If you’re looking for an excuse to get the festive celebrations started early with some Christmas baking, these cookies are just the ticket. They’re loaded with warming spices, cranberries, chocolate and nuts and topped with a citrus icing and a dusting of edible gold glitter.
With a crisp outer and gorgeously soft inner, these festive cookies are packed with the flavours and aromas of Christmas time.
Here’s how to make them.
Ingredients
- 100g baking margarine
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 200g plain flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 60g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
- 30g dried cranberries
- 40g white chocolate chips
- 40g milk chocolate chips
For the icing
- 140g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp juice from your orange
- Edible gold dust
- Edible silver balls
Instructions
To make the cookies
Preheat oven to 180C/355F (160C/320F fan). Put both sugars and the margarine in a mixing bowl and beat together.
Add the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon and fold through.
Add the orange zest and eggs and combine into a loose cookie dough.
Add in the almonds, cranberries and chocolate chips and fold together.
Drop separate spoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, onto a greased baking sheet, using more than one baking sheet if necessary. At about 50g per dollop, I got 15 cookies.
Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until golden-brown – since they contain brown sugar and cinnamon, you’ll find they go a little darker than standard sugar cookies.
To decorate
Mix the icing sugar and orange juice together until you have a thick, runny paste.
Drizzle over your cookies in a zigzag pattern.
Spray with the gold dust, as sparingly or generously as you wish, then add a few silver balls to each cookie while the icing is still wet and leave to set.
Once set, eat immediately or store in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
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Loaded festive cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 100 g (3.53 oz) baking margarine
- 100 g (3.53 oz) caster sugar
- 100 g (3.53 oz) soft brown sugar
- 200 g (7.05 oz) plain flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 60 g (2.12 oz) blanched almonds roughly chopped
- 30 g (1.06 oz) dried cranberries
- 40 g (1.41 oz) white chocolate chips
- 40 g (1.41 oz) milk chocolate chips
For the icing
- 140 g (4.94 oz) icing sugar
- 2 tbsp juice from your orange
- Edible gold dust
- Edible silver balls
Instructions
To make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 180C/355F (160C/320F fan). Put both sugars and the margarine in a mixing bowl and beat together.
- Add the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon and fold through.
- Add the orange zest and eggs and combine into a loose cookie dough.
- Add in the almonds, cranberries and chocolate chips and fold together.
- Drop separate spoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, onto a greased baking sheet, using more than one baking sheet if necessary. At about 50g per dollop, I got 15 cookies.
- Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until golden-brown – since they contain brown sugar and cinnamon, you’ll find they go a little darker than standard sugar cookies.
To decorate
- Mix the icing sugar and orange juice together until you have a thick, runny paste.
- Drizzle over your cookies in a zigzag pattern.
- Spray with the gold dust, as sparingly or generously as you wish, then add a few silver balls to each cookie while the icing is still wet and leave to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Nadia says
These sound absolutely delicious. Will have to try and make some with my boy.
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I hope that you both enjoy them – they’re really tasty and fun to make :)
Lauretta at Home and Horizon says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I’d love to try them. This seems delicious and just fitting for this time of year.
Emily Leary says
Thank you! Have you made them yet? I’d love to hear :)