I made these cookies the other day and the only time I could really take pictures of them was around noon. If you don’t know a lot about photography, noon on a sunny day (and it’s sunny 362 days a year here) is about the worst possible time you could choose to take pictures. Harsh, bright light = lots of unwanted shadows and weirdness. I was a little annoyed because I was so incredibly excited about these amazing cookies.
Then I realized something. The greenhouse! It’s pretty much a big room of diffused natural light. Hello! It was still a little bright, but so, so much better. I guess it was a dual-purpose addition to our house!
I needed to bake a batch of cookies for a girl in our squadron who just had a baby, so I broke out my trusty Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009 magazine. Seriously the best cookies ever. I’ve shared a few over the years: Ginger Molasses Cookies, Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies and Double Chocolate Cookies. This time, with awesome winter citrus in season, I couldn’t say no to the “Orange Dreams” cookies.
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest (from about 1½ large oranges)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups white chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a stand or electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and best until incorporated, then add the remaining dry ingredients and continue beating until well mixed.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown. Let cool on the pan 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
The cookies came out just like every other recipe I’ve ever made from the book: perfect!
And if you don’t want to take my word for it…
I’d call that a win. Go make these now!!
Orange creamsicle in a a cookie? How awesome is that. I bet i couldn’t have just one.
Uhm, yeah… trust me… I could have just TEN! Lol!
Your greenhouse is definitely a perfect light diffuser! I love orange creamsicle, it’s one of my favorite flavors! Combine that with a cookie and I’m sold. Love these!
Thanks, Danielle! They were really yummy!
I loooove orange in cookies. These look so great! And good find on the greenhouse light. This lighting is perfect!
The fresh zest really was SO yummy!
I am weird in that I LOVE the harsh sunshine…I use a sheet to diffuse the light and bounce with a reflector back onto the harsh shadows, and it is just perfect for me. But I’m glad you could salvage your photoshoot, there is nothing like getting derailed, it’s so disappointing! These cookies look delicious!
That’s awesome, Denise! I am sooooo not talented enough to make that work! LOL! But I’m definitely jealous of those who can!
So smart to photograph in your greenhouse! I bet it has great, diffused light. That green house is paying off already! Plus, you can reach and grab some great veggie garnishes : ) These cookies sound AMAZING! I love orange creamsicle popsicles!
So true!! I need to keep some scissors in there for herbs!
I love creamsicle things! I have got to make these cookies! How cool that your greenhouse can now double as a photography studio! win win! haha!
I know! Yay!! Thanks, Annie!
These cookies look amazing, Jess! Such a creative flavor combo! And I’m so jealous of your greenhouse. Sounds amazing!
I hate dealing with harsh light, but you gotta do what you gotta do! I think your photos turned out beautifully, and these cookies look nice and thick and chewy the way I love them. And who can pass up the creamsicle flavor? Not me!
These cookies look fantastic, Jess! Yay for taking your photos in the greenhouse, the lighting looks awesome! Orange creamsicle is one of my favorite flavors and in cookie form sounds absolutely irresistible!
Thanks, Kelly! They were sooo yummy!
I used to be obsessed with orange creamsicles. (That was seriously my lunch 75% of the time when I was in middle school. Oh to be young and ignorant, haha!) So I’m all over the idea of the same flavors in a cookie!
LOL! The things they let us buy for school lunch seriously baffle me. I had chocolate chip cookies and french fries every day for most of high school!!