Crispy Clementine Cookies are delicious buttery, clementine infused cookies with a crispy sugar glaze. Perfect for Christmas and easy enough for kids to make with a little supervision.
Every Christmas since my twenties I have been baking these Crispy Clementine Cookies which I adapted from an orange based recipe in my mother’s old 1970 cookbook called Super Scoff.
I posted these cookies in my first year of blogging and looking back at the photographs I decided it was high time for a refresh as these cookies really deserve to shine.
Oranges and Clementines are an integral part of Christmas for me,
I remember as a child putting my orange peel over the flame of a candle just to enjoy the heady Christmasy aroma that mingled with smell of pine from the Christmas tree and the many candle decorations my mum used to make.
Not a year went by without blocks of oasis being bought and holly and pine fronds being gathered and made into arrangements with a candle and a bauble of two.
I don’t share my mum’s floristry skills but luckily the culinary genes were passed on!
So yesterday I baked a batch Crispy Clementine Cookies and popped them into our gold cherub adorned Christmas cake tin.
As soon as my daughter came home from school she saw the tin on the worktop and remarked that she remembered this tin as it last had some Crispy Clementine Cookies in it!
I told her to open it and you’ve never seen such a beaming smile. A glass of milk and a cookie were quickly devoured.
Later my son turned up in the kitchen and on seeing the cookies said “Yay, I love these” before tucking in!
Isn’t it great how food and memories can spread such joy.
In the past we used to put these biscuits into little home made cellophane bags (small roasting bags) and tied with a red ribbon along with a label for my kids’ teachers.
My daughter loved making the dough and cutting the shapes.
I also remember taking along a tin to my son’s toddler group mums’ meeting when we spent the evening wrapping presents and organising the group’s Christmas party.
So these Crispy Clementine Cookies have become a very important part of our Christmas tradition and I hope that when my kids eventually leave home they will carry on the tradition.
I do hope you bake these cookies this Christmas as they so simple and easy to make and the crispy sugar topping makes them extra yummy!
Do you bake biscuits at Christmas, do let me know in the comments!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
I asked some fellow bloggers what they like to bake at this time of year and here are their ideas:
- Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Stars – Supper in the Suburbs
- Orange Chocolate Truffle-centred Cookies – Family Friends Food
- Christmas Butter Biscuits – Tin & Thyme
- Snow Cookies – Christina’s Cucina
- Danish Vanilla Wreaths – Fab Food 4 All
For old times sake here are a couple of pictures from my original post- you can see why they needed updating!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
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Crispy Clementine Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 Grated zest of 4 large clementines or 1 orange & 2 clementines
- 140 g / 5 oz Butter
- 2 Eggs large separated
- 225 g / 8 oz Self raising flour
- 140 g / 5 oz Castor sugar
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
- Grease 3 large baking sheets lightly with butter (you’ll need to bake in 3 batches). If you don’t have ample baking sheets then just wash up as you go along and re grease.
- Sieve the flour and rub in the butter.
- Add the sugar and grated rind.
- Mix to a stiff dough with the egg yolks.
- Halve the dough and roll out to 4mm thick.
- Cut out the cookies with Christmas shaped cookie cutters.
- Place cookies on baking tray allowing enough space for them to spread, brush with egg white and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for about 7 – 10 minutes until slightly golden. Take care as they burn easily!
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Then repeat process with the other half of the dough.
Margaret Gallagher
HOW lovely will be loved here – so moorish
Camilla
Thank you, they’re a favourite every Christmas here:-)
Emma Walton
I love citrus flavours and will definitely be giving these cookies a try as they look very moorish!
Camilla
Great Emma, I’m sure you’ll love them, it’s not Christmas in our house without these cookies every year:-)
Helen Moulden
Looks delicious! I’m going to adapt it to do for spring/summer too!
Camilla
Thanks Helen, no reason to not enjoy them all year round:-)
Richard Eldred Hawes
You always know its Christmas when you can see and smell Clementines
Camilla
That’s so true, love them:-)
Iga @ Dietmap
crispy cookies is my favorite! These sound perfect for me! <3
Camilla
Thanks, they are fab:-)
William Gould
Yes, it’s not often you see orange flavoured biscuits and they are very nice! It’s usually always lemon for some reason!
Camilla
Thanks William:-)
A S,Edinburgh
I rarely bake biscuits, I just lack a lot of confidence with that really. I should practice more, I don’t think there’s anything else for it. These look wonderful!
Camilla
These are dead easy to make so a great recipe to get your confidence with, just be careful not to burn in the oven!
Amy Fidler
Bet these are delicious x
Camilla
They really are Amy:-)
Kavey
Really really like the look of these – clementines are my favourite citrus and I eat kilos through the winter season. I am passing this on to Pete with a huge hint to make some for me!
Camilla
Thanks Kavey, I’m going to have to make some more as they all went at my Birthday tea yesterday:-)
kellie@foodtoglow
What wonderful memories for your own childhood but also that you’ve made firm memories for your children. What a lovely, simple and festive baking recipe – to eat and give. 🙂
Camilla
Thanks Kellie, yes Christmas memories are the best:-)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
These sound FANTASTIC Camilla! I love clementines but have never thought of using them to flavour a biscuit. Bet they’re delish.
Camilla
Thanks Becca, I’m going to have to bake another batch as most of them got eaten at my birthday tea yesterday:-)
Claire Jessiman
Super Scoff is such a fantastic name for a cookbook – very retro! I’ve never tried grating the peel on a clementine but love the sound of these cookies so shall have to give it a go.
Camilla
LOL Claire, I knew there was something I meant to update, should really say grated zest:-)
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
These look delicious – I love anything citrussy. Love the sparkly sugar on the top!
