Clementine crinkle cookies

I’ll keep this post short and sweet because, let’s be honest: December is chaos. Everything I’ve procrastinated all year suddenly feels like it’s hurtling toward me at full speed, complete with a dramatic soundtrack and a giant, imaginary countdown clock. Naturally, the best way to tackle all that procrastination catching up with me? Procrasti-baking.

Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve been recipe testing for my holiday pop-up on December 15th at Secret Planet (Toronto folks, please come say hi!). Between planning the pop-up menu, prepping my holiday cookie boxes (the highlight of my year!), and juggling spreadsheets full of cookie ideas, my kitchen has turned into a full-blown cookie and confection laboratory. It’s glorious.

These clementine crinkle cookies were a last-minute addition to the pop-up menu, but oh, what a delightful surprise they turned out to be. They’re ridiculously easy to whip up, and hit the spot when you’re craving a soft, cakey cookie. They’re also a nice change of pace from the usual chocolate, nut, or dried fruit-packed holiday treats. Bonus: they stay soft and dreamy for days, as long as you stash them in an airtight container.

Let me know what you think if you give them a try!

A few notes about the recipe

Citrus zest yields

You can sub out the clementine zest with other citrus variations like lemon, orange, grapefruit, pomelo even. You’ll just want to yield 4 tsp of zest.

Here is a handy guide on how much zest different citrus fruit can yield, though keep in mind that citrus fruit size can vary greatly by type, season, source of origin etc.

• 1 lime = 1 – 2 tsp zest

• 1 tangerine or large clementine = 2 tsp zest

• 1 Meyer lemon = 2 tsp zest

• 1 lemon = 1 tbsp zest

• 1 orange = 1 – 1.5 tbsp zest

• 1 grapefruit = 1.5 - 2 tbsp zest

• 1 pomelo = 2 – 3 tbsp zest

Citrus juice

For this cookie to really sing, you want to use an acidic citrus juice. Clementine juice is flavourful, but not acidic. So to make it acidic, I added 1/2 tsp citric acid to the juice, made sure it was dissolved, and then added it to the cookie dough. You can do the same for any other citrus juice you’re subbing in.

Getting perfect icing sugar crinkles

The trick here, which I’ve seen in various other crinkle cookie recipes, is to roll the dough in granulated sugar first, and then in icing sugar. The extra layer of granulated sugar helps create a barrier to prevent the icing sugar from being dissolved by the cookie dough as it bakes, giving you those perfectly bountiful crinkles.

Clementine crinkle cookies

Feel free to sub out a different type of citrus zest and juice - just make sure to add citric acid to the juice if your citrus isn’t a sour kind.

This recipe makes 20-24 cookies, using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.

I bake my cookies at 350F, for 12 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 150 g granulated sugar

• Zest of 2–3 clementines (about 4 tsp zest, depending on size)

• 50 g vegetable oil

• 35 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1/2 tsp fiori di Sicilia (or substitute with 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp orange extract)

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 45 g clementine juice

• 1/2 tsp citric acid

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 200 g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

For coating the cookies

• 50 g granulated sugar

• 75 g icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Infuse the sugar with clementine zest. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the granulated sugar and clementine zest. Using a spatula or the paddle attachment of your mixer, rub the zest into the sugar until it becomes fragrant.

2. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the vegetable oil, melted butter, extract, and kosher salt to the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.

3. Combine the juice and citric acid, then add the egg. Stir the citric acid into the clementine juice until it dissolves completely. Pour this mixture into the stand mixer bowl along with the egg. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.

4. Incorporate the dry ingredients. Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. Using a spatula, finish mixing. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour is incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough.

5. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Prepare to bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. Portion and coat the cookie dough. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then in icing sugar. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space for spreading. Be sure to bake no more than 8 cookies per sheet.

8. Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies for 11–13 minutes, depending on your oven. They will puff up in the oven and then fall slightly as they cool, creating the signature crinkle pattern.

9. Cool the cookies completely. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the sheet before transferring them.

10. Store properly. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.