These simple orange butter cookies are flecked with orange zest, filled with smooth chocolate ganache, and taste identical to Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. We absolutely devoured these buttery cookies and I know you’ll love the flavors!
Let’s Make Orange Butter Cookies!
Earlier this week I baked a batch of orange scented butter cookies and stuffed them with smooth chocolate ganache. This cookie recipe is straight from my dear friend Rebecca Firth’s new cookbook, The Cookie Book. Rebecca runs the blog Displaced Housewife and is also the creator of this incredible mint chocolate cake that you may have seen on my blog before. Her stunning photography and food styling is GOALS; I’m inspired every time I click over. Her new cookie cookbook, packed with 75 decadent and unique cookie recipes, is equally awesome. This fully photographed cookbook is made for all of us: cookie lovers and beautiful food enthusiasts!
Rebecca is gracious enough to let me share a cookie recipe with you and when deciding which recipe to publish, I found myself in a delicious dilemma. My eyes (and stomach) were immediately drawn to the Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies. Then the Carrot Cake Bars and Red Velvet Madeleines and Pecan Brittle Bark Cookies and oh yeah, the Cold Brew Cookies. I finally decided on a shortbread-style cookie flecked with orange zest and filled with chocolate ganache. They’re sophisticated, simple, soft, and buttery and… best of all… they taste EXACTLY like Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.
These orange butter cookies were supposed to be for the weekend but they never made it past Wednesday night. I know you’ll love them too!
What Do They Taste Like?
Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies!
This cookie recipe begins a very familiar way: buttery cookie dough. You need butter, confectioners’ sugar, egg, an additional egg yolk for flavor, orange zest, vanilla extract, salt, and flour. If cut thick enough, these cookies are incredibly soft. Unlike sugar cookies which are typically crisp on the edges, these orange butter cookies are crumbly on the edges—very similar to shortbread. The orange gives the cookies a fresh flavor twist and is the perfect pair for that dark decadent chocolate ganache. Confectioners’ sugar, as opposed to granulated sugar, keeps the cookie thick and smooth. It also takes the place of some of the flour in the recipe, so these aren’t particularly dry like most butter cookies you’re used to. Rebecca, you’ve truly worked your magic.
Roll Out the Cookie Dough
After you prepare the dough, roll it out as if you were making my sugar cookies. This is a unique method that promises success, so follow the recipe closely.
- Divide dough in two pieces
- Roll out cookie dough on silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- Chill rolled out cookie dough for 1 hour
- Cut into shapes before baking
Notice that you roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it in the refrigerator.
- Why before? The dough is so much easier to roll out before it’s chilled.
- Why are we chilling it? So the cookies keep their shape when baked.
- Why divide in 2? Because it’s difficult to roll out a huge mass of dough. Dividing into smaller sections makes rolling out more manageable.
- Why on a silicone baking mat? Because you have to chill the rolled out dough in the refrigerator and you can’t really pick up a mass of dough you rolled out on the counter. Nor can you cut into shapes when the dough is this warm. So, roll the dough out on a nonstick surface that you can literally pick up, put on a baking sheet, and place in the fridge.
How to Shape Orange Butter Cookies
The only way to guarantee soft and thick orange butter cookies is to roll out the cookie dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Rebecca uses an adorable fluted edge square cookie cutter in her cookbook, but I reached for my fluted edge circle cookie cutter. You can use any shape cookie cutter you’d like. Since you’re eating two cookies at a time sandwich-style, I suggest using a small cookie cutter to make petite sandwiches.
I used the 1.5 inch size from this cookie cutter set.
Cut the cookie dough after it’s chilled. I pressed some coarse sugar into the tops of each orange scented cookie before baking. This is optional, but adds a little crunch and sparkle.
Since we chilled the cookie dough, the cookies will hold their beautiful shape as they bake. Bake until very lightly browned on the edges. So delightful even without the chocolate ganache! I literally want to throw a tea party just to serve these orange butter cookies.
Chocolate Ganache
Let’s sandwich them! Did you know you only need 2 ingredients for chocolate ganache? Chocolate ganache is made from warm cream and chopped chocolate. Make sure you let it cool and thicken before sandwiching in the cookies. Time saving tip: prepare the ganache as the cookies bake so it can cool down as the cookies cool.
After a couple hours, the ganache will set so you can stack and store the cookies. By day 2, the ganache will have softened the two cookies surrounding it AND that delicious orange flavor will be stronger. Each bite tastes like those orange flavored chocolate Milano cookies we all know and love!
Let’s give Rebecca a huge THANK YOU for these incredible cookies!
Print
Butter Cookies with Orange & Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 20-24 sandwiches
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Shortbread-style cookies flecked with orange zest and filled with thickened ganache. They’re sophisticated, simple, soft, and buttery!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons orange zest (about 1 orange)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling
- optional: coarse sugar for topping
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup (120ml)Â heavy cream
- 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar (113g), finely chopped
Instructions
- Preliminary note: The chocolate ganache requires at least 30 minutes to thicken before it can be used in the cookie sandwiches. I recommend starting the ganache as the cookies bake!
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and orange zest, then beat until combined, about 1 minute. Next, add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Finally, beat in the flour on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be soft.
- Lightly flour your hands, work surface, and rolling pin. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat (I prefer the nonstick silicone mat) to about 1/4-inch thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
- Stack the pieces, with parchment paper between the two, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper.
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and, using a 1.5-inch cookie cutter, cut into shapes. I used the 1.5 inch fluted round cookie cutter from this adorable set. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd dough piece. Arrange cookies on baking sheets 2 inches apart. If desired, sprinkle + press some coarse sugar into the tops.
- Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes until very lightly browned around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Make the ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Allow to cool and thicken for at least 30 minutes or until spreadable consistency.
