Classic Vanilla-Orange Sugar Cookies

By ladygourmet

One secret ingredient makes these orange vanilla cookies simply melt in your mouth! Packed with freshly grated orange zest, these orange vanilla cookies are the perfect addition to your cookie tray!

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 to 6 ounces dark chocolate
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, orange zest and vanilla until well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to bowl, mixing until combined.

Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold, or for up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F, placing racks in the upper and lower thirds.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Using cookie cutter, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to 2 prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps as necessary. Repeat process with more dough until both cookie sheets are full.

Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.

Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough.

Melt chocolate and milk in a double broiler. When cookies are cool, drizzle over the cookies and allow to set.