Best Italian Orange Cookies Recipes

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.

ORANGE ITALIAN KNOT COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Measure flour, cut in butter, and mix well with hands. (A dough blender also works wonderfully.)
• 2. Add sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
• 3. Make well in center and add milk, eggs, and vanilla, orange juice and orange zest. Mix until the dough comes together.
• 4. Wrap in Saran wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
• 5. Roll out dough into strips, form cookies into knots, and bake at 375 degrees for at least 15 minutes (golden tan bottoms).

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES WITH COCOA AND ORANGE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Beat white sugar and butter together in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs. Stir creamed butter mixture, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons liqueur, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into flour mixture until dough is just combined.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding flour as needed to keep from dough sticking to your hands. Roll dough, 1 to 2 tablespoons per cookie, in your hands and form a log-shape; twirl log into desired shape. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons liqueur, water, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together in a bowl until icing is creamy. Dip cookies into icing. Place a piece of waxed paper under a wire rack and place cookies on wire rack to cool.

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.