Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Citrus

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Microplane or fine grater
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Zest the citrus

   Zest your orange and lemon before you do anything else. Use a microplane and work in short strokes, rotating the fruit to avoid the bitter white pith beneath. The oils in the zest are volatile. They begin fading the moment you grate them. This is why we zest fresh, why we never reach for the jar.

   Choose citrus that feels heavy for its size and has taut, fragrant skin. Soft spots mean tired fruit.
2. 2

   Combine dry ingredients

   Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. This takes thirty seconds and ensures even distribution of the leavening throughout your dough.

3. 3

   Build the dough base

   In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and olive oil until the mixture looks like wet sand at the beach, slightly clumpy but glistening. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. The mixture will become smooth and slightly thick, almost like a loose mayonnaise.

4. 4

   Add citrus and vanilla

   Whisk in the orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, and vanilla. The bowl should smell like a California grove in January. Take a moment with it. This is the heart of the cookie.

   The small amount of juice adds moisture and a subtle brightness that zest alone cannot provide.
5. 5

   Bring the dough together

   Add the flour mixture in two additions, stirring with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until just combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, more like a thick batter than a traditional cookie dough. This is correct. The olive oil creates a different texture than butter.

6. 6

   Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. The dough needs time to firm up so you can shape it. Cold dough also bakes more evenly, with less spread. Patience here is not optional.

   Overnight rest allows the flour to hydrate fully and the citrus flavor to deepen throughout the dough.
7. 7

   Shape the cookies

   Preheat your oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment. Pour about half a cup of sugar into a shallow bowl. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them between your palms into balls. Drop each ball into the sugar and roll to coat completely. Place on prepared sheets, spacing two inches apart.

8. 8

   Flatten gently

   Use the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press each ball into a round about a quarter inch thick. The sugar coating prevents sticking and creates that lovely sparkle on top. Work gently. These cookies are tender by nature.

9. 9

   Bake until barely golden

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges turn the palest gold and the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm as they cool. Overbaking is the enemy of tenderness.

10. 10

    Cool and store

    Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes. They are fragile when hot. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, they keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, though they rarely last that long.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out olive oil labeled with a harvest date. Oil more than eighteen months old has lost its vibrancy. The best oils taste like fresh olives, not like nothing.
• •If you cannot find peak-season citrus, Meyer lemons make a beautiful substitute for standard lemons. Their floral quality pairs naturally with olive oil.
• •For a variation, add a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary to the dough. The herb echoes the Mediterranean character of the olive oil.
• •These cookies ship well. Wrap them in parchment, nestle into a tin, and send to someone who needs a reminder that good things still exist.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be refrigerated for up to three days before baking. The citrus flavor deepens with time.
• •Shaped, unbaked cookie balls can be frozen on a sheet pan, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to two months. Bake directly from frozen, adding two minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for one week. They also freeze beautifully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 18g)