Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post
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Nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially in food. It makes me want to eat what I ate growing up, and it even makes me want to eat things that merely remind me of growing up.
This might explain why I was drawn to these Creamy Orange Cookies, which cookbook author Megan Porta said were inspired by Creamsicles. I could practically feel the summer sun beating down on me at my childhood pool when I saw the recipe.
I have to say I was skeptical before I baked them, but these soft and chewy cookies are a pretty fine ringer for the essence of the frozen treat. Except, of course, the flavors are brighter, cleaner and, yeah, a bit more adult.
A piece of advice: Do not disregard the recommended 2 inches of space between mounds of dough. The cookies do spread a lot (the degree can vary in the same batch or even on the same baking sheet), so unless you enjoy cookies that run into each other, be sure you allow enough room. That means baking multiple batches. If you have to re-use baking sheets, be sure to let them cool completely, which takes 10 to 12 minutes. I'd also suggest using a fresh piece of parchment paper for each batch, as reusing greasy parchment can cause additional cookie spread. (I prefer parchment to a silicone liner these days when I bake cookies, because the latter seems to also result in flat cookies.)
Like many recipes for cookies, and baked goods in general, this one originally called for the dry ingredients to be whisked in a separate bowl and then gradually added to the bowl where you have already mixed together the butter, sugar and a few other wet ingredients. But I'm on a one-bowl kick.
The first time I made these cookies, I sifted the dry ingredients onto a sheet of parchment and then folded the paper to funnel them into the mixing bowl in a couple of additions. I lost a little bit, it was kind of messy but hey, no bowl! The second time I was feeling particularly rebellious and dumped all the dry ingredients in at once as I measured each into the mixing bowl. It worked fine. The cookies were great. Just make sure you start the mixer on low speed right after you add the dry ingredients so the dry ingredients don't go flying out.
And that is how a single bowl can be a time machine. All that's missing is the wooden stick.
CREAMY ORANGE COOKIES
MAKES: 30 servings; makes about thirty 2 1/2- to 3-inch cookies
These cookies were inspired by Creamsicles, the classic frozen treat that features an orange popsicle layer that encases vanilla ice cream.
We found some variation in how much the cookies spread. So don't be surprised if a single batch features some thin and large with others taller and rounder. It didn't bother us, especially because some people prefer one or the other. Expect a relatively soft and chewy cookie either way.
Make Ahead: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Cookie dough portions can be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator or bake directly from frozen, adding baking time as needed
Adapted from "Cookie Remix: An Incredible Collection of Treats Inspired by Sodas, Candies, Ice Creams, Donuts and More," by Megan Porta (Page Street Publishing, 2018).
(Buy it in KINDLE version for just $9.99! by clicking here OR at a 21% discount! in hardcover by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR. )
Ingredients
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon finely grated zest and 3 tablespoons juice from 1 large orange
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
Steps
Position racks in the upper and lower parts of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. (If you have one or two baking sheets, bake in batches and allow each pan to cool for at least 10 minutes before the next use; also, line with fresh parchment paper.)
Combine the butter, sugar, sour cream, heavy whipping cream and orange juice in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy and free of lumps. Add the orange zest and beat on low speed, just until evenly distributed. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder; begin mixing on low speed and then increase to medium speed and beat just until incorporated, to form a soft, relatively sticky dough. Reduce the speed to low; add the white chocolate chips and beat until incorporated.
Use a disher (maybe a #40) or two large tableware spoons to drop mounds of about 1 1/2 tablespoons' worth of dough on the baking sheets, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart. (The spacing is important, as these cookies tend to spread.)
Bake (upper and lower racks for multiple baking sheets; reposition for middle rack when baking one sheet at a time) for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the bottom edges, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Nutrition | Calories: 160; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 65 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 23 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 14 g; Protein: 1 g.