Camilla
Thank you Helen-)
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
Feeling totally inspired 🙂 Clementines always make me think of Christmas yet I’ve never thought to bake with them before. Genius!
Camilla
Thanks Emma, they work so well in these cookies-)
Kate @ Veggie Desserts
I remember my mum getting out the oasis every year and making our wreath and table centrepiece. I’m not very into floristry either, but luckily she makes us them every year.
These cookies look great and I hope that your kids carry on the tradition of them. Traditions are so important at Christmas.
Camilla
Thanks Kate, hopefully they will carry on the tradition:-) Love that your mum made centre pieces with oasis too:-)
Choclette
You’ve really got me in the mood for biscuit baking now. These sound gorgeous Camilla and it’s great to have a Christmas baking tradition to pass on. Maybe it’s just me, but I quite like your old photos.
Camilla
Thanks Choclette, glad to put you in the Christmas baking mood:-) I did pick the better ones to leave in LOL, the one on my hob with my kitchen tiles on display wasn’t good-)
Dom
so cute! Love how crunchy and frosted they look!
Camilla
Thank you Dom, they have a lovely crispy, crunchy bite to them:-)
Paul Wilson
A nice gift.
bev
how festive
Anne Dalzell
I’m so with you, i love the smell of orange particularly at Christmas. i even make brine for the turkey that contains cider and orange. What a great tip too about using the roasting bags!!x
Camilla
Yes I think I’ve wrapped more food than I’ve roasted in those bags LOL:=)
Ursula Hunt
Gorgeous biscuits the family love them
Paul Wilson
Almost time to start thinking about Christmas presents again.
Carolyn Clapham
Those sound lovely. I won’t be waiting until Christmas comes around again to try them 🙂
Heather Haigh
These sound lovelly.
Ursula Hunt
I love homemade biscuits, could do them in heart shapes etc for tomorrow
Tracy Alder-Ashwin
I’m going to have to make some of these this weekend with the kiddies. Am thinking lots of hearts and kisses for Valentine’s Day gifts. Thanks for the inspiration to get me back in the kitchen.
K Mayers
I know Christmas has gone but the idea of clementines added to the mix for these makes me think we could have them anytime somehow. Either way, I can’t wait to try them out!
Camilla
It’s not technically a Christmas recipe but that is what I have made it into in my house:-)
Tracy Nixon
Yummy – makes me feel Christmassy all over again AND Eastery all at the same time! So great!
Camilla
They are good but I only make them at Christmas which has no logic what so ever:-)
Ursula Hunt
Great recipe I love homemade biscuits
Lisa Williams
I cant wait to make these amd get myself in a Christmas mood, then eat them all hehe
Camilla
Fab, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until I’ve made these each year;-)
Paul Wilson
Looks lovely and seasonal.
Camilla
Thank, they are gorgeous, I’ve made them every Christmas since I discovered the recipe:-)
Tracy Nixon
I’m going to bake some cookies for my kids to take to school on Friday as they are raising money for Children in need. This recipe would be lovely!
Camilla
Perfect:-)
Maya Russell
I think that’s an excellent idea for gifts. Just need to souce the cellophane bags & ribbon.
Camilla
I use Aldi’s roasting bags, much cheaper than cellophane bags I’m sure:-)
Tracy Nixon
With the kids off this week and the weather being so poor, I might give this cookie recipe a go!!! The kids love baking – just need to teach them how to clean up afterwards!
Camilla
It’s a great project for kids, my daughter loved making these:-)
Lisa Rowsell
They look, and sound really yummy. I think I’ll have to have a go at baking these very soon.
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
I thought I’d already visited these but must have viewed on my phone and meant to come back later. They sound very festive! Thanks for submitting them to the cookie parade!
Camilla
Thank you for letting my cookies pass the grade as they aren’t really a decoration:-)
Laura Loves Cakes
Such lovely little festive biscuits…and the clementine sounds delicious! Love the Christmassy shapes too…and I’d love to receive these as a gift! Thanks for entering Calendar Cakes this week 🙂
Camilla
Thank you, I wasn’t sure whether to enter but saw the other cookies so gave it a go:-)
Ruth Crawford
I made these with My toddler this morning, so easy and yummy! Her little friends are all getting a wee bag of cookies today! Thanks
Camilla
Ah that’s fantastic, thank you so much for the feed back and I’m glad you enjoyed them:-) Have a Happy Christmas!
Caroline Taylor
These sound so good, really festive!
Camilla
Yes, so good that I’m going to have to knock up another batch! Thank you for stopping by – Happy Christmas:-)
Mich Piece of Cake
These cookies look yummy! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Camilla! Have a wonderful time with your family.
Camilla
Aah, thank you Mich and have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with your family:-)
Jacqueline @How to be a Gourmand
What a lovely Christmas present! Really thoughtful and creative. Lucky teacher I’d say 🙂
BTW, the roasting bag works really well – would never have known!
Camilla
Thank you Jacqueline. Yes it was far more satisfying than shopping for something and my daughter really enjoyed rolling the dough and cutting out all the festive shapes! Plus it was good to find something to do with my Aldi roasting bags which were laying redundant in the drawer!
Hannah@HomeBaked
Ooh, these look right up my street – thank you!
Camilla
Thank you for taking the time to comment as I know we are all so busy right now:-)
Javelin Warrior
These cookies are so cute and SOOO crispy! I love the addition of clementine to the recipe and I can almost taste the delicate citrus flavor. And feel them crunch 😉 A wonderful addition for the holidays and thank you so much for sharing!
Camilla
Thank you Mark, it’s always a pleasure:-)