as of writing this blog post, Texas is several days into sub zero temperatures, tons of ice and snow and loss of power. it's been an interesting and trying time. my family has so far been very fortunate in that we've only had to deal with many hours without power over several days. it's not lost on me that during this forced "down time" I can't bake. it's one of my absolute favorite things to do when im stressed. when we do have power (and it's been restored for the millions of others without power), you can bet these chewy triple chocolate citrus cookies will be the top of my "for fun baking" list. stay safe and warm, friends.
in a few words, these cookies are:
these delightful cookies are a mashup of all my favorite things in winter
- chewy
- nutty
- citrus-y
- packed with melty chocolate (white, milk and dark)
- rich without being heavy
- gooey
- warm and like a much needed hug in the depths of winter
let's talk ingreidents
these chewy triple chocolate citrus cookies are full of pantry staples. make sure you have:
- unsalted butter
- all purpose flour
- cornstarch
- I love this brand
- baking soda
- salt
- light brown sugar
- a few oranges
- any seasonal citrus would work for these cookies
- eggs
- this recipe only uses the yolks
- save the whites for another use
- vanilla extract
- orange extract
- assortment of chocolate
- I really like Ghirardelli 4oz. bars for this
- you could also use Guittard chips
- or Valrhona chocolate feves
do I need any special baking tools?
just the basics for these cookies!! here is what I used to make them-
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- or hand mixer with beaters and a large mixing bowl
- food scale
- this helps with exact measurements
- its how all my recipes are developed
- medium sauce pan
- easiest way to make browned butter
- will need a heat proof bowl to cool the butter in, too
- citrus zester
- the easiest way to get all that delicious zest!
- egg separator
- I use my hands
- but little tool gets great reviews!
- large aluminum baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cookie scoop
- makes perfectly sized cookies every time
- plastic wrap
- to top cookies while they chill
- cooling rack
tips and tricks for a great cookie!
- use room temperature ingredients
- BUT separate your egg whites from the yolks while the eggs are still cold
- the yolks and whites separate easier when cold
- weigh ingredients using a food scale
- all plenty of time to make the brown butter
- this needs about 3 hours total time to get ready to use in the recipe
- im a big fan of bulk browning butter
- make 2-3 pounds of liquid brown butter
- pour into a heat proof/air tight container
- slice off what you need for the recipe
- use a food scale to get the exact weight
- use as you would regular unsalted butter
- don't over mix the cookie
- use the lowest mixing setting unless stated in the recipe
- chill the cookie for the best flavor
- 1-2 hours is recommended for this recipe
- can be left overnight
- however, ive left covered cookie dough in the fridge for a week and the results were delicious!
- use a cookie scoop
- give the cookies room to bake
- space them out 2-3"
- bake until the edges are set and golden brown
- the times are a guide, so look for the signs the cookie is finished
- the center will be slightly under baked (my favorite cookie)
- bake a few minutes longer for a well done cookie
- "cool" them on the hot pan for no more than 3-4 minutes
- finish cooling them on the cooling rack
- these taste best when warm
- enjoy the same day (from the oven)
- or heat them for 20-30 seconds the next 2-3 days
more cookies for your cookie jar!
- maple chocolate chip cookies
- marbled sugar cookies
- Meyer lemon sugar cookies
- tahini chocolate chip cookies
chewy triple chocolate citrus cookies
these chewy triple chocolate citrus cookies are full of bright citrus flavor from both orange zest and orange extract. the chewiness comes from the egg yolk only base that has me rethinking everything I thought I knew about cookies! brown butter and three kinds of chocolate enhance and round out this rich, citrus infused cookie.
Equipment
- stand or hand mixer fitted with paddle or beaters
- plastic wrap (or other way to cover the cookies)
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp (141g) unsalted butter, browned (reduced down to 113g) and cooled to softened butter sub with 1/2 c (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 c (150g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (1.25g) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp "pinch" of salt
- 3/4 c (150g) light brown sugar
- zest of one medium orange
- 2 (36g) large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp (3ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (3ml) orange extract
- 1 c (140g), 5-6oz. white, milk and dark chocolate, evenly chopped use any combination you like
Instructions
- Make brown butter the day before or about 1-2 hours before you plan to make the cookies. It will need 60-120 minutes to cool enough to become the texture of softened butter. To make the brown butter, melt butter in a clear heavy bottom sauce pan. Once the butter starts to foam, whisk continuously until brown bits start to form. Remove from heat, pour into clean bowl and cool 30 minutes to room temperature and transfer to the fridge for an additonal 60-90 minutes (1-1.5 hours). Butter should be texture and temperature as solid butter at room temperature.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer with beaters in a large mixing bowl), mix the sugar and zest together until it resembles wet sand. At medium high speed this takes about 30-60 seconds.
- Add the softened browned butter to the orange sugar. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.Add the egg yolks and extracts one at a time, beating well on low for about 20 seconds before adding the next.
- On the lowest setting or by hand, add in the dry ingredients to the wet 1/2 at a time. Mix until a few flour streaks remain before adding the next 1/2. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1-2 or up to 48 hours. The longer the cookie chills, the more the flavors will develop. Just make sure to keep it covered. Pull dough out about 15 minutes before you plan to bake to allow the dough to soften.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 1-2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Scoop dough using a 2-3 tbsp capacity cookie scoop. Place each dough ball on the prepared cookie sheet about 2" apart.
- Bake cookies in a 350 F / 177 C oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. The center will look slightly underbaked.
- Cool cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transfering them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
brown butter: browning the butter causes some of the water to be lost in the form of steam. by adding an additional 2 tbsp per 1/2 c of butter needed, this "water weight" is accounted for in this recipe. meaning, you will need 10 tbsp unsalted butter to start and will end up with 1/2 c (8tbsp) browned butter at the end. if you would like to skip this step and use regular butter, use 1/2 c (8tbsp) at room temperature.
A food scale is very useful for making big batches of brown butter. simply brown 2-3 pounds of butter at once. pour the cooled to room temperature butter into a heat/air proof storage container. chill in the fridge for several weeks. slice off and weigh the amount of butter you need for the recipe. treat as you would regular butter for bringing to room temperature, freezing or melting.
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
How many cookies does this recipe make??
And can I omit the orange extract?
Hi Lola, this recipe makes 10-12 cookies. It depends how big the scoops are. Yes, you can omit the orange extract. The orange flavor won’t be as pronounced, but they’ll still taste great!