This is part of our series celebrating classic Portuguese cookie recipes, these are the kind of simple, rustic, and utterly delicious biscuits that anyone can whip up at home. These fluffy orange cookies are a perfect example of Portuguese cookie baking at its fines, uncomplicated, homey, and absolutely irresistible. They’re only lightly sweet with a lovely citrusy kick that brightens up any afternoon tea or coffee break. The texture is what really makes these special, you have soft, tender, and almost cake-like, with crispy golden edges that give way to a pillowy center.
I made these with orange, but they’re also fantastic with lemon if you want to switch things up! The best part? This recipe makes about 22 cookies, but you don’t have to bake them all at once. You can prepare half the dough and freeze the rest already shaped into little balls, ready to bake whenever you’re craving freshly baked cookies. There’s something wonderfully comforting about pulling a tray of these warm, citrus-scented beauties from the oven, they fill your kitchen with the most amazing aroma.
These cookies stay beautifully white on top with just slightly golden edges, looking almost like little snow-capped treats. They’re the kind of biscuit that disappears quickly from the cookie jar, so you might want to make a double batch! Hehehehe let’s check the recipe!
Classic Portuguese Soft and Fluffy Orange Cookies
I love these kind of portuguese easy tea biscuits you can make a ton and they are
Ingredients
- Butter – 140g
- Sugar – 200g
- Eggs – 2 (L)
- Orange – 2 Large (Just Jest)
- Orange – 3 Tablespoons (Juice)
- Flour – 300g
- Baking Powder – 1 Tea Spoon
- Salt – A Pinch
Directions
- Mix the softened butter with the sugar and whisk well until creamy.
- Add the orange zest, add the eggs one at a time. Whisk well.
- Add the orange juice and mix a bit more.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix just enough to combine everything.
- Form the dough into balls, using an ice cream scoop or spoon if you desired, just try and make them all the same size. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then form into balls and flatten slightly.
- Then place in the freezer for another 30 minutes.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Convection ovens are faster. The cookies will be white on top with slightly golden edges, bon appétit.
As mentioned, these are equally fantastic made with lemon zest and juice instead of orange or try a mix of both for a more complex citrus flavor.
These cookie dough balls freeze beautifully. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can bake them straight from frozen, just add a minute or two to the baking time.
Convection ovens run hotter and faster, so start checking at the 10-minute mark if you are using the fan. You want the edges to be just barely golden while the tops stay pale. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
Make sure your butter is truly softened (not melted!) at room temperature. This ensures proper creaming with the sugar for that light, fluffy texture.
These cookies are meant to look homemade and rustic, so don’t worry about making them perfectly uniform, just try and make them all the same size, so they bake equaly.
Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, though they rarely last that long! 😀
This recipe for Classic Portuguese Soft and Fluffy Orange Cookies was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Biscoitos Fofos de Laranja foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 126 calories; 5.7 g fat; 17.3 g carbohydrates; 1.8 g protein.Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you! Do you like these kind of simple cookies or more complex ones? Leave a comment below ;D
