A Sweet Twist on the Classic That Will Become A New Tradition In Your Holiday Treat Box
The holiday season is my favorite time of the year — a time to celebrate with family, friends, and neighbors, and of course, bake! One of my traditions is bringing joy to those around me with homemade holiday treat boxes filled with all sorts of goodies. My go-to treats usually include traditional fudge, peppermint chocolate cookies, and, of course, a seasonal version of the classic sugar cookie. This year, I’ve decided to try something a little different and share these Orange Toffee Sugar Cookies — a sweet twist on the traditional sugar cookie that combines some of my favorite flavors.
I absolutely love the way these cookies come together, with a sweet, chewy base, and a light toffee glaze that adds the perfect finishing touch. I chose to make these gluten free, but you can adjust the same recipe and use generic flour. Let’s jump into the recipe and you’ll see just how easy it is to make these new favorite cookies!
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup organic white sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 drops of English Toffee Sweet Drops
- Pinch of salt
- 1 3/4 cups flour (I used BOB’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour)
- 2 tbsp eggnog
For the Glaze:
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 of an orange juiced
- 3 tbsp eggnog
- 5 drops of English Toffee Sweet Drops
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get things started.
Step 2: Make the Dough
Start by combining the room-temperature 1/2 C butter (I used unsalted Kerrygold) and 1 C organic cane sugar in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip them together until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the 1 1/2 t vanilla extract, English Toffee Sweet Drops, and the egg. Whisk them together until smooth. The drops really are the key to a perfect cookie. You can always sub with 1 T of maple syrup, and the zest of 1 orange. Which I have done in the past.
Step 4: Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
Slowly add the wet mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, then begin mixing in the 1 3/4 C flour. For this recipe I used the Gluten Free BOBS 1 to 1 Flour. This is a brand that easily replaces regular flour with the same measurement of gluten free flour. I had it on hand, and it baked really great. Be patient here, adding the flour gradually until the dough starts coming together. If the dough is a bit dry or crumbly, add eggnog until combined (I used 2T because I live at a high altitude, which can make cookie dough drier).
Step 5: Refrigerate the Dough
Once the dough is fully combined, cover it and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you can wait that long. Note: I made the mistake and didn’t cover my dough properly, which caused it to the outside to dry out a bit. Make sure it’s covered so it stays nice and soft for rolling!
Step 6: Roll Out and Shape the Cookies
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the to 350F. Dust your surface with the flour you chose for the recipe. Roll out your dough to your preferred thickness — I like mine on the thicker side, but it’s up to you. Since I’m at high altitude, and baked my thicker cookies these baked for 14 minutes, but start checking your cookies around 10 minutes to ensure they don’t over-bake. This recipe makes about two sheet pans of cookies.
Note: While the first batch was baking, I decided to refrigerate the 2nd batch of cookies, which caused 1/2 of those to melt and burn. Make sure you bake the first batch, and once the second batch is ready go straight into the oven (don’t chill).
Note: I always bake on these nonstick baking sheets to ensure easy no break cookies.
Step 7: Make the Glaze
While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze. Combine 1 3/4 C powdered sugar, the juice of half an orange, 5 English Toffee Sweet Drops, and enough eggnog to form a smooth consistency. Then place the mixture in a saucepan and heat it gently, stirring until the powdered sugar dissolves. Be sure there are no lumps! If the glaze becomes too runny, simply add more powdered sugar until it reaches a syrup-like texture. Feel free to add in food coloring to this recipe.
Step 8: Glaze the Cookies
Once your cookies are out of the oven and have cooled for about 5 minutes, dip them into the glaze, making sure each cookie is nicely coated. Allow the glaze to set as you continue dipping the rest of the cookies.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t skip the refrigeration step! Letting the dough chill for at least an hour (or overnight) is key to getting the right texture and preventing spreading during baking.
- If you’re in a high-altitude area like me, be mindful that dough may need a little extra moisture (eggnog is perfect for this). Adjust cook time based on your environment.
- If your glaze seems too thin or too thick, adjust by adding either more powdered sugar or eggnog until it reaches the right syrup-like consistency.
- I made the glaze in a stainless steel pan, and had no issue with cleaning. Make sure to heat a bit before adding in the ingredients.
- Cookie stamps don’t seem to work well for these, but cookie cutters (making a shape) have been excellent.
- Other ideas to try: Orange zest, Orange Extract (I’ve used orange essential oils but it did have an odd flavor), Swap out the orange, and use Vanilla Bean.
- I do EVERYTHING by sight. But so many people ask for my recipes, and I try my best to write them down as I go. Make sure if your recipe doesn’t look right (too crumbly, too wet, not incorporated) adjust.
- These cookies I made gluten-free. And were delicious! If you are using regular flour the bake time may need to be adjusted.
These Orange Toffee Sugar Cookies are the perfect blend of cozy holiday flavors and buttery sweetness. They’re a great addition to any holiday treat box, and I know your friends, family, and neighbors will appreciate the extra touch of love in each bite. Enjoy baking, and I hope these cookies bring as much joy to your holiday season as they’ve brought to mine!
Happy Holidays!
For more ideas to fill your holiday treat boxes check out my traditional fudge recipe.