These cookies are full of orange flavour, including orange zest + orange juice, and are loaded with milk chocolate chunks! These soft and chewy orange milk chocolate cookies are the perfect balance of tangy orange and creamy, sweet milk chocolate. They have a chewy centre, crispy edges and a heavenly taste! Perfect for the holiday season!

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

Here’s your ingredients list,

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• Plain flour/ All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure it correctly. The best way to measure all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have it, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Corn flour: It binds with the liquid in the cookie dough which prevents your cookies to spread while baking. It also adds extra softness and chewiness.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure to buy unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt according to the recipe requirement. Butter should be at room temperature, which means it should be softened enough so when you press with a little pressure, your finger will leave a dent.
• Light Brown and granulated sugar: In this recipe, I used both light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and gives texture to these cookies and light brown sugar adds softness and moisture. Light brown sugar also gives caramelised flavour.
• Egg: It gives structure to these cookies. The egg should be at room temperature.
• Baking soda: It is used as a leavening agent, which means it reacts with acid and causes the dough to rise.
• Salt: It balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour of chocolate.
• Orange zest and juice: In this recipe, both orange zest and fresh orange juice are used to give these cookies a strong burst of orange flavour. They enhance the tangy flavour and offset the sweetness of milk chocolate. Make sure, using a zester, to peel only the outer orange part of the orange, not the white part. 
• Milk chocolate chunks: Use good quality chocolate for better results.

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HOW TO MAKE THESE COOKIES STEP BY STEP!

STEP 1: HOW TO ZEST THE ORANGES

• Using a zester, zest a whole orange. Don’t go too far while zesting the orange. Rotate the fruit while grating. You don’t need the white part of the orange since it's bitter in taste. 
• I used three medium-sized oranges to get 2 tbsp of orange zest. 1 1/2 tbsp zest will go into the cookie dough and 1/2 tbsp will be used to sprinkle on top before baking but it’s optional. Set aside until needed.

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STEP 2: MAKING THE COOKIES

• Roughly chop the milk chocolate, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together plain flour/all-purpose flour, salt, cornflour and baking soda. Whisk them to combine and set aside until needed.
• In a large mixing bowl, add unsalted softened butter, and both sugars, and beat them using an electric hand mixer for about two minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Add in egg and beat until combined (1 minute). Now add orange juice, and orange zest and beat again to just combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 
• Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two batches, and beat after each addition until just combined. Avoid overbeating.
• Reserve a few chocolate chunks (or 30 g) to press on the top of the cookies just before baking and fold in the remaining chopped chocolate. The cookie dough will be sticky. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes as it makes your cookies chewier, thicker and more flavourful.
• Line two baking sheets with baking (parchment) paper.
• Preheat the Fan oven to 155°C/320°F (or 175°C/347°F for the conventional oven).

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• Shape the dough into balls of about 1 1/2 tbsp each. Cookies should be 2 inches apart from each other. Press a few more chocolate chunks on the top of each cookie ball. Sprinkle some orange zest and a pinch of granulated sugar on top (optional).
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 11-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown and crispy from the edges or the centre is set and puffed up but they are still soft and gooey. Keep in mind that they will look a bit under-baked in the middle as they will continue to cook once out of the oven. If you are baking one sheet at a time, keep the remaining dough in the fridge and repeat the process.
• Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. 
• To make perfectly round cookies, push in the edges of the cookies with the back of the spoon as soon as they come out of the oven and they are still hot. You can also take any round object or cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to scoot it around the hot cookie into a perfectly round shape.

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TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT COOKIES EVERY TIME!

• Butter and eggs should be at room temperature for easy and even mixing. Always use unsalted butter as you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Measure your flour correctly to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have one, then spoon and level your flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour. Too much flour will lead to dry, dense or crumbly cookies.
• Sift your dry ingredients before adding them to the wet mixture which helps to combine everything evenly.
• Always use fresh orange juice and freshly peeled zest.
• Don’t over mix the cookie dough.
• Baking time depends on the size of the cookies. You can make the cookies in large or small sizes, but be sure to set the baking time according to the size of the cookies. If cookies are bigger in size, increase the baking time by a few minutes. If cookies are smaller in size, reduce the baking time by a few minutes
• Don’t overbake them because they will become hard once they have cooled. They should be slightly underbaked in the middle. Underbaked cookies are the secret to getting soft and chewy cookies. Take them out of the oven when they look a bit under-baked in the middle as they will continue to cook once out of the oven.

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FAQ

How can I make perfectly round cookies?

Take any round object or cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies, place it on top of them and then scoot it around the hot cookie into a perfectly round shape but remember it only works when the cookies are still hot and soft.

How do I store the cookies?

You can store any leftover cookies. Cool them completely then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, for up to 5-6 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer. You can reheat your frozen cookies in the oven for one minute as warm cookies are the best.

Can I keep cookie dough (unbaked) in the fridge for a longer period of time?

Tightly wrap the cookie dough with plastic wrap, keep in the fridge and use it within 48 hours. Or make cookie balls and freeze them, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 1-2 months. Bake them straight from the freezer (no need to thaw them). Just increase the baking time by a few minutes.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