Italian Orange Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN ALMOND-ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix egg whites, sugar, orange zest and honey with a whisk until smooth.
• Add the almond flour and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until moist and all of the dry ingredients are absorbed into the wet and combined.
• Cover and refrigerate for one hour and as long as 24 hours. I made my dough the night before then baked the next morning.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F with two racks in top two positions.
• Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
• Roll the dough on your counter with your hands into a fat log and cut it into two equal pieces.
• Roll each piece out into logs and cut in half then each piece in half again. Then cut each piece into three. This will give you 24 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball then roll in the powdered sugar then onto the cookie sheets, 12 per tray.
• Bake both together for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pans half way through.
• The cookies are done when they start to crackle and flatten out and are slightly browned on the bottom. The centers will be very soft so don't go by the feel of the cookie and don't lift off the cookie sheet yet.
• As they cool on the cookie sheet, they stiffen up and have a crisp outside and a chewy center.
• Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

ITALIAN ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cream the shortening then beat in the juice, sugar, orange extract and orange zest (mixture will appear curdled) until well combined. Blend in the eggs and beat well.
• Mix in all of the baking powder and flour, 1 cup at a time, blending well. Once you've added 6 cups of flour, add the remaining flour just until mixture can be rolled into a ball (batter will be sticky).
• Refrigerate the dough covered for several hours or even overnight.
• Fill a low dish with sifted icing sugar. Using a small cookie scoop. scoop several balls of the cold dough into a plate. Roll the cookies into a smooth ball then roll in the icing sugar. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 " apart.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, rotating the baking trays half way through the baking process. Do not overbake, cookies should be light in colour.

ORANGE RICOTTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the ricotta, granulated sugar, butter and egg and in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla and orange zest and mix on low until a smooth dough forms. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating halfway through, 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets, 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Dip the tops of cooled cookies, and let sit until the glaze hardens.
• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days, or frozen for 3 weeks.

ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Pour in the vanilla, the juices, and the zest, and beat to combine. Turn the mixer off, pour in the flour mixture, and mix on low just to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic, and let rest in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into four logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long. Chill or freeze the logs for 20 minutes, until firm enough to cut without losing their shape.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch rounds, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in oven, and bake until the cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove, and cool the cookies completely on wire racks.
• To glaze the cookies: Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and whisk in the orange juice to make a smooth glaze. Dip a cookie in the glaze; it should stick to the cookie in a thin layer. If not, adjust the consistency of glaze with more juice or confectioners' sugar. Dip the top of the baked cookies in glaze, and let dry on wire racks.

ITALIAN ORANGE-FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place almond paste, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add preserves and 1 egg white at a time, pulsing after each addition to combine. Transfer almond mixture to a large bowl; fold in figs and orange peel (dough will be sticky)., Place remaining sugars in separate shallow bowls. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough into sugar. Gently coat and shape into 1-1/4-in. balls. Repeat in confectioners' sugar. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 24-28 minutes or until tops are cracked and bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.