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

Can I substitute clementine juice for orange juice? ›

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.

Are snickerdoodles supposed to be undercooked? ›

Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie. Take them out of the oven after about 10-11 minutes. This will keep the interior of the cookie soft and chewy.

Why did my snickerdoodles spread so much? ›

Too-warm butter will melt and spread in the oven before your cookies set. So, if your recipe calls for room-temperature butter, it needs to be exactly that: room temperature. “It should not be melty or warm to the touch,” says Dawn. “Room-temperature butter is pliable but cool to the touch.

What is a substitute for cream of tartar in snickerdoodles? ›

You can either replace cream of tartar with baking powder at a 1:1.5 ratio (1 teaspoon cream of tartar : 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder), or you can replace cream of tartar with the combination of baking soda and either lemon juice or vinegar (as with this recipe).

What happens if I add cream of tartar to my cookies? ›

What Does Cream of Tartar Do in Cookies? Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

Can you use clementines instead of oranges? ›

Clementine Recipes

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

Is clementine juice better than orange? ›

Although a clementine weighs only about half as much as a navel orange, ounce for ounce they are nutritionally similar: about the same amount of calories and potassium, while a navel orange contains slightly more fiber, vitamin C, calcium and folate per ounce.

Can I use satsumas instead of clementines? ›

Can I substitute a different type of citrus? Yes, any type of thin-skinned citrus will work here. Satsumas or tangerines are great substitutes. Fear not, the rinds soften sufficiently to be fork-friendly and turn sweet enough to be palate-pleasing, but only if you use thin-skinned citrus.

Why aren't my snickerdoodles puffy? ›

How do you make snickerdoodles puffy and soft? The secret's in the ratio of butter to leavener to flour to egg. Don't use shortening here; you'll miss the flavor of butter. Slightly under-baking the snickerdoodles also guarantees a softer cookie.

How to tell when a snickerdoodle is done? ›

How do you know when the cookies are baked? The snickerdoodle cookies will only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them! It's best to rotate the cookies after about 6 minutes so that the cook evenly. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centres are soft and cracked.

Why do my snickerdoodle cookies go flat? ›

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot.

Why does snickerdoodle dough need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigerating snickerdoodle dough lets the butter resolidify and prevents the cookies from flattening out in the oven. I recommend giving the dough at least 45-60 minutes of chilling time in the fridge before baking.

Why do my snickerdoodles taste like flour? ›

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

Why do snickerdoodles taste weird? ›

Snickerdoodles usually contain cream of tartar, which is more acidic than baking powder. This results in a slightly sour tang that's unique to snickerdoodles.

What is the purpose of adding cream of tartar? ›

Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient used in baking and cooking recipes to give flavor, act as a preservative, soften the dough, help stabilize egg whites, and provide volume when beating.

What will happen if we don t use cream of tartar in the play dough? ›

While cream of tartar is not an ingredient you probably keep on hand in your kitchen, it is worth the investment if you are trying to become a playdough making pro. Cream of tartar really helps to get your playdough to the fun gel form and prevent it from staying too wet.

Can I skip cream of tartar in a recipe? ›

In some recipes, you can leave out cream of tartar if there is no suitable replacement. You can simply omit cream of tartar from the recipe if you're making whipped egg whites, syrups, frostings, or icings.

What does cream of tartar do to taste? ›

In baked goods, cream of tartar is used as a leavener, to give cakes, muffins and cookies their rise. It has a tinny, metallic taste that's most noticeable in Snickerdoodle cookies. A tiny pinch added to water also helps vegetables maintain their color when they're blanched.

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