Look No Further for a Quick, Easy Cookie Swap Recipe: Orange-Cream Cheese Spiral Cookies Are a Simple Hit
Zester Daily contributor Lauren Chattman wrote the book on cookie swaps, literally. From her new release, "Cookie Swap!" Chattman recommends this perfect recipe for your holiday cookie exchange.
The recipe for orange-cream cheese spiral cookies, which combines just a few ingredients.
"I usually don't even have to go shopping to make them," Chattman said.
This is an icebox recipe, which means the dough logs can be prepared two weeks in advance of a cookie exchange and baked off the day of, for freshness, and produces extremely rich and tender cookies.
Orange Cream Cheese Spiral Cookies
Makes 36 cookies
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
10 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (1 package) chilled cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 16 pieces
⅔ cup orange marmalade
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Combine the flour, ¼ cup sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cream cheese and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (do not over process).
2. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape the dough into two 6-inch squares. Wrap squares in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and for up to 2 days.
3. Place the marmalade in a blender or the work bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one of the dough squares into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured work surface. Spread half of the marmalade evenly over the dough. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Wrap the cylinder in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. (Dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator overnight before proceeding.) Repeat with remaining dough square and marmalade
4. Heat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Slice the dough into ½-inch-thick rounds, rotating the dough often so it doesn't become flattened as you cut.
5. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about an inch apart and sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Zester Daily contributor Lauren Chattman is a cookbook author, freelance writer and former professional pastry chef. Her recipes have appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Cook's Illustrated and the New York Times. She is the author of 14 books, most recently "Cake Keeper Cakes" (Taunton, 2009) and "Cookie Swap!" (Workman, 2010).
Other cookie favorites from Zester Daily:
Delicate, sandy Chinese almond cookies are easily made using a slice-and-bake method.
Fresh-baked double chocolate cookies bond neighbors and recall happy childhood memories.
