These delicately flavored lilac orange sugar cookies will be a hit at your next tea party. Lilac, is available for a short time in May, but if you get your hands on it, make sugar, syrup, cordial, and whatever else you can think of because the scent is just too spectacular.
Shortbread or Sugar?
Most of my tea cookies are more of a shortbread with some added flavoring, but I tweaked an old sugar cookie recipe so it’s almost somewhere in between, but definitely has a little more sugar than your average shortbread cookie. The key here is the orange zest. Get a good juicy one that is sweet. I like to buy varieties of oranges and try them before choosing the one that goes into the cookie batter. I’ll never forget my mom zesting oranges into her signature sugar cookie growing up. We usually just refrigerated the dough to snack on, and never made the actual lilac orange sugar cookies!
In terms of sugar...
I got in a debate the other day with my grandma about powdered sugar verses regular sugar in sugar cookies. So we did a blind taste test with powdered sugar and regular sugar. They tasted very similar. After pouring through my vintage cookbooks comparing ingredient by ingredient, it turns out, there is really not much variation in cookie recipes. Baking is a science, and the ratios need to be correct in order to achieve a perfectly soft cookie. So stick to your favorite recipe- sugar or powdered, whatever you like! Or try my lilac infused sugar instead!
The orange and the lilac sugar combined in a cookie is delightful. And if you like lilac so much, you can make a sugar and sprinkle it on top along with some pressed lilac petals as a garnish. I love serving these on a vintage mirror tray and sipping on a tea delicate tea like chamomile or lemon balm and mint. Enjoy!
Lilac Orange Sugar Cookies
Soft, a little sweet, and melt in your mouth amazing soft sugar cookies. They are perfect for tea time with a sweet little flower garnish and some lilac sugar! Be sure to check out my lilac sugar to sprinkle on top!
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time10 min
- Total Time20 min
- Yield12
For the burger
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1/2 cup lilac sugar (if you don’t have any, use regular, it’s still amazing)
- 6 tablespoon vegan butter- earth balance
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons juice of an orange
- zest of one orange
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparing the spices
Cream butter and sugar with a handheld electric mixer. Add in vanilla extract
Sift dry ingredients together. Combine the butter and sugar with dry ingredients and add orange juice one tablespoon at a time until it’s not crumbly. If it is still crumbly, add a tablespoon of oat milk
Refrigerate for 30 minutes so it’s easier to roll out. Flour a surface and roll with a floured rolling pin. Use a cookie cutter of your choice. Sprinkle the cookies with lilac sugar, and a pressed lilac flower
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees
Sprinkle more lilac sugar or dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with lilac flowers and serve on a pretty vintage tray with tea.
