Treat yourself, family, and friends to the irresistible charm of these soft, melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free Italian Orange Drop Cookies with Icing. Infused with the bright citrus flavor of mandarin orange juice and zest, these homemade dolce delights are the first to vanish from the dessert tray.
What makes them even more special? A secret ingredient that imparts a delightful chewiness, making these cookies utterly addictive. Share them during the holidays, teatime, or adapt for a delightful vegan twist.
Tis the season for baking delights and vitamin C-packed oranges! Whether enhancing healthy dishes like hot and spicy mandarin orange chicken or sweetening the deal with orange-glazed air fryer salmon bites, the versatility of fresh oranges shines. The sweet and tangy flavor gives a refreshing upgrade to sweets like our gluten free orange cookies not to mention, our almond flourless cake.
Ever heard of "anginetti" or lemon-flavored Italian cookies, also known as lemon drops? Our Italian orange cookie recipe, distant cousins to anginetti, features mandarin oranges. After baking and cooling, drizzle on a little orange cookie glaze for seriously delicious results. Fair warning: it's tough to stop at just one!
Jump to:
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mandarin Orange vs Naval Orange
- How to Make Orange Cookies
- How to Make Orange Icing
- Storing
- Recipe Tips
- What to serve with?
- Pairing with Alcohol
- Holiday Baking Shenanigans: The Mystery of the Disappearing Cookies!
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- More Cookie Recipes
- Italian Orange Drop Cookies with Icing (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients and Substitutions
Butter: Unsalted and at room temperature for optimal results. To make these orange cookies vegan and dairy-free, swap it with plant-based butter.
Granulated Sugar: Use ½ cup; note that we haven't tested sugar alternatives. Changing sugar types can affect the cookie's texture.
Orange Zest: We used mandarin oranges; alternatively, regular naval orange zest works too.
Orange Juice (OJ): Fresh juice from sweet mandarin oranges is ideal, but fresh orange juice or pantry OJ can also be used.
Egg: If you are not vegan, use a large egg at room temperature. For a vegan version, try ¼ cup applesauce and add ½ teaspoon extra baking powder to maintain texture.
Vanilla Extract: Add 1 teaspoon for extra flavor, or experiment with almond extract or anise in small amounts (¼ teaspoon) to complement the orange flavor.
Gluten-Free Flour Blend (with xanthan gum): We recommend King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for its excellent texture in Italian orange cookies and chocolate macadamia nut cookies. If not gluten-sensitive, regular all-purpose flour is an option.
Baking Powder: Ensure it's not expired; for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free baking powder.
Cornstarch: The secret ingredient! It binds liquids without drying, creating an addictive chewy texture. Please make sure your brand is gluten free, if you are celiac or have gluten intolerances.
Powdered Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar): For the sweet orange icing!
Mandarin Orange vs Naval Orange
Feel free to choose between mandarin oranges and regular navel oranges for these drop cookies based on what's available. We prefer seedless mandarin oranges for their sweeter, less acidic flavor and they are easier to peel. They're ideal for lunchboxes and create a tasty citrus maple dipping sauce for breakfast panettone French toast.
Depending on the size and type of oranges, you'll need approximately 2 medium navel oranges or 3 to 5 mandarin oranges for this cookie recipe. Use whichever citrus variety you have on hand.
How to Make Orange Cookies
- Cream butter (or plant-based butter) and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg (or egg substitute) and blend.
- Incorporate mandarin orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla into the butter-sugar mixture. Don't worry if it starts to separate; it's normal.
- Sift in the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and cornstarch into the wet ingredients, mixing until blended.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Drop cookie dough onto a lined tray, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. We used a heaped tablespoon. Properly chilled dough prevents excessive spreading.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges feel slightly firm. The tops won't brown much, but the bottoms will have a slight bronze when properly baked.
- Rest cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Make Orange Icing
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, mandarin orange juice, and zest, stirring until well blended. The consistency should be thick yet drippy, creating icicle-like drips down the cookie when glazed correctly.
- If the icing is too thick, add a ¼ teaspoon of orange juice at a time until it reaches a drizzle-friendly thickness.
- Conversely, if the sweet orange glaze is too thin, add a teaspoon of powdered sugar at a time until it achieves a thickness suitable for a light glaze on the cookie.
Storing
Once the Italian orange drop cookies are cooled and adorned with sweet orange icing, allow them to dry. Seal the cookies in a container, keeping them away from direct sunlight. They can stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freezing is an option. Arrange the glazed orange cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, similar to our approach with decorated gingerbread cookies. Transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe container or bag, using parchment paper to separate layers.
