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Orange Grove Butter Cookies




Source of Recipe


Cooking Pleasures Dec 03/Jan 04






Recipe Introduction


These divine, buttery cookies deserve a place on your cookie plate! Cut from thickly rolled dough, the resulting cookies look like little cakes. Their intense flavor comes from toasting the macadamia nuts and using orange oil (look for it in the spice aisle).





List of Ingredients



• COOKIES:
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut up
  
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted, finely chopped*
  
• 1 T grated orange peel
  
• 1 egg
  
• 3 T half-and-half or orange juice
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 tsp orange oil or orange extract
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• GLAZE AND GARNISH:
  
• 2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 4 to 5 T fresh orange juice**
  
• 1/4 tsp orange oil or orange extract***
  
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
  
• 24 macadamia nuts, halved
  






Instructions



1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place sugar, butter, 1/2 cup nuts and 1 T orange peel in food processor. (Dough also can be made using mixer.) Pulse until combined; process 20 to 30 seconds or until mixture is blended. Add egg, half-and-half, vanilla and 1 tsp orange oil; pulse briefly to blend. Add flour, baking powder and salt; pulse until dough starts to form.
   
2. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Knead each half until smooth; pat into flat orunds. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
   
3. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350. On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough into 6-inch round 3/4 inch thick. Cut cookies with 1 to 1 1/4-inch round scalloped cookie cutter; place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Combine scraps and trimmings; roll out and cut with cookie cutter. Bake, one sheet at a time, 12 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown around edges.
   
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 4 T of the orange juice, 1/4 tsp orange oil and 1 tsp orange peel. Add remaining 1 T orange juice, if necessary.
   
5. Place cookies on wire rack; cool completely. Spread each cookie with glaze; top each with macadamia nut half.
   






Final Comments


About 4 dozen cookies

*To toasted macadamia nuts, spread on baking sheet; bake at 350 for 4 to 6 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned. Cool.

**Substitute 1 to 2 T orange-flavored liqueur for part of the orange juice, if desired.

***Citrus oils replicate the intense flavor of citrus rind.