Orange Clove Cookies Recipe
These Orange Clove Cookies are a delightful seasonal treat combining winter spices and bright citrus flavors. Soft and tender with a slightly sticky dough, they are baked to perfection and finished with a fragrant orange and clove glaze that adds a beautiful crackle and festive touch. Perfect for holiday cookie platters or cozy afternoons with tea.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 18–25 cookies, depending on size 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 170 g butter, softened
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp fancy molasses
- ½ tsp salt
- Zest of 1 large orange
- Optional: a few dehydrated orange rings, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- A pinch of ground clove and allspice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Glaze:
- 1¼ cup icing sugar
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2–3 tbsp Cointreau (or substitute with more orange juice for alcohol-free)
- A pinch of ground clove
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sweeteners: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, honey, molasses, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add zest and spices: Mix in the orange zest (and dehydrated orange if using), followed by all the spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, clove, and allspice.
- Incorporate the flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. The dough should be pliable and slightly sticky. Adjust consistency with a bit more flour if too sticky, or a splash of milk or water if too stiff.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm it up. This helps with shaping and flavor development.
- Preheat oven and prepare cookies: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll the dough into balls about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon each depending on desired cookie size. If using, dust dough balls and cookie stamp with flour before pressing or roll dough and use cookie cutters.
- Bake: Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10–14 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers just set. Slight underbaking keeps cookies tender.
- Make the glaze: While cookies bake, whisk together icing sugar, fresh orange juice, Cointreau (or extra juice for alcohol-free), and ground clove until thick yet pourable.
- Glaze and finish baking: Once cookies are cool enough to handle, dip or drizzle each with the glaze. Return to oven for 1–2 minutes to set and create a crackled finish.
- Cool and store: Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Flavors deepen after a day or two.
Notes
- If dehydrated orange rings are unavailable, use extra orange zest for bright flavor.
- Chilling dough longer intensifies spice flavor and firms texture.
- For alcohol-free glaze, omit Cointreau and increase orange juice.
- Adjust glaze consistency by adding more icing sugar if too runny, or thinning with juice/water if too thick.
- These cookies pair wonderfully with black tea, spiced chai, or mulled wine.
Keywords: Orange clove cookies, spiced cookies, holiday cookies, orange zest cookies, glazed cookies, winter spice dessert
Find it online: https://cheflenacooks.com/orange-clove-cookies-recipe/