- Spread the ganache onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the other. Repeat with remaining.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions:Â Chocolate ganache can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before using. Let it sit at room temperature to soften or microwave for 5-10 seconds before using. Plain (un-sandwiched) cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can chill the rolled-out cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (step 4). You can also freeze the cookie dough, before rolling out in step 3, for up to 3 months. Then allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before rolling out. Chill for only 30 minutes in step 4 as opposed to 1 hour.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rolling Pin | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Fluted Round Cookie Cutters (I used the 1.5-inch cutter from this set) | Cooling Rack | Saucepan | Glass Mixing Bowl
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Oh and instead of chocolate ganache, try filling with salted caramel. Let the caramel cool for 15 minutes before sandwiching!
I made these last night and they turned out amazing! I made two small changes that I wanted to share because it worked so well. Instead of rolling the dough flat, i just hand rolled them into logs, covered them in plastic wrap and threw them in the fridge. Once they were firm, i just used a knife to cute 1/4 inch thick circles off the roll (sugar cookie style). It worked perfectly and the cold cookies held their circle shape when baked.
For my ganache I actually used the left over chocolate oranges we had from Christmas (Terry’s brand). It turned out so yummy! The ganache was deliciously orange flavored and it really added to the overall flavor. But The chocolate oranges are soft and seem to have a higher fat content than bakers chocolate, so I had to let it set in the fridge for 2 hours before it was thick enough to spread on the cookies. But it was worth it for the extra orange flavor. I will definitely make these again.
Found these cookies to be really powder/cakey, and the ganache not sweet enough to balance out the cookie.
Not an experienced baker! Tried these out and they are delicious. I followed a few related posts about room temp butter after reading the comments and the butter ended up (like your article suggested) much colder than you’d think. The dough was easy to work with and the cookies came out buttery and flaky. I added orange and vanilla extracts to up the flavor and finished each cookie off with a dark chocolate drizzle and a few flakes of sea salt. Will definitely be making these again!
*Another big tip; ensure all other ingredients being added to room temp butter are ALSO room temp!
I had the same issue when rolling the dough, I kept adding flour to be able to roll it evenly. I noticed someone else had the same issue- what is the ideal temperature for room temperature butter? And how do you take it? Just stick the thermometer in the butter stick? Also the orange zest didn’t give the cookies much flavor. They tasted flavorless, the chocolate added the taste for these. Next time I would recommend to chill the dough before rolling, and add orange extract instead. I made these for my neighbors as holiday cookies, I was very excited but I’ll just wait and see what they think haha.
Hi Andrea, room temperature butter is cool to the touch and about 65°F (18°C). You can absolutely try adding more orange zest or orange extract should you decide to make these again. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Would this recipe work with a stamper? I ordered a 3″ personalized stamper w/ cutter for the holidays. That would make the cookies I’m baking twice the size as what you suggest in the recipe. So the time/temp would have to change; not to mention I think I’d have to chill the stamped cookies really well before baking (to keep the definition of the stamper). Do you have any advice to try to make these work for me? It sounds like a recipe I want to add to my collection! Thank you in advance for any advice… I so appreciate it. 😀
Hi Juanita, we haven’t tried using a cookie stamper with this dough, so we’re unsure how it would hold up with this dough. If you wanted to give it a try, keeping the stamped dough very cold, as you mention, will certainly be helpful. If you’re interested, we do have these brown sugar cinnamon cookies that hold up really well to stamping! Our regular sugar cookies do as well. Let us know what you try!
What are your recommendations on freezing the whole completed cookie?
Hi Sue, Yes, you can freeze the sandwiched cookies BUT we find that the ganache doesn’t thaw as nicely. It’s possible, of course, but they taste better fresh!
Sally, I am a new baker and have been pretty successful baking several of your recipes, but this one was such a gooey mess. I read the recipe over and over and can’t figure out why it’s so sticky. When I couldn’t roll it out, I chilled it and tried to roll it again, but it didn’t work. I can’t figure out what I did wrong and didn’t even get to the ganache part.
Hi Georgia! I wonder if your butter was too warm to start with. Room temperature butter is cooler than most think.
Hi,
Is it ok to use orange extract in this recipe? If so, then how much?
Thanks!
Hi Melissa, That would be delicious. We suggest 3/4 teaspoon of orange extract in the cookie dough. No other changes to the cookie dough necessary.
Do you need to use the orange zest or can it be omitted?
Hi Caelyn, you can leave out the orange zest if desired.
Really love the orange and chocolate combination, but these cookies did not do much for me. I think I would prefer a crisper cookie. These tasted a bit flat. No issues with the recipe other than 12 minutes baking time.
Brought these cookies to a cookie exchange and I am so happy I chose this recipe. They were phenomenal!
These were really good and not to sweet! I used half 80% dark chocolate and half 75% dark chocolate for the ganache. I also added half a teaspoon of ground cardomom to the dough, but you couldn’t taste it.
These are incredible! Just the right amount of orange flavor and I love the orange zest showing on the biscuits. I used 100% dark chocolate and it was a perfect balance 🙂 thanks Sally!
The dough was too soft and sticky, it was completely unmanageable for me. I rolled between parchment with flours, refrigerated/quickly chilled in the freezer between rolling so I could cut out the shapes but it would just melt so quickly and stick to everything. The completed cookie also became soft too quickly once sandwiched.
HOWEVER, the flavour is amazing! I think the idea is great, it’s just the wrong dough for this recipe.
Are these freezer friendly?
Hi Beth, Plain (un-sandwiched) cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
The cookies were delicate with just the right amount of orange flavor. I sandwiched them with a dark chocolate ganache and it was the perfect mix of light and rich! Love these and will be making them again on the regular.