Orange Scented Shortbread Cookies With Rose Water Glaze

I am so excited to share this shortbread cookie recipe with you today! These melt-in-your-mouth delicious cookies are beautiful, quick and easy. You seriously won’t believe how easy these are. And the flavor combination of orange and rose? Un. Real. You’ll have to try them to believe it, and then you’ll never go back!

Let’s talk special ingredients. In the cookies, I used orange blossom extract along with orange zest. The flavor of orange blossom extract is softer and more delicate than traditional orange. I really like how subtle the flavor is in the cookies, and how the orange zest brightens is up just a tetch. Honestly these cookies could totally be eaten alone (I’m your witness, I probably ate 5), but oh my gosh they are made even more outstanding by the glaze. Which brings me to the next special ingredient – rose water extract. This extract smells very perfumy, and you definitely have to toe the line between soap and delicious. But when you hit that balance, it’s total perfection.

Makes about 18-20 small cookies

Cookie Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of one orange (keep the rest of the orange for the glaze)

Glaze Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon rose water extract

Directions: 

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch, mixing until well combined. Add the flour, extracts and orange zest, and mix until just combined. It may look too dry, and like it won’t come together. Just keep mixing – it will!

Roll the dough into two logs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until the dough is cold. Preheat the oven to 300, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies on the lined baking sheets, and bake about 30 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just beginning to color. Be sure not to overbake! Remove from the oven, and let cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

For the glaze: When the cookies are completely cooled, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. I like to use a fork to combine the powdered sugar with the orange juice. Dip each cookie into the glaze, and allow to dry on the cooling rack until the glaze is hardened. Garnish with dried rose buds (just make sure they’re food grade like these), and serve!