I remember the first time my mom brought one of those chocolate oranges home for Christmas. I thought it was the most unique and wonderful thing ever. We banged it on the counter and watched the sections fall apart. It looked just like a real orange. And it tasted delicious! I’ve been a fan of the chocolate/orange flavor combination ever since.
Apparently, in ancient China people would dip orange sections in chocolate and gift them to their loved ones. They may have been the first to fall in love with the unique taste of citrus combined with chocolate.
Then in 1932, Terry (of the Terry Candy Company fame) invented the Chocolate Orange as we know it today. Shaped like an actual orange, the ball of orange-flavored chocolate is divided into twenty segments and wrapped in orange-skin patterned foil.
These wonderful candies became an instant hit, and the company now sells 44 million oranges a year!
Oranges are synonymous with Christmas. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, it was a treat (or even a luxury) to receive an orange and some nuts in your Christmas stocking. I know my mother kept that tradition alive when I was a child. We always got a small orange in the toe of our stockings.
Terry’s chocolate oranges are a nod to that tradition, and they sell more at Christmastime than any other time of the year.
I came across a recipe for Chocolate-Orange Cookies and I just had to give them a try. I’m happy to say that they taste like the confectioner’s version. They will be in my Christmas Cookie rotation from now on.
Here is the recipe for you to enjoy.
Chocolate Orange Cookies
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (1 cube)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Topping:
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Put the butter and both sugars into a mixing bowl and beat on high for 2 minutes, or until creamed together.
Add the eggs, orange zest, and the vanilla extract and beat on medium until well mixed.
Put the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
The recipe calls for the dough to be chilled for at least 30 minutes. I did not do that, and they turned out fine.
Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl.
Roll Tablespoons of dough and dip them in your topping mixture. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 10 minutes. They will set as they cool. Wait 5 minutes to remove them from the parchment.
Enjoy!
PC: Ann Kirsten
You can hardly go wrong with the chocolate-orange combination, although the company once made chocolate-orange mayonnaise!
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.” Ecclesiastes 9:7
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
