Monday, January 28, 2013

Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies



My friend Jean the lovely mastermind behind the scrumptious Lemons and Anchovies kept teasing me on Instagram with her Lemon Cookies she was cranking out.  Not fair I tell you when you are sitting down with your cup of tea and not a lemon in sight to make such glorious treats.

Lucky for me I had a couple of blood oranges sitting on the counter waiting for something good to happen to them.


A few tweaks here and there and my tea was no longer lonely.

Ingredients:
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup powdered sugar
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons grated blood orange zest
4 tablespoons blood orange juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, and cooled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk 
1-2 drops red food coloring (optional, but the cookies will be much paler in color without it)

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350° F and line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl and set aside. 

Process granulated sugar and orange zest in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter, oil, orange juice, egg and yolk, and red food coloring and process until pale and thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.  Although I've found with this type of dough overnight chilling works best and then it is much easier and cleaner on the hands to roll.  

Roll a piece of dough about 1½ tablespoons into size into balls, toss in powdered sugar, and space them 2-inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the cookies are cracked and set on top but still look moist within the cracks, about 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to rotate the sheet halfway through baking.

Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24-27 cookies.


Hot Dog Dude is usually my first line of taste testers and I busted out laughing when he told me, "These taste exactly like Fruity Pebbles!"  I haven't had that cereal since I was a kid, so I can't exactly confirm that.  Then again, I won't buy kids cereal for a grown man, so I think this means I am no longer the wretched wife who won't buy her husband children's cereal.  Either way I think I win here.

Either way you try these, in the lemon or blood orange I think you will be a winner too.

Enjoy,

Gina

16 comments:

  1. Heh, Hot Dog Dude cracks me up. Both the lemon and orange versions of these cookies look fantastic and I love the whole blogger mashup concept! :)

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  2. Too funny! Your cookies don't look anything like Fruity Pebbles!! Jean's lemon crinkles did look good- fun to find inspiration on Instagram;-) Pretty pictures Gina;-)

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  3. I'm going to need to try them and then figure out a way to also make them into crisps. Besides - I love that these cookies are "in season."

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  4. Your crinkles are so pretty, love the blood orange!

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  5. These are gorgeous my friend and I have never used blood oranges in baking before :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  6. Haha...awesome post Gina and I do love how those cookies are looking! Very tempting...now I, of course need something sweet to kill this craving! :)

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  7. Gina,
    I love the Chocolate Crinkles that you made, and never thought of making a citrus version. Bold oranges are only available a short time here, and that window is closed:( I bet that they taste so good. will ahve to try them next season. Great recipe!

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  8. I L♥VE YOU Gina!!! [crazily screaming like a sugar high fan :P] I must stop baking cakes and make more cookies. Not sure why my head keeps thinking of cakes every time when I don't really eat them all. LOL.. Now, let me see if I can score some Blood Oranges in my local grocers. Otherwise, I guess maybe I may go for CARA oranges instead. But I bet it won't be the same as yours :(. Super tempting you evil temptress :P. Hugs, jo

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  9. Thanks everyone. Hope you try them they are really good and different. Jo, I'll try my hardest to cut back on the evil temptress, lol.

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  10. Oh Gina, these cookies look so pretty, I love the contrast of the colors...and anything that uses citrus fruits...I too would love to have these with my tea.
    Have a great week!

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  11. These cookies are so different! I would love a few right now! Gorgeous colours, Gina.

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  12. Either lemon or blood orange, I'm there. I love citrus especially in winter time with yuzu, blood orange, and and all... Great idea to use blood orange in cookies! Looks delicious!

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  13. What beautiful and unique cookies! I'm a huge fan of citrus, and I'd love to try them either way.

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  14. Nice to see another inventive blood orange post, they look duh-licious!!

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  15. I've totally forgotten about Fruity Pebbles! Now, of course, I have a craving. ;-) These look terrific - great way to use citrus of any kind, but blood oranges in particular. Thanks.

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