Orange Spritz Cookies

Slightly sweet and buttery with a burst of fresh citrus flavour, these Orange Spritz Cookies melt in your mouth! Every holiday cookie exchange or plate must have a spritz cookie, so I encourage you to try this classic recipe with an orange zest twist!

There is something about the flavour of oranges at Christmastime that makes me feel very comfortable. Do you know why oranges are so symbolic of Christmas?  I used to receive an orange in my stocking at Christmastime every year.  Even though the thought brings back fond memories, I think I’d rather get a stocking full of these Orange Spritz Cookies! The stockings that my parents would pack for us back in the 80s and 90s were quite different.

I remember stockings not being a big deal at all. And, I can’t remember our stockings being stockings, but being fashioned more like a bag.  I can’t remember the earlier years, but I can remember our stockings being Christmas-themed gift bags.  Truth be told, I loved those, because mom and dad could fit more into them!

DO YOU PACK A STOCKING ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

Every single time I pack a stocking I always think back on the stockings I would open on Christmas morning.  I stuff stockings with gift cards, chocolates, and smaller items like a DVD or a magazine, etc. My childhood stocking never consisted of gift cards or presents of any kind.  Our stockings were mostly food.  I remember there being a can of Pringles.  There would always be a can of Cott or RC Cola.  A Toblerone bar was quite common, as well as an oversized candy cane.

Without fail, there would be pretzels and a box of Neilson chocolates. There was always a bunch of grapes wrapped in aluminum foil. There would be hard Christmas candy, an apple, a banana, and always, that one familiar orange right at the bottom!

The only food item I include in a stocking is chocolate of some type. I like to include a roll of lifesavers or even a package of breath mints.  Oh, and I did mention that they are all wrapped.  Every single item, no matter how big or how small, no matter how cheap or how expensive, etc., each and every item in the stocking is wrapped in Christmas paper.

It’s become a tradition. And, once all of the presents under the tree are opened, we take turns opening one item at a time from our stocking.  But, looking back on my adult years, not once have I packed an orange in a stocking. You can read about our family traditions here.

I’m going to tell you all about this cookie recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the cookie recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the three previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifle Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. Next was my 12 Squares and Bars Series, which was Volume 2 of that particular series.  

And now, I’m starting on this new series, which is the seventh annual instalment! I cannot believe that this is the seventh year in a row that I’ve shared Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! But, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the fourth of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 7! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family.

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series! Even though this is the forth series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Orange Extract – If you don’t have orange extract, you can use equal amounts of freshly squeezed orange juice after you zest the orange. Extract is concentrated and has a much stronger flavour though, so you won’t get the full effect from the orange juice.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Orange Zest

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE SPRITZ COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar until well combined – about 2 minutes. Add the egg and the orange extract. Beat into the butter and sugar mixture until completely incorporated. Sift together the flour, and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture along with the orange zest, and beat until just combined.

Load the cookie dough into a cookie press which has been fitted with the disc of your choosing. Press the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, dust the cookies with the confectioner’s sugar. Store at room temperature in a food-safe container.

MAKING THE BEST SPRITZ COOKIES

There are a couple of tips that I want to share with you to ensure you have the best spritz cookie experience. First and foremost, please be absolutely sure that your butter, egg, and even the extract is at room temperature. This will make the dough soft and pliable so that you can squeeze it out of the spritz easily and perfectly.

Secondly, the cookie dough will need something to stick to – let me explain. When you spritz out the cookie dough, the spritzer is flush against the baking sheet. In order for the dough to come off of the spritzer and stick to the pan, the right lining is needed.

You have two choices. First, you can do it right onto the pan. But, I have found that if I do not line my baking sheet first, then the cookies become too dark on the bottom. A sheet of parchment paper makes the job very frustrating. First, it moves around too easily. And, secondly, the dough doesn’t stick to it very well, meaning that when you lift the spritzer up, the dough usually comes with it.

The best results are achieved when using a silicone baking mat. Even when they are super clean, they still have a gel-like, almost sticky/gluey feel to them. It’s the perfect surface to stick the dough too, and they provide a great layer of heat protection between the baking sheet and the bottom of the cookie itself. Perfection every time!

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for a long time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Orange Spritz Cookies, you certainly can! Pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!