Adapted from Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes (1931)
I absolutely love these orange cookies — and I should, since we’ve spent a LOT of time together. The recipe’s from Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes, published in 1931, which has a great backstory.
I enjoyed these cake-like cookies the first time I made them, but I felt they were missing a little pizazz. So I went on a mission to make them more craveable by adding more butter and walnuts.
Fair warning: this dough is wet — it’s more like a stiff cake batter — so it needs to rest in the fridge before baking. But trust me, the wait is worth it.
I also added an orange glaze as a final touch, which delivers a bright citrus punch and gives the cookies the craveability I was aiming for.
These cookies are soft and tender, like a tea cake, and are perfect for a special gathering or everyday treat.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. NOTE: I found that darker baking sheets work best for this recipe—when I tested this cookie on lighter aluminum sheets they spread a bit and stuck to the parchment.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar, butter, orange zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and orange juice until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until just combined. Then gently stir in the walnuts.
Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 3–4 hours, or overnight. The dough will be sticky—chilling helps it firm up for easier handling.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (about 1-inch balls) onto prepared sheets.
Bake 8–10 minutes, until cookies are set, spring back when touched (like a cake) and lightly browned on the bottoms. Tops should remain pale.
While cookies cool, make the glaze: whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Adjust with more sugar or juice to achieve a consistency that will cling to the cookies without running off.
Dip the cooled cookies into the glaze and let set until hardened.
Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, or bring them to a gathering where they’re sure to be a hit!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
If you love citrus you should try the Orange Cream Pound Cake or Lemon Pecan Refrigerator Cookies!
Iced Orange Tea Cakes
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (about 4 large oranges)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts
Orange Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 10 teaspoons orange juice (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Splash of vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. NOTE: I found that darker baking sheets work best for this recipe—when I tested this cookie on lighter aluminum sheets they spread a bit and stuck to the parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream together sugar, butter, orange zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs and orange juice
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the walnuts.
- Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 3–4 hours, or overnight. The dough will be pretty sticky—chilling helps it firm up for easier handling.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (about 1-inch balls) onto prepared sheets.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until cookies are set, spring back when touched (like a cake) and lightly browned on the bottoms. Tops should remain pale.
- While cookies cool, make the glaze: whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Adjust with more sugar or juice to achieve a consistency that will cling to the cookies without running off.
- Dip cooled cookies into glaze and let set until hardened.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
