Description

This Best Christmas Cookie Recipe offers a festive and flavorful treat perfect for the holiday season. Featuring a spiced cocoa dough infused with orange zest and a delicate orange-flavored glaze, these small diamond-shaped cookies are crisp, aromatic, and beautifully glazed to add a sweet finishing touch. Ideal for gifting or sharing at holiday gatherings, these cookies combine warm spices, rich cocoa, and citrus brightness for a unique and delicious Christmas cookie experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons whole milk
Zest of 2 medium oranges

Glaze

2 cups (250 g) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier (optional; substitute with additional orange juice if omitted)

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Instructions

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder. Use a balloon whisk to vigorously stir the dry ingredients together until well blended and uniform in color.
Add Wet Ingredients and Knead Dough: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, olive oil, whole milk, and orange zest. Stir with a large spatula until a rough dough forms, then switch to your hands and knead until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: About 20 minutes into the dough’s resting time, preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
Shape the Cookies: After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, take out roughly a quarter of the dough and roll it into a rope about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Flatten slightly with your hands to about 1 inch wide. Cut the dough diagonally into diamond shapes approximately 1 1/2 inches long, roughly the size of gnocchi dumplings. Place the cut cookies about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until the centers feel dry to the touch and the cookies appear done. Remove from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely to room temperature, about an hour or more, before glazing.
Prepare the Glaze: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large, clean bowl. Add the fresh orange juice and Cointreau or Grand Marnier if using. Stir until a smooth glaze forms. Adjust thickness if needed by adding more sugar to thicken or a few drops of water, orange juice, or liqueur to thin.
Glaze the Cookies: Gently add one cookie at a time to the glaze bowl and toss to coat evenly. Remove the glazed cookie and place it on the wire rack. Continue glazing the remaining cookies carefully, ensuring each is well coated.
Let Glaze Harden: Allow the glaze to harden overnight, at least 12 hours, on the wire rack. This drying time ensures a firm, beautiful coating. Once hardened, the cookies are ready to serve or package for gifting.

Notes

Resting the dough for 30 minutes improves texture and flavor development.
Use a Silpat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
Adjust glaze thickness carefully as too thin will run off and too thick can break the cookies.
Cookies should be cooled completely before glazing to prevent melting.
Store glazed cookies in an airtight container once the glaze has fully set.
These cookies can be made ahead; glazing day before serving is recommended for best results.
Optional orange-flavored liqueur adds a festive touch but can be omitted for a non-alcoholic glaze.