nonna fiora’s orange Cookies

In our opinion, the best cookies are those passed down from generation to generation. Even though over the years, the recipe may be adapted, there is something to be said about the nostalgia you feel when biting into a cookie you know was enjoyed by many families before you.

This is a recipe that Nonnina’s mom, Nonna Fiora adapted from a recipe her Zia Concetta gave to her when they came to Canada from Italy. Nonnina made it as a drop cookie but by adding additional flour, she could also make it into a *biscotti. The simplicity of the dough paired with the tangy sweet citrus flavours of the orange, make for the perfect cookie for any occasion.

Ingredients:

  • 5 - 5.5 cups of flour

  • 1 cup of sugar

  • 6 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 pound of Crisco

  • 8 eggs

  • Juice and rind of 2 oranges

  • Icing sugar for topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F

  2. Mix Baking powder and flour in a bowl, set aside.

  3. In another bowl, cream together Crisco and sugar on medium speed.

  4. Add eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides to make sure all the Crisco has been incorporated.

  5. Add juice from the oranges and the orange rind.

  6. Nonnina's tip: once you squeeze out the juice from the oranges, pass it through a sieve before you add it to the mixture to ensure you get all the juice out

  7. Mix again until everything is incorporated.

  8. Slow down the mixer and begin adding flour 1/3 at a time until all flour has been added. Start with 5 cups of flour and if the dough is too soft add another 1/2 cup of flour. The dough should still be soft and stretchy like a very thick cake batter for a drop cookie.

  9. Nonnina's Tip: Let batter sit for 10-15 minutes before you start shaping

  10. Using a tablespoon, drop the dough in icing sugar and roll until all covered and then place on cookie sheet. Nonnina uses not quite a tablespoon of batter but you can adjust to the size you want.

  11. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.

*NOTE: If you want to make biscotti, add an additional 1 cup of flour to the batter. Shape the dough in to two logs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. When done, cut in to 1/2 inch slices, put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Check out the example below!

Buon Apetito!

With Love From, Nonnina!