Beth's Orange Cookies

I've made this recipe several times now and have never left a review much to my embarrassment. THESE ARE FABULOUS and can be made as-is, with the exception of doubling the frosting recipe (we like ours with a lot of frosting!) My great grandmother was the Orange Cookie Queen and used to guard her recipe like a government secret... no one else's cookies ever turned out like Great's! Great passed away at the age of 97 in 1992 and never fully revealed her recipe to any of us. I tried this recipe a few years ago and OMG, I thought they were Great's cookies reincarnated... only MUCH easier to make because the recipe has been updated with modern conveniences like sour cream (instead of souring your own) and frozen orange juice concentrate (instead of squeezing your own and working like mad to balance the liquid-dry ingredient ratio.) Beth, my family LOVES this recipe and whenever I make these cookies, the "remember when" stories start flying. Thank you for such a delicious, easy-to-make recipe that brings a warm, nostalgic feeling to my heart... and a yummy satisfaction to my tummy!

I love this recipe and I love Beth Sigworth. When I finish rating this cookie, I'm going to search the site to see if I've missed any of her recipes. Every one that I've tried has been fabulous. Thanks, Beth.

Excellent, soft orange cookie. I used fresh orange zest for maximum orange flavor. I also used an orange-flavored cream cheese icing rather than the glaze; I love the richness of the cream cheese with these cookies. A wonderful change from the old standby cookie recipes!

These cookies are delicious - but this recipe is NOT your creation. My grandmother made these for me when I was little and the recipe has been handed down in our family. Unless you're 100, please tell the truth!

A Lovely Orange cookie that needs a nicer name... How about "Orange Blossoms"!!! The frosting is sweet - I'll make it less so next time, but these cookies are definitely a "make again".

These are so good. The cookie is like a little orange cake, but the frosting is what makes these so delicious. The frosting really adds the orange flavor to these cookies. I only made a third of this recipe and ended up with 27 cookies. They lasted about 3 days and were starting to get a little gooey, so I think if you don't have a lot of people to eat these right away, you may want to cut the recipe down.

Wow! Yet another great cookie recipe from Ms. Segworth. I made a regular batch of cookies and put chocolate chips in half. Great either way. I doubled the recipe for the frosting (great recipe by the way) on the advice of others...not sure what they're doing with all that frosting as I had enough left over to paint my house. Again....great, GREAT recipes. Thanks Beth.

I went online looking for a recipe just like my grandma's, as hers is lost, and saw this one. Since my name is also Beth, it seemed like a message from my late grandma that this was the right one :) They taste just like hers -- fantastic! I would recommend doubling the frosting, however. I also might try using butter instead of shortening the next time, but they are great just like this, no changes needed. Thank you!

Ehhhhh - this recipe is ok. The frosting is the STAR of this recipe. The cookies themselves are a bit bland. Very cake like, but not sweet enough. I'll try it again...maybe add more orange juice concentrate to the cookie dough or use less flour.

Made them for my dad. He said Gram used to make them . . . he said they were better! GREAT orange flavor to them! Thanks for the recipe!

This is a great recipe! They turned out fluffy, keeping the round shape, so I frosted them before they cooled completely, which stretched the frosting a little, and made it more like a glaze.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!! I had a family recipe for orange cookies but lost it, boy am I glad I did!!! This recipe by far is the best!!! They are moist, flavorful and just YUMMY!! If I could give this more than 5 stars I would!!!!

It has been along time since I made these. I saw your recipe and just had to make them. They are the best. Thank You

Pretty Good! As others have mentioned, the cookies themselves are not very orange-y. I add a teaspoon or two of orange extract to pump it up a bit. Rather than ice these cookies I dip them in dark chocolate (also with orange extract). They are SCRUMPTULESCENT! I didnt have any shortening so I used butter instead, otherwise folllowed the recipe.

My mom had a recipe for Orange cookies that were delicious..I lost the recipe and since she has passed I have looked for years for a recipe that was even similiar...I finally found it!!! Thank you Beth.

My aunt made this cookie when I was a child Fifty years ago. She did not leave the recipe with anyone. I looked for years for a similar recipe. This is the best there is. My children and friends beg for me to bake these very special delights. They are well worth the effort

These are heavenly! I accidentally left the butter out of my first batch of frosting and I prefer it that way. Much thicker and it holds to the cookies better. You will probably need more frosting than called for to cover the entire batch of cookies. I had to double the frosting.

