The Cabbage Merchant’s Famous Cabbage Cookies

by | Jul 6, 2025 | Recipes

Recipe by Jenny Dorsey, published on her Substack Blog

Yields 20-25 Cookies

Contents

Ingredients:

For the Cookie Mix-Ins

  • 2 tsp whole coriander seeds 
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil 
  • 1 head green cabbage, cored, roughly chopped (575g) 
  • 2 tsp kosher salt 
  • 1 tsp white sugar 
  • 2 tsp whole fennel seeds 

For the Cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, shortening, margarine, or vegan butter, at room temperature 
  • ¼ cup white sugar (50g) 
  • 1 tsp kosher salt  | Note: I use Morton’s Coarse
  • Toasted spices, from above 
  • 1 cup pulsed cabbage, from above (200g) 
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (270g) | Note: I use King Arthur Flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder 

Instructions:

Cookie Mix-Ins

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until slick and shiny. 
  • Add cabbage with salt and sugar. Sauté until cabbage has reduced considerably in size, given up all its moisture, is translucent and deeply charred at edges, approximately 15-20 minutes. 
  • Transfer cabbage to food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Reserve. 
  • Dry toast spices in a clean skillet on low heat until lightly browned and very fragrant, approximately 3 minutes. 
  • Let cool to room temperature.
  • Transfer to a spice grinder, and grind coarsely. Reserve.  

Cookies

  • Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. 
  • Add salt and spices.  
  • Add cabbage, and continue to mix until well combined, scraping the edges when necessary. 
  • Add flour in small increments, and continue to mix until well combined. 
  • Transfer half of cookie dough onto one sheet of parchment paper (sized for a half-sheet tray), and roll carefully to form a log. Repeat with second half of dough.
  • Freeze ~45 minutes to an hour, or until firm enough to be sliced. 
  • Preheat oven to 350F. 
  • Remove cookie dough from freezer, and slice into ¼” thick cookies. Note: If your cookie dough is now too hard from the freezer, just let it thaw a bit in the refrigerator. 
  • Place cookies on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

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