Orange Frost Bites

Summer time is the time for lots of fruit, and particularly citrus fruits. I am not a big grapefruit fan, so I don’t make a lot of things with grapefruit, but I LOVE oranges, lemons and limes and make a lot of thing with all of them. I love bold lemon, lime and orange flavors in just about everything. This time I added my oranges to cookies, both in the cookies and in the frosting. They are perfect for picnics. I am calling them orange frost bites, because there are frosted cookies and there are bits of orange in every bite. 🙂

Orange Frost Bites

2 medium navel oranges

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 TBSP melted butter

orange sprinkles, optional

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Peel the oranges then remove all the white pith from both the oranges and the peel.

Place both the orange slices and the peel into the food processor and process until everything is smooth. You should have about 3/4 cup of orange puree.

Combine all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the milk and 6 TBSP of orange mixture, then mix and add the flour mixture and mix again until everything is blended together.

Drop about 2 tsp of dough onto the parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. I like to roll my cookies into a ball, then slightly press them to make them flatter. This is a very soft dough, so you may need to add a little flour to your hands before rolling and pressing, if you choose to do this.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are set and are lightly browned. These are meant to be soft cookies, but if you like them a little crunchier, just bake them a little longer. I prefer my cookies a bit crunchier, so I baked mine a bit longer.

Let the cookies cool completely before adding the frosting.

For the frosting, just mix both the powdered sugar and melted butter together until creamy then add about 2 TBSP of the orange puree and mix together well, then spread on the cookies with a knife. If you like, you can add some orange sprinkles on top for more color and pizzazz.

Your taste buds will be in for a citrusy surprise with every bite, and you will be getting hints of orange and Vitamin C in every bite too. It’s a win/win for everyone. They are sweet and tangy cookies to enjoy and are healthier because of the added oranges. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.