These Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Iced Orange Cookies are soft, pillowy, and lightly sweet with fresh orange juice and zest running through every bite. The dough comes together in just 15 minutes using real butter, a good amount of fresh orange juice, orange zest, and a touch of almond extract — the secret ingredient that gives these their distinctly Italian character. Once baked until just barely golden and cooled completely, they get dipped into a thick, sweet orange glaze that sets beautifully and brings the citrus flavour full circle. Think Lofthouse-style softness meets fresh orange sunshine. Makes about 14–16 cookies. Prep: 15 mins · Cook: 10 mins.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (67g) fresh squeezed orange juice
• ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
• 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Orange Icing

• ¾ cup (90g) powdered / icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest, plus extra to garnish
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Infuse the sugar: Add the granulated sugar and orange zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar for about 15 seconds to release the orange oils and flavour into the sugar — this step makes for a noticeably more flavourful cookie.
• Cream the butter and sugar: Add the room-temperature butter to the bowl and cream together with the sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
• Add the wet ingredients: With the mixer on medium-low, add the room-temperature egg and beat until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the orange juice and almond extract and mix for a further 30 seconds until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Do not overmix.
• Shape and bake: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into a smooth ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. If the dough is too sticky to roll, chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes first. Bake for 10–13 minutes until just barely golden on the edges. The cookies will be soft — do not overbake. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Once the cookies are fully cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of orange juice until smooth and thick. If too thick, add extra orange juice a teaspoon at a time. The icing should be thick enough to coat the top of each cookie without running off.
• Ice and garnish: Dip the top of each cookie into the icing, let the excess drip off, then place back on the wire rack. Sprinkle a little extra orange zest over each cookie to garnish. Allow the icing to harden fully before transferring to a container to store.

Notes

• Room temperature ingredients: Make sure both the butter and egg are at room temperature. Do not soften butter in the microwave — melted butter will change the texture of the cookies. Run the egg under warm water for 1–2 minutes if needed.
• Measuring flour: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off — do not scoop directly from the bag, as this packs in too much flour.
• Almond extract: A tiny amount goes a long way and is the key to that classic Italian cookie flavour. A single drop can also be added to the icing if desired.
• Gluten-free: A 1-1 all-purpose gluten-free baking flour works well in this recipe.
• Storage: Wait for the icing to harden completely before storing in an airtight container. Keeps for up to 5 days at room temperature in cool weather. In humid conditions, transfer to the refrigerator after a day or two.
• Freezing: Freeze baked unglazed cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and ice just before serving.

Recipe adapted from Monique Volz