Saturday, January 21, 2017

Clementine sugar cookies- perfect winter treat!

Hello, everybody!! It's almost February and that means I am CRYING over the lack of fresh food. I just hit a wall in February, mostly because all of our garden stores are dwindling. Our canning always seems like such a huge project until we get through the winter and... not so much. We end up buying more and more from out of state because I can't live without fresh produce. I spend a lot more time reminiscing over our delicious summer food.

 Looking back on peach season!
 This most perfect pear.
 OK, this isn't produce but I saw it and thought, "Ooooh, I need to run to the panedaria!"

 So many peaches!
 Last year our grapes were hit with a fungus but this year, we're prepared!
 YEARNING.
 I can't wait for blueberry season again!!
 It's always horribly hot- around 110F but we pick fast and usually get about 30 lbs in half an hours. Lots of hands!
 And I remember when I thought I had too many pears and had better give some away. My kingdom for a fresh pear!
 Our rainbow of heirloom tomatoes!
 Oh, the dishes we made!
Ok, and lots of desserts. This is upside down and I think it was only a month ago. Leftover cranberry orange sauce made into a cobbler...
                                    
But despite the terrible trials of winter, we always get fruit baskets from friends. My brother sends us orange and grapefruit boxes from Florida. DELICIOUS. So, to me, winter also means orange season! California's orange season is around January and we get some incredible citrus up this way.

So, I made clementine sugar cookies and FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES. But I' going to share the recipe anyway because it was so delicious. And I'm adding free pics from Pixabay, my favorite free picture site.
 So, they looked nothing like this, but isn't this a great picture?

Preheat oven to 350F
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar  
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tsp orange zest
2 TBS clementine juice
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1 egg
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
2 1/2 cups flour
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1 teaspoon baking soda
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-sugar-cookies/~/media/Images/Shared/RecipeParts/Savings/SavingsIndicator.ashx
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

 Mix all dry ingredients together, then add vanilla, butter, orange zest, clementine juice, egg. Mix thoroughly.

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
 dash of salt

3 TBS clementine juice


This still isn't what they looked like but it's a little closer. So, bake at 350F for about 7 minutes. I made mine about the size of a silver dollar because I think they're so cute.

Remove from the oven and glaze with the celementine topping. It should be thin, not like a frosting.

Next time I'll get pictures!
 I hope you're all surviving the long winter and feel free to stop by my author page at Mary Jane Hathaway!

7 comments:

  1. Oh, these sound delicious!!! Kind of like a clementine shortbread. I will definitely try these for sure. Love orange in baked goods.

    I'm sighing over your gorgeous summer harvest pictures. I don't think I appreciate fresh picked fruit the way I should when it's all around me. Now I'm craving it...and sunshine...like crazy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm exactly the same way. I get tired of it in the summer (MORE PEACHES???) but now I'm yearning for it!

      It's sunny here today so I'm happy with that part of the equation!

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  2. I'm sighing over the summer pictures too. We've been having unseasonably warm weather which puts me so not in the mood for the soups and stews that normally sustain us in winter.

    I ate too many peaches last summer. They started to give me hives. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OOOOO, I can see that. I actually love but they always make my tongue feel weird. TMI! LOL. Sort of like fresh pineapple... I prefer them cooked.

      Delete
  3. Fresh fruit...you're so cruel! Although I love clementines. I keep myself down to one a day through the winter, just so I don't get too tired of them.

    I'm not sure I could ever get tired of fresh peaches, though!

    Here's to dreaming of summer :)

    The cookies look scrumptious, too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the pics! Sorry, I was gone Saturday and inundated with kids and farm plans Sunday.... so I'm just getting over here.

    This recipe is the basic Betty Crocker sugar cookie (Deluxe or Mary's sugar cookies in the old books) and now just Sugar Cookies because it is the best I've found....

    And I love orange cookies, so I'll love clementine cookies.

    What a "sunny" way to enjoy winter, Mary Jane! Lovely, thank you!!!

    And as I'm busily prepping for spring here (slightly insane) I'm loving the relaxing mode of winter where there are fewer people swingin' my doors open and closed, and more writing time. And as I'm working on a new series, I can lose myself in creating new characters... and the amazing fun in that, in setting up a story to evolve..... Aren't we amazingly blessed?

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a bounty of produce! I'm so envious!!

    ReplyDelete