Orange Zest Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Popping in here with one more holiday cookie post – how cute are these little stars?! I think they’re just so flipping adorable. I don’t do crafty baking very often, but these orange shortbread cookies were really fun to make and decorate.

These cookies are based on the lemon shortbread cookie recipe that I made early last year. That recipe is a fan favorite, so I thought I’d do a more festive Christmas cookie cut into stars. They’re decorated with orange zest and these cute Supernatural white sequin sprinkles.

One thing I wanted to mention about this recipe is that the orange flavor here is not as strong as the lemon flavor in the lemon shortbread cookie recipe. Oranges don’t taste as bold as lemons, so the orange flavor here is very light. If you want a stronger orange flavor in your cookies, I’d recommend using a few drops of orange oil. Either way, they’re delicious – it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Happy baking!

Orange Zest Shortbread Cookies

 

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup cane sugar
• Zest of 1 medium orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• a few drops of orange oil, optional, for more orange flavor
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, more for rolling
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• sequin sprinkles, for decorating, optional
• zest of 1 orange, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and orange oil, if using, and mix again. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and flatten into a 1” disk. If the dough is sticky, wrap and chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm but still pliable.
3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until about ¼“ thick. If desired, dough can be rolled between two pieces of parchment paper. Use 2” cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Keep any extra cut-out cookies in the fridge until ready to bake.
4. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before glazing.
5. Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar and almond milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and decorate them with sprinkles, if using, and orange zest.

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