My children are thankfully not picky eaters. They enjoy every meal I prepare, even the more adventurous dishes. My daughter, for example, loves mushrooms and onions — that’s my girl. While there are a few vegetables they don’t favor, they do love fruit, and their current favorite is Cuties clementines. To them they’re like candy: one rarely satisfies, and I don’t mind because Cuties are a healthy snack for growing kids.
Cuties clementines are a seasonal favorite in many households. Their easy-to-peel skin and cheerful little stickers make them a hit with kids and adults alike. When I bring a box home, they’re usually gone within a couple of days, which is fine because Cuties are widely available this time of year. With a name like Cuties, who wouldn’t smile? Here are a few reasons we keep coming back to these mandarins:
- 100% natural and GMO-free
- Low in calories and sugar
- Packed with vitamin C and potassium
- Seedless and easy to peel
Cuties sent a box of sweet California clementines to my door, and my kids were thrilled. I had a cookie recipe in mind for the holidays that highlighted Cuties. I adapted a gluten-free vegan clementine sugar cookie and dipped each cookie in dark chocolate. The combination of rich chocolate and bright orange flavor is irresistible. Below is the recipe so you can enjoy these gluten-free treats too. Thank you, Cuties!
- 2 1/3 cups Sarah’s gluten-free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Cuties clementine juice
- 1 teaspoon Cuties clementine zest
- 1 teaspoon pure orange extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour blend, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, melted coconut oil, coconut milk, clementine juice, clementine zest, orange extract, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to chill slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Flatten each ball slightly with the bottom of a glass or with your fingers; these cookies won’t spread much during baking.
- Bake for 8–9 minutes. Do not overbake, as they will not brown significantly. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, melt the chocolate. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on low in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth and fully melted.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate. Place cookies on parchment paper to set, or chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until the chocolate hardens. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Cuties provided two VIP Cuties coupons for a giveaway. To enter, readers were asked to tell what their favorite holiday cookie is and could earn extra entries through social actions. The giveaway period has ended and winners have been chosen. Thank you to everyone who entered, and happy baking!