Description
Orange Clove Cookies with a zesty kick. These delicious treats are bursting with citrus flavor and warm spice, perfect for holiday baking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest (from approximately 2 medium oranges)
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (67g) additional sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients Begin by bringing your butter and egg to room temperature – this ensures proper incorporation into the dough. Zest and juice your oranges, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith when zesting. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper for perfect release.
- Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cloves until evenly combined. This thorough mixing ensures the clove flavor distributes evenly throughout your **Orange Clove Cookies**. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed. Don’t rush this crucial step – proper creaming creates the foundation for the perfect cookie texture. The mixture should lighten in color and appear creamy.
- Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then add the orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Your mixture may look slightly curdled at this point – don’t worry! This is normal when adding acidic ingredients to the butter mixture and will smooth out once the flour is incorporated.
- Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Overmixing at this stage can develop too much gluten, resulting in tough **Orange Clove Cookies**, so stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains visible.
- Step 6: Shape and Bake Place the remaining ⅓ cup sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each in sugar to coat completely. Arrange on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden, while centers still look slightly soft.
- Step 7: Cool and Store Allow the **Orange Clove Cookies** to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief resting period allows the cookies to set up properly, ensuring that perfect texture contrast between crisp exterior and chewy interior.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg