Orange Almond Chocolate Cookies (Printer-Friendly)
Zesty orange, crunchy almonds, and rich chocolate chunks in chewy, golden-baked cookies.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 2 oranges
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 cup chopped roasted almonds
12 - 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chunks or chips
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest, blending until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Using a spatula, gently fold in the chopped roasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks until evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centers remain soft.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The orange zest perfumes the entire dough without needing any extracts or fancy ingredients.
- They taste like something from a bakery but come together with basic pantry staples and one bowl mentality.
- Dark chocolate and almonds give each bite a satisfying crunch and richness that regular chocolate chip cookies cannot match.
02 -
- Overbaking is the enemy here because the centers firm up on the sheet after you pull them out so take them out when they still look a little raw in the middle.
- The orange flavor intensifies overnight so making these a day ahead actually makes them taste better.
- Chilling the dough for thirty minutes before baking helps the cookies hold their shape and develop a chewier center.
03 -
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet for five minutes before chopping them to deepen their flavor and add an extra layer of crunch.
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through the bake time if your oven has hot spots so every cookie browns evenly.