Orange Clove Spiced Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Zesty orange meets warm cloves in these fragrant treats, ideal for holiday tea time and festive gatherings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 2 teaspoons orange zest
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Decoration

11 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
12 - Additional orange zest

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cloves. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract until well combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly.
07 - Sprinkle with coarse sugar and additional orange zest if desired.
08 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
09 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of bright orange and earthy cloves creates this sophisticated flavor that everyone thinks is complicated but honestly could not be easier
  • These cookies stay perfectly soft for days and actually taste better on day two when the flavors have had time to really develop
02 -
  • Do not overmix the dough once you add the flour or these cookies will turn out tough instead of tender
  • Letting the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking helps the flavors meld and prevents spreading too much
03 -
  • If you want a stronger clove flavor you can increase it to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons but I would suggest tasting the dough first
  • Lemon works beautifully as a substitute for orange if you want to try something different

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