Absolutely best orange cookies. I made 4 dozen, ready for my incoming company, my family finished off 2 dozen before company arrived, now back to the kitchen. I didn't have frozen orange juice, so used some fresh oranges on hand. Also I had no sour cream on hand, used canola mayo/organic butter mix. Cookies came out super moist.

Tried these as a Christmas cookie and the family really liked them. These are cake-like, as I have found with any cookie that has sour cream in the batter. The yield on this recipe is correct...I got 6 dozen cookies! The frosting however, I had to triple because it wasn't nearly enough and I wasn't over-frosting, mine looked just like the ones in the picture. Next time I'll probably half the dough recipe and double the frosting.

These were good, very different. They're like cupcake cookies. If you sliced the top off a cupcake and added frosting, then this is what these would taste like. They firm up a little bit more though. There's good yield in this recipe and everyone loved them.

This was good cookie base. I divided it 3 ways: with mini choco chips, with macadamia nuts and lastly, with macadamia nuts and shredded coconut. I liked the mac nut and coconut combo the best. I didn't make the glaze and I think I should have so it would taste more orangy.

These were good, very different. They're like cupcake cookies. If you sliced the top off a cupcake and added frosting, then this is what these would taste like. They firm up a little bit more though. There's good yield in this recipe and everyone loved them.

Absolutely fabulous! Delicious cake-like cookie with irresistable icing. I am ashamed to say I ate six at one sitting!The only change I made was with half butter, half shortening versus all shortening. If you are looking for a wonderful cookie for friends to share (so you don't eat as many as me!)this is perfect!

I made these a few yers ago and now they want them every year for christmas. I go between 4 & 5 cups flour so there's more orange flavor & you definately need to double the icing .But they are the best orange cookies :)

Got a big "Mmm!" from my husband! The cookie and frosting really complement each other making it a nice, sweet, but light flavor. I added an extra teaspoon of vanilla to the icing since I love the "orange julius" type of flavor. Will be making again.

excellent citrus cookies! but beware - the original recipe makes TONS of cookies. my kitchen looked like there was a cookie invasion!

This cookie did not tuyrn out for me-they looked like little shriveled lumps-and tasteless. Where I went wrong, I don't know.

WOW! Thanks for another excellent recipe Beth! For years I have been trying to find an orange cookie recipe that was like my ex's grandmothers' and this one is WAY better! I love icing, so I followed the suggestions of some of the prior reviewers and doubled the icing. MISTAKE! There was more than enough icing just as was written. I should know better than to try and "improve" one of Mrs. Sigg's recipes!

Beth, I've been making your recipe for a long time. A luscious cookie and actually easy to make. Sorry, I had to disagree with a couple of negative reviews, this wonderful recipe has always been a winner with me (and those who eat them!). Just got done making a double batch, will bake tomorrow.Thanks again for these little gems. (By the way, your recipe works really well with concentrated lemonade & lemon zest!).

Halfed the cookie recipe except used 1/2 cup concentrate with slightly less sour cream and kept the frosting the same. These were soft and fluffy like cake. Lots of good orange flavor. Did add slightly more orange zest as well.

I remember these from my childhood. Mrs. Bluestone (neighbourhood grandma) used to make them for all the kids.... Tender, cakey, orangey...just delicious. The only modification I made was to swap the sour cream for yoghurt, but only because I'm more likely to have it on hand.

The cookies were delicious. I added 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips because I was looking for a chocolate orange cookie.

This was a good cookie,very soft,but I also didn't have enough frosting.

It's one of the most wonderful cookies, ever. I've been making candied orange peel a day before, and added a fair amount of it to the cookie dough, plus some of the orange syrup that was left after straining that orange peel. I bake very rarely, but these came out AMAZING. I suggest doubling all the measurements for the frosting recipe, it yielded very little and double the amount was just right. There is only one word to describe these cookies. Noms.

I made this cookies without frosting, and we really love them. I added a bit more flour, so I guess they turned out a little firmer than in the original version. Next time I'll try it the way it's written. I will certainly be making more of these cookies :-)

I enjoy these cookies. They are probably the best orange cookies I have ever eaten. I have made them for Christmas every year since I found them and everyone really loves the taste. They are sweet, so though I like them, I can never eat more then two at a time!

The cookies were pretty good; they weren't impressive, but I'd consider baking them again. I recommend increasing the frosting by 25 or 50%, as there wasn't enough to frost all the cookies.

