I had no idea what snickerdoodles were until I baked these cookies. Are they a regional thing? Because when I brought them in to the office, no one else knew what they were either.
I don’t remember ever hearing about them before. But lately, I’ve been seeing references to them everywhere.
glazed orange cookies
Adapted from Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie, recipe by Lidia Bastianich. The original recipe called for the orange zest to be added towards the end with the juices, but I always find the zest tends to clump together when it’s added this way. I learned from Dorie Greenspan’s books to work the zest in with the dry sugar before creaming with the butter. The sugar helps to break up the zest so it doesn’t clump, and the citrus oils blend with the sugar to more evenly distribute the flavour.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
FOR THE GLAZE
2-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the orange zest to the sugar and mix in well – preferably with your fingers – until the zest is broken up. With a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla, orange and lemon juices. Beat to combine. With the mixer off, add the flour mixture. Gently mix on low speed until just combined (cover the mixer with a tea towel to minimize the mess).
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a log approximately 1-1/4” diameter (about 12” long). Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to slice without losing their shape (I kept mine in the fridge overnight, just because I had planned to do the baking the following day).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice logs into approximately 1/2” rounds (I sliced mine a bit thinner than this) and place on cookie sheets, about 2” apart. The cookies will spread a bit as they bake. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cookies begin to get a golden colour. Allow to cool completely on wire racks before glazing.
GLAZING THE COOKIES
Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps. Gradually add the orange juice and whisk well until the glaze is a good consistency for dipping. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more juice.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and allow to dry on wire racks until the glaze has hardened.