Orange Cookies for a Snowy Day Using Melt!

Orange Cookies with Orange Glaze

I am a big fan of orange in the coldest months.  I don't drink orange juice, but I eat lots of those little clementines, burn my favorite orange candle, and today, with the threat of snow, I am making orange cookies.  Just the smell of the zest brightens my mood, and I have some juice left over from holiday company.

These cookies are especially interesting, because I am using a new butter.  I get approached by a lot of people and products that want me to speak their praises on my blog.  I usually don't, as you may have seen.  When I got an email about a butter replacement called Melt, I was intrigued.  I use only real butter for my famous cookies, but I have been using a coconut oil spread for my popcorn and toast.  And as much as I love my coconut spread, I gasp every time I buy it, as the price is ridiculous.  I agreed to try Melt, and see if it really was the healthiest butter for me, and happily tucked my free coupons in my purse.

I could only find Melt at Whole Foods here, and that is not a convenient place to shop for me.  I generally make a trip once a month to buy the only almond milk I really love, so perhaps Melt would become another cross-town staple for me.  They sent me 2 coupons, and I decided to tackle healthy baking with one square, and try the other on my popcorn.  Here's how things went down.

Delicious!

My Whole Foods recently went under a large renovation.  As lovely as it is, it is not anything like the stores built from the ground up.  I had no trouble locating Melt, but they carry just the original, although there is plenty of space to branch out.  Perhaps the Chocolate and Honey could find a home there.  The price was right at $3.99 a square (13 oz) , a full $2 cheaper than the one I currently buy (10 oz).  The ingredients start out similar, but Melt has ghee in it (real butter!) as well as the virgin coconut oil and the tropical oils that are being touted as good for you.

bright ingredients for a dreary day!

I weighed the Melt since it doesn't come in sticks.

I generally would not choose any sort of margarine, spread or blended product to bake with, but I was really kind of excited about this.  You can find all their nutritional info at this link.  The cookies were delicious, and baked beautifully.  No issues at all.  The popcorn? Also delicious.  I use this amazing organic popcorn, locally grown and Whirly Pop it in coconut oil, so Melt was the perfect accompaniment.  Melt will make my Whole Foods shopping list for sure.  I am looking forward to making more things with it, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Italians like confetti on their glaze!

Orange Cookies with Orange Glaze

1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/3 cup sugar
6 oz Melt (1 1/2 sticks of the other stuff)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put all the above ingredients in a blender and mix well.  Put into a mixing bowl, and add:

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder

Mix well, dough should not be sticky, but you should be able to roll in your hands.  You can make pretzels, flattened balls, long sticks.  Whatever you like.  They should sit about 10 minutes before baking at 350º.  They should bake about 15-18 minutes until golden brown.  They really don't spread, but do get quite puffy, so resist making big cookies.

Dough should not be sticky.

While the cookies are baking, make the glaze.

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 pound confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Weighing the confectioner's sugar....

Mix well.  You want the glaze thick enough to dunk a hot cookie in, but not too runny that it's thin.  When the cookies come out, dunk into the glaze and allow to dry.  You can sprinkle them with confetti, nuts or zest.  I prefer the orange zest.  A perfect pick me up on a dreary day!  So what are you waiting for?  Get in there and bake!