Description
These Orange Cookies are soft, cake-like cookies bursting with fresh citrus flavor and topped with a luscious orange icing. With both zest and juice in the dough and icing, these cookies deliver a bright, sweet-tart taste that’s perfect for any occasion. Their tender chew and vibrant glaze make them a standout treat for citrus lovers.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Icing Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 4–5 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed to thin
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Infuse Sugar: In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix together the granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons orange zest, massaging the oils from the zest into the sugar to intensify the orange flavor.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Place the softened butter and orange-infused sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, fluffy, and creamy.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Mix Dough: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then add half of the buttermilk and orange juice. Add the remaining flour mixture, then finish with the remaining buttermilk and orange juice, mixing just until combined. The dough will be very soft.
- Scoop Dough: Using a cookie scoop or teaspoons, drop scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the tops are set and appear dry. The bottoms should be barely golden to keep the cookies soft.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Icing: Beat together the powdered sugar, melted butter, orange zest, and enough heavy cream (4-5 tablespoons) to reach a spreading consistency, until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost Cookies: Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the icing over the tops of the cooled cookies. The frosting will set after 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- Storage: Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Frosted cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container, stacking with parchment paper between layers. Icing will crust slightly, but may smudge if stacked.
- Creaming butter, eggs, and sugar thoroughly creates a chewy texture. Don’t skip this step!
- The dough will be very soft, but cookies will hold their shape during baking.
- Avoid overbaking to keep cookies moist and cake-like; bottoms should be barely golden.
- Massaging orange zest into the sugar intensifies the orange flavor—don’t skip this tip!
- When zesting, avoid the bitter white pith by only zesting the orange part of the peel.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 107 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 32 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
