Today I offer the vintage Orange Drop Cookies, aka Orange Gumdrop Cookies, that my grandma used to make for me. There are lots of variants to this recipe floating around online, and this is the exact recipe she gave to me.
Vintage Orange Drop Cookies
Ingredients
Wet
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Mix-ins
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup bran flakes
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1 cup candy orange slice candies, chopped
Directions
Prep the candy orange slices
Place the candy orange slices in a small bowl and lightly sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour taken from the measured flour.
Toss gently to reduce stickiness.
Chop the candy into ¼ to ½ inch pieces.
Sprinkle lightly with another teaspoon of flour and toss again.
Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- 2 cups flour (minus the small amount used for the candy)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed.
Mix until smooth and well combined.
Add eggs and vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
Add dry ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until combined.
Do not overmix.
Add remaining mix-ins
Fold in the oats, bran flakes, coconut, and nuts until evenly distributed.
Add candy last
Fold in the floured candy orange slice pieces gently, mixing just until incorporated.
Form and bake
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are set and lightly browned at the edges.
The centers should remain soft.
Cool
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
These cookies are meant to stay soft and slightly chewy.