Name: Debra Marmor
Class Year: 1980
Country of Residence: United Kingdom

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

I originally made this recipe to bring along to a house party in the Lakes District to celebrate a dear friend’s 60th birthday. They were so well received, they have become a holiday staple, taking them along to other friends’ family Boxing Day open house or one of the many different types of cookies I make just for us at home during Advent. They make for a refreshing change from the incessant chocolate!

Orange Butter Cookies

Makes 48 cookies. Takes approx. 1 hour.

Store in airtight containers up to 1 week.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ⅔ cups cake flour or more all-purpose flour (cake flour gives a finer texture)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup (240g) cold unsalted butter
2 packed tsp freshly grated orange zest
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

For the icing:
1 orange
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 to 4 Tbsp whole milk
2 drops almond or vanilla extract
Pinch fine salt

Instructions:

1. Position 2 oven racks in top and bottom third of oven. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
3. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. In bowl, whisk flours, baking soda and salt together. 
5. In mixer, cream together sugar, butter and orange zest at medium speed until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl frequently. 
6. Add egg and mix. 
7. Add one egg yolk and mix. 
8. Add remaining egg yolk and mix. 
9. Stir in dry ingredients just until combined.
10. Scoop Tbsps of dough onto parchment, leaving more than 1 inch between cookies. 
11. Press each one down lightly with 2 fingers to flatten to thickness of 1/2 inch. Leave any ridges and valleys on top of cookie intact, but smooth edges.
12. Bake about 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through. Cookies should be pale but baked all the way through. 
13. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to rack and cool.

For the icing: 

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. 
2. Peel orange, being careful to remove only outer orange zest, and cut into thin strips. 
3. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute; drain. 
4. Sift confectioners’ sugar into bowl. 
5. Whisk in 2 Tbsp milk. Whisk in more milk if needed to make mixture thin enough to spread.
6. Add extract, salt and zest, and whisk to combine.
7. Place cookies on rack and drizzle icing over each one (make sure there is some orange zest in each spoonful). Icing will settle into cookie crevices; let harden.

Source: Adapted from Julia Moskin, NYTimes.com