Chocolate Orange Sandwich Cookies
These chocolate orange sandwich cookies are extremely moreish! I love these cookies as they are irresistible and have a rich intense chocolate orange centre.
These cookies really make an extra special indulgent treat and can even be enjoyed on their own without the chocolate filling. I make them a little smaller than my usual cookies, but don’t worry it just means there are more of them
Plus, you can make them all year round for any occasion.
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
EASE: Easy
GREAT FOR: picnics, valentine’s day, parties, afternoon tea or family and friends around
TASTE: Sweet, rich, orange and chocolaty.
TEXTURE: Soft with fudge
TIP: I highly recommend adding a good pinch of fine salt to your biscuit doughs. In a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory way, salt intensifies the mouths’ ability to taste sweetness. It is the sodium that sends signals to move glucose into the sweet taste receptor cells, thus triggering the cells to register sweetness. The result is that salt not only alerts our ‘salt sensitivity’, but also triggers our ‘sweet sensitive’ taste buds.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
These cookies are best enjoyed on the day of baking. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, they will soften as time goes by.
Freezing: These cookies can be frozen prior to baking as balls or once baked and stored in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing them with the ganache.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa solids)
- 100 g butter
- 2 medium eggs
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
- 60 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 80 g ground almonds
- 200 g orange chocolate chopped
- 200 ml single cream
Instructions
Preheat the oven 170°C fan / 375°F / Gas 5.
Line two baking trays with baking paper or a silicone mat.
Cookie dough: In a small heatproof bowl, add the chopped chocolate and butter, then set over a pan of gently simmering water to create a double boiler. Stir occasionally until all the chocolate has melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set it aside to cool a little.
In a large mixing bowl or a food mixer, whisk the eggs, sugars, and vanilla together until thick, pale & fluffy (the ribbon stage). Approximately 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed.
Continue mixing after the egg mixture has thickened. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix until nice and smooth.
Add the ground almonds, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the bowl. Using a spatula, gently mix until just combined, ensuring you get all the dough from the bottom of the bowl.
The mix will be quite wet, so place it in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up just a little.
Shaping: Use a one-tablespoon cookie scoop or teaspoon and place 9 cookies onto each of the prepared baking trays. Making sure to leave space between each cookie, to allow for spreading while baking.
(If you want to make larger cookies use a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop and place 6 cookies on each tray.)
Baking: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes, preferably one tray at a time on the middle shelf of the oven.
(If you are making larger cookies allow 9-10 minutes for baking.)
Once baked, you can use a round biscuit cutter to mould the cookies into a round shape. They will be very soft so allow them to cool on the baking trays for at least 12 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate filling: Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the chopped orange chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stir together until smooth.
Cool the filling until thick enough to pipe and then pipe some filling onto one cookie and sandwich it together with another.
RECIPE TIPS
Every oven is different, so try to take the cookies out of the oven just before they look fully baked. The residual heat will set the centres as they cool, and you will get the soft, fudgy texture you’re looking for. If they overcook, they will be very dry.
The cookies will be very soft, so allow them to cool on the baking trays for at least 12 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For perfection, you can use a round biscuit cutter to mould the cookies into the perfect shape
