Orange Cinnamon Drop Cookies: A Delicious Fluffy Holiday Cookie
Since I love orange and cinnamon together and I was hungry for cookies, I decided to see if could find a recipe. Looking through cookbooks, I couldn't find anything. Rather than be disappointed I decided to create my own. This recipe is the result and turned out amazing.
What do you think of them?
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup Tang, powder
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 Cups Water, cold
- 2 teaspoons Pure Orange Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease cookie sheets.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add softened butter and mix well.
- Add liquid ingredients and mix well.
- Spoon 1 Tbsp (for smaller cookies use a tsp) of batter for each cookie onto a lightly greased cookie sheets. Space cookies a couple inches apart.
- Bake on middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes (depending on altitude, I'm at a high altitude) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.
- Store in an airtight container. If layering cookies, place waxed paper between the layers.
A gluten free adaptation
Having developed an allergy to wheat products, I've experimented with other flours in baking. Due to the way different flours absorb liquids and the textures they have, it's been rather interesting experimenting with them. With this cookie, I've found that I prefer using oat flour.
Oat flour has a sticker and denser quality compared to wheat flour. There are a couple ways to make it fluffier.
- You can add a little extra leavening agent (baking soda), just be sure to taste test it to make sure it's not too much. Too much will give a sour taste.
- Mix all the ingredients except the baking soda together, mixing well. Once the batter is smooth, sift the baking soda in while continuing to stir the batter so it incorporates well but doesn't have time to lose it's leavening effect on the batter. It should only take a few stirs to do this. Then immediately start scooping it onto the cookie sheet.
Notes
If you prefer, you can use orange juice in place of the tang and water. You can also replace the pure orange extract with orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oil. If using essential oil, I would recommend using 5-10 drops and adjusting it to taste. Essential oils are very potent so a little bit goes a long way.