Festive Orange Clove Christmas Cookies for Holiday Cheer Recipe
These Festive Orange Clove Christmas Cookies bring holiday cheer with their warm blend of spices and bright citrus notes. Soft butter, honey, and molasses create a tender, flavorful dough that is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, and allspice, balanced with fresh orange zest and a hint of vanilla. Finished with a sweet orange glaze enhanced with a splash of Cointreau, these cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings and gift-giving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 14 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon Clove
- 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Glaze
- 1 cup Icing Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Clove (for glaze)
Instructions
- Cookie Preparation: Cream softened butter and honey together in a bowl until smooth and fluffy to create the base of your dough.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in molasses until fully incorporated. Gradually add flour and salt, followed by the warming spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, clove, and allspice—then mix in the fresh orange zest and vanilla extract until a soft dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Shape the dough into a log or press into a cookie stamp or cutter shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C) to prepare for baking.
- Shape and Bake Cookies: Slice the chilled dough into 1/2 inch pieces and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
- Prepare Glaze: Mix icing sugar, orange juice, and optional Cointreau together to create a smooth glaze. Brush the glaze over the warm cookies then sprinkle ground clove on top for extra flavor.
- Final Bake: Return glazed cookies to the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes to set the glaze, then remove and cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to develop flavor.
- Cointreau adds a subtle orange liqueur flavor but can be omitted for a non-alcoholic version.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a week.
- These cookies freeze well; freeze unbaked dough logs or fully baked glazed cookies.
- Adjust the ground clove in the glaze to your spice tolerance as it can be quite strong.
