A Blue Ribbon Cookie Recipe: Orange Dark Chocolate Chip

The 3 types of orange in this cookie blends perfectly with the dark chocolate. K and I like our cookies crispy.

This cookie recipe is a  blue ribbon winner from the State Fair. My niece perfected it several years ago after 8 or 9 revisions. She was accidentally entered into the open age category and beat contestants up to 18 years old. She was 13 at the time.

K’s first prize win earned her the coveted Blue Ribbon, a huge sack of C&H sugar, and $50.00. She gave permission for C&H sugar to reprint her recipe on their sugar bags. I haven’t seen it there yet, but I do check the bags at the store.

Today we baked a batch together. Not only was it fun spending time with K, the end product was quite delicious. I hope you enjoy this cookie as much as I do.

California Orange Cookie with Dark Chocolate Chips

I needed the zest (orange rind) from 2 medium/large oranges to get 4 Tbsp of rind.

INGREDIENTS for Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 4 Tbsp fresh orange rind
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 4 drops red food dye and 10 drops yellow food dye
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Dash ground cinnamon
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS 

We spooned scant tablespoon fulls of dough onto the cookie sheet. We decided we wanted medium-sized cookies instead of large ones.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter cookie sheets.
3. Beat butter with sugar until smooth.
4. Add in juice, rind, extract, and food dyes and mix well.
5. Add egg and beat well.
6. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large bowl.
7. Add flour mixture to orange mixture and stir completely.
8. Stir in chocolate chips.
9. Plop orange dough onto prepared cookie sheets.
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
11. Immediately place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath.
12. When completely cooled drizzle on the glaze. Because the cookie sheet is underneath, all the excess glaze goes into the pan instead of on the counter.
13. Makes 18 large cookies or 2 dozen medium-sized cookies.

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS for Glaze

If you put too much liquid into the glaze, it comes out faint looking. This glaze is perfect.

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1  tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp milk (can add more of needed)

Mix together all glaze ingredients. Consistency should be like syrup.

Your Turn . . .

1. Have you ever entered anything into the State Fair? Any fair? Describe your experience, if yes.
2. Have you ever created a cookie recipe? Any other recipe? Did it turn out well? How about sharing your recipe with us?
3. What was the last creative thing you did?
4. Do you ever create with someone else? Why or why not?

Related Posts . . .

• Index of  Recipes
• Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Orange Stuff