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Orange icing gives cookies a citrus zing

Five generations have enjoyed Marlene Bailey’s family recipe

Teesha McClam These orange cookies have been passed down for five generations in Marlene Bailey's family.

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By Mark Fisher, Staff Writer Updated 12:05 PM Thursday, January 5, 2012

Marlene Bailey’s iced Orange Cookies have pleased five generations of her family.

“I enjoyed this cookie as a child from my mother,” said Bailey, 73, of Butler Twp. “Today, these cookies are enjoyed by my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

They were also enjoyed by the judges of the 2011 Dayton Daily News Cookie Contest, which drew 28 entries last month. On Nov. 27, we published the top three recipes as chosen by a judging panel. We also published the winner of the “Best in Appearance” two weeks ago, and another one of the judges’ favorites last week. The judges thought this Orange Cookie recipe was too good not to share — “it tastes just like the cookies my grandma used to make,” one judge said after tasting these orange cookies.

We haven’t prepared this or any of the other cookie recipes that we’ve published (and we’ll offer one more kid-friendly cookie recipe next week), and some recipes aren’t as precise or specific as those you’ll find in cookbooks and magazines. We’d like to think that allows you some leeway to put your own individual stamp on the recipes and make them your own.

Bailey is an avid baker of holiday treats that include pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake, but these Orange Cookies, she said, are a hit every year — across multiple generations.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Orange Cookies

(Makes five dozen)

Ingredients:

For cookies:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup melted shortening (such as Crisco)

2 eggs

1 cup sour milk (1/8 teaspoon vinegar stirred into 1 cup milk)

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice and grated zest (rind) of 1 navel orange

For Orange Icing:

1 stick softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

Juice and grated zest (rind) of 1 navel orange

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and melted shortening. Mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients to cream mixture, add sour milk and mix well. Add juice and zest, mix well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Mix together icing ingredients. Drop chilled cookie mixture by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies cool, then frost with orange icing.

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