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.
Print this loaded festive cookies recipe
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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 :)
fashionandstylepolice says
These festive cookies look very tasty. Would love to try making mine.
Emily Leary says
Thank you! These cookies are so moreish and just right for the festive season. Enjoy :)
Melanie says
Ooo yummy, I best these cookies taste amazing. Love the silver Babel details xx
Emily Leary says
Thank you! Yes, these festive cookies are utterly delicious and very moreish! Enjoy :)
Mostlyfoodandtravel says
Yum yum yum these look so delicious and I want one now. Liking the spice and the fact that they are loaded .. just sounds so delicious
Emily Leary says
Thank you! These loaded festive cookies taste as delicious as they look! Enjoy :)
Lucy Dorrington says
These cookies look quite innocent until you see what goes into them. I wonder if I could convince the family that they are a bit boring and have them all to myself?
Emily Leary says
That sounds like a plan but I’m not at all sure it would work! :) You might have to make at least a couple of batches! Enjoy x
Kara Gupp says
OMG these looks and sound amazing……I really want to make them
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I’d love to hear if you give them a go. They’re really delicious and fun to make too!
Laura - Dear Bear and Beany says
Ooh these look yummy! My girls love baking and these would be perfect to make with them.
Emily Leary says
Absolutely – my kids always love to help in the kitchen and these festive cookies are both delicious and fun to make :)
Rachel Stone says
These look delicious and perfect for the festive season. I reckon even I might be able to try and make them using this detailed recipe!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I’m sure they’ll be a success. Let me know how it goes – they are delicious!
Jess Howliston says
I am always looking for an excuse to get festive LOL! These look and sound absolutely delish, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Emily Leary says
I love baking for the festive season :) I hope you enjoy these tasty cookies as much as we do in our house. I’ll need to be making some more soon!
lisa prince says
currently unable to treat myself to these until the xmas is actually here but thanks for the idea of baking with my children
Emily Leary says
I hope that you and your children enjoy baking these tasty festive cookies! I’ll definitely be making a few more batches with my kids nearer to the festive season!
nichola - Globalmouse says
Oh gosh these look so good. I’m bookmarking this to make with my daughter over Christmas!
Emily Leary says
Thank you!i hope that you and your daughter enjoy making (and eating) these delicious festive cookies!
Anosa says
I love these loaded cookies, thanks for the recipe, I need to give it a try
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I hope you do decide to give them a try! My friends and family love them!
Michelle Murray says
Oh Wow these look amazing. I would love to make these with the boys
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I’m sure you and your boys would have great fun making and eating these yummy cookies! I’d love to hear how it goes :)
Super Busy Mum says
These are so cute and they look so tasty too! I cannot wait to start baking nearer to Christmas!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! They were wolfed down in no time in our house so I’ll definitely be making more over the festive season!
michelle twin mum says
Ohb yes, these are my kind of cookies, they look so yummy and pretty easy to make too. Mich x
Emily Leary says
Thank you Mich! These festive cookies really are so delicious – enjoy!
Rhian westbury says
These are 100% my type of cookie even down to the orange flavouring in the icing on the outside. They look amazing x
Emily Leary says
Thank you! They went down a treat in our house so I’ll definitely be making some more over Christmas!
Rebecca Smith says
These look so delicious and I love that they’re full of festive flavour! We have been asked to bake some stuff for the school Christmas fair so I might just have to give these a try (although I’d probably have to remove the almonds due to school policy re: nuts!) – I’m sure they’d be very much enjoyed!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! These festive cookies are so yummy, I hope they go down well at school (minus the nuts of course!)
Rachael Phillips says
Why do I always look at your blog when I’m
Trying to diet? These look amazing. Super simple and easy to make – just up My street. I think these will be on the menu over the weekend x
Emily Leary says
Thank you! These festive cookies are very moreish! I’ll definitely need to be making some more! I’d love to hear your thoughts if you made them at the weekend!
[email protected] says
Ooh, yes – bring on the festive baking! These look delish! I love a homemade cookie and this Christmassy one sounds amazing!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them – they’re just right for some tasty festive treats!
Corina Blum says
I love spicy cookies and these are perfect for Christmas!
Emily Leary says
Thank you! I’ll definitely be baking a few batches for Christmas! I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends and family do :)
claire says
Whoo these look yummy :)