Spiced Orange Crumble Cookies Recipe (2024)

I think the missing reference to the third orange element is that you should squeeze it, add ice and vodka (or champagne if you prefer a mimosa to a screwdriver), and sip it as you wait for the pan to cool.

It says “citrus in three forms“ - when does the juice go in?

I've been looking for recipes to broaden my Christmas cookie repertoire and this one is a keeper. Delicious. I made a second version with homemade tart cherry jam and sliced almonds mixed into the crumb top. Hard to stop eating them both.

The first time I made these, I felt there wasn't enough orange flavor. So the second time, I used fresh orange juice in place of half the heavy cream, added the zest to the crumble topping before baking, and increased the amount of marmalade. The second batch is fabulous. Also I used a square cake pan rather than round and cut one-inch square cookies so it made 36 cookies rather than 16.

Super delicious. I made a few mods: had oat flour so used in place of almond. Put zest in the dough mix instead of on top. And added a generous 1/4 tsp of ground anise seeds because orange shortbread seemed to cry for it. Absolutely fabulous combo of flavors. One observation: when you spread the marmalade, be careful not to spread all the way to the edge. The bit that spread there got a bit burnt.

Put the orange zest into the crumble, don’t zest it straight on top! Too bitter!

Re: “Citrus in three forms”…the author is speaking in general terms about ways to use citrus when baking. So, to commenter Julia: You’re not crazy. This recipe does indeed only call for two forms of citrus. :-)

Perhaps it should read: The zest of one whole orange. and also not refer to triple uses of orange in the note beforehand.

I put an orange juice glaze on top rather than powdered sugar. Outstanding!

These were a hit with us. Liked the texture and flavors. I used an orange marm with ginger and also microplaned a candied ginger to boost further. Borrowed from another reviewer and added orange zest to crumble along with slivered almonds. Next time I will double marmalade for balance and flavor. Omitted sugar dusting and didn't miss it.

So, so good! Love the flavors of this cookie, and it's easy enough to make. No need for the juice (a misleading note in the intro); this is more like a shortbread type of cookie.

The three forms of citrus seems to be literary license, which is tough for literal bakers. There's no way to use the juice of the orange if you're zesting directly onto the finished product. That said, these turned out to be delicious. At my husband's suggestion, I drizzled a powdered sugar glaze instead of dusting. Less messy and equally tasty.

Guessing, though I'm not the recipe.developer, maybe mix the juice of the orange into the marmalade? Poor.editing job for sure though since the headnote mentions juice, but rhe directions don't. Sloppy.

The zest dries out: I totally agree with you.

My advice is to use the best bitter marmalade you can obtain. I used Stonewall Kitchens Three Fruit marmalade, although I’m certain any bitter orange marmalade would work. The result is outstanding. I’ve made this recipe twice in two days and have to give it away to avoid eating it all myself. This is my new favorite, and I have passed the link onto many cooks already.

Really enjoyed the texture and flavour. I added more flour to get the dough to spread more easily in the bottom of the pan.

Delicious! Best dessert I've baked in awhile. I did add fresh orange juice from into the marmalade to get the "3 forms of orange".

I baked these in a square baking pan and cut them into small triangles. The baking time was shorter, I did not keep track but took them out when they were quite browned already. I also increased the jam to 1 cup, otherwise they would be too dry for my taste. With these changes — fabulous.

Place on a high shelf in the oven so the bottom doesn’t get too overdone.Place on a high shelf for storage so they don’t get eaten before the day is out.

An interesting cookie, but I found it difficult to divide it up given the stickiness of the marmalade layer beside that problem these cookies were too sweet for my taste

These certainly lived up to the “crumble” aspect. They wouldn’t look at all festive on a cookie plate since the neat pointed wedges just didn’t happen. But they are very tasty with the orange spice flavor and nice for this time of year. I read the comments and used half a cup of marmalade and added 1/4 cup oats to the topping.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful notes - it gives confidence to something new. Very happy with the result. Took on board comments and 1) reduced sugar by one third, 2) added a tablespoon of Cointreau to the marmalade (no Grand Marnier) and 3) added orange zest and a quarter cup of rolled oats to the crumble, before the second bake. I used a 28cm by 18cm (11 x 7 inch) lamington tin, lined with baking paper and that worked fine. Will make again soon!

As "spice" season returns I whip on a scarf and gleefully revisit this recipe. I add slivered almonds to the topping as it adds a nice bonus crunch to the cookie and couldn't help but add a quick shake of cinnamon.

Yum

These are delicious. Unique, tasty, and a nice change from traditional cookies! I had to use a little extra splash of cream because it’s dry winter weather right now. It was nice to have a cookie recipe that does not require refrigerating dough or require a mixer.

These cookies were the creme de la creme of the 10 new recipes I tried for Christmas cookies this year. I added 1/4 t crushed anise seed as suggested; also added zest and a bit of candied ginger to the crumble. Made in an 8x8 pan. Out of this world delicious!!! Can't imagine another Christmas when I don't make these :)

I increased the whole recipe by 1.25 to fit my 9x9 square pan so I could make cute triangles and have a bit more of a shareable size for a cookie spread, and these were delicious. Love how the crust completely transforms in the form of a crumble on top because of the pressed vs. crumble and the different baking times. Great recipe. Might do more marmalade next time and play around with spices next time, maybe doing different jams in a different season.

These are so good! I'm not a great cook or baker and have several friends who are. We had a cooking baking party and these were a hit! I followed other notes and put the orange zest in the dough and nearly doubled the marmalade. A splash of Grand Marnier someone else commented on would be really good. I might slightly up the cloves and pepper amounts when I make this again to give it a little more of a kick or add ginger like someone else suggested.

I prepared these at an AirBnB, and packed everything but a springform pan. I substituted a glass 9x13 pan, and sliced the cookies into tiny diamonds. They came out very well! Thank you for such a lovely recipe.

Do you add the anise seed in place of cloves or in addition to the cloves? I enjoyed this cookie, but found the clove to be a little overpowering now that the cookie has sat for a day. I would like to try some of the variations that all you wonderful home have come up with!