Orange Shortbread Cookies offer a delightful twist on the classic shortbread recipe. These cookies are decadent, crunchy, and bursting with rich flavor, highlighted by the tangy and tartness of bright orange and made in 55 minutes.
The crumbly shortbread texture is infused with zesty orange and then shaped into a log, chilled for 30 minute, and then these orange-infused cookies are perfectly sliced to bake.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- With a tangy kick and vibrant orange essence reminding of Orange Muffins, these shortbread cookies are bursting with flavor.
- For optimal results, I recommend using Cara Cara Navel Oranges.
- With just 7 basic ingredients and an easy-to-follow method, baking these cookies is a joy for even novice bakers.
- These cookies offer a satisfying crunch and effortlessly melt in your mouth, just like cookies I make with Earl Grey and Butter Pecan.
Shortbread Cookies - Ratio 3:2:1
Originally baked in Scotland during the 16th century, traditional Shortbread Cookies consisted of just three fundamental ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar.
This orange recipe also follows the straightforward ratio of 3:2:1 (3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, and 1 part sugar). The perfect ratio makes these shortbread cookies with orange juice and zest incredibly delicious.
Notably, Shortbread Cookies are made without any leavening agents.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour provides the necessary structure to these cookies.
- Butter aids in keeping the gluten in the flour short and soft and of course provides flavor. It's best to use unsalted, high-quality butter for optimal flavor.
- Cardamom powder adds a delicate and lovely aroma.
- Cara Cara Navel Oranges (juice + zest) are the star of the cookies. Use fresh oranges for these cookies.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a more pronounced and intense orange flavor, consider adding a few drops of orange oil to the dough.
- Dip these cookies in a simple lemon glaze to add citrusy flavor to these cookies.
- Coat these cookies in chocolate ganache for a decadent finishing touch.
- Incorporate ½ cup of chocolate chips into the shortbread cookie dough before slicing, cutting, and baking to enhance the texture with an added crunch.
This recipe hasn't been tested with alternative substitutions or variations. If you choose to replace or include different ingredients, we'd love to hear about your experience. Please share your feedback in the comments section below!
Baking Pro Tips
1. Unless a recipe says otherwise, always use room-temperature ingredients. This helps them mix together smoothly and evenly, for perfect results every time.
2. Ditch the measuring cups and grab your digital scale. Weighing dry ingredients in grams ensures perfect accuracy and consistent results.
How to Make Orange Shortbread Cookies
Detailed Instructions Below! See the key steps here, then head to the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the butter is pale in color.
2. Add in the orange zest, orange juice and cardamom powder and beat again.
3. Add the flour in the butter mixture and beat until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Using the hands work through the crumbly mixture until it forms the shape of a soft dough.
5. Form one log of 12'' in length and 3'' in diameter. Place the log in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Take out the log and cut into cookies with a sharp knife.
6. Place the cookies in a baking tray on a silicone sheet and bake until the cookies have light golden edges.
Expert Tips
- Ensure you do not over-mix or over-knead the dough. Simply knead it until it just comes together to avoid ending up with tougher cookies.
- Chilling the dough is crucial as this step helps solidify the butter, which in turn prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven. It's recommended to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the dough for uniformly shaped cookies that look neat, precise and presentable.
- Rub Orange and Sugar together to infuse the orange oils into the sugar for an absolutely amazing orange flavor.
Common Questions
Absolutely, you can prepare the dough a day in advance and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. Simply slice the dough into cookies the next day and bake them.
Indeed, it's achievable. Substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar to achieve a softer texture in the cookies. Granulated sugar typically provides a crispy texture.
Absolutely! You can easily double or triple the recipe to make larger batches. This recipe is foolproof and adaptable to larger quantities.
In sugar cookies, eggs are used as a binding agent, and leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder aid in raising the cookies, resulting in a chewy and soft texture. On the other hand, shortbread cookies do not contain eggs or leavening agents. This absence, along with the higher ratio of butter to flour, contributes to their crumbly texture and melt-in-the-mouth consistency.
How to Store
Room Temperature
Store the cookies in an air-tight jar, and they will remain fresh for up to two weeks.
Refrigerator
The baked cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Freezing Instructions
Cookie Dough
To prepare the orange cookie dough, chill it, and cut the cookies. Then, place the cut cookies on a baking tray in the freezer for about an hour until they harden. Once hardened, wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap and add a layer of foil. Place the wrapped cookies in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake the orange shortbread cookies, simply remove them from the freezer (do not thaw), place them on a baking tray and bake right away. You may need to add an additional 2 to 4 minutes to the baking time.
Cookies
Individually wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and place them on a baking tray in the freezer for about an hour until they harden. Afterwards, transfer the wrapped cookies to a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Related Cookies Recipes
Recipe
Orange Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Baking Trays
- 2 Silicone sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (227 g)
- ¾ cup castor sugar (170 g)
- 2 tablespoon orange juice (30 ml)
- 2 tablespoon orange zest (12 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (1.5 g)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (0.98 g)
Instructions
- Sift flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Take another large bowl and cream butter and sugar together for at least 3 – 5 minutes,until the butter color is changed to pale.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest and cardamom powder to the butter and beat again.
- Add the flour into the beaten butter and work until a dough is formed.
- If the dough is crumbly, add one tablespoon of water and mix until a dough is formed.
- Make a log about 12 '' in length and 3 '' in diameter.
- Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven at 300 F.
- Take out the log and cut it into cookies using a sharp knife.
- Place the cookies on a silicone sheet on a baking tray.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until the edges are light golden.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Ensure you do not over-mix or over-knead the dough. Simply knead it until it just comes together to avoid ending up with tougher cookies.
- Chilling the dough is crucial as this step helps solidify the butter, which in turn prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven. It's recommended to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the dough for uniformly shaped cookies that look neat, precise and presentable.
- Rub Orange and Sugar together to infuse the orange oils into the sugar for an absolutely amazing orange flavor.
Naureen Talat Arooba
OMG
Orange ShortBread Cookies are my favorite
Its a treat for me
Thanks Madeeha
You made my day
Madeeha Anwar
Thanks so much Naureen.
Tabassum
Orange shortbread cookies are the yummy treat for all of us.Even kids love them.Thanks Madiha for taking such a great initiative.
Madeeha Anwar
Thanks Tabassum 🙂
Ange
Hi,
I made the dough and ended up chilling it for lot longer than recommended. It's been in my fridge for 4 days as I had an unexpected situation and couldn't bake them asap! Is it still safe to bake and eat?
Thanks!
Madeeha Anwar
Ange, my apologies, it took me a few days to see your comment. Did you make the cookies?