Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, table salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and instant coffee until thoroughly mixed.

Add the flour mixture in two batches just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing or you will end up with tough cookies. At this point, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to two days to let the flavor and color develop. This is totally optional!

Roll the dough into 1 1/2-2 Tablespoon balls.*** Roll each dough ball in the remaining 1/4 cup of white sugar. Place 6 balls on each sheet pan, leaving 3-4 inches between each ball (they will spread out quite a bit).

Bake the cookies for about 7 minutes, until the cookies are puffy in the center. Using oven mitts, grip the sides of the sheet pan and give the sheet pan a few firm taps against the oven rack until the edges are wrinkly and the centers of the cookies fall and flatten. Flip the pan and bake the cookies for another 1-2 minutes, until the cookies are spread out, the edges are golden brown, and the centers are just slightly underdone****. Remove the cookies from the oven, and give them another tap against a counter or another firm surface until the edges are wrinkled the centers are flat and crinkled.

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for about 5-10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.