Orange-Glazed Confetti Cookies
In addition to the cookie jar, our home contains brightly colored plastic tumblers with a matching set of silicone straws, four full sets of toddler utensils, a regular supply of goldfish crackers and serving-size cups of applesauce, a cabinet full of toys in our dining room credenza, baby wipes in both bathrooms, Paw Patrol bandaids, a penguin-shaped soap dispenser which only gets brought out when the grandkids visit, a shelf of children’s books for various ages, two blow-up mattresses and full sets of bedding in either brightly colored animals or cars & trucks — and we’re finally no longer storing the fold-away crib and packs of back-up diapers in four different sizes, after moving them along to other family when our little ones aged out of them.
We’ve resisted the urge to rearrange furniture because the rug in the bay window is “where we do legos,” keep a carseat installed in our car “just in case,” never put important and breakable things on the lower two shelves anywhere, and have child safety covers in every exposed outlet in the house. These are just the things you do. But having missed the boat on having children of my own, they had long since fallen off the list of things I thought would be part of my life.
Kind of like candy confetti.
I can truthfully say that I had never baked with nor considered baking with confetti sprinkles (quins, if you prefer), and my honest confession is that I don’t really understand the appeal. But appeal they do!
I’ve made this cookie recipe on many an occasion before — in butter-lemon, almond, and vanilla & nutmeg varieties, in addition to orange sans confetti. The kids loved them, yes, but they lost their little minds when they saw them with confetti candies. (Even Grandfather had to admit that, no, a fourth cookie is probably not a good idea, sweetie.)
Obviously, you don’t have to be a child to enjoy cookies that look like a birthday party, but feel free to leave the quins out for a more ‘grown-up’ take. They are delicious either way.
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this bake. (These are affiliate links.)
King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
Cook’s Orange Extract
Saeby’s #40 Portion Scoop
Unbleached Parchment Sheets from SMARTAKE
Orange-Glazed Confetti Cookies
makes 4 dozen 2+3/4” cookies
INGREDIENTS
3 + 1/3 cups good all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup shortening, softened
1 + 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons orange extract
1 teaspoon butter extract, optional
1/2 cup confetti candies
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons orange juice
drop of orange food coloring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium-large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs and extracts and mix until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing on low until incorporated and stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Once all the flour mixture is incorporated, scrape the bowl well, add the confetti candies and mix just until distributed evenly through the dough.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Roll dough into 1+1/2 tablespoon balls (I use a #40 scoop) and place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of the cookies look just dry.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies are cool, place the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl, drizzle in the corn syrup and orange juice, stir until smooth. Whisk until the glaze begins to thicken, 30-60 seconds.
Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl before turning the cookie over. Return the cookies to the rack (for extra festive cookies, sprinkle with additional confetti candies) and allow the glaze to set for about 2 hours before serving or storing.
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