There’s this idea when it comes to baked goods, especially in America, that more is necessarily better. More gooey, more sweet, more creamy, more decadent. And while I am IN NO WAY coming out against gooey, over the top desserts, sometimes you want some restraint. Just a little sweet, with subtle flavors. Something restful. These cardamom orange teacakes hit just that spot.

I developed the recipe after getting my hands on a proof copy of Michael Ruhlman’s terrific new book, Ratio, which purports to break down many classic recipes of cooking into their component ratios, by weight. This is a terrific concept – knowing the fundamentals really encourages the amateur cook to feel comfortable with experimenting, and it’s really a “cook book” – one that teaches the reader to cook, rather than a collection of recipes. In my opinion, though, some of the ratios work better than others. I’m willing to believe that pie crust or choux pastry is always built on the same ratio, but I was more skeptical about cookies. Ruhlman gives a ratio for “Basic butter cookies” (1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour) and then proceeds to give recipes for several other types of classic cookies that break this ratio, which is hardly universal. Still, it’s a starting point, and it does encourage experimentation. I was intrigued by Ruhlman’s description of these simple, not too sweet cookies, but I wanted to see if I could turn them into something a little more me.
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