The Soft Orange Cookies, baked in the Air Fryer, are just the orange version of the Lemon ones. For this recipe, I added the step of chilling the dough in the fridge or freezer, replaced the oil with butter (soft not cold from the fridge), and included not only the orange juice but also the grated zest in the dough. Result??? Amazing!! You’ll love them!
These Soft Orange Cookies have a soft, almost pastry-like texture, and a fresh, aromatic flavor that captivates at the first bite. In this recipe, the orange is the true star: grated zest, fresh juice, and if you want to indulge, a few drops of natural flavor for an even more intense result, although they are greatly appreciated for their delicacy. One of the many reasons why I love this recipe is its simplicity: few ingredients, all easily available, and a quick process that doesn’t require special equipment, just like most of the cookies I propose to you, without particular difficulties and accessible to everyone.
The secret to really soft cookies is not to overwork the dough and to respect the resting times. To form that magical crust, roll them in granulated sugar and powdered sugar before baking, starting with a higher temperature so the cookies open up during baking, creating the characteristic cracks: a small detail that makes these cookies simply irresistible.
The Soft Orange Cookies can be baked either in a Air Fryer or in an oven with the same procedure, only the cooking temperatures vary. As always, I leave you the oven baking instructions in the dedicated section at the end of the recipe.
Shall we prepare them together?? Then let’s go straight to see all the steps
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20 cookies
- Cooking methods: Air Fryer, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Fall, Winter
Ingredients
Ingredients for 20 Orange Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature or 7 tbsps of vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 blond orange (juice and edible zest)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- to taste granulated sugar
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
Suggested Tools
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 Citrus Juicer
- 1 Grater
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Plastic Wrap
Steps
How to prepare Soft Orange Cookies in Air Fryer
In a bowl, preferably with a hand whisk, mix the soft butter, sugar, and the grated zest of the orange after washing and drying it
Add the egg and mix well, still with the whisk
Add the filtered orange juice and mix again
Add sifted flour, cornstarch, and baking powder and mix with a spatula until you get a soft and slightly sticky dough. If it is too sticky, add half a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour
Cover the obtained dough with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 40 minutes or in the freezer for 20 minutes. This step is essential to form the balls without them sticking to your hands.
After the resting period, pour some granulated sugar and powdered sugar into two separate bowls. Take portions of dough as big as a walnut. Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to get the cracked effect when baked.
Place them on the tray or rack, keeping the balls well spaced. Preheat the air fryer on the bake or air fry setting to 340°F for a couple of minutes
Insert the tray and bake for 5 minutes at 340°F, the cookies will puff up and cracks will form on the surface
After the first bake, without opening the door or drawer, lower the temperature to 320°F and continue for 10 minutes
The cookies should stay light on the surface. They should not darken, or they will lose their softness. Allow them to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to cool completely outside the tray. When freshly baked, they are soft and need a few minutes to stabilize
Now you can serve your Orange Cookies. They will win you over 🥰and disappear quickly…😁
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Storage Tips and Variations
The soft orange cookies can be stored for a long time in a cookie jar, a tin box, or an airtight container, preferably glass
You can double the doses for a larger number of cookies and bake them in batches. In this case, keep the ones you’re not baking immediately in the fridge, always after rolling them in granulated and powdered sugar. The next day, before baking them, reroll them in powdered sugar to make the cracks visible like freshly made ones.
If you decide to use vegetable oil instead of butter, whisk the sugar with the egg, then gradually add the oil while continuing to whisk and proceed from step no.3
Oven Baking
Preheat the oven to 375°F if static and 340°F if fan-assisted, baking at these temperatures for the first 5 minutes. Without opening the door, continue at 340°F in static mode for 10 minutes and at 320°F in fan-assisted mode for another 10 minutes
