I‘ve been using the same lemon cookie recipe for years – and my kids have liked them. But then a friend dropped by her version of lemon cookies and my kids were hooked. Seriously. Even my middle child requested, yup, lemon cookies instead of chocolate chip when I asked her a few weeks back what kind of cookies she wanted.
I thought I’d perfected her recipe until she dropped by the cookies again (isn’t it nice to have friends that bring you cookies?!). This time the cookies were bursting with a buzzy, sweet-tart orange flavor instead of just lemon. Orange cookies. I was impressed with her improvisation, and then she let me in on a secret: Her husband decided to make the cookies, and opted for orange instead of lemon.
Let me just say, I love pretty much any kind of cookie – but these taste like a yummy version of an orange breakfast roll. When we had a busy weekend, my mom would buy those refrigerated, canned orange rolls (you know the ones that pop when you undo the paper?). They always seemed to turn out either underdone or burnt, but top it with some of the gooey orange cream cheese frosting and you didn’t care. These cookies channel all that orange gooeyness but have a tastier, chewier texture (I mean, you can’t escape that processed flavor when your baked goods come popping out of a can!).
Along with packing a punch of orange flavor, these cookies are perfect for summer. Who wants a heavy chocolate chip cookie – or even oatmeal – when the weather is getting warmer and warmer? But orange cookies … yeah, you better make a double batch!
