Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies
Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a winner!
Last night was our annual neighborhood Cookie Exchange and a good time was had by all. This tradition pre-dates, by many years I suspect, my arrival to the neighborhood in 2009 and I believe that the hosting duties have been passed down only once, maybe twice. Lisa and Marybeth have held the torch for quite some time and have recently upped the ante by allowing some of our returning college kids to judge the competition. These kids have grown up devouring the boxes of assorted cookies brought home each year (privately judging them at home, in the case of my little food critics) so to say that they take their role seriously is an understatement.
After careful consideration, this year’s panel gave the award for “Best Tasting” to Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies by Cool Food Dude (originally from Sugar + Spice Cookies by Megan Neveu) brought to the party by the always fabulous, red sequins skirt + Santa slipper wearing Reina! I wasn’t kidding when I reference the judges’ sophisticated palates and let’s just say that I couldn’t agree more with this decision. These cookies broke away from the competition with their bright citrus, underlying woodsy note and sweet orange glaze. They are truly addicting. Sophisticated yet simple. The perfect afternoon snack, gift for a friend or sweet bite after a special meal.
So without further ado, I bring you Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies. Enjoy!
Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 3 blood oranges (¼ cup), zested
- 2-3 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/4 c buttermilk room temperature
For the Blood Orange Glaze
- 1.5 c confectioners sugar
- 1 Tbls lemon juice
- Zest from ½ blood orange optional
- 1-3 Tbls freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Instructions
- To make the cookies, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, zest and rosemary until it has the consistency of wet sand. Whisk in the olive oil and egg until smooth and well combined.
- Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet until all the dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added. Rest the cookie dough at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1-tablespoon amounts of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until a finger lightly pressed into the top of the cookie bounces back. Keep the cookies on the hot baking sheets for 3 to 4 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Blood Orange Glaze
- While the cookies cool, make the glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest if using and 1 to 3 tablespoons of the blood orange juice, to taste. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cookies, and let it set for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.