Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Candied Orange
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A double whammy, these Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Candied Orange are two complementary flavors yielding profound cookie bliss!
Chocolate lovers will exult upon tasting these double chocolate fudge cookies leveled up with the addition of sweet, candied orange! A flavor match known best to only the most discerning of chocolate connoisseurs, this recipe boasts an unmistakable fudgy Dutch process cocoa powder crumb with semi-sweet AND dark chocolate freckled throughout.
These double chocolate cookies are made even better with the addition of chopped candied orange peel offering a one-two-punch of pure snacking delight. Your first batch will NOT be your last, as this cookie has crept to the top of my family’s favorite cookie list just since the first time I baked them.
The method requires unsalted butter. Unlike other methods which specify softened butter as a requirement, here you need only cut the butter into small cubes. You will also need two extra large eggs, and these will need to be at room temperature, so plan accordingly.
Ingredients for my Chocolate Fudge Cookie Recipe
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar, dark or light
- room temperature extra large eggs
- all-purpose flour
- Dutch process cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- cornstarch
- baking soda
- sea salt
- semisweet chocolate chunks or morsels
- dark chocolate chunks or morsels
- candied orange peel
How to Make Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Before beginning, look at your cocoa powder. I specify Dutch process cocoa powder for this recipe which is different than natural unsweetened cocoa powder in the outcomes of recipes.
Unsweetened is acidic, while Dutch process is not. Using anything other than a Dutch process powder will yield a differently flavored cookie than the one this recipe intends as any cocoas non-Dutch process will react differently to the other ingredients specified herein.
Prepare Cookie Sheets
To get started on these chocolate lover’s dream cookies, line a large, rimmed cookie sheet (I used two smaller cookie sheets) with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside. Assemble the paddle attachment to your stand mixer or affix the beaters to your electric mixer.
Cream Butter and Sugars
Cube the unsalted butter into small pieces and add to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer along with both sugars. Cream on high for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
Add to the Wet Ingredients
Beat in the eggs one at a time at medium speed. Scrape down the sides of your bowl before adding all the dry ingredients to include flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix on low speed until dough is JUST mixed but NOT OVERMIXED. The dough will be stiff.
Reserving a 1/8-cup of each of the chocolates and the peel, add remaining chocolates and orange peel and stir well to distribute. Place wrap directly atop the dough. Chill for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven temperature to 375°F.
Scoop the Dough
Use a medium-sized cookie scoop and scoop dough into balls. Place each dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet spacing 2-inches apart to allow for spread. Dot with reserved chocolate and peel so the tops of the cookies will emerge pretty.
Bake
Baking time for these will vary by oven from about 9 to 11-minutes or until edges are set. The centers may be a bit gooey but should also be mostly set. Pull from the oven and place the sheets atop a wire rack allowing the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheets.
NOTE: using a large cookie scoop will yield large cookies but only about half as many. If you do make a larger cookie, adjust the bake time to reflect 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are set.
Cool
After 15 to 20-minutes, transfer each cookie directly to the cooling rack to finish cooling. Use a super thin and wide spatula to transfer so no cookie crumbles.
For best results, store any immediately uneaten cookies in a metal/tin airtight container with a tight-fitting lid on the counter for up to one week.
Modifying the Norm to Make It Not Entirely Average
- If you do not have dark chocolate or semisweet, the supporting ingredients also work well if using white chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or even roughly chopped chocolate or toffee candy bars.
- Roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before placing atop the cookie sheets and baking. They emerge with a crunchy, crackly coating.
- A big glass of milk goes well with these fudgy cookies, but so does a well-chilled sparkling white wine! Bake as a fun dessert for a gathering and serve with Cremant du Jura, a lovely sparking white from Jura, France and available in the States for right around $32 a bottle.
Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Candied Orange
Equipment
- stand mixer or electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed; dark or light
- 2 extra-large room temperature eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or morsels
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks or morsels
- 8 ounces candied orange peel diced
Instructions
- Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet or two smaller cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside. Assemble the paddle attachment to your stand mixer or affix the beaters to your electric mixer.
- Cream the butter cubes and both sugars on high for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and beat in both eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix on low speed until dough is JUST mixed but NOT OVERMIXED. The dough will be stiff.
- Reserving 1/8-cup of each chocolate and peel, add remaining chocolates and orange peel and stir well to distribute. Place wrap over the dough. Chill for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop and scoop dough into balls. Place each dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet spacing 2-inches apart to allow for spread. Dot with reserved chocolates and peel so the tops of the cookies will emerge pretty.
- Bake for 9 to 11-minutes or until edges are set. The centers may be gooey but should be mostly set. Pull from the oven and place the sheets atop a wire rack allowing the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheets. NOTE: using a large cookie scoop will yield large cookies but only about half as many. If you do make a larger cookie, adjust the bake time to reflect 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are set.
- After 15 to 20-minutes, transfer each cookie directly to the cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
The nutrition value can vary depending on what product(s) you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Please note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not deviate unless otherwise specified.
Possibly the best cookies I’ve ever made….and they were supposed to be for my Father-in-law! Oops…..
Darla, I am sitting here behind my screen laughing as I suspect YOU sampled more than one cookie 😉 I’m also weeping slightly for your father-in-laws loss! Stock up on candied orange as it runs low beginning in August according to ‘those in the know’ who had to pull strings to get me a tub last time around. Not kidding, they’re apparently a thing in the lead up to the holidays. Thank you, Darla and keep on baking! x – Jenny