Orange Cookies

Over Fourth of July weekend, I spent a couple of days visiting my brother in South Carolina. Our visit got cut a little short because there was bad weather in Atlanta, but we made it down there safe and sound.

One of the reasons I like to visit them so much is that they always have lots of goodies in the house. He has a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe and he's never left wanting. While we were there his wife made a batch of his favorite childhood cookies. Orange Cookies. I'd forgotten all about them. They were a favorite of mine too. I'd be embarrassed to admit how many of them I wolfed down with a big ol' glass of milk. 

She printed a copy of the recipe for me and I dropped in my bag and promptly forgot all about them again. Then over Labor Day weekend, I decided that I needed to clean things up in there. Lo and behold, the Orange Cookie recipe. We were heading to a friend's house for a BBQ so I offered to bring dessert. 

These are actually more like little cakes than cookies. You mix them like cake batter and they have that kind of texture. I think that's why I like them so much, they're a little different.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 c butter

1/2 c lard (This is a WWII recipe and there was rationing. I use all butter.)

1-1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c. buttermilk (You can make this by adding a T of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk)

3-1/2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

grated rind of 1 orange and juice to make 1/2 c.

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and lard with the sugar. Add eggs one at a time and blend until fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the egg/fat/sugar mixture. Blend well. Add 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Blend well. Continue to alternate the wet and dry until they are all incorporated. Chill batter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Icing

Mix together 1 T cream and 2 T orange juice and rind. Add powdered sugar until it's thick enough to spread. 

I think this recipe lies when it comes to frosting. I'd make a recipe and a half or even double it.

Pour a big glass of milk and enjoy.