Buttery, crisp puff pastry cookies with caramelized sugar, warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, brightened by a hint of orange zest. Flaky layers shatter delicately with each bite for a refined, bakery-style treat.
Prepare rough puff pastry dough through its second refrigeration, or fully thaw store-bought puff pastry according to package directions.
In a bowl, combine granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cardamom. Divide this mixture evenly into 2 bowls.
Stir the orange zest into one of the bowls; leave the other bowl without zest. The mixture without zest is for rolling; the mixture with zest is for filling.
Generously sprinkle the work surface with some of the sugar–spice mixture without zest and lightly coat the rolling pin with it.
If using homemade rough puff pastry, cut the dough in half. If using store-bought, work with one sheet at a time and keep the other chilled.
Roll one piece of dough into a 10-inch square, adding more of the no-zest sugar–spice mixture as needed to prevent sticking. Trim edges to keep square, if necessary.
Evenly sprinkle half of the zest-added sugar–spice mixture over the dough. Lightly roll over the surface to press the sugar into the dough.
Make a tiny slit at the center of the bottom edge as a visual guide for the midpoint.
From the left edge, tightly roll the dough toward the center. From the right edge, tightly roll toward the center to meet in the middle (alternatively, fold both sides inward).
Wrap the shaped log and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm. Repeat shaping with the second portion of dough.
After chilling, slice each log into 3/8-inch-thick slices and arrange on a lined baking sheet with space between pieces.
Bake in a hot oven for 8 minutes, then flip each pastry. Continue baking 10–12 minutes more, or until golden brown and caramelized on both sides.
Cool briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.