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Lucy Ackroyd
Mar 18, 20233 min read

Orange and Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

Dark, Deep and Sophisticated


These are based on my classic cookie recipe. Ensure the chocolate chunks are large - it makes them feel extra decadent.


Feel free to ignore the brown butter part if that is too much faff - they are delicious without it.

Orange and Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies

Makes 16

Ingredients

  • 115g butter (salted)

  • 150g light brown sugar

  • 50g caster sugar

  • 2 tsp water

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Zest of 1 orange

  • 1 egg

  • 180g plain flour

  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

  • 150g chocolate (milk or plain - you're choice), chopped into good sized chunks

(see notes for ingredient replacement and store cupboard substitutions below)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°F (160°C fan). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

  2. Browning the butter. Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add the butter. Allow the butter to melt in the pan, then bring it to a bubble. Once a cappuccino-like foams starts to form and the bubbles move up the pan your butter is starting to brown. Wait 10 seconds for the foam to rise, then remove the pan from the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the bubbles subside and you can see the milk solids have browned. Leave to cool for a minute or two.

  3. NOTE: you can leave out the brown butter step if you don't have time. Just follow the recipe as usual using melted butter and leave out the 2 tsp of water in the next step.

  4. Place the sugars, browned butter, 2 tsp water, orange zest and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat for 1 minute to form a paste.

  5. Add the egg and whisk for a good 3-4 minutes until light ribbons fall off the whisk (see the picture).

  6. Sift in the flour, then add the bicarbonate of soda and 2/3rds chocolate chunks (see step . Fold into the mixture with a spatula or spoon (be careful not to over mix as this leads to a tougher, cakey cookie).

  7. You've got two options now: 1) chill the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up, 2) spoon onto a baking sheet straight away. If the dough is a bit soft I suggest popping it in the freezer or fridge to firm it up.

  8. Place walnut-sized balls of mixture onto the baking sheet, but do not press them down. Top with the remaining chocolate chunks (it makes them look super pretty when they come out, but if this is too much effort just add all the chocolate in step 6)

  9. Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown – keep an eye on them.

  10. Leave to cool for a bit (if you can!).

Notes, substitutions and variations:

  • Flour: plain flour works well, but if you have self-raising you can use this too. It results in cookies with bigger air pockets. Ground almonds can be used, but produce a very different tasting cookie. If you like the almond flavour then go for it!

  • Size: Do make them bigger, just adapt the baking time

  • Sugar: use whatever sugar you have, this will just change the colour and flavour profile of the cookie. Brown sugars give a deeper, caramel-like flavour.

  • Chocolate: I personally like Cadburys dairy milk in these, but use whatever you have. I sometimes don’t have chocolate so will use whatever I have in the cupboard, from crushed oreos to nuts to maltesers.

  • Butter: Butter really is best for these and it definitely produces the best flavour. However, if you only have margarine then go for it, the texture will be more cakey but they will still be delicious.



 

//Orange and Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies//

Dark, Deep and Sophisticated

These are based on my classic cookie recipe. Ensure the chocolate chunks are large - it makes them feel extra decadent.


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