Description
These Orange Sugar Cookies are a delightful citrus-infused treat, featuring a soft, buttery dough flavored with fresh orange zest, orange juice, and a hint of lemon extract. Topped with a smooth, sweet orange glaze, these cookies are perfect for any occasion where you want a refreshing twist on a classic sugar cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Orange Icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 3 drops orange food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 5-7 minutes using a mixer. Then, beat in the egg, grated orange zest, orange juice, and lemon extract until fully incorporated.
- Add the Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, beating on low speed just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll out easily.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut the Cookies: Using a floured 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the rolled dough. Transfer the cookies to greased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden brown.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Icing: In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and 2% milk until smooth. Add the orange food coloring, if desired, to give the icing a vibrant color.
- Ice the Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cooled, pipe or spread the orange icing over each cookie. Let the icing set at room temperature until firm.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and egg are at room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Do not overmix the flour to avoid tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to make rolling easier.
- If you don’t have orange food coloring, the icing will still taste delicious without it.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: orange sugar cookies, citrus cookies, orange zest cookies, lemon extract cookies, glazed sugar cookies
