Best Citrus Sugar Cookies Recipes

LAVENDER AND CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer until mixture is creamy; beat egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lavender, and vanilla extract into butter-sugar mixture at low speed. Beat flour into moist ingredients, 1 cup at a time, to make a workable dough. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll dough out on a floured work surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut dough into shapes using cookie cutters and place cookies onto baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm, 9 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on sheets for 2 to 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to finish cooling.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES AND CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the gingerbread cookie dough:
• Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat shortening and butter in large bowl into light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in molasses, then egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be very soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Make the citrus sugar cookie dough:
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, lemon peel and tangerine peel in large bowl until light. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly, if necessary, before rolling out.)
• Shaping and baking cookies:
• If you're making both kinds of cookies, work with one type of dough at a time.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously flour work surface and rolling pin. Place 1 dough disk on work surface (keep remaining 2 dough disks refrigerated). Press rolling pin into dough several times to flatten slightly for easier rolling. Roll out dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking. Using assorted cookie cutters dipped into flour, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to ungreased nonstick baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gather dough scraps together and reserve.
• Bake until cookies turn brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheets 1 minute. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
• Repeat rolling, cutting and baking with remaining 2 dough disks as described above, being sure to cool cookie sheets before making each batch. Combine all reserved dough scraps and shape into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic and freeze until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, cutting and baking as described above. Store cooled cookies in airtight container at room temperature until ready to decorate.
• Powdered sugar icing:
• This recipe makes about three cups of icing, enough to decorate all the gingerbread and sugar cookies in the preceding recipes.
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup milk
• 6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
• Assorted food colorings (such as blue, red, yellow and green)
• Combine lemon juice and milk in large bowl. Whisk in 5 cups powdered sugar. Gradually whisk in enough remaining sugar by 1/2 cupfuls to form icing stiff enough to pipe (mixture will resemble stirred sour cream). Transfer 2/3 cup icing to small bowl to use as white icing; set aside. Divide remaining icing equally among 2 or more small bowls; mix food coloring by drops into each bowl, tinting icing to desired shade. If necessary, stir more sugar into icing to thicken.
• Decorating Cookies:
• The techniques listed below are all easy and give beautiful results. You can even combine techniques: for example, cookies can be glazed first and then piped or drizzled with icing or sprinkled with colored sugar or coconut #&151; or all of the above.
• Milk
• Pastry Brushes
• Assorted decorations (such as colored sugar, sweetened shredded coconut, toasted sliced almonds, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, multicolored nonpareils, button candies, mini semisweet baking bits and dried currants)
• Standard pastry bags and 1/16-inch plain tips or disposable plastic pastry bags
• To glaze:
• Spoon a small amount of white or colored icing into a small bowl. Mix in enough milk by 1/4 teaspoons to thin icing to spreading consistency
• Using pastry brush, brush glaze over cooled baked cookies. Continue decorating glazed cookies, if desired, using the following techniques.
• To sprinkle with decorations:
• Before glaze dries, sprinkle cookie with assorted decorations.
• To pipe using standard pastry bags: Fit each pastry bag with 1/16-inch plain tip. Stand each bag in short cup. Fold back top of bag to expose interior. Spoon 1 color of icing into each bag. Lift bag from cup; twist top of bag at level of icing to close securely.
• To pipe using disposable plastic pastry bags:
• Stand each plastic bag in a short cup. Spoon 1 color of icing into each bag. Lift bag from cup; twist top of bag at level of icing to close securely. Cut off very bottom of tip to allow small ribbon of icing to come out.
• Pipe icing decoratively onto plain or glazed cookies. Before piped icing sets, sprinkle with colored sugar, coconut or other decorations, if desired.
• To drizzle:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Place plain or glazed cookies on foil, spacing apart. Mix milk into white or colored icing by 1/2 teaspoonfuls until icing is thin enough to drizzle. Dip spoon into icing and drizzle over cookies in zigzag or slanted lines. Before icing lines set, sprinkle with colored sugar, sweetened shredded coconut or other decorations, if desired.
• To apply decorations:
• Use wet icing as glue to stick on nuts, dried currants or other decorations 1 at a time. For example, dip tip of toasted sliced almonds into icing. Attach iced section of almond to plain or glazed cookie. Repeat to form 1 row of nuts or to cover cookie completely.
• Let decorated cookies stand until icing sets, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead. Store cookies in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.)

CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest and process until mixture resembles wet sand.
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface; knead several times until dough comes together. Divide into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. (To store, wrap in plastic and freeze on sheet, up to 2 weeks. Thaw until pliable before using.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With lightly floured cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (reroll scraps, if desired). Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Bake until cookies are set but still pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Using a spoon, frost cookies with icing; decorate with sugar, if desired.

GLUTEN-FREE CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies:
• Arrange the racks in the upper and lower rungs in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Use a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the psyllium, flax and chia seeds to a fine powder, transfer to a bowl along with the flour mix, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk a few times to combine, and set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together using an electric mixer. Beat in the yolks and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Divide the dough in three equal parts, placing each in a medium bowl. Add one type of zest to each bowl. Mix the zest into the dough until evenly distributed. Form each dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until dough has firmed up a bit, about 15 minutes. Place each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment and roll to a 8-x-6-inch rectangle. Stack the dough sheets and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until firmed up, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove top layers of parchment. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough lengthwise and crosswise to form 1 1/4-inch squares. Arrange the dough squares 2 inches apart on two baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until light golden on the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to wire rack set over a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
• Make the glaze and finish the cookies:
• Sift the confectioners sugar into a large bowl, add the ground cloves, and whisk together to combine. Whisk in the melted butter. Place a third of the mixture into each of three separate small bowls. Whisk one type of juice into each of the separate bowls to make three varieties of citrus glazes.
• Glaze the top of each type of cookie with 1 teaspoon of glaze of the same flavor. Use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread the glaze over the top of the cookie. Repeat to glaze all of the cookies. Sprinkle the zest of the same citrus over each cookie. Let stand at room temperature until set, about 2 hours.

CITRUS SLICE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Lay the sugar cookies on a work surface. Pipe a line of pink icing around the edge of each of 4 cookies, then flood the centers with the pink icing. Immediately pipe a circle of white icing just inside each pink icing line. Pipe a dot of white icing in the center of each cookie. Drag a toothpick through the white icing traveling toward the center of the cookie. Repeat the process in 1-inch intervals, creating citrus segments. Repeat this process using the orange, green and yellow icings on the remaining cookies. Let stand until set, about 1 hour.

CITRUS-ZEST SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and the granulated and brown sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Mix in candied orange peel, the zests, and the oils. Reduce mixer speed to low, and slowly add dry ingredients. Beat until fully combined and dough begins to form around paddle.
• Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to drop cookies onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with palm of hand. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops with water. Sprinkle with more sanding sugar. Transfer to oven, and bake until just beginning to brown at edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

ROYAL ICING FOR CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on low, combine confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar; beat on high until icing is whipped and opaque, about 2 minutes. Thin with water as needed to make a stiff but spreadable icing.

VALENTINE SUGAR COOKIES - CITRUS FLAVORED

Steps:

• 1. In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest and process until mixture resembles wet sand.
• 2. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface; knead several times until dough comes together. Divide into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes.
• 3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With lightly floured cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (reroll scraps, if desired).
• 4. Bake until cookies are set but still pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Using a pastry bag and tip, frost cookies with icing; decorate with sugar!