Orange Cookies

If you are a fan of citrus, then these Orange cookies are for you! They have a soft melt-in-your-mouth texture and a delicious fresh orange flavor. 

These are simple butter biscuits with a fantastic zing to them. They are simple to make yet deliver amazing zesty flavors. These cookies have orange zest, fresh orange juice, and orange extract to ensure you get a great orange flavor. They all add different levels of orangeness to the cookies. 

They make an excellent cookie for afternoon tea, and as there is no need to chill the cookie dough, you can eat the finished cookie in 30 minutes! 

Ingredients

• Salted butter: Salted butter balances the sweetness and brings out the orange flavors. Ensure your butter is at room temperature. You want to be able to push your finger into the butter with ease. See the recipe notes if you are using unsalted butter. 
• Granulated white sugar: Regular white sugar is perfect. We don't want superfine sugar; the granulated sugar helps the cookies have that balance of crisp and chew.
• Flour: Use All-purpose flour or Plain Flour for those not in the US.
• Baking soda: This gives the center of the cookies the lightness we want. Don't get it confused with baking powder.
• Egg: I use a large room temperature egg.
• Orange Zest and Juice: Zest the orange before you cut it, as it is tough to zest a cut orange. You won't need all of the orange juice. One-half of an orange will be more than enough. 
• Orange extract: This boosts the flavor and helps to bring out the natural citrus taste in the juice. You can buy orange extract in the baking section of larger grocery stores. A little goes a long way, so you'll get value for money.

The secret to a genuinely orange-tasting cookie

Pushing as much orange into the cookies with orange zest, fresh orange juice and orange extract adds a fresh bright zingy orange flavor to the cookies. And the three orange elements add different things to the flavor of these cookies.

The zest add that deep essential orange flavor.
The fresh juice adds a bright sweet orange flavor.
The extract adds the perfume and enhances the orange that is already there.

The three layers of orange really amp up the flavor of orange, but there is one last trick that adds extra depth to the cookies. Mix the orange zest with the sugar for several minutes before it is creamed with the butter. This helps the zest to release all the natural oils, and perfumes the sugar with orange; this carries through the entire biscuit and gives you a super orangy cookie.

Recipe Tips

• The dough doesn't need to be chilled; simply combine the ingredients and form balls. 
• To measure the dough, use a tablespoon. You will receive uniformly sized cookies that bake as per the recipe. 
• The cookies should be spread out across a lined baking sheet, so leave at least 3" between each. 
• I use the back of my cup measure to gently press the cookie dough balls into discs. 
• I use a baking sheet; this allows the cookies to spread smoothly without hitting an edge and creating a flat side. If you only have edged trays, you can use them upside down. 
• Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, which helps the cookies spread, so you end up with a thin cookie instead of a cakey cookie. Lightly spray the pan with oil to keep the paper from moving. 
• Set your oven to the standard bake setting; if using a fan oven, reduce the temperature by 20°C. 
• Don't overcook the cookies; they should start to turn slightly golden on the edges and look almost soft on the inside. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.

How to store orange cookies

The orange cookies can be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to three days. Or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to freeze orange cookies

The cookies can be kept for three months in the freezer. Then, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. To make defrosting the cookies simple, either individually wrap them in glad wrap or sandwich them with parchment paper before freezing.

If you make these Orange Cookies, don't forget to come back and comment. You can also tag me on social media.

Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.

Enjoy x

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