Oooh! These cookies are good! And they are perfect for the summer. The cookies are light, soft, and tangy thanks to the sourdough discard/starter and plenty of grated orange zest. Similar to buttermilk cookies but without the buttermilk, these orange cookies are like little, flat cakes. They benefit from the flavor of the yeast, so the cookies aren't bland little discs. When you bite into a cookie, you immediately get a nice hit of sweet-tart flavor. You can certainly serve the cookies plain and unglazed alongside fruit or ice cream, and they'll be good. I like the cookies best with the glaze, which sinks into the cookies a bit and adds additional sweetness and orange flavor. The glaze also helps the cookies keep longer. Enjoy!
Sourdough Glazed Orange Cookies -- Makes about 3 dozen
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of grated orange zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
In a large bowl mix the butter, sugar, egg, orange zest, and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Stir in the flour and baking soda, then stir in the starter/discard until combined. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with baking parchment. Drop the batter by tablespoons, one inch apart, on the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until puffed and barely brown. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets to cool. If you'd like to use the glaze, then let the cookies cool a few minutes and glaze the cookies while they are still warm.
Glaze
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1 tablespoon of orange juice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest
1 cup of confectioner's sugar
Mix the butter, juice, and zest and stir in the confectioner's sugar. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, then stir it again. Add a little more water, a half teaspoon at a time, if the glaze is too thick. Spoon a little glaze on top of each still warm cookie and, using the back of the spoon, spread the glaze over the top of the cookie.
