Filled with bright citrus flavor, these Orange Cookies are a delightful dessert everyone will love. Perfect for any occasion, these soft and fluffy cookies will melt in your mouth.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, and beat until well combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the orange juice until fully combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon balls onto the cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 minutes, or the centers appear dry and feel firm to the touch. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, zest, juice, and melted butter until smooth. Spread the glaze over the top of each cookie. Let cookies stand until the glaze is set, about 20 minutes.
Notes
Rub the orange zest and the sugar together with your fingers for stronger orange flavors. This allows the zest (and its oils) to absorb more into the sugar for more flavor.
I highly recommend using a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop ensures that all the orange cookies are the same size so that they bake evenly. If you bake cookies regularly, it’s worth purchasing!
Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other. Place your egg into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes.
Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge beforehand.
Adding too much flour will lead to the cookies being dense. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.