Description
Soft, cake-like cookies infused with fresh clementine zest and juice, finished with a sweet citrus glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon citrus extract (optional)
- 3 tablespoons fresh clementine juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh clementine zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh clementine juice (for glaze)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
Instructions
- Start by whisking your dry ingredients together in a medium bowl to ensure even distribution. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set this bowl aside for a moment while you work on the wet ingredients.
- Grab a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer to cream the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla extract, citrus extract if using, granulated sugar, fresh zest, and juice, then mix until everything is creamy and fully incorporated.
- Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet citrus mixture slowly. Mix on low speed just until the flour streaks disappear and the two are combined, being careful not to overwork the batter.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours to firm up. Alternatively, you can scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto a baking sheet and freeze them for 30 minutes, which is my preferred quick method.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and arrange the chilled dough portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake for roughly 12 minutes until the edges are a pale golden brown and the tops look dry to the touch.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Whisk the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and juice in a small bowl, then dip or drizzle the cooled cookies with this bright glaze.
Notes
Ensure the dough is thoroughly chilled before baking to prevent spreading. If you don’t have citrus extract, the zest provides plenty of flavor on its own.
- Prep Time: 12 min
- Chilling Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 14 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Italian clementine cookies, citrus cookies, glazed cookies, soft cookies, winter baking