Description
Homemade Italian orange drop cookies blend zesty citrus with sweet nostalgia from Naples. Delicate crumbs melt on your palate, transporting you to sunny Mediterranean kitchens with each tender bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1–¾ cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 grams) almond flour
- ¼ cup orange zest (from about 2 large or 4 small navel oranges)
- 2 tbsps (28 grams) olive oil
- 2 tsps orange extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2 grams) coarse kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar for glaze
- 2–3 tbsps fresh orange juice, for glaze
Instructions
- Prep Workspace: Position oven racks in middle and lower-middle positions, heating to 350°F (177°C), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix Base: Combine granulated sugar, softened butter, orange zest, olive oil, orange and vanilla extracts, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl, blending thoroughly with an electric mixer until well incorporated.
- Integrate Eggs and Flours: Crack egg into mixture, mixing completely, then gradually fold in all-purpose and almond flours until a uniform dough forms, using a rubber spatula to ensure even distribution.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, portion dough into consistent rounded balls and place evenly on prepared baking sheets, maintaining adequate spacing between each.
- Bake and Cool: Slide sheets into preheated oven, baking 14-16 minutes until cookies puff slightly without browning edges; rest on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Glaze Preparation: Whisk powdered sugar with fresh orange juice, creating a smooth, creamy consistency suitable for drizzling, adjusting liquid as needed.
- Finish and Store: Dip cookie tops into glaze, allowing excess to drip off naturally, then place on rack to set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Master Zesting Technique: Gently scrape orange skin’s outer layer to extract fragrant oils without bitter white pith, ensuring pure citrus flavor.
- Flour Mixing Strategy: Combine flours gradually to prevent clumping and achieve soft, tender cookie texture with smooth consistency.
- Temperature Precision: Watch cookies closely during baking, removing when slightly puffed but before edges brown to maintain delicate, melt-in-mouth quality.
- Glaze Perfection: Adjust powdered sugar and orange juice ratio carefully, aiming for silky, drippable consistency that coats cookies elegantly without becoming too thick or runny.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 38 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg