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Orange Sugar Cookies Recipe

5 from 72 reviews

Delight your taste buds with these refreshing Orange Sugar Cookies, combining the zesty brightness of orange zest and juice with a soft, buttery base. Perfectly sweet and tender, these cookies are finished with a smooth orange-flavored icing that adds a beautiful citrusy glaze, ideal for any occasion or a simple homemade treat.

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

  1. Make the Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy, this should take about 5-7 minutes. Next, beat in the egg, grated orange zest, fresh orange juice, and lemon extract until fully combined.
  2. Add Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour on a low speed to your creamed mixture, mixing until just combined to form the cookie dough.
  3. Chill Dough: Divide the dough evenly in half, shaping each portion into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until the dough is firm enough to roll out.
  4. Preheat Oven and Roll Dough: Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough disk to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Use a floured 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out shapes.
  5. Bake Cookies: Arrange the cut cookies on greased baking sheets leaving about 1 inch between each. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn light brown.
  6. Cool Cookies: Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and transfer them onto wire racks to cool completely before icing.
  7. Prepare Icing: In a small bowl, blend confectioners’ sugar, 2% milk, and optional orange food coloring until smooth and the desired consistency is reached.
  8. Ice the Cookies: Spread or pipe the icing over the cooled cookies and let them sit until the icing is fully set. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • For best flavor, use fresh orange juice and freshly grated zest.
  • To keep cookies soft, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Adjust the amount of milk in the icing to achieve your preferred consistency.
  • Cookies can be frozen before baking; thaw in refrigerator before rolling and cutting.

Keywords: orange sugar cookies, citrus cookies, homemade sugar cookies, orange zest cookies, lemon extract cookies, iced cookies