Monday, December 14, 2009

11 Days 'till Christmas - Orange Cookies!

Orange Cookies
This is definitely my family's number one favorite cookie. This is a soft, cake cookie with the perfect orange flavor. The orange icing is the best!

Orange Cookies
adapted from an old family recipe
makes about 5 dozen cookies

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup orange juice


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Combine buttermilk and orange juice in a 2-cup measuring cup. Cream the butter and sugar, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl as needed. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures starting and ending with the flour mixture. Drop by tablespoons or by a cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are just beginning to brown. Cool completely before topping with orange icing (recipe follows).

Orange Icing

3 tablespoons butter
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar (1 pound box)
4 to 5 tablespoons orange juice (approximately)
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
a pinch of salt

Cream butter, orange zest and salt in a bowl with an electric stand or hand mixer. Add sugar gradually, alternating with enough orange juice to make frosting the right consistency for spreading.

14 comments:

  1. my husband would love these - he loves orange anything. If I decide to make any more cookies this year, these will be it! They might have to wait until january though

    p.s. i just read your previous post and you are from Pittsburgh? I am originally from pittsburgh, but moved to michigan a little over a year ago. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can do these without a lesson!!!!!! Yeah!!!! Can't wait to try them....I looooove orange or lemon cookies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. These look and sound delicious! Thanks for sharing your family recipe...those are always the best!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh those look good and make me so nostalgic! My grandma used to make a yummy orange cookie at Christmas time when I was growing up - they were my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Greetings from Switzerland! I followed the recipe and the result was fantastic! These cookies are this year's new addition to my collection. Thank you very much and have a great Holiday Season!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I bet your house smells so good. These look like a great addition to a Christmas tray, can't wait to make these.
    mickey

    ReplyDelete
  7. These cookies look so classic! I'm sure we'd love them at this house! Delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These look light and delicious. Your blog is like a brand-new recipe box, already filled! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can imagine these would taste wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yum, what a deliciously flavored cookie.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I just love anything baked that has orange in it! Your cookies look wonderful....especially with that frosting! YUM!

    Happy Sunday!
    ~avril :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Can't wait to make these. I have lost a family recipe and these sound just what I am looking for. Can't wait until tomorrow when I will try these out! Yummy!!!

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Widget for Blogs by LinkWithin