With the arrival of December, I start planning new holiday recipes to make you shine without too much hassle in the kitchen! I already have many salty ideas in mind for fantastic appetizers and starters, but I will talk about them as the days go by! In the meantime, I leave you this sweet recipe, because for me it is not Christmas without the spiced cookies! Every year by tradition, I prepare the traditional gingerbread with royal icing on top! They are something incredibly good that I cannot describe to you, you absolutely have to try them, but these with cocoa, orange peels, with spicy notes of cinnamon, are truly irresistible! They have a quality that is also a great flaw: they finish quickly and are addictive! Two characteristics wrapped in a single delicious and surprising cookie, which you can offer to your guests during the holidays accompanied by a steaming cup of hot chocolate, or tea or an infusion, why not, also spiced. They will also be perfect for breakfast or to offer as a sweet after a meal or as a decoration for your Christmas sweets! In short, exquisitely perfect for all occasions! Try them because you will literally fall in love with them!
If Christmas cookies are your passion, you absolutely must try these recipes too:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it will not cost you anything extra!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup butter (very cold)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp liqueur (cinnamon or orange)
- 1 orange zest (untreated)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- star anise
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Grater
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Bench scraper
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Rolling pin decorative rolling pin folkroll
- Cookie cutters
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Baking mat
- 1 Cooling rack
Steps
In a large bowl, combine the flours with the sifted unsweetened cocoa.
Create a well in the center and add the cold butter cut into cubes.
Also add the orange zest, spices, and start pressing with your hands.
You should obtain a “sandy” mixture.
Then add the sugar and salt.
Complete by adding the room temperature egg and cinnamon liqueur.
Continue kneading and, as soon as the mixture starts to come together, transfer it to a work surface.
Knead it until forming a smooth and homogeneous dough, wrap it with food film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Divide the dough with a bench scraper, roll out the first half on a lightly floured surface with the help of a classic rolling pin, to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
Then, lightly flour the dough and the decorative rolling pin (tap it to remove excess) and then pass it slowly with firm and uniform pressure along the entire length and width of the dough; if you do not own a decorative rolling pin, you can safely skip this step or purchase it here directly from the TOOLS section.
At this point, cut out the cookies with the help of the Christmas cookie cutters you have at home.
Proceed in this way until you have used up all the dough and transfer the cookies to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Then put in a preheated static oven at 338°F for about 15′ . Remove from the oven and let cool gradually on a wire rack.
Once cooled, you can store them in tin boxes or serve them immediately!
And voilà… the spiced cocoa and orange cookies are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the spiced cookies at room temperature in tin boxes for several days.
