ORANGE CREAM COOKIESfeatured

I think I fell in love with all things orange flavored because of the Schwan’s man. And orange push up pops. I feel like no one outside of my small town in Nebraska knows what Schwan’s is when I bring it up, but that can’t be true because they are still a company. Basically, for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, Schawan’s is a mobile grocery store long before amazon.com or any other grocery delivery service. The Schwan’s man would come about twice a month, my mom would fill out an order form and then he would go back to his truck and get all of our stuff. It was awesome. We’re talking pizzas, steaks, chicken, and… push up pops.

I would beg my mom to add orange push up pops to the order form and sometimes she would cave. Every once in awhile she would order raspberry or some other flavor, but orange was king to me. On a summer afternoon I would peel off the top, push up a bit or orange ice cream, sit on my front porch and just watch the world go by. It was summertime magic in my book. Pretty sure this is where my love of orange flavored things started.

One note: I use fresh orange juice to make these. I actually think it makes a difference. They still taste great with regular juice, but if you can, use the fresh stuff.

Recipe: Orange Cream Cookies  |  Soundtrack: Daryl Hall & John Oates

• COOKIE DOUGH
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 1/2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• FROSTING
• 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• 1-2 tbsp orange zest

Directions:
To make the cookies: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the orange juice and zest.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Using a spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is blended well together.

Lightly coat your hands in flour and using a spoon, scoop out a golf ball sized amount of dough. Roll it into a ball between your hands. Place onto a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is formed into balls. Coat your hands as necessary as you roll all of the dough. I usually have to recoat my hands 3-4 times.

Place baking sheets in the refrigerator. Chill dough for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350º. Place chilled cookies into the oven and bake for 9-12 minutes. They should be very light brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and remove cookies from the baking sheet. Allow to completely cool.

To make the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, blend the softened butter and sugar together. Mix in the orange juice and zest till smooth. If you prefer your frosting less thick, add a bit more orange juice.

Once the cookies are cooled, frost generously.

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