Harpie’s Goodie Basket A recipe repository for those tasty cookies, cakes, breads, bars and other desserts you’ve come to enjoy during the holidays—and beyond

Orange Spice Cookies

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For the 2010 season, I thought I’d take a break from my ubiquitous gingersnap, retaining the tang but adding a healthful element as well. These round morsels have Christmas written all over them: a potpourri of scent and flavour.

Original recipe: Spice Molasses Cookies , Seattle Times

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• Grated zest of two medium oranges, divided
• 1 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups oat flour, or 3 cups rolled oats
• 4 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and 2/3 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Beat in brown sugar and 1/4 cup orange zest.
2. Lower mixer speed and add molasses, applesauce, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until completely combined.
3. If using rolled oats, pulse oats in a food processor or blender until a fine powder (flour). In another large bowl, whisk together oat flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, pepper and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, about 1/3 cup at a time, until incorporated. Cover with plastic and chill about an hour.
4. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. With a food processor, pulse together remaining orange zest and 1 cup granulated sugar. Pour into small bowl and break chunks apart with fingers to make fine powder.
6. With a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) , scoop out balls of dough. Dip tops in sugar mixture to coat and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread much.
7. Bake about 11 minutes, or until bottoms start browning. (Cookies will remain puffy.) Cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• I used rolled oats but reduced them to coarse meal for more texture.

Yields about 9 dozen cookies