Orange Cookies

I've got to admit something, guys: I have a soft spot for citrus sweets. Whether you offer me lemon poppy seed cake or an orange creamsicle, I'll eat it. So of course when I saw this recipe for Orange Cookies from the new cookbook in the library, I knew I had to make it.

These are wonderful little cookies to eat after a meal. They're deliciously orangey and buttery. The cookies themselves are not overly sweet, and the glaze complements them perfectly. The recipe makes plenty of cookies to share, so they're perfect for big gatherings. Plus, making these will leave your kitchen smelling like oranges and lemons, and that's never a bad thing.



 

The cookies begin the way many, many good things begin: by creaming butter and sugar.

The cookie dough has to rest in the fridge for an hour or so, then is rolled into logs and rested again until firm enough to cut.

The logs were supposed to be circular, but mine ended up a little lopsided. Even if they didn't look like they were supposed to, they did taste good.

When you're rolling these out, make sure to use plenty of flour. I made the mistake of not using enough and it got pretty messy.

Aren't they cute little things? Just the right size for popping in your mouth.

Orange Cookies

taken from One Sweet Cookie: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes, by Tracey Zabar

makes approximately sixty-eighty cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

quarter-teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks (six ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 heaping tablespoon grated orange zest

Glaze:

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

quarter cup fresh orange juice, or as needed

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, orange juice, lemon juice, and zest. Beat to combine. Remove bowl from mixer and add flour mixture. Mix by hand just until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for 1 hour.

3. Roll dough into four logs (I made 3), about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10-12 inches long, on a well-floured surface. Chill or freeze logs, uncovered, until firm enough to cut without losing their shape. 

Four. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut logs into 1/2 inch rounds and place on pan about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cookies are golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

For glaze:

1. Sift the confectioner's sugar into a bowl and whisk in orange juice to make a smooth glaze.

2. Dip cooled cookies one at a time in glaze, which should form a thin layer. Add more confectioner's sugar or juice as needed. Let glazed cookie set on wired racks.

flowers from the farmer's market. so pretty i had to share.