Winter Citrus Shortbread Cookies
Happy New Year and welcome to January! Truly my favorite part of the year. I love the shift into stillness after the busy holiday season, and the turn to hibernation the Earth goes in. But what is so magical during this season is that winter citrus comes into season! Little representations of the sun to nourish us and get us through the depths of winter. Its like Mother Earth knew just what we needed most this time of year :) These shortbread cookies are a simple recipe that is made mostly from pantry staples and highlights these beautiful fruits of winter. I have a more in depth guide of the citrus
here!
Magical and Healing properties of Oranges
Oranges are full of folate and vitamin C, which helps the body to absorb and digest iron.
Oranges are used for abundance, prosperity and love. They represent the sun, and bring joy and ease. You can ask a yes or no question, and if there are an even number of seeds, the answer is no, if they are odd, the answer is yes!
The Steps
Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/2 stick butter (3/4 cup), room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar + more for sprinkling
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2-3 oranges of choice ( I used tangerines, heirloom navel, and cara cara)
1. Add butter, sugar, and orange zest to a medium bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix to combine.
3. Add flour and salt and slowly stir until a dough forms. Use your hands to form into a ball and refrigerate about 30 minutes- 1 hour.
4. In the meantime, slice oranges very thinly with the peel on. This helps them maintain their shape while being cut. Slowly take off the peel of each slice.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the cookie dough on a well floured surface. Use 3 " round cookie cutters to cut out the cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. If your oranges are too big, half or quarter the slices.
6. Place an orange slice on each cookie and sprinkle generously with sugar.
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet before removing. Enjoy!