Blood Orange Crinkles

Blood oranges are truly one of the most visually alluring fruits around, IMHO, but unquestionably the most visually alluring in the citrus family. The flesh is a purply crimson — a color seemingly like no other. But even the rind is gorgeous: orange with patches of faded pinky-red. Although they’ve been around since the 18th century, there is something distinctly 21st century about blood oranges, particularly when it comes to baking. And when you rub a bit of their zest into the sugar of your crinkle cookie dough (and squeeze a bit of their juice in, for good measure) the result is one of the most exciting-looking (and tasting) crinkle cookies making the holiday rounds.

I mean a crinkle cookie is always kind of a showstopper, what with its deep crevices surrounded by bright white, cloud-like, patches of confectioners’ sugar. But these blood orange crinkle cookies are like no other, with soft, chewy middles, crispy edges, and the tastiest and brightest of orange flavors.

If blood oranges aren’t in season when you make your crinkles (and so are not super flavorful), don’t fret. A little orange extract will go a long way in helping to boost their citrus flavor in the most natural-tasting of ways. A drop or two of orange food coloring (or a mix of yellow and red) is also nice to help punch home the blood orange’s unique color. All the cool cats roll their crinkles in granulated sugar, before they roll them in confectioners’ sugar pre-bake (in case you did not know). This step helps the confectioners’ sugar adhere to the cookie instead of melting into the dough. But because this is a 21st-century crinkle cookie, we don’t settle for a roll in plain ol’ granulated sugar. Instead, we roll them in red and orange sanding sugar, producing a crinkle in (a very modern) time.

Before you preheat the oven, gear up with these cookie-making essentials.

• The Sheet Pan Every Kitchn Editor Owns: This sturdy, won’t-ever-warp pan is great for cranking out a ton of picture-perfect sweets. Bonus: It comes in great colors, which makes baking even more fun.
• Our Tried-and-Tested Favorite Cooling Rack: We love these racks for their criss-cross design, which adds stability, makes sure your precious treats won’t slip though, and prevents the rack from wobbling or warping.
• The Little Spatula That Every Baker Needs: This thin-but-sturdy spatula is great for gently loosening your cookies from the pan and transferring them to the cooling rack. It’s particularly handy for moving small or delicate treats.