonds (3 ounces)

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

　　

Step 3

Beat together butter, sugar, and extract with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in flour mixture at low speed just until combined, then stir in almonds.

　　

Step 4

Form dough into 4 (11- by 2-inch) logs and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased large baking sheet.

　　

Step 5

Bake logs in middle of oven until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cool logs on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife using a sawing motion.

　　

Step 6

Reduce temperature to 300°F.

　　

Step 7

Arrange rusks, cut sides down, on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.