Why do retail shops only ever offer their patrons bland sugar cookies during the holiday shopping season? Are they upset with us for not shopping there year-round? Put it this way; if I came to your house during the holidays and you had a plate of sugar cookies sitting out to offer me, I would presume that you were about to break up with me. Sugar cookies send a very clear message: I don’t care about you enough to try harder.

On the other hand, a sugar cookie with freshly grated orange zest and warm spices will make even the most cynical of cookie eaters (eh em) eat their words. This recipe, adapted from King Arthur Baking Company’s Olive Oil-Orange Sugar Cookies, combines cardamom, nutmeg, clove, turmeric, and orange to give the traditional sugar cookie a much-needed kick in the pants!

ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 200 g cake flour, sifted
• 140 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 60 g powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 g kosher salt
• zest of 1 large orange
• 3 g vanilla extract
• 0.5 g ground nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
• 0.5 g cardamom (1/4 tsp)
• 0.25 ground clove (1/4 tsp)
• 0.8 g turmeric (scant 1/2 tsp)

Coating

• 90 g granulated sugar
• 0.5 g cardamom (1/4 tsp)
• 0.5 g turmeric (1/4 tsp)
• zest of 1 large orange

equipment

• 2 half cookie sheet
• parchment paper
• stand mixer
• fine mesh sieve
• 12″ ruler
• small bowl
• pastry brush

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instructions

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and begin mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. To test whether you have mixed long enough, squeeze a small bit of dough in your hand and let go. If the dough stays together, you’re done. If the dough just crumbles, mix a little longer.

MAKE THE COATING:

1. In a small bowl, whisk remaining sugar, cardamom, turmeric, and orange zest, and set aside.

SHAPE THE DOUGH:

1. Tip the dough onto one piece of parchment paper, and divide it into two equal portions.
2. Form each portion into a rough log then move one of the logs onto a second piece of parchment. This is a very crumbly dough, make sure to pack it tightly into shape.
3. Arrange the log in the center of the parchment and bring the bottom of the sheet up and over to cover it.
4. With the ruler in your dominant hand, place it on top of the parchment, up against the dough. Hold the top edge of the bottom fold in your non-dominant hand and then slowly push the log down with the ruler. As you push, you will see the log move and the parchment will begin to unroll. Pull the top fold back up again and repeat the previous motion until the log looks cylindrical and even.
5. Roll the shaped log entirely in the parchment, folding over the edges to provide stability, and place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.

PORTION THE DOUGH:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and unroll from the parchment paper. If the logs look slightly flattened on one side, roll them on your workbench a few times to regain the cylindrical shape.
3. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, tidy up the ends then cut the longs into 12 equal pieces, about 1/4″ in thickness.

COAT & BAKE:

1. With a pastry brush, coat a cookie lightly with water then place it into the bowl with the sugar and spices and turn it over a few times until completely covered. Repeat the wetting and coating with remaining cookies.
2. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet, about 2″ apart; they will spread a little because they contain a lot of butter.
3. If you have any coating left in the bowl, sprinkle it over the cookies then place your baking sheets into the oven.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool on a wire rack before serving.