Real Orange Cookies

  This is a perfect recipe to use large holiday oranges and nuts.  The recipe called for coconut or pecans, I used half of each.  I thinned a couple spoonful’s of powdered sugar with a little of the orange juice for a thin glaze, and left off the sugar on top.   If your kids get oranges in their socks, save that peel before they throw it away, zest it and stash it in the freezer.     

We enjoyed the tropical taste of these cake-like cookies contributed by Mrs. Larry Baldwin, Jessup, Iowa in the "Iowa Power Holiday Recipes 1993"  I dropped part of the recipe on a large half sheet, covered them and froze them, then rolled the parchment up and stashed them in a gallon freezer bag, to bake fresh in my toaster oven when I want them.

                           Real Orange Cookies

  1        Cup  Butter -- (2 sticks)

  1 ½    Cups  Sugar -- 10 ½  oz.

  2        Large  Eggs

  3        Tablespoons  Orange Rind -- grated

     ½    Cup  Orange Juice -- from 2 large oranges

  3        Cups  Flour, All-purpose -- 13 ½  oz.

     ½    Teaspoon  Baking Soda

     ½    Teaspoon  Salt

  1        Cup  Coconut -- flaked (or Chopped Pecans) 4 oz.

Cream sugar and shortening gradually.  Beat in eggs, orange rind, and juice.  Sift together dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture.

Add coconut or pecans.  Drop by teaspoonful’s (I used a size 100 scoop) onto greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart (I used parchment).  Sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired. (I didn’t, because I glazed them).

(No baking time or temperature was given in the recipe) so  I baked them at 350° for 11-12 minutes.

Yield:  "8 Dozen"
2011 Cost:  $3.34 or 4¢ each plain

Per Serving: 48 Calories; 2g Fat (42.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 39mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.