I love sugar cookies, and I enjoy introducing flavors that I just haven't been able to find in any other recipe. So, this week, I added Cinnamon Chips by Hershey's. They have a wonderful cinnamon flavor. I always like orange with my cinnamon; this is a great combination of flavors.
But to round out these cookies, I added chopped hazelnuts to give them somebody and structure. Plus, hazelnuts are a great nut that is mild in flavor but adds some crunch.
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Ingredients
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Orange zest
- Orange juice
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher Salt
- Cinnamon Chips
- Hazelnuts
Making Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are known around the world. I find adding and changing flavors refreshing so they do not get boring. So, I hope you have a good time making this cookie.
A Little Prep Work
The first thing I do is get all the prep work done. I weigh or measure the sugar into a bowl and set it aside. Now, I weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, running a whisk through to blend. On to the orange!
Next, zest the orange into a bowl and set it aside. Then, cut the orange in half and juice both halves. I have a cheap manual juicer that I picked up from the grocery store but still works great after 6 years.
Depending on how you purchased your hazelnuts (whole or chopped), you may need to chop the nuts a little more. You want the chopped hazelnut pieces to be about the same size or smaller than the cinnamon chips. This will make it easier to roll out the dough.
Making the Sugar Cookies
I like to cut my butter into cubes to see how soft it is. If it is still a little hard, cutting it up will speed up the warning.
Cream the butter for 1 to 3 minutes on a medium mixer speed. The time will depend on how cold the butter is until it becomes creamy.
Add the sugar and blend on a medium mixer speed for 2-3 minutes. Since it is equal parts of sugar and butter, it will get creamy-looking.
Next, I add the vanilla extract. In a small bowl, break the egg before adding it to the cookie dough. This way, if any pieces of the shell break off, you can get them out of the small bowl before adding them to the mixer bowl.
Also, add the orange juice and the zest and blend it all together. Mix the ingredients together for about a minute, then scrape the bowl down the sides and across the bottom, and then mix for another 30 seconds.
Finally, gradually add the flour mixture on a low mixer speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the cinnamon chips and the hazelnuts, and mix for about 15 seconds.
Take the bowl off the mixer. Using a spatula, make sure all the flour is combined. This is also a good time to make sure the cinnamon chips and chopped hazelnuts are evenly dispersed.
Roll Cut and Bake
Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator to warm up a little. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C).
To roll out the cookie dough, you can use a pastry sheet, parchment paper, or your counter.
My rolling pin has different-sized bands on the ends to evenly roll out the dough to the same thickness. For this cookie, you want at least a ¼-inch band on each end of the rolling pin. I bought these on Amazon called Green Olive Rolling Pin Guide Ring Spacers.
Sprinkle the pastry mat and the rolling pin with powdered sugar. I take a third of the cookie dough and flatten with my hands before laying it on the powdered sugar.
Now, I roll out the cookie dough and, using a 2 ¾-inch ring cookie cutter, cut out your cookies. You can use whatever size or shape you like. If the cookie dough is really lumpy when rolling it out, that means it is not thick enough to cover the nuts and cinnamon pieces. You might want to go up a size in your bands or not press as hard when rolling out the dough.
I laid 12 round cookies on the parchment-lined cookie sheet pan and baked them at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 6-8 minutes. Sugar cookies usually look a little underdone, but I leave them on the cookie sheet out of the oven for a minute or two before moving them to a cooking rack.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
What is the best way to zest an orange when using in cookies?
I use the Microplane Master from Amazon. It has a wooden handle and a stainless steel blade. It produces a fine zest for all the citrus I use for my cookies. You want a zester to skim the skin so it does not go down to the pith. This can produce a bitter taste.
There are so many choices! If you keep the orange and hazelnuts, you could do a dark or white chocolate chip or a caramel chip. I found Lieber's Caramel Chips (they are mini-size) pretty good.
I store them in an airtight container on my counter. They stay fresh for about a week.
Recipe
Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Chips and Orange
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- 1 (1) Egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Orange zest
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Orange juice fresh
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ½ cup (118.29 g) Cinnamon Chips
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped Hazelnuts
Instructions
- Weigh or measure the sugar and set it aside. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk to blend. Next, zest and juice the orange into separate bowls and set them aside. Check the hazelnuts for size; if needed, do a rough chop. You want them about the same size as the cinnamon chips.
- Cream the butter in a stand or hand-held mixer before adding the sugar. Mix for about 2-3 minutes on a medium mixer speed. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and across the bottom, and run the mixer for another 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until the egg is incorporated. Add the orange juice and orange zest and blend for a minute. Turn the mixer to a low speed, gradually adding the flour mixture. You might want to scrape down the sides. Finally, mix the cinnamon chips and chopped hazelnuts into the batter. Cover loosely and refrigerate for ½ hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes. On a counter, place a piece of parchment paper or what I use is a pastry mat and sprinkle powdered sugar onto it. Take about ⅓ of the cookie dough and flatten it with your hand. Add powdered sugar to your rolling pin and roll the dough at least ¼ inch thick. You want the cookies a little thicker because it has nuts and cinnamon chips. Take your favorite cookie cutter and cut out your cookies. I add 12 shapes to a parchment-lined cookie pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and bake for 6-8 minutes. They will look underdone for soft sugar cookies. If you like yours with a little more structure, leave it in for an extra minute. After baking, leave them on the cookie pan for a minute before moving them to a cooling rack.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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