Orange Creamsicle Cookies

I like orange creamsicles. I really do.

I could easily expand on my earlier Proustian rant about how orange creamsicles, just like the author's beloved madeleine tea cookies, open up a flood of childhood  summer memories. But I won't bore you with orange creamsicle-tinged details about playing with my Construx in the pool or singing so loudly while driving the ride-around lawnmower that my neighbors complained.

Oh, but I just did! Ok...enough reminiscing. Let's get down to cookies!

I started with my Key Lime Pie Cookies as a base and did some tweaking.

My first tweak was to swap Nilla Wafers for graham crackers in the dry ingredients. It's hard to get a lot of vanilla flavor in a cookie, but this trick really works.

My second tweak was to swap orange for lime in the filling ingredients. That was simple!

My third tweak was to implement what was only a serving suggestion with my Key Lime Pie Cookies. For the creamsicle version, I really felt that a white chocolate topping was necessary to bridge the orange vanilla flavors. And boy, does it work!

Makes 2 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Orange Creamsicle Cookies.)

Thumbprint Filling

1 cup orange juice 1/4 cup orange zest 1 3.4-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 tablespoon orange extract

Creamables	1 stick butter 1 cup white sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients	1 cup finely ground Nilla Wafers 1 cup flour 1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping	3/4 cup melted white chocolate chips

1. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the thumbprint filling and refrigerate until step 10.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350º.
3. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
4. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together until smooth.
5. Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
8. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
9. Place the  dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
10. Use your thumb to make an indentation in each dough ball. Fill each indentation with 1 teaspoon of the orange/vanilla pudding mixture.
11. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.
12. As cookies are cooling, melt 3/4 cup white chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave.
13. Drizzle or use a spatula to spread the melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies.

Comments

[Mumma]

Yep, these are a winner! The sweet/tangy combo is perfection. A wonderful companion to a tall, cold glass of lemonade on a hot, sunny day!! We have the refreshments...now if only Mother Nature would cooperate and bring us some nice summery weather.............

[Emma]

I made these the other day and I was a bit hesitant because my family is not apt to trying anything other than a plain old chocolate chip cookie. Well let me tell you, they were a hit! Aside from looking a bit ugly.. which I guess was probably error on my part, they were delicious! They were totally reminiscent of my childhood! Keep up the good work! You are truly a genius! I am always telling all my friends to look up "The Oatmeal Cookie Guy" on the internet!