So here’s the thing. My brown butter cookies are my number one requested cookie, as you all know by now. A couple of weeks ago, we had a chocolate chip cookie contest at work and my cookies came out on top, beating everyone’s beloved Tollhouse cookies and some from local Portland bakeries.
Basically when I say those cookies are the best, I mean it. And I have a whole bunch of people to back me up.
In spite of them being pretty much the perfect cookie, I’m always looking for ways to put a little twist on it and incorporate some other flavours.
I can’t say I’m looking to improve them because can you really improve upon perfection?
I don’t think so.
This variation though, might be battling for the top spot with the original. I’ve made them 5 times now and I’m actually obsessed. I love the combination of chocolate and orange and it comes together so perfectly in these cookies.
We’re using the zest of one large orange to give these cookies the orange flavour we desire. We’re pairing that orange zest with dark chocolate chunks. Chocolate chunks of varying sizes because then we can squeeze in more chocolate per bite. We know what we want and we know how to get it. No shame.
My family have eaten these cookies and so have some of my friends and coworkers. When I can impress that many people with varying opinions about cookies, I’m doing something right.
These cookies are that something right.
I actually made two batches of these this past weekend for an upcoming work bake sale and it took everything I had to not just eat them as they were coming out of the oven.
I’m undergoing yet ANOTHER surgery on my knee today, but I’ve been stocking up on recipes for you all over the last few weeks so although I won’t be in the kitchen, the recipes will keep coming!
But for real, make these cookies. Add them to your holiday cookie platter, make them for your friends, leave them for Santa. I don’t care what you do with them, just make them. You’ll love them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Zest of one orange
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 bars Ghiradelli 60% chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Brown the butter by melting over a medium heat. Let the butter foam and you will begin to see it change colour.
- Once you see brown milk solids at the bottom of your pan and smell a nutty aroma, remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Be sure to scrape out the sediment because that will give these cookies a nutty flavour. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Once cool, combine browned butter with both sugars in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract and orange zest.
- Add baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and all-purpose flour, stirring to combine. Once dry ingredients have been incorporated, stir in the chocolate.
- Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove dough from fridge and scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing a couple of inches apart because cookies will spread during baking.
- Bake for 12 minutes then remove from oven. Allow cookies to sit on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
