Hello Cookie: Orange Delight Cookies

Presenting batch number Two from the Hello Cookie Project, and, as before, it is from Anita Chu’s Field Guide to Cookies.

I’ll admit I was surprised at how these turned out, as I was expecting something thin and crisp, but ended up with a thicker, sponge-y cookie that is very like a jaffa cake. Not sure if this is how they are supposed to be, but they are very delicious with the tangy sweetness of frosting. Must have frosting, they are a bit plain without.

I used a rather green-looking orange, as the supermarket only had either green-tinged Australian Valencia oranges or Californian Navels. I chose the Valencias mainly because I wanted to buy local, and it was surprisingly bright orange inside, sweet and full of juice. One large orange provided enough zest and juice for the recipe.

And make sure the dough mixture is placed well apart on the baking sheet, as the cookies do spread when they are baked.

So, here they are:

Orange Delight Cookies

Makes about 50

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup (151g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tblsp orange zest
½ cup orange juice

Orange frosting
2 ½ tblsp unsalted butter
1 ½ cups confectioner’s (icing) sugar
2 tblsp orange zest
1 ½ to 2 tblsp orange juice

Method

Preheat oven to 400 deg F / 200 deg C

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add egg and orange zest and mix until combined.

Mix in flour mixture and orange juice in 3 additions, alternating flour and juice.

Drop teaspoons of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet at least 2 ½ inches (10 cm) apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes in oven, until golden brown.

Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

For the orange frosting: Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add orange zest and juice and mix until smooth. Spread frosting on cooled cookies.

Ingredients; juicy Valencia orange

Cream butter and sugar; unadorned cookies - need frosting!


Frosted cookies, yum!