A lovely delicate orange cookie. Don't leave off the frosting! I'm tempted to use part butter the next time I make them but I know Beth must experiment before finalizing her original recipes so I suspect she tried that. Next "Beth" cookie to try is peanut butter. Our favs are your chocolate chips and snickerdoodles.

I have been looking for years trying to find the recipe for these cookies, and I finally found them. They reminded me of my childhood. The only thing I did not care for was the frosting but, other then that they were wonderful. I highly recommend you make them

These are quick, easy and especially DELICIOUS. The orange flavor is just right and not too strong. I now always check for cookie recipes from "Beth" because they are always exceptional.

I made these for my Christmas cookie plates, and they're so delicious! The orange taste is refreshing and provides a nice contrast to all of the other chocolate treats I made.

AMAZING - these cleared out in a matter of hours and the recipe makes 72 cookies...really good, both frosted and unfrosted. The frosting is really zingy!

my childhood favorite. we make it every christmas, and by the time we frost them we go through half the batch!

These are delicious - just like the kind my grandma used to make! I had to double the orange frosting in order to frost all the cookies. Will definitely make these over and over again!

Great cookies .

these turned out amazing! the only thing i changed is that i doubled the frosting recipe without doubling the amount of orange zest/orange juice concentrate. i tasted it before i doubled it and thought it was too orange-y, especially with how great and orange-y the cookies were. i didn't want the cookies to be too overwhelminly orange-y. they turned out amazing, and they were a huge hit at home and at work!

This recipe my husband and I made together. He is the real taste tester of the family. This turned out better than the ones his mom makes. The flavoring couldnt get any better.If you loke the taste of orange this is the cookie for you. Thanks for the great recipe!

Yumm. I followed the recipie exactly except I cut it in half (it still made over 3 dozen cookies!). For the last batch I added craisens and white chocolate chips and didn't ice those. I also drizzled one regular iced batch with chocolate. All were very good. The orange flavor was perfect. It was just the kind of cookie I was looking for. The glaze was excellent and it had a bit of a creamcicle flavor. Thanks again Beth - you are the cookie master.

These are such amazing cookies!!!!!! I couldn't stop once I started eating them though, seriously addicting!!!! Kinda like orange coffee cake, great with your tea or coffee!

Thank you for this recipe. I used to make them years ago but I lost it. I tried another soft orange cookie posted and it did not come close to this recipe. They are moist and very flavorful. I will begin to make these again year after year. You will not be dissapointed.

These were amazing. A very light cake-like cookie with a great flavor. They were delicious at every stage, fresh from the oven, frosted, and even several days later. I followed the recipe exactly. When it came to the frosting there were only a few cookies that I didn't have enough to frost (although, I suppose there would have been more if I hadn't eaten so many while they were warm). The recipe does produce a lot of cookies so be prepared to share and then have several requests for the recipe.

Another winner from Beth! These cookies are unique and tasty. Great orange flavor (I used orange oil instead of zest). The texture is very light and fluffy; a nice change from all the heavy cookies out there. The frosting worked out perfectly for me, those who are running short must really be piling it on.

My hubby had been begging me to find a recipe for orange cookies ever since he had some at a potluck. This recipe was easy and tasty and just what he was hoping for! Thanks!

Definitely need to double the icing recipe. However I did find a use for the extra orange concentrate as I used that for a 'frosting' on the cookies. Those were the first ones to disappear.

I really liked these cookies. They were cake-like which went great with the frosting. I'll be making them again.

4.3.14 The attraction to Beth's Orange Cookies was the flavor, not it being cakelike. To help with that, I reduced baking powder to 1t. 'Still very cakelike. I wonder if this is really a cake recipe pretending to be a cookie. I used 1/2c butter & 1/2c shortening. Since some reviews said the cookie itself was on the bland side, I added orange extract, 2t. The orange flavor was noticeable, but not overpowering or artificial tasting. 'First time using orange extract. It's like liquid orange lollipop. No joke. Okay, orange soda without the fizz. Either one. :) I doubled the frosting as suggested, too; but didn't need it all since I just drizzled, didn't cover. About 1 1/2 frosting recipe would be fine. Since so thin, I played with it by adding more than just sugar since it was getting to be like liquid confectionary sugar. :/ I liked the frosting, more like icing, better than the cookies. After "playing," I liked this combination. It's taste is orange extract at first then the zing of the concentrate after. I liked it anyway. :D Here y'are: 1/4c orange juice concentrate, 1/2t orange extract, 1/4t vanilla extract (more than that would cover the orange, I think. Maybe less in the cookies would help, too.), 4 - 5T butter (less than 6T, which I what I used), 2c confectionary sugar, pinch salt. 'Got a reluctant "okay" from boy one. Girl one wouldn't try. She's a fresh, uncooked fruit girl most times. 'Sure the people at work will like. They'll eat anything. Ha!

