Chocolate Orange Brownie Cookies
Deliciously thick, rich, and fudgy chocolate cookies infused with orange flavour, with shiny, crinkly tops and wonderfully chewy edges. Everything you love about chocolate orange brownies in cookie form!
Servings: 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 60 g plain/all-purpose flour
- 25 g cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 200 g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids) coarsely chopped
- 56 g unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
- Flaky sea salt and finely grated orange zest for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas 4. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the dark chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each, until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and light brown sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick, fluffy, and approximately tripled in volume.
- Add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and orange extract, and whisk on low speed until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold them in using a spatula until just combined, with no visible streaks of flour. The batter will be quite runny at this stage.
- Refrigerate the batter for 15 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly and resembles a thick brownie batter. It should still be soft enough to scoop.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, divide all the batter into 12 equal portions, placing them onto the prepared baking trays. Leave plenty of space between each cookie for spreading. If desired, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, one tray at a time, until the cookies have slightly domed, developed shiny, crinkly tops, and are set around the edges. The centres should still be soft.
- Leave the cookies to cool on their baking trays for 15–20 minutes, as they will be very delicate when warm. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Chocolate: Use good-quality dark chocolate containing 60–70% cocoa solids for the best flavour and fudgy texture.
Orange extract: Use orange extract rather than orange juice, which would introduce additional liquid and affect the texture.
Crinkly tops: Beat the eggs and sugar thoroughly, and scoop all the batter onto the prepared trays before baking the first batch. Leaving batter in the bowl while the first batch bakes can affect the crinkly finish.
Do not overbake: The cookies should still be soft in the centres when removed from the oven. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Storage and freezing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.