TasteFood: Citrus-infused cookies to beat the winter blahs

Winter is citrus season, so let these orange-infused cookies snap you out of any seasonal doldrums and brighten your day.

This recipe is inspired by a favorite orange olive oil cake that is made with polenta. Olive oil replaces butter in the cookie dough, which results in a soft and chewy cookie, mildly redolent with the oil. Stoneground cornmeal is added to the flour mix to deliver satisfying crunch to every bite without compromising the cookie’s delicate texture.

These cookies are light and delicate. Do not skimp on the orange zest, which should ripple throughout the cookie. Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil with a mild flavor — nothing too grassy or peppery — so the oil will gently perfume the cookies without overwhelming.

Bake the cookies until set and the tops are crinkled, but without coloring. The texture of the cookie will be soft and chewy with firm exterior. Resist baking them until golden, which will result in a crunchy cookie with a toasty flavor that (while pleasant) will overpower the fragrance of the orange and olive oil.

Orange Olive Oil Cookies

Makes about 24

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup stoneground cornmeal (medium grind)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large egg, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Zest of one untreated orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to blend.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, egg, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.

Put 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar in a small shallow bowl.

Scoop out and gently shape 1 tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Roll in the sugar, then arrange on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and press gently to slightly flatten.Bake until the tops of the cookies are crinkled without coloring, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cookies cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Lynda Balslev is a San Francisco Bay Area cookbook author, food and travel writer and recipe developer. Learn more at TasteFoodBlog.com.©2025 Lynda Balslev, distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication