Orange drop cookies with orange butter icing are a delicious, easy vintage cookie recipe.
orange drop cookies
I adapted this orange drop cookies recipe from my (or, my mom's) beloved 1963 copy of Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. I LOVE vintage cookie recipes.
These cookies are soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
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how to make orange drop cookies
you will need:
BUTTER
While the standard is to use unsalted butter when baking, I personally prefer salted. I feel it gives an extra depth to the cookies.
I suggest European-style butter, or for a less expensive option, try the Land O' Lakes butter.
SUGAR
You'll need some good old-fashioned granulated sugar.
EGG
Use one large egg for this recipe.
ORANGE JUICE
You may squeeze the juice fresh from oranges, but you'll need quite a few. I purchased a carton of orange juice. (Bonus, fortified with calcium, so these are healthy, right?)
ORANGE ZEST
Depending on the size of your oranges, you'll likely need 2 oranges for the rind you'll need for the cookies and the icing.
how do you zest an orange?
I prefer to use a zester that doesn't grate the rind finely, but has larger holes. HERE is a ZESTER example.
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- Preferably unbleached flour. Chemicals used in bleached flour produce a softer, less-dense texture. Unbleached flour is denser and more structured and can hold up your baked goods better.
- That said, both work!
BAKING SODA
Baking soda helps the cookies rise and prevents the cookies from tasting too “cakey.”
BAKING POWDER
Baking powder adds carbon dioxide to encourage the cookies to rise up and out.
SALT
Never forget your salt in cookies! You will notice. Salt keeps away the bland.
CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR
The confectioner's sugar, also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, is for the orange butter icing.
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED
- parchment paper
- hand mixer or standing mixer
- cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size)
let's make cookies!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a few baking trays with parchment paper.
step one: cream your butter and sugar
Place ⅔ cup butter (155 grams, 5.5 ounces, OR about 10 ⅔ tablespoons) in a bowl if you're using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the flat beater.
The butter should be slightly softened but still cold.
Cream the butter briefly. Beat in ¾ cup (155 grams, 5.5 ounces) sugar.
Mix in 1 egg, ½ cup (4 ounces) orange juice, and 2 tablespoons orange zest.
step two: add in the dry ingredients
In a bowl, place 2 cups of flour (10.7 ounces, 302 grams). Stir briefly with a whisk.
Stir in ½ teaspoon EACH of salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Gradually stir into the wet mixture.
step three: bake your cookies
I used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop for even cookies.
Scoop a FLAT tablespoon onto the baking sheet. Space cookies 2-inches apart. You will get 12 cookies per baking sheet. Use cool sheets each time. Do not scoop the dough onto a baking tray that has been in the oven.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, keeping the dough in the refrigerator in between batches.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookie edges are golden brown.
Let cool. You should have about 46 cookies.
step four: ice your cookies
In a bowl with a hand mixer or in your standing mixer, beat 2 ½ tablespoons (33 grams or 1.2 ounces) of slightly softened butter.
Add in 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar (182 grams or 6.4 ounces), 1 ½ tablespoons orange juice, and 2 teaspoons orange rind.
If icing is too thick, add additional orange juice.
When cookies have cooled, spread a small dollop of icing on each cookie.
orange drop cookies
Amazing orange drop cookies are buttery, delicious, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cups slightly-softened butter (155 grams, 5.5 ounces, OR 10 ⅔ tablespoons)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (155 grams, 5.5 ounces)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (4 ounces) orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (302 grams, 10.7 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- for icing:
- 2 ½ tablespoons slightly softened butter (33 grams, 1.2 ounces)
- 1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar (182 grams, 6.4 ounces)
- 1 ½ tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a few baking trays with parchment paper.
Place butter in a bowl if you're using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the flat beater. The butter should be slightly softened but still cold.
Cream the butter briefly. Beat in sugar.
Blend in the egg, orange juice, and zest.
Place the flour in a bowl. Stir briefly with a whisk.
Whisk in the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Gradually spoon into the wet mixture, blending well.
I used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop for even cookies.
Scoop a FLAT tablespoon-ful of dough onto the baking sheet. (A scoop is handy for this.)
Space cookies 2-inches apart. You will get 12 cookies per baking sheet.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, keeping the dough in the refrigerator in between batches.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookie edges are golden brown.
Let cool. You should have about 46 cookies.
In a bowl with a hand mixer or in your standing mixer, beat the butter for the icing. Blend in the remaining ingredients.
If icing is too thick, add additional orange juice.
When cookies have cooled, spread a small dollop of icing on each cookie.
Notes
--Bake one tray at a time (do NOT use trays that have been in the oven)
--I prefer baking with salted butter.
--I use a standing mixer to make cookies.
--A one-tablespoon scoop is great for uniform-sized cookies.
--If dough is too soft, chill in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
46Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 79Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 72mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
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Did you make this recipe and think it was great or do have any questions? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe using stars (5 stars means you love it!)
Emily
can these be made ahead of time or frozen?
Meaghan Mountford
Hi Emily! I would let the icing firm to the touch (several hours to overnight) and then freeze in a gallon-size freezer Ziploc in a single layer. When ready, let thaw at room temperature IN the ziplocs before opening. I wouldn't freeze longer than 3 months.