Oh no! I don't know where I went wrong, but these cookies did not turn out. They spread thin as a pancake and burned very easily. I really wanted this recipe to turn out for my Mother's Day tea. I scaled the recipe in half and did attempt to salvage the batter by adding more flour and baking soda. We got one tray of decent cookies, but it was all downhill after that.

Wow, talk about a great orange cookie. My aunt makes Orange Macadamia ones over the holiday, which are really yummy, but the nice thing about these ones is they are a lot less expensive to make. Don't make any changes to anything, because this recipe is perfect the way it is.

These were ok. My MIL has a recipe similar to this which I've made and I made these to compare/contrast. With this recipe, I found it a bit difficult to stir in the OJ and zest after I had already put in the flour. It would be easier if that step was done earlier, like when the eggs/sour cream/vanilla get added (as is done with my MIL's recipe)? Also, I agree with those who said the frosting is more like icing. I even added an extra cup of powdered sugar and it was still pretty liquid-y. Also, I found this icing WAY too tart. My MIL's recipe calls for only 1 1/2 teaspoons of OJ and 2 teaspoons of zest and it's a much mellower, happier orange flavor, not "slap you in the face with orange"

These were so delicious. These took a lot of time to make,especially if you make the while recipe, but the end result was worth it. I sent these cookies to my sister and fiance who are both serving in Iraq. They and their fellow soldiers loved them! They didn't care that the cookies were three weeks old by the time they arrived! I also gave a plate to a friend and she said they got better and better each day. These also freeze well. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks Beth!

When my great-aunt passed away, she took her delicious orange cookie recipe with her. Luckily, I found this recipe and they taste exactly like the ones she made! Tasty!

I LOVE this recipe. I have been looking for an orange cookie recipe for awhile. My mom use to make these with the oj for me when I was a kid. Now I get to make them for my kids. THANK YOU BETH for sharing.

These were terrific! I wouldn't change a thing on the recipe.

beth, your cookies were superb! i am not a good baker, and I made these yesterday to take to a party...and everyone treated me like a rock star. thanks for the great recipe!

These were delicious! Soft little pillows with a generous layer of frosting. I couldn't stop tasting the frosting so I made extra.

This is a great recipe. I made it for a New Year's Eve cookie swap and everyone loved them. I also made extras for work and they were a hit. Thanks a bunch.

I work in a college setting. I made these cookies for some students 2 years ago for Christmas and now they are requested every year! People in the office ask me for the recipe all the time and I send them to this site. Great taste for something a little different and delicious!

These cookies are amazing. I used to have a recipe that was passed down to me but it was lost in a move. These cookies taste as good as the ones I remember making. The only difference is I add 1 tsp orange extract to the cookies and frosting to give it even more orange flavor.

My family did not care for these much. They were more like a muffin and truly just not that flavorful. Unfortunately, I will not be making these again.

These cookies were delicious. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of grated ginger root .

These are perfect with a glass of orange juice on a summer day!

such a great recipe to use around the holidays or spring, very fresh and delicious.

Made these for church. Everybody loved them. They are a very cake like cookie. I agree with another reviewer who said you cannot add to much grated orange rind to the dough. I did have to double to frosting recipe as it was not enough to frost the massive amount of cookies this recipe makes.

I would like to give this recipe 4.5 stars, but I can't so 4 it is. I halved the recipe and only made the cookie part. Then I threw in a cup of dark chocolate chips as I was actually looking for an orange and chocolate chip cookie recipe. I didn't have orange juice concentrate so I used double the zest and ordinary orange juice - I will probably triple the zest next time to get a bigger kick of orange. From the half batch I got exactly 4 dozen cookies - not knowing how much they would spread I was careful to use just a teaspoon of dough for each cookie. But they didn't spread very much and actually rose. They are quite pretty, but also rather cakey, which is where they lose the half star.

Kind of a lot of work for what they were? However, hubby loved them and they worked well for the preschoolers learning the letter 'O'!

