Tangerine Butter Cookies Without Eggs

These are one of my favorite cookies, especially around Christmas. They have a delicate citrus flavor and melt in your mouth. Although they are delicious on their own, I also like them with chocolate glaze. The cookies have a slight sweetness and the glaze won’t be too much. In addition, your house will smell amazing when you bake them!

In this Instructable I will show you how to make these cookies, step by step, as well as some additional tips for better results.

Products:

200 g butter (softened)

110 g sugar

280 g flour

40 g cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

4-5 tangerines

Tools:

hand or stand mixer

rolling pin

cookie cutters

cooling rack

baking tray

parchment paper or baking mat

kitchen scales

mixing bowl

zest grater

citrus juicer

Prepare the tools and products for the cookies. Measure the ingredients. Combine the flour with the salt and baking powder.

Wash the tangerines. Use a grater to make one and a half tablespoons of zest. Squeeze 43 grams of juice.

Tip: Tangerines are softer than other citrus fruits and are sometimes difficult to grate. It might help, if you freeze them first.

In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy.

Tip: If you don’t have time to wait for the butter to soften at room temperature, you can put it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.

Add the tangerine zest and juice and stir well.

Now it's time to add the dry ingredients. Start with the cornstarch. Stir for a while. Then add the flour, salt and baking powder mixture. I prefer to add one third at a time, until everything is well combined. You will get a very soft dough.

Form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic foil. Put it in the fridge to chill for a few hours.

Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Cut it in half. Put one half back in the fridge. Flour the surface and start kneading the other half of the dough. Don't worry if it's too firm in the beginning. It will soften quickly from the warmth of your hands.

Add more flour on the surface, if needed. Roll out the dough (between 4-6 mm thick). Cut out the cookies. Roll out the excess dough and cut more.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (338 Fahrenheit). Place a parchment paper on a baking sheet and transfer the cookies. There is no need to leave large spaces between them. They hold their shape very well.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. The exact time depends on how thick the dough is rolled out, how big the cookies are and their shape. Watch them carefully. It's only a matter of 30 seconds to overbake them.

Prepare the second half of the dough and bake it.

Tip: For better results bake together only cookies with similar shapes and sizes. For example, thinner elements like the points of a star will be baked faster than circular shapes.

Place the cookies on a cooling rack.

If you want to decorate them it’s time to make the chocolate glaze. Mix 100 g chocolate with 50 g heavy cream.

I use a pastry bag to decorate my cookies, so I make the glaze thicker. If you dip the cookies use 1:1 ratio (100g chocolate and 100g heavy cream).

Put the ingredients in the microwave for 30 seconds and mix well. If necessary, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir until all the chocolate is melted.

Put the chocolate in a pastry bag. Cut a small hole and decorate as you wish. You can also leave the chocolate in a bowl and dip the cookies in it.

Tip: You can use any type of chocolate. Just keep in mind that white chocolate needs less heavy cream and the dark needs more. Ex. 100g white chocolate to 40g heavy cream and 100g dark chocolate to 60g heavy cream.

Add some sprinkles, if you want.

The recipe can be made with oranges, lemons or another citrus fruits.

If all goes well, you already have a plate full of cookies and your kitchen smells divine! From this recipe you can make 2-3 baking pans, depending on how big your cookies are and how thick you roll them. My advice is to leave them for a day. Over time, they become tastier. Unfortunately, I can't resist for this long :)

You can gift them to your loved ones. Watch this Instructable for super cute box to put them in.

Enjoy and don't forget to share your cookies!