Orange Ricotta Cookies

Incredibly soft and fluffy cookies almost like little orange cakes topped with a zesty, shiny orange glaze.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup ricotta

2 tsps orange zest

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/2 tsp orange zest

2 tbsps fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp corn syrup

pinch of salt

Beat the butter then add the sugar, baking soda and salt and beat again. Add the egg, ricotta, orange zest and vanilla and mix until smooth. Blend in the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Roll into 1" balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets about 1.5" apart. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Once cookies have cooled on a rack, combine the glaze ingredients. Dip each cookie top in the glaze and gently shake excess off. Place back on racks to set for about 30 minutes. The glaze made just enough for all the cookies. I was left with about 1 tsp in the bowl! Store between waxed or parchment sheets in an airtight container in the fridge.

Makes 59 two-bite cookies

Adapted from: bhg.com

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Lemon Orange Biscotti

These twice baked citrus biscotti have just the right amount of crunch for dunking but are light and crisp enough to not need dunking. Perfect with tea or milk as an afternoon pick me up or even with your morning coffee ... breakfast cookie anyone?

Ingredients:

6 tbsps butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsps lemon zest

1 1/2 tsps orange zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsps orange juice

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

2 eggs

2 cups flour

Glaze:

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp orange juice

yellow and orange food colouring (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F

Cream the butter, sugar, salt, lemon and orange zest and vanilla together, then add the baking powder. Mix in the juices and eggs. It may appear lumpy and look curdled, but that's ok.

Add the flour and mix just to combine.

Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and with dampened hands shape into a 13 X 3 X 3/4" log. Smooth the top and sides with wet hands.

Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes then remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Using a serrated knife, slice into 1/2" pieces and stand up on the sheet. Return them to the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Once baked and cooled completely mix up the glaze. If using colour, divide the icing into bowls and add your choice of colour. Fill a little ziplock bag, snip the corner off and drizzle icing over the top edge of the cookies. Let one colour set before adding another.

I had some leftover chocolate icing which was yummy with the citrus flavoured biscotti!

Makes 18 biscotti... now for that cup of coffee!

Store in a cookie tin.

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Lemon Orange Meringue Pie

If you find lemon meringue pie too tangy, you may like this lemon orange meringue pie. Not a great difference just a little milder citrus flavour.

Ingredients:

1-9" baked pie shell 

Filling:

1 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup juice from 2 lemons, 1 orange and 1 clementine

Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

4 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups boiling water 

Meringue:

4 egg whites, at room temperature 

1 tbsp cornstarch 

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Stir the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan except the boiling water. Once the cornstarch is dissolved whisk in the boiling water. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce to medium low and cook until thickened and bubbles just start to break the surface, stirring constantly. 

Pour the filling into baked pie shell.

Preheat oven to 350°F and remove all but the bottom rack.

For the meringue, combine the water and cornstarch in a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat about 2 minutes until a thickened slurry is produced. Remove from heat.

In a large mixer bowl whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together until foamy then add the sugar, a heaping tablespoon at a time, on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the cornstarch slurry and beat to combine.

Dollop the meringue onto the hot lemon filling making sure it is sealed to the pie crust. Gently lift and fluff to form peaks.

Then bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. 

Cool on rack then chill completely before slicing.

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Whole Orange and Cranberry Muffins

Yes, use the peel and all ... get your vitamin C right here! Fact is the orange peel has 3 times the amount of vitamin C than the actual fruit has!

Ingredients:

1 whole orange, unpeeled

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup dried cranberries

So just wash the orange and cut it into chunks. Take out any pips. Place it in a food processor and whirl until fully pulverized. Then add the melted butter, egg and orange juice.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda together and add to the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.

Fill medium muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 12 medium sized muffins.

Whole Orange, Raisin and Bran Muffins

This is so cool because you use the whole orange!
And the raisins make these muffins just sweet enough.

1 cup all bran cereal
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup molasses

1 cup flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
zest of 1 orange (reserved)
1 orange, UNpeeled
3/4 cup raisins

In a large bowl soak the bran cereal in milk and molasses. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg together. Add to bran mixture.
Incorporate the egg and vegetable oil.
Zest the orange and set the zest aside.

Cut the whole unpeeled orange into large chunks and add to food processor. Pulse, but leave it a little chunky.  You don't want it completely puréed. See the little pieces of peel there!

Add this orange and the raisins to the batter.

Fill muffin cups and sprinkle the reserved zest on top.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.  Check with a toothpick, it should come out clean.

Makes 12 delicious muffins

Flax Seed Muffins with Orange and Bran

This is so COOL !!  You use the whole orange in this recipe.
I mean everything, peel and all!  And there's lots of other healthy stuff here too.

1  1/2 cups oat bran or oat flour
1 cup flour
1 cup ground flax seed
1 cup bran
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 oranges (washed and quartered, zest 1)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk (yogurt or soured milk)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dates, optional

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

Before pulverizing your oranges, zest one of them so you have a bit to sprinkle on top before baking. In a food processor combine brown sugar and oranges.
Here it is after just a few pulses.

Add the balance of the ingredients.

Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Add dates if using.

Fill muffin papers, sprinkle on the zest and bake in a 375F oven for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 21 medium muffins