First, the bottom of these cooked much more quickly than the tops, so I had to take them out sightly before they were done in order to keep the bottoms from blackening and ruining the cookie anyways. Without frosting, they are somewhat dull, with a slight citrus tinge. The frosting makes them so much better, although the recipe doesn't make enough to cover all the cookies. I halved the recipe overall, which might account for the burning tendency of the bottoms. Overall, they had a unique flavor for a cookie, but are not worth the work.

These are the best. I love these. They are time consuming but well worth the effort. I added some lime zest and crushed freeze dried strawberries to the tops to make them a little more festive.

This was our first try with this recipe and the only change we made was to use butter rather than shortening. Easy, fast, and delicious! We did have to bake at 350 instead of 375 to prevent the bottoms from getting too brown. This is a very light and cake-like cookie with a soft frosting. Highly rated!

Fantastic!

these were delicious. Came out a little on the soft side.

I thought these were great! Light and tasty. I used regular orange juice rather than the concentrate and still got a really nice orange flavor. A half batch made about 30 cookies. Note that these cookies spread a little when they bake.

These cookies are amazingly good. I love them. They are soft, flavorful and delicious. In fact, I am giving this recipe to a couple of my friends so they can try it. Keep up the good work!!! One other thing...I don't understand why people said to double up on the frosting ingredients. I actually had the recipe scaled down to 36 cookies and I still had some left over. To anyone who is reading this, try these cookies!!!! You will love them!!

I've been looking for this recipe for years I had one similar and lost it.The cooking time is right on this is supposed to be very soft.

My husband wrinkled his nose when I said I was making orange cookies. I carried one out to the pool for him to taste. A short time later I heard him make his way to the kitchen for more! The cake-like, orange scented cookies are wonderful and the frosting completes the treat. Thank you, Beth, for another heirloom recipe.

I LOVE these cookies. They are so moist with a delightful tangy orange flavor. I got at least seven dozen cookies using the small Pampered Chef scoop. I wound up doubling the frosting to have enough. Even my 4-year old daughter LOVES these. Great for a cookie exchange because it makes so much.

everyone loved them, the frosting really makes the cookie. Not quite as "orangey" as I was hoping for.

Needs more orange juice and orange peel

This is the first cookie recipe I have tried in a long time that has shortening. I always bake with butter. If, and if, I make these again, I will use butter. I loved the icing. In place of the zest, I used orange extract. I also added some cream cheese as well. When it comes to the icing, our family liked them better when I frosted the cookies warm. The icing soaked into the cookie for more more flavor.

I made these exactly as written except for the fact that I didn't have frozen concentrate like I thought. So I winged it and used fresh squeezed orange juice instead. I was able to use the whole orange this way;) They came out so good!!!! Soft and orangey (although I might up the rind next time) The frosting really made the flavor pop. So good and a fun way to get some extra vitamin C I told my kids, lol. Just a really good cookie recipe all around, thanks for sharing!

I thought these cookies were really good. Goes great with coffee or tea,or maybe a glass of milk. You defiantly have to double the frosting recepie. I will make these again.

I've made these every year for Christmas for several years. Everyone loves them. They're super easy to make and hold their shape really well. Add more orange to the dough and to the glaze. You can never have too much orange!

Very Good cookie! I used a bit more orange zest ,and orange juice in both the cookie and the icing ...These was awesome and I will make it again. The cookie kinda taste like a cake but very good!

Very good cookie, good orange flavor even without the icing.!

These cookies are absolutely delightful! Thank you so very much Beth for sharing your recipe.

These cookies remind me very much of the soft sugar cookies my grandmother used to make. The very 1st time I made them I was trying to find a recipe for orange cookies for my then boyfriend (now husband). He had a neighbor who used to make orange cookies when he was a child and he loved them, he loved this recipe and is after me to make them all the time, they are his favorite that I bake. To twist this recipe for other family members I have also made them as Lemon cookies, just replace the orange juice and zest with lemonade and lemon zest, nice soft lemoney cookies :)

Awesome, amazing love these!!!! They are my cookie of choice of our annual Christmas cookie exchange! Every recipe i have tried by Beth Sigworth has been incredible! Keep the recipes coming girl!

Very nicely orange cookie. More zest, stronger the flavor. Used cream cheese icing since hubby isn't into sweet icings.

Excellent! I just made these yesterday and my "Cookie Monster" almost has them gone already, one day later! I too ran out of icing, but that was ok by my family they are great both ways! I can't wait to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe! Thanks Beth!

Very good! I love orange.