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–+ servings
Front close up of Orange Cookies, a bite taken from one.
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Created by: Stefanie

Orange Cookies


Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
38
Our orange cookies are a simple recipe made with basic ingredients. They have a slightly chewy and cake-like consistency, and are packed with orange flavors from fresh fruit. So delicious topped with a fluffy orange glaze.
38

Ingredients

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup orange juice

ICING INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 4-5 tablespoons heavy cream as needed to thin

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix together the sugar and orange zest, massaging the oils from the zest into the sugar granules.
  • Place the softened butter and orange sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes more, on high speed, until the mixture pales in color and is fluffy and creamy.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
  • Add part of the buttermilk and orange juice, followed by the remaining flour mixture, and then the remaining liquids. Beat just until combined. The dough will be very soft.
  • Scoop using a cookie scoop or teaspoons and place scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, until the tops are set and appear dry on top.
  • Cool for several minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Beat together frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
  • Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies. Frosting will set after 10-15 minutes.

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Notes


STORAGE:
Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.  Frosted cookies can be stored on the countertop in an airtight container, stacked with sheets of parchment paper between.  Frosting will crust over slightly, but will not stay neat if cookies are stacked.
NOTES:
Creaming the butter, eggs, and sugar well is what makes chewy cookies. Even though the dough is ultra soft, they will still hold their shape. 
Avoid overbaking the cookies. The bottoms should be barely golden. If baked too long they will be dry. They are best with a soft, cake-like consistency with a bit of chew.
Using your fingers to massage the orange zest into the sugar is my favorite trick to really infuse the intense orange flavor in. Try it! It makes a huge difference in contrast with simply adding the sugar and orange zest to recipe.
To zest an orange, use a microplane grater or box grater. Rotate the orange on the grater to zest off all of the orange bits; just be sure not to grate the white part. The rind is bitter. 

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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