Cookie Jar: Orange Slices

I am candy-d out!  I think I overdid the Easter candy.  I figured it would be a full year before I saw one of my most favorite candies (Cadbury creme eggs) in the stores again, so I bought a bunch and ate my fill.  I went to three different Longs Drugs stores on the island to seek out their supply of creme eggs.  I just cannot get enough of those creme eggs!  The Ds like chocolate too, but neither of them will touch the creme egg (yay!  More for me).  D1 cannot get enough of those mini eggs.  D2 likes the Nestle Crunch eggs.  Nobody here is into Peeps, so I'm not sad to see those leave the shelves, but Cadbury chocolates will be sorely missed. 

As I was saying, I think I over-indulged in candy this year.  I still have some left,  but I'm in rationing mode.  Maybe a lesser person would feel like tapering off the sugar, but I'm all psyched up.  I want more sugar. . .but in a different form.  I want cookies, and I want cookies NOW!  I was planning to make the standard (chocolate chip cookies) but I'm kinda tired of chocolate (duuuhhhhhh. . .I wonder why).  Instead I will be making these orange cookies, thanks to Mr. Dependable's prolific navel orange tree.

These orange cookies are a cross between a shortbread and an icebox (known as ice cream cookies here) cookie.  Like a shortbread cookie, this cookie contains no egg.  And like an ice box cookie, the dough needs to be chilled prior to shaping.  For those who like precision cookies, roll out the dough and cut with a round cookie cutter.  If you're not so concerned with nice, manicured edges, shape the dough into a log and cut into slices when chilled thoroughly.  The cookies in the picture were made using the rolling technique. . .I wasn't as desperate to eat cookies then.

And no matter how lazy you are, don't forget the icing!  The icing is yet another way to pump up the orange flavor.  If you prefer crunchy cookies, as tempted as you might be to heavily ice the cookies, keep in mind that the more icing you use, the less crisp your cookie will be.  Lines of icing dry a whole lot faster than solid patches of icing.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Orange Slices

     3/4 c butter, softened

     1/2 c sugar

     1/2 c powdered sugar

     2 tbsp orange juice

     1/4 tsp vanilla extract

     1/4 tsp orange extract

     orange food coloring (optional)

     2 c flour

     1/4 tsp baking powder

     1/4 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugars.  Add in orange juice, extracts and food coloring.  Mix until well blended.  Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt, and combine with butter mixture.  Proceed with 1 of the following shaping techniques:

• Chill dough until cool enough to handle.  Roll out to 1/4" and cut with 2 1/2" circle cutter.  Cut each circle in half and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

• Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 6" long cylinder.  Chill overnight.  Slice 1/4" and then slice each circle in half.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  

Bake for 11 minutes (bake for 12 minutes if using Airbake cookie sheets).  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate with Orange Royal Icing when cool.

Orange Royal Icing

     1/2 c powdered sugar

     1 tsp meringue powder

     2 1/4 tsp warm water

     1/4 tsp orange extract

     orange food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small, deep bowl.  Beat for 7-9 minutes with electric hand mixer.  Fill pastry bag fitted with #2 round tip.  Decorate cookies.

I am candy-d out!  I think I overdid the Easter candy.  I figured it would be a full year before I saw one of my most favorite candies (Cadbury creme eggs) in the stores again, so I bought a bunch and ate my fill.  I went to three different Longs Drugs stores on the island to seek out their supply of creme eggs.  I just cannot get enough of those creme eggs!  The Ds like chocolate too, but neither of them will touch the creme egg (yay!  More for me).  D1 cannot get enough of those mini eggs.  D2 likes the Nestle Crunch eggs.  Nobody here is into Peeps, so I'm not sad to see those leave the shelves, but Cadbury chocolates will be sorely missed. 

As I was saying, I think I over-indulged in candy this year.  I still have some left,  but I'm in rationing mode.  Maybe a lesser person would feel like tapering off the sugar, but I'm all psyched up.  I want more sugar. . .but in a different form.  I want cookies, and I want cookies NOW!  I was planning to make the standard (chocolate chip cookies) but I'm kinda tired of chocolate (duuuhhhhhh. . .I wonder why).  Instead I will be making these orange cookies, thanks to Mr. Dependable's prolific navel orange tree.

These orange cookies are a cross between a shortbread and an icebox (known as ice cream cookies here) cookie.  Like a shortbread cookie, this cookie contains no egg.  And like an ice box cookie, the dough needs to be chilled prior to shaping.  For those who like precision cookies, roll out the dough and cut with a round cookie cutter.  If you're not so concerned with nice, manicured edges, shape the dough into a log and cut into slices when chilled thoroughly.  The cookies in the picture were made using the rolling technique. . .I wasn't as desperate to eat cookies then.

And no matter how lazy you are, don't forget the icing!  The icing is yet another way to pump up the orange flavor.  If you prefer crunchy cookies, as tempted as you might be to heavily ice the cookies, keep in mind that the more icing you use, the less crisp your cookie will be.  Lines of icing dry a whole lot faster than solid patches of icing.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Orange Slices

     3/4 c butter, softened

     1/2 c sugar

     1/2 c powdered sugar

     2 tbsp orange juice

     1/4 tsp vanilla extract

     1/4 tsp orange extract

     orange food coloring (optional)

     2 c flour

     1/4 tsp baking powder

     1/4 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugars.  Add in orange juice, extracts and food coloring.  Mix until well blended.  Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt, and combine with butter mixture.  Proceed with 1 of the following shaping techniques:

• Chill dough until cool enough to handle.  Roll out to 1/4" and cut with 2 1/2" circle cutter.  Cut each circle in half and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

• Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 6" long cylinder.  Chill overnight.  Slice 1/4" and then slice each circle in half.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  

Bake for 11 minutes (bake for 12 minutes if using Airbake cookie sheets).  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate with Orange Royal Icing when cool.

Orange Royal Icing

     1/2 c powdered sugar

     1 tsp meringue powder

     2 1/4 tsp warm water

     1/4 tsp orange extract

     orange food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small, deep bowl.  Beat for 7-9 minutes with electric hand mixer.  Fill pastry bag fitted with #2 round tip.  Decorate cookies.