Cookies with icing are typically good for 2 months in the freezer. Unglazed cookies, on the other hand, can be stored for up to 6 months, allowing you the flexibility to glaze them later.
Recipe Tips
Measure Accurately: Baking is a science, and accurate measurements ensure consistent results. Do not scoop the cup directly into the gluten-free flour. Instead use a smaller spoon and scoop the flour lightly from the bag into the cup and then level it out with a knife or weigh your ingredients.
Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature: Allow ingredients like eggs and butter to come to room temperature before using in this recipe for orange cookies. This helps create a smoother batter and promotes even mixing.
Cream Butter and Sugar until Light and Fluffy: This process incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter melt in your mouth texture.
Don't Overmix the Dough: Overmixing can lead to tough cookies because of the xanthan gum in gluten free flour mixes. Mix just until combined.
Chill the Dough: For drop cookies, chilling the dough can prevent cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This recipe tip is one that is suggest for many of the 60 cookies from around the world.
Line your baking sheets: With parchment paper or baking sheet liners to prevent the orange drop cookies from sticking and for easier cleanup.
Check for Doneness: Cookies continue to bake on the hot baking sheet even after being removed from the oven. Remove them from the oven when the edges firm up and the centers still look slightly underdone. While these cookies won't turn golden brown on top, the bottoms will bronze.
Cool on a Rack: Transfer the Italian cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from becoming soggy as they cool.
Decorate after Cooled: Allow the orange cookies to cool completely before adding icing. This prevents the icing from melting. If you would like to garnish the Italian drop cookie with extra orange zest, do this before the icing has a chance to dry and set. Top of Form
What to serve with?
Our gluten free Italian orange drop cookies with icing have a delightful citrus flavor that pairs well with many delicious treats. Here are some of our favorites:
- Coffee: Pair your orange cookies with a cup of coffee or even an iced bumblebee espresso.
- Tea: Elevate your teatime experience with Earl Grey Tea. Its citrusy bergamot complements the cookies' flavor and aroma perfectly.
- Hot Cocoa: Don’t forget the mini marshmallows! The combination of chocolate and orange is sublime.
- Ice Cream: Whether plain vanilla ice cream or our dairy free mocha banana ice cream, enjoy it homemade cookies. Top it off with a honey candied lemon slice for a beautiful presentation.
- Chocolate: The delicate sweetness of the orange drop cookie provides a delicious contrast to dark chocolate pudding.
- Fruit: Fresh sliced berries, cherries, persimmons, oranges, or pineapples make a lovely accompaniment. Consider adding dried figs, cranberries, chocolate espresso fig balls or quinoa fruit salad to your dessert table.
Pairing with Alcohol
Pairing wine or alcohol with Italian orange drop cookies can be a fun and creative way to enhance your taste experience. Here are some creative suggestions:
- Sweet White Wine: Explore pairing orange cookies with a sweet white wine like Moscato, late harvest Riesling or a sweet dessert wine.
- Sparkling Wine, Champagne, or Prosecco: Infuse a festive touch with a little bubbly. It’s a pleasant contrast to the sweet and tangy orange drop cookies.
- Cocktails: For the adventurous, try our Blue Elephant Chili Cocktail or our Blood Orange Ginger Spritz, both made with fresh oranges.
- Spirits: Enhance the citrus notes by sipping orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, or consider pairing with spiced rum, Irish cream, or a smooth whiskey on the rocks.
Holiday Baking Shenanigans: The Mystery of the Disappearing Cookies!
During our baking extravaganza—featuring Fudgy Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Apple Pie Cookies, and black sesame cookies —we've encountered a peculiar dilemma. Our cookies are seemingly vanishing into thin air! The curious part? It doesn't occur when we're actively in the room; it's as if they're spirited away in our absence.
Now, we've interrogated the family, and they vehemently deny any involvement in the cookie disappearance. So, we're left with only one logical explanation: gremlins! If you've faced a similar conundrum or have any clever solutions to this mysteriously sweet problem, please share your insights in the comments below. Together, let's solve the case of the elusive cookies!
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Drop cookies have a softer, stickier dough. Unlike rolled or cut shortbread cookies, drop cookie dough is simply dropped from a spoon or scoop onto a lined baking tray. This method of preparation gives them the name "drop cookies."
