Description
These Easy Christmas Cookies with Orange Juice offer a delightful citrus twist to traditional holiday cookies. Soft, flavorful, and lightly sweetened, they combine the zest and juice of fresh oranges for a refreshing, festive treat perfect for sharing during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (255g)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white sugar (150g)
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (113g)
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel (from about 2 oranges)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (120ml)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- Grated peel from 1/2 orange
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution of leavening agents and seasoning.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and white sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create tender cookies.
- Add Orange Peel and Egg: Stir in the grated orange peel and then beat in the egg until well combined, adding moisture and citrus flavor to the batter.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the orange juice. Begin and end with the flour mixture, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set but still soft.
- Prepare Glaze: While the cookies bake, whisk together powdered sugar, grated orange peel from half an orange, 1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, and melted unsalted butter until smooth and spreadable.
- Cool and Glaze: Once baked, remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, spread or drizzle the orange glaze over the tops.
- Serve and Enjoy: Let the glaze set briefly, then serve your festive orange-infused Christmas cookies and enjoy the bright, refreshing flavor.
Notes
- For more intense orange flavor, use zest from organic oranges to avoid pesticide residues.
- If dough is too sticky, chill for 30 minutes before baking to make handling easier.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Glaze consistency can be adjusted with more or less orange juice depending on desired thickness.
- To make these gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
