Christmas Baking
Orange Thumbprint Cookies: Just 1 Egg, Oil and 1 Orange – No Butter, With a Silky Orange Filling
Soft orange thumbprint cookies made with oil, one egg and fresh orange, filled with a silky cooked orange filling.
NutritionApproximate, per serving
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C), conventional setting (no fan). In a bowl, whisk the whole egg briefly with the 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar.
Pour in the oil and add the grated zest of one orange. Mix well so the citrus aroma is released.
Squeeze the orange. Add exactly 3 tablespoons of the juice to the egg mixture and mix again.
Gradually add the flour mixed with the baking powder. Stir with a whisk first, then work it by hand into a smooth, soft dough that does not stick.
Pinch off small pieces of dough and shape them in your palms into small ovals, like leaves or little lemons. Press the top of each piece into a bowl of powdered sugar.
Place the cookies sugar side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press a deep well into the center of each cookie with the handle of a wooden spoon (a small boat shape).
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 18 minutes. Keep an eye on them: they should stay pale and only turn lightly golden.
While the cookies bake, make the filling. In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) orange juice, the water, 1 tablespoon sugar and the cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (like a thin pudding).
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, spoon the hot filling into the wells. Let them cool completely so the filling sets.
- Watch the baking time: Every oven bakes differently. Check the cookies after 15 minutes. If they are overbaked they turn hard. Properly baked cookies are delicate on the outside and soft inside once cooled.
- Use organic or well-scrubbed oranges: Because you use the zest, buy an organic (unwaxed) orange, or scrub it well with a brush under hot water with a little baking soda.