While not mandatory, adding icing or glaze enhances your batch of orange drop cookies. With only ½ cup of sugar for the entire batch, the special sweet orange icing contributes essential sweetness and a delightful tart flavor to the cookies.
For a vegan option, replace the egg with ¼ cup of applesauce and add an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients
Indeed, baking cookies constitutes a chemical change. When the cookies enter the oven, heat triggers a reaction with baking powder or soda, eggs, and sugar. Post-baking, the eggs, leavening agent, and sugar undergo a permanent transformation, making it a chemical change. Precise ingredient measurement is crucial for this process.
The juice and zest amounts in a medium mandarin orange versus a medium naval orange can vary based on factors like size, ripeness, and preparation. On average, a medium mandarin orange yields about 2-3 tablespoons of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest. In comparison, a medium naval orange typically provides around 4 to 5 tablespoons of juice and 1 tablespoon of zest.
More Cookie Recipes
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Italian Orange Drop Cookies with Icing (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter unsalted or plant based butter to keep dairy free
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg large (see notes below for vegan options)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or ¼ teaspoon almond or anise extract)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest fresh (We used mandarin orange zest but you can also use a naval orange zest)
- ⅓ cup orange juice fresh (We used mandarin orange juice but you can use naval orange juice but you can also use canned juice in a pinch)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 and ¾ cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (We used King Arthur Gluten - Free Measure for Measure flour)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)
Mandarin Orange Icing
- 1 cup powdered (icing) sugar
- ⅛ cup mandarin orange juice
fresh or naval orange juice (2 tablespoons) - 1 teaspoon mandarin orange zest plus extra for garnish - optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your room temperature butter (or plant based butter) and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, mandarin orange juice and zest and mix well. Don't worry if your mixture starts to separate; it's normal.
- In a separate large bowl mix together your dry ingredients; gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum, corn starch, salt and baking powder and mix well.
- Slowly with the mixer on low add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Your cookie dough mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Cover the orange cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days, if you are busy. Refrigeration prevents your cookies from spreading while baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F or 176 degree C.
- Line your baking trays with parchment paper or baking mats to prevent sticking. Use a tablespoon to scoop a heaping tablespoon of orange cookie dough and drop it on the lined baking trays 2 to 3 inches apart. The cookies do not spread very much if you do not use real butter and refrigerate your dough.
- Bake cookies for about 9 -12 minutes or until the edge of the cookies feel slightly firm but the middle of the cookie will still be slightly soft. These cookies do not turn golden brown on the top but the bottom of the cookie will be golden brown when cooked perfectly. 10 minutes was the perfect time for our oven but each oven varies a little. Do not wait until the tops of the cookie turn golden brown or they will be dry and not chewy.
- Allow the orange drop cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, carefully use a spatula and move them to a wire rack to cool.
- In a medium bowl add powdered sugar, mandarin orange juice and zest. Mix well. Drizzle the mandarin orange icing glaze over the cookies.
- Allow the cookies to dry and enjoy. You can freeze these cookies so you can enjoy them through the holidays.
Roxane says
Lemon substituted for orange. Excellent!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you. Lemon Italian cookies are light and bright for the spring weather!
Valentina says
These sound delicious. They might just lure me away from chocolate for a minute. 😉 ~Valentina
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Valentina. Citrus drop cookies are a bright and light alternative to the usual chocolate.
Liz says
Mmmmm...what a perfect flavor for a winter cookie! They look delicious!!!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Liz! Oranges are in season - we can't seem to keep these Italian cookies in the house. They evaporate. (Smiling)
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Simple yet flavorful cookies like these are my favorite. Have a Merry Christmas.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
These gorgeous chewy orange cookies you've created would be so perfect to serve at Christmas parties or to give as part of a cookie gift exchange. I especially love the fabulous citrus flavor of these cookies!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Heidi. These Italian orange drop cookies are always the first to disappear from the Christmas cookie platter. A refreshing change from all the usual chocolate offerings.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I love bright citrus flavors in my desserts and these simple cookies would be most welcomed in our home.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Karen. We love the refreshing flavors of citrus desserts too - even better than chocolate.
Hannah says
What a fabulous twist on tradition! It sounds like the perfect combination of rich and refreshing flavors. I love how you offer options for everyone to enjoy too, regardless of diet.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah. Orange drop cookies are one of our favorites. We used to make this recipe with banana flour but that is sometimes very difficult to source so we exchanged with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. The swap with applesauce and extra baking powder is preferred over flax seed in our recipe testing because flax seed makes this cookie too dense.