Orange Creams

These old-fashioned candies are essentially sugar dough flavored with real orange. Powdered sugar, fresh orange zest, and frozen orange juice concentrate get kneaded into a stiff, fondant-like dough that firms up in the fridge into soft, melt-in-your-mouth confections.

Three ingredients and zero cooking. That’s it. The orange juice concentrate is the key, working as both the flavoring and the moisture that holds the sugar together. It’s more intense than regular juice because all the water has been removed, so you get a powerful orange punch from just a few teaspoons.

Rolling the dough on a surface dusted with extra powdered sugar keeps it from sticking and adds another thin layer of sweetness to the finished pieces. Cut them into shapes with small cookie cutters for a candy box presentation that looks like it came from a confectionery shop.

The overnight chill firms the creams up and lets the surface dry slightly, giving them a delicate exterior that yields to a soft, creamy center.

Kitchen Tips

• Add sugar gradually. You want the dough stiff enough to roll and cut without spreading, but not so dry that it cracks.
• Chill the dough for a full 30 minutes before rolling. Warm dough is too sticky to handle and won’t hold its shape when cut.
• Use small cookie cutters, about 1½ inches. These are meant to be one-bite candies, not cookies.
• Store between layers of waxed paper in the fridge. They soften at room temperature and can stick together.

Variations

• Lemon creams: Swap the orange zest and juice for lemon zest and lemon juice concentrate for a tart, citrusy version.
• Chocolate dipped: Dip each cream halfway into melted dark chocolate for an elegant, gift-worthy finish.