Description
These Vegan Orange Cream Cookies are delightfully soft and packed with fresh orange zest and a luscious orange jam center. Topped with a creamy, dairy-free orange buttercream flower, they offer a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors. Made without any animal products, these cookies are great for vegans and those looking for a dairy-free treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 115g dairy-free butter, cubed and softened
- 140g caster sugar
- 30ml dairy-free milk
- 210g all purpose/plain flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon orange extract/flavoring
- Zest of 2 large oranges
- Orange jam (e.g., St Dalfour Orange Fruit Spread), quantity as needed for filling
Orange Cream Flower Frosting
- 50g dairy-free butter
- 20g dairy-free cream cheese
- 250g powdered/icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange extract/flavoring
- Dairy-free milk, splash as needed
- Orange jam for the middle of the flower
Instructions
- Prepare Cookie Dough: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. In a mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the cubed dairy-free butter and caster sugar together until light and creamy. Add the dairy-free milk and mix again until combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Flavor: Sift in the all purpose flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add the orange extract and freshly grated orange zest, mixing just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Shape and Fill Cookies: Using spoons or an ice cream scoop, portion the dough into 40g balls. Flatten each ball slightly, add a spoonful of orange jam in the center, then carefully fold and seal the dough completely over the jam to avoid it leaking during baking.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking trays, spaced apart as they will spread when baked. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Shape Cookies Post-Baking: Remove trays from the oven and, while still warm, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to gently shape each cookie into a neat circle.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking tray or a cooling rack. They will be soft initially but will crisp up as they cool.
- Prepare Orange Cream Flower Frosting: In a bowl or stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, whip the dairy-free butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add icing sugar and orange extract, whipping until fluffy. If the frosting is too thin or splits, add additional butter in small amounts; if too thick, add a splash of dairy-free milk until desired consistency.
- Pipe Frosting Flowers: Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip. Once the cookies are fully cooled, pipe a flower shape on top of each cookie.
- Finish with Orange Jam: In the center of each piped flower, pipe or spoon a small amount of orange jam to complete the decoration.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately for a gooey filling experience or chill the cookies for a firmer cream topping. These cookies make a perfect vegan dessert or snack.
Notes
- Make sure to fully encase the orange jam in the dough before baking to prevent it from leaking out.
- Use dairy-free products to keep these cookies vegan and suitable for those with dairy sensitivities.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before piping frosting to prevent melting.
- If frosting splits, adding more butter helps stabilize the texture.
- This recipe yields about 10 medium-sized cookies.
- You can substitute orange extract with finely grated orange zest for stronger natural flavor.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: vegan cookies, orange cookies, dairy-free dessert, orange cream frosting, vegan orange cookies, orange jam cookies
