With Christmas almost here, I plan to do some baking this week. I’ll be using some of the oranges from our trees since we always cordon off a few when the Sunkist pickers come. Though the oranges are not as pretty as they were back in October when the other trees were picked, they are still sweet and full of juice. With that in mind, I’ll be making agave-sweetened orange cookies to add to the holiday spirit. They are light and delicious and are especially good with a cup of hot coffee or tea. The quick and easy recipe below was adapted from Rodale’s Naturally Delicious Desserts and Snacks by Faye Martin. In my opinion, Martin’s book is one of the best cookbooks ever written using natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar. 

Orange Cookies

½ cup butter or coconut oil
½ cup warmed honey or agave (I prefer agave since its taste is much less pronounced)
1 egg
3 teaspoons grated orange peel
½ cup fresh orange juice
¾ teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup maple sugar (I added this ingredient for a little more sweetness)
2 cups unbleached white flour

Combine butter, honey, egg, and orange peel. Mix well. Add orange juice and dry ingredients, combining thoroughly. Let dough stand for 15 minutes. (I didn’t do this and the cookies were just fine).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop by the teaspoonful 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. The dough spreads during baking.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 3 1/2 to 4 dozen 2-inch cookies or 2 dozen three-inch cookies (This is what I made.)