Description
Delight in the festive charm of Sugar Plum Fairy Cookies, featuring spiced orange sugar cookies filled with luscious plum jam and topped with a vibrant berry plum buttercream frosting. These cookies blend warm spices with fruity sweetness, perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Spiced Orange Sugar Cookies:
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ~1/4 cup (~70 g) plum jam, cold (Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Plum Jam recommended)
- 1/2 cup pink sparkling sugar
For the Berry Plum Buttercream Frosting:
- Heaping 1/2 cup (15 g) freeze dried berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or combination)
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (105 g) plum jam (Stonewall Kitchen Sugar Plum Jam recommended)
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- 3–4 tbsp (45–60 ml) heavy cream
- Pink sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg thoroughly. Set this spiced flour mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is very light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla bean paste, and orange zest on medium speed. Continue mixing for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the spiced flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until everything is combined. Avoid overmixing for tender cookies.
- Shape Cookies with Plum Jam Filling: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough balls. Flatten each dough ball and place 1/2 teaspoon of cold plum jam in the center. Carefully fold the dough around the jam, pinching it closed in an envelope shape and rolling it into a smooth ball so jam is enclosed without breaking through.
- Coat and Arrange: Roll each dough ball in pink sparkling sugar until evenly coated. Place dough balls on baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten and shape into circles without squeezing out any jam. Bake 6-8 cookies per tray.
- Bake and Cool: Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Berry Plum Buttercream Frosting: While cookies bake and cool, pulse freeze dried berries in a food processor until finely powdered. Sift through a fine sieve to remove seeds, leaving about 2 tablespoons of berry powder.
- Cream Butter and Salt: In a medium bowl, beat unsalted butter and salt with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Plum Jam and Berry Powder: Mix in the plum jam and berry powder until well incorporated.
- Add Sugar and Cream: Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed to whip until very light and fluffy.
- Pipe Frosting on Cookies: Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip (Wilton 2D recommended). Once cookies are fully cooled, pipe frosting onto the center of each cookie.
- Decorate and Serve: Sprinkle pink decorative sprinkles atop the frosting and serve your beautifully finished Sugar Plum Fairy Cookies.
Notes
- Ensure the plum jam is cold to prevent it from melting and leaking out during baking.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to maintain soft and tender cookies.
- Using an electric mixer helps achieve the light, fluffy texture essential for the cookie and frosting.
- Freeze-dried berries must be finely powdered and sifted to avoid seeds in the frosting.
- If unable to find vanilla bean paste, pure vanilla extract can be used as a substitute.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
