Clementine Sugar Cookies

This cookie recipe is based on Pinch My Salt's Lemon Sugar Cookies and a variation using limes. Being that it's Christmas and we have a crate of clementines sitting here, I wanted to try out this flavor in a sugar cookie. The cookies are sweet, light and a bit flaky, not chewy and dense like many commercial sugar cookies I've had. They are pretty tasty! This is my first attempt and while it's no kitchen disaster, it's definitely a work in progress. The clementine taste is very mild. I want to work on another batch and try to make it more prominent. Also, I tried a batch on an ungreased cookie sheet (cookies on the left in the photo) and found that the bottoms stuck to the cookie sheet. Lightly greasing (cookies on the right in the photo) was definitely the way to go, making a bit more of a crispy cookie that held together well. They look a little burned in the photo, but they weren't - just brown around the edges from the butter. Next time I'll bake them a minute or so less.

Clementine Sugar Cookies
Small batch that makes about 24 cookies. May be doubled.

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup
Zest of 2 clementines, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of 2 clementines (a bit less than 1/4 cup)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Prepare clemintine sugar: In a food processor, blend ½ cup sugar with the zest of one clementine and 1/4 teaspoon clementine juice (just a few drops.) Pulse several times until the zest is incorporated into the sugar. Put sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and stir lightly with a fork to break up any clumps. Set aside.

Prepare cookie dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Blend in beaten egg, vanilla, clementine juice, and remaining clementine zest. Add flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time until all flour is incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape about one tablespoonful of dough into a ball and roll in clementine sugar. Place on lightly greased non-stick cookie sheet and press down lightly on the ball of dough with the bottom of the glass until cookie is about 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick. Repeat.

Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes.

Notes: I rolled all the dough balls in sugar before I pressed them into cookies so that I could sprinkle a litle of the remaining clementine sugar on some of the cookies before I baked them. I don't recommend this, as it does not bake into the cookie. It flakes off and makes quite a mess.