Orange Drop Cookies: Recipe and Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 2, 2022 • 2 min read
Add fresh orange flavor to orange drop cookies and the frosting or glaze on top. Incorporating orange juice or zest into the recipe adds a tangy sweetness to these cakey, buttery cookies.
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What Are Orange Drop Cookies?
Orange drop cookies are drop cookies flavored with fresh orange juice, orange zest, or both. To amplify the orange flavor, make an orange frosting or glaze to coat the cookies. Drop cookies involve “dropping” cookie dough from a spoon or cookie scoop onto a baking sheet, rather than rolling it out or cutting it into specific shapes, as you would with holiday sugar cookies. (Chocolate chip cookies are the most famous style of drop cookie.)
Most drop cookie recipes follow the creaming method of beating butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then incorporating eggs and flavorings followed by the dry ingredients. Some recipes use margarine instead of butter or add sour cream or cream cheese for a tender texture.
3 Mix-Ins for Orange Drop Cookies
Orange is a sweet and slightly tangy flavor that works with various other ingredients. These additions work especially well with the vitamin C–rich fruit:
- 1. Candied orange peel: Carefully peel the rind off an orange with a vegetable peeler and slice it into thin strips. Soak the orange rind strips in simple syrup (equal parts granulated sugar and water), then let the strips cool and dry on a wire rack. Chop up the candied orange peel and incorporate it into the cookie dough.
- 2. Chocolate chips: Add white chocolate chips to orange cookie dough for a creamsicle flavor. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate also pair well with the sweet citrus flavor of oranges.
- 3. Dried cranberries: Cranberry-orange is a classic flavor combination for muffins, quick bread, and desserts. Add whole dried cranberries or chop them into smaller pieces before adding them to the orange drop cookie dough.
Frosted Orange Drop Cookies Recipe
makes
24–30 cookiesprep time
15 mintotal time
30 mincook time
15 minIngredients
For the cookies:
For the frosting:
Make the cookies:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the bowl aside.
- 3
Crack the eggs into two separate small bowls. Set the bowl aside.
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.
- 5
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- 6
Add the vanilla extract and orange zest and beat until incorporated.
- 7
Remove the bowl from the mixer and incorporate the flour mixture using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- 8
Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop 12 cookies onto each baking sheet.
- 9
Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 12–15 minutes.
- 10
Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting and frost the cookies:
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, 5 minutes.
- 2
Add the powdered sugar and orange juice and beat until a smooth frosting forms, about 5 minutes.
- 3
If the frosting is too thick, add more orange juice.
- 4
Using a butter knife or spoon, spread the frosting over each cooled cookie.
- 5
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
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