Feeling a little low on vitamin C? Maybe you just need a few Orange Slice Cookies. Just kidding, but I've always found it funny that the Brach's orange candies used to tout vitamin C. I guess it's a good way to rationalize eating candy kind of like oatmeal cookies are a good way to pretend we're eating healthy. All that aside, these are just really good cookies and great for Christmas because of the nostalgia factor and the fact they hold up well in cookie boxes.
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We like Orange Slices, but I can't recall buying them for anything other than these cookies, which along with the chewy candy have coconut, pecans, and oats. They're delicious and a lot of fun to share at cookie exchanges.
Orange Slice Cookies -- Variations
The recipe is an old one with a lot of variations. Some versions call for shortening, which makes the cookies crunchy and helps them stay fresh a little longer. More modern versions call for butter, which adds flavor but gives you slightly chewier cookies. I like both versions for different reasons, but the butter has an edge. My new addition is ground cloves, which makes the cookies feel a little more Christmas-y.
Candied Orange Peel Oatmeal Cookies
If you are not down with the orange slice candy and want to go with something more sophisticated, I'm sure candied orange peel would work well. In fact, I'm going to try it one day soon. For now, here's the traditional version.
More Holiday Cookies
Recipe
Orange Slice Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened softened (230 grams) or 1 cup shortening (198) or use ½ cup of each
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed (220 grams)
- 1 cup white sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour, lightly spooned or weighed (260 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped Orange Slices
- 1 ½ cups oats, old fashioned or quick
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
- Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs and beat until blended, scraping the side of the bowl.
- Thoroughly stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add to sugar mixture. If using cloves, add them too. Stir until incorporated, then stir in coconut, orange slices, oats and nuts.
- Shape dough into 2 inch balls (or you can make them smaller) and press them down slightly to make disks. Set about 2 ½ inches apart on parchment lined or ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until they appear set and browned. You can also make them smaller if you'd like.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Anna says
Thanks Louise!
1/2 teaspoon is correct. Believe it or not, some of the recipes I looked at had no salt (and no salted butter either -- just shortening). The cookies definitely need some salt in the dough, so used about 1/2 teaspoon and it wasn't listed. It's fixed.
Louise says
Anna, I have these in the oven right now. The directions call for salt, but it wasn't listed in the ingredients so I used a half teaspoon. I need to stop baking as I'm running out of time to clean the house in time for my sister's arrival tomorrow, but my kitchen table still has 4 lbs. of walnuts, 3 lbs. of other nuts, 3 lbs. of various dried fruits, 4 lbs. of chocolate, 2 unopened bags of sugar, and 1 5# bag of flour. And there's 4 lbs. of unsalted butter in the refrigerator. There's 18 varieties of cookies made plus some Alton Brown's Fudge. 🙂
Cindy says
interesting. My grandmother used to make these for us back in the late 1950 early 1960's...I now make them for my grandchildren ..
Pam Stavely says
My mother used to make these for me, but they were different.
1--No oats,
2--No coconut and
3--She would cut them in bars and "roll" them in powdered sugar.
This is something she would make for me for Christmas when I was a little girl and believe me that was a long time ago as I am almost 61 now. This receipe has been around for a while and it is really good.
Try it without the oats, coconut and and after they are baked, cut into "bars" and roll in powdered sugar.
Enjoy
Lisa says
Oh! You just made me remember my grandmother's orange slice cake--I haven't thought of that in YEARS. Oh, how I loved that cake. I'll have to see if any of the aunts have the recipe . . . Thanks for reminding me!
LilSis says
Orange slices were definitely a childhood favorite of mine! These look really good! I never would have thought to add these to a cookie.
Chaya says
What an interesting cookie. THis is so clever and orange is a winner.
Sue says
I was thinking about these cookies and wondering how a few chocolate chips would be in them? Are they orangey enough to stand up to some chips? Semi-sweet, milk, or white would all be possibilities? Or maybe one of those melted and drizzled on top, with some orange zest stirred into the drizzle?
clumbsycookie says
They're new to me Anna. I though you had used actual orange slices in your cookies, lol! I'm sure they're good and with a nice orangey flavour, eh?
Dolce says
I had never heard of it! How did you like them? Would you rate them on a top cookie list?
HeartofGlass says
I wonder what other types of gum drops and spice drops would taste like in cookies--cherry, pink (strawberry) or white might also work. Or jelly beans.
Mary says
Tried a very similar recipe earlier this year, clipped I think from Southern Living quite a few years ago. I found that the easiest way to chop the candies was to use a large sharp knife and have granulated sugar sprinkled on the cutting board -- the sugar would stick to the cut edges of the sticky candy and keep the knife from getting TOO gummy. Just use some of the 1 cup of sugar that's already in the recipe rather than adding even more sugar and sweetness to the recipe!
Unfortunately orange slice candies vary greatly in flavor and texture, but the ones from Walmart (their store brand) are usually consistently good.
Sue says
This seems like a really unique cookie to me.
Cheryl says
can't wait to try them!
Amanda says
No way! I love those candies! I would never have thought to add them to cookies. Awesome idea.
Amanda says
Anything with orange in the title works for me 🙂
Chris Mower says
Okay, this sounds totally random, but this post reminded me of a dream I had a few years ago... in my dream I made Skittle cookies for a cookie contest. They were really tasty in my dream and very colorful and chewy. So delicious... Anyway, the next morning I woke up and thought, "Hey, Skittle cookies, what a novel idea." So I whipped a batch together that morning, ha ha. Anyway, the cookies were good, but the skittles had completely melted and their sugary centers had crystallized and turned hard. Turns out, I should have used orange slices instead, ha ha.
dawn says
very interesting. not too sweet with the dark brown sugar?
Louise says
I've been making orange shortbreads for years. I'll have to send you the recipe.
snooky doodle says
yummy. what interesting flavour for a cookies 🙂
http://maltesebakes.blogspot.com/
Shari says
thank you for yet another yummy looking recipe!!! I have been collecting your cookie recipes & this one will be added!!!!! I have made 3 different kinds so far this weekend/beginning of the week. I freeze them this time of year, for holiday gifts & treats! Thanks so much!
Katrina says
Those look interesting. As I was reading orange slices, I was thinking fresh oranges. Then you mentioned candies and I was quite surprised. Fun! Last year I made some cookies with orange flavored chocolate and thought they were really good with that hint of orange. I'll bet these would be good with some added chocolate, too!