What could be a better match other than orange and chocolate!!! Are you tired of the usual chocolate chip cookie? Are you looking for something a little different, but yet has some chocolate?
This is a special cookie!! It is a sophisticated little bite with the blend of orange and chocolate. It contains two ingredients that are common for us to eat, yet not paired often enough.
What Type of Chocolate to Use?
My preference of Chocolate to use with baking is Ghirardelli. I recommend using a unsweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate with a 60 – 70 % cocoa ratio.
This recipe will work with whatever chocolate you have on hand. You can use those famous Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips used in chocolate chip cookies, or any other brand of your choice.
What Type of Oranges to Use?
The rind from a juicy sweet orange was used in this recipe. My neighbor has two huge orange trees. One is a tangerine tree and the other is a tree that produces larger oranges( I do not know the variety).
When selecting your oranges, I would recommend avoiding an orange that has a waxy rhine. You do not want wax in your grated orange rhine ( orange zest).
It is okay if the rhine feels thin. It will grate just fine. Look for an orange with a bright orange color and that is very fragrant.
Chocolate Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup soften unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- semi-sweet chocolate for garnish if desired- add before baking
Instructions
- Place in stand mixer the butter and sugar and cream for about 8-10 minutes. Scrap down sides as needed. The butter sugar mixture needs to become light pale in color and creamy.
- Add in egg and orange extract. Mix well
- Add salt and baking powder…mix. Gradually add in flour and mix until well blended.
- Divide the dough into two bowls. In one bowl add the orange zest and mix well In the second bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix well( Recommendation… mixing by hand is a workout. I recommend returning half of the dough that has the orange zest ( from bowl one) to the stand mixer and allow the mixer to do the work. Once it is mixed well, return the dough from the mixer to the bowl. Follow by adding the plain dough in the second bowl to the stand mixer and add the melted chocolate and mix well .
- Turn out the dough with orange zest onto your work surface and shape the dough by hand into a log that is about 10 inches in length and 1 inch in width. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour ( just enough to firm the dough up some)
- Turn out the dough with the chocolate onto the work surface and shape the dough by hand into a log that is about 10 inches in length and 1 inch in width.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigeratefor 30 minute to one hour ( just enough to firm the dough up some)
- The dough can be prepared and refrigerated overnight and then assembled and baked the next day if desired.
Preparing to make the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Remove both logs of dough from the refrigerator. If the dough is in the refrigerator for a prolonged time ( overnight), it will be hard and will need to set out to soften up some.
- Cut each dough log down the center. You will now have 2 orange dough logs and 2 chocolate dough logs
- match up an orange dough log with a chocolate dough log
- If the dough has become soft, wrap the new logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes
- Cut 2 slices from a log that are about 1/4 inch. You will make many 1/4 inch cuts, but I recommend cutting just 2 at a time
- Pair the two pieces of dough together. Patting with your fingers blend the "seamline" until it is one cookie instead of two pieces
- Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Check at 5 minutes to see if they are set and begining to brown on the edges.
Garnish:
- The cookies are wonderful as is straight out of the oven, but if you like, a few chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips is great. Add the chocolate chips before baking the cookies
Leftover Dough from One Log
I ended up making the chocolate log a little longer than the orange zest log so I cut the chocolate log off to make it even with the orange one.
I rolled the leftover chocolate dough into a ball and made a few more cookies just for me. I did add some additional semi-sweet chocolate on top of them before baking. You might have noticed these cookies in a couple of pictures.
These cookies were a big hit with the guys that works with John. I hope you give them a try and please let me know what you think. I love pictures, so please share in the comments.
Cheers…..Happy Baking !!
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