Recipe: Clementine Orange Snickerdoodles | Cooking On the Side (2024)

Cookies

Over the past few years there’s been a little sleeper of a cookie trend among the food blogs. It hasn’t come through in huge waves, like macarons or hasselback potatoes. Just an isolated post here and there…but over time it’s nearly evolved into a movement.

Food bloggers have been tinkering with snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles – the after school cookie jar favorite that I, until recently, only knew in its classic form: rolled in cinnamon sugar. Well, the realm of snickerdoodles has expanded greatly. Check out some of the incredible flavor variations people have come up with:

Someone needs to open an all-snickerdoodle bakery stat!

If a flavor tastes great with cinnamon and sugar, it’ll probably taste great in snickerdoodles. That’s the guiding thought I had in my head as I gazed at the big bowl of clementine oranges on my kitchen island. The next thing I knew, golden hued, citrus-scented Clementine Orange Snickerdoodles were emerging from the oven. Adding clementine zest and juice to the classic recipe I shared on the blog a while back gave the cookies just enough of a flavor twist to be complementary and interesting, not overpowering. Now to give some of these other variations a spin…

Recipe: Clementine Orange Snickerdoodles | Cooking On the Side (1)

Clementine Snickerdoodles

Adapted from the Snickerdoodles recipe on the back of the Gold Medal all-purpose flour package

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • Zest of 2 clementine oranges
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed clementine orange juice
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Combine the sugar, butter, clementine zest, juice and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
  3. Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Combine the cinnamon sugar topping ingredients together in a small bowl; roll the balls in the mixture. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, lined with parchment.
  4. Bake the cookies until they’re set and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately remove them from the cookie sheet. Cool them completely on a wire rack.

You can, of course, always substitute other varieties of oranges in this recipe. If you use a navel orange or another that’s much larger than a clementine, you’ll probably only need the zest from one piece of fruit.

Cookies

14 Comments

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14 Comments

  1. What a nice twist on an old cookie favorite!

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  2. Omg love the sound of this!

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  3. Amy wrote:

    Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie….I love them so much, I’ve converted them to a pie, muffins, pancakes… cinnamon and sugar. Sigh. Love your variation here, and I’ve also got my eye on the Chai, lemon, and spiced rum.

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  4. Dying to try these since snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies.

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  5. Colleen wrote:

    My mom’s sugar cookies have orange zest in them– they are tastier than many that I’ve tried. (I think it’s actually an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe.)

    So this seems like a naturally delicious combination– yum.

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  6. Amanda wrote:

    Gorgeous cookies, Kathy! What fun flavor combos, I could definitely get in on this snickerdoodle craze 🙂

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  7. Carolyn wrote:

    Snickerdoodles are popular, that is true. And I love your little flavour variation on them here.

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  8. naomi wrote:

    Wow- I love how creative this snickerdoodle is. I can’t wait to try it, Kathy!

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  9. Mike wrote:

    I remember my first snickerdoodle – it was after college, and my roommate’s mom sent him back to our apartment with some wonderful, chewy, delicious snickerdoodles. Changed my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mrs. Nudelman!

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  10. Kalyn wrote:

    Oh my, delish!

    Posted 2.15.12Reply

  11. MK wrote:

    I baked these to the recipe and they all went flat 🙁
    Tasted delicious, though! 🙂

    Posted 3.25.13Reply

    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      I’m sorry to hear they went flat on you! Sometimes that can happen if the leavening (in this case, baking soda) is past its prime. I’m glad they at least tasted good. 🙂

      Posted 3.25.13Reply

  12. Mary wrote:

    Does this really make 5 dozen cookies?

    Posted 8.26.20Reply

    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      All depends on what size you make them!

      Posted 8.26.20Reply

Recipe: Clementine Orange Snickerdoodles | Cooking On the Side (2024)

FAQs

Is Clementine zest the same as orange zest? ›

It is absolutely fine to substitute other orange family fruits for clementines/satsumas. If using oranges then you may only want to use about 3/4 of the juice or zest of a regular orange, as it tends to be larger in size than a clementine but use all of the zest from a clementine or mandarin if necessary.

What is a substitute for orange rind? ›

If orange zest is not readily available and you have made up your mind to make a recipe, you can use a substitute ingredient. The best substitutes for orange zest include other citrusy zest eg. lemon zest, lime zest, grapefruit zest, lemon juice, or other orange products eg.

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be undercooked? ›

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be undercooked? I always recommend slightly underbaking your cookies and then letting them finish baking through cooling on the pan. This will ensure you don't overbake your cookies and end up with a dry, hard cookie!

Can I use clementines instead of oranges? ›

Clementine Recipes

Use them as a substitute for other oranges or add clementine sections to tossed or fruit salads.

Can you eat clementine zest? ›

Clementine peels can be used whole to make candied peels, infuse liquor, or bring a boost of flavor to braises, stews, brines, and poached chicken. You can also zest them to use in co*cktails and as a flavor enhancer for baked goods and vinaigrettes.

What is a substitute for orange zest in cookies? ›

Best orange zest substitute
  1. Lemon zest. The best substitute for orange zest? The same amount of lemon zest. Keep in mind this changes the flavor profile to lemon: but it has a complementary citrus flair. ...
  2. Orange juice (in some cases). Another great orange zest substitute? Orange juice. ...
  3. Orange extract.
Dec 27, 2020

What is a substitute for orange zest in baking? ›

Lemon juice is an excellent orange zest substitute. The bright citrus flavor is refreshing and will still impart that summer feeling to your baked goods. What is this? Be sure to check the ratio of flour to liquid when adding lemon juice, so it doesn't throw off the recipe and make it too moist.

Why are my snickerdoodles so hard? ›

Snickerdoodles might turn out hard if they are overbaked or if the dough is too dry.

Why do my snickerdoodle cookies go flat? ›

This can go the other way too. If your cookies are coming out flat, it's likely that your oven is too cool, baking the cookies at a lower temperature, and causing them to come out flat.

Why did my snickerdoodle cookies not flatten? ›

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

What happens if you forget baking soda in snickerdoodles? ›

baking soda allows the ingredients to rise and become airy. Without baking soda, your cookies will be very dense, perhaps not chewy, and not as tasty. Originally Answered: What happens if you don't put baking soda in cookies? Most likely, the cookies will be flat and hard.

Why is it called snickerdoodle? ›

A few cookbooks explain that snickerdoodles are German in origin. They state that the cookie's name comes from the German word shneckennudel (which is a kind of cinnamon bun). Others trace its origin to New England's tradition of whimsical cookie names.

Why don t my snickerdoodles crack? ›

Cracking occurs from several chemical reactions during the baking process. If some of your cookies aren't cracking, it could be because those dough balls were less round than others, the dough became too warm, your oven isn't heating evenly, or (most likely) the cinnamon sugar coating wasn't applied as thoroughly.

What is a substitute for clementine zest? ›

5 Best Orange Zest Substitutes for Acidity
  • Orange Juice. Orange juice won't disappoint when it comes to acidity and flavor. ...
  • Lemon Juice. Give your recipe its much-needed zing and citrusy, tangy flavor without the orange zest by using the same amount of lemon juice. ...
  • Grapefruit Juice. ...
  • Apple Cider Vinegar. ...
  • Regular Vinegar.
Jun 6, 2023

Can you substitute clementine zest for lemon zest? ›

Zest using a veg peeler, fine side of a cheese grater, zester, or Microplane and add to the dish in the same ratio. 1 teaspoon lemon zest = 1 teaspoon clementine zest.

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