Orange Creamsicle® Sugar Cookies

This recipe caught my attention because as a child and still today, the combination of orange and creamy vanilla makes my mouth water.  You know… orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream?  Yes.  These cookies will definitely bring your tastebuds back to that delicious frozen treat known as the Creamsicle.

I was tempted to chop the white chips, but the finished cookies look really “fat” with the whole chips, so I used them whole.  

Also, you may wish to forgo the food coloring.  The cookie would look nearly as pretty without it, but it adds a unique texture to the dough and conveys that unique texture to the cookies.  It will still taste fabulous without the coloring.

Yield:   4 dozen cookies    

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups white sugar

• 1 cup butter

• 3 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon orange extract

• 8 drops orange food coloring, (or 5 drops yellow plus 2 drops red)

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, extracts, and food coloring. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add white chocolate chips.

3. Form dough into balls, about 1 ¼“, flatten slightly and arrange on the prepared cookie sheets 2 ½ to 3” apart.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until edges turn lightly golden, 10 to 11 minutes. 

5. Cool on the cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.