These Citrus and Spice Tea Cakes are the perfect holiday cookie! The dough comes together quickly, and after a quick chill in the refrigerator, they’re ready to roll in to little balls to bake. They’re citrusy, with the addition of clementine zest, and get the spice that we all know and love from ground ginger and cinnamon. The perfect little “two bite” cookie!
Around the holidays, I love to bake.
Ha! How silly of me. Technically, I love to bake ALL the time, but it seems a little more socially acceptable to have copious amounts of butter on hand at any given time in the month of December.
My sister, sister-in-law, my mom, and I get together each year to get after that holiday baking. Much like many of you, I’m sure! We have our go-to’s, but every year, I like to bring something a little different. This recipe is actually a cross between the two of those prerequisites: my mom has been making Tea Cakes for as long as I can remember, but I added my own little twist with the addition of clementine zest and a few choice spices.
And goodness, are they good.
If you’ve made Tea Cakes before, you know that powdered sugar is a required ingredient. You roll the balls of dough in powdered sugar before you bake them, and then they get another dose of the snowy sugar right when they come out of the oven. The cookies are still hot, which results in some of the sugar melting on to the cookie, thus allowing MORE powdered sugar to properly adhere.
#ALLthesugar
There is something so nostalgic in these cookies. Sure, my mom has been making these for years, but I would argue that these cookies hold a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. This cookie is a basic shortbread dough, with chopped nuts (pecans, please and thank you!) added. Your family may not call them “Tea Cakes”, but I’m certain there is a similar recipe in your family’s baking history.
I love the classic “citrus & spice” flavors of the holidays, so I knew I wanted to give these cookies a little but of a flavor kick. Orange is fine, but I had so many clementines on hand it was starting to get a little ridiculous.
This was in an effort to stave off ANY and ALL sickness from our household.
Update: efforts proved unsuccessful.
Anyway! I added the zest of a few clementines. Some ground ginger. Some nutmeg. And some more nutmeg.
The flavors perfectly married, and created a light citrus and spice profile to the cookie.
Yum yum yum.
Don’t these looks like adorable little snowballs?! I mean…come on.
These are highly encouraged to be enjoyed amidst a winter storm, with a cup of tea, snuggled up with plenty of blankets.
Or, you know. On like, a Tuesday morning.
You do you.
Citrus and Spice Tea Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups soft butter
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups crushed pecans
- 5 clementines, zested
Instructions
- With an electric of stand mixer, mix butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a. medium bowl, stirring to combine.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending until just combined. Add the zest of the 5 clementines, along with the pecans. Mix until just combined.
- Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough in to 1/2 inch sized balls, and roll in remaining powdered sugar. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes, watching closely.
- Remove from oven, and roll for a second time in powdered sugar.