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Sugar cookies flavored with osmanthus flowers and frosted with osmanthus white chocolate glaze are so amazing. This is one of our kids’ favorite sugar cookies.
What are osmanthus flowers?
Osmanthus is a type of flowering plant known for its fragrant and aromatic flowers. The osmanthus flower belongs to the genus Osmanthus, which is part of the olive family (Oleaceae). These flowers are native to various regions in Asia, including China, Japan, and the Himalayas. Sweet osmanthus flowers are frequently used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines to flavor teas, desserts, and savory dishes.
Why you will love this recipe
1. Soft buttery sugar cookies: The sugar cookies in this recipe are a great canvas for you to put in your own flavor if you like.
2. Distinct osmanthus aroma: The cookies are infused with osmanthus flowers but the glaze also has osmanthus flowers in them.
3. The cookies kept well at room temperature for a week in an air-tight container
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Sugar
I use granulated sugar. You can also use caster sugar
2. Dried osmanthus flower
I can only get the dried version. If you use the fresh ones, you may only need half the amount (I”m not sure because I don’t have any fresh ones to experiment with)
3. Unsalted butter
Use high-quality unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe
4. Egg yolk
I don’t recommend any substitution for this in the recipe
5. All-purpose flour
Any wheat flour with medium-gluten content can be used here
6. Salt
I use fine sea salt in the recipe
7. White chocolate
Not all white chocolates are created equal. Use high-quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli, Callebaut, etc
8. Heavy cream
I use heavy whipping cream, which has between 36-40% of fat content for smooth texture. I don’t recommend half and half
9. Sour cream
I use whole-milk sour cream. You can also use whole-milk Greek yogurt if you must. This adds a slight tang, which goes well with the sweetness of the glaze
Osmanthus Sugar Cookies with Osmanthus Glaze
Ingredients
Osmanthus cookie dough:
- 200 g sugar
- 6 Tbsp dried osmanthus flower
- 227 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 284 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Osmanthus glaze:
- 140 g good-quality white chocolate
- 60 g heavy cream
- 30 g sour cream
- 2 Tbsp dried osmanthus flower
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough:
- Put the sugar and dried osmanthus flower in a food processor. Pulse it several times until the sugar is finer in texture and the flower is also smaller in size
- Put softened butter in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the sugar flower mixture and beat again over medium speed for another 3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed. Add egg yolk and salt and beat again until combined. Lastly, add the flour and beat on the lowest speed so the flour won't fly around. Beat until just combined. Do not over mix. Scrape the side of the bowl and use rubber spatula to combine the rest of the flour that wasn't mixed in earlier
- Transfer the dough to your countertop and shape it into a log, about 12-inch log. wrap it with a cling wrap and put it in the fridge to let it chill for about 2 hours to firm up. You can also prepare ahead up to this stage and keep it frozen in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake the cookies, let it sit at a counter top for few minutes to soften up a bit
Shaping:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Get the dough out from the fridge and use a knife to cut into about 1/4 inch (about 6 mm) in thickness
- Prepare 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, about 2-inches apart. So, roughly about 8 cookies per baking sheet
Baking:
- I highly recommend baking the cookies one pan at a time for the best result. Keep the rest chilled in the fridge while waiting
- Bake on the middle rack for 14-15 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown but the middle are still pale. DO NOT overbake the cookies
Cool down:
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down completely on the pan. They are fragile when they are still warm. Do not try to move them during this time
Osmanthus glaze:
- Put heavy cream and sour cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to almost boil, but don't let it boil. Turn off the heat and remove from the heat source. Add the osmanthus flower. Let it cool down for about 1 minute. Add the white chocolate and let them sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds. Then stir until the chocolate has all melted. Let the glaze cool down for 20 minutes before dipping the cookies in. Do not skip this step
Frost the cookies:
- Pick up one cookie and gently dip the top into the glaze to coat the top evenly. Place it on a wire rack with a baking pan lined with parchment paper at the bottom to catch some drips if any. Repeat with the rest of the cookies and glaze.
- Let the glaze set completely. It should be dry to touch. This may take couple of hours, depending on the humidity level too
Storing:
- Once the glaze has set completely, you can store them in an air-tight container for about 5 days
- The baked and glazed cookies can also be kept frozen for about one month. Simply transfer them to a freezer-friendly container with wax paper or parchment paper in between layers to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other
- Simply thaw at room temperature before serving
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
How to bake osmanthus cookies with osmanthus white chocolate glaze
1. Put the sugar and dried osmanthus flower in a food processor. Pulse it several times until the sugar is finer in texture and the flower is also smaller in size
2. Put softened butter in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for about 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Add the sugar flower mixture and beat again over medium speed for another 3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed. 
4. Add egg yolk and salt and beat again until combined. 
5. Lastly, add the flour and beat on the lowest speed so the flour won’t fly around. Beat until just combined. Do not over mix. 
6. Scrape the side of the bowl and use rubber spatula to combine the rest of the flour that wasn’t mixed in earlier
7. Transfer the dough to your countertop and shape it into a log, about 12-inch log. 
8. Wrap it with a cling wrap and put it in the fridge to let it chill for about 2 hours to firm up. You can also prepare ahead up to this stage and keep it frozen in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake the cookies, let it sit at a counter top for a few minutes to soften up a bit
9. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Get the dough out from the fridge and use a knife to cut into about 1/4 inch (about 6 mm) in thickness
10. Prepare 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, about 2-inches apart. So, roughly about 8-9 cookies per baking sheet. I highly recommend baking the cookies one pan at a time for the best result. Keep the rest chilled in the fridge while waiting
11. Bake on the middle rack for 14-15 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown but the middle are still pale. DO NOT overbake the cookies
12. Remove from the oven and let them cool down completely on the pan. They are fragile when they are still warm. Do not try to move them during this time
13. Put heavy cream and sour cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to almost boil, but don’t let it boil. Turn off the heat and remove from the heat source. Let it cool down for about 1 minute. 
14. Add the white chocolate and let them sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds. Then stir until the chocolate has all melted. 
15. Add the osmanthus flower. Let the glaze cool down for 20 minutes before dipping the cookies in. Do not skip this step
16. Pick up one cookie and gently dip the top into the glaze to coat the top evenly. 
17. Place it on a wire rack with a baking pan lined with parchment paper at the bottom to catch some drips if any. Repeat with the rest of the cookies and glaze. Let the glaze set completely. It should be dry to touch. This may take couple of hours, depending on the humidity level too
Did you make this osmanthus sugar cookies recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
