Spiced Orange Crumble Cookies

Published Dec. 8, 2021

Spiced Orange Crumble Cookies
Anna Williams for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(537)
Comments
Read comments

Citrus in three forms — fresh zest, juice and preserves — gives buttery baked goods a nice bright flavor. This crisp brown sugar cookie is baked with orange marmalade, then topped with a grating of orange zest after it comes out of the oven for layers of citrus freshness. With a dash of clove and black pepper, it’s reminiscent of the piney, spiced scents of winter fir. You’ll love the aroma that fills your kitchen while they bake, and enjoy them with tea and coffee.

Featured in: 24 Days of Cookies

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:16 cookies
  • ½cup/115 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, plus more at room temperature for brushing the pan
  • 1⅓cups/175 grams all-purpose flour
  • ¾cup/80 grams almond flour
  • ¾cup packed/160 grams dark brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • ¼teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup/57 grams heavy cream
  • 6tablespoons/142 grams orange marmalade
  • 1whole orange
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

161 calories; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 103 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, brown sugar, salt, cloves and black pepper. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers until small pebbles form. (Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the butter.) Pour the cream over the mixture, stir just until combined and squeeze until the dough forms ¾-inch clumps. Transfer a little less than half of the crumble (1½ loosely packed cups/210 grams) to a small bowl and refrigerate.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the remaining dough to the buttered pan and flatten into an even layer by pressing into the bottom of the pan with a glass. Bake on the middle rack until the edges are golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. If you tap the surface of the cookie, it should sound hollow.

  4. Step 4

    Spread the orange marmalade in an even layer over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved crumble over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Zest the orange directly over the top while the crumble is still warm. Cool completely in the pan, then run a knife along the edges of the crumble before releasing the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
537 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

I think the missing reference to the third orange element is that you should squeeze it, add ice and vodka (or champagne if you prefer a mimosa to a screwdriver), and sip it as you wait for the pan to cool.

It says “citrus in three forms“ - when does the juice go in?

I've been looking for recipes to broaden my Christmas cookie repertoire and this one is a keeper. Delicious. I made a second version with homemade tart cherry jam and sliced almonds mixed into the crumb top. Hard to stop eating them both.

These were interesting - more of a bar than a cookie. I cut the sugar in half as others recommended (used coconut sugar) and skipped the powered sugar topping. The texture was crumbly after cooking - but the dough was not. And I agree with others- the orange flavor could be more pronounced. I even added a tablespoon of orange blossom water but it was too subtle. A little more is needed. I used 1 teaspoon of Burlap & Barrel’s Everything Nice spice blend (could use double) and Stonewall Kitchen’s Blood Orange marmalade (cut with some lemon and a little salt as it was a bit cloying). The end result was an excellent crumbly marmalade filled dessert bar. The only problem is see is that these will be eaten too quickly!

You’ll wanna zest the orange into all of the crumble mix, or you’ll wind up with a base without any orange flavor at all. I also mixed in a teaspoon of orange extract. I’d add a lil extra jam if that’s your style. Flavor and texture is real nice.

Would not recommend doubling the marmalade - the orange flavor overtakes, and the cookies end up almost with a chewy filling. I also had a heck of a time getting these out of the pan - will use parchment paper next time.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.