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4.80 from 20 votes

Orange Cream Star Cookies

Delicious buttery star cookies with hints or orange.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies, dessert, holiday, orange
Servings: 48 sandwich cookies
Calories: 116kcal
Author: Tricia

Equipment

  • Open Star Tip
  • 2 piping bags

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, very soft (86g)
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter, very soft (16 tablespoons or 226g)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (206g)
  • finely grated zest from 1 orange
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (337g)

For the orange filling:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (4 ounces or 113g)
  • 1 ⅔ cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting (190g)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cut two pieces of parchment to fit your baking sheet(s). Using a round cookie cutter create a template by drawing 1 ½-inch circles, about 1-inch apart, on one side of the parchment. Turn the paper over so the circles are on the bottom. Repeat with the second sheet of parchment. Set aside.
  • Fit a pastry bag with a large open star tip (Ateco # 826) and set aside.

To prepare the cookie dough:

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, zest, egg yolk, salt and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again. Add the flour in 3 additions, scraping the sides as needed.

To pipe the cookies:

  • Scoop half the cookie dough into the prepared pastry bag. The dough must be soft to pipe correctly. If needed, place the pastry bag and dough in a warm location to soften.
  • Squeeze out generous 1 ½-inch stars using the template as a guide. The cookies should be similar in size so they match when sandwiched together. To get the best shapes, hold the bag straight up and down with the edge of the tip hovering slightly above the baking sheet. Squeeze the bag firmly until the cookie is as wide as the circle. Stop squeezing, then slightly twist the tip as you pull up and away. If having a hard time getting the dough to release, put the bag in a warm location for a few more minutes.
  • Bake the cookies until the edges just begin to brown, about 7 to 11 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cookie. NOTE: The cookies go from done to brown in flash so watch the baking time carefully. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely before filling.

To prepare the filling:

  • Beat all the filling ingredients until smooth. Scoop the filling into a pastry bag. Cut a small opening at the tip. Match up all the cookies and pipe the orange cream filling on the bottom half of half the cookies. You should use about 1 teaspoon per sandwich cookie. Top with matching cookie to create a sandwich.
  • Refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Notes

  • Freeze these cookies for up to 60 days well sealed in an airtight container. 
  • Store the cookies in the refrigerator for best results.
  • Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to allow them to come to room temperature. You can also serve them straight from the refrigerator if desired.
  • Adapted from Fine Cooking
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg