Best Citrus Ornament Cookies Recipes

CITRUS SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• For the citrus cookies: Combine the sugar and lemon and orange zests in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the zests are rubbed into the sugar and the mixture is fragrant, light yellow and looks like wet sand. Add the butter, oil, baking powder, salt and vanilla and mix on low to combine. Raise the speed to medium and cream until lightened and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium speed for a few seconds. Add the flour all at once and blend on low speed until no streaks of flour remains. The mixture will look dry but will come together. Use your spatula to give the dough a few turns in the bowl to incorporate any remaining flour.
• Take about half of the dough and place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough out until it is just under 1/4-inch thick. Use a 1 1/2-inch round cutter to cut out as many circles as possible, placing 6 rows of 4 cookies per row on a prepared sheet pan (24 per sheet). Bake the first sheet on the middle rack of the oven until evenly golden on the edges and top, 12 to 14 minutes.
• While the first tray bakes, reroll any scraps and roll out the second half of the dough to fill the second prepared pan with 24 cookies. Bake the second sheet of cookies after you take the first sheet out. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays 1 hour before filling; they will crisp as they cool.
• For the orange cream filling: Combine the white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring well after each interval, until melted, about 45 seconds. (It's okay if the mixture separates; it will come together after it's melted and stirred.)
• Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the orange zest in a separate medium bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix and spread the butter until it is smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until smooth.
• Place the filling in a disposable pastry bag or sandwich bag and snip off a 1/4-inch opening. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the filling onto the bottoms of 24 cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Serve immediately or allow to rest for a few hours so that the filling can set up. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

CITRUS CRINKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, citrus zest, citrus juice and food coloring and beat until incorporated. Decrease the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in another small bowl. Scoop tablespoons of the chilled dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the granulated sugar first, then in the confectioners' sugar, coating them very generously and thoroughly. Arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on 2 baking sheets (you should have 24 balls). Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake until the cookies spread, the tops crack and the edges are firm, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

CITRUS SLICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs with electric stand mixer on medium-low speed or with electric hand mixer on lowest speed until well combined. Add flour and salt; beat until soft, nonsticky dough forms. (You should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your fingers. If dough is sticky, beat in additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes to the correct consistency.)
• On work surface, shape dough into a ball. Divide into 3 equal portions. Return one-third of dough to bowl; beat in orange peel, orange extract and drops of yellow and red food color until orange color is consistent. Remove dough from bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Clean bowl; add another one-third portion of dough. Beat in lemon peel, lemon extract and drops of yellow food color until yellow color is consistent. Remove dough from bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Leave remaining one-third of dough plain; cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate all dough portions 1 hour.
• Shape each portion of tinted dough into a roll about 5 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter; set aside. On lightly floured work surface, roll plain dough into a rectangle. Place roll of orange dough on plain dough. Roll plain dough in a single layer around orange dough. Cut away excess dough; reserve for yellow dough.
• Place orange sanding sugar on plate; roll dough log in sugar until completely coated. Wrap sugar-coated dough log in plastic wrap; refrigerate. Repeat process with lemon dough, remaining plain dough and yellow sanding sugar. Refrigerate dough logs at least 4 hours.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
• Cut chilled logs into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick rounds. With back edge of knife, score "segment" lines into each round, making only indentations (do not go all the way through). Cut rounds in half; place on cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.

CITRUS COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 2. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on high until homogenous, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and all of the citrus zests and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
• 3. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing until just combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the granola, if using.
• 4. Portion 2 3/4-ounce scoops of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely on the pan.