Orange Sweet Roll Cookie 

*Find instructions and exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

• Salted butter, softened – I always, always use salted butter. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use unsalted and add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. 
• Margarine, softened (80% vegetable oil) – You can use all butter if needed, just know that the cookies won’t have that buttery crisp finish.
• Granulated sugar
• Egg 
• Light corn syrup – Corn syrup will give the cookie a chewy texture. You can omit the corn syrup, if needed, just note that the cookies won’t spread quite as much and they won’t be as chewy.
• Orange extract – This gives these cookies some of the best orange-y flavor! I used my Orange flavoring to make sure it didn’t taste artificial. 
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda 
• Salt

Orange Zest Filling:

• Orange zest (about 2 oranges)
• Butter, partially melted 
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• All-purpose flour – The flour will thicken the orange filling just a bit so it doesn’t totally melt out while baking.

Glaze:

• Butter, softened 
• Vegetable shortening – This will help the icing to crust and harden slightly. 
• Powdered sugar
• Orange juice – I used the fresh juice from the orange I zested.

How to Make Orange Roll Cookies

Orange Zest Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Make the Orange Zest Filling by adding the brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest to a bowl and rub together with your fingers for a minute or two. This will wake up the zest a little and get that flavor activated.
3. Add in the partially melted butter, flour and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
4. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/4″ thick. Freeze while you make the dough.

Cookie Dough + Baking

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, margarine and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture. This will take about 2 minutes. 
2. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the egg, corn syrup and orange extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
4. Remove the orange zest filling from the freezer and chop into 1/4-1/2 inch squares.
5. Add the frozen filling to the mixer and pulse the mixer just a few times to distribute the pieces in the dough. Do not mix so much that everything is completely combined, we want there to be swirls and chunks of filling.
6. Portion out the cookie dough using a cookie scoop for uniform sized cookies. For small cookies, use 1 1/2 Tbsp of dough (#40 scoop) for large cookies, use 3 Tbsp of dough (#24 scoop).
7. Bake at 350°F until the cookies spread, flatten and are no longer glossy on top. For small cookies, bake 9-11 minutes and for larger cookies, bake 11-13 minutes. 
8. While the cookies are baking, make the icing by combining the butter and vegetable shortening until smooth.
9. Add the powdered sugar and orange juice and mix until a smooth glaze forms. Add in extra juice to thin out, if needed. Set aside
10. Remove cookies from the oven, and reshape using a cookie ring or the back of a spoon if needed. The more orange zest filling in each cookie, the more these tend to spread. 
11. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan and then drizzle the tops with the glaze. If your glaze hardens in the bowl in between batches, pop in the microwave for 5-10 seconds and mix.
12. Sprinkle with additional orange zest before the glaze sets, if desired.
13. Allow the cookies to cool completely and enjoy!

How to store Orange Roll Cookies

These cookies can be stored at room temperature! Allow them to cool completely and then store in an airtight container. These are best enjoyed within 3 days. 

You can also freeze these cookies! Let them cool entirely and then place in a ziptop bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Karli’s Kitchen Faves 

Here are a few of my favorite kitchen tools that I used to make this recipe! 

• Kitchenaid Mixer – I really love this thing. It’s not necessary for making good cookies, but I love the size of the bowl and the power. It saves me a lot of arm aches. 
• Cookie Sheet – These cookie sheets have put in WORK in my kitchen. If you’re looking for a brand that will stand the test of time (and cookies), this is my recommendation. 
• Silicone baking mat – I love using this or parchment paper to line my cookie sheets to make it easy-peasy to get cookies off of the pan without sticking. 
• Cookie scoop set – These are sturdy and won’t break when it, you know, scoops dough. I love these for making pretty + even cookies. I used a #40 for the smaller cookies and a #24 for the larger!