Hibiscus Cookies

Name: Hibiscus Cookies
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup unsalted butter; 8 ounces cream cheese; 2 cups granulated sugar; 2 eggs, room temperature; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 ounce boiling water; 1 ounce hibiscus flowers; 1 cup confectioners sugar; 1 tablespoon lemon zest

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106Made this recipe

Serves: 30 cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes + resting time

Cook Time: 15 minutes

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About Hibiscus Cookies

Indulge your taste buds in a burst of floral delight with our Hibiscus Cookies recipe! A vibrantly hued, light, and moist cookie made with a cream cheese base and glazed with a bright pink hibiscus and lemon-zest royal icing. This unique treat offers a symphony of flavors, blending the earthy undertones of hibiscus with the buttery richness of the cookie dough. These cookies reflect the Kwanzaa principle of Kuumba (Creativity) with their beautiful, natural pink color and ingredients representing the African Diaspora.

Ingredients for Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter

8 ounces cream cheese

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Glaze

2 ounce boiling water

1 ounce hibiscus flowers

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preparation

01To make the cookies, preheat oven to 365 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, dry milk powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

02Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.

03Add sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix one more time to combine.

04Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix on low until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom and give the mixture one last mix. Cover cookie dough and chill for at least an hour.

05Portion 2 tablespoon pieces of dough and roll into balls. The dough will be sticky, so it's best to coat your hands with oil. Place cookies two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.

06To make the glaze, glace hibiscus flowers in a heat-proof bowl, pour hot boiled water over flowers, cover, and steep for 5 minutes before straining.

07Mix sugar, lemon zest, and hibiscus tea. (adjust glaze consistency by adding more tea if needed)

08Once cool, dunk cookies face first into glaze and place back on wire rack to set.